Craft fairs, and recycled makes.

 I can't believe it's been nearly a month since I last wrote something on my blog. I have enjoyed reading all my favourite blogs, plus lots of new ones, and have decided to make up for lost time. So a few photos to show you what I have been up to.....
I have been to several craft fairs, one at Lowther Gardens, in Lytham...

A perfect cross stitched card for a family members special birthday made by Lynda Page of Sew Good and  I just had to taste some handmade coffee and chocolate fudge, here is some on a plate at home, but not for long! 

I went over to the Ribble Valley, and spent a lovely afternoon browsing for some thrifty bargains, where I found a maxi dress, that has been shortened, and the leftover fabric has so far been used to make a couple of scarves.

The scarf on the far right is one made from my maxi find. The others from leftover fabrics.

Much to my delight I discovered a patchwork and quilting shop www.patchesandbuttons.co.uk complete with beautiful fabrics, haberdashery, and many other goodies.... 

(I will be going to Clitheroe again soon, and will base  a future blog post about the thrifty shops, art gallery etc. as it's such an interesting place to visit)

I also went for a browse around the Crafty Vintage fair at St. Mary's Centre, www.craftyvintage.com

where I indulged in some delicious homemade brownies.

I recently visited a Crafty Vintage fair at Brockholes, one of  The Wildlife Trust Centres. www.brockholes.org

A great place to visit,  with regular organised activities all year round. (See link for more details), plus the added bonus of refreshments on a floating island, with wonderful views! 

There was plenty of entertainment on the day of the fair, lots of stalls to look at, I bought a pretty little heart box...

.and a few fabric squares based on a nautical theme, that have since been made up as part of  kindle covers. There is a great tutorial for these over at http://frizzylizzie.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/patchwork-kindle-cover-tutorial.html

I have been sewing some more items for craft fairs, including new and recycled fabrics... A couple of handy lined tote bags made from thrifty blouses.

Tissue holders, and bookmarks.... 

Some phone cases, some of which have been made up from other fabrics bought  at the fair, I especially like the bus fabric.

For a change I have been doing some hand embroidery from little snippets featured in my copies of Mollie Makes magazines.

I will be doing some more of these as they are quite addictive!

Spring has been so long in coming, so here are signs from our garden...

I have been making childrens' reversible aprons, using some very wild and gorgeous fabric from Abakhanwww.abakhan.co.uk Some of the aprons have calico on one side with a large flower sewn on for decoration.

I rather like these, so will be making some in larger sizes.

I have been to a quilt exhibition, and as well as admiring the quilts, I couldn't help but purchase some fabrics, all of which will be revealed in the next blog post, that hopefully will be within the next week. I have no excuse as I am enjoying this week on holiday at home!

Enjoy the Spring weather, if it's Spring where you are.  I am now off to find some red embroidery thread for a special request for label on a quilt I have just sold on my etsy shop  as a wedding present .https://www.etsy.com/listing/101048098/patchwork-quilt-squares-in-squares-bed?ref=shop_home_active
I will make a cup of coffee tonight, and settle down to read and admire some of the makes on http://handmadeharbour.blogspot.co.uk/ So put your feet up and enjoy...

Love Wendy x

Thrifty vintage recycled one of a kind makes

Hope you are all managing to keep warm if it is cold where you are. We have had a couple of inches of snow,

but have been very lucky compared to some areas,  especially Scotland.

I was given a lovely gift of a birdfeeder, complete with  nut holder, seed holder,  container for  other foods, and  a couple of trays, the birds are very happy, except when Mr Squirrel comes along. We placed it so it's in view from the kitchen window, and I find myself standing there with cup of coffee in hand watching their antics. A robin likes to stand on one of the trays to peck at the fat balls, and the blackbirds forage for bits of seed on the ground. Meanwhilethe birds take it in turn to feed, whilst others are on guard  on the branches of nearby trees, and Maddy our dog rushes out every so often to see whats left on the ground!

I planted some pretty violas in front of the shed, just before this cold snap.

The first signs of Spring and I can't help wanting to plant something!

Here is a hyacinth in bloom, on the kitchen window ledge, (birdfeeders in background)

On the fabric side of things....

I went for a wander round the charity shops last week, and my eyes quickly spotted some lovely red roses, and with the wave of my magic wand ( well sewing machine), they were turned into this...

A pretty retro style tote bag for Spring and Summer, with grass green lining.

I also found a rather splendid teatowel, a holiday memory from Devon, plus a blue floral cotton skirt, that combined with bits of this and that, eg ribbon and rik rak  now have an alternative life style as aprons ...

..

One with a red frill, 

and the other with ribbon

Finally I also added a little what not in a hoop to remind me of what I should be doing! Which is why I hope you will take a look at lots of fine makes over at  Handmade Monday http://handmadeharbour.blogspot.co.uk/

Hope you keep warm, and thankyou for all your comments. It's good to know my little blog is being read.

Wendy x 

Leibster Award

This week I was very happy to be nominated by http://busybusybeejay.blogspot.co.uk/ for a Leibster blog award. I was given a list of questions to answer, so here goes...

Favourite room in the house?...Probably the conservatory, as I do a lot of my sewing in there, then the shed.

Are you a lark or an owl?...I love to get up early, but due to the day job I tend to stay up late as well!
Do you like cooking?...I do like to cook, but it's finding the time. I have been vegetarian for many years, so am quite interested in any new veggie dishes, and always on the lookout for new places to eat.

Favourite film?...I have always enjoyed Last of The Mohicans, and Sleepless in Seattle, and love to visit the cinema regularly.

