Dreamy Days.

One of the things I particularly enjoy about my work is the creating of new designs though, as I have said here before, it can sometimes be frustrating to move on completely from something you have enjoyed using. As a result of this a certain young lady seems to pop up in new guises in the sewing room every once in a while. She has been seen under a cherry tree...



and playing with balloons...



and just the other day I found her sitting on a bench dreaming away the day...hence my new Dreamy Days Door Hanging



She seems to have dropped her bunch of flowers on the bench as she stares into the distance, the world drifting by.



I see she has her best hat on with its little red bow.



This one is now hanging on Lucy's bedroom door, but there are plenty more in the sewing room all waiting for a name to be added before they head off for new homes. If you would like one they can be found here



Hope your day is dreamy too x

Colds and Christmas.

The two little girls have colds of the nose-streaming, shadow-eyed variety. And so do I. The kitchen table is strewn with paperwork for the business which I have let slip a little recently and last night seemed a good time to bring it back into order as Mr Dave was away for the night due to work. It had obviusly slipped a little more than I thought as I finally went to bed at a quarter to twelve and there is still a small amount left to do. Still, no matter; I like the feeling of restoring order into chaos and that's just as well with a family this size. So, today two young ladies snuggled under covers on the settees (even though they are feeling fine in themselves, hence Isabella leaping around like a banshee every so often) and Mama has supplied copious plates of vitamin laden 'snacks'. They are like me in that they never lose their appetites through illness (depression, happiness, anger...you get the picture).



As I raced out to get some work in from the sewing room, I noticed this broad bean growing - well, flowering actually - by the steps. How many times I must pass this spot and yet only today did I notice just how well this determined self-seeded bean is doing. My mouth waters at the possibility of an out of season mini-feast.



Things are creeping along slowly on the Christmas present front with orders obviously taking priority. My recent foray into appliqued houses originated in this partly completed draught excluder I am making for my daughter, Lauren, who has the most enormous gap beneath her door in her student house. I am hoping it will eliminate the howling gale currently sweeping through her room and enable her to feel her Mamma is with her, keeping her warm as she works. More pictures when it is eventually finished, though I must say I find this kind of work extremely trying when attempting to get decent pictures - any tips most gratefully received please.



Other gifts in the making include this diminutive young lady for Isabella who absolutely loves dolls and has a mother who absolutely loves rag dolls. She will soon have her face, hair and some clothes to keep out the chills...



...and will also be wrapped up with her own quilted cot cover and embroidered pillow.



It's reversible too.



With embroidered flowers on the pillow. Oh, I mentioned that already. Dire light in this room today, but I am trying to avoid Isabella seeing.



The quilt I am making for Isabella is almost ready now, I just need to find a fabric for the back. Dave and I have our eyes firmly fixed on some beautiful Japanese material with cherries scatterd over a white ground...just lovely, but we shall see.



(Nearly there, I promise). A Christmassy door hanger...well, it could be hung anywhere actually - over a mantle, from a tree, on the wall.



And just so you don't think I play all the time, here are just a few of the huge pile of lavender and chamomile sachets to be completed for an order wending its way to Richmond later today. Can't even smell them my nose is so bunged up. Hot toddy tonight, mmm.



Bye for now xx

Bits and Bobs.

Mr Dave is home once more, exhausted by a very gruelling three day course which started at 8am and seemd to end at about 8.30pm. On our last evening of 'girly times' as Lucy referred to it, I had a sudden need to do some cooking with the two littlies. Not sure why as it was a bit late in the day really and I could feel I was not at my most patient, but they were so keen that I bit back any reservations and off we set. Aprons were donned and utensils placed to the ready. Lucy decided to make
herself a cheese and vegetable pasty (not purists here I'm afraid) for her lunch at school the next day.



Isabella 'helped' me to make one for Daddy - she rolled that pastry and added the necessary carrot peelings, bits of cheese and frankly anything else she could get her chubby paws on, the resulting squiggles of pastry being added to the top of the pasty as a decoration. "Mine is 'L' for Lucy," announced Lucy-Lu. "Mine is a El-Phant!" bellowed Isabella, a tone of shocked surprise running through her voice at our incredible dimness!



No pictures of the finished article I am sorry to say as I was a little up to my ears in things by the time they had cooked, but they were truly delicious as was the blackberry and apple pie we also made from the last of our Coxs and berries from the garden. Other things occupying my time this week have been equally enjoyable. Yesterday I sat in the garden working on a pile - 18 backs and 6 fronts to be precise - of doorhangings. Lovely to embroider in the hot Autumn sunshine. The picture above shows just a little of the heap.



I have also been cutting out an increasting stack of fabric squares as I want to make Isabella and Lucy quilts for Christmas, though I am not experienced at this in the least. I made one which I was rather pleased with for Lauren's 21st birthday earlier this year and am now carried away by my success. Isabella's will be the first as it will be for her cot and therefore not so large. I never seem able to photgraph these fabrics well.



And lastly, here's a further peek at some of my Christmas range which is also coming along nicely. I have used some materials which speak to me of the sea and Cornwall in their colours and textures for these. More another time.



Phew, well that's it for today.




Have a lovely weekend everyone xx

A little something for christmas.

I seem to be having a run on ideas at the moment, spurred on no doubt by the need to make some things for my own friends and family for Christmas - hey, I'm not the only one mentioning it! The upside to this is that if Iam pleased with the design it means I have a present nicely tucked away and can also do a run on the item for the business. Of course, I won't say what happens to all the ones that don't go quite according to plan...



This is what I have been working on this week and I have to say I am rather pleased with them. They are door hangings which were inspired (or not, depending on your point of view) by the vile pink fluffy thing that Lucy has on her bedroom door. it is not the colour I object to, but the tackiness of the entire item. Naturally she loves it and turns it around every night to display the hideous princess in lurid purple lying on her yellow bed...groan. I decided enough was enough, so set out to make her something pretty using my current obsession with linen and applique, and here it is: the Hearts & Flowers door hanging



The door hangings have a different design on the front and back as shown in the pictures. This one iis called Sailing ship and I love the mix of canvas and stipy fabrics in the applique. Of course there is a little hand embroidery as one would expect.



And here's the reverse...



They are both available here and I am now officially underway on the present front!

Bye for now x