Sunday 30 March 2014

Mothers Day

Hello hello, and Happy Mother's Day to all those Mums out there.
 
On Monday the Smalls went to their afterschool group Explorers and came back with these.
 

Invitations to the special Mothering Sunday service at the little church in the village. We are not regular church goers but I thought it would be fun to go along.


Tiny Boy disagreed and stayed at home with J but Tall Girl, Big Trouble and I headed off. It was a sweet service with some hymns and prayers from the Smalls (although mine were both mostly too shy to join in), and at the end everyone with a Mum was encouraged to take a posy of flowers to give to her. Tall Girl and Big Trouble went up hand in hand and brought me back a little posy of real flowers, something of a rarity here.


They are now on the table with some others made specially by Tiny Boy which I think will probably last a little longer.


So now it is time for a cuppa and to do a bit of hooky on my latest WIP before heading out to a bring-and-share tea party this afternoon. Caketastic!


Btw, this is what Tall Girl and her friends made at her Arty Party: Dream catchers.


Sweet dreams to you all.
xx

Friday 28 March 2014

Wednesday 26 March 2014

Handmade, repro, retro, vintage dress: Ta Da!

Hello my lovelies,
 
I have been trying to write this post for two days. Yesterday I uploaded all the photos then got distracted by this, that and the other. This morning I was planning to finish it straight after the school run, but I had a humdinger of a falling out with Tall Girl and was too unsettled to write anything. Well the disagreement has not been resolved and I am not sure what to do about it, but I have calmed down now so here goes....
 
Remember the vintage handmade green dress?  The one that was falling apart, made of nasty nylon, but a great shape?
 
 

And fab details?

 
Well, I unpicked and pinned and cut and ironed and pinned and sewed (and unpicked again a little bit) and sewed again and hunted for just the right buttons and found them in my stash all along. And Ta Da!
 



obligatory homage to Dotty Angel




I finished it on Saturday morning, found a remarkably matching hat and made ready to be a virtual wedding guest. One of my closest friends, who was wonderful enough to come and visit us over Christmas with her chap, was getting married. In York. Four and a half thousand (that's 4500) miles away. But but BUT, thanks to the wonders of modern technology the church service was streamed live over the wonderful interweb and I was able to watch! The bride was beautiful, the groom was handsome, the vicar was interesting, the service was moving, the bridesmaids sang like angels during the signing of the register and the processional music at each end was funky. It was all extremely lovely, although I did shed a tear or two when I spotted another good friend in the congregation but couldn't quite get a look at her bump and more than two when the happy couple disappeared out of the church doors and I couldn't follow.

virtual wedding guest selfie
I love my new dress even if it is really far too warm for St Helena, what with being made of wool!

xx

Thursday 20 March 2014

Button topped footstool (a real and actual Ta Da)

Hello hello!
 
I really ought to be heading to bed but I wanted to share this with you, and I know I won't get time tomorrow. My first upholstery project, a button topped footstool. I am quite pleased with it, although if I were to do it again I know I could be neater. Never-the-less Ta Da! 
 

The button depressions are not all the same depth which bothers me. Not hugely, but a bit. I am a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to this sort of detail.


But it is an excellent foot stool and makes a fine back drop to give you some sneaky peaks of a couple of WIPs.





Actually I have progressed a little further since I took these pics on Tuesday afternoon. Ooo I can feel another real and actual Ta Da coming on quite soon...

xx

Wednesday 19 March 2014

Deconstruction - a Ta Da of sorts

I was lucky to find a pair of filthy and falling-apart chairs at the tip. Just what I needed for my upholstery course! I have spent several classes taking them apart and I thought you might like to see...
 











Ta Da: naked chair!

xx