I had a little bit of playing time today.

Well, that's not wholly accurate. I was asked for some more cushions this week from one of my lovely stockists and since I hadn't made up any yet with my screen printed fabrics, I wanted to have a little creative experimenting time.

It can be quite stressful 'having' to produce something, but actually there was no stress involved today.

I knew I wanted to keep the cushions quite simple, but yet when they are sitting on a shop floor things have to have a 'look at me' factor. I picked out my pile of vintage fabrics, a pile that's dwindling rather too rapidly and set to work.

I like to put things in situ for a while after I've made them - on a bed, on a shelf, somewhere I can pass by and see if they catch my attention. And I have to say, these do. I'm really pleased with them and just as soon as I replenish my vintage fabric stash , there will be more of these heading into my shop.

And the best bit of all? My work really is playing!

I'm playing along with Our Creative Spaces today. I keep meaning to play along as it's such a lovely thing to see what everyone is up to and I love WIP pics.

It doesn't normally work out that I am actually creating on a Thursday, let alone have a moment to blog that I am. But this week, as you know, I have been working on my Flickr swap pillow and today I had a little time to not only do a little more, but also have time to join in Our Creative Space.

I'm at the stage where I have finished piecing and now just deciding which colour thread to quilt with. I'm actually thinking of using all of them.

Coincidentally, Ruby has been working on her own creative space too...

Today I have mostly been playing...

I had a really productive day yesterday, but today I couldn't settle on anything, so instead I started picking fabrics for the Flickr group swap.

Now I'm going to go play some more and turn them into a pillow...

...and tomorrow I SHALL be productive and do some work.

Last year when it was Samuel's Bar Mitzvah, Matthew treated himself to a new tallit.

It is customary for a boy to get his first tallit on his Bar Mitzvah and so Matthew's was rather old now...as was his tallit bag.

Tallit bags are normally very traditional in style, made of velvet, with gild writing. It's very hard to get something more contemporary and modern. So when Matthew bought his sparkly new tallit (actually my Mum bought it for his birthday as she was taking Sam to buy his for his Bar Mitzvah) I decided to make him a sparkly new bag. Obviously this wasn't going to be velvety or gildy.

Matthew now proudly carries around his trendy tallit bag and gets lots of compliments.

Then, as is often the case, the tallit bag was in the right place at the right time and just when a friend needed a Bar Mitzvah present, they happened to see Matthew's tallit bag and commissioned me to make one.

Hence the new Personalised Tallit and Tefillin Bag Set was born.

I must say I am really pleased with these (as was the commissionee) and especially how well the Hebrew writing came out and particularly, as luck would have it, that I happened to have a silver fabric paint.

I realise this is a rather niche market gift and probably none of you, my lovely readers, have even heard of tallit or tefillin, let alone have use for them, but maybe one day when you are invited to a Bar Mitzvah, you will remember where to find the coolest gift.

Oh and if you happen to have any Jewish friends who would be interested, please do spread the word ;-)

It's amazing how much one can get done in a very short space of time.

Now that the children have gone back to school, it was full speed ahead preparation for the Saltaire Maker's Fair.

I was in the screen printing studio on Tuesday and then it's been all systems go sewing for the past couple of days.

I'm really really looking forward to the Fair, more than any other that I have been part of.

I've visited Saltaire Art's Trail before (the Maker's Fair is a central part of the trail) but never been in a position to apply let alone be accepted.

I'm certainly not quite ready yet (it's fine...there are still 48 hours to go...at least) but I've been working damn hard these last few days to make sure there will be plenty on my table to peruse.

There will be lots of new stuff, lots of old faves and hopefully lots for everyone.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Another Flickr group Swap, another mosaic...

Another Flickr group Swap, another mosaic.

I have to admit one of my favourite things about a new flickr group swap is seeing everyone's mosaics. It's the Flickr equivalent of an Etsy treasury...all those delicious pieces all together.

It's so inspirational seeing work that I wouldn't normally notice...colour combos that wouldn't ordinarily enter my radar.

Having said that, my mosaic is looking rather predictably me, don't you think??

Go check out all the other delicious mosaics right here.

I've always had a bit of a thing for crocheted pieces...

...whether it's cosy colourful quilts...

...or fun crazily impractical accessories...

...or a little detail on pretty clothing...

...and especially a present from a lovely blog friend.

I am however resisting the temptation to start yet another crafting hobby, even if it involves collecting a pile of colourful accessories...

Let's face it, I struggle to keep up with the crafts I already do.

Seeing the work of talented crocheters doesn't help with the I-so-want-a-go-at-doing-that syndrome.

Emma Lamb produces exquisite work (above and below). There's something about crochet that's different from than knitting. Maybe it's the shapes, maybe it's the stitches...whatever it is, I just love it. It oozes vintage nostalgia, even it's modern pieces.

Then there's my good friend Kylie.

She certainly achieves a modern take with her crochet work...

Her triangle cushions are stunning and her pixilated work is just awesome. Both are on my one-day-I-will-treat-myself list.

What crafting activity are you resisting trying??