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!

a Glimma of a giveaway...

 Have you come across Lotta Jansdotter's latest collection Glimma yet?

You may have seen sneak previews posted around the internet recently.

It is to die for.

 Maybe I am seeing it with rose tinted spectacles, as it is no secret that Lotta is my absolute idol in the world of fabric design. As far as I am concerned everything she does turns to gold.

And I defy you to disagree.

The new collection, due to be released by Windham Fabrics in April next year is even better than the 2 previous collections we all fell in love with.

The colours in this collection are a little more subdued than both Echo and Bella and I think that is what I am liking.

As well as the collection being crammed with her trademark quirky Scandinavian designs, there are also some coordinating solids, which I think will make the collection as a whole a real hit.

 I have been lucky enough to get a couple of charm packs of Glimma and have been having a great time playing with them. I have decided that this year's Christmas hand sewing project will be using Glimma and at the weekend picked this design using Lynne's Lozenge template.

 It is a really pretty design to use and I think Glimma is shown off beautifully with it. The only trouble is the rate I am going I don't think there'll be much left to do with it over Christmas.

 Being the impatient soul that I am where beautiful fabric is concerned, before I had decided on the above EPP project I just had to have a quick play with just a little piece of Glimma. I had to double check I liked it. You know, just to be sure.

It's ok I do...

If you read the title carefully by now you will be itching to know what the word "giveaway" is doing in there...

as a thank you for all your support throughout the year following my blog and leaving your lovely comments (I do so love reading your comments) I am giving away to one lucky reader, wherever in the world you may live, one of my precious charm packs.

That's how much I must love you ;-)

All I'd like you to do is leave me a comment telling me what you would do with the charm pack should you win. Oh and please make sure I have a way of contacting you to let you know you have won.

That is all. I will pick a winner on Friday in the hope that you have half a chance of receiving the pack in time to join me in having a play over the holidays.

x

after the screens comes the printing...

 So yesterday was all about preparing the screens with the designs and today was all about the printing and sewing....

and for those that follow me all over the internet will already have had a look at these...

not to mention my happiness with how they've turned out.

 I have been carrying both these adaptations of the originals around in my head for some time and it is always quite scary seeing if what is in your head translates as you imagine. Do you know what I mean?

On this occasion they have surpassed my expectations and I feel quite in awe of how they have turned out. 

I printed the Euros first and was quite blown away with how they looked and had to sew a pouch up immediately just to check that it was as good as I'd hoped!

Then came the Giant Triangles and quite frankly I can't put into words how I feel about this!

I really hope you are as enthusiastic about them as I am. Please tell me you are and it's not just me getting carried away from the paint fumes...

and if you are you can find the start of them listed in my shop...more to be added in due course, but do give me a shout if you don't see the colour you were hoping for...

and thank you for allow me to indulge my enthusiasm for them...not very modest of me really.

 Why is it so easy to get distracted?

Or is it just me?

I have got on really well in The List stakes this week and so sub-consciously I must have told myself I could have a bit of a play today.

Not that I had anywhere near ticked everything off, you understand...and had only just ticked off all the Must Do's ...

(I cheated a little...moved some off...shhhh) 

 Anywaaaaaays...I had worked really hard this week and definitely deserved a little play with fabrics. 

I was cutting up my fabric for the Addicted to Text - UK Charm Swap (organised by the lovely Charlotte...more on that another day) really enjoying the therapeutic nature of it, when I had the random thought of making my own charm packs. Never one to let an idea pass without trying it out, I set to cut...

I think they look rather pretty...what do you reckon? 

And as I am not so superficial to know that looks aren't everything, they are pretty darn useful too...

Go check them out and if you want to make me feel less guilty about playing today when I should have been working, humour me and treat yourself to a set (particularly if you have you 10% off...)...then I'll feel like really it was useful work.

bribery time...

I would really appreciate your opinion...

I'll make it worth your while...

well you read the heading...Bribery Time.

As you know I have been working on my screen printing range for this Autumn/Winter and have developed the 2 colour-ways - Utility above and Frozen Berries below and within that Triangle Mania and Scruffy Daisy.

I have 3 big fairs coming up and so need a lot of stock and obviously I want the right stock for my customers as all the fairs will be a "see it and buy it now" kinda affair, rather than the ordering kinda scenario.

