Santa Claus is coming to Town

Not a lot of sewing going on at this time of year, but just had to get this man ticked off my list...

I wonder if you recognise who is about to make an entrance?

Feeling a bit naked

Not one but two..... well I never!

Dressed and ready for hat bells and sign

Whoop! Whoop!! finished.

Opps! not quite finished needs some buttons for his coat.

One almost finished (needs a few buttons) and the other will have to wait now until after Christmas to get his 'No Pouting Zone' sign and buttons for his coat.

I am off tomorrow to spend Christmas in Yorkshire with my daughter, son-in-law and grand children.  It would be lovely to have a white Christmas, but think its going to be a damp one if I believe the weather man.


I want to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a very Healthy,Wealthy and  Happy 2013.

No sew blog

I have been out and about this week and what a week to be trundling around the countryside.  Monday was a sewing day at our group, and I must admit I didn't take any notice of the weather, but Tuesday was a different matter.  We woke to thick fog and very very cold, but I now know it was not freezing all day.  The reason I know it wasn't freezing all day on Tuesday is because on Wednesday, the temps. didn't get above -3 deg. all day, but how beautiful it looked.  The trees were covered in frost and looked like frosted glass, oh so beautiful!  I was meeting friends for coffee, and wanted to stop the car and take  photos of the surrounding countryside, but the only place I could stop safely had none of the stunning frost covered trees and the fog covered the fields like a blanket.

I did manage these though...

Every day we pass these lacy works of art and its not until they are covered in frost that we notice them.

This is my favourite 

This is the last rose in bloom in my garden, and this morning it is edged with frost.... so beautiful

Frost covered Hydrangea Leaves 

I am going into the sewing room now, so you never know, the next time you visit I may have something to show you......but I am on a bit of a wind down to Christmas.

'Odds and ends' week

I really didn't think I had been making very much this week, but actually I have surprised myself.

I had a the little bag to finish off, you may remember I showed you a peek in my last post.  The pattern came from here  I did add an extra pocket inside ....Well, a girl has to have somewhere for her mobile phone.

I really like it.

I also decided to make a couple of extra gifts for friends, just fun things

Smocked Santa's ready for the tree

and a fun hat....hope it fits.  This is a slightly altered pattern from here 

Flower is fun

I am back to making some pin cushions, this time the cushion is in a soup cup... played at quilting   the top using variegated thread.  Got to practice whenever I can..

This photo  was taken before the cushion was glued in

Talking of practising quilting, I have decided to make some arm covers for my sisters armchairs and thought they would be nice just plain white fabric with an Aqua variegated thread.  I started it when I was out to sewing on Thursday but unfortunately I didn't have time to finish so had to carry on at home, and guess what I did ..... turned it over and worked the rest of the piece from the wrong side....What an idiot!!!  Luckily it is the same fabric both sides and I do have to cut out the 'pattern'  for the chairs so no unpicking for me Phew!

This does show some of the aqua and if you look carefully you will see it then all goes white (bobbin thread).

I have also got these ready for the Christmas table ...

Maybe I will add name tags 

and lastly as the weather was bright we went off for a walk in Irchester Country Park.  The park was an Ironstone quarry, but now a fun place for families and walkers.  The notice board states that it is 'the real Jurassic park' and look what has appeared since the last time we were here..

Busy week next week, so may not get much sewing done, but it is that time of year, 'lots of socialising'!

Its looking a lot like Christmas

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas .....  decided today was the day to put the deco's up.  Woke to another cold and frosty morning and there is nothing like waking to a white wonderland to encourage me to start on the Christmas feeling.

Just a small corner, but looking jolly

 Decorating took most of the day, but at coffee break time I had a play with this, aren't they cute!  As you know I am a flickr fan, and there are so many interesting things that folk make and these sleighs are just so much fun, I think they will make great table decorations.

One down, 7 more to make

As I have been busy with Christmas the only other thing I have planned is a little bag. 

 

The red dot is for the straps, and the Aqua and Red flower is the lining.

I'll show you more of this once I have time to get to the sewing machine.  

That's all for now, see you soon.

What a week!!!

What a week.... I had problems loading photos to another blog site that I sometimes write, and realised that soon I might have the same problems with my blog.  Now I know that not many people read my blog or even find it half interesting, but it keeps me busy and I do have to use my brain a bit so I would hate it if google stopped me rather than me deciding to give up writing of my own accord..  

