We did it!

Happy day....

Both my daughter and myself graduated on Thursday

 

 



My daughter graduated in BA (Hons) Fashion an Design, and Myself in BA Early Years Education

Yipee!

 

Wedding Anniversary weekend in Bath, England

We have just returned from a very relaxing spa weekend in the Roman city of Bath, home to Jane Austen and the fashion museum. A beautiful place if you ever have the chance to go there.

 

Such great architecture

 

 

 

 

Someone's wedding...horse and cart

The Guildhall market

 

 

 

 

 

Yummy cake shop

 

Glasswork

 

Bath Abbey

 

The carnival was on

 

Nearly had to take these two home, so sweet

Canal cruise

 

 



 

Nice sign

 

 

 

Victorian tiles

Finally found a use for my collection of Victorian tiles....

 

 

 

 

as a splash back in the downstairs bathroom. Now to find an Art Deco mirror.

Do you spot my patchwork theme? I  know! I just can't stop...

A nod to St Francis

Make me a channel of your peace.

 

 

This simple display was made purposely with cheap materials - newspaper, hessian and white card to reflect the simplicity of St Francis' life. I chose birds as a nod to his affinity to animals. The children added to the display by placing fallen birds' nests found on the yard. The paper birds are held up with fishing wire attached to a twig.

 

Truth, hope, joy, love

 

The fan wings were made with the printed verse of Make me a channel of your peace

Fete 2015

This year, as I was in my patchwork schema, I decided to incorporate some small items into my stall. I had got a bit carried away with hexagons over the past couple of months, which I did intend to make into pot holders, but I made so many and they looked so nice that I turned it into a quilt. Having exhausted all my time into that, I realised that I did not have enough for the looming fete, so I made these...

Pot holders...

 

 

Moda 30s playtime fabric

 

 

 Assorted fabrics, including vintage

 

 I saw this leaf idea on Pinterest

 

I think selling handmade goods adds another dimension to the fete. We live in a throwaway society with so many cheap accessible goods, but most people still appreciate handmade items, harking back to an earlier time period of crafting, which is definitely dying out - I know few people (in real life, not blog land) who actually have the time or inclination to sew or create.

However, there is definitely a 'fete price' limit. Over the years I have realised that nothing really sells for more than £1, which is a bit disheartening when you've spent so much time and effort.

 

 

 

Bean bag frogs, made with a Khaki drill and Kaffe Fasset Roman Glass Green fabrics, filled with lentils to weigh them down - they feel deliciously addictive - I use these in the playground with the children - obviously my marketing tactics had worked and they sold out pretty quickly at £1.50 each.

 



 

Bean bag turtles/tortoise, more labour intensive, made with a green velvet body and again filled with lentils. The shell is a patchwork flower sewn on top of the body.

 

 

Always a good seller, and one of the most 'hit upon' items on my Pinterest is the hessian heart. These were filled with lavender. I cut the hearts out on the Sizzix and these are then very quick and easy to make. The hessian or burlap as it is called in America, is from food sacks from my husband's factory - always looking for that (cheap) recycling opportunity!