Life and other inconveniences!

I have sat down and started to write this blog a couple of times already in the last week, but stuff just gets in the way.  Isn't it a fact of life that our plans never run smoothly and our lives take unexpected turns when we least expect it.  Even though I have rough days myself, my world at the minute revolves around my daughter, Jessica.  She isn't getting any better and rarely leaves the house at all at the moment.  We have had trips to the Doctors and to Hospital, the few occasions on which she leaves home and we have had to cancel some of those as at the last minute as she couldn't manage it.  We have spent the last three years being sent from one person to another and all the time she is just getting worse.  We have now been sent back to our GP for referral to a different specialist as the one she was seeing decided the treatment he could provide was the wrong one for her.  And so the merry-go-round starts again!

The creative textiles course we started in September looks as though it's not going to be something we can finish this year as she has only attended three classes in all.  I don't like to leave her on her own as she is so depressed and upset with herself for not being able to leave the house, so I probably won't finish it this year either.  But family comes first.  The GP has also decided now to send her to see someone about Autism, it's only taken them 19 years!  So we'll see if that actually happens.

I have had her making Christmas decorations over the last couple of days, a bit of messy art can cheer you up no end.  The 12 Artsy ornaments of Christmas course only lasted a week but it packed a lot in, so we both have lots of ideas to work on.  You will be glad to know no toilet roll tubes were involved! It's a lot more arty and grown up than when my two were let loose with some glue, glitter and a collection of egg boxes etc.  (Although the state of the dining room table looks very similar) The results are collecting on one side as our tree won't go up until the weekend before, although smaller bits are starting to creep in.

The advent calendars are the first thing that goes up, they both still have one.  Last year I bought them a Lego Star Wars one each and that's what they have again this year.  I bought Jessie's first as she said she still wanted one, but Michael (at nearly 21) ummed and arrhed and said he wasn't bothered this year.  Then when his sister's arrived he changed his mind and asked if could have one too.  I guess they are both still kids at heart, I don't know what Paul's excuse is as he usually has one as well, but his is definitely chocolate!

I am working on a crewel work piece at the moment, it's not something I have done before.  I find it easier than normal embroidery as the wool and linen are easier to work with.  I've started small with a picture of a bird and it's nearly finished.  It's something I can do when Michael is on nights as the sewing machine and dog that insists on barking at it can be a bit noisy.  However, Jessie's blanket still hasn't been touched, it's not far from being finished, but has turned into one of those projects I have come to regret starting.  The way it's going it'll not be this Christmas but her birthday before it's finished.  Just not the birthday it was started for.

Carolyn seems to be nice and busy in her shop as Christmas gets closer.  She keeps putting pictures of new stock on her Facebook page, Make Me Fabrics. She has some new ribbons in that are really lovely and some fabric that would make nice table runners.  I suppose we all have more ideas than time at this time of year.  At least I don't have the mad rush to get this years must have toy or game anymore, no selection boxes or those really cheap bits you buy to fill stockings or because they are in a big box (always important to small kids) it's just a few good presents each and a few homemade bits. 

I have to order the turkey from the local butcher yet, I have never been this late getting things done for Christmas.  I usually have my delivery time booked with my online supermarket and a collection of dry goods collecting in a cardboard box in the bedroom.  Presents are bought and the house is tidied ready for decorations going up, but not this year.  I'm working on the ' it's only two days' principle this year, no buying luxury food that just ends up in the bin, no party food (no parties) and no spare presents 'just in case'.
I suppose it's a combination of circumstances,  grown up kids, economic pressures and a general feeling of not being bothered as much this year.  The thing that truly matters will still be there, my family.  We will still watch our ritual run of Christmas films, always ending with White Christmas on Christmas Eve.  That's all that really matters in the end isn't it, whether you celebrate Christmas or not.  At the darkest time of year we gather together as family, friends and community to celebrate the light.  We eat and drink together and remember those who are no longer with us and  rejoice with those whose first Christmas it is.  The presents and trimmings don't really matter so much as long as we have our loved ones with us and for those who cannot be with their families for whatever reason this year, a time to reflect and hope for a swift reunion.

