Toooo Long!

Its been way to long since I last blogged. I have been painting up my studio and getting it ready for 'work'. My youngest will be starting school this year and I wanted the studio to be completely different from the rest of the house.

At one time the studio was the kitchen to the cottage, 10 years ago we extended and had a new kitchen so the old room became redundant, its been an office and a snug, now its my studio/office.

As the old kitchen it also has its own little external door which is wonderful on sunny days and when local customers come to visit.

As room that has been rarely used, I really do feel like I am out of the house, I'm thinking perhaps a kettle will be rather useful too.

Yesterday, I had a photographer come for a mini photoshoot, as part of a feature in Wiltshire Society Magazine (part of the Salisbury Journal). The journalist was here last week, did my usual, talking non stop, I was actually rather nervous!  The circulation of the magazine is fab, so here's hoping.

The postcards are still proving very popular which is wonderful.  I am so fortunate to get to know my customers, there is a story behind everyone that I do.  I recently undertook a commission for a photo transfer cushion with embroidered message (in Portugese) on reverse side.

I have also opened an Ebay shop.  Its a little more expensive than I would like, but I'm going to give it a couple of months and see how we go - http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Thesewingcroft

Look what I found at a carboot sale - aren't the just lovely! 

       

Still no further forward with #SBS, I will not give up! One day, Mr Paphitis will RT me!

I'm going to sign off for now. Thanks for reading

Zoe
                                                                

Which would you choose???????

Is it May? are your sure? feels like March or April. I really DO NOT want it to be May because next month I am no longer a 'thirty something'.  Thats about all I have to say on the subject and I shall never return to it, End of!

However, next month is also when the June copy of Wiltshire Magazine http://wiltshire.greatbritishlife.co.uk/ and they are featuring (hopefully) 2 of my Best of British items.  So I thought it would be rather fun to see what you would choose, as a little competition, there will be a prize - ooooooh!!!   be interesting to compare.  So what do you think was chosen for the Magazine?

Slouch cushion

Ipad Case

 

Heart

    

Keyring

                 

Applique Framed

I cant wait to see what you think was chosen, when the Magazine comes out Ill post a link or picture and then choose one of you at random, if your a winner, Ill send you a Union Jack Keyring. For my lovely American cousins, I have an alternative keyring.

Zoe

Dirty children are happy children

Dirty children are happy children.  Thats what my mother always says. Funny, very funny! Wasnt often dirty as a child, and my children are often so mud spattered that she comments on a regular basis.  My son seems to think that pjs and wellies are his day clothes these days and my 7 yr old daughter has taken to doing her own hair - oops!

Both my children attend a gym club, its very popular where I live, and very expensive.  This week, I totally lost my son there, looked up stairs and down, grabbed children to check the bathrooms, not anywhere.  Finally found him, outside, he was caked in muddy splatters from bare feet to knees.  'What on earth are you doing?' I demanded 'splashing mummy, its much more fun without my wellies'.  Not much could be said about that.  The look on the yummy mummys faces when I brought him back inside, and the look of yearning from their children = very very funny.

I also uploaded a photograph of my kitchen to Pinterest the other day, if your not sure what Pinterest is, its FAB. Like a massive mood board for all the stuff you love or want, to buy, to make, to look at - from all over the internet.

Rather vain of me really, but I do so love my kitchen, I sew for hours in that chair.

Then I noticed a mistake, can you spot it....

Clue: new (self build) extension above, lots of banging going on....

I sent off the commissioned cushions this week too, the customer was so delighted and left me the most amazing feedback! Ive put it on my website - http://www.thesewingcroft.co.uk/commissions-feedback.php,.  Im now working on another two commissions.  Also decided to list this in my Etsy shop, which I have yet to get my first sale from, very frustrating. www.etsy.com/shops/thesewingcroft. 

Have you heard of Mollie Makes? Absolutely brilliant craft magazine - http://molliemakes.themakingspot.com/ if you love craft, unique items and general home chit chat then take a look, im addicted.  Have somehow managed to challenge a fellow twitter user to make the Mollie doll that has been featured, (full instructions too!) desperate to get started!

Ive got a new idea too for the embroidered message/photo transfer but hush hush, all will be revealed.

Zoe

Cushions, Cushions and MORE cushions!!

I suppose the title says it all,  I seem to be making lots of these type of cushions, pink gingham, red gingham. Applique hearts, personalised applique names.  They have been fairly popular on my facebook page, which is rather good. I do enjoy making them, bit of a variety with applique and bonding on, zig zag stitch, patching together.

I really think I need to do craft shows, problem is im not that keen, I just want to sew things for people.  I know what I do is good, im confident about the quality just need to sell much much more. 

First week of the holidays has disappeared so quickly! I did have a rather disasterous shopping trip to an Asda store, son bounced around the WHOLE time we were in there, and then every child he came across, he roared like a 'Dinosaur Mummy!', needless to say it felt like most of the aged population of that small town, was in that shop! tutting and trying to avoid tripping over said son, and of course the other mummies had perfectly lovely children, soooo well behaved!!! What do they do to them??? I spend ages pondering that one, I really do!  Not to mention, that other children always look so well kept!! My son had Ben 10 wellies on, dirty jeans and his pj top and his hair was just sticking up everywhere!  my daughter was wearing bright pink socks with front open shoes and jeans flapping above her ankles, AND her hair had been brushed since yesterday either! Im just naff.  Im a busy woman! thats my excuse and im def sticking to it.

We went to a place called Badbury Rings yesterday for a good friday picnic.  It was soooo lovely there! The children played up and down hills, climbed trees and we had a lovely picnic and some great laughs! Much needed, as husband back to the dreaded extension, trying to finish it! Another veeery long story, but in a nut shell my superDIY superdad husband has built an extension above our single story kitchen, its been hell, and I will NEVER do self build again! My husband on the other hand is already planning the next phase....... We shall see Mr Croft!!

Have a wonderful Easter everyone, we shall be hiding mini eggs all over the house as usual x

Zoe

Fairy doors, teeth and Sewing

Its been a week! Most exciting is my little girl who lost her first tooth, she is 7 and a little behind the other children so there was much excitement, and a little tear from me.  The tooth she lost was the first one that came through, I remember it like yesterday, we all do it, constantly pulling the lip down and showing everyone babies first tooth, and now its come out.  The tooth fairy made a visit with fairy dust leading from the fairy door in our house all the way into her room, and a shiny £2 coin was left.  She had written a note asking the tooth fairy if she could keep her tooth, which I was rather pleased about. What on earth we will do with it I dont know.  

At last the weather is lovely! The winter seems so long sometimes.  I should be sowing seeds rather than fabric, but cant seem to get motivated, no doubt I will just chuck aload into the ground and see what happens.  A carrott is a carrott no matter what the shape :-)

I have also started having some of my items on a wonderful new website www.homemadeinbritain.co.uk its fairly new and as a new venture myself, I want to support them fully.  Even tweeting Kirsty Allsopp about it.  Talking of tweeting, im addicted! I love it! my tag thingy is @thesewingcroft.  I have sold a few items, and am working on some union jack things, I know everyone will, but I am proud to be British and that is why I also want to make things. Not to be commercial, not even to make money, just to be part of the British made movement.