A Picture For Oscar ....

A friend shared this pic with me. Her friend had spotted it during a visit to Cornwall and they would have bought it to remember their son but the shop was closed.

My friend asked me if I could help get something like this in the Mum's hands and I said, buy some canvas! 

Measuring the canvas by drawing around it, i sketched out the elements of the composition ...

I used my sketch to cut pieces of fabric out ... 

When all the pieces were cut out it was time to iron them all flat and make them adhesive shapes using iron on interfacing. — at The Raggy Rat.

All the fabric got fixed in place with careful ironing and I threaded my machine with navy thread. I thought that it would be nicer than black. 

I used the thread to draw just inside each shape and draw in some of the details like posts and the lighthouse window. 

Mike helped me staple the back. Then I tucked inside some of my cards and added my label too

Here it is finished. I really enjoyed the sewing part, and also hunting for just the right fabrics too. My friend loves it and the mum who received it was over the moon! — at The Raggy Rat.

Remember our Family Textiles? Cushions completed!

We had colourful fun trying to create some new posh cushions for our sofa ... Here is Daisy's Tiger, painted and with pastel detail added ...

And Mary's Meerkat featuring a nice bold green outline. 

And Matty's Fox, also showing great colour mixing and shading too. 

You dont have to encourage me to be colourful, the top i was wearing in the photo this was drawn from is almost that bright pink. 

Then we all tried quilting for the first time, and I began to make the art into actual cushion covers using a fun table cloth I found second hand.

Mary sewing and keeping a nice tension on her running stitch ... She is now 7 years old and very fond of sewing ...

Matty May and Daisy can now all enjoy a new cushion when reading books on the sofa ...

My own cushion receives approval by Salt Ferret herself! so much so she stayed still long enough for a photograph!

Mirror mirror ...

My friend Jenny wanted me to makeover a mirror for her and I found this shabby chique number at the brewers quay ...

I took the shelf off, and neatly covered the mirror in vintage cotton fabric, by soaking it in PVA. 

A sharp blade cut the edges nearly, and also freed the centre to reflect again! I covered the top of the shelf with fabric too. 

After the shelf was screwed on, gold paint was added, giving an ageing effect and helping the fabric sit well, sort of visually embedding it. 

I hope Jenny likes it, do you?

5 minute make - steampunk flower

This is made from two folded strips of paisley fabric offcuts, a piece of copper vinyl, and a lovely old shank-button. 

The button hides the ends of the gathered fabric, and this is all ready to be used for brooch or other embellishment!

I've never made fabric flowers before but was very inspired after a romp through my updated Pinterest App!

Love is All You Need...

The banner is finished ...

Guessing game!

Pattern cutting, for Easter! But what is it?

Book Cover ...

Mary Dressed up and looked pleased with herself!



As I decided that although I love the format of these WHSmith mid-year diaries, I really want one that looks more girly ...



So it was covered!

The Key!

I made a key fob for a tired key that lives at my neighbours house, just in case!



and then I made some more! I used the hem section of a lovely vintage curtain, the same one I used on my bottom!


Which do you like? xxx

House Work - laundry!

don't normally like laundry or ironing ... doesn't make for a great blog post, eh?



but its much more fun to wash and sort the treasure found in someone's loft, isn't it?



This one is my favourite, and reminds me of my grandma...



perhaps I will make bunting for my newly painted living room - almost done!



which one do you like best? I do wonder if I will be able to actually CUT THESE! he he!

New man in my life ....

I decided it was time to get a new man ... I was really pleased with him as soon as I saw him ...



But it took him a wee while to settle in ...



But he soon did and after eating his crisps and do-nut, and sharing his wine with me he began to pick out tunes on his guitar!


Jealous and in need of a new man your self? You can get one too HERE, but he wont look like my cool dude as all Yermits are unique!

pretty bunting ...

this is my second lot of bunting, made for a birthday BBQ ...



I got lost in my fabric stash, finding old friends, and exciting prints, along with some silk too. I chose a delicate rainbow of shades for this 15 flag length...

Chock-a-block...

old toy blocks,washed then painted white to freshen them up ... a nail was removed from one of them ... a pity there are not 6 of these!



5 light, cotton fabrics chosen from my ample stash!



some careful cutting and sticking down with ronseal acrylic varnish ...



and the blocks sealed with further coats of aforementioned varnish ...


I like jigsaws, and played with jigsaws on blocks like this when I was small.

New fabric and Paper people!

I bought this lovely fabric on line ... it looks slightly more subtle in real life ... I think it will make beautiful barn owls!



Gigi brough some cut-outs to the last HE meeting in Abbotsbury, and Daisy and Matty selected one each, which they drew on at the hall. They also made them anatomically correct!



Daisy's had the most detail, now tastefully covered up with magazine pages and some classy bows!



Matty selected some pre-cut clothes for her paper person, and added a design of her own to the front of the jacket ...



on the back veiw of Matty's doll you can still see a useful body part!

what's in the box?

Matty and Daisy reading the box to see who can open it!

can you see how i have tweeked one of the pictures?

i hope the wonderful phil is happy with them now ...