BM time...take 3...

 So it's that time again...the time where when i had wished for more than 3 children i am damn glad there aren't more.

it's bar mitzvah time...again! well actually it's bat mitzvah this time as it's ruby's turn, but full on entertaining our nearest and dearest for an entire weekend.

having done it twice before i haven't quite got the oomph to get going on the organising for a third time.

thankfully ruby being a girl means that this time she has loads of ideas and input of her own. 

that in itself can be double edged...having someone else to consult and negotiate with is just yet another hurdle to jump. still, she's very keen to be on board and it is definitely another pair of hands.

unfortunately my heart isn't quite in this one tho, partly for bad reasons (not having dad with us is playing on my mind) but partly for good (humungous work deadline 2 days after...and one that hopefully by then i will be able to spill the beans about...finally!)

putting all the colour schemes, party prop ideas, food consultations, invitations made, written and hand delivered to one side there is the big issue of dress shopping...

5 people, 3 outfits a piece, 4 for ruby "because it is my bat mitzvah"...as if we didn't know.

(ignore gonky pic...where's a decent photographer when you need on?)

in order to cut down on the wear and tear on my shoes searching for my attire i decided to make one of my dresses and after seeing made by rae's ruby dress it seemed both perfect and rather apt.

when i set out i wasn't sure what fabric it would work for me in but i grabbed what fabric i had in my stash that was big enough to give it a try. i wasn't going to waste precious special fabric if it wasn't going to be right.

after a few changes to the original pattern - the original one has gathers which i felt were a bit baby doll for me so i adapted these to box pleats - i decided that this was indeed a great dress for what i needed it for. next time i do need to use more fabric across the front so the pleat doesn't pull across my ample bazoomerage (yeh right - magnifying glass springs to mind).

the question then was which fabric was i going to make it in. originally i had in mind this nani iro but having received a sample, whilst i love it and will possibly use another time, it wasn't quite right for this event.

looking again i have decided on this beautiful voile below. 

i am actually really excited about having this and bullied kate into sending it pronto (if i could have persuaded her to drive up to leeds from brighton to bring it today believe me i would have). 

because i wasn't sure which one would work best with the voile i have ordered 3 of the brussels washers. i am hoping one will jump out at me when i see them in the flesh. does one of them jump out at you?

so end of october sees bat mitzvah weekend along with **** deadline so if you don't hear from me before i resurface again in november, you now know why!

:: one clever lady ::

 do you know charlotte?

you know, that clever lady (she knows about science she does)...

the hilariously funny lady...

oh and let's not miss out the uber talented lady. 

a while ago charlotte wrote this fab tutorial for a teabag wallet, the perfect little gift for well, the tea lover obvs.

i had parked this idea in my brain for when the perfect gift was a teabag wallet.

that moment has arisen and clever charlotte's tutorial came in very handy.

it's a fantastic little tutorial...

really really speedy that uses almost scraps on your pile (in fact you could use scraps and make a patchwork version) but produces a gift that is just perfect...if the recipient like tea that is.

fortunately this recipient does like tea...and pink...so i am excited to be able to hand deliver the perfect gift.

clever me for thinking up such a perfect gift...not to mention clever, funny, talented charlotte for designing it in the first place. 

the big finish...nearly...

 we moved up to leeds and to this house almost 9 years ago to the day.

when we arrived the entire house looked like this...

painted in ghastly colours throughout and stencilled to within an inch of it's life.

finally and so not before time the last room to be obliterated of its tired decor was being tackled this week. 

for the last 3 1/2 years when we did the lounge at the front i have walked into the house swooning at my orla wallpaper only to be slammed in the face by peaking into the next room. yeugghhh!

but it has happened. 

it has all gone! 

i am now the proud owner of a stencil-less house!

it all started with matthew and his dad pulling up the b & b style carpet awaiting the floors to be sanded, followed by the arrival of magician john transforming the room entirely with a lick of paint...white paint...lots of it...oh and some grey.

(i'm thinking i need to pinch john's ladder - makes a nice addition don't you think? being yellow n all.)

so last night it was all done bar the one wall of wallpaper.

john made me wait a night. i can't quite believe he did that. and he really should know me better.

but i have been brave and patient awaiting for this morning to arrive and john to turn up and get his pasting brush out...

come on john, my patience is wearing thin now...

