And so it begins XD

My book arrived on Saturday!

But not before I'd already whipped up a few sketches...

First proper sketches for years... felt a bit rusty :/

These designs aren't exactly by me... They're based on dresses I've seen in magazines and on the net over the years, my favourite being the one on the top left based on a dress worn by Scarlett Johansson. If you've been paying attention to my last few posts, you may have noticed that the middle one is a kind of short version of my wedding dress :D Which leads me onto the next sketch...

<3 my favourite so far <3

Again, if you read the previous post, the above dress may look a little familiar. Its kind of a new version of the bridesmaid dress design. As I mentioned before, I wasn't entirely happy with the way the outfits turned out...

So, what better opportunity to put it right! 

This time I've gone for a kind of pencil skirt rather than the A line look. Also I've included a little cap sleeve (hoping they'll help balance out my generous derriere!) and possibly a kind of kick pleat in the back.

I'm really happy with this design... Think its going to be the one I make! Arrrgh! (Excited scream)

Now I'm thinking about the type of fabric, what colour it should be, the construction methods... 

And SHOES!! :D

Kind of scared too, its going to be much more difficult than anything else I've made. I've never done many of the techniques I'll probably have to use. Also the fabric will most likely be very different to the ones I'm used to... 

I say that as though I'm an experienced stitcher! lol 

Most of the time I just turn up peoples jeans! Hahaha

The Party Dress

I know its only May, but at work we've already been planning for the festive season! The Christmas Party has been booked and I've had to decide whether or not to go!

OK this may not seem a big deal to you, but for me it is. Mainly because if I do go, I will go a whole day without seeing my kids. :'(

But, they are getting older now and I'm sure they/I will survive the time apart...

And so, I have decided to go :D

Yesterday I let the folks at work know. The instant the little message appeared saying the text had been sent, a new issue hit me... 

"WHAT AM I GOING TO WEAR?!?!?!"

This question also sparked something else in me...

A desire I've been suppressing for too many years to mention...

An opportunity too good to miss!

"FASHION A FABULOUS FROCK*!!"

And so I have ordered a book The Party Dress by Simon Henry. I've had my eye on it for a while, so this is a perfect excuse :D

I already have a few designs in mind... watch this space! ;)

* Incidentally I hate the word frock... sounds so old fashioned and boring, I was just going for some alliteration!

Looking forward to tomorrow!

December tomorrow!!

I'm so excited for Christmas this year. It is Shoshone's second Christmas, but her first where she will have any kind of interest, and Wiyot is at now at the age where he really know's what's going on. He's currently working on his handwriting so that he can do his letter to Santa :D

I can't wait to watch Christmas movies with them this year, decorate the house, play in the snow, go Christmas shopping, see family and friends... And I really can't wait to start logging it all in my December Daily! I'm actually contemplating extending it on to 1st January as my family usually come over for New Years Eve. The following day is the end of the Christmas period for us, so seems appropriate to end the book then... I'll have to see how I get on with the other days first though! 

On the same subject, I still haven't got the printer problem sorted out, so will be a work in progress thing! I got a few ideas of how to get round it though... As for the bindings, I'm just going to leave it till its finished and can see how big it is! The same goes for the cover.

I started knitting a little cardigan for Shoshone on Sunday. I bought the yarn after finishing the red hooded jacket the other week, but have only just started knitting with it :/

It's a pattern from the same book and is like a little bolero style cardigan. For the first time I bought the Debbie Bliss yarn as specified in the pattern, but in a different shade. I usually buy something cheeper as the Debbie Bliss ones are so expensive. For this pattern I needed 4 balls of yarn, costing just under £20...

I could buy I cardigan for that much!!! (I'm a cheep skate I know!) 

But I figured I could do it as a kind of Christmas gift for her and I really wanted to try using the DB yarn as it is so beautifully soft! 

Being rather pricey, thought I'd make the most of the experience :D

Well best go get knitting... especially if I'm going to finish it in time :/

Sending DH into the loft in later to retrieve the advent calendars :D

Roll on December!!!

Hmmm....

So for the last few days I've been kind of working on my December Daily. It was going quite well, I'd decided upon a page layout, chosen some fonts that I liked, cut my pages to size...

But today it all seems to have gone wrong >:(

I got all ready to print my layout, only to find that apparently my printer doesn't like printing on card. Humph!

Looks like I'll be thinking up a new layout now... Unless DH can coax the printer into doing what I want!

