For the ladies

A couple of my friends are having birthdays this week, so I've enjoyed a brief interlude from compiling kits and have rustled up a couple of purses.

I normally hate cutting into my stashes of favoured fabrics, but when it's for a gift I think it's worth it.

My little pieces of Of Paper & Thread designs , by the uber talented Danielle, are rapidly diminishing. But I love using them as they are so utterly divine that just a touch gives an item a huge lift (as you noticed in my sister's cushions).

The Kei dots are another fave - I know, you must be getting sick of them! Again, a little goes a long way.Another must have is Anna Maria Horner's Social Climber in Ice. At least I can get that easily from my lovely British supplier.

I've had fun making these purses. There has been little creativity going on around here of late, so it was great to have an excuse to play with my fabric. I just hope that the girls concerned will be pleased with their gifts.

As if I have the time

Honestly. Will someone just shoot me now? I have so much to do for Saturday, but I just can't help myself can I? My 'to do' list is ever expanding, yet, somehow, it's beyond me quite how, I get busy making things. Not things that are for sale you realise. Oh no, that would be far too straight forward. Nope, things to make my stand look pretty. Things that are distracting me from what I really should be doing.

You know I'm a little obsessed with pin cushions at the mo? It seems this has now transferred to needlecases too. I know I know. I did tell someone to shoot me now!

It's irrelevent that I'm pleased with the outcome. It's irrelevent that they are quite pretty. It's irrelevent that I had lots of fun making them.

The point is that I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!

(Off now, sewing machine, fabric and any other distracting items put on a top shelf out of reach so I can try and get on with exactly what must be done...)

Now or...

With Home & Gift being at the end of this week there were a few things that I wanted to do by today or, let's face it, they weren't going to get done until after the show. Or about a week after the show, after I've managed to scrape myself off my floor and am fully recovered.

One of the things on the list was to blog. I've done a couple of pathetic 'hi, I'm pretending to be here' posts over the weekend, but I was aware that I've been keeping a bit of a low profile here. So that needed to be put straight.

The other thing I was determined to do was to finish the cushions my sister had commissioned me. I know she's going away on Saturday and I know I wasn't seeing her until she got back and so that could have been a post show item but, as I mentioned before, by the time I've done the show, recovered from it, there will be so many more pressing things that have built up.

So last night whilst twittering away to some of you lovely people (thanks for keeping me company!) I finished off her second cushion. I'd given her a glimpse of the first. She loved it. She said she'd like the second one to match but not identical. Well, duh.

I'm really pleased with how the second one (below) has come out. I was really pleased with the first, but like anything I seem to do, somehow the second of something seems to progress, in a good way, from what has come first. It's almost as if the first was the experiment.

Matthew, however prefers the first. The fact that his first reaction was 'wow, are they for us' is compliment enough for me. And hopefully my sis will feel the same.

Sunday Stash

I keep reading gorgeous blog entries on a Sunday, showing us all inspirational fabrics. It's one of the highlights of my blogging week, reading everybodies' contributions. So I thought I'd join in.

Yesterday I received an anticipated package, so I thought it appropriate to share the contents with you.

Having recently made my Oh Deer Cushion, using up my much adored Ice Blue Honeycomb by Kei Fabric, I scoured the internet to find more. Frances from Matatabi on Etsy had a brown version (gorgeous, but not what I had in mind). Having contacted her however, she very helpfully set me up a reserved listing for some Ice that she had just got in. While I was at it I decided to buy some in Pink and Blue too.

So, please, sit back and enjoy my Sunday Stash of Honeycomb fabrics. Oh and a glance at the gorgeous tape Frances sent me as a thank you.

Deer, deer

I've been wanting to make some cushions for our bedroom for ages. We are waiting to redecorate, but until we can manage it, I want to detract from the decor we inherited (yes, Manda, we didn't do this ourselves!)


I've been gathering a pile of fantastic fabrics recently and I wanted to use some of these. Not being able to decide between several of them I thought I'd see which ones went together. I am absolutely in love with the Social Climber fabric I bought from Saints and Pinners and also have been a bit obsessed with the Oh Deer sample I had been sent through from Shannon of Aunty Cookie. Fortunately, with a bit of coordinating blue stiching around the deers, I think these 2 compliment each other well.



Another favourite on the pile was pulled in as well. My delicious Icy Blue Honeycomb from Kei fabrics just finishes it all of nicely. (Or so I think!)

I decided to run the Social Climber round the back too. Maybe this was a bit extravagant, but for me it keeps it all alive, rather than just a plain linen. I used my gorgeous new linen to make the binding for the envelope opening.


I'm really pleased with the outcome of the cushion and can't wait to do something matching with the very tired large cushions it leans up against.