Top Marks...

I am so happy to have finished all the teacher gifts, including another Q3 FAL listing!

I made an iPad/folder/case for the girls' class teacher.  I used Ayumi's pattern from Patchwork Please, which I used to make a case for mine 2(?) years ago, and still use!

I didn't use batting, but a thick fleece to line and provide padding for the case instead.  I scored a yard of a really good quality stuff at the local Oxfam for a couple of £ and it is proving pretty useful…

Nice bit of chevron quilting, and more spotty binding, job done!

So here, because I am rather pleased with myself, are all this year's Teacher gifts together…

Tomorrow will mean signed T-shirts, water fights and lots of shrieking, followed by a Leavers party at the local Social Club in the evening.  I am exhausted just thinking about it, but also, come 1.30pm, I will be on summer leave too.

I. Can. Not. Wait!

Homework...

Instead of weekly aggro in the form of make-it-up, chose-what-you-like "homework" (yep I'm doing the inverted comma fingers, and other gestures), this year the kids all now have weekly proper homework, spellings, maths and stuff, and only one half-termly creative project.

One each still felt like too many at some points last and this weekend.  But the projects are done, and I will have my proud mummy moment, even if my input was more than I was hoping for.

We have progressed from papier maché covered balloons to a Sutton Hoo helmet, a leopard and giraffe masks…

Although this did take up a lot of time and energy, we also managed a trip to the park in the unseasonably warm weather, conkers and flip flops, I like it;  and I also did some prep for another bit of pattern testing…

Teacher Christmas gifts already; girly swot!

Let them eat cake, again...

Well the Harvest Festival and Autumn Feast meant that there was no cooking again for me (yippee), and the kids had hotdogs, ice cream and cake again.  Balanced diet, blah blah, it doesn't happen often, and they ran most of it off before we got home.  I also got to say hello to Jean in the playground - Hi again Jean!

No cooking, sadly, did not mean more sewing time though, but I did get some sorting done for the weekend, and I got my #IGminiswap quilt sandwich all ready for some quilting action…

My cold is abating during the day, so no excuse not to be at work, but it comes back the minute I sit down in the evening; don't you just hate it when that happens!?

Well that was my Monday folks, pass the tissues please xxx

We're all going to the zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow...

Yes, tis true.  I finally get to go on a school trip and it's to London Zoo.  Wish me luck with my quota of 6 seven year olds!  I am hoping it will be a cheerful day in amongst so much other stuff right now.

And if you would like, or need something to make you smile, which I guarantee will make one young lad really really happy, please check out my son's first YouTube video.  It's a stop-motion Lego adventure, it's only a couple of minutes long, but he has been monitoring his stats since he posted it a couple of days ago, and a little surge in interest will make his day…



If you, or the youngsters in your lives have a YouTube account, or log in using Google and can Like or even subscribe, oh please do.  I promise you won't be inundated, it will all be short Lego or Minecraft movies, suitable for all the family.  When he's a world famous film director, you can all say you knew him at the start.

Thanking you in advance xxx

Here we go, here we go, here we go!!

Despite the face, perhaps to the contrary, dear son had been looking forward to today for a long time...

Building a Tudor house!

He was suitably dressed as a peasant, and had a relatively cool and comfortable day; those kids in the full Henry VIII / Elisabeth I polyester regalia did not look so fresh by the end of the day!

I, on the other hand, have been looking forward to this...

Although not as much as these people down the road...

Whatever random things you have been looking forward to, enjoy, and link up with Cindy and other Randomeers xxx

Crazy busy...

Trying to get ready for Retreat is making me cranky and anxious and all sorts of sweaty, so I am going to write my Thursday List in a moment and then try to relax for a little while.  I know, unlikely, but it's going to be non-stop from 6.30 tomorrow morning until I get on train just before 10am on Friday.

Hubby and son have just got in from the 3rd and final KS2 performance of Scheherazade.  The Y3s and 4s were singing, the Y5s were doing all the solos and acting.  They all did brilliantly in the heat; polyester Arabian knight costumes did not look any sort of comfortable, it was bad enough sitting still in the audience; I saw it yesterday afternoon...

Apart from making the Giveaway fob and notebook cover last night, I also made a fob for the girls' swimming teacher in the end...

Heather Ross fishes, what could be more perfect!?

So I am now all done with the making; although in a mad moment I thought about making another Staple tunic as an answer to my wardrobe dilemmas, but I think I am just going with t-shirts; life is too short!

I'll pop back tomorrow and let you know how I got on xxx

Sew hot dammit!

