Rubbish photos

Another dull and overcast day. In fact I think it is now drizzling too. The lighting is appalling, so no chance of any good photos. Sorry...

This is the best I could manage with the flowers. Nothing else is fit to be shown to anyone...
Do they look ok?? Even the green ones??
I decided to go for the dahlia/daisy style as I liked the way the petals curled inwards like a real flower.



While I was looking for the folder to store the flower photo in, I came across a mug hug I'd made for a lady at work 2 or 3 years ago. It was made from really think felt, decorated with red hearts, beads and blanket stitch. Not to be used a s a mug hug in the end but as a pen pot. (I think this first photo would look really nice printed on a Valentine card.)

These little mice are Sugar's predecessors. It feels like such a long time since I made them... Look how they've multiplied -

Memories of a sunny day

Yesterday turned out to be a beautiful day with blue skies and a surprisingly warm temperature for the time of year. It made me think back a year, when I spent a very similar day with a good friend at Hengistbury Head. In fact, I think it was even a little warmer this time last year. It was November 1st and the temperature was over 20 deg C!
The beach huts at Hengistbury are amazing - they look more like miniature houses, never mind huts!! We had a lovely time wandering amongst them and along the beach, admiring the wonderful array of colours they were painted with shades of blue, turquoise, lavender, green and cream.

  

There were quite a few owners there, making the most of the sunshine and where they had the doors open, you could see how well appointed they were and they even had an attic room, with a ladder to climb up. Oh how I wish I had a beach hut to visit as often as I could, filled to overflowing with every craft I could think of! I can't think of anything better than being by the sea while I busy myself with crafting. It would be sheer heaven. But I don't have a beach hut so I shall have to content myself with daydreams of one...

Speaking of crafting, I've been busy finishing off the Sugar Mice, giving them all whiskers -

I've also made a little flock of chicken pin cushions, complete with tail feathers. I can't quite decide whether to add little wings on them or not. They look ok without them I think and I'd have to buy just the right colour felt to make the wings. And obviously, the wings should have been hand stitched in place before the bodies wre stitched together - they'll be a right fiddle to stitch on now. We'll see. I've got some fancy pins somewhere - I'll have to hunt them out and put some in each chicken.

I've also made nearly ten covered notebooks/diaries in an assortment of colours. I've not had chance to get any decent photos of them all yet. They'd look good lined up together on a bookshelf. And I thought I'd do a few simple little rectangular lavender sachets, as well as hearts. And some "sheep-shaped" lavender bags - or should that be lavender baaa-gs!! I've not photographed them properly yet. The question is, having made all these things - will they sell?... I have my fingers very firmly crossed!!

Overrun with mice!!!

The pink mice are coming along. In fact, they're breeding quite fast!!

There are another 5 that need ears and eyes and most of them still need whiskers. I tried a couple with hessian strands for the whiskers - it worked brilliantly and they didn't need to be stiffened at all. They just didn't look as good as the bright pink embroidery thread...So whiskers will be added - and stiffened - bit by bit I think.

Did I mention a while back that my mojo seemed to be missing and had been for at least a couple of years??...

Well, I think it's safe to say that not only is it back but it's back with a vengeance and I'm having trouble keeping it under control!! No sooner do I start one project, I've already thought of something else and I'm desperate to try that too!!! 

(I'm already bored with zipped purses, although I will make some more in other colours. Just not right now.)

I meant to go to a craft fair today. My local haberdashers had organised their own craft fair in a local community centre and I intended to go for the last hour or so. But I completely forgot... It turned out to be such a beautiful sunny day that I decided to go to Hilliers for a splash of colour and quite forgot the time. Along with everything else...

But as luck would have it, Hilliers were also hosting a craft fair of sorts. I don't know how long it will be on - they often last a week. There was a room full of the most fabulous textile arts and crafts. I was sort of glad I hadn't taken much cash, as I would have bought loads! I settled for a a little card with a fabric seaside scene with little sail boats and this chap -

He's much the same as the chicken doorstops and paperweights that I made but he's filled with stuffing so he can be used as a pin cushion. I like the addition of  little wings and tail feathers - I might have to make some with stuffing myself!!

I had to buy him. I just had to! Whilst making the mice I kept thinking I needed a pin cushion next to me rather than use the arm of the sofa. And now I have!

I never did manage to make it to Sheffield Park, never mind Weston Birt to see the autumn colour but Hilliers has more than it's fair share of autumn glory if you know where to look. And having been visiting there for 20+ years, I know exactly where to look! I took loads of photos and will share some later when I've been through them.  For now, I'll leave you with a picture of James. Yes, this tree really is called James.And he's very handsome indeed.

Sugar Mice

I've been thinking all week on what other things I can make and had remembered a little mouse I made nearly 3 years ago. I'm still a bit stuck on the pink theme and thought a few pink mice would be nice, a bit like sugar mice - remember them?! Then I suddenly thought, I could call her Sugar the Mouse and stitch her name on the base!

It's been a while since I did any free motion stitching but it's a bit like riding a bike really. I got carried away and wrote it quite a few times!
I did think maybe she could have a brother called Spice (Sugar & Spice?...) and had to stop myself rushing ahead and stitching that too! One thing at a time. Or if you're me, 3 or 4  at a time. At least...

My memory played a little trick and told me she'd be quick to make. She isn't. But she is very cute!!



I couldn't find the pattern I'd used before so had to draught a new one first. And you know what? When I pulled out some of my pink fabric that was tucked away safely, one piece had a mouse body cut out of one edge from 3 years ago and it was perfect enough I could have made a pattern from it. Never mind - my new version is almost the same, just a fraction larger.

I set to making a sturdy cardboard template from my paper pattern for all the little body parts - body, ears and base - and made the first couple to remind myself how to make them. Then I got stuck in and started a little production line of pink mice - they're only part made so far. The other thing my memory forgot to remind me about was that apart from one machine stitched line for the back seam of the body, they are completely hand stitched...But I can sit and do them in the evening when there's nothing on the telly, or take them to work for a little lunchtime sewing.

So I've been busy today pressing, machine stitching, turning through and stuffing the nose. Naturally I couldn't resist a few photos along the way!

What do you think? I did wonder about filling her with lavender - I haven't yet but maybe she could have a spoonful or two. And should I stiffen the whiskers?? I did that with the mice 3 years ago - I rain a touch of glue along the threads to just separate and stiffen them a little. It was a very messy job and I was picking glue off my fingers tips for the next couple of days as well. Maybe I'll wait till they're all made, so I only have to get messy once.

My sister in law popped in while I was busy with the mice and looked at the things I've made so far and bought a large zipped purse made with a "sewing print" fabric, a matching coin purse and requested a matching notebook too. So I then got side tracked from mice and made the notebook cover straight away - they're quicker than mice too! As you can see from this picture, when I get going, things get quite untidy. And you can't get to the dining table either as I just take over!! Apart from the dining table, there was also a selection of fabric, cutting tools and trimmings on chairs, worktop and floor...

Yesterday someone asked if I was going to sell things on Esty, which I had considered, so I had a look at the basics of what's involved and the costs. The costs aren't as high as I expected but would still be nearly 10% of my selling price. Another thing to take into consideration when setting your prices. And just how do you price a mouse?? She's only 4" high, doesn't take a lot of fabric but takes nearly an hour to make. Answers on a postcard...

PS Nearly forgot!

Look how many views my Stripey Blanket has had on Ravelry!
It's been going up quite quickly this week for some reason. Not sure I'm going to see the magic 9999 though...