I am now off to try and return the dining room table to some semblance of sanity,  You know for a fact glitter will be turning up for days, but at least we can sit at it and eat.  Then it's the boring stuff like cleaning the bathroom and doing the washing.  Who says my life isn't fun anymore!


Hope you aren't stressing out too much over the impending holidays and I'll see you all soon,

Love

Louise xx

It's hard to love a Monday morning

Yes it's Monday, yes it's cold and damp and the kids have to be dragged out of bed.  It's not quite Christmas, but winter is starting to kick in although Autumn seems to be hanging on.  All in all it's probably the most depressing time of year.  It's time to crank up the heating, light those fires and turn to stodgy food.  You can understand how our ancestors needed a winter festival to bring on the new year, a turn in the darkness.  You don't mind winter on those bright crisp days, when the sun shines and the frost is crunchy underfoot, it might be cold but the sun is out and it makes you smile.  Of course it's easier now we have warm, insulated homes to go to and layers of thermal clothing fit for arctic conditions to keep us warm.

As we hurtle towards Christmas I keep trying to get myself motivated and start shopping for presents.  It must be something to do with the kids having grown up (although they both still want an advent calendar). The urgency seems to have gone, there is less to buy and less to do, the magic disappears the older they get.  We are having dinner on Christmas Eve as neither of them are likely to be up before 1 pm on Christmas Day itself.  So a lazy, laid back Christmas beckons, which is nice in it's own way.

Getting the house ready for Christmas is another thing, some people decorate and buy new carpets and curtains.  I am having problems with where to fit a Christmas tree this year!  As I mentioned before my son moved back home after living with his friends for a few months and brought more back with him than he left with.  Mine and Jessie's hobbies have filled the conservatory at the back, so no room there this year.  Michael has taken over the other conservatory on the side of the house (aren't we greedy, two conservatories), but I think that is where we'll have to shoe horn one of the big Christmas trees.  I think we might get a real one for the front room, just a small one in a pot.

I have been doing an online course, well not doing at the moment just watching!  It's called  2013 Arsty Ornaments of Christmas, it's a lovely course with some wonderful ideas.  It has inspired Jessie and I to decorate the front room tree with just homemade ornaments this year.  Most of us have a few homemade or childmade ornaments anyway, things from primary school or sessions around the kitchen table.  Usually involving egg boxes, loo rolls and lots and lots of glitter.  These still get put on every year, even though the glitter has slowly shed over the years and they are probably a fire hazard!  But our kids made them and so they stay.

Today is going to be a tidying day, a getting sorted and ready day.  I am going to try and organise our craft stash so that when we decide to make something it doesn't take 2 hrs to find the stuff to make it with.  Usually by the time you find something ( you saw it last week while searching for something else) you have lost the motivation to make it.  I have thought about buying Jessie a labeling gun for Christmas, it would gladden her heart as she loves things like that.  For someone with OCD her bedroom looks like absolute chaos, but heavens forbid you move something! We just need to win the lottery really and buy a bigger house, then we can have a massive craft room with proper fitted cabinets.  Unfortunately that's unlikely to happen, so plastic boxes and piles of paper it is.

Well Carolyn has her new stall up and running and it looks lovely, she has started getting her Christmas stuff in, as well as some things made by fellow crafters.  There are some gorgeous handmade stockings and lovely wreaths, as well as the bunting she makes herself.  There is probably still time to place orders if you pop in and see her, she is opposite the cafe as you go into the market from the car park.  She has some photos on her Facebook page, Make Me Fabrics, that show some of the goods for sale.

I suppose I better stop writing and start tidying, I have been waiting for the temperature to rise in the conservatory a bit, I don't do cold! I probably need a second cup of coffee first though and then let battle commence.  I really do need to finish off some projects first before I start anymore (Jessie's blanket is still sat in a corner making me fell guilty).  So I'm off to put he kettle on and psyche myself up to start tackling the mountain that is my work table.  I might even be able to do some work by the end of the day!

