100th post 'giveaway'

well here i am - can't quite believe i made it to 100 posts & i still want to keep going, so i'm offering up a little 'giveaway' to celebrate.

here we have a 'kitfix hobby' embroidery kit, i've tried looking into when this was made but can find very little information on it, the kit is complete (i can't tell you how many times i've been tempted to do this myself but could never bring myself to) i also have a ladybird 'learning to sew book' from the early 70's which is in new condition,i will also throw in a few extra goodies for the winner too,

this giveaway is open to all, & if you mention it on your blog you'll get an extra chance of winning as well,

we're off on a family road trip for a few days so i'll keep it open till the 1st November & be back then to announce the winner!

just playing

last night i took a break from the knitting & sewing (well just a short one) & played around at making some Christmas decorations

i think they're quite sweet

they just need their tags putting on so they can be hung up
next post will be my 100th!! so be sure to check back for my give-away

girls quilt

finished the girls quilt, i'm very happy with how this one turned out & starting to feel i'll be quite happy if little O gets to keep it, but then if it does sell i'll just have some money to fund my fabric buying habit & make her another one!
remember to check back next week for a 'stitchy' related give-away

boys quilt

another project started, cot bed quilt for a boy,
i figured i'd take two quilts to the Christmas fair, one for a boy, one for a girl, then if they don't sell, i can always give them to my little munchkins for Christmas, big G already has his eye on this one! the girls one is all finished, it's just way too dreary here today to get a good photo, but the sun should (hopefully) be shining tomorrow.

sweet bags

another project that's been keeping me busy & diverting my attention from all the things i should be getting on with for the Christmas fair,

a couple of sweet bags for two sweet girls
just hope they like them!

mummy's little helper

not only do i have the little finger to hinder my sewing
but i also have a little limpet, who won't seem to leave mummy's side for more than 5 minutes lately
i'll have her knitting/sewing/blogging in no time

oops!

my little finger had a run in with the car door & lost.

the tip has a fracture & as the lovely nurse at the minor injuries clinic had to 'release the pressure' (= repeatedly jabbing a sharp needle in my nail) it is now classed as an 'open fracture' (= strong dose of antibiotics)still, there are some good points of this mishap (= having a good excuse for not being able to do the washing up for a while) & i can still knit, just (but strangely am struggling to use a knife & fork)have started a new knit for little O, (a pattern i am making up from a mixture of other patterns)

in progress

i have been doing a little embroidery on some (soon to be) lavender pouches i'm working on,

& have really enjoyed it,
note to self : must find more time for embroidery

glorious fabric

thought i'd share some of the rather lovely fabric i've been acquiring lately

Riley Blake 'allstars'
Amy butler - 'dandelion field' in rose & Robert Kaufman Corduroy 'birds' in oliveErin McMorris - 'poppydot' in brown & 'birds' in ivoryAnna Maria Horner - 'Small gathering' in Azalea & Alexander Henry - 'canyon flutter' in pinkHeather Baily - 'rose bouquet' in peach
Heather Ross 'Far far Away' - Princess & the Pea' & some of the 'rabbits & race cars'all purchased from various places including : fabric supplies , the dizzy daizy, & the eternal maker & destined to become various goodies.

sunday sewing

well, that should really be weekend sewing, as this is how my table looked yesterday, i've gone into production line mode, having decided to go for it & have a stall at the school's Christmas fair! this weekend i have mostly been making cosmetic bags,i'm really pleased, i've made these before so knew what i was doing,
but look, the zips all went in - trouble free!
today i've got three finished but have stopped for a break.

i'm really pleased with how they're turning out, only i think i've fallen for this little guy - might have to make one in this fabric for me.

i've got lots of ideas for other goodies i'll be making, & have started to make slow progress on other things. i've been on a small fabric buying binge, & took advantage of the sunny weather yesterday to get most of it washed & dried (only now that means lots of ironing) i'll be back with some pictures once the weather cheers up a little.

i've also noticed that i'm nearing the 100 post's mark - so will get my thinking cap on for a 'give away'

shame about the weather

what a change, day two of the rain & i've had enough already! i did mange to get out briefly yesterday, to drop a big bag of things off at the charity shop, luckily on my way out i had a little look for myself and came home with these lovelies, (& if little O had been in a better mood there would have been more buttons but she just wasn't having any of it)I have been busy, in the way that i often seem to have many knitting projects on the go at once, i now seem to be over using the sewing machine. I ran up a quilt top (cot / cot bed sized) & finally got round to making a start on my wonderland quilt top. Now this one has been a long time coming, mostly because i have changed my mind so many times about what i wanted to do with it!I have also been doing quite a lot of thinking & planning. The sailing themed set i made up last week was very well received, so much so that the mum in question has been encouraging me to have a stall at the schools Christmas fair. At first i just smiled & laughed the idea off, but it did get me thinking (mind racing with lots of ideas for different sets i could make), then when little O wore her skirt to a birthday party, the mums there made lots of positive comments (such as can you make my daughter one & i'd buy one of those!).

I've not committed myself yet, but i am seriously considering it.

oh & my tickets for the country living Christmas fair arrived today - i'm trying very hard not to get too excited about it just yet.

little cutie

whilst the little people were happily amusing themselves for a short amount of time yesterday afternoon, i quickly whipped up a cute skirt for little O. Just the perfect quick project.

Seeing as she's still quite dinky, this used less than half a yard & i just put in a simple elastic waist band, and ribbon trim along the bottom. Of course, trying to get a photo of her in it, well that's not quite so easy. She's running around so much these days, & always hiding in the most pleasant of places (by the bins!)

I used some of the Erin McMorris fabric, from her park slope range, which had been in my stash for a while. worryingly i think i could get hooked on making these, I'm already planning the next one!