Home Sweet Home

I'm Home!!! (well, i was home two weeks ago, but my postlet got forgotten...anyway i have found it again and here it is!)

And look who was waiting for me...

He's a mix of standard stuffing with pearl barley and lavender in his bottom and at the end of his limbs - so i think he could work like a wheat pocket and be microwave-able? He's a gorgeous little thing from MummySew - sew not only does he smell nice, but he sits upright cause he has heavy handsies!

This tombe was also awaiting me - 'A Physician in the House' by J. H Greer. Its a White Cross Emergency book from 1914, with the most hilarious antidotes...for example...

"Sore Throat - hardly any remedy for sore throat proves more effacious than the old-fashioned plan of tying around the throat a slice of fat bacon on which is sprinkled red pepper."

How amazing that medicine has gone so far in less than 100 years. Should be comical to compare to my readings at uni.

Its all madness!

Oh, I've also been making bows - just little delicate ones for my hair. Sew simple, Sew quick, Sew cute! I like them in red...

Do you Believe in Angels?

Mummy Sew sent a little hand drawn card up to me in Glasgow the other day which read ' Do you Believe in Angels?' and then inside...'There may be one coming your way soon!'
How intrigueing! And then today the post bought me my first christmas card (not counting the Royal Mail one) - a cancer research one with Singing Angels on from Ma...accompanied with...Maggie!!!

Isn't she fantastic?? All her limbs are buttons, with beads for knees so that she articulates. Such a sweeeet idea :) She starts the festive season - university halls doesnt seem to do festive very well. Thank goodness for Mummy Sew!!

Wish Lists

Just a few lists here this time! I'm really enjoying some well written books at the moment. There are some here that I read years ago - and some just recently.

Charlotte Brönte – Jane Eyre
Daphne Du Maurier – Rebecca, Jamaica Inn
J. R. R. Tolkein – The Hobbit, The Lord Of The Rings
Jane Austin - Pride And Prejudice, Emma, Sense And Sensibility
Wilkie Collins – The Woman In White
Emily Brönte – Wuthering Heights
Janice Elliott – The Sadness of Witches

I absolutely adored Jane Eyre, Rebecca and Wuthering Hieghts. Tolkein I started reading age...8? And I loved it even then. In fact - I found all of these spectacular books. They are classics for a reason i suppose.
Sew what is left on my book shelves for me to read?

Victor Hugo – The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Virginia Woolf – Orlando
William Makepeace Thackeray – Vanity Fair
Mary Shelleys – Frankenstein
Margaret Mitchell – Gone With The Wind
Anya Seton – Dragonwyck
Alexander Dumas - The Count of Monte Cristo
Charles Dickens – A Tale of Two Cities, David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol

I'm nearly finished Vanity Fair - and Orlando has a long forgotten bookmark between its pages. Gone With The Wind needs reading desperately - I feature! And Dickens, i think may be hard going - a different style to my favoured girls - Brönte's, Austin, Du Maurier.
There are some classics that also need adding to my collection. I have in mind...

Louisa May Alcott – Little Women
Bram Stoker – Dracula
Oscar Wilde – The Picture of Dorian Grey
Charles Dickens - Great Expectations
Jane Austin - Persuasion

Oh hey but i don't just read these things - i slip silly things in there too! I recently read Dodie Smiths 101 Dalmations and of course i have a bizarre collection of fantasy books throughout my shelves (i'm a Harry Potter fan, His Dark Materials, The Abhorsen Trilogy, Twilight too!). I have C. S. Lewis and Lewis Carrol awaiting me also - for my more childish days!
Maybe i'm being a tad ambitious...theres not enough time for all this right now - i WILL get round to them all eventually though.

I leave you with what i found when I went home at the weekend, curled up in my suitcase, trying to sneak back to Glasgow with me!!

Book worm alert!

What I actualy mean is, failed book worm alert...since I've been neglecting the long hours i used to spend with my nose in a book. When i spend hours in the library looking up medically things all day, the last thing i want to do is come home and read. But i do miss it.