So the question is, what would you choose? If you could pick any 3 items that you are drawn to, either for yourself or thinking ahead as Christmas gifts what digs it for you? Is there a particular pattern? A certain colour? A favourite pouch? I really would greatly appreciate your thoughts on this, my little in house market research buddies.

 So what's in it for you, I hear you ask? Obviously I know you aren't that kind of person and you are happy to just help out I hear you cry, but everyone is entitled to a little reward and I insist.

So, two things. 

The first is if you leave me a comment with your thoughts I'll email you a code for 10% off your next order (so be sure to link to an email address).

Secondly I'll enter you into a draw to win a little selection of your suggestions. Ah, sneaky huh? Now you have to think about what you like, not just be random, because one of you is going to be lumbered with the said pieces.

Seriously though, I really appreciate the time you take in helping me with this.

Thank you! x

Giveaway open until Sunday evening (oh and talking of which, there's still time to enter my fab giveaway from M is for Make...go check it out if you haven't already entered.)

So that was the summer...

 Ok, I know it isn't over quite yet, but in terms of all the work I can do before September it is, which means all those things that had to get done in preparation for the silly season and haven't, actually now won't.

Which means....aaagggghhhhhh!

I was panicking before the kids broke up and apparently that was well justified as I got so little done. I would like to say I just about kept my head above water, but that would be a gross exaggeration...just about avoided drowning more like.

Despite not getting as far with Autumn/Winter prep as I would have liked, it is looking like with sheer hard work, grit and determination it will. (Do you like the air of positivity there?)

I have decided on the 2 autumn winter colour-ways I am working towards - Utility on the top right and Still Unnamed (let's call it Ice for now) on the left. Lists have been made, deadlines put onto the calendar. Crikey, I am so ahead of the game, it's frightening. (see what I'm doing with this positivity thing?)

So can I go away at the weekend and not have any sleepless nights or panics because everything is so in control? As we would say in Yorkshire...

Can I 'ecky thump!

P.S. After various suggestions Still Unnamed (thank you everyone who sent me alternative names - and still thinking that is a rather cool name - think it may have to be the name of my first fabric line...) will henceforth be known as Frozen Berries - thank you Charlottte - genius!

I've been eyeing up my Kona chart today with the aim of working on some solid based pieces.

Sometimes when you look at the chart it is easy to get distracted by all the pretty colours but it is all the neutrals that I'm interested in at the moment, perhaps with a splash of tangerine and coral.

It's seems as though I'm still in my orange phase although I am also tempted by some teals and Caribbean blue...maybe I'll incorporate both.

The tricky bit however is trying to find a UK stockist that has these shades...so if you are one please do shout out!

Friday already?? Where on earth has this week gone??!

I have no idea what happened to Monday and Tuesday, but Wednesday and Thursday I was in London at the NOTHS Meet Up, which was fab.

It is always wonderful to meet up with virtual friends and when you are listening to inspirational talks and given a free lunch, then all the better!

 I am consequently left today feeling rather pooped to put it mildly and politely!

I have just about enough energy to show you my Bella cushion created from the other half of the charm pack.

 Again, I kept it simple and let the little pieces I had shout from the rooftops.

Man, I love these fabrics!

The colours, the designs, the whole combo is just way too perfect. I've a feeling I'm going to be buying whole bolts of this range!

I finished off the cushion making an envelope backing in a bright turquoise solid.

Looking at it I could almost convince myself that the rain isn't lashing down and my heating isn't on and it really is summer time here in the UK...

 It's been a hellava week this week. One that can be basically be described as a bit of a post celebration blur.

I'll post about the amazing weekend we had at another time, when I can put into words what we all went through and when I've picked myself up off the floor from exhaustion. 

I don't remember Sam's flooring me quite so much, but I think that's a lot to do with us being out of routine this week with the extra Bank Holidays and Half Term. If we had been back to routine the next day we would have had no choice but to get on with it.

We spent most of this week sleeping late, saying farewell to visiting family and friends and generally living in the moment.

By the time Matthew went back to work yesterday we were finding it tricky to get out of our slump.

I dived into the cellar to get some printing done for some orders that were piling up and as is my normal trick started playing around with an idea that had been forming in amongst the blur.

As you know i normally print in colour on white fabric but wanted to give printing on some colours a go.

This ended up with me printing on a fair few of my solids and rather liking where it was going. The main reason behind this was the need to order more magnets and deciding that perhaps they would look better with more colour.

I've put up a couple of pics here to get a feel of the difference.

