Russian Dolls Everywhere!

 

Hello to all my lovely Readers.  I do hope you are all well and happy and have had a wonderful day or night, depending on where you all are in the world.  I am absolutely amazed at how far the blogs reach and send out warm wishes to everyone who is far afield from us in the many different countries over the world.  You are all so welcome, do come in and make yourself at home, shall I put the kettle on?

 

When I visited Much Wenlock yesterday I hadn't realised that the lovely Jo from Three Stories High lives nearby - it is such a small world!  If you haven't had a look at Jo's blog please do so as she is so interesting and creative, and very, very clever.  I have learned such a lot from her.  I meant to mention yesterday that I had popped into the thrift shop in Much Wenlock which is in a lovely old building.  There were lots of things on offer and I couldn't get over how little they were asking for everything.  I picked up these two necklaces for £1 each - I got them to make more necklaces with the Liberty fabric I have - however I am having second thoughts about the one with the ribbon as it is so pretty, what do you think Everyone?

 

 

 

Today was our wedding anniversary but unfortunately I had to go to a very special meeting in Liverpool for most of the day.  I knew that it was going to be a difficult day and one which needed my full attention.  I went by train as I find this less stressful than trying to park in the city.  I got there quite early, as I always do, so had a little time to spare.  I had wanted to get a gift for my lovely husband but hadn't found anything suitable.  I popped into John Lewis on my way to the meeting and heard a little cuckoo clock singing very sweetly.  I had to find it and there it was sitting on the wall, a nice white and red one with a red cuckoo popping out for a little sing.  I loved it and phoned my husband but he did seem unimpressed, especially when I told him the price.  Have a look Folks and see if you can guess the price - I shall tell you later - no peeking now!

 



 

 

Do you like it?  I loved it but............

 

I also had to pop into the Haberdashery Department - couldn't miss this out could I now?  There was a sale on and yes I was very tempted but I had to save money to buy a gift for my lovely husband so had to resist all these gorgeous fabrics.

 

 

 

 

 

Gorgeous aren't they?  I really did resist lovely Readers, hope you are impressed with my will power.

 

I also had to pop into Marks and Spencer to pick up a card for my friend and I spied these wonderful tea towels.  I have written before about my love for tea towels as they are usually good quality fabrics and some have very interesting designs on them. 

 

I loved this pack of three which had been reduced in the sale and thought I would make one of Helen Philipp's little bunnies. (helenphilipps.blogspot.com - sorry Folks but the link doesn't seem to be working so here is Helen's blog address, it is also on my side bar.  Do have a look at her work, it is fabulous).  I adore these and she always makes each bunny look so individual.  I hope she approves of the fabric, I thought it might make them a little different but we will see what they come out like in the end - watch this space.

 

 

 

 

Then wonderful Readers I spotted some tea towels which look as if they are new stock.  The ones which caught my eye were the Russian Dolls and they seemed to be everywhere.  I do love Russian dolls as they are such fun and so glamorous - just as our Russian cousins are.  There were also tea towels with butterflies and owls on them but I was drawn to my red dolls.  I had an idea of how I could use them so bought two towels.  See if you like them.

 



 

They were £4 each but, as you can see there are lots of dolls of different sizes on each one.  When I got home I thought about what I could do with them - couldn't wait to get tea over and start. I took out the seams and pressed them which gave me a little extra fabric on each of the four sides.

 

 

 

I decided to cut two out very carefully - both the same size doll and stitched around them to see what they looked like.

 

 

This is only my first attempt as I would like to embellish them a little more with some beads but I think they would look quite sweet on a bed or dresser.  I have shown a photograph of both sides of the doll - you need to be careful to match them up carefully as they are not exact copies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So Folks what do you think?  You could get up to 6 dolls from the two tea towels if you were careful plus two doll's heads which you could use as a patches on jeans or a bag.  This would have cost £8 for the two tea towels and of course you have to add the thread and the stuffing as well, but not bad really. 

