Flowery commission

I had a commission to make a sign for a floral business. The client in question is a lovely lady and wanted the sign to look a lot like her business card:

Sorry about the bad photo!

Her colours are charcoal, green and white so I decided to go for a charcoal grey background. I used wool mix felt and cut the letters, then appliqued them on with gorgeous shiny embroidery thread. The flower is an exact copy of the one on her card - scanned then 'blown up' and the centre is free machine sewing. I am really pleased with how it turned out. The actual sign measures about 32" across so it's quite big.

Here's wishing Joanne all the best with her business, hope it brings her lots of luck! x

Festival of Quilts - or A Grand Day Out!

On Sunday I persuaded my eldest, (A.) that he really would like to accompany me on a train expedition to Birmingham.

He's a good boy though and without much persuasion, he made the very early start and we set off to the NEC, travelling from Manchester Piccadilly. I had never attended a big event like the Festival of Quilts and I really wasn't sure what to expect.

I have to say - it was FANTASTIC!

Amy Butler was there, she seemed lovely - very relaxed and friendly. I did spend quite a bit on Ms Butler's fabric and a lovely pattern for a handbag that I can't wait to try.

There were just so many lovely fabric stalls - wonderful fabric shops are rare enough, and here under one roof there were hundreds!! All together, all next to each other - it's fair to say I was in Fabric Heaven!

I did buy quite a lot of fabric I'm afraid. It was all just too inspirational.

Sustained by plenty of cups of tea, my son sat reading for much of the day, guarding the bags that I kept returning to him, whilst I shopped like a lunatic!!

There were ribbons, and some buttons, but most of all there was fabric, fabric fabric!

Of course, there were lots and lots of gorgeous, inspiring quilts and some of the lovely people who made them. I loved this windmill quilt:

this one was called 'One for the Boys' - very funny!this was more like a painting - absolutely beautiful - would have liked it on my wall at home:-apologies for the dodgy photo but had to include this as it was A's favourite:-

This was my favourite:-

and we were lucky enough to meet the artist who told us it had taken her 500 hours work!

there were of course so many more...

If you're thinking of going next time, I can highly recommend it - although as a novice I didn't have the wheelie-bag that many regulars had - a necessity if you're buying any fabric. It was sooo heavy! At least A. was still smiling at the end!

New project...

I wanted to show you a commission I've been working on:-

these will be filled with gorgeous flowers for a wedding!!! I'm pretty pleased with them - it was a real learning journey in the best way to build the box. I used pale grey felt and backed it with really stiff interface (and those maths lessons where we did cube nets actually came in!).

Tried a different method for the flower too - hmmm, I'm thinking these will look lovely as brooches....

Lots of pears, but no eggs....

Well, its a bit drizzly today but here's a photo of yesterday to cheer us all up - such blue skies and so lovely and sunny.

I walked around our garden to inspect the changes being away for two weeks has wrought. To be honest, its just more of the same - weeds, weeds, brambles and weeds. It still manages to look pretty though, and our two pear trees are suddenly in full bursting form:-

I'm going to have to get out the ladder to reach these beauties!

On the hen front, the girls have stopped laying!!! They are usually such brilliant layers that it's a real shock. It was extremely miffing to have to buy free range eggs for the first time in nearly 2 years too, especially when they have now been given such gorgeous accommodation! Remember this?

Well, that could be part of the problem I suppose - combined with us going away - hens are quite emotional creatures - it doesn't seem to take much to put them off their stride. I have opened up their grubby old henhouse just in case the penthouse accommodation is too much for them.......maybe they're more 'backstreet' hens! Only for the moment, don't think I'll mention this to Mr. P as cost of new henhouse still a bit of an issue!!! x

Home again....

Well, we're back from two glorious, eventful and relaxing weeks in Cornwall.

We've had surf, sea, sun and showers and we revisited old favourites like the lovely town of Mousehole:-

we ate fish and chips, and whippy ice creams, and we played in the surf -

and we found this glorious cove which is straight out of Enid Blyton's Famous Five:-

We had quite a few adventures, got stuck in the mud and had to be towed out, squashed a frog (by accident) and discovered it and the awful smell only when packing up our tent!

I even had a spot of retail therapy and found the wonderful Cath Kidston shop in St Ives!!!

Oh the frustration in finding it closed on our first visit! And oh the bliss of going back (my husband knows me too well!) a few days later for a few treats!

So now we are back, and although slightly overwhelmed by dirty washing and all the bags still to be unpacked, I'm very glad to be home. Although I do miss the surf.....