I couldn't let it go...

It's a family tradition. They set the task and I have to rise to the challenge. Problem is, that bar keeps rising though and at some point I will tumble flat on my face and have to resort to a trip to the nearest supermarket , but until then I will carry on with the annual panic followed by the biggest annual sigh of relief you can ever imagine.

Yes, its Halloween- just in case your not sure what I am talking about. To be more specific its time to create for our little granddaughter something special and hopefully in some way unique that she can have the time of her life in for a few days. And no spooky ghosties for her yet. Time for that in the future. In the 6 little years since her arrival in our lives we have kitted her out as a mouse, a bee, a bat, Jesse the cow girl and then the glowing haired Scottish heroin Merida from "Brave" and this year we are back with the Disney team with a request for Anna  of "Frozen " fame.

I have to say I cheated somewhat this year as I found a Simplicity pattern for the dress, but that was only after I had bought yards upon yards of felt and fabric whilst my little grey cells tried to work out how the heck I was going to manage to get the right look of her little dirndl outfit.   Felt is such a great cheat fabric though, so with a large roll of Bondaweb and the pattern guide I think I got the look. That and a little help from Emily and her little hole punch for the added hearts which finished off the applique a treat. 

Not sure Mum was so pleased when I told her that the outfit won't be washable

though with all that felt on it! The skirt is cotton and the bodice mock suede and I used lining fabric for the "blouse" effect, but all that applique is felt.

Anyway by the look of things wee one couldn't care a jot 

so its next stop the School disco, but not before we make sure we get a quick selfie in the new outfit...

Being Brave

Autumn rolls on and to shock us all into remembering to turn our clocks back the temperature plummeted on Friday which required just one response.

Yes, it was out with the old hot chocolate and marshmallow remedy. Works a treat every time and probably not what you would call a healthy option, but what the heck. Sustenance was going to be required as a weekend of intensive stitching was about to commence and that has to be the best excuse ever for indulging in a sugar rush.

 

Before getting going on the important matter of Zoe's Halloween outfit for this year I was distracted by a lovely post by Charise Creates in which she showed off some stunning little houses she had made from a tutorial. This set my mind whirring and I thought I might give them a go, but with the Halloween season upon us, I would add a little twist. The original tutorial by Retro Mama is really well written and has great pictures. I hope you like my little ghostly version. I think I will give them another whirl for Christmas, but I might move the closure next time as I found it hard to get the neat house shape at the side when I slip stitched the opening. The house is only 5 inches high so as you can imagine a  wee bit fiddly in turning too. I also had a couple of little bat buttons on it originally but took them off as I thought it made it a bit too busy.  Great thanks must go to both Charise and Kim for their inspiring posts and I have already started scouring my stash for more ideas.

Anyway, to the main event!

 

Since Zoe's arrival I have set myself the task of chief costumier to our beautiful granddaughter. I love making dressing up outfits and it is so long ago since my two were of the age of needing me to rustle them something up. The last opportunity was Emily's 18th birthday, when we held a Hollywood party. This was brilliant fun and we really went to town with the whole thing from the Hollywood sign to Oscars and Paparazzi. It was an emotional time for the family for other reasons at the time but  managed to have a hoot and I will never forget the look on Emily's young friends faces when they encountered the 6 foot plus tall Beloved JB dressed as Mark Anthony, complete with short white toga, leather skirt and giant red plumed headgear. He made quite an intimidating sight and you knwo how cocky teenage lads can be. It worked at treat at keeping them from over stepping the mark and trying their luck at the bar I can tell you. Anyway, digressing again aren't I.   Back to the dress.

 

This year's outfit for Zoe is Merida's green velvet dress from "Brave". It was a bit of a challenge, with its split sleeves, but I got there in the end. Making a little sleeveless undershirt was an inspired idea so that the sleeves actually are an illision. Smoke and mirrors and all that you know . Haha. The stretchy velvet fabric will make it easy for Mum to wash so Zoe can have lots of fun pretending she is charging through the Highlands on her trusty steed hunting for bears.

 

My favourite part was shopping for the bow and arrow and of course I had to try the arrows out myself before hand, just to make sure they flew in a straight line - wink wink. Zoe wanted to wear the dress to sleep in so I think that's a 4 year old's way of saying  she loved it. With her beautiful hair there really could not be any other choice of character could there? Next year dad might get a bit of a say in her costume and end up with a  small Storm Trooper, which has been his wish for the past 4 years but me , I am just hoping for a easier run next year ( please!).

