Crafting 21/365...

...slowly developing little houses embroidery...

I have to admit I've completely lost track of where I am with crafting 365 now! I've still got a few days to put up a few things to photograph...but I've also lost ALOT of days!!

Crafting 7/365...

...little houses embroidery....

...again, and I've been rubbish and missed 2 days or 3?!! Not a great start but I will get better I promise. x

Crafting 6/365

...little houses embroidery...

I imagine this will probably appear quite a few times before it is complete! But it's a perfect craft to pick up a put down as and when the little one decides he needs me!

A quilt for my niece (part 2)

So here are some pictures of that quilt I need to magically finish by Friday (I'm pretty sure, if not certain, that that is not going to happen now!).


I do like the fabrics and the log cabin design I went for but am wondering if it isn't just a little bit too girly!

Delicious Fabrics...

OK so I am fully aware of the fact that I am struggling to find to time in amongst looking after Milo to do pretty much anything at all, let alone anything crafty, but that didn't stop me recently acquiring these lovely fabrics...

I just can't stop looking at this delicious jelly roll from moda and hoping that soon I will be able to transform it in to a beautiful quilt for Milo. OK so there may be a little pink in there but I'm sure Milo won't mind.

and this lovely piece of fabric depicting lovely scenes from what I imagine to be children's stories. Again another quilt for Milo I think, I plan to cut out the pictures and then piece them together again with some different coloured edgings, but not sure just yet as really don't want to waste those lovely strips of measuring tape. I'm sure I'll have plenty of time to think about it mind, as I doubt either quilt will be made for a very long time. I'm still working on the one I started for my niece's birthday which is less than a week away now! Hmmm maybe it can be a christmas gift instead!

xx

Lilley Stitches...

Sorry I have been such an absent blogger of late, I do intend to be better, promise.

I've just popped in to let you know, I have finally set up my new shop!

xxx

A quilt for my niece...

A couple of years ago now I made a little quilt for my youngest nieces 1st birthday, she's far too big for it now, but apparently uses it for her dolls (one of whom she's recently renamed Milo in honor of her new baby cousin!), anyway, it's my eldest niece's 7th birthday coming up so thought I'd make her a quilt for that occasion.
I'm not entirely sure that little girls really appreciate quilts as gifts but I know she proudly shows off any handmade gifts I have given her in the past. Also being the mother of a newborn allows me little spare time so perhaps it is a little ambitious a project right now, but it's what I decided I wanted to do!! I bought myself a rotary blade and a quilters ruler yesterday as I am so so rubbish at cutting in a straight line, I've picked out the fabric and I've even cut it into strips (I'm going to do log cabin stylie I thinks)...now I just need to set up my sewing machine and find time in between nappy changes and feeding to actually do some sewing!
The kari-me sling I purchased weeks and weeks ago, finally arrived today...so at least I now have hands! Milo loves it...he's currently laying fast asleep inside it, he's the most contented he's been in days!

I know I said I wasn't going to go all baby like on this blog but I can't help but share a the first picture I've managed to get of him smiling!

A mobile for Milo...

Milo has really begun to focus on objects the last week or so...he's so inquisitive, his favourite place to stare is most definitely any one of our many book cases. However, although he will happily lay there chatting away to himself, I was concerned that he had nothing particularly interesting to stare at (except of course the ceiling) when he's lying in his moses basket.

We never really got particularly prepared for his arrival in the sense of creating a nursery for him and never purchased a mobile, so there was only one thing for it, to make one of course.

It is incredibly simple, but then is was quite hastily made in snatched moments here and there! It was also very difficult to photograph, unfortunately you can see our terribly messy house in the background, but I did just have a baby (which is of course my excuse for everything at the moment!). Having said that he is in fact 6 weeks old today! It's gone so quickly and yet feels like forever! He sits on my lap as I type, looking up at me with bright eyes and smiles...bliss!

Little Blue Houses by the Sea

Just a quick hello today to share with you my latest embroidery hoop...

Little Blue Houses by the Sea

I sketched out the idea whilst waiting for Johnny at the dentists and stitched it up yesterday.

I spent most of my teenage years by the sea, and since all of my grown-up life has been lived so far away from it I miss it terribly.

Happy Friday!!! The weekend is here!!!

Getting Ready...

Here are some shots of my preparations for my new shop...

And some more shots of my finished Little Multi-Coloured Houses embroidery hoop....

I've backed the hoop with some little houses fabric I've had forever in fear of using it because I love it so much!!

