Trick or treat?

An hour extra in bed as the clocks went back?  No, awoken at 6am to watch Coraline with the early-risers, but it was a nice start to the day, followed by pumpkin carving and some sewing. 

5 Christmas mini-table quilt tops all completed by 10am!  Then bangers and mash for lunch.  That's the kind of Sunday morning I would like more often, well I've got to have a dream!

So now I have got to decide on the backing and binding for these little beauties.

You can just about distinguish them, a red, a green and a blue/turquoise, plus a mixed and a more solid runner, all made from one 12 Days of Christmas layer cake. 

To celebrate I have pretty much eaten my way through a box of chocs, (well I don't like coffee, so there's one left for my husband!).

We took the little urchins 'trick or treating' after tea, and they got a bucket of sugar each, (bedtime is going to be a trial this week as they'll be buzzing for days!), but they loved it.

Would you answer the door this lot?

I won something lovely...again!!!

If you have been following for a while you will remember the sock monkey family.  They were from a Sew Hip pattern, and having made one for my lovely husband, I ended up making one each for the five of us, and adding the pictures to the Sew Hip flickr group.

Well imagine my surprise when I finally got a chance to flick through the latest copy of aforementioned magazine to be confronted with this!!!

 

Not only do I get a picture, I won the star prize!!  A lovely bundle of fabric will be heading my way at some point!  I am so chuffed to see them in print and it was so totally unexpected.

Please excuse me now,  whilst I try to squeeze my 'big head' out the door and take the 3 little horrors to an early Halloween party.  Keep enjoying your Saturday.

Generations...

This morning, dear son, (dressed as a vampire!) and I, drove the autumn roads along the coast to Bexhill-on-Sea to visit my grandma, meeting my parents there, and spending an hour catching up and dropping off birthday presents, for the soon-to-be 89 year old.

Driving there and back in order to be home for the girls by 1pm, meant we didn't get any time to explore this time, but if you ever get the chance to visit the De La Warr Pavilion, do!

Courtesy of my wonderful husband!

It is an amazing building, with an excellent cafe and super-duper gift shop, which I have just discovered sells online, and uses paypal (uh-oh!)...  Look at these sweet Keila Mills brooches...

... and the brilliant dlwp range...

Other news, I have sewn together 2 of my Christmas runner tops, and started on another, and will hopefully get all 5 stitched together this weekend - hey, we get an extra hour on Sunday and I plan to fill it wisely!

Not an average Thursday morning...

This morning the girls had a Halloween party at nursery, so this involved them dressing up, and then eating lots of sweets, playing games, getting faces painted and generally having fun.

Meanwhile dear son and I went ice skating!

He was fantastic, I was dreadful!  It was artificial ice, ie. glossy plastic with blunt blades and therefore impossible, in the free-church next to work.  So for half an hour he wobbled around at speed, whilst I clung to the sides and clock-watched!  Good fun though, and earned us both a chocolate chip cookie, and a handful of glow-sticks afterwards, all in aid of a local children's hospice.

I am not feeling inspired to crack on with the Christmas crafting yet, maybe tonight, so for now I think I will go and knock up the chilli for tea and sort out the washing and ironing, or maybe I might just flick through my new Living etc that arrived today!

For Annabelle!

Lovely kitchens online.

Domestic Bliss...

Here is my mini Bliss table runner based on this little number.  OK, so I had to miss off the rik-rak, as my measuring and accuracy need a little work, meaning I was about 3cm short in the end, but I like how it turned out.

Fortunately our table extends, and in the 'new kitchen' we will be able to have it opened up permanently, so it will be a better 'fit'.

This morning, we braved the rain to go to the solicitors with more signed papers and a cheque, a little trip to the fabric shop for some cotton, and we went to the Post Office to get Tracee's parcel on its journey.

I then spent this afternoon chopping up my '12 Days of Christmas' layer cake, and arranging the pieces to make 5 table runners for my mum, sister, grandma and me (x2).  Damn that inconvenience of having to go back to work next week!

That'll be typical holiday weather then!

After a gorgeous day yesterday, including a trip to the beach, today was just what we were expecting from a half-term holiday, rain.

This morning we had our house valued by our buyer's mortgage company and I sorted a 'nursery' package to sell via the local twins club, to start clearing some room.

My babies' things!

...and I have just finished the mini Bliss quilt!!  I will take some pictures in the morning light.

I also wrapped and addressed Tracee's parcel all ready to post tomorrow.

Busy, busy busy...

And the winner is....

Tracee!!!

Well done - my technically infallible selection process selected comment '11', which belonged to Tracee both before and after adjustment, so a worthy winner - Congratulations!  I will email you in a minute.

So the parcel of goodies will be winging it's way all the way down under in the next couple of days.  I will take some pictures and show them here once I hear that the package has arrived safely.

Thank you so much everyone for taking part, it's been fun, and I have loved the fibs!  Proof, if ever it were needed that 'cat people' are completely bonkers, and 'craft' and 'crafty' may be more interchangeable than many may suspect!

