Thursday 11 October 2012

Witchy goings on.

 So i have been missing on my blog, because i got a little down about creating for sale, (and it not selling) and i really couldn't write my blog with out it getting a little to dark and a little too deep. So i went on a little break from crafting, sorted through my thoughts, and doubts, and well here i am again back to my chatty self.

I do love Halloween, i think it comes from my childhood of watching "The Addams family" and "The Munsters" oh and don't forget the Goth years in my teens, were i stayed in most Friday evenings watching re-runs of Hammer horror and old 50's horror B movies. (geek)

To me Lily and Herman has to be the perfect Halloween costume. Look how happy they look in Dreaded bliss. I'm not sure my hubby would go for this, but one year i will get these out fits, just to wear while going shopping down Tescos, after all there has been a right load of nutters in my local Tesco's lately, so why not join them?

This month my Girls Halloween Tote bag was featured in the Folksy Spooky Halloween gift guide.
I was so happy when i saw my bag while i browsing the spooky goodies. There are lots of lovely things in the guide, and i was really excited to see my little bag next to every one else's lovely makes.
http://folksy.com/themes/halloween


 I have a few Witchy makes in my folksy shop. Mainly because I love Halloween fabric more than any other fabric i buy and use.  It is either really bright, or quite dark, or the perfect combination of both, and it always has a fun element to it too. 


 This afternoon i received  some more Halloween fabric, i ordered from Fabric Inspirations. I did want to make an adult sized Tote bag with it originally, but since the bag i made last year  hasn't sold yet, i'm a bit nervous about making another tote bag and it not selling again. But i know it would be perfect as a bag. So i better get my thinking cap on, cushions, bags, or maybe a pinny? Who bloody knows because i don't know yet lol.

So I will try and not stay away from my blog for too long again, i am thinking of a give away. But not sure what yet, i was going to give away one of my Pink girly cushions, but not sure if that will limit who will join in. But i suppose we all have Nieces, daughters, friends children, or even our selves who would love a Pretty Pink cushion. thinking cap for the give away too.

Hope every one has an amazing October,
Love and spookiness

Donna x x







Thursday 13 September 2012

A bundle of Bags.


 I am finally getting around to taking photos of all the bags i made for the Craft Fair last month, here are 3 of them, there are still about 8 more to take photos of which i will get round too next week some time. 
 



I absolutely love this Bird trail fabric from Clarke and Clarke, which i bought from my local Dunelm Mill. I love going there when I'm in the need for a quick fabric fix. I love ordering from on line, but the wait kills me, 1-5 days seems like 1-5 months. So to be able to go into a shop and buy fabric and come away with the fabric loveliness that day is so exciting. (yes my name is Donna and I'm addicted to Fabric) the buttons are from a lovely little fabric shop in Totnes, sadly i can't remember the name, I'm really so bad with remembering the names of places.


 This Paris fabric was bought on Fabric rehab last year i think, it had been in fabric cupboard for over 6 months for sure. I bought it when it was only £2 a fat Quarter in the sale section on there, there are a few in there now which i have my eye on too, but my next fabric purchase has to be Xmas fabrics. So no more sale fabrics at the moment.
 I use to love buying fabric by the fat quarter, but while getting ready for the fair i realised this is very bad business. You really don't get many girls bags from a fat quarter one in fact, and it can only make one cushion front. So from now on i will only be buying fabrics in whole meters. Fat quarters will only be for personal use from now on.

I have a plan for next month, i am going to take the plunge and go to 2 shops and see if they will take my cushions and bunting. Could i ask for some advice please, should i just go in and chat casually? Or should i make an appointment? Thank you for any help.

I love September, it smells divine, September and October are my Fave months of the year.
the best thing about this time of year is seeing all the Halloween decorations in the shops, i had a good look around Folksy and made a Hand made Halloween Pin board over on Pinterest. I will be adding to the spookiness I'm sure.

Love and September sun shine

Donna x x


Sunday 2 September 2012

Back to blogging.