That's all for today...I must return to washing all the many many baby things I have been given...not quite sure how many sheets a baby needs...but I'm pretty sure I now most certainly have enough!! I've also been awake most of the night, the baby has taken to head butting me in the ribs, which wakes me up in quite a panic, so hopefully I'll be able to get a little more sleep before attempting any crafting today!

xx

Lilley Stitches....

Hello...
I just wanted to quickly share with you some stitching I did for the banner and avatar for my new shop.

I'm off into the lovely sunshine to make my way to the hospital for my last scan....that means the last time I see the baby until he is really here in the flesh!!

xx

A New Rug...

I'm a very very very happy girl indeed as yesterday my lovely man bought for me this lovely rug...
It came from Habitat and I had lusted over it for quite some time, well since I was promised a new rug for our lounge at christmas time. I couldn't decide on it for a while because it was little on the expensive side, but after too many evenings of lying on the cold floorboards in an attempt to get comfortable we finally decided to get it. Johnny even had to carry it the whole way home for me!

Here is a picture of it in situ, although the light in our lounge really is terrible...

And to prove that I didn't spend all day admiring my new rug here are some pictures of the little embroidery sampler you can see down there...

I've just been playing around with different types of stitches, as all I ever seem to do it the regular old back stitch, and as I have a whole book full of different types I thought I'd give it a go.

Happy Weekend xxx

Stitching Little Houses...

As I've been trying to spend more time relaxing as advised...I've mostly been stitching up these little houses.

They seem kind of festive to me, I don't know why I think they remind me of the houses I painted on a mug a few years ago...

I'm really enjoying embroidery at the moment, I love it because you can sit in front to of the telly and relax whilst you're doing it and unlike crochet or knitting you don't have to keep so much of a track of numbers and stitches and rows etc...  It's perfect for me right now.  This little lovelies will be backed and framed in embroidery hoops and will go on sale in my shop.

Some more pictures for you... 

I hope everyone has been enjoying lovely sleepy Sundays like myself.

xx

New Fabric

When I returned from work yesterday....to the news that we still had no heating or hot water (it's been over a week now!!)....there was also this lovely little package waiting for me. Which made the bad news seem OK very briefly!

They came from reprodepot and arrived very swiftly indeed.

Now I just have to decide what to make. I always grow far to attached to fabric, not wanting to make anything out of it as though it is more precious to me in it's original state! Or case it all goes wrong I suppose!

Buttons and Bags

Now available for sale in my shop are the cupcake and toadstall buttons....

AND....

some very lovely shopping bags.

Shop Reopen!!!

Horay Horah!!!

I have reopened my etsy shop! Come take a look if you like.

There will be many many new items to be added including bags and lots of new buttons.

Little Gifts For Little Girls

I should have blogged about these little creations days ago, but it's been so sunny here that I've been taking advantage of it before it inevitably passes!

I've been making presents for my nieces, and I've really loved every minute, there is something ultimately rewarding about making something for someone you love.

With the beautiful fabric a purchased a few weeks ago i made a quilt for the littlest one.

I'm really getting quite addicted to quilt making now, and I think I'm getting better all the time!

I've also become quite fond of this little doll pattern that One Red Robin, very kindly, posted on her blog. It's so simple and yet so very very charming. I've already made two and I intend to make more!

As you can see I'm also making them their own little quilt to share. I'm hand quilting this one, so when it's finished I'll show you how that went!

I've also been playing with a needle felting kit I bought recently, however Graeme's taken the camera away to a gig with him so no photo's to show just yet I'm afraid.

I'll leave you with some sunshine photos, Happy Easter Weekend.

And What a Creative Couple We Are!

Just a quick blog today as I have a day of baking and sewing planned, however I have to do all the boring cleaning and tidying chores first (yuck).
I'm afraid that once again I haven't been at my most productive this week, mostly due to spending to much time out and about Oxford, with friends. I did however make some lovely little ninjas for the U.K. Etsy Challenge. I don't have any pictures yet and I'm saving the launch until tomorrow morning anyhow!

It was mine and the lovely Graeme's 4 years of being together and 2 years of being engaged (I know, I know, that's like forever but we absolutely cannot agree on wedding plans!) celebrations of Thursday.

We had a lovely dinner out and then went to see a friends band. It was a very lovely yet relaxed evening.

We also exchanged these gifts....

I made this for him, it's only a tiny quilt, but it's to take away on tour and for recording, mostly so he'll have something to keep him warm when he's kipping on strangers floor boards, or travelling in the van!

And for me....

Graeme painted this picture here. I really love it, especially as he only took up painting a couple of weeks ago, and prior to this has no artistic training (he didn't even do GCSE art). So am very proud and impressed!

Have a lovely Saturday all, will back tomorrow with ninja news!