Been Craftin'

In my few spare moments over the past month I have been sewing a lot! The knitting happens in front of the TV or whilst playing board games with Frank or listening to music but sewing is an altogether more difficult thing to arrange when there is a four year old to amuse.

However, after setting the boy up with his own little sewing table along with scraps of cute fabric and safety scissors I have managed to get a few items actually completed as he chops his fabric up.

First up, the bath mat from Handmade Home by Amanda Blake Soule.

It's a great book and one I would highly recommend for its straightforward ideas and methods.

It advocates using what you already have, which ticks a lot of boxes for me as I have lots of old sheets and towels, for example, and will be able to run a few of these up for friends in future without buying anything new at all.

This one is made from an old yellow towel and some curtain cut-off material. I have also been making little bunting messages for friends for Christmas pressies. None of them read my blog so it's OK for me to post about them!

The blanket cost £2 at the Salvation Army shop in town and I've spend ages hand sewing the letters and hearts on them and I think they look so cute.

There is a tactile warmth from blanket and felt that will look great at Christmas time.

I am also using a lot of the lovely vintage buttons I inherited from my Great Aunt Dolly (real name Emily Lucretia. How's that for a great name? Frank escaped only by being a boy!!).

I will be taking a long weekend away from the computer as my sister, Heather, and her family are coming to stay and I want to soak up every moment with them. We haven't seen them for eighteen months. They live on a dairy farm in Dorset (Thomas Hardy country) and this is the only weekend they have before the cows start calving! Cool, eh?
See you next week and have a fabulous weekend.
Mine will be filled with kids, sisters, red-haired dairy farmers, beef joints fresh from Dorset, chats and wine (ahem ...).