While lots of kids and parents are getting ready for the beginning of school term, i decided that my unplanned half term break from my blog and the internet should be over too, and today seems like a great day to start back at blogging.

In August i had 3 sets of family visitors and that was why my blog has been none existent. It's lovely living by the Sea, it means i get to see my family enjoy themselves while on holiday, but it also means that I don't get much p.c time at all, and i had to have a forced break from Folksy, blogging and the Internet in general. I was just to exhausted to make it over to the p.c.

So to update on the first craft fair. Sadly I didn't make a profit, in fact i only just covered my table cost, but lots and lots of business cards were taken, and getting your name out there is important when you trying to start from scratch.
I really enjoyed every moment of it, I met some lovely people, the fellow stall holders who i chatted away with all day were lovely. I had some great feed back from people, and learnt so much from the whole experience, like what to bring next time.
While making things for the fair, some thing just clicked about time and effort, and how to use the fabric as economically as possible, it seems making 2-3 items is just as easy as making 1 item. (While crafting for yourself as a hobby this is some thing you don't really think about. While trying to craft for profit really makes you think about all this.)
As you can see from my terrified face, i was a bit nervous lol. It is one thing selling online, but seeing customers face to face is another thing. I only had one rude person all day, and well it took all my strength not to call her out and tell her two choice words, one of those being off! 
But most people were lovely. Both my lovebot pin cushions sold, they went to good homes, but i do miss them, so i will have to go about making another one, maybe a girl lovebot this time.
I would love to do more fairs, but i am going to leave them until next year. I have lots of things i want to get finished this year for myself as well as for family and friends. So i am going to enjoy the rest of the year just plodding along at a relaxed pace, making when i feel like it, and then i plan on going all out next year for global fabric domination.

In between the visitors, and the fair i also had an order for 100 metres of bunting for a wedding. I qouted a price and then quickly realised OMG i have really under charged for the job, but i now know i won't be making that mistake again, so i took it as a learning curve. 
It was suppose to be made using  Hessian, but let me tell you working with Hessian is a nightmare, you take the time to measure and pin it, you then pick it up to take to the machine and half the flags fall off, it smells funny, and it frays so so badly, it gets every where. So i decided to make it using Linen instead and then attached Hessian heart to the flags. I wish i had taken a better photo, but i realised i hadn't taken one while in the car on the way to deliver it. It was so lovely and the photo really doesn't show how lovely it was.   


I also just treated myself to 11 metres of Laura Ashley fabric, i am going to make some new living room curtains and some matching cushions too. It's called "Lori" and comes in this lovely blue and also in red, i can't seem to find a better picture of it than this online. But i will post photos of the finished curtains and cushions when I'm done. I got the blue colour, and it was a seconds so it was only £6 a metre, so a bargain to boot as well.

You would not even believe that i sewed at all if you could see how dodgy my living room curtains look, but to be fair i did sew them 5 years ago, and my work was slightly a little worse back then. So i can't wait to get stuck into making them, but i will have to wait since i have 3 other things that need finishing first. I can see this fabric being here a long time at this rate.

I hope you have all had lovely summer, it seems like it has gone by so quickly, it will soon be time for hot cocoa, and snuggles under blankets with hot water bottles, but lets hope that the Indian summer they always talk about really does happen this year.

Love and Lori

Donna x


Monday 6 August 2012

All the fun of the fair.