So I hope your projects are more organised than mine and may your Christmas projects run smoothly.  This is one chaotic crafter saying goodbye for now.

All my love,

Louise xx

For Christine

It's been a while!

It's been quite a while since I updated my blog as I just sort of lost my creative mojo!  We have all been there, you know you should pick up those half finished projects or start making your Christmas cards (it's going to end up being last minute again), but life gets in the way.

My daughter Jessie has had a bad few weeks and been up most nights and when she sleeps the dog doesn't!  He was 13 a couple of weeks ago and is wanting to go in and out all night, he has already had two tumours removed and has several more that the vet says should just be left at his age.  So it's medicate the dog, make sure Jessie has hers and then take mine on an evening, we all rattle!  So the crafting bits just got left as I am absolutely KNACKERED....

I have managed to do some bits for our adult education class, although we haven't been for a couple of weeks as Jessie hasn't wanted to leave the house.  I managed to get her to join slimming last week, but her dad had to sit in the car while we went in.  I told him we would be ages, but he said he would wait in case she panicked.  An hour and a half later we came out!  This week he's dropping us off and coming back to pick us up, I did warn him.  Makes up for forgetting to pick me up from the train station the other week, isn't Karma great.

Yesterday Carolyn was moving stock from her old shop on South Elmsall  Market into her new one.  It's much bigger, although she still has more stuff than space.  I don't know how she fit it all in the little one she had before.  It looks lovely and is in a great spot, across from the cafe just as you come on to the market from the car park.  Call in and say hello this Tuesday, Friday or Saturday.

Another reason I haven't written much lately is because I started this blog because Carolyn asked me to do one for her shop, Make Me Fabrics.  I thought she would do some sewing pieces to contribute to it, but she doesn't like writing and I cannot persuade her otherwise.  So I didn't know what to put on if I hadn't made anything.  But I decided to just keep writing as I have been and put things on for her when there is something (I hope she reads this).  So I'm afraid it'll be more of me just waffling on and little craft projects in between.

This week for our class piece we had to use Bondaweb and make a sandwich with it.  You do this by painting the Bondaweb on the glue side and then cutting and attaching it to a fabric back.  You can stitch into this or add embellishments.  Then remove the paper backing from the Bondaweb and laying a piece of voile or organza over the top, something transparent. Then you iron this and stitch into it some more, you can then use a soldering iron to cut into the top layer.  This is a technique I have fallen in love with and I will when I get a chance make some more pieces.  I have put some photos at the bottom of the page of the piece so far.

Well off to see to my kids, dog and husband, as apparently nobody can make a decision over tea.   Carvery sounds good, no cooking or washing up!

Hopefully we talk a bit more regularly from now on,

See you soon, 

Love Louise xx

This is a template I created for a water colour technique

A black and white doodle we had to create for a stitched piece.

This is the first piece we did, it is based on the doodle we had to create in black and white.  It had to contain non traditional materials and the was hand dyed.

This is a piece based on a image of excitement, it's made with transfer paints and non traditional materials again.

An alternate colour wheel.  It comprise applique, reverse applique, hand dyed fabrics and free stitch embroidery.  As well as non traditional items again, screws, coloured with alcohol ink.

This is the Bondaweb piece, although without it's top layer yet.  The Bondaweb still has it's paper attached at the moment.  The fabric is hand painted again and also has acrylic ink, glitter paint and india ink over the top .  The stitching is free machine embroidery with colours layered on top of each other.

Once Upon a Time...

Once upon a time there was a woman who loved fabric and making things.  She collected so much fabric and knew how hard it was to find just the right one, she thought she should help other people find their special fabric and make lovely things.  So she opened a magical little shop called Make Me Fabrics and filled it with lovely things.  

