I did the photography for this!

I am not a photographer but I do have quite a lovely camera (thanks Mum!) so when Thea asked for a bit of help photographing some of her lovely prints for her website I thought, why not give it a go...

Here is Thea's new website and all her lovely 'Busy Being...' prints...oh, and my photography!

www.busybeing.co.uk



Ben 10 Craft

Being a Mum of two boys I always pleased when I think of something that I can make for them.  Yesterday my youngest son was wearing a Ben 10 watch that he had made from playdough.  It was very sweet how much he loved this watch...but slightly annoying as it kept falling off and I know it sounds a bit OCD but wearing playdough and carpets and sofas...So no...I said I would make him one when I got home that he could wear all the time and so I did.  Here it is.

I found a picture on the web (see below) and used it to design this felt version. I measured the boys wrists and went for 18cm. I cut out the shapes by hand and then sewed them together through all the layers finally adding some velcro.  The boys loved them.  So a happy household this morning.

Thanks, Nix x

Blinds and blankets...

This week I finished two time consuming projects...first up...my blinds!

I have to admit that the extra time taken measuring, re-measuring, tacking everything in sight and taking it slowly did pay off. They went up and I've had to make no adjustments. I'm really pleased with how they look. Hooray for thermal lined and interlined cosy blinds shutting out that freezing air! Brrrr.

Another cosy item (which totally clashes with my blinds!) is a massive snug granny blanket that I have been picking up and putting down for a year! It is also finally finished and doing it's job over my legs of an evening. It was a bit of an experiment with colours and some I like and some not. Next, I'm going to try a ripple blanket but in cotton this time.

There are two whole boys under there!

Nigella's Banana Bread

Had a few of the school Mum's over for coffee this morning. Made this again...Nigella's Banana Bread. It was really good! I made it without the walnuts as the kids don't really like them. Good enough to buy rum for if you don't have a bottle in the under stairs cupboard like I do...

Something a bit funny...

New Girl...I really like this show. Give it a go?...it might not be your cup of tea but the first three episodes are free to watch on 4OD. Personally, for me it's a bit of Winter escapism, it makes you feel good and sometimes you'll laugh. It's very cheesy with some unrealistic characters but that's what I like about it. It's also great background telly...there is something to be said for TV that you can enjoy without really concentrating. Deffo a girls show I would say...

However, the show I really LOVE is Modern Family...

You've got to watch it from season 1 and don't stop until you are up to date...It's also American and slightly glossy but it's VERY funny, it has truly great characters and manages to be touching without being cheesy! It is also popular with Ed, James and Phil and they are all quite different types of bloke!

Enjoy...Nix!

Slow progress!

We really need some new blinds in our sitting room. We've had three white roller blinds up in our bay window for the last five years. They were up there when we moved into our house and they look pretty tacky. When one fell down and I got a closer look at it I thought it was about time I made some new ones.

So I chose some fabric and I decided to make them at the sewing class I go to fortnightly during term time. I started before Christmas, but Christmas took over so I am finishing them now.

It's been slow but I'm getting there. I have just finished carefully sewing the lining all the way around each of the three blinds. At my class this coming Thursday I have to sew on the rod pockets, sew on the hoops, remove all the tacking and thread them up. Hopefully they should be ready to go up...either that or they'll sit on the floor for a whole year like my bedroom blind did after I made that!

I thought I would share this way of sewing hidden stitches that my teacher (May Martin) taught me in my last class. It is very simple but I wouldn't have thought about doing it. It saved me a lot of time as you make a lot fewer stitches and also looks really tidy.

Can you see my secret stitches?



So you make a tiny stitch, then you put the needle in and along the inside of the fabric, then you come back out and make another tiny tight stitch...



and repeat!...

So you make fewer stitches and so it takes less time and also is virtually invisible...see my thread coming out at the end of a row of stitches?? Simple and yet very clever eh?

Or is it just me that found that quite amazing!?

Mmmm...loving this new fabric range...

Loving this new 30's inspired fabric range by Chloe's Closet...I may be adding some of these gorgeous fat quarters to my Birthday 'present to myself' list...

See the full range of '30's Playtime' here at one of my favourite online fabric shops...Seamstar