Finished picture

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

completed picture

 

Christmas cushion

here is the cushion I made

 

close up of applique

 

Inspiration

it is strange how easy it is to find inspiration among the most simple things. I was sorting out my threads the other day and it was great fun to organise the colours. Since I have been doing free sewing the threads feel like a palette, as it is so wonderful to draw with the sewing machine.

 

 

 

Crochet hook roll

I made this crochet hook roll, I got the idea from a vintage design. It is so nice to have something to put them all in. I simply adore the fabric inside and the ribbons make it a girlie touch.

 

 

Birthdays

Had friends over for a games evening, it was great fun! I must say that when I looked around it was so great to have the people I am closest to all in one room. It was a great evening, fantastic fun and finished around 1.30 am!!! Some of my friends were up for more, but I was really tired! It is one of my friends birthday on Wed, but she hates her birthday! I think it all goes back to the fact that when we are children we are really made a fuss of, parties etc yet when we grow up we have to face disappointment year on year! Last year I was forty, and I think I have finally solved the problem, just enjoy every birthday and have fun, forget getting older and all the emotional baggage with it.

 Bought some fantastic books today with the remainder of my book tokens,

This book is so inspiring! I love the ideas, I am always looking for ways to personalise my own clothes. I just can’t wait to make some of the beautiful things I love the felt flowers and the coursages. Will have to post some of my attempts!

Bought a load of different magazines for the pupils to vote on the ones they want to stock in the Library, but I could not beleive the NME, I read a couple of articles and there were a couple of them were really disgusting! This singer was so foul and obsene I was really disappointed! What is wrong with people that they have to be really offensive to get their point accross! It is a shame because I really want to have something in the Library about music!

Not feeling too good today, L had some sort of bug last week, used up all my medicine so that when I came down with it I had to tramp to Town to get some more, being a Sunday all the local pharmacies were closed! Nursing myself on the sofa, with my hot wheat bag on my tummy. Hopefully will be better soon! In the meantime I am drinking some firery ginger beer. Strangely it does make me feel much better I am sure ginger is good for you.

 

My Creative Journey

My creative journey

 

I have always been creative.  I learnt to knit when I was nine, I remember making very complicated jumpers from my dolls, I also remember being given a tour is so machine with some dolls clothes patterns.  I remember making a dull stress and being amazed at the shape of the sleeve is a wonderful toy, and I remember having fun with the patterns and the fabric.

My stepmother correct.  She is used to make my sister and I matching outfits I remember a particular dress that had pink gingham with little cherries over it and a small Peter Pan collar the great thing about this was that when I grew a little and grew out of my dress.  I always had my sisters to wear.

 

My Nan used to crochet, she used to make the most wonderful bedspreads, although the wall she used was anything she could get for free.  So the colours were a little bit unusual.  I regret now that I didn’t learn to crochet from her, but I enjoy it now.

 

 

My attempts at craft as a child were not all that successful.  I remember making a Florence doll from the Magic roundabout, I remember she had the most wonderful shoes. However, when I got to secondary school.  I had to make an awful school top, I ended up making a real mess of it and had to get my stepmother to help me. She was so impatient.  I think it put me off for a long time.

 

When I was around 18 I was given a cross stitch kit that somebody had finished with and they started a long love affair with Cross stitch. I made the children some wonderful cross stitch birth announcements.  However the problem I have found with Cross stitch was that it was difficult to know what to do with it once you had made it.  Framing in those days was very expensive, and people did not appreciate the Cross stitch patterns made into cards.  I think I eventually gave up when I went back to full-time work.

 

I decided to try my hand at sewing, I found a fantastic machine in a second-hand sewing shop, my ground gave me the money to buy it.  The machine had so many different cartridges.  It could do so many different decorative stitches that I began to be very excited about making my own clothes.  I enrolled in a dressmaking class at the local school, but the problem with it was that so many people were doing the class.  I used to spend nearly all my time waiting for the teacher.  I tried making a skirt on my own and it ended up looking horrendous.  It was a complete disaster!  Fortunately, I had a very special friend, who encouraged me to go round her house every week and we would make something together.  This was a fantastic way to learn how to sew.  I shall always be grateful to my friend Pat helping me start a passion that has continued, for over 20 years! I remember making my daughter, some very pretty outfits. I still have that sewing machine, a Viking, which is still in good working order, in fact, my daughter has been learning to sew on it herself. I expect my Nan and is really pleased!