Brand New Post Series!!

Times when i realise i am becoming a 1940s housewife.

Number 1

Listening to Radio 4 and unpicking my sewing.

Copy Cat: 'Things I don't care about'

One off limited edition post. Number 1.

Copying Chris' 'Things I Don't Care About' posts....

Ricky Hatton NOT winning that fight.

The most awful sport ever.

My name is...

Oh lookie lookie what I got in the post yesterday. Very exciting!! My website, sewn onto tape, so i can sew them onto anything i make. Especially the brooches i'm doing right now! :D

One person's trash is another's treasure!!

I found these wonderful cups and saucers in a charity shop a few weeks ago, but haven't had the camera to take a good picture. The whole set cost me £2! I don't have my own kitchen in which to display these yet but you have to snap things up when you see them! Or you'll kick yourself when you go back and they're gone. I learnt this lesson after missing out on a jumper with hedgehogs on it! One of those with them going down in lines all over the jumper, not one with just massive hedgehogs sewn on the front, quite different.

Things That Make Me Feel Happy About The World

As a variant of a theme, from Chris' 'Things I Don't Care About' blog entries, and Ian's 'Did you know?'s. Here begins my...

Things That Make Me Feel Happy About The World.

NUMBER ONE:

Architechturally beautiful and well landscaped residencies.

BedZED. A zero energy development by the Peabody Trust.

A good week!!

This week has been a jolly good one!! It was my birthday on Tuesday which was great. I had birthday breakfast with Ann and Terry, which involved presents and cards as well as food! I will post pictures when the light is better. I got a recipe book for cakes, biscuits etc, some cookie cutters and the most amazing pink metallic teapot! This is a photograph must!

Chris got me The most wonderful book, 'The Gentle Art of Domesticity' by Jane Brocket, who has a wonderful blog called Yarnstorm, which you can find a link to on the right of this page. Aaaaah it is the most wonderful book, about all the most delightful things i savour in life - baking, sewing, knitting, quilting, reading, gardening. It is beautiful. He also got me a Momiji doll, and a bag and mug for my tea which are Momiji too. AND i got Russell Brand's autobiography and a picture of Alan Lee, my favourite Ipswich Town footballer. That was a novelty present!!



The rest of my week was spent as follows -

Wednesday - I had a migraine all day, couldn't concentrate and learnt hardly anything in my PGCE class then had to leave First Diploma Printmaking early to go home early to nap, then onto Chris' for yummy Shepherds Pie and falling asleep on his lap during the abomination which was the football.

Thursday - Foundation/National Diploma 2nd Year Textiles. The students got an amazing project which i want to do myself, i may even do that, and i learnt how to set up a loom and did a spot of weaving - Brilliant! A great day!

Friday - PGCE class in the morning then National Diploma 1st Year Fine Art for Fashion and Textiles class which was great, i'd worked with that group of students before and they talk to me well and worked brilliantly, even the boys were good and can't help but wear their unusual creations!

Last thing, we went to an exhibition at the Town Hall Galleries - interesting. I should have entered work.

And now to bed.

Chuffed...

Recently i've felt so inspired and full of ideas, more than I have for many many years. I have finally found that I am comfortable with my own artwork, I have learnt to not feel insecure and try a little self belief. I love what I do now, which again is not something i've felt for many many years.

I've recently done a little weaving. I enjoy this a great deal, I just can't find enough crazy yarn in different colours. I particularly like the ones that I would never even consider making something out of, the ones that have a long piece of what is usually cotton with litle fluffy, sparkly or wooly bits hanging off it. I really love the thick stuff too.

Great News!!!

The Archers is now a podcast!!! Go to www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers. YES The Archers is now available as a podcast!!

