MILESTONES

It was a bit of an Orla Kiely stem print kind of week. 

and a little bit of bird print too. 

Love this french banana fabric, has a bit of a pop art feel. 

Just when we thought Spring was on it's was along comes storm Emma, hitting the South West with strong winds and snow.

What a treat, thick snow. School was closed for two days. We  bought a sledge and headed into town, meeting up with friends and enjoying the snow. 

First milestone this week was my 50th birthday. Very happy to have reached 50. On reflection I've had a great 50 years, I've lived at 21 addresses in 11 different towns and cities, visited 13 countries, had 6 jobs, started my own business, married a wonderful man, had two beautiful daughters, lucky enough to have lots of amazing friends, and beat cancer twice. So, I'm really very happy to be 50

The second was finishing my cancer maintenance treatment. I've had 12 further Herceptin treatments since finishing my 6 initial chemotherapy sessions.  So after visiting this unit regularly for a year it was goodbye. Mixed emotions as I left, saying goodbye to the amazing, dedicated staff, but also hoping that I never have to come back through these doors. 

NOTHING WASTED

Really enjoying making these paper garlands and bunting.  Always thinking of little pick up items to brighten up my stall, even bought a vintage suitcase to display them in 

95% of the fabrics I use are recycled. So when the dresses are made, and there are still little pieces left I use them up by making other little items, like this bunting or our doggy bandanas and bags. 

When I've made babies dribble bibs in the past, I was constantly being asked whether they were dog bandanas.....so I've made some M and L £5 My friends dog Casper seen in the photo proudly modelling one on the beach.

New Year dress making in full swing with some great new up cycled fabrics

Love this circus fabric. Tied in nicely with the film The Greatest Showman, which we recently went to see at the cinema, really enjoyed it!

And a new collection of big Orla Kiely using left of pieces of fabric.

and a range of up cycled Orla Kiely dresses 

the half term was a pretty quiet affair, lots of family time and walks on the beach. An afternoon spent watching Bella take part in the Exeter Dance Festival.  Now she is a teenager it is becoming more and more difficult to get her to pose for photo's so I have to capture her mostly while she's not looking.

lovely misty walk on the beach the fog was so thick and the air so calm it was very surreal. Good time to wear your orange coat Mabel.

Sun out and Spring in the air (maybe)

CATCHING UP WITH FRIENDS

Last week I was lucky enough to be able to catch up with friends 

A lovely breakfast at the Pavillion Theatre on the seafront with my friend Becka. Coffee with friends after school, and couple of hours spent with my oldest friend Tina and her Mum.

A day in Exeter with Sarah and Isaac to see Beauty & The Beast (I think Sarah and me enjoyed more than the children)

This weeks makes were these upcycled Orla Kiely Abacus fabric short sleeve dresses, available on the website.

chemo update

Just six days after the second chemo I was back in hospital again due to being neutropenic. As it was a Friday I knew that I'd have no chance of getting out before Monday.  The injections I'd had in my stomach didn't kick in until Saturday (so a little too late) I did however have the most relaxing Mothers Day ever with three meals bought to me, and plentiful tv watched and books read without any disruptions. I was released for good behaviour on Monday with new medications which will hopefully help me to stay out of hospital for the third one on 10th April.

SHAKESPEARE & STITICHING

 Mabel attends a wonderful children's theatre group on Saturday mornings called Junk Monkeys (which she absolutely loves.) To celebrate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death they put together a short version of Midsummer Nights Dream. (I've never studied Shakespeare at school, so can't say I understood the story) but it was amazing, and so entertaining, and we were so proud of her.  

Mabel as an Athenian 

and as fairy called Moth 

 In between rehearsals, Mabel's been busy modelling lot of new dresses. Good to learn that "multitasking" thing early!

The rabbit dress with the random pocket.