 

I also managed to line another drawer of my box tonight which looks quite good, I have used decopatch which gives a nice sheen to the paper and makes it look as if it is fabric.  I think the glue is used for a lot of crafts now and I am sure a lot of your clever people are there know about it and have used it before. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well Lovely Readers nearly time for bed.  Did you guess the price of the cuckoo clock?  Yes, no?  It was £172.00 so a little pricey for me I am afraid and whilst I loved it I didn't feel it was worth this much, let's know what you all think.

 

I did find my husband a little gift - sorry but the photograph is not that good so if you want to see a better one do let me know and I will post a better one.

 

 

 

I found my gift in a little studio called Landbaby (www.landbaby.co.uk) which is near the Bluecoat Chamber in the centre of Liverpool.  The products in there are just fantastic and all from really talented designers.  Landbaby also runs very interesting classes which I hope to attend in the autumn so try and check these out if you are near to the area - difficult to travel sometimes I know.

 

The designer is called Rosy Hammersley (WWW.THEYFOLDEDPAGE.CO.UK is her website, do check it out for some original gifts).  My gift spells out 'LOVE' which I thought was so special and my husband just loves it as it is an original piece of artwork.  If you are looking for something unique and different I think this would be a fabulous gift. 

 

It has been an exhausting day but I do feel that I have achieved a little tonight and had the chance to catch up with you all.  Thank you for having a read of my blog, I love having you all here, makes such a difference to my day.  Have a great day tomorrow - or a good night's rest depending on where you all are in the world.  Enjoy peace, happiness and much laughter.  Hopefully I will be speaking with you all very soon.  Lots of hugs, Dorothy, :-)xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

Apologies lovely Readers but my links do not seem to be working tonight so I have had to type in the links for you to check out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few hours off........

 

 

 

 

 

Well hello everyone - twice in one day - maybe time for cocoa now before bedtime?  I do hope you all had a wonderful day or have a great day ahead of you depending on where you are in the world.  I just wanted to catch up with you about my lovely afternoon today.

 

I tend to get into work very early so sometimes have hours owed to me so decided to take a few hours this afternoon.  I live near a lovely part of the world - Shropshire, a county which has always been dear to my heart.  Those of you who live there or who have visited will, I'm sure, know what I mean.  It is a lush, green county with many very pretty little villages to explore.  I decided to do just that this afternoon and set off for Craven Arms. 

 

I wanted to visit a glorious shop I had found last year called Berties which sells the most beautiful vintage clothes and I am talking first class dresses here, not jumble.  The gentleman who runs it had arranged the shop in a gorgeous 1930s settings with old fashioned music playing in the background and the clothes set out all around the shop.  It was just a heavenly shopping experience.  I could only afford a few bits and pieces last year but saw many beautiful dresses and cardigans.  Bertie told me that he would only buy the best pieces and usually got these in London.  I had to go back so decided to do so today. 

 

I was so excited about going today but couldn't find the shop - it had been closed up so I asked at the Post Office only to be told that the shop had closed but the website was still running.  Do have a look at it lovely Readers as it will give you a little flavour of the shop - so sad to see it go.

 

If you are in Craven Arms do have a look at the museum there - it is so quirky and unusual and contains so much stuff from the past.  It is a bit of a jumble but great fun.  I didn't have time to visit again today but took a couple of pictures of the outside for you to see.  If you are around there it is worth a visit and there is a nice little tea shop nearby which sells snacks and drinks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After enjoying a snack I carried on to Much Wenlock which is one of my most favourite places.  I just love going there.  There is a very nice little yarn shop there selling lots of unusual gifts - I was very good today lovely Readers as I was tempted but didn't buy any yarn.  I have that much here at home I knew that I dare not purchase any more. 

 

Much Wenlock is famously known as the place where the Olympic Games originated.  You can see more information about this below on the board which is just outside the museum.  It is worth a visit especially if you have children who are interested in the Olympic Games.

 

 

Much Wenlock is so so pretty as it has lots of lovely houses and many tea shops so a good place to spend a lazy afternoon.  There is an Abbey there as well as a very nice Church.  On a Friday they have a very good Farmer's Market in the market place and often at weekends there are special things going on in the town. 