Southwold Umbrella Competition

Last Sunday Ann, Terry and I went to Southword to see their Alternative Umbrella Competition and have breakfast with friends Carol and Melvin, not to mention also enjoying the company of our friend Sorrell Grove and her partner Jeff. This is THE Sorrell Grove who recently won the Times Newspaper Back Garden of the Year competition!! I have sat in this now well known garden and taken tea, and it IS a beautiful garden.



Anyway, unto the umbrellas. Below are my highlights. The one that won is the origami cranes at the bottom. I was surprised to hear that it had won as one of the themes of the competition is to use recycled materials, maybe they did and I just couldn't tell. My favourite was the umbrella pencils, and I voted
accordingly!


Southwold is an absolutely stunning seaside town on the north coast of Suffolk, if you live close by and you've never been you should definitely go. Unfortunately I imagine you will fall in love with the place, I say unfortunately because house prices in Southwold have rocketed as people from London have bought the property as Summer homes and now even people who live in Southwold cannot afford to move.

A beach hut recently sold there for £90,000.

I still dream...

Textiles

Yesterday I was in Textiles with the First Year National Diploma's. They were screenprinting onto fabric they had dyed with natural and chemical dyes the week before.

I helped them with their printing and any other random questions they felt they needed to ask. Some needed a little more guidance than others which was fulfilling for me and i loved being in the textiles room, just being in that enrvironment is inspiring for me.

I loved the way their pieces of fabric pinned up on the line to dry looked like multi coloured flags.

Coming soon... Feltmaking!!

Being a Student Art Teacher

I've spent the last two weeks being in the Art Department at college observing introductions to the various courses, National Diploma Art & Design, Level 2 National Diploma Art & Design and Foundation Art & Design. There are well over 200 students in all and i need to try and remember who they are. I'm gonna go for trying to remember the ones that will apply to me (those doing Textiles & Printmaking)

This week just gone the Foundation students and ND@ students have had an introduction project. Each group of 7 - 9 were given a postcard of a well known painting and had to recreate it using themselves as the people in it, they had to make props, costumes and backdrops too!

The results were brilliant, all were of a shockingly high standard and of course, some better than others . All in all the amount of effort that went into the tableaus and the way the students mixed in with people they didn't already know was great.

Next week i'm in Drawing and Textiles, i can't wait!

Ring Ring!!

It hasn't been a bad few days!! Well not a bad week to be honest!

This is my new bicycle, it was given to me for free, by my friend Penny. I've spent a bit of yesterday and quite a bit of today getting it up to scratch, its had a wash, a degrease, another wash and some oiling, much of which is thanks to Terry, he cannot help but tinker and i am very grateful!

I rode it round the block a little while ago, it was brilliant. I felt like i should be saying 'Morning!' to everyone.

The basket is actually Ann's I put it on to see how it looks, i am very happy. It looks rather fine!

This is how my clothes and things landed over a few days this week, I rather liked the way they were arranged so here is a picture.

It has been a rather fabulous week, my Roberts Radio arrived yesterday morning and so i am currently listening to radio four while looking up websites from this month's rather wonderful Country Living magazine.

I am rather content. Just waiting to hear when I can pick up the bicycle my friend Penny said i could have, It's a vintage style drop-frame dutch style ladies bike, just an old Raleigh, but it is perfect for me to ride to college with a wicker basket on the front. If only Penny would reply to my texts! I am rather excited!!

SO excited!!

Today i found out that i'd won a competition i'd entered in the Independent newspaper.

And this (to the left) is what i won!! A Roberts RD50 DAB radio. I am so pleased!!

And yesterday my friend Penny gave me her old ladies bicycle (pictures when i've collected it) which happened to be just the kind i was looking for, now all i need is a wicker basket.

What a week!

Re-use Green

A patchwork plastic bag made from plastic bags! Three different kinds of plastic bags melded together using an iron, and then zig zag stitched together to make a little bag.

This was a practice run, i think the zig zags need to be tighter and therefore stronger.

My plan is to make a patchwork style tote for shopping. I'm saving up the plastic bags as we speak, i'll need a few!!