This is the second time I've worked with this green and white Cats & Dogs Scandinavian fabric (which also comes in red)

My Mum kindly gave my a piece of Orla Kiely Scribble Stem fabric, which I've teamed up with some light weight chambray to make these two unique little dresses.

and the same idea again but this time with a piece Orla Kiely Wallflower fabric 

While Mabel was at rehearsals, Bella stepped in to model a few dresses for me. This dress made from a piece of original 1960's psychedelic fabric I found on Ebay. It was in fantastic condition and will hopefully carry on for another 50 years in the form of these dresses.

and this classic Sanderson print fabric pinafore 

This week we were also very happy to be chosen as the Junior Style

Brand of the Week. Helping the promotion with some lovely photos of one of our dresses was Fiveladiesandbeau

As we approach the end of ANOTHER month I can see a glimpses of Summer appearing 

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FLAMING JUNE

June started well, the weather has been great, but I can believe we're already half way through the year! Bella's back to school after the half term for a couple of months before she breaks up for Summer.

 

Love this vintage Laura Ashley fabric, I came across it a couple of weeks ago, it's a lovely soft cotton. There was only enough to make four little tops from it,  and Mabel now has one as she looks so cute in it. There are three left (in the world!) and they'll be available on my website very soon.

Purple floral, 70's retro print fabric.  Another limited edition, there are only four of these.

Last but not least a Liberty style print

Mabel also discovered make up this week.

Tina and I took Grace & Mabel to see The Gruffalo's Child in Plymouth on Thursday.

Bella performed an indian dance at The Carlton Theatre on Friday, for an Asian Celebration, she loves being on stage, and I had another very proud Mum moment.

I made some new tops a couple of weeks ago from some vintage 70's fabric, which are now all sold.  I've just finished the brown version.

This was a great piece of material, the pattern is very large and so all seven tops are different.

Bought this fabric in a vintage shop in Clifton in Bristol I made a couple of dresses with ticking sleeves.

Today we went to Chagford in West Devon. I can vaguely remember visiting it as a child. It's a quintessential English village, but with a few really interesting shops, and a lovely little deli where we had a lunch and one of the best lemon tarts I'd ever tasted!

(Jennifer Saunders & Ade Edmondson  set up home here for many years before returning back to London.  I imagine living in this village would have been her inspiration when she wrote "Jam & Jerusalem")

That Lemon Tart...Delicious

This shop on two floors, must have been around for years. It was an Aladdins Cave, full to the rafters with everything you need.

 A long time ago I sat and mindlessly cut out a lot of squares from scraps of material, while watching mindless television, partly because I can't bear throwing away any fabric.  

I hoard every little piece just in case I need it some time in the future (a gene I've inherited from my Mum).  I sewed some of them together yesterday, and when I realised I wasn't going to persevere long enough with it to make anything too big ie bedspread/throw...I made a bag lined it in ticking and put some leather handles on it. It's the sort of bag I would have taken to Portobello Market on those self indulgent Saturday's years ago, (before kids)  where I'd spend  the day slowly working my way down from the station and up to the fabulous market under the Westway....... but hey there's always the car boot at Exeter on Sunday's.

I've been making and selling bunting for years, using oilcloth and fabric.  I've just made some using maps of Devon & Cornwall sewn onto red and white butchers string, I think they are really effective and I'm working on a couple of variations.

Maps of Devon, the music from Radiohead's OK Computer album and even a Sanderson print paper....where will it all end!

This weekend Teignmouth played host to a Folk Festival. It rained and there were a lot of strange looking people hanging around.....What more can I say?

Sunday was the Summer Of Love Craft Hub event in Topsham, a really enjoyable time was had by all.

It was then over to my Mums for a cream tea in the garden...delicious...only in Devon!

 

The girls are now very proud owners of a new bird seed holder, We are now waiting for the rain to stop and the birds to arrive,

My Two Pixies

Took the girls to the beach for fish & chips this evening and to fly their new kite. 

The weather was perfect, sunny with a warm breeze.

So nice to see sky this blue again.

The girls tired out and fast asleep in bed.  I sat in the garden with a big glass of Rose and  contemplated what I was going to make with the new retro fabrics I'd discovered earlier today in Honiton, that were already washed and hanging on the line.  

Another simple and totally enjoyable day on the Devon coast.

ORLA KIELY BUNTING

I've just combined two things I really like, bunting because it brightens and adds colour to a space and Orla Kiely's simplistic patterns.  

I've put it on my website so you can enjoy it too!