It's Oh So Quiet........

I've just realised that this blog title could mean two different things, it was supposed to mean that the house is so quiet today for the first time in nearly four weeks as Tomas has gone back to school after a long Easter break but it could also represent my silence over the past four weeks as well.

I never seem to be able to keep up with my blog reading and posting during the holidays and despite this break being a truly relaxing one there still hasn't been much time for sewing and blogging. 

So what have we been up to then?

There have been lazy mornings (and afternoons), days out and days in, mooching and pottering and generally just...well being. We have managed to do quite a bit of gardening, tackling some of the unruly parts of the garden. Tomas has been a super helper, carrying bucket after bucket of branches, twigs and leaves down to the bonfire which he enjoys just as much as his Dad and older brother. What is it about boys and fires or is it just my boys? Although I have to say I do love a good burn up too. 

Fast forward to yesterday and despite knowing four weeks ago I needed to sew labels into Tomas' new hat and blazer I still only remembered at 10pm last night! Please tell me it's not just me who does that? 

Do you think us crafty types are the same as when you have a builder in the family, we do everyone else jobs and never get round to our own.

Today I have enjoyed playing with fabric and a couple of hours sewing. I also had two fabric parcels drop through the letterbox which is always a great way to get your creative juices flowing. I recently read a blog post about how to buy fabric (not that I need any help in that department) and it was saying about thinking about your purchases and only buying what you need (so you don't end up with huge stash -oops too late for me!) and making sure the fabrics matched or could be matched with what you already have. As you can see my first delivery was a rather eclectic mix! The only fabric I did NEED in this pile was the flamingo fabric and I did buy a bit more than I needed. The others were just because....

The second fabric delivery was more in keeping with what the blogger was talking about. 

These were bought to make an apron as part of a swap. 

Are you good when it comes to fabric and yarn or are you like me and find it a bit of a struggle not to add a few more FQ's (or metres) into your shopping basket? 

Autumn Makes

I thought I would just share with you a few of my autumnal makes......

Last year I made these pumpkins using curtain and upholstery fabrics, I posted them on facebook again this year and some of them found new homes.

I was then asked if I could make some teeny weeny hanging ones to decorate a twig tree 

and around a doorway and this is what I came up with. 

I can't wait to see them in their new homes.

As part of the Autumn Swap I made a french inspired autumnal bunting for my swap partner AnneMarie. I was given a charm pack of fabric squares as part of a swap a couple of years ago and had wondered what I could make with them and they turned out to be ideal for this project as Anne Marie likes blue.

I also made her this cute mini pumpkin from a autumnal fabric which I love and just can't remember where I got it from to buy some more!

I'm always trying to think of new ways to send buttons and make them look pretty so I turned these orange buttons into pumpkins to add to AnneMarie's parcel.

and finally this isn't one of my makes but an ebay buy, my new gas heater for my workroom. I can't believe how toasty it makes my room, so much so I have to keep turning it off!!!

Fabric Swap Goodies

Like many of you I signed up for the fabric swap over at Kandipandi's blog and was lucky to be partnered with Sandie from Sandie's Patch
After several emails and a good hunt through each other blogs we sent off our parcels. I'm not sure about you but I don't like to open a swap parcel if it arrives before I have sent mine (does that make sense!)So Sandie's parcel arrived on Friday and it took quite a lot of will power not to open up the package so on Saturday once I packed up the final pieces for Sandie and had been to the post office I returned home to open my long awaited parcel.
Here is what I found.....

two glittery fabrics which I will look forward to using nearer Christmas.

Three autumnal fabrics I love the floral one and am hoping to team it with the green and a lovely cranberry fabric to make a stripe quilt something (not sure what yet but definitely something!!!)

Lots of lovely bright fabric scraps - don't you just adore the Elvis flamingo!

Both Sandie and I mentioned a love of the seaside and I was thrilled to find lots of beach themed fabrics together with some delicate shell buttons.

Just look at the detail in this brooch it reminds me of a cloud with raindrops and I can't wait to wear it on my coat!!!

Since we had the new shower put in our bathroom I haven't had many baths (of course I have HAD a shower or two!) but I think that a lovely long soak may be on the cards to enjoy this bath fizzer.

Finally there was this bag of ribbons, beads, teeny tiny buttons and much more, with Rachel and Tompom helping me open this paercel they soon grabbed what they liked most. Rachel grabbed the "follow your dreams" ribbon and most of the larger jewellery beads for her bag (she has a green canvas bag, a bit like the cath kidston badge bag, which she is adding badges, buttons and ribbons to) and Tompom grabbed the letter beads as he is enjoying learning how to spell names at the moment. The rest is mine all mine!

So it just leaves me to say thank you to Sandie for being such a fantastic swap partner (you should get your parcel on Monday) and sending me such a lot of lovely goodies and thank you to Kandipandi for organising such a great swap.