So i am getting ready to do my first craft stall, and i am finding it all a bit daunting. I have been so nervous  that I wouldn't have enough items. So today i got every thing out of my box of goodies and i laid it all out. As you can see i probably shouldn't be worrying since there is quite a lot of things there. Yet i still feel i should try and make more.
I do wish i could show my items from a lovely chest of drawers, i think it would be the perfect way to show my items the way i really want too. But i know i will have a table, and I'm not sure how nice i will be able to make it look on the day. I have a few ideas which involve a washing line and pegs, so i'm off out tomorrow to see if i can find some old fashioned pegs, like the ones you would use to make Peg Dolls with.
 The beach hut Cushion front is actually for my friend Anna, it has been hand embroidered around her fav beach hut on the fabric, and well it still needs finishing, and  i will get that finished next week for certain, she has been waiting ages for her cushions and has been so patient. Sorry Anna. ;)
 I have tried to use all of the fabrics that i have already bought in the past, and keep my costs for this fair to a minimum. I do how ever need to buy some cushion inserts, and i bought some fabric on Sunday which i hope to make into in some pinny's since it's the one thing missing from the stall, but I'm not sure if i will get them made on time, I'm hoping to get the time fitted in some where after work. If not i am thinking of using the fabric as a table cloth.

I do love how it has all came together, and i am hoping people can see how much i love to do this. I have said in the past that i have an obsession with fabrics, and i think these photos kind of prove that out right lol.

 I would love for it to be a huge success, but i do understand it all counts on the day. So if any one would like to send me some good luck for Saturday and Sunday, since i am still unsure about what day i will be doing yet. I would be really grateful :)

Also i have a few Halloween items left over from last year, and i was wondering if it is to early in the year to display them, waht do you think? Any advice on this would be really helpful.   <3 

Love and Sunshine

Donna,  x

Saturday 28 July 2012

A peek in the cupboard.

Remember when i started this new blog and i said i would post a photo of my inspiration door each month, and well i kind of didn't stick to it. So yesterday I finally got around to remembering to take a photo to share.
Well P!nk's looking very hot this month, well it is July after all. Flo is running bare foot in the garden, and the purple card is the reverse of my birthday card from my son Mikey, with my business card attached to it.

  I'm not sure what this cupboard says about me, a little mad maybe ? The Boofle mug box is full of little figures, which i get out when kids come to stay, they all seem to love them. That googly eyed Brass owl (insane looking thing i know) was My nanna Lee's, it makes me giggle every time i see it. Mainly because I often sit there wondering who the hell bought it her? Seriously, A brass owl with googly eyes, was that ever a good idea for a present, so my thoughts are that a child must of bought it her. Which in that case how cute is it. :)
You can see My Paige peeking out behind the back of the cupboard, who is now 13 years old and would probably give me a dead leg for sharing that pic of her (so no one tell her)
My little jar of stamps, I'm working on getting this collection up  at the moment i only have 5.
A new box of Crayola Crayons, not sure there is any other crayon as good. Is it weird i smell them?
 
 This is the were all my craft magazines are kept. The lovely little card on the bottom shelf was from my Friend Beth who is a wonderful artist. After taking the photo i decided my inspiration quotes needed to be rewritten neater, and on a nicer card too. The Quotes say " Dreams are the Seeds of Realities" And " No one is ever defeated until defeat has been accepted as a reality" The vase was a bad buy, so it stays in the cupboard most of the time with my knitting needles in it.

 


Now i will fess up, i was going to take the photo last night of the other side of the cupboard, but it was such a mess i decided to clean it up first lol, and then today i took a picture. The first 2 folders are full of plastic pouches with scrap fabrics inside them. The blue ones is full of patterns from magazines. Yes that is a Ninja Turtle :)


Here are some of my fabrics waiting to be used. I have some fabrics that i bought i few years ago, (not pictured) which were bad choices really, the quality is just a bit crap, but last night while cleaning it all out, i decided i am going to use it up and make some draw string bags. Which i will then use to put all my ready to be made up pre cut items.
The 2 frames were from charity shops, which i love to pick up when i see them because frames can be such an expense, these will be painted white, or pink, but i do need to buy some mounts. Wilkinsons usually have a good range of mounts and they are good qaulity for the price.
So there you go, the peek around my Sewing cupboard is over, i hope your all having a wonderful weekend.
I promise to try and take another photo in August my door, and share again.

Love and chocolate orange Viscounts.

Donna x

Monday 23 July 2012

A little excited.


