a little quickie

what do you do when you should be doing something else? 

sew of course

i should be packing / shopping for our family trip here

but instead i made a very quick cover for my new camera strap! used up a few scraps & made the rest up as i went along, i would do it differently if i ever get round to making another one, but this will brighten up my camera for now, now back to the packing

another one for the little folks

undeterred by my last sewing for little O, i got straight on with it & made her something else, using the same pattern again, only making it a little smaller this time, i cut into the anna maria horner 'little folks' voile fabric i had brought from here a while ago, i had been really keen to get some of this fabric as everyone had been raving about how lovely it is, 

i admit to not being wowed immediately, but once finished i can see why everyone loves the voiles so

the finished top has such a lovely feel & drape to it & as i didn't line this one it sewed up in no time, i only had half a metre of the fabric so i made it as long as i could, so it's not quite a dress, but will look cute with a pair of leggings underneath, & should fit as a top for next summer!

& did you notice the cute little hanger? 

that was another really quick project, just to cover a small wooden hanger, 

i followed dotty angels happy hanger tutorial, just changing it slightly to make it fit my hanger, & as i couldn't decide what colour to use i made one side blue & one side pink, using some of my rowan handknit cotton yarn.

room to grow

why don't i learn, i get so caught up in a rush to finish what i'm making, that i carry on regardless, ignoring that niggle in my head which is saying 'this is going to be too big - wait till tomorrow when you can measure her properly', well ofcourse i didn't wait, as those with small children know, uninterrupted sewing time is so precious you have to take it where you get it,

i did make a vain attempt to measure a sleeping little O in her cot, but that clearly wasn't good enough. i was worrying about making it bigger than her 'far far away top' & in doing so have made a dress that at best will fit her next summer - if not the following one!

but what a pretty dress, yes i could take it apart & make it smaller, but i think i'd just rather make another one & save this for when it will fit her, 

the fabric was a bargain at £4.99 per m from c&h fabrics in Chichester (but they don't have it on their website), is was called a 'vintage cotton' & is a very fine gauze fabric, which i lined with a plain gauze,  i used this pattern again, just making the body an A line shape & making it long enough to be a dress,

working on

a dress for little O, 

& loving my new camera,

let the celebrating begin!

the birthday bunting is up & we start the family birthday season with mine, i had felt very little excitement about my birthday this year, which i had put done to turning 33, however when i woke this morning & was treated to a lie by my hubs, i just couldn't get back to sleep, so either i'm just so used to getting up before 7am, or i was a teeny tiny bit excited about today, 

& what a lovely day i've had, i've been treated to a very special  present, which i'm really looking forward to getting to know my way round, having only ever used an old SLR, this DSLR is a real treat, 

& after a spot of shopping & lunch in Chichester, we came home & had a birthday tea in the garden

mmmmmm, cream cakes & then a little knitting in the garden, 

my perfect day!

we're in!

& i love this house already, despite still being very un-packed, & still having the builders in finishing off a loft conversion, it feels like home!

looks lovely, until you see the ceiling that is!

& the landing!

just waiting on the stairs to be made in Wales! then hopefully they can get on with finishing it all off! i have however had the sewing machine unpacked & got my sewing mojo going with something simple

a little snippet for now, i'll be back to share the rest tomorrow, when we kick off our family birthday-a-thon (starting with mine!)

it also seems that in my absence i have now gained over 100 followers (just) so i think a give-away is in order, (as soon as i can get myself organised that is)

*edited to add* i should mention that i got the dotty fabric from saints & pinners, a fab online shop stocking great fabric, this was a scap pack & i still have some left over, i also brought some other bits, which i'll save to share another day!

so long

- for now! we have picked up the keys to the new house & will be up early tomorrow, when the hard work will really start, 

i am however rather miffed, as bt are going to take two whole weeks to hook us back up to the internet, so i shall be taking a rather unintentional break from the blog, which might turn out for the best as i really will have so much other stuff to get done!

*just a couple of photos of recent thrifty finds i think i had forgotten to share, a stash of sewing thread £1 & some vintage fabric only a £1*




back soon x