My other conundrum is how to bind the thing when its done. Seems a lot of people use book rings as the completed project is rather large. However, everywhere seems to be out of stock though at the moment :/ Another option would be to use my Bind-It-All but I'm not sure they do wires big enough for the completed project...

So for now at least, my December Daily consists of 25 sheets of unpunched card.... Woohoo!

December Daily!

OK so I'm gonna make a post so that I can't back out!!

I've been having a nose around on other peoples blogs, and noticed that some of the scrapbookers out there are doing whats called a December Daily. For anyone not in the know, like me a couple of days ago, its exactly what the name suggests; a scrapbook where a page is done each day leading up to Christmas Day. You can read about it in more depth at Ali Edwards site.

Well as I've looked into it I'm feeling very inspired to do my own. I like the idea of each page being based around the same layout. So today I've spent some time working on my template. It's not finished yet, but I think I've decided on what I'm going to do. Then I just need to cut the pages to size, print them out and make the cover. Also at some point I'll need to figure out a way to bind it all together :/ Oh well there's time to worry about that later!

Well, thats all for now.

TTFN

Sewing / crafting spot!

HEEELLLLOOOO!!!!

Is anyone still there??? 

Ok, so its been a while... well ok, its been AGES! But I'm back now and hopefully will be able to keep up this blogging stuff more regular!

So, although I've not posted anything, I've still been making stuff... Superhero costumes, cards, cardigans, a dress, various alterations and quite possibly other stuff that I can't think of right now!

This post is not concerning one of those makes, rather the birth of my new crafty corner :D 

It's not called that... at least I don't think it is? It's just a corner of our living room that I have decided to use for my hobbies. It's not done yet, just put my sewing machine on the sideboard and declared it to be mine! I'm hoping that in time it will be a beautiful workspace, inspirational yet practical, something comparable to spaces I've seen on other blogs and in magazines... just google "craft room ideas" and you'll get the impression of what I'm after. Here is a link to a blog, with many different tips and ideas, check out the link at the bottom of the page to "Beautiful Craft Rooms." I love Connies Idea of desplaying her scrapbook layouts...

I seriously doubt my space will be anywhere near as elaborate as these, for one it still has to fit in with our lounge... but still some lovely ideas. I especially love the look of all the ribbons on rods, the colourful yarns and threads in storage jars and all the pretty folded fabrics waiting to be used... Ah just dreaming of my potential future workspace is making me feel creative! 

Well I'm off now, but hopefully will be back soon to share some of my 2010 makes...

TTFN x

Crystal Ball

Since I've been blogging I've been hearing the call of future projects...

I confessed on my last post that I shop on QVC, generally I try to stay away as I usually end up buying something if I watch a show or browse their site... especially if its related to paper craft, candles or household helpers. So I haven't gone near QVC for some time... Until a few weeks ago I got a email from them, can't remember what about, but I had a lapse in judgement and linked to the site. Well I am now the proud owner of a lovely set of scrapbook papers!

They will be perfect for my Shoshone scrapbook... if and when I get round to it! I also got a set of tools, but didn't take a pic of those... Included a all in one anywhere hole punch and setting tool (plus a mini craft mat and storage tin), a edge distresser, sand paper, a piercing tool and a photo album almost of ideas.

Another future project was recently forced upon me... Tragic I know!

I currently have two knitting bags... I made one from a pair of trousers that no longer fitted and the zip had broken making them unsuitable for the charity bag. That one currently provides a home to my yarn, needles and projects that are not currently in use. When I returned to work after my maternity leave I decided the trouser bag was too big to take on the bus so went back to my old knitting bag, which is just an old paper gift bag... It had been doing pretty well really, going strong for probably 4 years now, until a recent trip to the in-laws. As usual I'd been knitting as we drove to Wolverhampton, I got out of the car, picked up my bag and my knitting hit the drive having fallen through the bottom of the bag :-(

I now had two options...

1. Replace the bag with another gift bag of equal size (I'd just received a fab one from my friend Jen, red with white polka dots, proper Minnie Mouse bag!!)
2. Make a new one :-D

This one is to be a bus and work friendly knitting bag. Preferably waterproof, so doesn't get itself or my current project ruined on a rainy day or wet floor of bus, and also of a smallish size so can fit in my locker at work (promise I'll use my lock Jen! xx). So have decided to make the bag out of oilcloth... never worked with it before, but hopefully will turn out ok! Inspired by option 1 above, this is the fabric I have purchased :-)

Now I just need to come up with a pattern and hopefully have the heart to cut into my new gorgeous fabric!