Thursday 29 March 2007

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.

Wednesday 28 March 2007

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!

Sunday 25 March 2007

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.

Friday 23 March 2007

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

Thursday 22 March 2007

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!

Wednesday 21 March 2007

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!!