So, I had to try to research a few things and it seems that to keep adding photos to a blog without exceeding the limit, photos need to be of a certain size, and the best way to do this is to use 'picasa' photo editing, and to upgrade to Google +1, don't ask me what 'Google +1 is, but I do think I have managed to upgrade, and am now trying to use picasa.  I think also I may have changed my profile picture, I was very happy with that little Poppy, but I may now have an embroidered hedgehog ....we wait and see what happens in the next couple of weeks. 

Other than getting frustrated and taxing my poor little brain, I read an item on how to improve photos for your blog.  The big thing seemed to be to get natural light i.e. take photos by an open window ..simple!!!!  The other thing I have noticed is that some bloggers take their photos on a white background, so I decided to practice some quilting techniques that I have followed from this site.  This lady even explained that a good way to quilt is to print on paper and sew over that.  I printed from EQ6 a stencil and pinned it to my WHITE fabric.....ready steady go...

Not too shabby

centre completed and ready for the next step..

Paper off 

some straight lines added

bit more quilting to fill in the gaps

Mmmmmm think I can improve on this - given time.

washed and ready to go

ready for a photo shoot

Photo shoot number 1.

I'll explain about the purses later

 I needed some sort of table that I could use for photographing so out came the butler tray that I painted and "découpaged" years ago.  I used some beautiful old fashioned ladies to decorate it and included a photo of my Mum as a young lady, and one of me as a 2 or 3 year old.

Mum in the centre and I am the baby on the left.

 My Mum and Dad had a family of three, then at the time and they should have been taking things easy and looking forward to grandchildren my sister arrived and 4 years after that I came along ! Both must have thought of putting their "head in the gas oven", but  I like to think I kept them young. My dear Dad died when he was 79 (I was just 21) and my beautiful Mum lived to a ripe old age of 91.

Practice taking photos.....

What do you think?

At least I did have something to show you in my 'photo shoot'.  Yes, another purse.  I ordered a couple of purse clasps and these ones were the 'no sew' type.  I think if you are going to use these, you must be in the mood for stickyness as it is rather messy trying to get the fabric in the clasp and I prefer the 'sew in' ones.

So, I have to ask myself if its been a good week for progress, and I am not sure about that.  I think it might take a while for me to get used to the new photo editing program and I have no idea what will happen with this google+1 thing .... in fact I don't even know where to find my google.... what a thing to say, it even made me chuckle.  But, Oh how I wish I was more computer literate.

Whoa!!! Lots going on this week

Sunday was a brilliant day, so the bikes went on the bike rack and we were off to Stanwick Lakes. The sky was a beautiful Azure blue and it was reflected in the lake.  

Just one of the many lakes

I am so glad we took the opportunity to get out and about because I think that was the last time we saw anything of the sun for the rest of the week.

Now Monday was one our 'All days' at Highampiecemakers, and time to get down to making some small bits and pieces for Christmas.  I decided to make some coasters for wine glasses and gift tags for special people.  I don't usually get much done on Mondays...well, other than a good chat, so to get two items finished was quite an achievement for me.

8 coasters and 11 gift tags

Baking day on Tuesday, and its the first time I have made a coconut cake in years.  It was very tasty, so think it might be a regular bake.

Yummy

I also played at making a coin purse.  I had seen them first here and although I didn't want to join in the blog hop, I just loved the look of the purses and wanted to make one.  So a couple of clicks on the Mouse and I was the proud owner of the pattern from Madame Samm's Pattern.  I have had a purse frame for over 10 years and never got around to using it and realised it had been waiting for this pattern.....

Cute don't you think?

The frame is a bit fancy, but I have ordered some plainer ones and can't wait to make a few more of these.

I have also been playing with pincushions, and this site has some really great patterns and tutorials. The hardest thing about this one was getting a plastic pot that was suitable and not full of body cream.  

Pot found, fabrics chosen and cut

It really doesn't  take long to get them together

Flower petals cut and sew ready to roll

Voilà ! 

Is there more........yes of course.

A friend came over and we made these cute vinyl project bags.  The pattern is from here and is super simple...... I say that, it did take us all day to get the first one made, but once finished I just knew I had to make another.  

Filled ready for my Hexie project.

About 24 years ago I embroidered these cute Teddy's and Carousel Horse.