I bit the bullet and got out my sewing machine - the conservatory may have hovered above 30 degrees until about 7pm, but having received great school reports today from the kiddie-winks' teachers, it only seemed fair to get their presents made.

I used all the best bits from various online covered notebook tutorials; I had selected some spiral bound books, so had to measure them closed, and they fit perfectly.

This one was finished whilst there was still a little natural light, for the girls' teacher...

Then I finished up another one for dear son's teacher...

So simple, and I have tried a couple of similar sized notebooks in them, and because the height remains pretty much the same for A5 books, they are going to be suitable for replacing with thicker pukka pads and the like too.

So that's my last intended 'to do' done for pre-Retreat, but I might have to whip up another for the girls' swimming teacher, because she is nice, and I think I may have a little addiction to these covers brewing already!

Yeah Yeah...

I know, it's not exactly craft-central round here right now!

There was a little of this though...

... prepping a couple of teacher gifts, because end of term will be here before we know it, and I really want need them done before Retreat.

But mostly today was about this...

Before Friday I have 3 mornings of work, a Key Stage 2 performance (or 3), Cubs, swimming, a hair cut, packing and writing a big list for dear husband for all the weekend's eventualities. 

Apart from literally having a meltdown about what clothes to take if the weather stays like this, it'll be fine, I hope.  xxx

(Bad) Sports Day...

Oh my sense of fair play and sports-womanship is wearing pretty thin already, and we have to do it all again tomorrow (my birthday!!!!)...

At least it was sunny, for the whole 4 hours I spent at school to witness the girls' combined 15 minutes of fame!

In the brief few minutes, before I had to go back again to pick everyone up, I managed to get the binding attached to my Stitch Tease Quilt...

...so that's me sorted for an evening or two.

Random stuff kids do...

Well as it is Thursday, that's all the excuse I need to show you this little selection.

Firstly a clip of last week's recorder 'concert'... you didn't think I would just keep the experience to myself did you!?

This week parents were treated to an African 'inspired' dance, sorry, only photos, no movie...

...and then I had to buy these...

That's a pincushion, in case you weren't sure!

If sewing is an unlikely career path, then maybe a bit of fabric designing could be on the cards...

For added random, after months of cold, wet, snowy, miserable weather, I managed to get all the Rainbow and Cub uniforms out in the sunshine for the first time today...

...until it clouded up about 30 minutes later!

And finally, my car tax disc came today; is it just me, or does this just not look like a real date!?

Linking up with Cindy's Really Random Thursday.

Back tomorrow to announce the winner of my inbox-busting Sew Sweetness bag pattern giveaway and maybe a bit of stitching xxx

The End is Nigh...

The end of term that is.

So today, I made 7 zippy purses for the teachers and teaching assistants who have had the pleasure of educating the FB brood this year...

It appears that this is the 2012 gift of choice - have you been over to Jo or Susan's today?

I'll pop a bit of Green & Blacks in to make up for not being from Marks & Spencer!

2 more days of work and school... not that I have been counting down the hours or anything, then, if someone could arrange some sunshine, I would be most grateful.

PS.  If you haven't entered my blogiversary giveaway yet,  click here.

Jubilant!

Yesterday school celebrated the Jubilee.  A week early, but some of us are away next weekend, and it also falls at the beginning of half term, so having the school open wasn't really an option.

The sun shone, there were cakes and drinks, bubbles, a bouncy castle and live music.  We all took picnics and for 3 hours or so we just had a lovely time.

I took my stint on the cake stall without major incident, and generally enjoyed being part of our great community.

Anyhow, about an hour before we were set to go, I had that pang of what to wear (I get that a lot!).

The girls had their red/white/blue fake hair strand clipped in place, father and son weren't fussed about playing along, but I had an idea.

Some of this...

...soon became this...

As modelled by my doppelgänger...

Sorted!

Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Winner Time

I am blown away by the response I have had to my little giveaway!  Your thoughts on what you think of as typically British were great!  I am sitting here with a cup of tea, apologies, it's actually a mug, not a delicate teacup and saucer, and I am not wearing a hat of any shape or size. 

Today though, in typically British-style I must tell you that the weather was beautiful, and I went to visit a 900 year old castle...

I want to officially welcome all the new followers who chose to sign up during the giveaway, hope you will stick around for my daily witterings - I've topped 400, that's amazing!  Thank you.

So without further ado, Mr Random Number Generator has plucked lucky number 188...

(Please note, in the interest of fairness I have just done a bit of housekeeping and had to remove 3 or 4 comments that were duplicates before drawing, so your comment number may have shifted about a bit in the last hour!).