So i have decided to go and  book a stall at a Pop up market. I am so nervous, and i have lots of questions going around my head, "say if i don't sell any thing at all" how awful would that be, "have i got enough stuff"(not sure how much i should have.) I really haven't helped myself since the market is in 18 days, and i have visitors coming for a week on Sunday, so that's one week of no sewing.

So i calmed myself down and stopped  myself from going around in circles looking at what fabrics i have, what ones should i use, and i also stopped that self doubt from making me back out, and just sat down at my machine and started sewing last week. I decided i was going to concentrate mostly on children's items, since i seem to sell them the most. Here is the start of some it, i have made 3 more bags and have 3 projects pinned, ironed and ready to sew.


I'm kind of hoping i don't sell any thing on Folksy at the moment until after it because i need the stock. also i know i would only buy more fabrics and then i would end up in a whirl again.

I have how ever ordered this lovely fabric from Fabric Rehab, which i hope arrives on Wednesday/Thursday, so i can get some cushions made up. I got the last 3 fat quarters, and i am so excited to get my brown parcel in the post. I think i will make a cushion, and some small bags with the left over pieces.

 I will hand embroider around some of the details and add some buttons for the bags.

So if my blog goes quite for a week or 2 you will know i am tied to my machine, and busy with visitors. I may pop on and just post picture updates :) Which will seem really odd to chatterbox like me ;)

I hope you are all enjoying this wonderful sunshine.
Love and ice cream

Donna x

Friday 13 July 2012

Friday, Yeah!

When my Dad came to visit a few weeks ago, i decided i would send him home with this Embroidery for my Auntie. I thought she would of love it. It was my Folksy themed Challenge for St Patricks day.
 I didn't think of giving it to my Mum for some odd reason, because when i make some thing i always have some body in mind, so if it doesn't sell i will give it to them.
 So then my Mum phones the other day and says she loves it. I tell her to keep it, and not to worry about giving it to the Auntie, but she said she couldn't do that.
  So She then asks me "could you make me some, I would like to give them as gifts." I say "Yeah, sure mum how many would you like?" (in my head thinking, she may want 2, 3 max.) She then goes through a list of relatives, and stops at 6, plus 1 for her. 7 in total!
 The thing is, they are all for lovely family  members so i can't even begin to think about charging her. But i will be asking her to buy the hoops.
At the end of the conversation she said "no need to rush them i don't need them until next March" which is good news for me, because i can do one a month and get them finished in time.
So as much as i love this Irish hoop, i can imagine that after stitching another 7 it will probably drive me friggin crazy.

So this is my Yeah for this Friday.
Look what arrived today :) My very own business cards, and stickers. I only ordered them on Tuesday from Vistaprint, and they arrived this afternoon. I can't wait to give my first one out. I may go wandering the streets, looking for people to pounce on so i can give them a card.

My hubby said they sound a little Manc, now I'm not sure why, but I'm just going with they show my personality. I think it was the "come visit my blog too" that he is referring too, but i wanted to keep these ones casual. I still bloomin well love them, even if they do sound Manc, because these are one of my baby steps to were i want to be.

Speaking of baby steps, i also made a Facebook page yesterday, and could do with some followers if you fancy clicking away. Please bare with me as i set it all up, as it looks a little sparse at the moment.

facebook. Maisy Lee Designs

Hope your all having a lovely Friday the 13th, which i have never believed to be unlucky, and have always embraced it to be lucky for me. I'm such a rebel like that ;)

Love and Luck
Donna x


Wednesday 11 July 2012

Waffle Wednesdays.

I decided i would just waffle on about every thing and any thing today. So here it goes.

Well it seems in the middle of July i have the flu. I am so cold i am sat here with tights on under my pyjamas, feet in big fluffy slippers and 2 jumpers on. I have been fighting the it all week, because there was things i needed to get done, but today it has firmly put me on the sofa all day. I did pop to the post office this morning to post a sale i had yesterday, and i must of looked like a right weirdo in my winter coat and scarf, but i am frozen to the bone.