 

Unfortunately I didn't see any haberdashery shops (might be just as well Folks) so that was a little disappointing.  There was however a most unusual shop - I couldn't take a photograph but if I tell you that I have never in my life seen so many old dishes in one shop in my life.  It was quite terrifying walking through as I was so afraid of knocking something over.  They were selling tiny little baby nightgowns dated 1917 and I was tempted - these were £7 each and so cute - soft white linen and so pretty.  However, I resisted but only just!

 

I took some photographs of the village to give you a flavour of what it is like.  It was very quiet there today save for a few Japanese tourists who were all walking around with their umbrellas to guard them from the sun.  They all seemed very happy and glad to be there which was nice to see.  Below is the market square - I had a lovely ice cream here and enjoyed sitting in the sun.

 

 

 

This is the old Police Station which is now a private house.  I think it is lovely, so much nicer that the modern stations today.

 

 

This is the Church near to the Abbey and well worth a visit.  It was so peaceful and quiet there and I had a little wander around thinking about life and how lucky I am.

 

 

Here is another part of the village - so picturesque.

 

 

 

This is the old Church House next to the Church - there are many old photographs of Much Wenlock and I would love to walk around the village with these identifying all the old places.  It is such a peaceful and friendly place, well worth a visit if you have time.

 

 

Tonight I wanted to finish my crinoline lady cushion but, after tidying the house and making tea I was quite tired.  I also wanted to line the small cabinet my husband had restored.  Not sure if you remember this Folks.

 

 

I started to line the drawers tonight but only managed one - the photograph isn't that good so apologies but I will show you them all when they are completed.  It will be another job done.

 

 

 

 

Well lovely Readers, time is moving on and I have some work to do for my day job before going to bed.  I do hope you sleep well or have a great day if you are just about to get up.  I hope to speak to you all very soon again.  Thank you for stopping by, it is, as always, so lovely to see you all, wouldn't be the same here without all of you.  Lots of love, Dorothy, :-)xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

 

Good morning

Hello Everyone, sorry to pop up again at this early hour but I wanted to write a post to you before going to work.  I was too tired last night to finish this last night but wanted to get it off to you all this morning.  I hope you are all well and have had a good night's rest - my lovely Readers from over parts of the world I hope you have all had a wonderful day.  I wish I could meet you all and say hello personally.  Shall I put the coffee on or would you like tea?

 

After the problems yesterday with my computer and the photographs I wanted to write to you as soon as I could to ensure that nothing else had gone wrong.  I know I am a worrier Folks but it is important to me to carry on writing to you.  I started to make a couple more cushions - I am sure you must all think I have an obsessive trait in me what with bags and now cushions........Part of this is wanting to get things right so the more I practise the better my work will be - well at least that is my reasoning behind it all. 

 

In earlier posts I showed you these two pieces of vintage embroidery which I had picked up.  The first one below is a chair back or an antimacassar which everyone used to have in the old days because men would put Brylcreem in their hair which was like the hair gel of today but extremely greasy as it contained beeswax.  The antimacassar was placed on the backs of all the easy chairs and settees to keep them clean and free.  They were introduced in the Victorian era.  I think the one below is from the 1940s/1950s and it looks as if it has been fold up and put away, it hasn't been used at all.  I really liked the embroidery on this but am not too happy with the background colour. 

This pretty lady has been made into a cushion but needed some work on it to finish it off.  I do love crinoline ladies and this one is a favourite of mine.  These ladies seem highly sought after nowadays.

Last night I decided to have a go at these two pieces of linen as they have been on my to do list for ages.  I couldn't decide on the fabrics to line each of them and  am trying to make sure that I use my stash up and not rush out buying new fabrics all the time.  I had a couple of options which eventually found.

 

 

 

I chose this pink fabric as I thought it was quite nostalgic and old fashioned and in keeping with the age of the cushion.  However, the mind plays games with colours and I was thinking that this would be a good match but when I put them together I realised that the cushion is more of a salmon pink rather than a true pink so it didn't really work for me.  What do you think Folks?

 

 

I have also been fretting about not cutting fabrics correctly so yesterday I went and bought myself a cutting mat, ruler and rotary blade.  I made myself straighten all the edges of the fabric before starting as I have been very remiss in the past about this.  I have to say Everyone that, surprise surpise, it made life so much simpler which, of course, is what everyone else has told me...............lesson learned.