Conundrum eh! Well it hasn't stopped me buying books, i suppose ill get to missing it enough that i'll eventually pick all these books back up. My most recent purchases were from a few tables outside on Byres Road...and among the stacks and stacks of books i found these:

Now Mummy Sew cries her eyes out every time she watches The Bridges of Madison County - sew i saw the book and thought i better give it a go before i see the film. Saving it for a cry day though! And Daddy Long Legs - my Nan has a copy of this - but this is illustrated (see below) and its seewww cuuutttee! I will have to read it again, i've no idea what its about but i have fond memories of it lurking in the back of my mind :)

Besides those, these have been lurking on my shelves for a while. I'm half way through vanity fair - keep putting it down in annoyance at Becky Crawley and her vain vain ways. And the hunchback of Notre Dame - well it just needs to be read.

That top book is 'A childs garden of verses' by R L Stevenson. What gorgeous illustrations! The book on the right is one of the illustrations from Daddy Long Legs...

...sorry its been so long!

But I'm back now! Settled in at uni in cold cold Glasgow. If only we had heating! A hoover would be nice too...never mind.
Thought i'd squeeze a few moments into the busy medical student schedule to pop these up...they'v been on my notice boards for some time now...slowly adding them to my folksy shop too, sew they are up for grabs! Really useful too - uni halls are so drab and these add a bit of fun :)

I've shown you some of these before here... and they sold with surprising ease! I think i've sold 70 heart drawing pins...sew i thought i'd branch out! I have butterflies too but i can't say im a great fan of butterflies...

Anyway ill try to update you on something soon!

*kisses*

Fimo Fun Times

Remember all those fimo buttons i made here? well with a bit of good presentation, they're okay to be sold! Either on folksy, or this stall thats lurking in the future maybe. Cheap as chips hopefully - there are so many overpriced things out there. I'll put these at a pound or 2 at the most :)

Unloved Oldies

These handmade beauties have also been hidden at the back of a drawer...they'll be on folksy in a few days - I just don't wear them! Goodness knows why because they really are well made :) Mummy Sew made them years ago...I really need to post something that was made by ME...tehe!

I've discovered an awful lot of these things recently...and an awful lot of awesome vintage clothes i have bought and worn once, sew come christmas (or as soon as possible really when its not term time) i will be having a stall at a vintage fair! I could easily fill a stall - probably more than once! Its incredible how many beautiful vintage clothes i have!

Summer Brooches

I found these a few days ago - Mummy Sew made them ages ago and i thought they'd look wonderful adorning a few of my hand bags this summer. I also sent 4 off in a brooches swap today - means ill be awaiting the postman all excited again for the next week or sew.

Also check what I received in a swap the other day - i have about a metre of it and god knows what i'll do with it but isn't it fabulous?! So vintage and wonderful :)

Tote time

Mummy Sew seems to have been REALLY busy while i was away! Another pretty thing she finished off this weekend:
She used two old pockets and old buttons, suffolk puffs and bows...and i think its lovely! She found the pocket in a scrap bag that Flossyblossy gave us. I thought using old pockets and straps from old clothes was a wonderful idea!

Possibly going up for sale on Folksy...

Twit...

...Twoo!!

I got back from my weekend away to find these adorable little ones adorning the mantlepiece. Aren't they the cutest, cuddliest little things!!

Ma found the owlets over at Roman Sock, and they appear to have been pretty speedy little things.

Pictured here with some of the wedding flowers they were giving away. Dozens on jam jars - so sweet!

And below a pressie from Tom - a bit fat squashy seat to plonk myself on for the inevitable bike rides. It was pretty wonderful, I have to admit - 15 miles against the wind on the coast and no sore bottom! Has to be a first :D

A Weekend in the Lakes...

I've had more han a week off work! And of course there was a special occasion - Tom's brother got married this weekend in the lake district, sew I've spent a few days on the banks of Thirlmere, and a few days in Carlisle with Tom.
We even treked up Helvelan...well, half way up anyway. I think we reached cloud level, and the pouring rain and horribly strong winds turned us around pretty sharpish. See? That's Thirlmere down there.
Being the fool I am, I took no photo's of me and Tom! But here's Hugh and Cath and little Oli, with Hughs brothers Tom and Jim on either side. The sun came out in prefect timing for photos and the whole day was beautiful! Good disco, good food, and great music by Tom's dad John. Their jazz band are called Traditional Old Pork Scratchings - or TOPS. Fantastic!

