Lily's quilt...

During the summer I made this very cute and cosy quilt for a friends little girl. My friend had lovingly kept all Lily’s favourite clothes, first birthday dress, favourite tees, baby grows that had been hand printed by friends, clothes that family and friends had brought and of course one's that just hold special memories!

Carefully and sadly I cut them all up! And this is how it turned out! Hopefully a quilt that will grow with Lily and one that she can cwtch up, have stories with granny under, play with her little brother on and even make dens with. But most of all to snuggle off to sleep under and know that her Mummy and Daddy will always love her!

Well after a great response I have been asked to make another one for little Lily’s best friend Ocean!... So the squares are all cut and sewed to together... exciting times… I can’t wait to show Ocean’s Mum next time I’m home.

But here is a few cute pictures of Lily and her quilt! I will take more pictures of the next one...

My Mum was a very talented quilter and used to make amazingly detailed quilts, many, which I have in the flat. I love the way that they all hold different memories and each is a great work of colour in its own right. It feels nice to be continuing the craft, just in my own way… this is Mum and I under one of many quilts being quilted over the years.

My creative side…

Since I have started my new job I feel like I am not using my creative head. I do a ‘creative’ job but I just don’t feel like it is ticking my creative boxes… I am the girl that sits in cafes doodling people or gets excited about an old warn leather chair. I can’t sit and watch the telly without doodling or making something!

I have three sewing machines, two knitting machines and an over locker that generally one of them is involved in one or another project! I buy clothes that I think ‘oooh’ that would be a good shape to copy to make a dress from. I get bored with my cushions and then in the spear of the moment decide to churn out a whole new range that evening…often ending up going to bed in the early hours covered in bits of thread, but happy that I have made them my self!

I come from a family where we do it ourselves, whether it is pumping a bathroom, converting a house or making beautiful quilts, even making a dog feeder powered by twitter…yes we are a family of do it yourself!

So even though I have my little projects on the go all the time, I feel like I need to do something! I’m torn between two evening classes Life drawing or pottery…They both are completely different and I used to love life drawing back at art college, and I always think if you can draw the body and get proportions right it should help you with your general drawing. 

But then how lovely would it be to have random homemade pots about the house. My Dad used to make a lot ceramic bits when he was in college and so we have them about the place at home. I like the fact that you will not find another one like it. When I was little we used to have a potters wheel in the garden shed, maybe this is me just wanting to get my hands dirty and make something new?

Well I have to wait till after the New Year to try and see if there are any spaces left but fingers crossed! It could also be a great way to meet new people?

Home sick...

I still can’t believe I have only been away for just under 3 months, but oh how I miss the beach and Pembrokeshire! 

The beach was part of my daily routine, taking Teal down for a walk or just going to clear my head and think, even chilling out with friends when the sun actually decided to shine…but the beach and ‘home’ will always be there.

I believe strongly that a home is about the people not the bricks of the house. So even if my Dad ever moves I know his new house will still be the place I call home. Is it the hug you get as you walk through the door? Is it the smell of the place? Or is it just the way we can totally be ourselves and how the people around us know us and love us, no matter what mood we are in or if we are having a bad day? Maybe it is just the memories that it holds?? Who knows, but one thing I know is there is nothing better than going home for the weekend!!

I’ve booked a long weekend off in a couple of weeks time to go home. Just chill out, see good friends and just enjoy Pembrokeshire … chilled relaxed pubs and the cold beach. Yes… I’m super doopa home sick!  I’m silly I know and I need to man up!!

A few pictures of beautiful Pembs, the place I call home!

Pretty place hey!

Wrapping paper...

It’s funny how every present I unwrapped this morning, I first studied the wrapping paper design. I guess the designer inside me is always there even on Christmas day! There are so many nice wrapping paper designs out there, they are just hiding amongst the piles and piles of cheap nasty tacky stuff! So, this morning I took some pic's... I can not decide if it’s the modern one’s or if it’s the ones that use the traditional Christmas imagery in a new way that are the best. But my favourite has to be the mistletoe wrap, there is something a bit romantic and Christmassy about it!