 

 

 

 

You can also see that I am using the lovely Lillyblossom pattern again.  I realise that the fabric looks creased Everyone but I did iron it carefully you will be happy to know.  Ironing is the wonder tool of sewing, I have quickly realised this and so important.

 

 

 

The pink fabric looked quite sweet against the chair back and matched quite well.  There are a lot of colours I could have matched but I was working within my stash.  I wanted to keep the old fashioned 1940s look about it all.  I had to straighten all the edges as it was a little out of shape obviously with all the years it has been lying in a drawer somewhere.  This made it a little smaller than I wanted but no matter.

 

 

 

 

I was pleased with the finished piece and thought it looked quite sweet.  I hope you like it Readers and approve of my choice of fabric.  I like to think of the history of these old pieces of fabric as they have all had long lives and have been specially chosen by someone in the past. 

 

Embroidery is especially poignant to me because of the hours of work which have been done by someone, maybe at the end of a long day sitting by the fireside in a world devoid of the technology we have today.  Maybe I am being a little too nostalgic?  A simpler life but possibly harder going by our standards and depending where we live in the world. 

 

I would love to hear your views on this lovely Readers.  My students all say that the old days were far happier than present times because we were more family orientated and made our own fun without having to rely on computers and laptops and so forth.  However, there is now a swing towards some of the old values - look at what is happening in the craft field here in Britain - the Make Do and Mend culture.  To our lovely friends outside the UK I would love to hear about your views on this. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I showed this to my husband last night he loved it, which surprised me as he doesn't comment much on the things I make.  He is always so supportive and encouraging but doesn't really take much interest in the furnishing of the house.  He asked me not to give this one away as he liked it so much so I took this as a compliment.  I need to find some fabric now for the pink crinoline lady - any ideas about colours would be so helpful to me Everyone.  Thank you again to the lovely LillyBlossom for the wonderful pattern, it has worked a treat!

 

Well Everyone I must love you and leave you all as I am off to work.  I am so glad that the computer worked just fine and the photographs slid in without any hesitation.  I hope you have a wonderful day or night depending where you are in our fabulous world.  I wish you all peace, happiness and lots of laughter until I see you again very soon.

 

I would really love to hear from you all if you have time but do call in again as it would be very boring here without you all.  I really do appreciate all your comments and views.  See you all soon.  Lots of love, Dorothy :-)xxxxxxxxxxxxx



 

Try again..........

Hello Everyone I do hope you are all well and happy out there.   Yesterday I wanted to write you a post about the weekend and completed it late last night.  However, technology is so wonderful until something goes wrong!  I could not upload any of my photographs for some reason, I tried everything and it all failed miserably. 

 

I was so annoyed with myself and spoke to a dear friend of ours to see if he could have a look at my blog to locate the problem - we both decided that possibly they (the system bods) were working on things and it would all be ok by this morning........Sadly it wasn't and I must admit that I was starting to get very twitchy and anxious - would I have to give up blogging, what would you all think, could I start a new one somewhere else...........the questions kept running around in my head. 

 

I had to be in work very early this morning so whilst I was walking there I was trying to sort out a solution to this.  I had an early finish and couldn't wait to get back to my computer to have a fiddle (a technical term you understand for computer bods like myself who know nothing!).  By some miracle which must have come from heaven I managed to do something which enabled the images to be uploaded.  I don't understand what I did and made sure I wrote all the steps down because I will have forgotten them by the next post. So lovely friends do come in and have a relax while I pop the kettle on - would you like some calorie free cream cake?  I am sure you would, I know I would........yummy.

Now then back the weekend.  It started off rather nicely on Friday when I picked up my Simply Crochet magazine, always love getting this even though I am on the very baby steps at the moment - it is a great leap forward for me to actually buy a crochet magazine because in the past I wouldn't have dreamt of doing this as I couldn't read the patterns.  I feel that I am getting a little more confident in this area, am still unsure about a lot of them, but the more I read them the more clearer they become.  The difficult bit it actually translating this to the crochet hook and yarn.  However the magazine has so many lovely features in it and it is my favourite.

