Autumn Makes

As usual my good intentions to post fortnightly, or even monthly, seem to have gone to pot and I have no idea how we have got to November so quickly!

If there's anyone still out there following me, then a big "hello"!!! Hope you are well!

 fabric covered baubles

Life is one big rush at the moment and I seem to exist in a continual state of being surrounded by works in progress, getting ready for festive fairs and keeping my space at The Loft Room in Brenchley, Kent, looking enticing!

So today I'm sharing with you some of the goodies I've been making these last few months, and I'm sorry to say they are mostly Christmas things so look away now if you don't want to be reminded yet!

 felt reindeer with embroidered saddles

 felt wool hearts with snowflakes

 patchwork tree hangers

 

 aprons from a vintage pattern

 hessian and vintage wool robins

 french style calico bags with vintage ribbon

 Annie Sloan painted cabinet for customer, shown with calico bags

hessian bookmarks

french lavender filled vintage fabric hearts and antique grain sack cushion

Phew! 

Back in September we had a wonderful week in the Yorkshire Dales with lots of walks through the beautiful countryside, and I feel like I could do with another peaceful week there right now after all this sewing!

But with only a few weeks to go now until I attend the first of the festive fairs, the three day Wealden Times Midwinter Fair at Bedgebury in Kent, it's back to sewing, sewing and more sewing!

Summer Round Up

As usual it's been ages since my last post.....once again I don't know where the weeks go, but anyway, here I am!

I hope everyone is well and enjoying the summer holidays.

We have been pretty lucky with sunshine and dry days here in our part of Kent for the most part this summer, but we have just had a dark and gloomy morning with torrential downpours accompanied by thunder and lightening - but good for the garden we cry! 

Life for me at the moment revolves around my space at The Loft Room in Brenchley, where I am lucky enough to share studio and showroom space with two lovely creative ladies who have become good friends.

In between being there several days a week "working", I am as usual struggling to keep the house and garden not looking too neglected, and making sure we at least have clean clothes to wear, food to eat, and a vaguely tidy living room and kitchen even if the rest of the house resembles a tip!

But if I don't turn my back on it all, I don't get any sewing done!

I haven't taken so many photos in the garden as usual this year as I've been too busy, but here are a few highlights.

Despite having some lovely new raised vegetable beds put in I didn't get time to plant anything except one bed of curly kale and cabbages......first time in years without homegrown runner beans and french beans!

Hopefully next year I'll find more time.

On the sewing front I've been making a few more Cathedral Window pincushions as they have been popular as gifts in The Loft Room and I only have a few remaining. These little ones I sewed by hand.

I've also started making stock for the big 3 day Midwinter Fair I am doing with the other two ladies at The Loft Room at The Wealden Times Midwinter Fair, Bedgebury in Kent....we'll be having one large stall with all our three products combined. 

This is the photo we sent as an example of our goods when applying to the Fairs organisers, and we were so excited to be accepted.

It's really quite daunting though, so much stock to make!

I have been making some pocket tissue holders from natural linen with contrast lining and edge for gifts, teachers presents and stocking fillers.

And I've started making some Christmas decorations in August although I am struggling with getting into the mood!

Luckily I have some stock left over from last years Fairs so I'm not completely starting from scratch.

I've also been busy sewing childrens aprons which have been in great demand, especially those covered in dinosaurs, pirates and cars! Not my usual style but its good to make something different for a change!

I hope you enjoy the rest of the summer holidays, lets hope the sun comes back soon. Thank you for visiting me here and thank you for all your comments on my last post!

Spring Colour at Great Dixter for a grey day!

Summer Notes

A round up of early summer in pictures......

A holiday

 A sunny week in north Pembrokeshire in lovely converted coach house with two foot stone walls and poppy red shutters.

 St. Davids Cathedral in the smallest city in the UK....the cathedral and old Palace are sited below the town so your first glimpse is looking down at them,  and to visit you go down lots of steps

 days of walking, visiting beaches, small towns and generally exploring and having a relaxing time

The charity shops in Pembrokeshire were very reasonably priced, and I bought a load of this beautiful green china, actually two different makes and designs but they match perfectly.

A trip to a Fair

Back in May I had a trip with a friend to the Decorative Living Fair at Eridge and came home with some lovely stuff!

 some gorgeous vintage French provencal fabric that had covered a screen

 a beautiful antique Belgian mangle cloth

and some beautiful vintage wooden spools and some recycled sari yarn....cant wait to have a go with this using the wooden crochet hooks I bought too!

Cross stitch and embroidery

I stitched some little cross stitched lavender filled key rings 

embroidered some simple heart hangers using vintage pre-printed embroidery linen

and made a cross stitch bookmark 

In the shop

 I made lots of mini bunting made from fabric scraps that I save

and some full sized bunting from vintage fabric sheets

added lots more vintage embroidered linens

 and made a cushion made from a t-shirt...hope to make lots more of these

I now have a little area with childrens aprons, bags and cushions

In the Garden

 the summer jasmine is prolific this year and so strongly scented... its lovely to step out of the back door and smell its fragrance

 the front garden is colourful with yellow loosestrife, campanula glomerata, cistus and erigerons, lavender and geraniums....these photos were taken a few weeks ago before the loosestife was fully out.

some pretty flowering annuals waiting to go in pots and hanging baskets

Crochet

I finally made up some cushions from crochet squares I made a few years ago!

I don't know where the last two months have gone!

Wishing you all happy, sunny and creative days!!