Custom Order With a Twist

So my mum very kindly took some of my stuff along to sell at a craft fair last month and I got an order for personalised bunting from her. However instead of the fabrics that I offer for the bunting, this order came in for all different kinds of fabrics, mainly pinks, but nothing solid. So after raiding the stash here's what I came up with!


I actually think it might be my favourite so far (yeah I think I say that about every order I make but it's true!) and I might eventually add a different selection of fabrics to the listing. But for now feel free to ask what I have in my stash if you'd like something a bit different!


p.s. Somehow over the weekend I made it to 100 blog followers. Yay! Thank you everybody. Doing a little celebratory dance and glad there's no one watching :)

Fruits of my Labour

Here they are - my biggest crop so far, in all their beautiful imperfection. I am so proud of them, especially considering I don't have much of a garden at all.

I have loads of tomatoes still on the vine that need to redden and loads of peppers to come yet, but so far this year I've only one of this and a couple of that ripen all at once.

My courgettes are starting to taper off now, but I've had some beauties this year from that plant too! If anyone is interested in growing their own then I'd definitely recommend looking up Alys Fowler - she's a gardener's world presenter but she's just done an "Edible Garden" series for the BBC and I am in love with her garden! Mine will be like that one day I swear.

Wordless Wednesday: Leaves

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Fair Isle Fun

Trying my hand at some fair isle knitting has been on my to-do list for ages and I'm thrilled to say that I've finally gotten around to it. Now I am handy with a pair of knitting needles, but have never attempted stranding or complicated colour changes before. Well in true have a bash fashion I basically doodles out a pattern on a sheet of squared paper and knitted up a swatch. All looked well so I went about my first project - a pair of fair isle leg warmers:

I bought myself some fake fair isle leg warmers last winter - they look fine on the outside but there's no stranding on the back as they're primark's finest and wouldn't have been hand knitted. So I've been feeling guilty about that and have been meaning to make myself a pair for a while now.

Then I started reading Vanessa's posts over on Do You Mind If I Knit about her fair isle dress and was so chuffed for her when she finally finished it that it gave me the push I needed to go buy some yarn and knit knit knit!

Isn't it beautiful?? Now my leg warmers aren't nearly as intricate and well thought out as Vanessa's dress, but they do fulfil a fair few of my new year's resolutions - be more colourful, learn something new, make more things for me - and I love them!

I've finished one, and the measurements worked out fine so I'm onto the second already. I'll be sure to let you have a look at the finished article once I've finished sewing in all the loose ends and seams. But until then I'm contented to knit and stare at the dainty symmetry of the one I've already finished!

Weekend Antics

Remember that post I wrote on Friday? The talk of open fires and cups of tea? Well it would seem that as soon as you're planning a slow sleepy weekend just the opposite happens. On Friday evening I found out that Derry's very own Undertones were playing in Brooke park on Saturday afternoon - not only was it a free gig, but also there was a whole host of local musical talent to keep us entertained all day long.

So off I go, with some sandwiches and some hand sewing, and had a thoroughly lovely afternoon. Most of my day was spent doing a lot of this:

Blanket stitching the hours away with a beautiful view and the sounds of choirs, blues bands and orchestras wafting through the air. Then we moved closer to the stage to see the main event - the Undertones in all their hip wiggling glory!

What a treat to see them play in their hometown, sounding as great as they did the day they began (I assume as I don't think I was born then!). Well I'll have to reserve next weekend for soup and tea under blankets, especially if the weather stays this miserable. Bye bye summer - you were fun!

Folksy Friday

I am officially dubbing Friday the sneakiest day of the week. It creeps up silently and sure enough before you know it you turn around and it's here! But now the weather's taken a turn for the worst I foresee a weekend full of sewing, soup and mugs of tea, so Fridays won't be the beginning of an exciting adventurous weekend like it has been all summer. I am very much in the mood for colder weather though. Bring on the blankets and open fires I say. And dare I admit that I'm getting more than a little bit excited about Christmas! It's my favourite time of the year and having to started on Christmas stock already has definitely put me in the mood for the festivities!

But before I get ahead of myself, here's this week's Woodland themed Folksy Friday:


Monty the Fox by Sara Carr.

Felted Wool Acorns by ZM Felt.

Spotty Toadstool rubber stamp by Skull and Cross Buns.

Woodland Friends collection PDF by fluff and fuzz.

Woodland print by Sparklehen.

I noticed a couple of days ago that the leaves have started to turn and fall already. Could we be in for an early autumn this year? Bring on the oranges and browns I say. There are some who yearn for year long summers but I love each season, and love to watch the changes each one brings. Who's with me?

Canada Cowl

So what with the weather taking a turn for the worst over the weekend I decided to start thinking about warm snugly clothing and started knitting this baby. I've christened it my Canada Cowl:

I think (but don't quote me) that the yarn is Sirdar Escape, but whatever it is it's warm and chunky and I can't wait for it to be cold enough outside to wear it! I have been assured that autumn in Vancouver will be obliging.

I didn't follow a pattern, I just knitted a few inches of ribbing either end and stocking stitched the middle as long as I fancied. I would have preferred to knit it in the round but it was a late night knitting craving and I didn't have circular needles in the right size.

I still have one ball left and I think I might just have enough to make some chunky hand warmers to match. So if you happen to be in British Colombia next month and see these pretty blues, purples and pinks out and about then stop and say hi - I'll be the one huddled underneath!

Wishlist Wednesday

First off I need to apologise for my lack of blogging over the past week. This is what happens when you plan an impromptu trip to Wales, forget to bring your camera and then realise once you've got there that your chances of getting online are slim to none. Oops.

But I got back last night and after the milk fiasco this morning (i.e. there not being any and hence no tea!) I am calm and collected and back in the land of blog. Phew! Right now as it is Wednesday (I think!) I'll get you in on another something on my Grown Up Wish List.

Having grown up in the countryside I'm used to old country furniture, and I'd on my list for things I want in my imaginary house is a china cabinet. In welsh we call it a "seld" and a lot of farmhouses would have one displaying their best crockery and tea sets. They're lovely, and I've seen a few made-over recently as craft storage solutions too!

This one has a very "cottage by the sea" feel to it. I love that all the china inside is white too.

I found this beautiful shabby chic cabinet over at Cameo Kids Boutique. It's been painted pink on the inside - there's an idea! And I've also seen a few people wallpaper the inside of theirs too. Lovely.

And Jenny from Allsorts keeps her fabrics and craft supplies on show on her lovely white cabinet. I'd never in a million years manage to keep it as tidy as that though if I had one!

I would however take a beautiful picture of it pristine and lovely and pretend to you and the rest of the world that it was like that always!

Anyway my imaginary house is really starting to take shape now. If anyone would like to give me a real bricks and mortar house, for free preferably, or in exchange for a lifetime's supply of banana bread and carrot cake, my email address is on the blog!