The final countdown...GIVEAWAY!

Good morning everyone - just a reminder that I will be drawing the winner of the giveaway tonight, so you still have a few hours to become a follower and let us in on your fibbing ways! 

As some of you seem to have had a problem with the '3 separate comments, for 3 chances', and as I am feeling generous, the management reserves the right to amend the rules at any time (ark at me!), so I will write your names out in order of posting, as many times as applicable, before using the random number generator - I will take a picture for proof!

Have a nice day...

Sunday Bliss...

Another trip to the fair today, meant another visit to see Liz at Quilty Pleasures and another meter of Bliss!  I found this super easy, but effective recipe on Moda Bake Shop last night, and having got my Bliss charm pack, and the meter yesterday, I just had to get the extra (and a bit more) to make my own.  It wasn't my fault!

Look at the fantastic rik-rak, it is gigantic!  The pink and blue Essential Dots are for my husband, he has a 'thing' about pocket squares, so he gets a couple of very small 'hankies', and I get to keep the rest, a good deal all round!

My father had a better day today, it was far busier than yesterday and the crowd were a bit more suited to higher-end craft rather than just the cheese, chutney and pick and mixers of Saturday. 

I hope you all had a good weekend - no work tomorrow thanks to half-term, pure bliss!

PS. Giveaway!

If you go down to the coast today...

Today was the first day of the Lancing College Weekend Craft Fair.  A spectacular setting, I arrived in sunshine and left with thunder and lightening for a full-on Hogwarts experience!

Amongst the obligatory teasle hedgehogs, toilet roll cosies, and miles and miles of liquorice, there nestled some lovely stalls.  Obviously I am allowed to be biased, and my father's stained glass was the best.  Frustratingly, this seemed not to be to the taste of today's predominately over-70s browsers, but each to his or her own.

Stained Glass by Paul Chave, Garden Glass Design

A close second for me was Liz and her Quilty Pleasures stall loaded with yards of the most beautiful fabrics, quilts, buttons, rik-rak and patterns.  Having been a keen follower of her blog, but not having been able to make it over to her shop yet, it was great to have a real chat face to face.  Not having a wallet to match my desires, I managed to narrow down my purchase to a yard of scrummy Moda 'Bliss' Aqua Tulip, to go with the charm pack I bought back at Hever, and a couple of fat quarters of Anna Griffin 'Lizzie' prints.

I also bought a nice bag of mixed buttons from Kittie's Closet.

I will be venturing back with 'the family' tomorrow, having had the opportunity to have a proper look today, and may well end up buying something from Robin Johnson; his pieces remind me of New Zealand crafts, using lots of drilled pebbles and driftwood.  Unfortunately his website is not up and running just yet.

So if you fancy a trip down to the coast tomorrow, pop in, and get yourself some beautiful glass leaves, fishes or other lovelies ready for Christmas presents or better still, treat yourself.

PS. Don't forget my Giveaway!

GIVEAWAY GIVEAWAY GIVEAWAY!

100 posts - how did that happen!!!

I really don't want to have brought you here under false pretenses, so without further ado...

If you would like to win a copy of this fun book:

and a little goody-bag containing all you will need to make your own pair of baby-sock owls:

plus at least a couple more little surprises, one of which is edible (so may not survive the weekend!), then all you have to do is:

• be a Follower of my blog, and leave a comment telling me so, for your first chance;
• tell your Followers, and add a comment with a link so I can check you aren't fibbing!
• and for a bonus chance, leave a comment telling us all the last fib you told!

So 3 separate comments = 3 chances. (updated instructions!)

I will use Random.org to select the lucky winner at 8pm (UK - BST) Monday evening, so you have until then to be in with a chance.

I will be off to the craft show this weekend, so I am hoping to find some extras to pop in the parcel too; maybe I'll see you there.

Good luck everybody!

No.99...

I saw this and thought of you all! 

What a fantastic place to work!  I am rather jealous to say the least! 

Well at least tomorrow is my last day at work before half-term and a week off with mostly-lovely son, so we are making a few plans, oh, and I think someone mentioned there was going to be a giveaway or something...

Christmas is coming...

Now, I have been living in denial that Christmas is coming, but like it or not, irrespective of the four birthdays I have to sort in November for everyone else in this house, Santa will be here sooner than I would like.

So today's lovely pink parcel from Simply Solids may be either the answer, or an additional burden for the festive season!  A lovely Moda layer cake of Kate Spain's 12 Days of Christmas should do the trick!

I have the cushion covers from last night, a table runner and/or place mats in mind, but it will involve opening up the pack, and never being able to re-align the squares ever again!!

If you are in need of some lovely Kona Solids, Moda pre-cuts or some Laurie Wisbrun, amongst other wonderful fabrics, I recommend you take a look.

Well I think I have sorted the giveaway prize... is it normal to feel excited about giving things away?

Sneaky peak...

Today, I am giving you a sneak-peak of part of the planned give-away that arrived in the post this afternoon.

