Hello! I'm still here!

It's been a bit of a stressful week but can happily say now that it all seems to be going more smoothly now so feeling more hunky dory, especially when such loveliness as this drops onto my doormat!

Beautiful handbag in shades of blue with a coral pattern on it

Close up of fantastic button closure with a swirl on it

I was rather misty eyed when I opened this package yesterday, it was so thoughtful of my sewing buddy Trish to make and send me this!  I'm also rather jealous that her stitching is so professional and her stitching so straight, I need to get more practice in!  I will hopefully get some more pictures today somewhere nice with me sporting my lovely new handbag!  Trish has been bursting to tell everyone about the handbags so she was glad it didn't take too long to arrive! 

Managed to get out and about yesterday and found a few lovelies at a charity shop:

Five 50's style patterns for 40p each!

Really like this pattern and think it might be the first one I make, intrigued by the scribbles on the front

I'm thinking the yellow one in the top right hand corner would be a lovely jacket to wear

I just love the big upper class laughing smiles that these models are wearing, think I'll feel rather smug in either of these dresses!

I think I was drawn to the colour on this pattern packet which is really stupid considering I need to make it not like the colour!

Really like the collar details on this pattern, which seems to be a theme in some of these patterns

What really surprised me about all these patterns is that they're in my size!  Yay!  The other surprise that wasn't so wonderful is that they're all fabric hungry patterns.  Boo Hiss.

And for pure kitsch value and because I can't resist something this ugly as it's so cute

Mr Ugly.  Look at his chops, who could resist a face like that?? ;)

Cute little tail and behind!

Not sure if he's worth anything as sure I've seen him somewhere before so will need to do some research, but his mournful mug cheered me up no end yesterday!

Washing Line Finds

I meant to do a little post yesterday, but somehow it didn't happen.  I got up early in the sunshine and posted off my envelope in the secret Santa type exchange of haberdashery/notions as part of the World Travelling Lace and Notions exchange with the Sew Weekly Sewing Circle.  Then I went to the florist and bought these beauties and had lovely comments in every shop on the way home then at how pretty they were:

Anemones and what remind me of peonies but aren't and can't remember the name of them sorry

I'm particularly drawn to that anemone in the front with the dark centre and the pint and lighter pink petals

I put them in a jug that has held fake versions of these flowers for about a year now, it's just so good to have the real thing for a change!

Other than that it was spent trawling the internet looking at fabric as am soooooo excited to start my next Great Exchange as the first one has gone so well!  Yes, my package finally arrived at it's destination and bag and bunny were liked by both mom and little one!  Check it out here.  Hurray!  Was beginning to think I'd need to whip up another of each and send them off pronto!

It was a day of bunny giving as I went to visit my friend and her husband and one year old daughter and gave a bunny to the little one as a present.  She was rather taken with it and crawled around and tried to stand up and show it off to us all! 

So onto today and since it's sunny and I was thinking of new and interesting ways of showing off my new fabric purchases I thought, well, why can't I peg them on the line?  So I did and here's the result:

Washing line of fabric finds, please ignore the mess in the background

Slightly disappointed in that the sun had moved more away from the garden by the time I'd really thought of the idea and got all the bits ready and that I have a tiny terrace garden not a whole green field...but there you go!  Onto the finds!

Cath Kidtson cowboy fabric remnant

Close up of fabric pattern, just love those wagons!

I've never bought any Cath Kidtson before, but had always had a soft spot for this pattern and when I saw the remnant I couldn't resist.  I'm not sure what I'm going to use it for, whether it will be some bags or a top/dress for one of my nieces as it's such soft cotton.  Not sure whether any of my nieces will like it though...So I may just need to be the big kid!

Next on the line is this:

Gold organza with sparkly thread

This is a minuscule amount of organza but it was 25p and I'm thinking I could make a fancy flower from it with some beads.  It's doubled over in this shot to try and show the colour but the sparkle doesn't show very well.

Onto the next pegged items:

On the left is the lime green taffeta lining and in the foreground is the Amy Butler fabric which wasn't a remnant

The lime green taffeta lining I saw the last time I rummaged in this remnant bin and it had been haunting me ever since as I'd decided at the time I didn't need/want it, but since making plans for a Great Exchange with Sarah from Narcoleptic in a cupboard I knew I would need some lining for the skirt I'll be making her, so as soon as I saw it was still there I snatched it up!  I then caved completely and bought myself a metre of this lovely print from Amy Butler that I'm thinking will be a nice little A line skirt that I can wear with my yellow Lotus cami and the orange one if I ever get round to finishing it!  I also suspect there'll be enough scraps left to make a purse with it too.

Here's a close up to show off the pattern better:

slightly squiffy photo of the Amy Butler pattern fabric, it's the wind not my drinking a cider in the sunshine!

So what have you been doing on this sunny weekend?

