Recycling

When I was little my mum always called me 'Untidy Idy' - things haven't changed much.  This is my kitchen table - I just throw scraps on the floor.  I cut fabric on this table too and do the same with any fabric scraps - I just sweep 'em up afterwards. 

The room that I sew in has a (very old) carpet on the floor - how rubbish is that for sewing?  All the bits of thread stick to it like nobody's business.  I've been making gift labels with my Die Cut machine. 

I never buy card, I hoard cardboard from packaging and recycle that.  I'm not saying that I never intend to buy any card but I really like the idea of getting something for nothing so I save any packaging that could be made into labels.  You'd be surprised what you find - you really look at packaging in a new way.

Yorkshire Tea packaging.

Strawberry Crisp Breakfast Cereal.

The packaging from the Birthday Cake my Dad bought for me in February.

Various food and (chocolate) packaging.  The grand plan is that if (and when) I make some biscuits as a present, I can add a biscuit label!

Out and About

Up to London again last weekend where we went to the Quilt Exhibition at the V&A and the Victoria and Albert Art & Love Exhibition at the Queens Gallery, Buckingham Palace.  I know it sounds like heresy, but I think I actually liked the Buckingham Palace Exhibition the best.  We had a meal at the Italian Kitchen on Saturday night and my Mum and I headed to Liberty's and Anthropologie on Regent Street whilst The Husband and DS went to HMS Belfast.  DD was meant to be joining us but overslept! 

Couldn't quite bring myself to purchase anything at any of the shops - outrageous prices -  I did wander round Anthropologie clutching a blue bowl but eventually put it back as I am absolutely convinced that sooner or later TK Maxx will have something similar for half the price.  Anthropologie was a lovely shop though, we stayed in there for ages having a good look at everything.  But then again, what's not to like about TK Maxx?  My last purchase from there was this lovely hand painted lantern made in India, which you see here cunningly displayed with my latest make, a little bag for a friend's birthday.  I have no pictures of London - owing to the fact that I forgot my camera.  You will note that I also have no candle for my lantern - one of these days I'll get my act together.

Home Sweet Home

This week by coincidence two of my work colleagues became home owners for the first time.  I saw some nice mugs with 'Home Sweet Home' written on them at the weekend - to jazz them up a bit I cut out some flower shapes and stuck lollipops through them to make a 'bouquet' of flowers to put in them.

And in a further burst of creativity I made some 'New Home' postcards for each of them.  I don't have much novelty fabric but I am a sucker for anything with houses on - which came in handy. 

I must apologise because I think I've been coming up as 'no-reply' on comments on other blogs.  I don't know why this is - I haven't changed my profile for years, anyway, I've put it right now.  And another thing ... am I the only one who has to put their Google password in twice when they are commenting on blogs?  Seems like blogger doesn't recognise it when I put it in the first time and I always have to enter it again.

Tiny Bear

I like knitting bears - they're fast and easy and don't take much wool.  Would you believe that this little chap is made of just 5 knitted rectangles? 

You tie off the corners for the ears and make a neck by tying wool tightly about 1/3 of the way up the rectangle and the snout is made by making a circular running stitch and pulling it up a little.  The arms and legs are just rectangles sewn up and stuffed - attach them with wool and a button at the top of each limb and there you go.  Really quick but ever so effective.  The pattern is from my favourite knitted toy book, The Knitted Teddy Bear by Sandra Polley.  He's about 6 inches tall, I made a similar one to put in my daughter's birthday box.