This is how i had breakfast this morning, sadly the picture doesn't really do it justice, if i'd had my, well our (Chris and My) Fuji camera i could probably have taken some better shots.

Anyway, it was Terry's Birthday today, Terry is what you might call the Man of the house, it is his and Ann's house that i lodge in. Though i'm a close family friend, sometimes described as the 'surrogate daughter' and so i got to join in the celebratory breakfast. I'd like to make a point of pointing out the crockery, it is by a wonderful potter name Ann McNulty based in Eniskillen in Northern Ireland.

It was a great way to start my day (after i'd ran out to get some flowers for Ann and a card for Terry!)






And this is my 'find' of the day a wonderful necklace from a charity shop, mmmmm second hand things. Sorry about the rather obvious cleavage!!

Creative Forces

I've had the week off work, and with no plans i decided i wanted to do something productive with my time, especially as when I am working, I don't get a great deal of time to do the things I actually WANT to do, because i'm tired and want to just vegetate in front of the television, certainly not what i should be doing!!















So i started this little project last sunday, i'd made these yo-yos a while ago but had never put them to good use, and as i didn't have an idea in mind, i just sewed them down to a piece of neutral felt. i quite like working in this way, no ideas, because when i do have a vision in mind of what i want to create, it never looks like that. At least this way any outcome was going to be good, and hopefully i'd like it.



And luckily i do! It is as of yet unnamed, i have always found it difficult to name my work, but I am really chuffed to have created something that i am pleased with and have worked on continuously, i hope this is the beginning of a new run of artworks.

I made this

Thanks to Martha Stewart I made a a huge pom-pom out of tissue paper that is now suspended from my ceiling. AND it only cost me 79p to make! I think there will be more of these.

Go to marthastewartcrafts.com to find out how to make your own.

A bee or not a bee?

That's a bee that is! And i took the photograph! Chuffed is what I am.

A picture!!!

Finally a picture!!

This is a piece i've been working on for a little while, any spare time i get when i'm at home, and am not busy doing other things. Luckily i've now moved into my permanent room, its big and spacious and wonderful, and i have a table set up so i can sew easily!

It's all machine embroidery on felt at the moment, as you can see it has warped the shape somewhat, but it just started off as an experimental piece which will hopefully grow into a grown up piece of art.

I want to do more machine embroidery on it and then add to it with applique, and hand embroidery and maybe add some beads. Watch this space, as they say!

I'm brilliant me!

I've got a degree!! i got my results today and i am SO pleased, after 4 years, some of them very tough, and after being fed up to the back teeth with Fine Art I am so pleased i've come out of it with a 2:2.

Now onto making art i LOVE to create and have a fantastic time doing it.

Wow it's been a fair old while hasn't it? SORRY! one again.


I've been moving into my new home and getting things sorted there, I am now a lodger!! How 1970s! It's a beautiful house so i shall shortly take some photos to spice up this post a bit.

I've also been in Bournemouth soaking up a little too much sun (Ow!) and putting my feet in the sea, i should put those photos up too!

But as things have finally got settled, i have my sewing machine here, and my crochet and so i can get down to some business! Especially because there's a local art competition i want to enter and entires have to be in by September 10th! I better get to it.


More interesting posts soon i promise. Sorry sorry sorry!

SORRY!

Apologies to anyone who has ever taken the time to look on my little blog, because i have been living in a house which has no wireless internet access, i know thats not really an excuse as there is a computer hooked up but as i cant easily use my computer i don't think about updating this thing. I worry that the possible readers i did once have, maybe!, have now flown the proverbial nest.

Anyway i will try to update this more often now things are getting a little more settled.

In good news, i had an interview with my possible PGCE mentor this morning, she gets to decide whether she'll take me on or not, and luckily for me she has said that she will! SHE WILL! i'm going to train to be a teacher!! But until i get that letter in the post and i know it is in black and white i shall still be worrying. OH MY GOODNESS!

last week i went to 12 open gardens in East Bergholt, i have lots of photos which i will put up on here when i am back from my week away in Bournemouth which is starting today.