But when i got home this was my to do list.
The Carrot cake was from Waitrose, and it was beyond yummy, i sadly ate 3 small pieces, and i seem to think another big slice may be eaten after i finish typing my blog. :) but it really is so scrumdiddlyumptious, and it has such a home made taste, that i didn't even feel guilty that i didn't bake it myself.

The plate was from Primark, and they were my best buy from there ever. The little plates came in a cute little set of 4, and even the little box they came in was super cute and best of all they were only 2 bloomin pounds. When i got them about 5 years ago, i bought 2 sets so i would have them for ages, i am now on my last 4, and feel the need to put them away just for cake eating.  
 
Carry on Screaming, is one of my favourite films, the one liners are just so funny, and Odd bod is one of my fav's in the film, and when Jim Dale turns into a Jekyll type monster I always laugh, it just cracks me up.

The tangled ball of threads, on top of my last piece of Laura Ashley Linen i have left, is an embroidery picture i'm working on at the moment, using Florence and the Machines "spectrum" as inspiration,  i can't wait to finish it, it's going to be so colourful. I love Flo's music it just seems to make me feel at ease with myself. I have no idea why, but it does. (nerd alert? you may be right)

And that gorgeous mug is from Laura Ashley.

This is the state of my desk, obviously being ill, i have no energy to tidy this up all at once, so i have been moving things from off it all day. I finally moved the bag off the desk, and the cushion is now in my storage box waiting to be bought, the brolly may still be there, and i moved the box to the recycle bin. Sadly there is now 3 cushion covers, and the top of a baby quilt on top of it. So it looks even worse than this photo, oops.

I made this picture this week, and I'm not sure if I'm happy with it. I think it may be a bit too busy, and the back i am still struggling with getting as neat as i want it to be. But then i do like how quirky it looks, and the charms on it are so lovely.

 
 OK off to eat cake, have a cocoa, and take paracetamol. I Hope your all having a wonderful Week.

Love and Stitches,
                           Donna Marie x x

Sunday 8 July 2012

Struggles with confidence.

I know we all have those times when our confidence wanes. If your a woman it's usually 3 days before your period starts and you seriously want to cry because your bloated, you feel fat, you have such a bitch mood and your scared if any one says "hello wrong" because you may kick ass. But your trying to remain calm and breathe deep, while the world around you has no idea whats going through your head, because if they did they would think your a wee bit nutty.

Well I had such a wobble of confidence this week just around that day, I thought right that's it never again, I'm not sewing to sell any more. I know, no one will ever buy any thing from me ever again, (i know a bit dramatic) I'm also not feeling too good, like I'm coming down with some thing but I'm not sure what, and chocolate is the only food i can seem to eat with out feeling ill. It all got a bit too much and i had such a crisis of confidence.
I would never stop sewing, because it's my passion, but sewing to try and make a profit is bloody hard going. As hard as you try not to take it too personally when things are stagnant, some how you just do. Aunt Flo should here now be changed to "Aunt WTF are you doing here, get lost B'*@#"

But after that wobble you will be glad to know I'm back to my chipper little self ;) i won the battle with the bitch. Yeah, go me. I decided no more, i cannot keep on keeping myself down, in an area i would love to do well in.
So i will be ordering my business cards tomorrow, they are only from Vistaprint. But i have rearranged them to death, and i think they look lovely i am a little excited to get them in the post. I'm ordering 500 for now.

I also bought a new camera today which was only £50, i know i would love a super duper does all the works camera but it's on my list of "one day i will get one"  and until then i just got a little Olympus camera from the Argos which you will never guess what? "It's half price" ;)
I feel like these 2 little steps are moving me forward, i know it's not global domination, and i know it's not like i own my own airline, but for me i am moving on, i am taking 2 little steps down my journey. I'm hoping this path gets exciting. Wish me luck.