Do you like shopping?....All depends on what kind of shopping.  If it's the thrifty kind, eg possible fabric finds,  I could cheerfully mooch around all day.  

Travel plans for 2013?...It has to be Cornwall,  a place I could live quite easily. Especially the south- west coast.

Dinner partner? ....Barbara Hepworth

Can you speak any languages other than English?....Not fluently I'm afraid, but passable French, with odd bits of Spanish, and Greek.

Which month is your birthday?....September

Do you have a favourite perfume?...I am rather partial to Vivienne Westwoods' Angleterre, and Naughty Alice, and also like Addict by Dior.

Are you tidy or untidy?....Bit of both really. Though I like to get things straight again when my sewing has finished.


Here are 11 random facts about me.

I have lived a while in California

I am an only child

I have a dog called Maddy

I prefer wearing silver to gold

I like to read in bed before I go to sleep

I love train journeys

I have a Celtic ring tattoo on my back

I love vintage and craft fairs

I like to paint on holiday

I love being near water

I enjoy the transatlantic music sessions on BBC four

Here are the eleven questions to the people I nominate

What is your favourite craft?
Who is your inspiration?
What is your favourite colour?
What is your favourite magazine?
Do you have any pets?
What is your favourite song?
Where in the world have you ever wished to live?
Savoury or sweet?
Are you an indoor or outdoor kind of person?
Best find you have ever made?
Who would you be in a previous life?

It is difficult, but here are my eleven nominees.

Ali Bee Creations
Catkinjane
Fiddly Fingers
Free Spirit Designs
Hettie Brown
Ginx Craft
Pickle-Lily
Grace Paretree
Quilting Along The Grain
Tania Sneesby
Handbags By Helen

To the blogs I have nominated please try to nominate 11 more blogs yourselves. These are for blogs that have fewer than 200 followers. Hope you can take part.
Cheers!
Wendy x

 

Vintage quilt finds

This week I posted a quilt to Australia,

and have cut out all and started piecing a quilt that is a combination of new and vintage fabrics.

This quilt will be machine pieced, then hand quilted.  I will be following the triangle shapes to outline quilt, and then quilt around the  rose shapes.

I decided to go up to Lancaster, and  do some thrifty browsing, I was so excited to find this...

This patchwork is made up of vintage fabrics, the size of a single bed, just pieced, so I think I shall make it up into a quilt ,  adding  a border or two.

My other find was this.... 

Very worn, but I love it. I went to a quilting exhibition in York last year, at The Quilters Guild Headquarters featuring quilts sent over by The Red Cross during World War 11, and I thought it looked similar. I have found a label on the back of NBWI , and very faded print of New Brunswick Womens' Institute. The name Buckley is also stamped on, so I shall be trying to learn about its' history. It would be so interesting to find out any details.

Some of the patches have what looks like cats, or dogs, I'm not sure. 

These letters and numbers were also stamped on. Hopefully I will be able to shed some light on its' past!

So a wonderful start to the week...and since it's Monday, I will be going over to take a look at  the makes over at http://handmadeharbour.blogspot.co.uk/   Handmade Monday.

Take time out each day for a little or a lot of creativity!

Wendy x  

A little bit of thriftiness

I have been sewing on this and that the past few weeks, and trying to get a bit of freshening up done. I love to spruce things up, but I enjoy even more going through my stash of materials and changing cushions, cloths and throws to say hello to Spring. Sort of reminds me of little mole in Wind In The Willows, by Kenneth Grahame one of my favourite books as a child, still is now come to think of it!

A couple of cushions for the sofa, the main fabric bought from  a local fabric store www.abakhan.co.uk  was originally made up as a table cloth, then transformed into these covers with the help of fabric I already had. 

I then put to good use some shirts that were no longer being worn into a tablecloth, leaving on buttons and pockets as decorative features.

On a country ramble signs of  Spring on the way,

Here are some images of a quilt first shown being pieced together in an earlier post that I have just finished, which will be on its' way to Australia shortly. This was sold through hastings-crystal.co.uk

These pieces of fabric below are  a mixture of pinks, blues and peaches with added darker tones which will be made up into a square shape, machine pieced and handquilted. Not sure about the borders yet. 

Great excitement as I have been lucky enough to secure a  place on a seminar in July by Kaffe Fassett, http://kaffefassett.com/Home.html organised by the people at Toft thetoftalpacashop.co.uk/Article_Pages_AboutToft.aspx 

Quilts and wool what a glorious combination!

I have been reading posts on http://handmadeharbour.blogspot.co.uk/ so many busy creative people! So please take a look at all the activities going on.

Wendy x 

P.S.

A big thank you to all my followers, and visitors to my blog, and of course I love to read  your comments.  

Heartfelt sewing

Today I was given a gift that is both beautiful and useful. It came in its' very own box.

The box has a tiny clasp...

Inside there is a  lining of silk on one half, and velvet on the other, in a very rich cerise colour.

There was the gift of a silver thimble, in a pretty daisy design.

There is the tiniest of pin holes in the top.  So far I think it was made in Halifax by a Charles Horner, and sold by Constantine and  Floyd based in Birmingham and Chester. The design was for Princess May, and the pattern was simply named Daisy. This means such a lot to me for our family history.

I would love to know who were the previous owner/owners of this thimble, and what things they may have made and sewn. The thimble fits perfectly, and I shall treasure it, use it, love it, then pass it on.

A lovely card by www.belleandboo.com 

was gratefully received. I love the style and colours!

Here are some pictures of a quilt I made that will be up for sale shortly. Showing hand quilted hearts just for today.

and some hand quilted daisies to keep with todays' theme.

Hope your week is going well, I shall try and catch up with some of my favourite writers, and makers.

Wendy x