plump pudding

Lucky Me

Although I was expecting a parcel from Ragged Roses it was a lovely surprise when it arrived.  We have a swap going on, but I am a little behind with my part.



No photos of the wrapping sorry.  I was far too keen to get inside and have a look.  We had agreed on two corsage, but Kim was very generous and sent me three.



As there were meant to be two corsages, I had earmarked them for mum and my sister for Christmas.  I think the pink one will be for my sister.



This bright red one will be for mum who loves bright colours.



Which means that this one must be for me!



After reading one of her posts, I was very cheeky and asked whether she could slip a pompom into the parcel.  And Kim obliged.



It is even lovlier than I thought it would be.  And guess what?  She sells all of this loveliness.



Don't you "need" some of these?  I know I do!

The mail just keeps on coming

Another swap has been delivered. This one was with Karen from Flutterby.  She was also kind enough to include some liquorice sweets, but they were eaten more or less immediately!

Some very pretty trim and one of her lovely key rings.

And just look at this gorgeous fabric!  I know that I have said this quite a few times before - but why are we not getting this sort of fabric in the UK?  It's just not fair!

To round off my unfinished projects. I completed the footstool on the weekend and it went up on e-Bay yesterday.  Hopefully that should sell.  In the end I plumped for the Ikea Rosali fabric as that seems very popular on e-Bay and  easier to fit into a scheme that the green Cath Kidston.  Let's hope I'm right!

Even though I have fallen off the wagon with Use What You Have, I am still feeling pretty good.  Last week I listed a huge pile of my vintage fabric stash on e-Bay and it all sold last night.  This works out to be the equivalent of a plastic box full.  And there is going to be some more added this week!  How much fabric do I have?  Don't ask!

The latest additions to the scruffy furniture fold.  Both items were bought from the car boot sale this weekend.  The little table is quite pretty once you get past the peeling varnish and brownness of it.  Plus priced at £2 I thought I would give it a go.

The piano stool was so appealing and you don't see them very often at the boot sale.  We already have one (as Keanan wants to start lessons) that I reupholstered and painted.  Over Christmas a friend from school asked whether I was selling it. At the time I wasn't as it was the only one I had, but I'll ask her whether she is interested.  If not - off to e-Bay.

I'll post updates when I get started.

I've passed the finishing post

For such a long time, I have had some projects that have been started but then just left to drift on unfinished.  I have actually managed to finish some of them this week.

It is the Easter holidays and the boys are off for two weeks. This week I signed them up for a sports course - which has meant that they have still been out of the house for the day.  Of course they have loved it and I decided to grab the bull by the horns and finish some projects.

The first was simply to hook up the roman blind in the bathroom.  Nothing wild there - just a white checked muslin blind from Ikea.  Which was an even bigger bargain as it came from the boot sale for £1.

The next job was to make small double sided panels for inside my kitchen doors.  It only took a few hours, but I don't know why this job was hanging around for the last 6 months.  Even though I am the only one in the house to appreciate this, I still feel good about it.

Lastly the bedside cabinet that I bought from the boot sale at the weekend is finished.  Painted white with a new ceramic knob rather than a handle. 

The piece de resistance is that 3 bags have been left out for the charity shop today.  And a huge amount of my vintage fabric has been listed on e-Bay.  I went up into the airing cupboard and took out about 30% of my stash.  It's all listed and out there for buyers.  Perhaps this is the spring influence on me.

I have been having problems with downloading the photos from my camera.  It won't automatically do this - even though it always has done.  So I am going to have to figure out how to do this and then I will post photos of my finished projects.

But I can leave you with some that I had already taken.  First is my latest pattern acquisition from e-Bay.  I think I going to make a few of these.  I like (what I would imagine to be) Wee Willie Winkie in the front.

But I have saved the best till last.  My package from Claire from NeedleBook

It all came in  this pretty little bag and the most adorable tags and card.

Inside were

Fabric and grosgrain ribbon.  The ribbon we get in the UK just never seems as pretty etc as the ones in the States.

And the reason for the parcel

Thank you so much Claire!

Postcard Swap

I signed up for the postcard swap organised by Nikki Shell.  Today is my designated day - ready to send out tomorrow (hopefully) and failing that Monday.  I hope I haven't left it too late.