Finito!!

Sew whats been happening in life? Well yesterday....(why wasn't this in yesterdays post? Who knows) I finished my Art A-level!! YAAAAAAY!! So glad thats all all over. It's so hard to be creative when you have a title to work to. Anyway, my project titles that ive been working on since September are self chosen 'Conflict' which evolved into work about the Suffragettes, and again, self chosen 'Infection Control' which was mainly textile based.

I chose Art and Literature out of the given list for my exam and used Little Red Riding Hood, looking at its dark side. Anyway, i'm mounting up next week, and if i get it all up on the walls, I'll pop a few pictures up :)

Now a sight such as this greatly upsets me. I love post. LOVE it. adore it. It is my reason for getting up in the morning! Literally. Sew when one of these comes through the letter box, its awful! I have to wait a whole extra day! AND i have to go and get it myself. The trouble is...when I go and collect it, I am convinced the post-lady is going to come while i am out and leave me another one. It's awful. :(

Aaaaanyway on a bright, cheerful, flowery note - look what Mummy Sew made!

We found a PDF tutorial here at Roman Sock. Aren't they cute :D Other cute things of the week - check out what i got in part of a Matchbox swap from smokeyquartz. Her etsy store is fabulous - i just love her headdresses.

The bag is so wow and the buttons are POW. The teeny tiny little book is just wonderful too! The ribbon, i bought myself the other day when i was in Skipton getting myself another teapot painted...pictures later!

Tea for Two

Wedding presents pre kiln. I love this place - coffee and clay. Tom enjoyed it too which was wierd...but awesome.

That and some homemade placemats will do for the wedding i think - pictures to come hopefully when they're all finished.

Sew a whopping great big long photo blog!

Mummy Sew has done it again! She went a bit mad on the outfit front, so there are quite a few photos here for you today! Slightly gollywog-like which i love. I love the old fashioned gollywogs, i would absolutely love one. Sew....the catwalk commences. Here is outfit number one...

For a summery sunshine day...

Plus a little cardie, for when the sun goes in.

The above - an all so important long dress for the posh occasions :D


A soft cashmere do for those sensitive days! Complete with handbag to match

oh and plus a little cardie again

And since its summer, we'd better drag the old swimming cosie out!

Sew we made a few Buttons

Mummy Sew and I were bored last night...sew we made buttons! Dragged the fimo out dusty and neglected as it was and had a play while Greys Anatomy was on (oh McDreamy!).

We made rolls of colour and layered them up so we had four colours in a little "snake", then sliced through to get little multicoloured flat circles...

Punched them twice with a needle et voila!! Buttons...not sure whether their sell-able, but they are cool.

These are just my favourites we did quite a few!

You like?

Oh, another recent swap I sent: I exchanged Paper Art Dolls. The top one i sent to RedRobin all the way to Kansas (pictured with a notecard - my little owl motif that i'm so addicted to!) and the far bottom i received from Kasade! Cool
I enjoyed making mine, although admittedly i've been rather busy and stressed with the A2 art exam - i am half way through the 15 hours that it takes to make the final piece. At the same time, finishing off the other 2 projects and writing an essay on the Suffragettes AND working nights...hence, Mummy Sew got involved before i could and really, she did most of it! The Skirt is tied at the back which i thought was a really cute little extra idea :)

Sew keep recycling!

Remember these that i made out of juice cartons? Well i made quite a few (half a dozen :s)...and have decidedthey need a bit of variety.

I have infact discovered that they work quite well as needle cases! Big wow! I quite like them, and my sewing machine survived beating its way through felt and card which spurred me on too.

I tried sewing the felt pages in at both ends, to see which work best.

The one on the left seemed to work better - with the felt on the top hinge, it got slightly in the way of the purses closing. Not drastically but hey. Cute?

And a big thank you to the knackered sewing machine. It keeps plodding on :)

Oh and look what i recieved in a swap recently: part of a stuff an envie swap all the way from Israel! Libat enclosed some very pretty little Ex Libris stickers which i adore...aren't they beautiful?