One day the fabric lady's sister paid her a visit in her special little shop, although there wasn't much room to sit because it was so full of magic.  The sisters talked about lots of things, of their children and their husbands, of sealing wax and string and of cabbages and kings.  They also listened to the stories of the people who came into the magic little shop and they wrote some of them down in a book.  As the pages began to fill, the book began to glow because of the magic of the stories that were filling it.  The stories of love, giving and creation were magical themselves.

Into the shop came a young gentleman named Luke, he was learning how to make patterns and had already made lots of beautiful things.  He had come into the shop to find some special fabric for a special lady, his Grandmother.  He picked some matching fabrics to make a wonderful present, he gave the sisters his story and went on his way.

Then a lady the sisters had known for a long time came into the special little shop, she had been a teacher at their primary school a long, long time ago.  The lady must have had some magic herself because she looked exactly the same as when the sisters were little girls.  She had been in the little shop before and had come to buy fabric for a friend.  She picked some fat quarter bundles for her friend in lovely flowery colours.  She also told the sisters about a meeting of crafty ladies on a Friday morning at the local library and told them to visit her and her friends.  So she gave the sisters her story and went on her way.

Next a woman came into to shop looking for pretty fabrics to make Halloween wreaths out of.  She picked some dress net in orange, black and purple and some scary Halloween fabric.  She was making a wreath for herself, her mum and a friend and so she was passing on her magic, which is what happens when you make things with love and give them away.  So she paid for her things, gave the sisters her story and went on her way.

Other people came and went, looking for little things, elastic, bobbins and hemming bond.  They shared their stories and opened little windows into their lives, they paid for their things and went on their way.  One lady was mending a hat she loved, someone was turning up trousers and someone was making a headband, but they all had a little bit of magic about them that comes with doing.

One lady bought some beautiful broderie anglais cotton fabric to make a pram blanket for her daughters friend, so she shared her story with the sisters.  But her daughter had shared her magic with someone else as well, the things we make to pass on always have a little magic in them.

Soon it was time for the sisters to part, they put away the book filled with stories for another time.  They said goodbye and the older sister went on her way, the younger stayed in her shop to pass on her magic and listen to the stories of the people that came into that special place.  The magic in the stories grew as they were passed on, as it always does.  The people had touched the lives of the sisters in little ways and they in turn had taken part in the stories of the people who had visited the shop.

Stories are as old as time and have no end, the magic in them grows with the telling and the passing on.  We brush through others lives and take part in their stories for the briefest time before moving on.  The magic little shop is still there and open on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday every week on South Elmsall Market.  If you visit the shop pass on your story and leave a little magic behind yourself as you take away your things to make and do, things for yourself and things to give away. 

And so this story ends, far now.......

On Love and Loss

Last week one of my daughters pets died, he was just a small creature.  A Degu, a member of the guinea pig family, he was 7 yrs old and just died in her hands.  Lots of crying ensued and the following day a burial took place along side two previous small pets.  My kids over the years have had a lot of pets, guinea pigs, hamsters and a budgie, so we have had a fair few deaths, but it doesn't get any easier.  I suppose that encountering loss at an early age prepares them for the concept of death, that no-one and nothing lives forever. We have also lost family members over the years and that in its way is the same, you never become accustomed to loss.  Each death strikes you anew and though over time it becomes easier to think of our loved ones with a smile instead of a tear, the loss never leaves you.

The dog has been ill for a while as well, he's 13 next month and has already had two cancerous lumps removed.  I am dreading his death, not only for my own sake, he is my constant companion, but with my kids being 19 and 20 he has been a constant in their lives for a long time.  They take him for granted, are always going to take him a walk tomorrow and treat him like a kid.  Losing a pet, even one you have had for a long time can never be equated with the loss of a person, especially a child.  But to most of us it is still a devastating loss and the grief can be overwhelming.  I have lost parents and a sibling, but I cannot ever imagine losing a child, it must be the most terrible loss of all, something you struggle to come back  from.

