Lampshade making!

Thanks for all the lovely comments about the felted bowl! I kind of need touch-a-vision added to this blog too as although it holds its shape really well the wool roving is so so soft.

So back to the weekend and after wandering around Olympia with a soggy felted bowl in my bag, spying far too many goodies to buy, seeing far too many other crafts that look exciting to do, having a bite to eat at the most expensive snack stand ever and meeting and chatting with new people it was time for another workshop! Yay!
The "Make your own Lampshade" workshop was being run in conjunction with Prima magazine and taught by Elizabeth Cake who was great. It was an intensive 1 hour workshop which flew by really quickly!
The basic tools ~

Lots of cutting and sticking ~

 A bit of rolling and more sticking ~

 And hey presto we have light, well kind of!

Felted bowls

Last weekend at the Spring Knitting and Stitching Show I was lucky enough to take part in two fantastic workshops which really got my crafty mojo going again! Normally due to last minute decisions on booking tickets I'm too late to get onto any workshops but this time around I was organised and I'm really pleased that I was as I had so much fun.
I'm loving my new felted bowl!!

I've done flat wet felting many times but have never managed to take the time or learn about felting shapes or in 3D but I feel that I'm going to be hooked on making these.

The majority of the bowl was completed in 2 hours and after wandering around the rest of the show with a slightly soggy bowl in my bag came home to re felt it slightly and let it dry and voila a cute little bowl!!

Second workshop well you'll just have to come back tomorrow!!

Linking up with Plum and June and Simply Miss Luella Lets Get Acquainted!!

Still here!

Day job is hectic hence the extreme lack of posts!!
Sadly I have not touched the sewing machine since the start of the New Year but last weekend I felt as if my crafty mojo was back from its long vacation!!
Here's a little recap .....

Also as it's goodbye to Google Reader it's hello to Bloglovin!!
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Something new

Now I'm not a knitter (well not really), I can cast on and do a knit and purl stitch but that is it! I have never followed a pattern as they look too scary and have only ever knit a couple of straight scarves, so in an attempt to try new things in 2013 this is my current plan ~

Circular knitting!!
I'm so thankful for the beginners videos on You Tube that make casting on and not twisting the work seem less daunting.
Hopefully this will turn into a cowl, getting there slowly! Fingers crossed.

Found the photo!

Yay! Found the photo of the other drawstring bag on my phone!! This version is a great size!

Great pattern and my favourite tool!

A while ago I finally got around to purchasing Jeni's from In Color Order Lined Drawstring Bag pattern. I'd seen so many great versions being  made I had to give it ago myself! I was not disappointed! It's a really good, easy pattern to follow and was quick to buy as a PDF file. Having made a couple (although I can't find the photo of the larger version I made as a Christmas pressie!!) I can see that these are going to be very addictive to make.

Making the bag also allowed me to use my amazing "That Purple Thang" gadget!

I love this tool, use it for so many different things when sewing and it made adding the drawstring so easy, plus it's purple one of my fave colours!! I like to be colour co ordinated when I'm sewing!

This was my first attempt at the drawstring bag that I made for the Secret Santa Soiree swap ~

Quilt Bee catch up

Yay I'm finally up to date with my quilt Bee "Bee Europa" blocks after Christmas crept up too quickly and I fell behind and felt very guilty but now even January's block is done and in the post!!
For any newbies to quilting I would definitely suggest joining a Quilt Bee! Here are a few of my own personal reasons that will hopefully encourage some of you out there to join in the fun!!

• It's a great way to get know other talented and like minded people, you may even get the chance to meet them in person as I did at the Fat Quarterly retreat which was so much fun!
• It really has helped develop my quilting knowledge and skill by making blocks that I would have otherwise not have tried.
• I have discovered an amazing array of wonderful blogs and tutorial sites that have inspired me greatly.
• I have been able to work with some wonderful fabrics that I never get to see in the shops near me and from actually seeing these in person I felt more comfortable when buying them on line without being to see and feel them first!  
• Finally when it is your month and all your blocks are back you have a wonderful range of blocks ready to be made into a quilt!! (As yet mine are still blocks - a quilt/s is on my to do list for 2013!) For the few years that I have been taking part in quilt bees I usually went with a set block so each finished block is the same but I have loved it when we have been given a bit more free choice and the recipient gets back a range of personal blocks, something I think I might try in the future!