 

 

I particularly loved this cushion - the colours are ones which I really feel fit into my home and my lifestyle.  It looks fairly uncomplicated and is something I would like to try once I have finished my crochet bag (yes Folks yet another bag is on the production line) but this one is for me........... 

 

On Friday evening I was determined to complete my two other cushions from the LillyBlossom pattern.  Folks I couldn't believe how quickly I whizzed through the pattern, cutting and sewing.  I was so so pleased with them and send my heartfelt thanks to Lilly Blossom for producing such a clear and easy pattern to follow.  If I can do anyone can, believe me.  I already have tons of ideas running around my head about Christmas cushions, personalised cushions, birthday cushions - my husband commented rather dryly that he hoped we weren't going to be taken over by cushions.........



I am so pleased with them - what do you think Everyone - I always trust your judgement.  I know that they wouldn't pass the Sewing Bee challenge but for me they are just fab.

On Friday a couple of things came from Ebay which I had been bidding on.  I try to limit myself to this as I know that you can get carried away with it.  I always stick to the budget I have in my head and never overbid as this can be fatal.  I like little whimsical things which others wouldn't be that interested in but I just love what I win.  I also found this cute little tin.  In my childhood we would always get a tin of toffees from someone in the family and I do wish I had kept some of them.  They were such pretty things then and I used to keep my bead collections in them.  I don't know what happened to them all but they are all gone now.  This tin is typical of the day with the lovely Highland scene on it with a picturesque cottage in the background.  I have travelled to Scotland many times and it is such a wonderful place, the views and the people are outstanding.  If you haven't been Folks try and get up there for a holiday, you won't regret it.

I  also won this adorable little tea tray cloth which I might reuse in another form.  It is so pretty and I just adore old embroidery things and wonder who has gone to the all the trouble of making them.  I hope they know that I am going to treasure the results of their hard work.  I do think that people are becoming much more appreciative of stuff such as this.

I do have a real passion for buttons which I have mentioned before.  My final win was this box of buttons which had all come from a store somewhere in Britain.  I loved the box anyway and have a couple of these but the buttons were a real bonus.  If anyone out there knows where they came from I would really be interested.  I had some thoughts of making a picture of sorts and arranging the buttons into some kind of form - a heart for example.  I would appreciate any ideas you have, always love to hear from you all.

 

 

On Saturday I spent the day in Manchester with my gorgeous eldest Son who is always such good company.  We did a bit of shopping, coffee, lunch, talking and more talking so time went quickly.  However, whenever I am somewhere different I always have to check out the shops for haberdashery, yarns, fabrics anything to do with crafting.  I did go into a few and there was nothing - an absolute desert.  Now all you lovely Readers from that part of the world I am sure you know of many shops I could have found.  I spoke with a lady in House of Fraser who said that years ago they had a big department selling all manner of haberdashery things but they had closed it as there was little interest.  She said that she didn't know of anywhere in the centre of Manchester where I could find such things..............I know that she must have been mistaken as Manchester has the Ministry of Craft which runs lots of courses but obviously I was limited to time.  Any ideas or information would be warmly welcomed Folks, am sure that I missed out on some gems because I wasn't sure where to find them.

 

Now Folks if any of you read the lovely Hannapat's blog you might have read a post a couple of months ago about the Treacle Fair in Macclesfield.  After I read her wonderful post I really wanted to visit as I adore old fairs such as this.  On Sunday I set out quite early as it is about an hour and a quarter from where I live and I wanted to be there nice and early.  The weather was just gorgeous and I was excited about the day.  Parking was really easy, right opposite the main street and it was in full flow when I got there with loads of people around.  There were so many interesting stalls selling all manner of food including bread, cakes, potted beef, meat, pies, the list goes on.  After a quick coffee I quickly scooted around as I must admit Folks I wasn't that interested in the food stall - although the majority of people were milling around these.



I found the Square near the church and spied all the wonderful stalls there selling the things most dear to my heart.  Now lovely Folks I had given myself a stern warning on the way that I wasn't going to overspend on bits and pieces so I made sure that I came out of the house with just a tad more than I wanted to spend.  I know what I am like when I see something I want, are you the same?????  I hope I am not the only one who is like this.