What do you reckon? Printing on solids or printing on white?

I'm rather liking how the solids look coupled with other fabrics. The design seems to stand out better, particularly with the blues, but on the other hand the postage stamp block seems to work with the print on white.

Maybe I'm too tired this week to make a decision or maybe there is a place for both.

Do you have an opinion? Would you like to see more designs on a coloured background?

Would love to know what you think. You are probably less tired than I am...unless of course you are recuperating from FQR...

It's Blogger's Quilt Festival this weekend! 

Even though I wouldn't call myself a quilter (through lack of quilts completed rather than desire) I've decided to take part.

I absolutely love making quilts but it's a time and priority issue that has so far prevented me from making more (although I do currently have 3 on the go...).

I spend a lot of time on Flickr and Pinterest mesmerised by the stunning quilts out there and am itching to abandon all my other commitments (work, children etc etc etc...) to just throw myself into quilt making.

 So here is my entry into Bloggers' Quilt Festival 2012...

If you are currently a reader of my blog you will be very familiar with it. If you have arrived via the Festival then thank you for coming and looking and I hope you like what you see!

I know there are way better, more intricate, more stunning, more professionally made quilts out there, but I am really entering in the vein of "it's the taking part that counts" and an opportunity to meet new lovely quilting peeps and see what everyone is up to. So please do leave a comment and let me know where I can see what you are up to too!

For those of you that don't know me, this quilt contains elements of all that I love about sewing and quilts. For me it's all about highlighting favourite fabrics and colours. I love hand quilting so you can see a few sashiko stitched pieces in there. As for the backing - AMH Loulouthi flannel snuggleness extraordinaire! I have to back my next quilts in this, if only to stop my 3 kids fighting over this one, with constant cries of "It's my turn to have the snuggle quilt!"

As for the strip of Nani Iro dots...that was a happy accident...I didn't quite have enough Loulouthi!

Thank you for stopping by and I really can't wait to see what you are all up to!

And if you haven't yet and you want to join in...head here...

See you at The Festival!

It's a 3 day weekend in the UK this weekend.

That's cause for celebration don't you think?

It doesn't look like we are going to be celebrating too much on the weather front, which quite honestly for my eldest off on a 2 day Duke of Edinburgh Expedition, isn't the greatest news.

In an attempt to have something to celebrate, I'm offering 3 for 2 on my screen printed fabrics until the end of the Bank Holiday on Monday.

And if that isn't cause to celebrate, quite frankly I don't know what is.

I'm under no illusions that this may not soften the blow for Sam, but hey, if we're happy, right?

Have a great weekend however you may be spending it.

I have a new love...I'm a bit fickle like that.

Actually to be fair, I've had a crush on an orange & blue combo for a while now and even have a Pinterest board dedicated to it.

 But my love affair with it has been taken to a whole new level thanks to some sample fabrics I have recently been working with.

Until this week I have loved it from afar, but now seeing the Lotta fabrics in the flesh and then teemed with some well matched Klona fabrics, I just gasp every time I see it.

It goes without saying that I had to try out my own orange/blue combo item and it also goes without saying that it's not helping dilute my new addiction with it.

Whilst I know (hope) that I'll still have eyes for my grey/mustard love, I am enjoying this gorgeous zingy summery combo and will be featuring it a great deal more in the coming weeks.

If you'd like to get your hands on a piece of zingy magic, this pouch is right here...

 So less than 24 hours from conception, so to speak, and already we have the Jewellery Pouch Mark II...

I wasn't overly happy with the ribbons and where they were placed and I wanted to be able to fold the pouch in 3 if necessary.

So now the ties, made from coordinating fabric is sewn onto the back of the pouch - you'll have to take my word for that since I haven't taken a photo of that integral detail - and the ends are free to tie big...

...or smaller.

Hopefully there won't be a Mark III, Mark IV or any other Marks and I'll be able to get on with making these guys like this.

 And in other news today, I had a very exciting delivery that I've started working on this afternoon and no doubt will get abandoned until after the weekend now, unless I can find an excuse to sneak off upstairs for a few hours over the weekend.

Hope you have a great weekend and manage some sneaking around of your own ;-)

Maybe it's because I am sad - I like to think of it as being easily pleased - but these images make me very, very happy.

I mean, we have sunshine...

we have screen printed fabric blowing in the breeze...

...all done from the comfort of my own home...

...as I said, sad, but very happy.