Can you tell what it is yet? If you can, keep quiet and don't spoil the surprise!

I also received Emma Hardy's Quilting in No Time, which has 50 projects with all the basics that I have heard of, seen the finished items, but have no real idea how to replicate, from trivits to duvet covers.

The Crazy Nine Patch instructions and finished cushion look superb.

Having had a quick flick through, I can tell it is going to be one of the books I go back to over and over again.

Our day has been a bit of a roller-coaster, and right now we are reaching the summit before the homeward stretch (see what I did there?!).

This week, I will mostly be 'being positive'!

Leaves by Paul Chave, Garden-Glass-Design

So as not to fall into a pit of moaning, aggro and despair, I am going to be (mostly) blogging about great stuff this week.  If I slip towards the dark side, pull me back and rap my knuckles!

Today I am once again going for some shameless promotion!  The Lancing College Craft Fair is zooming up on us, so please check out my father's website.

Flying Fish by Paul Chave, Garden-Glass-Design

My dear husband and I figured out the design and uploaded it with some good old trial and error, and hopefully we have done the beautiful glass justice.  Let me know what you think.  After the fair, and if he has anything left, he will hopefully be setting up an Etsy or Folksy shop.  If any of you have any personal selling experience of either and can recommend, or otherwise, I would love to hear your thoughts, thank you.

Some of you with eagle eyes may have spotted that this week I will reach post number 100!  So I am planning a little GIVEAWAY!!  So keep coming back.  I still need to actually work out what to give away, but with all the things on my plate right now, that's got to be the easy bit, right?

Now, Kirstie arrived on my doorstep this morning, so we have a date!

Echino cushion no.2

This afternoon I made my second man-cushion, this time for my dear husband.  I am probably a bit daft to have given it straight to him, as it is his birthday in less than a month and I haven't got him anything yet, but he deserves it!

I am 95% happy with it, I had a 'tape measure failure' midway through so it ended up a bit bigger than the cushion pad.  I love the grey and cream combination, and the sneaky panther prowling along the bottom.

Even better in reality!

Today we took a trip out to look at another house 'just in case' the one we really want doesn't pan out (ie. the sellers don't get a shifty on and we get fed up waiting and schools need applying for etc etc).  It turned out to be a beautiful house but not in an ideal (but not that bad) location.  We still want the original the most, but with a vacant possession, newly renovated home waiting to be lived in, we have a good contender.

The journey out to Chichester meant that I had to go to The Eternal Maker, it would have been rude not to.  Buying online is one thing, but going in for a 'feel' has got to be better!

So with hubby and children left in the car, I had about 15 minutes to have a look and spend, (OK, maybe I was a little bit longer, judging by the looks on their faces when I came out!).

What a fantastic store!  I could have been in there for days, there was the most wonderful selection of fabrics, buttons and craft items.  There were workshops being held in various corners, and boxes, baskets and shelves of pre-cut FQs, half meters etc, as well as bolts and bolts of glorious fabric and inspiring displays all in organized chaos.  I could have spent an absolute fortune, but I was quite restrained and I only bought some (more) Echino prints and cute Kokka Russian Dolls.

Back home for the afternoon I decided to have a go at the freebees from the Homestyle Crafts magazine.  I was able to run up the doorstop in about an hour, apart from it being absolutely enormous, and would take about 5kg of rice to fill completely, it turned out nicely with the material provided.

Wakey Wakey...

As promised, the completed twin quilts... 

Two happy girls, so one happy mummy, a good start to the weekend!

Lucky me...

I have just finished the twins' quilts, so I will get the girls to assist in a photo session in the morning and show you tomorrow.  They have turned out pretty nicely, and my corners have improved, with 8 more under my belt. 

The fabric came from Prints to Polka Dots who now have a blog, and yours truly just found out that I have won 50% off a Melly & Me pattern, for participating in their reader's panel.  Thank you Claire and co.

So I have put in my order for a Handbag Addiction pattern, which I think looks pretty cute.  There are some fantastic toy and bag patterns, but I think most are a bit beyond me just now. 

Check out the Melly & Me blog too for loads of fantastic ideas, and beautiful things. 

Good things...

Well 33/33! Whoo-hoo!

Today Kirstie's Homemade Home was released, so my Amazon order has been processed and the postman will be more eagerly awaited than usual.  I have been waiting for this book to be released since the television series last year!

I love Kirstie, she's my heroine!  In fact, it is her fault that I have got the crafting bug, thank you Kirstie!  For any of you unfamiliar with Ms Allsopp's work, she is the star with the lovely Phil Spencer, of Location, Location, Location and Relocation, Relocation, as well as Kirstie's Homemade Home.  She has been an interior designer, property buyer and magazine journalist.  She has the most fantastic wardrobe, brilliant sense of humour and my dream job(s).  Did I mention that I love her?

I have now discovered that you can rent her house, Meadowgate, that she renovated and filled with beautiful things during the last series; how fantastic is that!?

Right, enough gushing, back to the binding for me...

PS. We're still waiting impatiently for our offer to be accepted...