And so i best go pack, i leave at quarter past 3!! OH MY GOD NOT ENOUGH TIME!!

Finally!!!

The day has finally come!!! Yesterday Chris came home from University because he's FINISHED! YAY!!!!

9 months ago back in September when we parted at Bournemouth train station for me to go home, alone, and embark on months of train rides and missing him, it felt like an eternity until May 2007. The idea that the time would 'go so fast' seemed like such a stupid one and as long as it felt during, it HAS 'gone so fast'! Not that i'm complaining!

And so now, the 'soon i'll be home all the time' time has arrived and i am deliriously happy. So if just a little more time could move along at a speedy pace that'd be grand, so that meeting up in town to lounge in the park and eat portugese chicken time could be now!

Thank you!!

Longing...

Here, at the house i'm currently living in, dog-sitting, my best friend's Mum has taken over the formal dining room (which is rarely used) for her City and Guilds Embroidery projects. For those who don't know, City and Guilds is a qualification. It makes me dream of having my own studio, there are folders of made-papers, leaflets from shows, practice pieces, fabric with paint on, sewn over, dyed, stitched into, its like a little daydream for me..

Aaaaah.... one day i'll have my own studio. ~drifts off~

In retrospect.

I never thought i'd miss my house, but i do. No matter what the perks of living 10 minutes from work for 2 weeks, i still miss my home.

Currently a little bit in love with...

This lady's music is stunning, if you like Sufjan Stevens you should listen to the new album that is released on Monday. It was recorded in bedrooms, basements and kitchens, and features the vocal and musical talents of Sufjan Stevens and Denison Witmer and has the most wonderful stories about how each song came about. It is so beautifully charming in every way, i LOVE it! I can't wait to buy it on Monday.

My achievement of the day. It's a sunglasses case. It is by no means perfect, some bits are a little wonky and could definitely be better, but im quite pleased as it's my first try, and as always i've learnt a lot in its creation.

it really helped my mood today too, a bit of an emotional one. I can't wait for my future to map out and for a time when I can make choices which mean I am always happy. I can't wait for more time, exciting changes and new experiences, with Chris.

Waiting Waiting...

i'm now waiting to hear from college about whether or not an art tutor will take me on as their student teacher. It's nearly two weeks, that'll be Wednesday and i'm eagerly checking the post everyday. Please keep your fingers and toes crossed for me!


Today is my first day off of the week, yesterday Chris went back to uni in Bournemouth for the last stretch. I was a little sad but compared to how hard it has been it was nothing, when he returns it'll be for good. Well, we won't be apart for that amount of time again i hope! So i am happy and content, very happy. So today i've cleaned the kitchen and baked a cake, a little one to go in my new glass cake stand! Ooo I can't wait! Pictures later on. And i plan to do some drawing in my garden, it's been rather a long time since i did some drawing an enjoyed it.

My anniversary present from Chris arrived on Saturday, I got it yesterday after seeing him off on the train. It is a limited edition book that is full of postcards, a greetings card and a fold out map, its is so cute and by Vicky Lindo. You can find her here www.vickylindo.co.uk I tried to hotlink to her page but the world is against me!

i'd also like to mention Modbury in South Devon which has become the first plastic bag free town. Lets follow their very good example please!

Many posts in one!

I really should have updated this several times this week because so many things have happened.

+ I handed in my dissertation on Wednesday!!! it's finally gone and now I can do whatever I want to do! YAY!

+ I had my PGCE 'interview' on Wednesday, it can only be described as an interview in the loosest of terms as it was much more like an info giving event, I now have to wait to see if I can get placed with an art tutor, but considering I know the lady who mentors PGCE students because she used to teach me, i'm hoping i have a foot in the proverbial door, but no chicken counting please!!