 

 

 

 

This was the first stall I came to and the wonderful gentleman kindly offered to have his photograph taken for my blog.  I always ask permission before taking any images and tell the people that it is for a blog.  Sometimes craftspeople can be reluctant about you taking photographs and I can well understand this as it must be so annoying when people steal ideas from you.  This gentleman was very kind and told me that he had a website as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

He makes and sells some rather unusual gifts including brooches which would make a good present for someone hard to buy for.  I was drawn to this lovely lady on his stall.  She was sat at the very back amongst all the other items and looked so serene and calm.  I needed to take her home with me, I think she is so lovely and will sit on our dresser.  I would dearly love to know who she is - all dressed up in her best clothes ready for the photographer.  The photograph is on tin plate and has a little stand at the back so sits nicely on the shelf.  I love her.

 

I have also been looking for a plastic coated shopping basket for ages.  I do have a couple of these but wanted one which was in better condition than the ones I already have.  They are great for putting my yarns in and also when I am doing a project I tend to put all the things needed into the basket and keep it next to me when I am sewing, knitting or crocheting.  I loved this one and bought it from a very nice stall.  A lady at the stall was telling me that she also collects these but has that many she dare not take another one home with her.............








The two ladies on the stall were quite happy to have their photograph taken although they didn't want to post for a picture!  Everyone I met was so nice and friendly but I was a bit restricted with my camera.

 

 

Finally I found one last treasure which I had to have Everyone.  At first I thought I was just a little old box but it had my name on it, then I opened it to see the embroidery threads which were the icing on the cake.  The box would have contained old nylon stockings which women (and maybe some men!) wore before the invention of tights.  They were held up by suspenders - these have all come back into fashion now.  I just wonder what John was sending to Valda, Dorothy and Kenneth?  Any ideas Folks?

 

 



Well Folks that was my weekend, pretty packed and colourful but highly enjoyable.  Now what about you?  I do hope you all had a fabulous time with some relaxation and fun.  The weather on Sunday was perfect but I must say that I just made it back to the car before the rain and thunder started.  All the way home there were tremendous puddles on the road and I had to take it slow and steady which meant a longer drive home.  But, it was all worth it in the end and I will certainly be going again. 

Did I stick to my budget?  You will be proud of me as I did.  I must admit that I was really tempted on many many items but kept my head and didn't dive in.  I was so pleased with the treasures I came away with and the ones from Ebay.  I hope that the computer doesn't play up again Folks as I do want to keep talking to you all on a very regular basis.  If you can leave a comment that would be so wonderful as I love hearing from you.  I must say that I have learned so much in the short time I have been blogging and 'met' extraordinary people from all walks of life which I never would have met otherwise.  Thank you for being so good and reading my blog and I hope to see you very soon again.  Be safe and enjoy your week ahead.  Lots of love as always, Dorothy :-)xxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A new cushion.....

Hello Everyone hope you are all happy and smiling and have had a good day or night wherever you are in the world.  It is so lovely to see everyone again, you all make my day.  Thanks for dropping by, would you like a tea or coffee, some cake maybe?  All totally calorie free of course.

I had a day off today and went over to Plumley to join in the fantastic sewing group which the lovely Sue from Creative Stitchers has created.  You may remember that she was the wonderful lady who helped me to make my red dress in a weekend.  Sue is the most fabulous sewer - please have a look at her blog and see the wonderful dress she has made for her friend's wedding which was this weekend.  I saw the wedding dress when I was at Sue's house for the course and thought it was out of this world - the detail and the personal touches were fantastic.  I know that Sue is going to post some  photographs of the wedding so please have a look and marvel at the expertise and the sheer drama of the work. 

It is the first time I have visited Sue's group and they made me so welcome.  It is a fair trek from my home - about an hour in the car - but well worth it for the three hours which just flew by.  Everyone was so helpful and friendly - one lovely lady helped me to cut out my cushion cover properly and after talking to her I am going to invest in a proper cutting mat and ruler as I am ashamed at the way I cut fabric - so hit and miss.  If I am going to do this properly I need the correct tools and should learn how to use them properly - there, I have told myself off now!

I was following Lilly Blossom's wonderfully clear pattern and had found some fabric in the sewing room.

