A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That .......

I've been for a country drive this morning.  We needed some supplies for the animals so I headed off to Wheathampstead via the cross country route which I always find quicker and a much more pleasant drive.  I'm not a very confident driver and hate motorways but give me a country lane and I'm off!!   My family reckon I would make a good rally driver ! I had to stop at an old friend's on the way back and this is the view from his garden .... I could sit and stare at that all day long.

Last weekend we went off to Flitwick to a new vintage & craft fair .... I was on a reccie really with a view to booking a table at the next one because it is only a 20 minute drive away and I am so pleased that there is another local one to add to the calendar.  I had a lovely chat with Linda of TabbyRoo who I will be seeing again at the Northampton Fair on 19th March and there was lots of lovely handmade items on sale and vintage bits of course.

I've been buzzing away at the sewing machine for a couple of weeks now to build up stock for the forthcoming Northampton fair and another that I am doing on 12th March in Potten End in Hertfordshire.



Some peg bags using pre-loved fabrics & trims mixed with some contemporary ginghams

A patchwork lingerie bag

The starburst quilt is coming on nicely too ... I just have to decide what border and binding to use and it will be finished

I always have a little basket of something to fiddle with in front of the goggle box in the evenings and my hexi collection is coming on nicely and using up lots of remnants too.

On the way home on Saturday we stopped in Hexton at a little craft co-operative that is in the old Village Hall .... Country Matters is an Aladdin's Cave with a good mix of vintage and hand crafted items. I am going down there again in the morning to sign up so that I can place some of my work in there ... more on that later.    I spied this little bunny on the way out and with a price tag of just £3 he had to come home with me ....

Now I just have to keep myself away from the choc egg counter till a little closer to Easter ;-)

I bought this Amarylis in our local greengrocers a couple of weeks ago .... it now has four enormous blooms on the top and the little second sprout is now as tall as this one and about to burst open.

Another sign of Spring ..... the rhubarb is sprouting ..... better start planning this year's planting ..... why aren't there enough hours in a day ????

Bank Holiday Monday Tranquility

After a busy week and even busier weekend, today all small people were banned from Lala Towers.  Today was strictly 'me' day.  Sad thing that I am I was in bed just after 9 last night and woke refreshed to start my day at 7 o'clock.

True to my word I have managed to finish four cushion covers today ... two to match the quilt on my last post and two more from blocks from the 'no strings' challenge.  They are all envelope back with polkadot or gingham check backing.

It's so rewarding to finish projects .... I am a terror for starting things and then getting a little (oh alright a lot) bored and moving onto something else without finishing.  My sewing desk is testament to this with little piles of different colour co-ordinated string, some finished string blocks, patchwork squares and offcuts from vintage table covers patiently waiting to be used.

Last night I also finished a crochet cushion cover in soft pastel cotton .... the front is four squares and the backing is in the same colours but in traditional granny square style.  I'm also using up odds and ends of cotton yarn to make crochet coat hanger covers with little crochet/knitted flowers.

I hope you have all had a lovely long weekend whatever you've been up to x

Baking, blocking and blogging

How do you cheer yourself up on a cold snowy day when confined to the house???? I found myself in this position yesterday and with the able assistance of GD Ellie we had a mammoth baking session.  Following recipes suggested by fellow bloggers and SCC girls we made

Carrot Cake supplied by the lovely Debbie over at Country Heart & Home

another Rocky Road Mountain adapted from the Domestic Goddess Nigella's recipe

Jam Tarts & Butterfly Cakes

After the children had tea this evening there is not much left !!

The next recipe to try is Chocolate Orange Marble cake from Big Red Hearts blog

My girls have been their usual obliging selves and provided some yummy eggs for these recipes despite the weather conditions.

And to finish the day today I have managed to put together my first four blocks for Loft Creations No Strings Challenge

and here they are made from some mini print FQs that I have in my stash .... a whole bag of them acquired for the princely sum of a fiver at a car boot sale last year

Sore Finger !!

Oh my poor pinkie!! Have finally finished another project - a Laura Ashley fabric patchwork quilt and I have hand sewn all the hexagons together - lost count of the number of times I have stabbed myself or attached myself to the thread and now have a very crusty middle finger to show for it. However I do feel that it was worth the effort and the finished article is now available at www.lalabibaby.com.

I have been looking at many blogs of fellow crafty people and am gobsmacked at the number of beautiful pictures of all things vintage. So have now decided to dedicate this weekend to sorting out my clutter and begin putting together an organised work area in my box room. I currently work in the organised chaos way and must mend my ways.

Last year saw my first forays into local Craft Fairs - they were great fun and met some very nice people and obviously spent all that I made on buying other people's handmades. What a great way of recycling and supporting each other. I am so pleased to have been asked to take part in the Delapre Abbey event in Northampton at the end of April and must get my head around formulating a theme and new ideas. Easier said than done !!