 Donna x

Thursday 21 June 2012

Natters Away.

Versitle Blogger.

The lovely Natalie over on Free spirit Designs http://freespiritdesigns1.blogspot.co.uk/ nominated  my blog for a Versatile blog award. I was rather surprised to say the least. I love my little blog, it's where i natter away about my nerdy fabric passion, and it is very much my crafty out let. So when ever some one else says they like it, I'm always a little shocked lol.
 Here are the rules,

The Rules

1. Add the award to your blog.

2. Thank the blogger(s) who gave it to you.

3. Mention 7 random things about yourself.
4. List the rules.
5. Award to 15 bloggers.
6. Inform each of those 15 by leaving a comment on their blog.

 It is weird trying to come up with 7 random things about yourself, i managed after days of thinking to come up with nothing. So i am sat here typing, and i am going to type the first 7 things that come to mind. So here it goes.

1. I hate Tea, i have no idea why people love it so much. Some times the smell makes me queasy, and as a Northerner people think your strange if you don't drink tea.
2. When i was little i swallowed 4, 5 pence's, 3 came out right away and well we had to wait a while for the fourth to make the long journey out. (i'm not why i shared that, but hey i said i would type what ever came to mind)
3. I am trying to give up swearing, i have no idea when my language became so blue. So at the moment "flippin Nora" is my favourite saying.
4. I have lost 3 Stone in weight over 12 months. I'm very proud of myself for doing this, now to keep it off.
5. I live near the sea, but i really don't like to eat Sea food, this is some thing else people find odd when you tell them. Maybe it's a rule if you live near the Sea you must love Sea food.
6. I use far to many smileys in emails, text messages and on my blog, i just can't help adding at least one smiley to what ever i write :) See that just made me happy typing it :)
7. I never hold a grudge, i do not see the point of it. Your the only one getting hurt by holding on. It took me until i was 35 to be able to do this lol, but i got there and it is very liberating indeed.

Here are my nominated  blogger, all very lovely crafty ladies. 

Kosmic Dreams
I dream of the sea
Jays monkey
Dab and dash 
Uniquely yours
ello-design
nofkantscurios
made-to-make
bellinacreations
audreyscat
elliestreasures
josaradesign
lynwoodcrafts
freespiritdesigns  (i know you have already been nominated but i do love you blog)
dottiedesigns

Hope you are all having a lovely week, despite the rain.

Donna x 


Monday 28 May 2012

One of those words.




You know those words that never look right once they are written down, you know you have spelled it right, but it just looks so Wrong, you check and you check again just to make sure it is that way! Well I Think for me i have to put Jemima on my list. You have no idea how many times i looked this word up, i swear it still doesn't look like it is spelled right. Or is that just me?

It's been a weird week, one of those weeks when your just so busy but you don't really get anything done. I kind of feel like i was all over the place, and I just couldn't get my head around any thing.
I was glad how ever that i got my head around this cushion finally and sent it off to my sister.
I am very much in the middle of getting lots of projects finished. I have at least 8 different projects on the go. But i just keep starting new things. I decided to sort it all out over the weekend and put every thing into nice neat piles all sorted and ready for a quick 1-2 hours on the machine to get them finished up. So this week i am setting a dead line of getting at least 2-3 projects finished. Which will be
1) The other camper van cushion i started.
2) Some girly bunting i started.
3)And a tote bag.

That's the plan any way ;) but my Dad is due any minute for a weeks Holiday by the Sea and i'm not sure if i will be able to get  any sewing on the machine in.

I hope you all get to enjoy the sunshine and have a wonderful week where ever you are in the world.

Love and sunshine Donna x

Tuesday 22 May 2012

Maisy a Mistake?



When i first decided to change my name from Aunty Dotty to Maisy lee Designs, i had an idea that this bag would be my first listing. But i never got around too finishing it until yesterday. I had already went ahead and Personalised the bag and embroidered Maisy on the inside pocket. I now realise this may of been a mistake, first of all i don't even know a Maisy, secondly it limits my market some what, do you know a Maisy, or would you buy it any way since Maisy is my brand name ;) ? So i may have to unpick the pocket, and leave it plain like the inside of the other bag pictured below. One bag will go on Folksy and one will go on Etsy.