You try to prepare your children for the things that happen in life, but actual death can only be experienced for itself.  But so can childbirth and falling in love for the first time, so along with feeling great sorrows in life we can also feel great joys.  In this digital age we all have phones with cameras on, but how many of us actually print off our photos.  Digital images do not have an indefinite life span, we lose phones, images corrupt and eventually degrade over time.  I'm as guilty as this of anyone, so I'm going to start and print some of our photos off.  Rummaging through a box of old photos is a great pleasure and can be an adventure for a child, discovering relatives and friends long since gone.  Also discovering the stories that go with the images,  passing on an oral history can be just as important.  The story of Harry that I put on here not long ago was one my dad was always telling me about my Grandad.  I never met him as he died before I was born, but he lived in my minds eye through my dad's stories, as did my Great Grandad through stories about him.  Now I tell those stories to my children, as well as ones about my own parents and I hope they continue to travel through the ages from mouth to ear, from parent to child.

And so we learn to deal with love and loss.  As well as the physical things we make to become heirlooms for future generations, pass on your stories as well.

Philosophical discussion over, I'm just in a mellow and reflective mood.  A combination of the time of year and atmospheric weather perhaps.  After all Halloween is originally a feast for remembering the dead not just an American holiday for children to stuff themselves stupid with sweets.  So remember loved ones as you put on your costumes, but enjoy making new memories and stories to pass on, and don't forget those photos.  After all I'm sure your Great Grandchildren will want to know who the mad people dressed as witches and vampires in the photos are!

All my Love

Louise xx

Normal Service has Resumed

Sorry about the lack of blogs, I've had a rotten cold.  Unfortunately cold and Menieres/Me do not mix well! But I'm on the mend now and although I'm still incredibly tired, I have at least managed to get off the sofa!  So here is a brief catch up.

I have a list of things to make and do, a Halloween goody bag for my nephew, he wants a monster.  Homework for creative textiles, although I have made a start on that this morning and a painting to finish as well as new a new one to start that I have just done the sketch for.  It'll be Easter by that time, I knew when doing the course it would be difficult because of my illness, so far I have missed 2 weeks out of 4, not a good start and Jessie is worse still she has missed 3.  She couldn't bring herself to leave the house on Tuesday, so I went on my own and here is the story to my getting home.

I got to the train station at Sandle with a 15 minute wait for the train,  it was a lovely day so I sat and watched the world go by. The train duly arrived on time and I disembarked at Moorthorpe station shortly after, I have a 10 minute wait for Paul so I went in the cafe and got a hot chocolate.  He picks us up on the way home from work at half four, so I sat and waited and waited.  At 4.50pm I went outside to see if I could spot the car, no car, so I waited and waited.  Now it happened that my mobile has been broken for ages, but as I go out rarely and am either with Jessie or Paul I haven't got a new one.  Mine are usually just hand me downs from the kids anyway.  

Now not only did I not have a mobile but the night before our internet and land line stopped working.  Michael, my 20 yr old son had decided to move the router from the front room to the dining room for a better signal.  He couldn't get it to work and so moved it back again, at which point nothing worked.  Paul fixed it Tuesday night (a cable was in the wrong port!), but that did me no good on Tuesday afternoon.  So no phone, no husband and stranded at Moorthorpe.

So I gave up and caught a bus home, I thought if Paul turned up he could just sit and wait!  Unfortunately the Menieres means I now get very travel sick, the train isn't bad because we are only on it for 10 mins.  But a bumpy bus is another thing!  He had forgotten me completely, he'd called at his mum's on the way home and never thought twice about his poor wife. Just as I was walking up to our gate he was starting to back the car out of the drive.  Having arrived home and found me missing, he suddenly remembered where he was supposed to be!  I'll have to stamp it on his head next week to make sure he doesn't forget again.  He didn't even apologise he just started laughing and put the car away, I'll bide my time and get my own back.

