French Knots

We have lift off!

French Knots is growing from a journal of my ramblings and photos of my projects into a little business. I have been busy at the sewing machine since the children went to school a few weeks ago as my head was full of ideas I wanted to make, it has been wonderful to create things in the fabric that have been rolling round in my head for a while, Fairy dressing up skirts,Party Bags, Pinnies, Toy Tidies, Everlasting Paper Chains...there's just not enough hours in the day.

Today I got my first booking for a stall locally and have decided to gather my courage and phone round to see if I can book a few more.

I made a list

just a small one on a roll of wallpaper! The most important thing are

1 Etsy shop

2 Leaflet - tried to do this using Publisher but was defeated. If anyone has a technically savvy teenager who wont charge too much I'd love some help!

3 Marketing - Moo Cards? Vistaprint?

4 Labels - fabric ones for stitching on things and card ones for prices, need to research

5 Photoshop - learn a few simple things that will make my pictures look better

6 Pricing - how much something is worth and what someone will pay for it are not really the same thing

7 Is it worth approaching gift shops or will the need to offer a wholesale price make it impossible?

I'm excited about my new adventure, any tips from those of you already selling your wares?

Thank you for your get well wishes, we are both much improved. The Big Sister is still very snuffly but feeling well enough to argue with her brother. Great!

Monday morning

Woken in the night by the rain, then My Little Helper had a bad dream. The Big Sister has the same sore throat, cold, bunged up head thing as me so we are at home today watching rubbish on telly together. Snuggled under a quilt on the settee.. so good, I could do with a snooze.

Some goodies arrived from Amazon, seems a shame to only order one book when the postage is free.

 

Home Made Vintage by Christine Strutt has some wonderful ideas with a shabby chic vibe.

I first saw Embroidered Treasures for Children mentioned on Old School Acres I think.

It has some fresh ideas for making lovely gifts for little ones. Off to browse through them and try not to listen to High School Musical, The Big Sister's current favourite....but I still like Grease.....so can't really complain.

Christmas Whisky

I'm planning on giving some Apple Whisky for Christmas presents this year, but it's best to practise a recipe before giving it as a gift don't you think!

You can make flavour spirits with all sorts of fruits, Raspberry Vodka is nice and Plum Whisky goes down well too.

use 70 cl of any spirit

8oz fruit

up to 4oz sugar

Place the fruit in a jar ( either a kilner/preserving jar or if you can't find them because you tidied out the pantry you can use a mayo jar like me!). Leave for a week or so, shaking it occasionally. I generally cut the fruit to allow the flavor to infuse the booze.Strain and then sweeten to taste, sweet fruits like strawberries wont need much sugar. Warm your tipple very gently in a pan and the sugar will dissolve. Leave to cool then bottle and label.......and of course drink. 

Sweet September Sun

Somehow a sunny day at this time of year seems more of a gift, an unexpected to bonus to enjoy the sun on your face and some extra time outside.

and time at the beach is best of all. We were over on Anglesey showing the cottage to a prospective buyer ( fingers crossed everyone please!) and spent the afternoon with Grandma and Grandad gathering shells, eating ice creams and paddling

My Little Helper ' Why is Cinderella bad at football?'..............' because she runs away from the ball!' Pretty good for a four year old I think.

Unexpected treasure

Driving past a local church yesterday I noticed they were having a jumble sale, which seemed odd for a Thursday, but thought I'd have a nosey. I'm glad I did as I found this lovely old suitcase for a pound

Some cookery and craft books plus some old flowery fabric for another couple of quid

They were also selling scrumptious looking homemade cakes but I resisted as we are going to a black tie do at the end of the month and I haven't worn my Little Black Dress for over a year and it is rather snug to say the least!

Have been having a great time recently discovering new blogs, full of inspiration and creativity. Don't you love it when you read someones blog and think 'yes, that's just how I feel', it's a link, a connection with a stranger who you'll probably never meet but it's what makes our community so special. You may have already discovered these but if not have a look at

Moogsmum

Flossie Teacakes

Reddy Made

Curlew Country

.....a bit of extra reading for the weekend!

 

Anita Roddick

Anita Roddick died suddenly yesterday and I feel touched by it as I did when Paula Yates died.

