French Knots

Melting

My world is starting to peep out from under it's blanket of white, there is a drip, drip, drip outside the window and the poor snowman's nose has fallen out. I might venture out myself, I've actually enjoyed being at home the last week or so and it's been great for saving money - no shopping trips = no spending, which is good for the bank balance in January.

 Here's a little picture I missed off my last post. The Baby Brother was given a present wrapped in such a lovely wrapping paper, sweet, naive drawings of animals. I copied them with my magic water soluble pen onto linen and embroidered them. As the piece of fabric I'd used was too small for the frame ( great planning) I stitched some stripy fabric top and bottom to make it larger before I laced it onto the cardboard for framing. I'm rather pleased with the effect.

Isn't this amazing?! A sweet little house hand stitched in felt, just look at the size of the leaves in the wreath on the door! Made for me by the talented Amanda. Talented and currently bed bound with flu poor love.

With the children finally back at school and Mr FK back at work the house seems rather empty this week. While The Baby Brother has his nap I've been exploring and have some 'new to me' finds to share - have you read these?

A collection a day

Little Suitcase

Once Wed

The Prairie Girl

I know you'll need a few more blogs for your Bloglines! Well the pc has crashed twice while I've been typing this so I think it's a hint to go and tidy up the house a bit or at least run the hoover round so The Baby Brother doesn't eat too much fluff when he's rolling about on the floor!

Handmade with love

I decided last year, or maybe the year before, to make as many gifts as possible to use some of my fabric stash and to enjoy creating something from things I already have. So for Christmas I made -

A dinky little quilt and pillow set for dolls or teddies, I made an appliqued bag to keep them in. Love the floral fabrics which I have had for ages and only use a little at a time as I love them!

I think I saw this on Martha Stewart, appliqued dresses mounted on a backing fabric but not stitched on the shoulders. You can use the hair clips to peg the dresses onto the ribbon washing line.

I had the plan for this in my head for ages, in fact I remember painting the frame on a sunny September day in the garden.

At the Baby Brother's Christening I drew round hands, some of my family live at the other end of the country so I had to grab them while I had the chance!

   I made the pattern then stuck it to the window to trace onto the fabric and made quite a few of these as I thought it was a lovely way to freeze time while the children are little.

 
A quilt for My Little Helper, just right for snuggling under on the settee, jeans cut into 5 inch squares and sewn with the seams on the right side.Snipping the seams then washing and tumbling gives a great textured finish.

 

A recycled bedspread made a perfect soft backing and it has been popular so far.

ok I promise not to mention the C word again till November!

Have a safe and snowy weekend, hope you can hole up at home and keep warm!x 

Sewing up a storm

We are having a family get together this weekend so some Christmas presents will be sent on their way ready for the big day. So I've been sewing. Like mad! Nearly all done and have really enjoyed myself, full of ideas and loving putting different threads and fabrics together.Just need more hours in the day to do all the things whizzing around in my imagiation.

I've also repurposed a towel and a pillowcase and made a new bathmat, along the lines of Soule Mama's in her Handmade Home book. She sewed strips of towel on the front but as I had an elongated rectangle towel from Ikea I didn't have enough for strips so used a couple of hearts instead.

No that's not sunshine, despite it being midmorning it's still dark so the light is on! Looks a bit wonky, should perhaps have layed it flat properly before taking the pic!

There's something so pleasing in creating something useful from bits and bobs I already have, something for my family to use even if it's only for their soggy feet.

Can anyone make use of this?

It's an original ClothKits pattern that was given to me by a friend, it's not something I'll get round to using I don't think so if you would like it please leave a comment.

Right, time to cuddle The Baby Brother, tooth number three is on it's way (I know, he's taken no notice of my request to grow as slowly as possible!) so he needs a lot of snuggling......oh good!  

Birthday season

July is a busy birthday month, with 12 family and friends celebrating this month. I've been nipping to the sewing machine while The Baby Brother naps and enjoying making some presents.

 

A felt birthday crown for my youngest nephew's first birthday, inspired by Soulemama. 

The Big Sister has been counting down the days to her birthday as she was allowed to get her ears ' pierst' ( as she wrote in an email to her Godmother!). 10, double figures, such a milestone. Followed by the cinema and a no-sleepover with her friends. Huge excitment, she was so grown up sitting in the chair wanting to get it done but full of trepidation. I was so proud of her, 1,2 3, done! We also had a look round the shops, just the two of us. We don't often go shopping together as the house is so full of stuff we don't need to add to it but browsing in Accesorize with my big girl was lovely. Even though I learnt I have no taste and no idea of what's cool - oh well, nothing new there!

 

My Little Helper has his birthday next week so we are celebrating with his friends in the church hall this weekend, with a bouncy castle and part games. Pass the parcel, What time is it Mr Wolf, musical bumps, all the old traditional favourites. I just need to find a SpongeBob SquarePants cake or my life wont be worth living! 

The Baby Brother is growing fast and is developing some yummy podge on his arms and legs. So kissable! Strangely enough I'm not that keen on my own podge for some reason!

 

ps, we are having a week away at Bolton Le Sands near Carnforth on a campsite right by the sea, it's not far from home ( phew, packing for 5 now!) but far enough away for me not to know the area. Does anyone know any nice places to visit/beaches/towns etc? Thanks.