The postcards can be in any media, but I have opted for fabric, as I can't sew for toffee!  There have been quite a few posts lately about ruffles and I recently one a ruffler from e-Bay for the princely sum of £1.50.  Today it came out of it's box and luckily it fits my Janome machine.

That's the easy bit. The next stage is to slightly alter the area the needle passes through.  The ruffler looks as though it has never been used and the screw is very tight.  I have put some WD40 (lubricant) on the screw and hopefully that should loosen it. I've also done my research on the Internet and know how to use it.  After lunch and posting, I'm going to give it a try.  I want to incorporate ruffles into the postcards.

I am still at the ideas stage.  I tend to have a thought and rather than completely think it through, just go for it.  The thought is to embellish the stamped panels and sew them on to the postcards. Hopefully it shouldn't prove too difficult.

I also have another project lined up courtesy of younger son, Keanan. His class assembly is Friday next week and he is Moses.  He came out of school all excited on Wednesday and full of plans for his costume.  "Can we go an buy the fabric now mum?"  Out came the bible and I now have a picture to work from.  As you can imagine this costume will need a fair amount of fabric. 

Surfing the charity shops yesterday, I found this vintage (1970s I would guess) double duvet cover.  Moses!

Maybe not quite what the man himself might have worn, but let's just factor in artistic license! More importantly Keanan was OK with this choice of fabric.  (Laughingly) I asked him whether he had put up his hand and told Mrs Harris that I would make him a costume. The look on his face was so funny - Yes (Duh!!).  This was borne out by one of his friends. 

I suppose I should thank my lucky stars he didn't volunteer me to make the costumes for the whole class.

Kristy your tissue holder will be posted today.  Thanks!

More mail!

Sometime last week I posted a pattern and asked whether anyone fancied a quick pattern for pattern swap.  L.K. from Gryphon's Feather said she was game.  Off went my pattern and a few sweeties.

L.K's pattern arrived and it's fabulous!

But there was more ........

These gorgeous vintage buttons and the fabric - aah.  Why don't we get stuff like this in the UK?

What a sweet little pattern book.  There was also a zakka catalogue, but that is out in the car as I have been looking at it, whilst waiting for the boys to come out of school.

When I spoke to L.K I mentioned making it a stuff a pattern in an envelope and post it swap.  Admittedly I did stray a little from that by adding a few sweets, but L.K. you certainly did spoil me!  And now I have guilty thoughts of an uneven/unfair swap. 

Hope she likes the pattern!

I've got mail!

Lu from Hippyxic over at Flickr and I had agreed on a swap.  Her package went out a little later than promised on Monday (sorry!) and I received hers today.

It was so beautifully packed, that after I had opened it, I had to put the bag back together to show you!

This pretty bag and a little bag with buttons.  As soon as I had looked at it all, I went straight to e-Bay and have bought some cellophane bags like this.  They are so cute and I am sure will come in handy for future swaps.

Look at these fabric pegs - I have admired these on her Flickr account and they are just gorgeous.  Plus they came with a fabric covered tag.

And the piece de resistance - one of her beautiful pincushions.  I did ask whether she could send me one of these.  And I am not disappointed!  It even has some pins in it. 

Thank you so much Lu.  I hope it isn't too long before yours arrives.  I am bowled over by your generosity!

The pattern swap has been sent out to L..K. from Gryphon's Feather.  It went out in the post this morning.  Quickest swap ever!

I am going to give you all a little sneak peek of my current project.

It is one of those projects that I started last year and have just not got round to finishing off.  Now I have told you all about it, I have no excuse but to finish this off once and for all!

Gifty Swap

A while back I signed up for Gifty.  My partner was Alicia from Cheerio Spins.  And my gift has arrived.  Plus she made it herself.  I am so impressed with that.

Inside were chocolates and cinnamon flaovoured gum.  The boys have eaten some of the gum, but the chocolates have remained remarkably intact.  The fact that they are locked away in my studio may have something to do with it!  But I will let them eat some later.

I have been getting into Flickr lately.  I have had an account for ages and have posted photos sporadically.  But I am definitely getting more into it, as like blogging it is a good way to share photos and get to know people. 

A new blog I discovered through Flickr is Kisskus.  Head on over there and have a look!