 



I think it must be from IKEA by the look of it - what do you think Folks?  I also chose red gingham as I thought this would be a good contrast to the main bold colours of the fabric.  After struggling a bit with the straight edges I was helped out by my fellow sewer and off I went. 

It was such an easy pattern to follow as long as I took my time with it.  I had copied the pattern in black and white but colour would have been a lot easier, although to be fair Lilly Blossom does use enough contrasting fabrics to make each piece easy to distinguish from the rest.

Time flew past quickly as we sat, chatted and sewed.  I love being with creative people and hearing all their stories.  What I am finding so interesting is that I always assume that everyone is so experienced and has been crafting for years but often they are just like me, newbies starting out on their journey.

 

 

The other thing I find is that I always learn a little something new from someone in the groups - little tips which you might not find in any sewing books but things which come from experience, invaluable.

I was on the home straight now but conscious that time was moving on.

The sewing group is held in the village hall which is so sweet - everyone is made welcome so if you are around that corner of the world please get in touch with Sue as I know she would love to meet you all and so would I.

Now lovely Readers I have told you many times that I can be a bit slap dash at times (a lot of times actually) so instead of rechecking the instructions I ploughed ahead wanting to finish the cushion cover before I went off.  I thought I had done it and was feeling quite pleased with myself then..........I realised that I had done something wrong.  I had left out a small section and not turned the facing over and stitched it on the wrong side.  It was too late to do anything about it and I should have asked Sue to check it over before I finally sewed it all up but I didn't.  I was really cross with myself but thought well - you have learned something else today - stop rushing.

I had time to visit my Mum and stayed for a cuppa and a piece of cake before heading home.  It was really getting to me that I hadn't taken more time.  As soon as I got in the door - after saying hello to my husband - I got all the work out and went through it again.  It was only a small error but made such a difference.  I just unpicked it all and then re-stitched it after tea - and it worked.

 

I love the Swedish design, I am a real sucker for this style.  I hopefully have enough for another two cushions so I have learned a lot from this exercise.

I have loads of ideas buzzing around my head now about Christmas cushions, personalised cushions, all manner of cushions - no zips or piping, just straightforward which suits me fine at this stage.  Hope you like the cover Folks, let's know what you think.

I have another project pressing because I wanted to make one of my granddaughters who is at university and is 20 this year a special cushion.  I had this pattern from Lillyblossom and loved it because it contained all the letters of the alphabet which are so handy for appliqué.

I think I can get away with the name Lauren as it is not too long and would make a nice present to go on her bed or on the window ledge - any ideas about the colours Folks - she likes reds, pinks and blues so I can't decide whether to make them all the same colour with different coloured letters and ribbons - any thoughts or comments would be really welcome. 

 

Thank you Lilly Blossom for another fabulous pattern.  Just have a look at her website as I have spotted a really cool retro fabric which she uses to cover diaries or books - really super gifts for Christmas, particularly if you can personalise them a little with someone's initials or name.  I really want to have a go at this as diaries are always a favourite gift for my friends and these covers take something quite ordinary and make it really unique. 

 

Before I finish this evening lovely creative folks out there I wanted to put out a very special message to a wonderfully talented lady who reads my blog.  The one things I am finding over and over again is that the creative world is full of very sensitive and empathic people who are in tune with the world and others.  The lady (J) I am talking about is so talented and can turn her hand to anything but and it is a big but, doesn't believe in herself. 

 

She has been going through such a tough time with her health and trying to keep her home and children/husband going and is doing a fantastic job when others would have given up.  I am trying to encourage her to dip her toe in the water and try to put some of her lovely things on Etsy or Ebay but I think she underestimates her talent and thinks no one would be interested.  I know that they would - her dream is to craft and sell but she is held back.  Could I ask you all a big favour - through my blog could you send her some encouragement and support - she is in such a lonely place at the moment.

 

Thank you all so much everyone, you are such a fantastic group of people and I am blessed that you visit my blog.  I appreciate all your comments and even if you don't leave any message I thank you for visiting.  I hope to write very soon and send love to you all.  Take care, have fun and enjoy yourselves.  Dorothy :-)xxxxxxxxxxxxx