+ Thursday Chris and I went to London for two days, and saw Explosions in the Sky at the Astoria. It was stunning, absolutely amazing, i'm so glad we went and Chris was in awe. Of course we did some shopping too, though it wasn't as successful as my usual London shopping trips. i guess that just means i can buy more fabric and more wool for my granny square blanket LOL! I had a great time, specially people watching and we spent some time sitting in parks and relaxing, it was great.

+ T shirt and plaited belt from American Apparel. Selvedge textiles magazine and Fruits Japanese magazine. Polka dot letter writing set from Artbox. Explosions In The Sky album from the gig and Clear photo frame and rubber stamp set from Muji.

+ Also met my friends Sarah and Flo for lunch which was great as I don't get to see them anywhere near as often as i'd like. Flo brought me a wonderful gift of a glass cake stand, i have a current love for them. This one is extra special though as it is entirely glass and also has a glass dome lid, but I shall save that picture for when there's a cake in it!!

Anniversary!!

Today is Chris and My first anniversary! And i am so super happy, it must be said it hasn't been the smoothest of days but that doesn't stop it being the best and most happy day ever!! And doesn't stop me thinking i'm the luckiest lady alive :D I'm allowed to be smooshy, it's MY blog! :D

Good Riddance!

I'm desperately trying to finish my dissertation, i say desperately because now matter how often i say 'i want to finish my dissertation today' i just can't do it because i get so bloody bored of looking at it.

i only have the conclusion to do and then i'm rid of it! I just pulled my main book from under the bed to read an important paragraph and out flopped all the journal entries i've printed out for research, i cannot wait to happily shove them into the recycling bin never to be seen or read again!

Post - Easter Update

What a fabulous Easter weekend!!

I had Saturday off work so that Chris, his family and me could go to Jimmy's Farm, the Essex Pig Company. It's 15 minutes from Chris's house and on every first saturday of the month they have a Farmer's Market, it was great, I saw Jimmy and his lady Michaela and cows and sheep and lots of little pigs!! It was fab. Then that afternoon we went to the football and saw Ipswich win 5-1! It was ever so exciting. And that night we had dinner at Chris' grandma's house where his aunt and uncle cooked dinner.

Sunday we all went out for Sunday dinner and i stayed the night and last night we saw two awesome bands Jonquil and This Town Needs Guns. They were both absolutely fantastic!! And we both had a good moan with our friend Ed who put the bands on about how the state of music in Ipswich is AWFUL!!

Today we saw Sunshine, the new film by Danny Boyle, it was really really good, but i spent the majority of the film feeling very very tense, which i don't handle very well and there were a lot of times when i couldnt watch the screen, but then i am quite sensitive about things and find some films hard to watch.

We also found a new wool/yarn shop in Ipswich. Thank goodness we went up the road Chris wanted to, not the one i wanted to. This new shop, that can be found here i bought a book so hopefully i shall get somewhere with my endeavour to make granny squares and then a blanket! I also went in Laura Ashley to get a catalogue, oh my there are so many things i want.

Well dissertation is nearly there, not much more to do, just a final read through i think. And then i can panic about my interview instead.

fleeting visit

Complete lack of posts because with the boy being home and my working i haven't really had time to do very much, so this one will be all too brief and not very interesting.

Hmmm... i've nearly finished my dissertation, i plan to have that sorted by this time tomorrow so i can get Chris to read it and then make any necessary adjustments. Phew! It's got to be handed in, in a week and a half and along with my PGCE teacher training interview the day before, the panic is beginning to rise. Especially because i still dont have something definite to wear to it. It's so hard to know how to look committed to the interview and takng it seriously but still look like an artist!

more updated later, i've ran out of time!!!