Some things just can't be thrown away 

 It was framed and has been on the walls of many of our houses, but this house doesn't have loads of wall space, so I took the embroidery out of the frame and it has sat waiting for a new life........ what do you think?

New life for these cuties

Two more purse frames have arrived in the post today, so guess I might be making purses over the weekend. Yeah!

Time Flies

It doesn't seem like a week ago that we woke to a cold but bright frosty morning.  The skies were  blue and the sun shining, so we felt we could not miss out on a walk.  Luckily living where we live there are plenty of country walks to choose from, but this week we went to East Carlton Park.

I just had to take a picture quickly of the frost, because it was not going to last long once the sun got on the fields.

The White magically turning green

Just around the corner in the sun

Just look at that sky

Northamptonshire countryside

Not so many bright colours left, but still beautiful..

Oh so quiet 

and some leaves to kick about.........never too old to kick those leaves, and everything looking so clean and fresh.

Not even a dog walker 

even the boots stayed clean

who has clean boots after a winter walk?

I spent the rest of the day making a tea cosy.  I had seen a picture somewhere on the internet, and made a mental note to make my own version one day, and that day arrived.  The hardest thing was making the pattern for my very own tiny tea pot, but once I had that sorted the rest was a piece of cake.... or pudding as the case may be

White is not the best colour for a tea pot, but it does look cute.

I have been tidying my fabric cupboards and needed a box to put a few more fat quarters in, so off to scour the internet.  I found a couple of tuts on fabric boxes, but the one I chose to make was from here I have made mine a bit bigger but it works perfectly.

finished ready to be filled

Filled to capacity 

On the same site I found this little hexagon bowl.  I have reduced the size considerably as I thought it might work as a small trinket bowl, but working on such a small item the 'floor' gets a bit lumpy, so not sure it will be used

I still like the look of these so maybe I'll have another try

The weather men tell me we are in for a cold night, so that might mean a nice bright day tomorrow and if so I think the boots might see the light of day again ....OR could it be a day for the bikes?

        

Getting back to normal

About 5 years ago we had an extension to the house which was to be my sewing room well according to my hubby its the work room, but we know differently don't we.  The room has been wonderful, in fact for me the favourite room in the house probably, but recently I thought I could smell a dampness but Mr. D said he couldn't smell it, and I let it go...... that is until I could stand it no longer.  I decided to pull out the cupboard that stores most of my fabric as that seemed to be where the smell was at its strongest and low and behold there was the offending mould growing on the wall behind the cupboard.  We called in the builder who after talking to a number of experts told us that he thought the problem was caused because there was little or no ventilation in and around that corner and that was the probable cause.  After a bit of discussion, we called in a carpenter to raise the cupboards and lower my sewing machine into the work space (because I am such a shorty I would never reach the machine).

Goodness look how clean and tidy it looks

Back to the real world and a working sewing room

It doesn't look that much different, but it certainly smells much better.  Had to alter my sewing mat, but that was my only input.... well other than packing everything up, then unpacking again and that is a lot of work.

I have finished the Tilda sewing doll, she now has her sewing machine and the item she is working on,  and is ready to be wrapped in Christmas paper 

Must make one for me

The other finished bit for me is my Dancing Ribbons mini quilt.  I thought hard about the binding, and in the end made scrappy binding with the same fabrics as the ribbons... Must find room on the sewing room wall for this one.

I do love this mini, so bright and cheerful

  

I told you about the group on flickr that I have joined this month.  I showed you the beginnings of my 3.5" blocks in the last post, this is how they looked when I had finished.  Unfortunately I took the photos at night and as the colours were not true I was supposed to take more photos in the morning, but so intent on getting them in the post I forgot..Boo Hoo!!  still you get some idea of what they look like.

Six with pink buttonhole stitch and Six with blue

My other work in progress is still 'in progress'.

I had forgotten just how long it takes to get all of the lazy daisy leaves sewn, and there are a few more before I get on with the tiny rose buds (french knots), but once all the embroidery is finished I only have to turn up the hem and add the buttons and button holes. Yeah! 

I have also been planning (with a little help from my friends) an "all day" sewing day at our local sewing group Higham Piecemakers.  I have spent hours and hours scouring the internet looking for small decorations etc that we can make and believe me its easier said than done.  There are a few things out there and this is what I have chosen to try.

So hope they like them.