It's so simple but I think its lovely...

A different berry number!  I think I may do the berry route next year?

Below a few more berry gift wraps... some classic and a modern red mistletoe number.

There is something lovely about wrapping pressies weather it's for Christmas or birthdays. Covering up that gift, that you have put time and effort into choosing and a creating a surprise secret gift! When wrapping presents I am normally more about the paper design and I forget about the ribbon or tags (maybe I will learn for next year, who know?!)

How cute is this star ribbon tie? I think it would possibly stand out more if it was used with a plain coloured paper, even for birthdays if it was used with a bold plain colour?

I love the how simple this is with the brown paper and cute tags, especially with the fun text tags. They would be cute for a couple who don't want to be all overly lovely dovey... Maybe all couples are gushy at christmas but I think these are cool!  www.botanicalpaperworks.com

Typography is always a fun way of keeping gift wrapping fresh take a peek at this wrap I had today. Its so simple but the mix of colours and bold font just made it really seasonal. Often christmas images such as Santa, Reindeers and stockings are made to look young and childish, maybe typography is the new trend coming through in gift wrap? This made me think about how type can be used on its own...

Simple and fun for all ages and both sex's!

Could be a fun way of keeping people entertained while waiting for other guests to arrive? I would be pretty tempted to start circling different words while wrapping up my gifts to!...maybe this should be left for the person who recieves the present? Maybe it could be a way of giving them a tiny clue as to what is inside the present? It could be fun way to personalise a gift, if you printed your own paper.

How fab is this!! This wrapping paper should be used by a number of men out there!

Its from a company called... indiogoelephant (notonthehighstreet.com)

This potato printing wrap reminds me of being little and making our own wrapping. The lovely handmade random patterns and fun element, if i had seen this in the shops I definetly would have been tempted to buy after all isnt christmas all about children?! The bottom left gift bag is from Sainsbury's, it's so clean and fresh and I love the use of pink with the typical red and blue. Saying that though its definetly a gift wrap that you would only use for girls! (Definetly not one for smelly boys.) The colours are also very similar to the colours used in my cousins collections of christmas gift wrap...

www.allihopa.co.uk

I love this look for wrapping presents to but I can never find newspaper that isn’t covered in terrible pictures or articles you really don’t want to be sat under the Christmas tree...these people seam to have found nice paper with just text. Especially when its teamed up with coloured ribbon...

Well lots of ideas for birthdays and next year! Merry Christmas Everyone!

Father Christmas is comming!!

So its Christmas Eve, I cant believe how quick it has come round! This time last year I wasn’t really ready to deal with Christmas, yes it was my second Christmas without Mum but it was probably the hardest.

But this year is different, I found out at the last minute on Friday that I can take today off work and have an extra day at home… so needless to say I am over the moon!!

This morning has been spent prepping veg and sorting everything out for Christmas dinner…that I am cooking for 8! But I love cooking and it is probably best for me to stay busy, I guess the mind doesn’t have time to think about things then.

So the carrots, parsnips and potato’s are peeled, sprouts are cleaned, sewed is cooked and mashed… cauliflower is chopped, leeks are cooked and ready to be baked in my yummy cheesy sauce!!... Is this is a big welsh thing? Or does everyone else feel there is something missing if they have a Sunday lunch with out cheesy creamy leeks?

Pigs in blankets wrapped, red cabbage is done, ham cooked in honey and mustard, bread sauce made, just the turkey and pork left to sort tomorrow.

As we had 8 people coming from different sides of the family I thought maybe I should do a table plan… place names. Especially as I wanted a seat at the end of the table, with easy access to the kitchen. So while watching ‘The Snowman and the snow dog’, I got a bit of inspiration and made these little guys… (Everyone in my family knows I cannot sit in front of the telly and do nothing!!)

All ready for Father Christmas...

Well its been a productive day, I hope you have all been good this year and that Father Christmas comes!! X