So go on what are you waiting for!? Best place to start is Flickr, that is where I found my Bee.
Here are my recent blocks:

October block, paper piecing letters, great video tutorial here:

November block, mini bow tie, great tutorial here:

December block, Wonky Star, really easy to follow tutorial here:

January block, Mod Mosaic, great tutorial with really helpful photos here:

That's it for the Quilt Bee catch up, also linking up with:

 

Looking back to look forward!

I hadn't planned on doing a review of last year, especially seeing everyone else's amazing amount of finishes for 2012 and also my initial thinking being that work overtook most of my so called "sewing time" but looking through my photos I am quite pleasantly surprised, somewhat shocked with what I did accomplish in 2012! Here are a few ~

Some of my highlights/faves ~
My Amy Butler Cosmo bag
Attending the Fat Quarterly Retreat
Learning how to make a metal frame purse
The friends made through Quilting Bees
My goals for 2013?? Still thinking about them!

Secret Santa Soiree 2012

I really didn't want to post about Santa at the start of the New Year so luckily all swap parcels have been sent and received so here we go with a few hours left of 2012!!!
This was my first year taking part in the Secret Santa Soiree organised by Suzanne at Colorodolady and I would definitely take part in or organise something like this again as it was so much fun!!
After a short time of trying to get to know my secret partner without leaving too many comments or liking too many photos I put together a parcel that included a mixture of fabric, shop bought goodies, hand made treats and of course chocolate! The parcel had a long way to go and I was somewhat impressed with the Royal Mail that the parcel actually arrived before Christmas! Little did I know that when it arrived on the shores of New Zealand it would be the hottest day they have had and therefore the chocolate was a little worse for wear!! Fortunately to say that my partner Michell managed to salvage the treats and everything else arrived safely!!

A few days after my trip to the post office a parcel arrived for me - in a huge box!! Boy was I spoilt!
I couldn't wait until Christmas so after a hard day at work this was a lovely treat to come home to. It was also quite funny that my secret Santa was Pip whom I met at the Fat Quarterly retreat this year!! (and will be seeing again in 29 weeks!!!!)
Just look at all these goodies!! I was/am overwhelmed by Pip's generosity - thanks mate!!!

 Gorgeous fabrics, yummy goodies, a new pen for quilty things, notebook, a cute mug ....

 Gorgeous scarf, more yummy goodies, wonderful felt box, Lu Summers tape (!!!!) and cute little Santa's!!

Think I might need to organise some kind of Seasons swap!? Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall? Any takers!?
Right off to see if I can stay awake til the wee hours of 2013!!!

Merry belated Christmas!

So yes it is Friday the 28th of December, and some of you may have taken down the tree and decorations but I'm only 3 days late and I put it down to still having this horrible bug, but Merry belated Christmas!!

Hoping everyone had a lovely time with friends, family and lots of treats!

December

Not long to go til Christmas and the feeling of not being prepared is slowly coming over me!! For the past 5 days Lemsip, Vicks, tissues and my bed have been my favourite companion!! Come on cold I'm soooo over you now!!!
I have received some lovely mail which has cheered me up (which I will get round to posting about!) but for now here are some other buddies that are keeping me happy!

A little bit of creativity

So I got a little bit creative at the weekend! Nothing too mad but in an attempt to kick start the crafty mojo this was nice and easy.  One step closer to getting the sewing machine back out again!!

I recently purchased a set of Martha Stewart chalkboard labels at Staples and was then waiting eagerly for a nice, white and crisp chalk pen to arrive that I bought off e Bay. I decided to try out a chalk pen rather than the old fashioned normal chalk as I'm left handed and whenever I've used chalk in the past I just smudge it too easily. The pen is great! It dries very quickly, does not smudge and is easily removed with a damp cloth. Would definitely recommend!
Not great photos I know but at the moment I seem to be living through Instagram!!!

The best thing about these labels? They are re positionable and reusable so if you (OK me!) don't get it right the first time just try again!

Martha Stewart @ Staples!!

So I finally managed to make a trip to Staples to have a look at the new range of Martha Stewart Home Office goodies and boy was I in for a treat! Loving the range and the assortment of labels, notebooks and files and gorgeous colours.
Now I could open my own stationary store with all the note books, pens, files etc I have stashed away but I can never resist buying more!! However tempted I was I did however resist and only came away with a couple of items!!

Goings on

Not too many crafty / sewing goings on around here!!
I'm hoping to have time this weekend to catch up on my Bee blocks and a few other projects that are being stored in my mind at the moment!!
I have however signed up to a really exciting swap over at Coloradolady:

 

Off to stalk my partner and start writing my shopping list!!