Happy Halloween everyone.

 

 

 

 

a bit of this and a bit of that...

Today has been what my Dad would refer to as a pottering day. Nothing major has been done, but lots of little odd jobs have been ticked off the list. Sometimes this is the best way to spend a Sunday, as it somehow re-aligns the brain from whirring around at high speed and lets you unwind with the more every day items of life. JB was setting to at sorting out our garage which somehow has become overwhelmed with every thing except those things you would find in the garage, so this left me to dip in and out of all kinds of jobs and fun activities.  

First on the list was go pay attention to "Hermann", the German Friendship cake I had been given by a young friend of mine called Katherine. Katherine is a great baker and regularly keeps us fed in the office with yummy Irish snacks whose recipes have been passed on to her by her Mum. 10 days ago she shared with me a pot of a gooey bubbling mix from the friendship cake which she had baked for our morning coffee and so I have been lovingly looking after Hermann since then. 

For all of you not familiar with these cakes, they are basically a sour dough mix which you nurture for 10 days and then divide into 4 and share with 3 friends , keeping the last quarter to make your own cake. The basic cake is an apple and cinnamon flavour and is delicious but I fancied making a different variety so plumped for a Raspberry, Blue berry and White Chocolate version which proved a great great success with all the family. If you would like to start your own friendship cake, or try my version you will find the recipe on my Recipes page. 

Next on the list was finishing a binding on a small play mat for a wee lad named Adam. I had pieced this but needed to finish the binding as I am hoping to catch up with his Mum Lucie very soon before they both go jet setting off the the Czech Republic to see his Grandma.  Jungle animals were the order of the day for Adam, with yet more Riley Blake fabrics which seem to be very quickly filling my shopping basket these days. Funny how you find yourself finding all your real fabrics with one particular supplier at one times isn't it. They obviously fit with my mood at the moment.

By the way I have updated my gallery with not only a picture of this finished play mat but also baby Rebecca, of Kookaburra  and Kangaroos fame in last week's blog, and another little friend called Max  ( short for Maximus) who can be seen enjoying his Nursery Rhyme quilt.  

My next distraction I think will make you smile. We have at home a lovely little dolls house that we keep for when small people call by and last time I was sorting my "orphans" ( left over quilt piecings ? ) I thought how some of them may make wonderful tiny tiny quilts  for the residents of Rosie House as the dolls house is known and so whilst the machine sewing was plugged in today I couldn't resist stitching a couple of them  together and popping them in for the little wooden family. 

Now baby wooden top has a smart pink and green 9 patch, Ma wooden top has a cosy red white and blue throw on her bed and the sitting room is adorned with a  rather snazzy purple floor rug embroidered with a flower motif.  I hope Zoe and any future play mates enjoy them in the house. JB is going to try and install lighting in the house which will bring it from the Edwardian era into the 21st century( even though it prides itself with  a tiny  computer on the desk in the nursery?).

Now the day is done but I  am thinking ahead to my next project. On my last visit to Kaleidoscope in Milngavie I bought a layer cake called Happy Campers by Moda. I have been looking at it all day and wondering what I want to do with it. 

The retro  fabrics are wonderful, with the tiny red, blue, yellow and green tones and the motifs of the 1950's camping scenes are really fun but I just cannot decide what I want to do with it.  Some layer cakes turn out a little "chunky " because by nature they can be easily pieced but I think I will throw out the challenge to all of you in blog land to give me some bright ideas of what you think will be a good idea. The best idea will receive an extra special gift all the way from Quilty Doings land, so get our thinking caps on and let me know what what you think I should do....

a little sojourn a la France

We've all been "en vacance"  this week so no stitching news to report this post I am afraid. A large proportion of the family headed south to the sun and the took advantage of a glorious spot in Langedoc-Rousillon in which to chill out, chat endlessly about nothing much in particular and just generally relax and eat cheese.  Life has been eventful for a whole chunk of the gang, with lengths of time with unemployment worries and general work pressures for them all so we thought it was time for a good break and as parents, the beloved JB and I were delighted to be able to enjoy some special time with our amazing children and their partners. A couple of missing personnel though for the trip which was shame but our star attendee on her first visit to France was grandaughter Zoe, who at 3 has the ability of keeping every adult entertained for hours with her amazing tales and deep and meaningful conversations. Swimming came along leaps and bounds too for her so we expect to see rubber ring and arm bands assigned to the bin very shortly.