Ergh

At the moment i am trying to write more of my dissertation, but no matter what i do i cant stick at it, why can't i just finish it??? then all the constant thoughts about it would be over, its just so hard to get on with it when i'm bored to the back teeth with it! I've done a little bit throughout the day but its so much effort (lol) and my eyes have hurt all day. I must keep trying though.

I went to see my Nana this afternoon, it was really nice, i hadnt seen her in ages and she told me lots of things i didn't know, she told me all about how my cousins are doing now, which i don't hear about generally and also told me some wonderful stories about how she and my Grandad met, it was really lovely, then as i walked home i saw this great gate. Yeh i know that's an odd thing to think is great but i love how ricketty and kinda put back together it is.

In terms of fun stuff i havent really done anything today, by that i mean no sewing or makey things because my eyes have been achey. Disappointing for me though. And i haven't seen Chris :(

A successful day!

Oooo sorry i didn't realise how out of focus that picture is. Anyway, Crayola fabric crayons, i've used these before when i did my first art course when i was 18 about 6 years ago, oh my god that is a lot longer than i imagined. I decided to give them another go, and experiment with them. They only cost me £1.50 by the way.

So here is the result of the first try, this is on canvas fabric, the box does state they work best on synthetic fabrics so that's something to bear in mine but i don't think this is an awful result. Obviously the yellow didn't come out as well as i'd hoped but if you like the kinda sketchy style, which i do, it's not bad at all!














Further successes of the day include a 50p 70s style apron in a charity shop, it looks as though the pocket was accidentally torn off so i've unpicked the replacement one, it just needs backing and a slightly larger new pocket to hide the tears. When i'd finished unpicking the pocket i picked up all the rubbish and found a hairnet in my lap! Delightful, though i am intrigued as to the story behind it ending up in an apron pocket, it conjures up images of rollers and fluffy slippers for me.

Well i keep reminding myself i must do more dissertation writing, i am avoiding it at the moment. Though I did have a tutorial this morning that went well, my tutor kept saying 'oh thats good' which is a positive sign. Better get on before i get distracted by something else.

Sense of Achievement

This is a picture of my feet and half of the apron (i folded it in half cos it wouldnt all fit in the picture) i have finally made based on a design in a japanese craft magazine. I've been wanting to make one of these, with big handy pockets, for ages but the first attempt looked awful and there were several not good starts along the way.
But this is probably the best thing i've ever made. Its far from perfect, but i've learnt so much from it and would be happy to make more, hoping they would be even better. i can't wait to make more exciting things and presents for my friends!

I love the elephants!!

Other than this i have been trying to write my dissertation too, which has been going ok. Though i feel increasingly tired of it, and yesterday, thanks to my internet access being cut, instead of writing i made the apron.

So at the moment i am worrying about my dissertation, my PGCE interview in mid april, what i will wear to said interview and my living situation. I've come to the decision that it is what you make it, whatever that may be.

Thank god I have got the most wonderful boyfriend ever. Who is home on friday! YAY!

What my favourite day consisted of...

I woke up and tried to get lots of work done on my dissertation, which actually went pretty well, though i was getting rather frustrated by not having a high enough word count for my liking, but i'll keep ploughing on. So i worked until the OC came on channel 4 and then got some television therapy consisting of Ugly Betty, Deal or No Deal and Time Team.

I wanted to get lots of sewing stuff done too, or at least start on something, in the end i only made a big pink tartan pin cushion to put my fancy new pins in because they wouldnt stay on the wheel thing. But even that didnt go especially well cos the thread had a habit of breaking when i pulled it tight, but it'll do temporarily anyway. So i didnt do a great deal of sewing stuff, which is annoying actually. I need to get some natural coloured fabrics to exaggerate the colourful ones.

My digital camera also decided it was going to give up the ghost, so any images will now be taken with my phone. Not the most satisfactory of cameras but 2 mega pixels is good for a phone! I also did some tidying but didnt do the baking i'd planned because i couldnt be bothered to clear up my lazy family's mess in the kitchen in order to be able to bake something. Though i guess if i always thought like that nothing would ever get done.

anyway, i shall add some images to break this blithering up a bit. The above picture is of the wonderful fabric racks in The Cloth House 98 Berwick St Soho London. What a yummy shop! I spent way too much money in there in too little time.

