Beautiful Bread

And we're finally reconnected with the world again!  No more crafting to report though as I've been really busy at work and with the MOT for my car.  So I've got a picture of the sewing I did last weekend that I couldn't upload then.  Only started sewing at the start of the month, but why not throw yourself in at the deep end with a quilt project?!  And not an especially simple one either.

Mum and I went to Malvern quilt show last year - I went to try out some sewing machines before I committed to having one, but got too nervous that I'd get frustrated and say too many swears in front of the stallholders that I didn't try any in the end!  Anyway, the point is...my first quilt show and (to Mum's hilarity) I came away with two fat quarters and a jelly roll.  The jelly roll is using the Hometown range by Sweetwater for Moda, and is GORGEOUS!  So I'm now attempting to make the Blue Lagoon quilt from Mum's Jelly Roll Quilts book.

Those are the four squares I've made so far, and the final batch of them will be made next time I pinch Mum's rotary cutter.  And in Wallingford I bought some calico to make the plain patches and border.  Just the backing and binding to find now.  Oh, and make it, and hope it looks halfway decent.  No mean feat!

So no new sewing to report, but I did bake my first ever loaf of bread today!  Still to be put to the taste test tonight with The Boy's sausage and lentil casserole, but it looks pretty good and sounds hollow.  Fingers crossed!x

Bag for Mum

Whilst having a little browse of my fave blogs, I was amazed to see that Florence of Flossie Teacakes has sewn a winter coat.  Now that's the opposite of 'Sew Useless' which I'm aspiring to be!

But it also reminded me of her lovely Tabitha bag which I thought would be a great project for Mum in light of our recent conversation about making a bag with little pleats in.  I love how you get little pops of colour peeking out, without being too fussy or frumpy.  A bit Amy Butler-esque without being too bright!

What do you think Mother?!xx

Filthy Thieves and Gorgeous Robots

So I was merrily updating my blog on Thursday night, switched off my computer when The Boy came home at 10:30.  He switches his on, no more internet.  It turns out that some filthy little thieves have stolen the copper wiring from the telephone exchange so our whole village is without phones or internet.  Seriously?  I mean, we go to work all week to afford that internet and phone line...why don't you try it instead of pinching the wiring WE'RE paying for to pay your bills?  Argh!  Anyway, rant over, all blogging now to be done sneakily at work... not so great!

On a more positive note though, Wallingford was a tres successful little outing.  After a small run in with a stupid 4x4 driver in sunglasses (hello?  It's JANUARY!) who decided to just barge at us when it was our right of way and we had to reverse back out onto a main road (in case you didn't know I have an innate hatred of 4x4 drivers who don't live in the country), we got our shop on!

I managed to get the plain fabric to go in between my four squares for my quilt (more on that another time), as well as some lining for a bag I'm planning to make, and some pretty lettered fabric just because it was nice.  Oh, and ultimate success...navy and green tartan brushed cotton for the hare!  I did take pictures, but they're uploaded to my computer at home so not ideal when blogging from work.  Will put them up shortly.

I also saw some gorgeous robot print fabric which I was totally in love with, but at £6.80 per 1/2 metre couldn't quite bring myself to buy without a small boy to make something for with it.  This is where I start to get broody again!

After much Googling, I found it was Robot Factory by Robert Kaufmann and have managed to get it on Etsy for half the price from the brilliant Stitch Stash Diva.  Piccies below of the ones I ordered.  Now to hide it away in a cupboard so The Boy doesn't find it, and hope that I'll be able to use it some time in the future before I go off it!

  

LOVE IT!  Anyway, better get back to work...more pictures etc when I remember to bring my memory stick with the photos on to work, or we get our internet back.xx

Wedding planning

So, not been up to any sewing since the cushion.  Am waiting for this weekend's trip to Wallingford with Mum to do some fabric shopping and cake gobbling.  And then if we find nice enough fabric we'll be getting out the hare pattern and giving it a bash.  I'm hoping for a really nice navy and green tartan brushed cotton.  One can dream right?!

In the meantime, I finally finished our save the dates.  And even The Boy's impressed with them.  Well who couldn't be when they only cost £15 for the cards, envelopes, stamp and ink?  If only the whole wedding could be similarly 'cost effective'!  So here's a sneak peak.....not too bad even if I do say so myself. 

So, roll on the weekend for fabrics galore and a lot of envelope writing.  And hopefully to be here in daylight to take some decent photos for the blog instead of the shadowy ones I've put up so far!

Cushion Chic

So...first bit of sewing to appear on the blog.

Before Christmas, I bought a lovely linen table runner from H&M because it was cheap.  Then the cogs started turning and I thought...why not turn it into a cushion?  It's going to be used a lot more than a table runner, which (let's be honest) will get two outings at most before disappearing at the back of a cupboard.  Cue The Boy telling me off for wasting yet more money on decorative stuff for the house!

So, first go on the new sewing machine was pretty smooth.  Once I got started.  Let's just say that loading the bobbin with cotton didn't go too well.  The Boy may have had to intervene in a technical capacity after I wound the thread round the loading pin one too many times!  But I'll know for next time and be marginally less useless then.

I didn't really appreciate how terrifying it would be actually cutting the material up.  That first snip with the "don't use these for anything else, they're very expensive" (mother!) scissors was performed with very shaky hands, but got there in the end!  And with no unpicking required (tres impressed with myself), this is the finished result...

And the back....  Rather neat seams, and even fancy text alignment even if I do say so myself!

Pretty pleased with my first effort overall, especially for working the whole thing out for myself.  Well, with a little of Mum's words of wisdom haunting me the whole time! 

What to tackle next....?

First ever blog post

So...I'm not particularly one for new year's resolutions, but this year I've decided to be more creative and put to good use the sewing machine my parents bought me for Christmas.  I don't really have the patience for it, but they say it's a virtue so I guess I should at least try.

I'm also terrible at keeping my mother up to date with what I'm doing (although this is primarily her own fault for refusing to use Facebook).  Seeing as she loves having a good old nose into other people's lives via their blogs, what better way to keep her in the loop than with a blog of my own?  And if anyone else happens to stumble across it, then hopefully it's not too boring!

I can't promise it will be anywhere near as glamorous as the blogs you usually like Mum, or half as interesting!  But I'll be uploading pics every time I start a new project, do some pretty baking, think of something inspirational etc.  Or at least that's the plan, until I give up and admit that I'm as useless at blogging as I am at being crafty...hence the title 'Sew Useless...'!