very chirpy indeed

 after some late night sewing last night finishing off these bags i popped into my most favouritest new local design shop, chirpy this morning to drop them off along with some other pieces that lovely owner harriet had ordered.

we have been crying out for a shop like this in the area. i have been very tempted to open one up myself to satisfy the need but thank goodness someone as talented as Harriet came along and did it.

chirpy really is a gem of a shop. 

from the minute you walk up the higgledy stairs into the packed full light strewn front room, there is treasure to be seen with every turn of the eye.

it's a real homage to handmade design and a place that i feel utterly proud to be stocked in.

not only has harriet selected exquisite pieces to stock (i want everything in there) but her choice of furniture to display them in and on is everything you would want in your home from the beautiful wooden dressers to mid century-esque coat stands and peg rails.

if this shop was done by someone else (me) it could end up looking like the worst case of jumble sale mayhem but harriet is one of those very talented people with the midas touch of styling and stock selection.

and there's more...

drag yourself out of this room and walk up the stairs to another stunning light filled room that harriet has converted into a workshop space.

 along the way you will see more treasure - harriet hasn't wasted an inch of space in her beautiful shop.

upstairs, as well as a large table for the workshops, harriet has created a cosy feel with an ample display of cushions on comfy sofas.

if you live nearby you really must go visit chirpy. if you don't live that close by it is certainly worth a special trip. 

and whilst you are in the area grab some sustenance at the equally wonderful sunshine bakery...a realy gem of a place.

thank you all for your brilliant suggestions for my latest fabric design. 

i really loved them all but one really stood out...go check out here which one it was...

what's in a name?

 i have been printing up a new design today that i have been working on.

 i never really quite know how a design on paper is going to turn out when it is printed up but i am really rather pleased with it.

i am however a little bit stumped with what to call it. while i was drawing it out i had an idea in mind but it hasn't ended up looking quite like i thought it would and so that name won't work.

fancy helping me out with a name? 

i am going to give a panel - in either yellow or turquoise - to the best name. Fancy winning one? just leave your suggestion here (or on IG...i have it going on there too) and the name that wows me the most will win a panel in the colour of their choice.

so get your thinking caps on and thanks for helping!

threat of burning out...

 you may see me storming through work stuff this week at a rate equal to a hurricane. the kids break up on friday - well those that haven't yet broken up having had exams - so i can see my future work time rapidly diminishing.

all of that would be fine of course if i didn't actually have major projects on the go. this summer is going to be the biggest challenge yet. it's always a juggle, with me losing it most days, but with some tight deadlines early october 8 weeks with the kids kicking their heels, it is going to make it even more so.

so today, the start of the last proper week of work i've shot out of the blocks and been printing, sewing and ticking off the list.

i have a feeling i may burn myself out by the end of the week and need the 8 weeks to recover myself.

grabbing it where i can...

 with all the work and family commitments i have going on at the mo (don't you find it all just comes at once?) i have to squeeze in extra things when i can.

hence at 9pm last night i went down to the cellar to get some printing done...

it was an idea that i had visited before a couple of years ago and was an idea i needed to take further in mind for another project i have going on at the mo.

do you like my overly stylised black and white photography?! what with my gorgeous lisa stickley dotty plate and rustic dying in the vase garden roses the black and white app on IG it seemed to be the way to go. besides it's so damn gloomy out today that there was no natural light to use.

so that's how my days are panning out at the mo. i have a feeling tonight may not be quite as productive...

well it is friday night and wine will be involved and no doubt a little graham norton...

disaster averted...

 i went on a rare but much needed shopping spree on sunday morning.

i was desperate for a pair of summer flatties, as well as a couple of other bits n bobs, so i sprang into town on sunday morning for a swift hour.

i found the perfect flatties in both colour and in style and was so chuffed that the fact that they pinched my toes didn't deter me from buying them. They would soon stretch out...

...or not.

i have been away for a couple of days for a meeting and having worn them constantly the realisation that my perfect beautiful new shoes really are too small ;-(

but what a wonderful place the internet is.

having googled a remedy to my problem, i first tried the inserting a water filled plastic bag in the freezer trick (apparently the water turning to ice stretches the shoes) but that failed miserably with water going everywhere before the bags were even filled. 

then i found this unbelievably quick trick. if this worked it would be a miracle.

and it did! incredible! 

i was seriously sceptical, despite the long list of comments wowing over it.

if you have any fabric shoes that are a little bit pinchy go try it. seriously, a miracle.

all i need now is a little bit of a suntan to pretty up my pale feet.

belated presents and a winner...

i had been a bad bad aunt...

until i had seen amy's fantastic make from gwen's fantabulous tutorial.

my niece and nephew were turning 7 and 5. let's correct that...my niece and nephew had turned 7 and 5 and i had been a little negligent in getting presents to them on time.

then i saw amy's super cute pencil case and knew they would be perfect.

gwen's tutorial is extremely straight forward and goes together like a dream. what's more it uses scraps for all the little extra pieces.

i even had some little pink cloud 9 flannel pieces to make the eraser fluffy and even more lifelike!

not as a result of how i interpreted the pattern but as a result of how awesome the is pattern in the first place, i can hear the squeals of delight from here when Anastasia and Luka open their gifts and think i may just have been forgiven for being late.

talking of being late and hopefully being forgiven...

i am a couple of days late drawing the winner from my giveaway from last week, but hopefully the winner at least will forgive me...

and so the winner is...

number 29...

swathi from the saffroncrafts!

congratulations swathi, there'll be a bunch of goodies off to you!

a huge thank you everyone for entering. 

i really appreciate the support and the fact that you wanted some of my things...free or otherwise!

and now if i can just remember what swathi has bought from me in the past so i can send you something different...

sun sea and sand...

sun sand and sea?

it's not quite looking like that from where i am sitting today but i am really liking the sun sand and sea charm pack created by a lovely customer.

i love how you lovely peeps out there see things and add your input into my designs.

i think i'll be creating something myself with this charm pack...

you can too as i have listed a few sets in my Etsy shop...go here if you are tempted by a little sun sand and sea.

don't forget to enter my giveaway if you want a chance to get your hands on some of my screen printed fabrics. 

go here for a chance...but be quick...it closes tomorrow 

a huge thank you to those that have already entered x