Drop by and see what I'm working on at the moment!
Toy Car Launcher
Yes that’s right, it launches cars. Go on, the weekend’s not over yet, this would really make you feel like you’d done something cool with your time instead of wasting it spending time outdoors having fun with your family and friends, building happy memories. All that stuff’s over-rated.
You know you want to … instructions to make one here.
Well things have been getting just a bit too twee down here in Tweeshire … a year after moving from the big smoke and I’ve swallowed the whole ’so much for the city’ tagline, jam making and all, but now I need to mix it up a bit. So I’m going to add a bit of macabre into the melee. This small pair of antlers just called out to me today from the junkshop window down the road (and speaking as an ex-vegetarian of 15 years I tried to ignore it but failed).
I think death never seems nearer than when you’re in the countryside - you’re closer to all that cyclical thing of stuff dying and re-growing (or, if it’s unlucky enough, being eaten). Hence the start of what I hope to be a small collection of what I’m calling rural gothic. I’ve got a sewing project mumbling to me over my shoulder based on the theme so I might even do something about it if it decides to speak up a bit louder please.
I never knew I had such a thing about buttons, but apparently I have … for this week anyway. My mother-in-law has very kindly donated me her own mother’s button collection and as a bonus, check out the gorgeous tin they’re in! Looks like a hat box non? Well you’re wrong, it once contained 7lbs of Batger’s (Leading Confectioners since 1748 apparently) Jersey Toffees - SEVEN POUNDS! Perhaps the buttons were collected for adjusting the formidable lady’s waistbands once the contents had been consumed? Anyway, many thanks to Mrs W for passing it onto me, I shall treasure it dearly.
God it’s official, I’m a craft geek. Found myself in a quilting shop in the Needlemakers last week getting all hot and bothered about buttons, of all things. Half an hour later and a few quid lighter I was still sufficiently excited about the whole experience to take a picture of purchased buttons and write a post about them - AREN’T THEY GREAT? Put it down to retail euphoria …
Wow, an imaginative, creative and yet useful promo download from a commercial website for once … in a tribute to the blonde icy legend, Hermes have got a ‘Download Your Kelly‘ section on their website where you can choose a cutout handbag design, print it, fold it, glue it et voila. I’m thinking with a bit of trickery these could be printed onto fabric for a beautiful and more permanent solution … okay on my printer it would only be A4 size, but big enough to keep my make-up in right? (only just)
What better way to hail the start of summer than building a good old Sussex trug to store all that garden produce in. I went on this great course last week organised by Plumpton College at the Netherfield Centre, where they show you how to build a trug from start to finish. I’ve been laughing about it with friends since I booked it … it’s like I’ve picked the most obscure course I could find, and I’ll admit to a brief ‘what was I thinking of?’ moment when I entered the barn at 10am last Friday, but I can’t recommend it enough! Lovely way to spend the day, really meditative as you wittle away at the willow and build the shape. It helped that we had a fantastic tutor, a real craftsman who takes great pride in what he does, loves keeping his craft alive, and hasn’t even hit 40 yet.
Now if I could just stop those damn slugs from eating my tomato plants, I might have something to put in it - you didn’t think that was all homegrown in the photo did you?
![Sirdar \](http://www.skiffvintageknittingpatterns.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/wpsc/product_images/thumbnails/thumb-363.jpg "Sirdar \")
![Easily Made \](http://www.skiffvintageknittingpatterns.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/wpsc/product_images/thumbnails/thumb-362.jpg "Easily Made \")
![Emu \](http://www.skiffvintageknittingpatterns.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/wpsc/product_images/thumbnails/thumb-361.jpg "Emu \")
![Greenock \](http://www.skiffvintageknittingpatterns.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/wpsc/product_images/thumbnails/thumb-360.jpg "Greenock \")