Pink...

Finally finished, been tricky fitting any sewing in around, one minute happily playing, the next squabbling, children.  We've spent a fair bit of time all huddled around the kitchen table, me sewing, and them either drawing or squishing playdoh!.

This is for the 'pink' catagory of the Softie Awards.  I was already contemplating pink as a theme for the next range destined for my Etsy shop, and this has cemented the idea in my head, so 'PINK' it will be!

I was also a very lucky girl this week, as I won this lovely tea cosy in a giveaway by Janet Clare, fantastic isn't it?.  I just need a tea pot!

It's also about time I responded to being tagged by Jill (who also used to be a cross stitch designer, is new to blogging and has taken to it like a duck to water) for this meme, so...

4 jobs

as a student I spent a summer doing a night shift in an embroidery factory

PA to an interior designer

Needlecraft Designer for Coats Crafts UK

am currently a stay at home mum attempting to freelance!

4 films

Star Wars (the original one)

There's something about Mary

I also love all the old Cliff Richard films, Summer Holiday in particular, I remember watching them as a child

Elizabeth (I am fascinated by all things Tudor)

4 places I've been

I'm not very well traveled, I'm more of a home bird, but have made it to Paris, Portugal (on honeymoon, it rained!), and in the UK, we visit Cornwall and the Lake District often

4 places I've lived

I was born in Lincoln

grew up in a place called Formby, Merseyside

my first house was in Bolton

then we lived in a small village in west Lancashire before moving to the east Midlands

4 tv programmes

Have to admit, we don't watch much television these days, the one programme that I do sit down to see is Lost. Also love The Office (UK version), and The IT Crowd

I think my favorite programme of all time has to be The Good Life

4 radio programmes

I don't listen to the radio much either, I do however, listen to a lot of craft podcasts, love to have them on in the background when sewing

4 favorite foods

now, this is tricky as I love my food, I love all food, it's probably easier to tell you what I don't like, rice pudding, beetroot, oranges and anything with aniseed in it!

4 places I'd rather be

There isn't really anywhere I'd rather be than where I am now, although, Mr LK is off to New York on monday, I would love to be going with him.  Maybe one day...?!

Rather than tag anyone else as I'm pretty sure this meme has pretty much done the rounds, perhaps you can give me some ideas for a New York shopping list, what should I get him to bring back for me?!

Thank you for all your well wishes, am feeling much better.  Next project is to finish off a very special 'wip' for a 'vip' (my mother-in-law!)

Right first time...?

errrrrr... no!

It's very rare for any of the softie's that I make when working on a new pattern go right first time.  But I don't have a problem with that, I'm human, I make (lots of) mistakes!.

This is the fox I mentioned in this post, 

It's not finished, but I've stopped because he's just not quite right.  The design needs tweaking and I'm not convinced with my fabric choices either.

So off he goes, back to the drawing board.  And just to show you how often this kind of thing happens, here's a whole drawer full of 'not quite rights'!

I can't remember where I came across the link to this, but I love this idea.  It's a collaborative blog totally dedicated to handmade mishaps, Craft-Fail.  I think I'm going to have to join, I'd feel right at home there!

So, come on, fess up your handmade disasters!, and have a happy easter.  This is my favorite holiday, it involves chocolate, yum!

Sewing and shopping, shopping and sewing...

I have been out of action for a few days, a bad (and my first ever!) bout of tonsillitis added to the school holidays have led to a bit of a craft shutdown. So last night, I decided I needed something to get me back on track, so began making something to enter in the Softie Awards,

After a quick trawl through all my images on Flickr, I decided that as this cat has proved popular, (it's been favorited by 67 people!), that was the pattern I would work from, plus I have a felted jumper in a really soft pink, which I've been dying to cut into when the right project came along.  It's not finished yet, but I'm hoping to get my entry in before the weekend.

Luckily, my credit card hasn't been affected by illness, and I did start to get a few deliveries of things I ordered last week,

lovely new books and embroidery thread,

and some pattern booklets and a rather lovely Elephant kit from Sewing Stars and Wee Wonderfuls.

If that little lot doesn't inspire me to get back to crafting, I don't know what will!!

The apple never falls...,

...very far from the tree, does it?!

I haven't shown you this yet.  This is what Lucy made me for Mother's Day a few weeks back, all by herself, even the box.

What a sweetie!

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Thank you for all the suggestions on my last post, loads of ideas and fantastic links in amongst the comments!


ps, I'm giving Disqus a try for comments, please do let me know if you have an problems using it.

Brown cap,

All 4 Toadstools finished and off to the London Book Fair.

Thank you for all the fabric feedback, I've found some suitable prints which are on their way, yay!

Next stop, is Blog Book Tour.  Coming up soon, will be posting the list of where and when shortly but there are 2 weeks worth of interviews, reviews, giveaways and new tutorials to look forward to.  While others are chilling and chocolate eating over Easter, I'm going to be busy, busy busy!