The Great Exchange

So I was having a bad day today and feeling really glum but then I went to the post office to collect my parcel from my sewing buddy and it all turned to sunshine and rainbows and lovely fluffy things!  Ok, maybe I'm being a little over the top but this so made my day I can't tell you!  I nearly cried.

Here's the magnificent parcel contents:

beautiful white drawstring bag with green ties, pattern of butterflies and leaves in shades of green

One yard each of this fabulous green fabric with shades of green leaves and the other fabric is brown with gold polka dots

Cute giraffe card and a post card showing Trish's favourite beach (from when I asked where everyone's favourite place was)

Pretty pretty pretty shell that made it all the way here thanks to the crossing of fingers!

Two fabric book marks, now I don't have to use scraps of paper for my books and how cute are they!

I want to say a huge THANK YOU to my wonderful sewing buddy as this was a beautiful and most cheering package I could have received!  I'll stop gushing now....  can't wait to see what she thinks of what I sent!  I've already decided that the brown polka dot fabric will be a skirt and the green leafy fabric will be a top!  Eeeee!  Hope I make her proud!

Me Made March Day 27

Today I've finished the bag for my sewing buddy as part of our Great Exchange as I'm calling it!  I'm so excited, we're both posting them off tomorrow so we'll both be checking our post in excitement each and every day from tomorrow onwards I think!  I've also started a Great Exchange with Sarah from Narcoleptic in a cupboard but the details are to be finalised so really excited about that too!  I've also definitely decided that I'm going on the UK meet up with the Sew Weekly gang to London to the V&A and so will try my hand at making the Horrock's dress pattern once I've printed it off and worked out how to draft up the pattern size.  I've also taken the floral dress that went a bit wrong apart by removing the skirt from the body so I can sort out those pleats.  Phew!

So, as you can imagine not much else done!  Here's my comfy outfit for the day:

Me made top, shop bought jeans and favourite red patent shoes with classy red and pink stripy socks!

I'm looking so pleased as my Dad got me a really cool gift, it's a spirit level and ruler in one with a sort of handle thing so I can cut fabric with my rotary cutter without a) slicing off a finger and b) keep a straight edge as it's metal unlike my plastic school ruler I was using!  Yay!

So, anything fun happening?  Any projects you're itching to get started on?

Me Made March Day 21

The photo today was taken a bit quick before the light went as was late getting in.  It's the Burda skirt I made with the pockets, the pattern for which I think I'll use for the grey cord I bought on the weekend.  I like this skirt but wondering whether the extra bit of plain off white cotton is wrong or too long or whether I should go with my initial thinking which was to embroider some flowers on it...urgh I so indecisive sometimes!

Me wearing me made Burda skirt in green and brown and blue with off white band at the bottom, shop bought light blue top and grey DMs as usual!

I do honestly own lots of pairs of shoes, but I hate having cold feet and am feeling a bit 'meh' towards wearing heels so flat boots are my go to thing.  I did actually wear some pretty shoes on the weekend to a party, but forgot to take a picture as it wasn't a me made outfit.

Really need to get stuck into some sewing as need to finish my bag for my lovely sewing buddy as she's emailed me to say she's almost finished mine!  Eeep!  Also want to get on with that top I drafted over the weekend and cut out.  Feel like I'm running to catch up, but in a good way as want to reach the end!

Sewing buddy!

I have the most wonderful sewing buddy through the sewing buddy system set up on Whipstitch, there's still time I think if you want to join!  She's got a blog over at Sew Obsessed where she sews outfits for her very cute little girl for every day and some amazing costumes for high days and holidays.  I'm trying to persuade her to sew herself some clothes for a change and challenge!

We're finding that the very technical matching system that Whipstitch uses to match people is creepily accurate and get on like a house on fire.  Sadly she lives a little bit too far far away to pop to the shops with and burn large holes in are purses as she lives in sunny California and me in not so sunny South Wales...ho hum.  She's a lovely person and love her to bits as she makes me smile and gees me up when needed, which I guess was the whole point of this project.  Like she says in her post, you all keep us going by reading and commenting and sharing but this is a bit more personal and exactly what both of us needed at the moment as we seem to be inspiring each other.

She's got an amazing project going on at the moment where she's making a doll for her daughter and stitching clothes made from the remnants of the clothes she makes for her daughter for the doll.  I think it's such a good idea as her daughter will have a permanent document of all the lovely things her mum made her for years to come, long after she's worn holes in the kness/ elbows, or stained irretrievably a beloved garment.

So, my news is: we're doing a swap!  We're both making bags for each other, I'm making a bias tape like bag like this one and this one for her and have got the fabric and a few ideas to make it extra special!  Because we're keeping it as a surprise for each other I won't post photos until after it's been received as don't want to spoil the surprise.  I'm really really excited as love making things for people and know she's been having a tough time lately and would like to make her smile.

So if you've got a sewing buddy I hope you're keeping in touch and having as much fun as we are!