Sweet Sixteen

Hello, what a lovely sunny day today, I feel happy.  Today is my daughters 16th birthday. 

(I'm still having problems with uploading pictures as you can see.  Only with blogger, not with Etsy.  Is anyone else having this problem? I would love to know the answer)  
She didnt want a party, she asked for Take-aways tonight.  Yippee! no cooking.  This day gets better by the minute.

So I've been busy creating more bears.  Ive made this delightful brown baby  bear  and a rabbit with a pram and baby.  I really enjoyed making these, they were great fun.

 I think I would like to create something completely different when I have finished making the bears. I fancy making a doll, something completely different.  I particularly like this idea 

One very Wet Friday

On Friday I had an appointment in Beverley, I was so looking forward to a day out browsing at my leisure, maybe take a few pictures.  But this was not to be. I cannot believe how much it rained.

My poor red shoes were drenched. 













 So I popped in to M & S for coffee, scone and a warm up.  Love that serviette)

My appointment was at  the outpatients to be fitted with my new hearing aid.  Ok this is the second attempt at wearing one.  Last time I felt quite like poor  Mr. Flibberty-jib far too much noise.

I would come home slam it down with a blinding headache, then I lost it.

I have to say they have taken on board what I said, tweaked it for me, and this time its so much better.  Yes I am a  very happy bunnie indeed! 

Portia the Piglet

Ive been so busy creating latelyr.   So just a quick update.  The pigs finally finished and Im very pleased with her, these little bears take such a lot of thought and time to create.  Im so particular how they will look, I could make a dress quicker!

The pig is called Portia and and she is very plush, I made her a cashmere coat, and a leather bag, shes very bling, yes I am happy with her.  

Tomorrow I am heading to Beverley for a hospital appointment(nothing major)  I love Beverley a historical market town with posh shops. I do hope it doesnt rain, so I can have a good look around the shops and take a few photos. 

Thrifty Patchwork Quilt Part II and a bit of Fabric LOOVe

Well at last I can show you the biggest Ta Da, Ive finished yet.  But first sit back this Saturday Evening and enjoy abit of fabric loooove♥

Ok a trip to the charity shops and a bargain find is an instant delight,  Ive been searching sometime for some furnishing fabric to finish the thrifty quilt.  For those of you who have not heard of my Thrifty Patchwork quilt.  It is a quilt made from fabric samples kindly donated from my local painter and decorators shop, also my first attempt at proper quilting (so be kind to me).  So on Thursday I was thrilled to bits when I spotted this

2 pieces of Sandersons "William Morris Water lily" fabric for £1.00, and I have enough to make a cushion with whats left over.  Wow what a bargain.  But I havent finished there is more.  Because next to it with a price tag of £2.00 was this fabric, 1 door curtain and two short curtains.
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William Morris "Blackthorn"
I do believe this colourway is discontinued, its so 60s/70s retro, so of its time. I love it.
Im normally  drawn to chintz, Cath Kidston fabric pinks, greens, yellows,   But isnt this the most beautiful pattern. 

So back to the quilt.  Its finished, not perfect but Im very pleased for a first attempt. I wont show the back because it has a few small creases. I was inspired by Small hands one of the very first blogs I found, she no longer blogs but keeps a flickr account here  http://www.flickr.com/photos/56058041@N00  I love her quilts, they are so and fresh, colourful and intricate.

By cutting the fabric samples into strips and mixing them, it enabled me to  use all the colourways.  As you can imagine some of the samples were incredibly dark or  too bright.  Otherwise I wouldnt have been able to use them all.  I think it worked out well considering..




Hope you like it.

Fun between the Rain Showers

On Friday we had a small visitor to No. 23.  He is only seven years ond and he came to bake bread, something my husband had been promising him for a while.   He thoroughly loved the experience (he wants to be a chef), baked 6 bread rolls, walked Millie while the bread rose.  He was so excited when he peeped at the bread and it had doubled in size MAGIC.  We also printed off some special bread labels,  It was lovely have small children in the house again.

 In between the most horrendous weather we are having I have been really enjoying rearranging the garden with the hubbie.  First we bought some new veg boxes, replacing the mish mash wooden ones,  I am so pleased with them, and all but one veg bed so far has been successful.

Next we moved the sheds, we wanted to create a storage area in between to store and cut wood.   We started clearing the rubble planning to lay a base and to our surprise  we discovered old block paving. We believe it must have been when they used to keep pigs at the back of the outhouses.  What luck a good sound surface to work on.

Ive been so loving this little corner of our garden So colour

co-ordinated

but today this appeareed

 This beautiful red poppy amongst my pastel arrangement. 



I love this plant, when its rained the droplets look like diamonds on the leaves when the sun catches them, if only!

I am also still making bears, here is a WIP.  I had a new idea in my head, and this little pig came together so quickly, but the ears and facial expression, was another thing. Sometimes it pays to put things down for a while and come back and have a fresh look. Today I looked at it and now I know what I need to do.  On a bonus the ears have settled down, which I am so pleased about.
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I LOVE ♥ pigs.  Do you?

A Vintage Day

Whilst out in the garden the other day, my son called "You do know there are vintage cars going through the village" I quickly dropped everything I was doing and dashed out to the front of the house. This time with my camera ready for action.

One of the plus sides of living on a main village road is 3 or 4 times a year we have vintage cars, or motor cycles pass by our home. Now anyone who follows me or drops by my blog will know I LOVE VINTAGE.


Here they come!!

 A Rolls Royce



For old bangers they were whizzing past at an alarming rate











I love the contrast between new and old open top cars here



They were waving away

Such fun I love them.

Later a stint at the local charity shop where I volunteer, then a walk to the main shops always has its rewards. Today I bought home .

This delightful leather suitcase (sadly with different fasteners) for the pricely sum of £2.00

Battered but a bargain.

and these pocket opera glasses with complete packaging £3.00.  Which I think are very quirky. No idea what I shall do with them.  Hubbie said "I hope this doesnt mean you want to go to an opera"

and this is our little vintage car (not ours) on our wedding day, it was one of the highlights for us both.

Enjoying June

Well how was your jubilee weekend?  On Monday I took a stroll up to the local village hall as they were have a tea party.

Stopped at the mere to take a pic of the signets while I could.  Not usually possible when you have a dog with you.  A couple of years ago whilst walking the dog, minding my own business, I got chased up the main street by a goose.  Scared the pants of me!!



Not a brilliant picture they were heading back to the island

A few houses were decorated



I arranged to met a few friends and there we took tea  "Bettys" style, with 50s music.  



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We arrived early, which was just as well as later on people were queueing down the street for a seat (abit like Bettys except no tourists). 





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I loved the Childrens bunting along the walls

 

The menu of the day was cucumber, ham and coronation chicken sandwiches, followed by fingers sized cakes.  Very nice indeed.

In the evening we went to an event on the local school field, tug of war, stalls, wellie throwing, etc finished off with fireworks, forgot the camera DOH! 

Hope you all enjoyed you 4-day bank holiday weekend.

Ending on a personal high note for moi, I visited an Art Gallery and I showed the owner some of the handmade bears that I created, She loved my work and wants to do a display of them at Christmas. I am so excited at the prospect of my work being in her gallery. So I have been very creative over the last week or so, here are a few so far. They are made mainly from german mohair, with  hand knitted alpaca knitwear and vintage fabrics and lace, some have accessories to go with them, I havent finished them yet.  

Hope you like them