:: molly's quilt ::

 i love quilt commissions. 

i love them because it gives me an excuse to make a quilt.

i love that people pay me to play with fabric.

it doesn't get much better than that does it?!

i also love quilt commissions because i love that other people come up with colour combos that i wouldn't necessarily be drawn to.

last week i had a quilt commission to make a quilt for molly's 1st birthday. 

all of molly's female relatives had clubbed together to buy her what will become an heirloom. how gorgeous an idea is that? not a plastic unnecessary toy in sight just a beautiful long lasting piece that i particularly am very proud to be part of.

even though i was working in a colourway that i wouldn't ordinarily do, i had a surprisingly good collection of fabrics in and only needed to top up a few which i found in the beautifully stocked Tikki.

i had only made my giant hexie quilt in my trademark teal grey and mustard before so it was a lovely refreshing change to make it up in something different.

i look forward to being paid to play some more.

(ps sorry about the blurry (atmospheric?) photographs...molly's aunt came to whisk the quilt away before i could take some decent shots...but you get the idea)

Guest Blogpost: Julie Ryan...

something a little bit special today...a guest blogpost!

please let me introduce the lovely Julie Ryan. Julie very kindly road tested my new Allotment Tote Bag Kit pattern. she has long since been a wonderfully supportive virtual friend and when she enthused about my new allotment design and suggested what i had been contemplating with it, a tote, i knew she was the girl for this job. it transpires that Julie was also an editor/proof reader in a former life so perfect for the job all round!

thank you so much for your enthusiasm Julie and road testing my latest pattern, and if like Julie you would like your own allotment tote bag you can purchase it here.

:::::::::

I’ve been a big fan of Karen’s screenprinted fabrics for a long time now, especially her geometric prints, so when she posted photos of her new Allotment print, I let out a squeal of delight. Teeny-tiny geometric bits, all in it together, patchwork-style?! My fabric-loving heart swooned!

I am also, it seems, going through a strange phase of tote-bag-obsession -- I suddenly want one for every possible occasion and see tote potential in every bit of fabric I see. (I’m not sure what’s up with that; I never even used to like totes at all.)

To have a lovely, made-by-me tote in Karen’s perfect Allotment print?! And in red, no less! (Another thing I never liked and now suddenly seem to want everywhere.) Eeep! I chose a sweet, girly lining to contrast Allotment and then a precious scrap of Cloud 9 Monsterz print for the inside pocket. I can’t tell you how happy this fabric combination made me - it came together like they were always meant to be!

The tote sews up like there's nothin’ to it - a perfect little instant-gratification project and I loved every bit of it. Now I get to carry my adorable bag around and make everyone jealous!

I'm everywheres: 

julie@button-button.co.uk

http://button-button.co.uk

http://twitter.com/gotthebutton

http://www.etsy.com/shop/littledorritandco

http://www.ravelry.com/stores/button-button

http://andstitches.blogspot.co.uk/

a little exposure...

 so i managed to sneak another holiday in this week...a mini break to France with some girlie friends to catch some last of the summer rays.

it was blissful, relaxing, stomach splittingly hilarious, as it can only be with the girls.

i was already in a good mood when i got home late last night, so when i quickly logged on when i got home having, had no internet for 4 days, i was greeted with 2 wonderful blog features that made my mood even greater.

first up was seeing the fantastic makes that the oh so lovely nicky had made with my new allotment fabric. nicky had not only bought up some of my new fabric pronto, but she had also sewn up this incredibly cute little cross blocks almost before it hand landed on her doorstep.

i adore these nicky.

if this wasn't enough to come home to, and it really was, the next blog mention blew me away.

i have long since been a huge fan of lotta jansdotter's as you know and to have the queen highlight one of my quilts on her blog was beyond awesome. thank you lotta...you've made my year!

since i am so pumped by holidays and all this exciting exposure there is no excuse for me to not be inspired and get up and move it today.

back home and refreshed...let's see what the day brings!

chirpy workshops...

 you may or may not remember that recently the most lovely design-led gift shop, chirpy, in chapel a in leeds became one of my nearest and dearest stockists.

well not only is it now one of my lovely stockists but it is now one of my workshop venues.

i am very excited to be teaching a zipper pouch workshop and a screen printing, the embroidery hoop way, in november.

harriet, the delightful owner of chirpy has put together a fab mix of workshops throughout october and november, the perfect time to sign up and make some handmade presents this christmas.

you can find out about all the workshops harriet has arranged here and read more about mine and the others (note tho that my zipper pouch workshop is £25 not £35...bargain!)

i personally am very tempted by Mr Yen's paper cutting workshop...love his work.