handmade lovelies

Just a quick post to show you some of the lovely hand crafted goodies I have bought of late!


First up is Cupcakes for Clara. I can't begin to tell you how impressed I am with Laura's customer service. I ordered myself some cute post it notes and when doing so noticed the fab paper dolls Laura has created. Thinking they would be an ideal stocking filler for 'Little Miss H', I contacted Laura to see if she could print them a bigger size as Holly's fine motor skills are quite poor, I figured a bigger doll and clothes would be easier for her to manipulate.


My wish was Laura's command and within a week we received these beauties and a little cardboard box for 'Little Miss H' to store them in. Perfect. 

The packaging Laura has devised is brilliant, I love excellent packaging don't you? 

Secondly I ordered a print from my lovely friend Kristy who is endlessly raising money for Royal Manchester Children's Hospital. They nursed one of her daughters back to health earlier this year when she suffered a life threatening bowel problem - very scary, trust me. 

The print is so retro and funky I love it! I'm going to frame it and hang it in the kitchen, when the hubs has finally finished painting it of course!! If you'd like a print of your own (it comes in 2 colourways and 2 sizes) just contact Kristy via Twitter or her blog. It'll be the best £10 you spent promise!


We also got this fab zipped pouch for a stocking filler for 'Master M' from the lovely FionaT over on Folksy. Her free motion embroidery of Ninja's and Zombies really should be admired don't you think?? Perfect for my own little Ninja warrior!!

Finally I got surprise mail yesterday when this little lot plopped through the letterbox.

Yes you got it its a package of the yet to be released latest fabric line from Aneela Hoey 'Walk In The Woods', sent to me by Aneela herself. I nearly wet myself.

whizzing through the wip's

I feel like I've achieved quite a bit this last few days! 


I've completed Ethan's baby quilt for a start. I've finished sewing up and blocking my too small for me now tank top!!!

I've made great progress on the Birdie BOM quilt that I started at the beginning of the year!! I'd only completed 2 blocks but this week I completed another 2 and my target is 2 per week as I want to gift the finished quilt to my Mother-In-Law for her Christmas present. Here are the 2 blocks I completed.

I've also made a pair of Anna Maria Horner's quick change trousers from her book Handmade Beginning's. These are a gift for a friend and I have another pair to make this week too for another friend - it's all good practice for when I start making them for my baby!!

I've also made a start on a quick quilt for our sofa, it's John's Confetti Quilt from Issue 5 of Fat Quarterly. Like John I'm using my stash of Sherbet Pips for the quilt - perfect for the wintertime!

I've also sewn up my knitted tank top and blocked it, it just needs the last few ends weaving in now which is something I hate doing!!

And finally for today 'Little Miss H' wanted a picture of her on the blog in all her dirty faced Saturday morning glory!! Look at that dried up chocolate milkshake.....really I do wash her. Sometimes!

Stripey Love

Ta Dah! It's another quilt finish - get me!!

This time it's a baby quilt for my friend's 5 month old baby boy, Ethan.

I decided to just pull from my stash and go with a riot of the blues and greens, toned down by some solids in grey, blue and green too.It's bound in a pale blue as again this helps to bring the colour palette together.

When I quilted this one I experimented by trying out some of the different stitches on my very basic machine (please Santa bring me a super duper new machine, I've been really good!). I like the very wrinkly effect it's given the quilt, it looks so inviting doesn't it? Perfect for a curious baby that's just starting to try and get on the move!

The quilt measures approx 40" x 40" and has a hand embroidered label on the back.

NB: Apologies for rubbish photo quality the light is poor round these parts and the weeks weather forecast doesn't hold much hope of it getting any better!

Super Sale Alert

Morning folks! I've got a Super Sale Alert for you all!!!





The lovely Mandy over at Simply Solids is having a sale......


11% off for 11 days starting on the 11th November.


She's got the usual fab Kona solids but she's just taken delivery of some great Moda pre-cuts including Bonnie & Camille's Ruby & Aneela Hooey's Little Apples. 


She'll also be loading onto the site this weekend the much awaited Echo. If like me you're loving this much sought after line you'll be very excited by that!!

update update

Remember a little while ago I told you about Rockfords Rock Opera??





Here's the post.


Well they've just contacted me to let me know that all parts of the opera are now available as Apps for the iPhone, iPad & iPod Touch. How cool is that??


Rockford's Rock Opera is currently No.6 in the App Book charts and is currently challenging the mega players such as Disney in the popularity stakes. Woo Hoo for British I say!


So here are the links to the Apps::


Part One is FREE and is over an hour long


Part Two is £2.99


Part Three is £2.99


Part Four is £2.99

We've already downloaded them and they are just fantastic, we all love them not just the little people!!


Rumour has it that the success of Rockfords Rock Opera has been brought to the attention of some huge names in the USA with a celebrity version thought to be in production featuring some well known names......WATCH THIS SPACE!

sewing everyday

Well for the first time in months I appear to have done some sewing everyday this week. Get me, I'm finishing off all my WIPs and sewing up a storm of handmade goodies ready for Christmas gifts! 


First up I've finished quilting this baby quilt and am just sewing the binding on. There will be a full reveal post another time after I've given it to my friend next week sometime, baby Ethan's 5 months old now so it's not that late!!!

I've also made some neckerchief dribble bibs and after many failures and ruined bibs, I've also mastered adding on popper stud fastenings!! A couple of these are off to my friend Kyleigh for her little girl to road test and some are going to friends! 

At last I've managed to make me a little purse from the Easy Peasy Purse pattern available from the lovely Lisa at U-Handbag. I've had the pattern and kit stashed for a while but really needed to have a go at making the purse as I want to make a couple more of these and fill them with goodies for 
Christmas gifts!

I've also finally finished my first ever knitting project, this fab tank top for me. Unfortunately it will have to be put away until next Autumn as I'm a little large for it just now!! I think this is why I lost interest in knitting it. My mum bless her came to the rescue and finished it off for me in just a couple of hours and I've just got to sew it together when my darning needles arrive!!

I learnt lots from knitting this tank top, especially pattern reading!! I knitted a whole section too big as I'd misread the pattern and it was only when I went into my LYS, which is where I took the beginner knitting course, that the lovely owner went through the pattern with me and I realised what I'd done wrong!!


Over the weekend I'm hoping to get a bit more knitting done on 'Little Miss H's' cardigan, the one that I blogged about the other day, as well as making a knitting needle roll for my needles and a couple of pairs of baby trousers.


What are your plans for the weekend??

Amazing crafty friend....

Let me introduce you to my amazing paper crafty friend Kyleigh! Kyleigh does the most amazing papercuts and I'm a lucky gal to own one!


Kyleigh and I were put in touch by a mutual Twitter buddy when I tweeted a help request for gift ideas for my hubby for our 1st wedding anniversary. As the gift should be paper related, a papercut was perfect! Ideas were banded about and the design was finalised, a reminder of our fab wedding in Florida.

Here are some more of Kyleigh's designs, all available via her website in her Not On The High Street Store. Alternatively contact her via the website or twitter regarding a comissioned piece.

All photo's courtesy of Kyleigh's Papercuts

As Kyleigh had seen my quilts she asked if I'd be interested in doing a swapsie, a baby quilt for her daughter in return for a papercut for my hubby! Perfect! Once again we banded ideas around about the style and most importantly the fabric, the quilt is the one I recently blogged so I'll just leave you with a quick picture of it.

Kyleigh's Quilt

Don't you just love Twitter and the way it connects people? I do!