                                            

 This is my Red, White and Blue bunting, which is made up using some lovely  tea cup and tea pot fabric and some rose fabrics, all typically British of course and perfect for the upcoming Jubilee.
I love the polka dot binding but it is a little More expensive than i normally would pay for binding it was £1.20 a metre while the plain red one i usually use is between 40-60 p a metre, but i do Love how it looks, and i will treat myself to some more of it when i make some sales, because it is just so pretty. 
 I hope your getting to the enjoy the glorious sun shine we're having at the moment in th U.k. Maybe have A slice of cake and a cuppa, or maybe a Martini and lemonade out side to celebrate, you never know if the sun will stay or go :)

Love and tea cups
Donna x x

Thursday 17 May 2012

This and that Thursday.

Today i thought i would share a photo of one of my craft drawers. At the moment it is full of pre cut triangles and lovely new bias binding to be used for bunting. There is Sid the snail pin cushion, and lots of lovely fabrics to be used to make some childrens bags, and some for my nieces quilt.

This was the give away prize packaged and wrapped up and ready to go. Which i sent off yesterday to the lovely winner http://freespiritdesigns1.blogspot.co.uk/ .



The lovely fairy cake stamp printed on the tissue paper was from "skull and crossbuns over on Folksy, i just love her stamps.
I am going to wrap all my pin cushions like this, excluding the heart peg.
 Plus i am also recycling my birthday cards and have found a lovely way to add them to the packaging, but i forgot to take a photo of that before i sent it off.
This is my new pin cushion, i love this. My nick name was Hippy for a very long time, due to me wearing long flowery skirts, and my love of Dr Martin boots in my 20's, and the name followed me for years.

My little niece arrived 2 days ago, she weighed 8lbs 7 oz, and she is totally beautiful, perfect and such a cutie pie. I will have to ask her mummy if i can post a picture of her on my next blog.

I Hope your all having a wonderful week where ever you are in the world.

Love and peace

Donna x

Sunday 13 May 2012

Sunday share.

So this evening i did the drawer for the winner of my give away. I took all the names out of the cup cake of love, pictured here among all this mess, In the middle window you can see the cup cake in the centre keeping the names safe. (I am trying to get on top of the desk mess again, but i am loosing the battle of the fabric clutter. ooops)

                                       

All the names were brought out of the cup cake, and put in to this drawer string bag. I shook all the names around in the bag for about 3 Min's, then i put my hand in and pulled out a name with out looking. (There was one name missing when i took this photo, so i also added the name Sarah Hughes to the bag)

This was the name that i pulled out, Free spirit, was the winner, and as i put her name on top of the quilt i am now making for my New niece Sienna, who will be one week late tomorrow, i thought how fitting of a winner, and how perfect does that little name fit in with my quilt. So i decided to name the quilt Free spirit too. :)


 This is the beginning of Sienna's quilt, which by the way i know should of probably now of finished by now. Since my sister has been pregnant for nine months, so why on earth do i start the quilt when the baby is nearly a week late i will never know. But i have been stuck on what to do, and how to begin making it. Then it all came to me tonight, so i put most of it together and took a photo. I'm glad i waited until now to start making it because it isn't the quilt i was going to make for her at the beginning of my sisters pregnancy, and i love the direction the quilt will be going.
Oh those are my knees in the bottom corners, covered in my favourite Jims jams.

                                     
I'm excited to see how, it will turn out, but i am even more excited to see my new little Niece, hopefully she will be here this week, so we can all get to see how she looks.

Thank you for all your lovely comments on the give away post, and for following the ole blog too.
I will have a another give away in 2 months, so please keep an eye out and join in again.

Hope you all had a super weekend!