Anyway this morning with my cold finally subsiding I thought I better catch up with some textile pieces.  We are learning about  dying at the moment and I have bought some Procion dyes to use at home.  These are permanent dyes so I have to be careful not to get them anywhere I don't want them to be.  So there was me with an old pinny on, yellow rubber gloves and cling film all over the kitchen worktops.  I mixed the dyes in old dishes and added in salt and soda ash, these act as mordants to make the dye permanent.  I dyed several pieces of calico for use as backgrounds for future projects.  I had some dye left so Jessie used it to dye a lace shawl and tablecloth she had bought from a charity shop.  They are all wrapped in plastic and in a storage box now, you have to leave them to cure before you wash them out.  So some time next week I'll put some photos on of the results.  I didn't take photos today because I didn't want to risk getting anything on the camera.  The dye does tend to travel about a bit, but our kitchen is old and has random bits of glue and glitter from previous projects here and there anyway!

I still haven't used all of the lovely things Carolyn gave me yet, so now I'm a bit better I'll have to start on those as well.  She has some lovely new fat quarter bundles in, all with Christmas prints on, it's fatal being her sister  because I just keep seeing things to add to our crafty stash.  Pop in and see her new stock, I know she has talked about selling dyes before, she just doesn't have any spare room at the moment.  She has pictures of her new fabrics on Facebook, Make Me Fabrics and visit her at South Elmsall market as well to see what other seasonal goodies she has in.

Well I'm off to plot revenge on my husband!  Let Carolyn or me know what you are making, it would be nice to see a few photos or take them along to show her.  Talk to you all again soon,

Love Louise xx

Just a little catch up,

Hello, it's been a while since I posted a blog so I thought I would write a little catch up.  I've been a bit off the hooks lately and just lost my crafting and writing mojo, I've been so tired everything has been an effort which can be really frustrating as I don't stop having ideas!  So hopefully I'm on my way back to normal (whatever that is) and crafty bits will start appearing on here again.  I did make an effort yesterday evening and had a go at making a Christmas decoration.  I keep going and looking at it, It has possibilities but at the moment I don't really like it much, it needs improvement.

A couple of weeks ago Jessie and I started a creative textiles course, I thought it would help her start to get out of the house and start interacting with people again.  We are both really enjoying it and it's nice to learn something new.  I've also just signed up for an online art course that starts in January, it's called Life Book 2014 and it looks brilliant.  Because I'm ill such a lot, this has stopped me doing a lot of things I love, including furthering my education.  But through art a new world is opening up for me and you realise that even though life changes, those changes can open pathways to new and exciting things.

So I'm typing this full of painkillers and with a sore throat, but at least I'm typing! I've still got the bag full of goodies from Carolyn to use up and I'll try and get something on here by the end of the week.  I'm also going to start making my Christmas cards soon, as last year I left it to the last minute.  I have some lovely Christmas stamps, dies and papers to use, so I really need my mojo back soon!

Well I'm going to keep it short and sweet this time and hopefully we'll have a better chat next time,

All my love 

Louise xx.

Noel, Noel the Angels did sing..

My lovely sister dropped me a bag full of goodies off on her way home from her shop yesterday.  She brought them to cheer me up because I hadn't been very well over the weekend and there was all sorts of Christmassy loveliness inside.  So with today being a damp and dreary indoor kind of day I thought I would make something nice for her, to say thank you.  I have included prices where I have them and pictures of each stage of making.  I hope you like the finished results and I hope she does as well.

Isn't  it a gorgeous collection of goodies.

 I thought I would use the small embroidery hoops to make a Christmas decoration.  I don't like the word XMAS and YULE always seems to conjure up blue frosty colours when I think of it.  So I picked the word NOEL, it always seems to be a red and green word.  Do you associate certain words with certain colours, or is it just me being me again?  

I cut a sixteenth of the fat quarter to fit the hoop.

I laid out the letters to see how much fabric I would need .

.

I cut a piece of red and backed it with the bondaweb.

Can you spot my mistake, I thought I had been careful!  But the N was the wrong way around.

 When you draw around the letters remember they will be reversed as they are on the back of the fabric.  So after I got it wrong I had to cut another N.

