I’ve started making up some cushions for the v.stylish antique shop down the road – they seem to have this never-ending treasure trove of vintage fabric which they sell to discerning customers for soft furnishings generally. Style-de-jour is the loose-woven linen sack material so sought after at the moment, and a customer needed a couple of cushions made up at short notice, so here they are. Three antique French buttons (of course) close the back, and I’ve overlocked the edges to prevent fraying.

I’m using a similar fabric to upholster my chair (on which the cushions are so stylishly modelled ahem) but have only just reached the fabric bit, so it was good to try it out on something smaller first. It’s quite tough and slubby at times, but so hard-wearing and forgiving when it comes to a household full of cats, dogs, 2-year-olds … at least that’s what I’m hoping.

As you can see I’m still totally uninspired when it comes to titles for these posts … I’m starting a new regime of say what you see, no clever trying to be funny business.

So, having discovered the wonderful world of Marimekko fabric (better late than never) swiftly followed by an offcuts spending spree on Ebay, I was left with the small problem of what to actually do with them all. I decided to use scraps as backing on some of my small embroidery projects, including the Jura deer (see entry below), which reminded me that I need to polish my act up when it comes to presentation. So I printed out some small labels using printable fabric sheets (yes I know you can print your own fabric on a laserjet using freezer paper but my attempts have all led to a massive printer jam), gathered up the top with dishwasher cotton and hey presto. Pretty sweet huh? At least my Christmas pressies will look marginally more impressive this year (marginally being the operative word).

I finally got around to making a little something for those lovely people at Ardlussa on Jura who helped us out when our car got stuck in a muddy field. Went off in search of help with the little fella in tow, leaving the big fella behind me swearing like a trooper, when round the corner arrived our goddess saviour with kiddies in tow and one on the way. Since Jura’s nickname is ‘The Island of Deer’, I thought this might be appropriate … a small stuffed embroidered deer for the new arrival. Also just happens to be a good way of carrying on my Doodle stitch odyssey.

It felt like a really nice, compact and tactile thing and I’ve got a few similar animal projects in mind currently keeping me awake at night.

Still enjoying the delights of embroidery at the moment, and in my quieter moments in the shop I’m managing to sort some little presents out. A friend’s getting married next week so I’ve made them this little momento pillow, stuffed with lavender. The theme’s meant to be seeds, putting down roots – geddit? Not really sure what earthly use it is to them, but I had a lot of fun doing it!

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)

Announcing the arrival of a new toy into Lucas’ world … this is what I’ve been doing with my quiet time in the shop! Inspired by Charlotte Gainsbourg’s character Stephanie in Michel Gondry’s ‘The Science of Sleep’ (along with a million other crafters judging by the blogs out there) I got to work making up a pattern for this soft toy horse … in my dreams it gallops free through Lucas’ bedroom.

The mane and tail are made out of dishcloth cotton (a revelation, I love this stuff!), the body’s made from some ticking I had lying around, buttons for eyes and a saddle made out of red felt which I machine embroidered round the edge … et voila. Lucas loves carrying it round the house by the mane and so far it hasn’t fallen apart – I built it tough.  The face and tummy have inbuilt gussets which gives it a bit more dimension and means it can stand up in a wobbly way.

Loving these sewing patterns straight from the US company Folkwear, particularly the storybook illustrations by Gretchen Shields. The Edwardian intimacies and the Poet’s Blouse made me chuckle, I might even give them a go (although I’m not sure they’d look so good with me for a model).

The story of the company’s an interesting one – started in the mid-’70s by three Californian women, sold to a corporate in the ’80s which helped to develop and re-instate the patterns, and is now independently owned by women again. Long may they continue!

Just got a great book from Amazon called Doodle Stitching and it’s inspired me to pick up thread and hoop again.

There’s something quite liberating about this book and it takes the stuffiness out of embroidery – nothing radical here really, the stitches are all the usual ones, but it’s nice for a change to see some loose application rather than the tight, intricate, old lady colours and detail usually associated with the craft. I’m thinking of combining some embroidery patches into a quilt for the spare room and kill two birds with one stone … hmm, let’s see if I get round to that one.

Mind you, I’m working in a lovely shop a couple of days a week now which, whilst doing very well, has some very quiet moments so I can crouch behind the counter and sew till my heart’s content. I’d be pretty dumb to waste that opportunity. You’d think?

Patchwork quilting is a craft I’ve never really attempted but I keep coming back to have another look at it to see if there’s something there for me … I’m not so keen on the traditional American patchwork patterns and if I’m honest the patience/time factor has always put me off (I want everything finished NOW!). Then I stumbled across Betsey Telford’s Rocky Mountain quilts (bear with me) on Google the other day. She’s a quilter based in Maine, US – don’t be put off by the trad title and picture of lady (presumably Betsey herself) with suitably soppy dog. Her ‘Christmas’ designs are pretty inspiring with some lovely details and bold designs and have set me off thinking about a long-term project that I could keep buzzing along in the background when I get bored with my quick fixes.

I love this kiddy’s quilt – deceptively simple but bold and effective.

Check out the prices too – worth every penny I’m sure with the amount of time and care that goes into them, but it’s another element that makes me think it’s worth taking on the challenge …

So the little fella (Mr W Jnr) has finally settled into nursery 2 days a week and the lovely staff look a lot more relaxed when I turn up now, rather than the tense wary looks they seemed to wear when I arrived or left with a wailing ball of upset.

They’re having an Xmas dress-up day on Tuesday so I thought I’d be a good parent, a good craftswoman and a good recycler all in one and bodge something together in the minimum of time … et voila!

Trousers and hat started life as a hooded zip-up thingy … I cut off the arms and sewed them into trousers and the hat was made out of the back of the thingy with the bottom rib as the hat cuff (I know I know, it would’ve been easier to cut up the hood, but I tried that and cut it too small – he’s got such a big bonce!).

I knitted the cardi before he was born … it’s a bit small for him now but I managed to squeeze his podgy little form into it. He hasn’t worn it much really, but I knew it’d come in useful sooner or later!

P.S. I guess it was inevitable really but we pitched up at nursery all proud and excited … and no-one else had bothered, bar a small boy in what appeared to be a Ninja Turtle outfit. Oh well, Lucaberry loved his hat and wouldn’t take it off all day apparently so it was all worth it.