Love and Peace
Donna x x x

Tuesday 8 May 2012

Just some bits and bobs.

I am just going to have a waffle on today about sewing and fabric :) well it's 2 of the things i do best, waffling and sewing.
                                      
                                   
                           

I love Tanya Wheelan fabrics. I would have to say she is one of my favourite fabric designers, besides Micheal Miller. Her fabrics really are so pretty, and colourful.
This bunting features 2 of her fabrics, I think they are from the Delilah range. The other fabric i found in a charity shop, i have no idea who makes it, but it went perfectly with the Tanya wheelan fabrics i already had. I love how summery the combinations of, red, pink and the pale green on the fabric looks.


 I also love this balloon print fabric, (which was from the Sale section on "Fabric rehab") up to now i have only made 1 of these bags. But i want to make another 3 before i list them. Most of the things i make are one of a kind, and i never usually make another one unless some body sees some thing they like and then ask for one the same or similar. But i think this fabric would be great as party bags so i am going to make some more and list them as multi buy on Folksy or Etsy, which i have never done before. 

This is going to be a cushion front, my sister asked me to make her a cushion for her boss as a leaving present. I only charged her for the materials, but she gave me enough money to be able to make 2 or 3 with the materials i bought, so one will be hers, and i will try and sell the others, and then hopefully make some money for my time.

                                            This is what it will look like when completed.
 This was the one i made for my sister, which she keeps in her car so every one can see it lol. Got to love my Sister she really is my best promoter.

I'm hoping to get the cushions finished by the weekend. I am having a lots of new ideas at the moment and can't wait to get sewing them.

Hope you all have a lovely week!
Love and choc chips
Donna x

Sunday 6 May 2012

Snail Free.



Have you heard about the fantastic Snail trail by cupcakes for clara, which is being blogged and Tweeted about by lots of crafters and mums.
If you go to  http://cupcakesforclara.typepad.com/   you will find out all the information on how to get lots of lovely free snail goodies to down load, for rainy day projects for the kids, and the six week hols will soon be upon us and it would be good to get a head start on those rainy day projects to keep them occupied.
I have always loved Laura Clemson's work, i use to follow her blog years ago, but when the old P.c broke, i lost a list of all my favourite blogs and sadly hers too. So  I was so excited recently when i found her again on Twitter. https://twitter.com/#!/cupcakes4clara

All you have to do is find a little guy like this some where on my blog, and click to receive your free Laura Clemson goodies.  

This is my little snaily contribution, i have no idea why i made a snail pin cushion, but i do have a obsession with pin cushions, i was going to embroider "Snail away" but in the end decided to go with "snail free".
 So here is Sid the green Snail, sailing upon the sea.


 I kind of rushed Sid a little, since I'm in the middle of making 2 cushions for my sister, and I'm not sure if he looks very snail like at all. But i do think he is kind of cute snailing up on the water. ;)

  I think the best thing about the snail trail is all the other crafters i found, as well as the Snaily goodies of course. There is one freebie i found that i think i will embroider for my Nieces bedroom, it was the first colouring in page, i think it would look lovely embroidered. (well thats if i ever get around to it, because i have a baby quilt to start next week even though my sisters baby is due TOMORROW argh!!) 

I kind of feel like Sid at this moment in time. I recently Started work after 14 years of ill health, at Laura Ashley, and if you use to follow my old blog you know how much i love that shop. So to me this little pin cushion is very apt.
 I feel like i am leaving my old shell behind me, and i am now sailing out for new adventures myself,  just like Sid.

Totally not snail related, but Oh deary me Today i turn 38,where did the past 8 years go? It only seems like a few years ago i turned 30, scary how time flies, hopefully it will go a little slower over the next 2 years so i can enjoy my 30's for as long as possible. ;)

Edited to add this lovely Sanil Trail fabric i found on Fabric rehab. How cute!
http://fabricrehab.co.uk/fabrics/snail-trail/
Love and little shells
Donna x