All cut the right way.

Cut the wrong way!

After cutting out the letters I ironed them on. 

I cut out the letters and ironed them on to the swatches of green.  The glue in the bondaweb held them in place when heated.

 Then I stitched around the edges in gold thread with a running stitch.

Place them in the rings.

Place them as centrally as possible in the rings, tighten the screws slightly.  Pull the fabric taught and then tighten the screws fully.  Next I cut a length from the red striped fabric and pressed it into a tube shape and folded the ends into a point.

My daughter thought it was a tie!

 I stitched the tube with wrong sides together and created a point.  Then turned it inside out, if you trim close to the seam first it will lay flatter when turned.  I added a hanging loop to the top and then slip stitched close.

I added ribbon bows to the top and stitched the rings in place with a few tacking stitches.  I then added red ribbon bows to each of the rings.  The bells are strung on the gold thread and stitched in place with the ribbon and button.  I have loads of fabric left and lots of other bits and pieces out of the stuff she brought me.  I'm going to see how many things I can make out of that one bag of goodies, so keep watching.  You could put a single word in one of the larger hoops she sells instead or it you want a different word add more hoops.  

Below is a list of things I used and the prices I have, if you want the price for any of the others just contact Carolyn on her Facebook page, Make Me Fabrics or pop into her shop.  She is open Tuesday, Friday and Saturday on Elmsall market.

4 Hoops @ £2.60 each

Alphabet templates £3.00

Gold decorative thread £1.15

Small red button ?

6 Fat quarters @ £1.50 each

3 large Gold bells ?

Thin red ribbon 30p

Bondaweb?

I still have loads of fabric left, if you wanted the backgrounds to be the same it would mean you could use a fat quarter for that and one for the letters.  Hope you like this project, it was quite easy and didn't involve a lot of sewing, but I think it looks quite effective.  I'm going to make myself one now, it will look lovely hung on the fire place.

So I'll talk to you all again soon and keep sewing,

All my love

Louise xx

The night is dark and the dog is snoring!

Just a little hello in the wee hours, I've given up trying to sleep tonight.  My ears are driving me crazy, I suffer from tinnitus due to the Menieres and it's screaming at the moment.  I managed to have an episode while visiting Carolyn in her shop yesterday (or day before yesterday now), she had to phone her husband Gary up to come and get me, so I'm still off the hooks tonight (or is that today).  

I have managed to get on the sewing machine today though, just for a little while.  Because my daughter Jessie suffers from agoraphobia I signed us both up to a course in creative textiles at Manygates Adult Education Centre in Sandal.  We get a taxi to the train station, the train to Sandal, then back again later and her dad picks us up at the station at teatime.  So it's planned like a military operation but it's getting her out (and mum).  So as our homework we had to sew an A3 piece of work for surface design, otherwise known as lots of random lines and fabrics.  Fortunately my machine has a lot of stitches and I have used most of them.  There are bits of cola can and bubble wrap on it as well, just a bit of applique fabric tomorrow and a bit of embroidery and it's done.  It looks pretty cool actually, I'll get the camera out in the morning and take some photos.  I keep planning these little trips to get her back into the world and she seems to enjoy them as long as it doesn't involve too many people.  Recovery is a long and rocky road I'm afraid.

We sound like a completely dysfunctional family don't we, a cross between the Addams family and the Simpsons!  It's just the last couple of years it's all gone awry, I think me being ill has impacted on everyone as well as a couple of deaths in the family.  Just keep taking the pills and carry on I  think!  I'm just debating whether even though I'm wide awake if I can be bothered to get something out to work on.  There is nothing on the TV, the dog's under my feet snoring and Jessie is fast asleep on the sofa.  She stopped up to look after me and fell asleep, but it's the thought that counts.  I have Jessie's blanket to finish, which I have been avoiding as I'm fed up of it, my coursework to do, some new rubber stamps to play with and an art journal that wants updating.  But they all involve getting up from the sofa and moving, so it looks like another night of You Tube videos and reading craft blogs.  The dog is now yapping at me because I'm typing and not paying attention to him now he's woken up.  He is 13 in November and is turning into a grumbling, creaky old man, it's like having a toddler wanting attention all the time.  I'll have to try and keep him quiet, he'll shut up if the TV or radio is on.  My husband Paul has an early start in the morning as he is off to take his motorcycle competency test tomorrow/today(I'm confusing myself now), that's Sunday.  He used to ride years ago and wants to start again, the words 'mid life crisis' will not pass my lips!