Just in time

 

Way, way back at the beginning of January we ordered a new small settee and sofa bed to replace the old settee that we have had since we got married ( 21 years ago next week!). As we don't have a spare room now the sofa bed was for visitors, with a deadline for it to be used when the baby arrives - so planning ahead, plenty of time we thought. Sadly Habitat had other plans, inefficient, lack of communication blah, blah, blah. Eventually they sorted themselves out but I'd just about forgotten what the blummin things looked like! 

Just in time they arrived, fitted in the room and needed making homely. So a spot of rummaging in the fabric mountain resulted in a few new cushions.

 

Just managed to squeeze myself in behind the sewing machine!

Presents delivered

 

Now that a few homemade presents have been delivered it's safe to show them. Union Jack cushions and bunting have been popping up all over blogland this spring. A great graphic and easy to do, unless you use satin ribbon, and decide to edge each ribbon with more satin piping..no..no far too slippy. Next one will not feature satin methinks.

   

Jolly applique towels, My Little Helper has a busy social life with lots of parties to attend so I need a supply of suitable quick to make presents.

Eggceptional Softies for Easter are on our list of things to do over the hols plus making some healthy, low sugar(!) Chocky Rocky, decorating the Easter Tree and trying out some of the great Easter craft ideas over at The Crafty Crow. Well that'll keep me happy, the children can join in too if they want!  

Hurry, hurry

With the children off on Easter Holidays for two weeks April will slip away and before I know it the big day will be here! Hurrah! But it has motivated me to finish off some projects that have been hanging around for ages....quick....hurry .....sew,sew,sew.

 

So a large linen antimacassar becomes a tote bag, ready for visiting the park when the summer comes. Lots of room for drinks, rug, suntan lotion and the brolly we'll need if this summer is like the last one! I loved the deep lace border which, folded back on itself, makes a great decorative edge for the bag. I've stitched a couple of pockets inside too so I'm not groping around for essentials.

 

This is a lovely blend of rescued fabrics - doily was given to me at a jumble sale as I bought some tray cloths I must have looked like the right recipient and the lady thought nobody else would want it! The backing is ticking from the Textile Fair at the Armitage Centre years ago and the linen is an old tea towel that I found at a car boot sale. So it must have cost me at least 50p to put togther and all of 10 minutes sewing time once I actually sat down and got on with it. I like it enormously and felt Mr FK was not enthusiastic enough when I showed it to him - 'well I'll blog about it' I harumphed, 'they'll like it!' 

Lastly a bunch of bunnies have been completed, just in time for Easter

 

Little felty lovies to sit on your egg and keep it warm. Or just to decorate it if it's the chocolate variety.

Have a lovely weekend!

Lovely fabric

My Little Helper is popular with the girls in his class and has been invited to quite a few'girly' parties, which is great as I get to make little girl presents.

 

This is one of my favourites at the moment, hopefully the little pocket is big enough for the Tooth Fairy to leave the going rate. She has been known to forget to call in this house and on one tearful occassion popped in while we were all having breakfast to collect the tooth and drop off the money. We think she must have been rather tired the night before! Whoops!

I have had a little splurge on ebay and added some pretty spring time fabrics, which at the moment I'm 'saving', as you do, just because they are so pretty. Which project will ever be good enough to use them up?!

   

And I was a lucky winner over at greenolive and look what arrived in the post

   

her fab designs, which she prints herself on lovely linen. This too is sitting on my desk, being stroked. I'm going to make something for the baby's room but at the moment can't bear to cut into it's red and cream cheerfulness.Thank you so much Martine, it is wonderful!

Hope the sun is shining on you too and have a chilled out Mothering Sunday if you are in the UK. 

Settling in

My new little sewing room is finished, I just need to arrange all my treasures. Fabric needs sorting as it is in cardboard boxes and hard to find what I want. I'm also led by trying different fabrics together when planning a project, so without the visual inspiration they take longer to get off the ground.

I prefer the little room to the large one I had before for some reason, it's cosy and snug. My pretty little den.

  

Thanks to Mr FKs wall building, door frame making, painting and curtain hanging skills it is up and running and already looking messy....I mean  lived in! The door was going spare from a friend renovating a couple of houses and will probably get a lime wash type finish at some point.

 

The curtain is two re-purposed tablecloths, rescued from the jumble for a pound each. The larger one had a mark in the centre so I stitched the smaller one in place to hide it. Such wonderful, detailed work, months of effort given new life in my sewing room. 

 

Just so you don't think it's all calm serenity, here is the messy view of the shelves I need to sort out! And the Little Bo Peep outfit my Mum made for a fancy dress competition when I was about 5. 

WIP

 

My first proper garment! Not counting socks of course. I've been reading up on finishing, so hopefully there'll be a cute little baby sized jumper soon.

And what do you do on a wet Friday? Well inspired by Lavender House I nipped off to Wilkos to get some tea towels

 

then chopped them into big squares, mixed the stripes up a bit, 20 minutes at the sewing machine and abracadabra!

the perfect antidote to grey skies. I'm going to try out my walking foot and see if I can quilt it, backing it with a recycled blanket for summer picnics. Grand total 2 quid, excellent. Because we are having a summer this year aren't we?! Just planning ahead.

Have a lovely weekend!