The trials & tribulations of the 1st day back at work

My day at work began with another annoyed note in the kitchen stating "PUT YOUR DIRTY MUGS IN THE DISHWASHER. THIS IS DISGUSTING!" this would certainly make everyone aware that i had returned from my 6 days off! and luckily for my sanity it didnt take long before that job had been done, now if they could only keep it up! My dad reassured me earlier that as you get older your tether gets longer and things annoy you less. I hope i gain that trait soon!

In more fun news I am about to start a project that will be a present for my friend. She likes to have a cup of tea and listen to Radio 4 on her little radio at work and as i had a sample piece of Cath Kidtson oilcloth i thought i'd make her a fun coaster for her desk. I want to send her a little goody parcel.

i also have a long list of other projects i want to start, or just cant get right! And my god i need to figure out how to do granny squares, still dying to start to make a blanket, this is really winding me up because if i could do it i could do some crochetting at work which would make me feel so much more content.

I just started making the coaster, i tried it two ways and both caused problems, i think i was rushing it cos i realised she might pop in to see me tomorrow as she's visiting for the weekend, so i decided to leave it and take it slow with the making and i will hopefully get somewhere. I've still got lots of practising to do before i'm any good at this malarky. But i'm determined because i love it.

Pictures tomorrow i promise

My Favourite Day Of The Week

I frequently dream of this day of the week, when i'm amidst a week of work. I work 4 days out of 7, another one is spent in college and the other two are all to myself. Sunday is the day i always have off and i always dream of it coming.

The end of another week, its not that i generally want time to scoot past me, i know that i'll regret in time letting time slip through my fingers so quickly. But every time a Sunday comes i'm another week closer to Chris being home for good.

So, Sunday, my favourite day of the week, my lie in day, my morning in bed, my afternoon full of tv, my baking day, my sewing day. The day I can sum up everything thats happened in the preceding week, clear up the mess i've created the 6 days before, lie in bed and dream of my little house that will one day be home.

I do love you so Sunday. Especially for Time Team too!

I tried this dress on in Topshop the other day, it was £38! Even though i love the applique on it, it didnt exactly flatter my shape, despite what my friendly sales assistant might say about how much i'd like it and how it'd suit me! And so i took a picture of the applique instead, intent on learning how to do it myself, for much less money than £38! I'm going to go search amazon for applique books to add to my wishlist!


In other news i'm still fighting with how to crochet granny squares, i just cant get it to look right! i want to make a blanket so much! Any help would be much appreciated.

So plans for the rest of the day are, bake some chocolate muffins from my new recipe book, write more dissertation and do some kind of sewing stuff, i haven't done any since i got back from seeing Chris in Bournemouth. I feel withdrawal symptoms setting in!

Ta Dah!!

Welcome to the first day of the rest of my blogging life, or at least i hope so! i've never been particularly great at keeping up with online blogs, maybe my life isn't interesting enough, or maybe thats just the way i view it.

But now i have more exciting and interesting things, at least for me, to talk about and document and i hope to make some friends along the way.

I'm only just starting out with doing what i love, its taken a long time (2 yrs of 16 + art education and 3 yrs of degree art education) to properly enjoy creating and know what i want to do. I should have been using textiles this whole time. It may have taken a while to realise but it was worth it, because now i'm so happy.

So now im knitting, crochetting, quilting, sewing, embroidering (is that a word?) and learning new things all the time.

So many things and so little time to try and do them all in. Along with writing my dissertation! And going to work, if only i could cut that one out ;)

Stay tuned for images of my WIPs and possibly failures as well as successes.

For a start, here's a success... I love to bake!!