The Body Shop was such a part of my early teenage years as I discovered that I could have my own opinion I didn't have to think the same as everyone else. She founded an company based upon principles which appealed to me then, and still do. My values were forming at a time when it became possible to buy products that were not tested on animals, that were available in refillable plastic bottles and ethically sourced. For years I wore their White Musk perfume, used their Vitamin E moisturiser and bought their gift baskets for my friends.

I learnt to think for myself, to decide where I stood and what was important to me. I couldn't stand sitting on the fence. I joined Greenpeace to add my little teenage voice to their Stop the Bloody Whaling campaign and am a member still. I think the beliefs we embrace in those formative years stay with us, as does our taste in music.....long live Yazoo, Spandau Ballet and The Police.

Tasty harvest

I loveFreecycle ! It's a great way to reuse unwanted items and to keep them out of landfill. I spent the other morning chatting and picking with a total stranger in her lovely garden thanks to Freecycle. She had advertised fruit from her garden and I went along with some bags and helped myself. She had kindly written out her family Apple Chutney recipe for me too so 'Thanks Barbara!' This is just part of my harvest haul and I'm planning to spend the morning chopping and stewing some of the apples to freeze for apple crumble later in the year. I'd like to try Crab apple Jelly too and just need to work out how to strain the fruit through a muslin bag when I don't have a stand. Then I'm going to sit around flicking through my cookery books do some research and see what else I can make, certainly some Apple Whiskey which can be pretty lethal as it is so delish you can drink rather more than intended quite easily!

Up early today as a certain Little Helper appeared at my bedside this morning at 6.10 wanting to know ' Why are pancakes flat?' Ah children what did we do BC ( before children) well, sleep for starters! Never mind there'll be years for sleeping once they've grown up and left home.

The Big Sister had a party to go to this weekend so I made a tshirt for the party girl and as it was a Build a Bear Party ( I never knew such a thing even existed) I embroidered a t shirt for the Birthday girl's bear too, a couple of cats from the wonderful Sublime Stitching

Has anyone got their hands on a copy of Artful Blogging ? I don't think we can get it in England but wondered if anyone fancied a swap for an English mag.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, I'm off to start chopping......

A funny day

Off he went tidy and smart in his new uniform, shiny shoes, pristine shirt. But oh so tiny, everyone else seemed to tower above him. No tears from him, a slightly quivery bottom lip from me. The Big Sister has a new hair do ( a bob, shorter and more grown up than she has had it before) and couldn't wait to get in and see her friends.

Out he came with a smile, tired eyes, muddy knees and a filthy shirt. He'd had a good time and played on the climbing frame. Ate beans and pizza for lunch with a mango smoothie. Came home and vegged out on the settee.

We spent the day keeping busy, I tidied the house and nobody made it messy again, baked a loaf with no Little Helper and we went to the cinema for the first time in about 3 years. Saw Harry Potter months later than the rest of the world but practically had the cinema to ourselves.

A treat arrived for me all the way from America, knowing I would need a little cheering up today.

sorry shiny pages make for ghastly photos, must learn how to use the scanner....and now I will have time to. There's lots of Christmas inspiration, I know it's only just September but I love the preparations for Christmas and of course it's a chance to make yet another list!

Sewing, sewing

There has been lots of sewing going on but nothing exciting made, I have been sewing in name tapes to make the start of a new school year and because My Little Helper starts school on Wednesday I have had dozens to sew in. But who is going to help me in the supermarket or doing the baking now? I feel like it is the end of an era and I am a bit melancholy. I think going to school changes them, not necessarily in a bad way but they seem to be heavily influenced by their peers and start growing up much quicker. So I have some plans for French Knots to keep me busy, in fact I've drawn up a great big mega list on the back of a large bit of wall paper! I love a list (groans of derision from my family!) it saves me having to remember everything and I have a little book that I usually use but it just wasn't big enough this time!

We have made the most of our last week and my husband has been on holiday too, we started off with a little gentle diy

painting the outside of the house, nothing too taxing! At least the sun was shining.

But then we had a great day out to the National Railway Museum at York, the children really enjoyed it too but I think My Little Helper was expecting more Thomas the Tank Engine

but he thought a job dusting the trains would be pretty cool!