Closing in and wrapping up

Autumn is most definitely (and suddenly) here, both the good and the bad. Colder, wetter and windier weather brings a classroom (and a house for that matter) that feels like walking into a fridge and will not be heated until after the half term holiday... brrr! Soggy leaves everywhere, snotty noses of littles and their teachers and the dark hours getting longer by the day.

But with this weather comes the pleasure of wrapping up warm in layers of wool and heading out up the hill straight after work while the light still holds. Feeling toasty and warm all over except for your face and hands as the wind blows you around at the summit is such a great feeling. I love wearing lots of layers, it's one of my favourite things about Autumn and Winter. It's a safe and comfortable feeling, a closing down and a return to introversion and introspection that suits me down to the ground.

Crafting will hopefully begin again soon too - a few birthday gifts are about due to begin and then of course it'll be Christmas prep time before I know it! For now, I'm happy messing around on instagram...

Enjoy your own Autumn loveliness friends!
S. x

Bits and Bobs (And a Little Bit of Bunting)

Well since my last post there has been a little bit of crafting, a fair bit of home (including really beginning to dream of our own home - dreaming still but not for too much longer!) and an awful lot of work! Now two weeks into the school year it feels an age since the freedom of the long summer holiday and all the business of child minding, birthday parties and, oh yes, preparation for the new school year. But, I do have a few small bits of crafting to share with you that took place during those few full weeks in late August.

A card for a five year old who had been four for far too long (his own words!)

A sign for Chris' garden shed - a treasure trove of crafting goodness. (I appear to have neglected to take a photo of the finished product but will try to get one of it in situ next time I'm over there - See the little bit of bunting in the design? Who doesn't love bunting on a birthday gift?)

(I just love candid photos of little ones! This as the dog she wanted to make before total changing her mind - I've kept the picture though, I love the detail!)

And the usual Lexi crafting session - she designs, I make. So far I've not been able to persuade her to use the machine herself but she's such a delight to make things for I don't really mind. If you can cuddle it, she's happy with it. This time she asked for a cushion, with a rabbit on.
She has a great knack of picking good fabric out of my stash and a lovely way of drawing characterful creatures which I try hard to keep as true to her drawings as possible. The furry nose made of velvet was a must.

Somewhere along the way I have missed taking photos of the crochet flowers I made for Chris' surprise birthday gift but they were such good fun to make I'm sure I'll be doing more very soon.

Enjoy the warm weather all. I'll try not to wait so long between posts next time!
S. x

A Grand Day Out

A few days of child minding for the nieces and nephew are going on right now. A day at home with crafting and play and an afternoon at the (very local just-outside-the-front-door) park and then today a double-decker bus ride into town to Queens Park where we managed to while away the whole day very successfully.

All in all, a great day out topped of by a ride on my favourite little pony and a lovely meal cooked by my Mama. What more could I ask for.
S. x

(Not the best photos but they're only taken on my phone so I've had to just make do.)

Labels for Baking

A very brief post to share a little gifting, completed up in Norham at my parent's house and gifted yesterday to my dear friend Chris on her 60th birthday.

Long awaited for labels for baking jars. So easy to do on such soft wood, a real pleasure.
Happy birthday Chris and happy Sunday everyone.
S. x

Yellow, Green and Blue

In my line of work I am often asked the question "What's your favourite colour?" The immediate answer is "Green!" but the inevitable conversation that ensues ensures that all the colours get a look in and reasons for likes and dislikes are discussed.

But when I really stop and think about the colours I am drawn to again and again, and perhaps more importantly WHY I am attracted to them more than others... well, let me just show you.

So abundant in the natural world (and agricultural for that matter), is it really any wonder I love the colours yellow, green and blue most of all?

Happy summer colour everyone.
S. x

It's that time of year again...

What a big mess!

With the summer holidays well and truly settled into I got 'the itch' and decided to partake in a favourite hobby of mine...moving furniture and rearranging rooms. No room swapping this year just a big shift around in the studio.

Ok, so there are still a couple of bags of old fabrics to sort through in the next room and big stack of work related papers that need something doing with them but most of it is ready. I now have a 'wood store' full of boxes and off cuts for pyrography projects, colour collections for my fabric (stored in a CD rack in the cupboard!) and drawers for all the wool and cotton yarn I seem to have accumulated since the last time I rearranged. The chairs are now both by the window, freeing up a much larger floor space for cutting and laying out fabric without having chair legs and a rug in the way. I've kept the 'L' shape for the desks as it really helps being able to send larger bits of fabric off the end of a table when sewing.

And of course no workspace could possibly be complete without a few furry companions - and I don't just mean the cat.

To finish, as this is meant to be a crafting blog after all, a very wee bit of holiday crafting for a friend from work who asked for a passport-sized bag to take away on her travels. I made it reversible so it's more versatile outfit wise (which took a little bit of brain power but happened in the end.) and did the neatest button hole I'm ever managed on my functionless machine.

Happy holidays to all those lucky enough to have them at this wonderfully warm time of year.
S. x

Holidays and Hearts

The summer holidays are here! As a little 'thank you' to all the lovely ladies at work I crafted a little heart for each one, with a bit of a thank you note too. It's been a very busy but successful year, and we really have worked our socks off!

So, thank you lovely ladies! Here's to a jolly good rest and a fabulous summer. And of course another great year to come.
S. x