So what does a dysfunctional, poorly, middle aged insomniac crafter do at 2.30am to keep herself busy.  She writes her blog, looks for ideas on the internet for pretty things  to make and wishes life was a little more normal.  Although I think normal has never really applied, I'm quite fond of being odd, but a little less stress would be nice.  I shall have to try and get down and see Carolyn in her shop again (and not take ill) she had some lovely new bits in, a pack of red and white fat quarters caught my eye.  It was quite Scandinavian looking and will make a nice Christmas stocking, but that might be for next year at the rate I'm going!  I just like nice fabric, sometimes it's so lovely you don't want to use it. You'll have to pop in and see her and see if there is something I didn't spot.  She is on South Elmsall Market on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday near Pastures Green and the Market office.

Well it's gone 3.00am now and I'm going to have to move because nature calls! I'm hoping for a nice quiet day when the sun comes up and if all is well I'll be on again with something I've made.  I feel like having a creative day, it's just deciding what.  Nothing too strenuous otherwise I'll be bad again.

So when you read this I hope you at least will have had a good nights sleep and if not to my fellow insomniacs we'll have to start a coffee morning but in the dark hours!

Lots of love 

Louise xx

Sewing, actual sewing!

I haven't written as much this week as I have been a bit poorly (after effect of day out on Friday).  But this morning I thought I would sit and make something,  so this is just a short blog.  It's a step by step guide of how I made a cute pumpkin bag for all those lovely sweets the little ones will collect on Halloween.  I saw the pattern in this months issue of Crafts Beautiful, there is a Halloween supplement with it.  It has some nice patterns and recipes to follow, so here is my take on the bag.  

The instructions on the patterns in the back of the magazine tell you to enlarge the images in a photocopier, but I haven't got one of those!  So I just used a ruler and scaled the project up, I doubled the size of the pattern but you could make it larger.  I made it in felt but it would be stronger in cotton, some of the patterned ones Carolyn (Make Me Fabrics) has for Halloween would be good.  If you did want to make it larger she has some stiffener as well, it's for bodices (summer dresses etc), this would give it more structure if you used it like ribs at the joints.

So here are the photos and instructions, I'm quite pleased with how it turned out and it only took about an hour.

I used three sheets of orange felt and one green.

These are the patterns I made from the magazine.

I cut six panels and six leaves.

Stitch two together at a time.  I used blanket stitch on the outside, but you could stitch right sides together on a machine.

This is what the three pairs of panels look like.  The blanket stitch creates a ribbed  effect.

 Then stitch the pairs together to form the body of the pumpkin.  There should be enough felt left to make a handle.  I cut one from green felt and two from orange, the orange ones were slightly narrower.  I stitched these together in a sandwich and then added a strip of green glitter ribbon to the top.

Then attach the handle securely to the bag.  I added green bows in the same ribbon, secured with a few stitches.

In the magazine they had added buttons to the panels, if you are going to do this I would add them before you stitch the pairs of panels together.  You could add a face or any decoration you like.  It doesn't take much fabric and doesn't cost much either, probably less than a shop bought one.  There are some other really good Halloween projects in the magazine to try, some felt ghosts and monster that would be nice individually or made into bunting.

I hope this has inspired you to have a go, I am going to leave it on Carolyn's stall for a few days if anyone wants a look.  I know sometimes that's how I work out how to make something, by picking it up and having a look.

Well bye for now,

I'll be back soon with some more makes,

Love Louise xx.