Exploring this area of France is a joy, with fields of Lavender scattered between vineyards and orchards. The whole area is indeed a treat for all the senses and a photographer's dream. 

The gentle scents from wild herbs and flowers fill the air when you stroll along the lanes and there can be no better way of spending an hour or two than sitting in La place aux Herb in Uzes and watching the world go by on market day.

On a Wednesday morning the small square is packed with numerous fruit and vegetable stalls whose owners vie for your trade along with more sellers of goat's cheese than you can imagine.  Emily is sure that she found her ideal man there by way of a cheese selling Silver Fox who offered 50 kinds of Fromage de Chevre . Poor Jonathan - what a suitor to compete with. I am pleased to report though  that Emily will be returning to her home in the North with the poor boy but I am sure she will still be dreaming of the charming cheese seller for many a night....

Whilst in Uzes I fell upon the most wonderful little shop proffering a stunning mix of fabrics, haberdasheries, linens and all things beautiful and if you are lucky enough to be in the area you must seek this little piece of heaven out.  

Another one of the joys of small town France are these individual shops which we in the UK are very quickly losing, due to faceless chain stores and exorbitant business rates, and with all our membership of the European Union it is a shame we cannot see the benefit of the French style here.

The shop keeper of "Vent Du Sud" was a an elegant small woman who oozed pride in her  stylish shop and the quality of its merchandise. Emily and I browsed for nearly an hour whilst our menfolk ate gelate in the near by ice cream parlour, out of the sun . To say we could have blown the whole of the holiday budget here would not be an exaggeration but we did each finally settle on a small but carefully chosen bag of goodies to take back to the UK. I chose a small medley of fat quarters in pale shades of duck egg blue- very french I felt. None of the fabrics were in fact the same brand but had been cleverly chosen by the shop keeper herself and blended wonderfully together. Two of them are Cabbages & Roses Ltd, by Moda and then two unknowns including an amazing moth design. I will search the web and see if I can identify this fabric and then add a link as its well worth finding as it is really stunning- just like specimen plates from a Victorian Natural history Journal. We also found a yard of fabric from the Yuwa Live Life collection which was reduced in the Sale so Emily and I shared this as we both fell in love with its colours. I can see we will be trawling though Etsy trying to find matching elements for this one as it is pretty unusual . Again I will update you how this goes and add pictures at that time.

I have to say though that the part of the shop that sent me into a  complete spin was the haberdashery. The rows of ribbons and trims were incredible and better than I have ever seen together in one place. I could not hold back and came away with a large bag of ribbons and bias trim in all sorts of patterns and colours. 

I have not seen these wonderful printed bias bindings before and cannot wait to make some small pieces to use them . More web searching will need to follow to see what else I can find.  Sadly Vent de Sud does not appear to have a web site so I cannot refer you on to her here, but there again this has to be a good excuse for trying to visit the area just to check out this shop I am sure. I have found mention of it in this blog though so if your french is good you can check out someone else's enthusiasm as well as mine for this wonderful little place.

I had spent the previous day telling Zoe's Mummy about all the ribbons I used to tie in Emily's hair when she was small and had promised to seek out some for Zoe's stunning red curly locks so you can imagine my joy at falling on Madame "Vent de Sud"s emporium 

( sorry no personal names were exchanged as my french was poor and I think she thought my enthusiasm a little odd so hung back a little from my enquiries!).  Anyway needless to say Zoe should never now go un-coiffed, being the proud owner of a mix of organza, satin and embroidered ribbons to show off in her exquisite hair.

I cannot finish my ramble today without a final mention for The Ceramics of Lussan. Whilst they have a small shop in Uzes, it is worth a visit to the Ceramic workshop out in the country itself ( not least because you will pass field upon fild of wild flowers on the way).  At the show room the funny and beautifully exhibited Guinnea Fowl and hens are all on show in quirky " chickeny" type locations.  A very clever person has put these together and with our ridiculous love for all things hennish, it was a must for Emily and I to visit whilst JB and Jonathan trailed dutifully behind.  Hand baggage is always a challenge for me after a holiday but I did manage to make it all the way back home to Scotland with a large pottery Guinnea Fowl who I have named Albert tucked under my arm.