And in case you haven't skipped straight to this bit anyway, that's you Amy of Amy's Crafty Shenanegans...

Congratulations Amy - I will email you in a mo'.

Thankfully Amy was not a No Reply blogger, because then I would of had to pick again.  Please make sure you aren't, or if you are, always, always add your email address to your comment.  Check here if you are unsure.

I will leave you with just a few more pictures of my day...

Tomorrow I will be Jubilant!

Just popping in...

... which is obviously way better than popping out!

Today's mish mash pretty much looks like the contents of my head right now.  Things arriving in preparation for retreat...

Random bits of fabric from the Prints to Polkadots bargain bin...

And decorated gingerbread men destined for the School and Village Duck Race cake stall...

There has been a little Retro Flower sewing, and I am still awaiting my magnets, so hopefully I will have something more substantial to show soon.

PS.  I heard a rumour we might get some sunshine over the weekend!

How about a little bit of sewing!?

Seems like ages since I showed you something new!

One of the girls' teachers will be going on maternity leave at the end of next week, so I thought it was only right that I inflict my crafty makings on a new generation.  Although this is the teacher that I help at school, I don't know her that well, and certainly not enough to make anything as full blown as a quilt.

According to the school gate Mums, Mum-to-be doesn't know the sex of the baby, so that didn't help, so I settled on a taggie cloth in bright colours...

This was the first time I have used Minky, and I was pleasantly surprised; a lot of pins were used to avoid slippage, and I think it turned out OK.

I love the Riley Blake ribbon, which accompanied an order from Quilty Pleasures ages ago, and the rest were just knocking about.  The Minky was pre-cut at 30cms/12" squares, a great size for this quick project.

I may have gone a little overboard with securing the ribbons in place, but better to be safe than sorry!

There has also been a little progress on my Mouthy Stitches purse, I have made the front and the back pocket panel (definitely not as wonky as the pictures imply)...

Having thrown a couple of colour options out there to 'my partner', I only went and found a great button which may, or may not decide my final choices for the zipper and lining anyway.

Hopefully I will get a nice bit of sewing in this weekend, and I need to start work on my guest post for next Friday's Modern Mini Challenge.  The nerves are starting to kick in!

PS.  Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!  Please x

I heart Christmas!

I have finally finished, I really really hope, making hearts for Christmas!

Last night I finished the Teacher pressies, and I have just wrapped them all ready for the morning...

I quite like this one, it is more of a squished heart than the others, as I was down to my last pieces of red felt, so a few more buttons were in order - the photo doesn't show just how bright they all are.

I also made another brooch, this one really is for my Mum...

I still have a few felty makes on the cards for my nearest and dearest, but the parliament of owls seems to have been abandoned for now - I have a New Year cunning plan, but I really cannot be thinking that far in advance just now, I have the small matter of a Dead Simple quilt to make by this time next week!

Before I set to answering Comments, or emailing a Wish List or two to my wonderful, gorgeous, generous husband, I must write our Christmas cards, otherwise they won't be landing on doormats until well into 2012.

It's the last day at work and school tomorrow, as long as the forecast snow and gales don't cause too much disruption, and I can't wait :)

More Plays and Purses...

I got to see the Christmas play again this morning, my reward for putting about 15 little girls' pairs of tights back round the right way and pulling big heads through tiny sweatshirt head-holes!

These phone snaps sum it all up for me...

I also went Christmas food shopping; all bought, bar the fresh veggies and the small matter of a turkey (ie. we have enough chocolate, coke, cheese and cake for a month!).  We are meant to be dining with my parents, but I am stocking up just in case it snows or some other mishap keeps us 70 miles apart - have you seen the forecast?  Blimey!

I haven't managed any sewing yet today but I only have one felt ornament left to make for the school presents, how I forgot 'Nanny Jean' I will never know.  Then all the deadlines move forward to the big day.  Phew!

Last night I put together the last of the production line purses... although I am officially addicted and may just keep on making...

This one is for Ballet Twin...

The measurements are again based on Ayumi's tute, and I have finally memorised the zip layering mantra, thanks Kat.

This one is for me... 

I know, I don't need it, but since when did that matter!?  The fabric is another upholstery sample, and still requires an additional detachable section of strap to be put on when I get more split rings; I am rather in love with it already.

There's still time to enter the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway if you haven't already.  I have been literally overwhelmed with the number of responses so far, so please forgive that I can't reply to all the comments, otherwise there'll be no time for making - and that just wouldn't do!