Would love to Meet you...

If you live near or in Farnham, their 10th annual Farnham Malting's Christmas fair will be taking place. Owing to massive popularity they have made it a two day event. I will be there with my merry band of Bees and I would love to see you there!

Fairs and a Christmas Bee

So last week I mentioned last week that I had an opportunity to go to the Handmade Fair at Hampton Court, courtesy of the lovely gang over at We Make. I am hope wining tickets to the fair might mean I would win the lottery. But you know to do that you have to first buy tickets....

It was surprisingly, and perhaps a somewhat unfair comment to make, that the fair was rather good. Now I did only go for just over an hour and half which might not seem a long time but it was a bit of an early start on a Sunday to make sure I got there early enough. I like to get to show's early, not a big fan of crowds, and when you have tents...the heat. Now a lot of it was geared towards classes, and talks which I wasn't there for as my ticket didn't allow me to do any, and honestly not sure I would have wanted to. There was, however, a nice mix of craft folk and suppliers. Though it would be nicer to see if they do it again next year they could attract more independent suppliers, the niche stuff that you nine times out of ten have to order on line to see it. And it was some what of a surprise that the RSN didn't take a stand, would have been worth the outlay which I know was fairly substantial, or even have the workrooms open for the day. 

Fabric a gift from my best mate, she knows me so well, some uber cute Christmas Decorations and yes might have picked up some more papercraft stuff. It's an addiction...

Anyway, I picked up a few bits, was being good given I had just come back from the States with a bucket load of supplies, and I knew that the following week I would be off to Threads....

Which like the Handmade fair is still in its infancy. 

For those crazy long term followers of the blog, god love you all, I talked about it's inaugural show last year. Which was a little bit...well I wasn't sure what to make of it, and I am still not sure it's got the mix right. Like with the Handmade fair, I would have loved to have seen more niche suppliers of kits and materials. Not sure it's the fair for purchasing finished products. Especially in a few weeks time is the Malting's big Festival of Crafts. It was also I think a little smaller than last year, or that could have been my imagination. Still it was a good couple of hours of wandering around with the lovely Laura Howard aka Bugs and Fishes wandering about and talking to the stall holders. 

Of course I did buy a few bits...

So much pink...

Such as more wonderful threads from Zoe Acketts, who I have spoken about before, and now has the most delicious range of silk threads to compliment her cotton threads. All hand dyed and produced by her. In due course she'll have a website to sell the threads from which I can't wait for. Really was great to see her again. 

I also got the chance to meet Sophie Simpson of What Delilah Did, so great to put a name to a face. And seeing her new book, which I have to say you have to get because it's so darn cute, Stitch the Halls. Prompted me to purchase the skein of hot pink cotton thread from Zoe, so I can stitch the bunting design featured in the book, which is of winter animals, polar bears and so forth. Sure I have enough to be doing at the moment but a little project for the train can't hurt...

Well, I'll squeeze in around all the other oodles of sewing I've started to get into doing. In particular I mentioned as well last week that I was designing this year's Christmas bee bauble design....well here it is. Well, in it's near finished state:

Bzzzz

Yes, the little Merry Bee is back, in miniature size sporting a Swarovski crystal nose. Bling for bees. I have to admit it did take a couple of attempts to get back into how to stitch the bees, nothing like brain freeze but having just stitched another one think I am getting back into the zone. Just have one more to stitch up and then I can get them turned into baubles, so hopefully by next week I can start looking at getting them listed. Might try out having them just on my website. I'll keep you posted. 

My tea has now been drunk, and so that means time to step away from the computer. Hope you lovely lot are well, and that you have had a nice weekend.

Threads, Bee and Success

Nothing like a productive weekend, to make you feel that whatever the next week brings that at least you started it with a few things crossed off your list. I had two things that I was rather pleased to get done.

The first is that I finally got a solution for my windows at my abode that works. I've had a bugger of a time with the plaster board. The new buildings owners worst nightmare when it comes to fixing anything heavier than a picture on it. So you can imagine that hanging anything like a blind was a nightmare. However, using components that are actually for wardrobe, small dabs of no more nails to add the screws, and the aid of my mum. I've fitted up a mini pole in the study ready for me to hang the curtains...that I've yet to make but still it's a start!

Taking a picture of it at the moment is a bit dull, but once I've made the curtain I'll show it off. Hopefully, by then I'll have my sofa bed installed too so the room will be pretty much complete and ready for guests to use too.

What's the second thing I am pleased about? Well I have made the sample and pretty much got instructions sorted out for a fab little Christmas project for you all. Here is a sneaky peek of a bit of it to wet your appetite. 

The project will be ready for next week, and I'll be aiming for the 7th November, to coincide with the project in Crafty magazine which will be out the same day. Which I can show you what it looks like, as they have put up on their site this week the template for the design. Sneaky peek and download the template ahead of the game!

This is a prefect opportunity to remind you about the competition I have running, which has some fab prizes up for grabs. Click here for more details.

As well as the Christmas project and the window solution, I popped along to the first Threads festival at Farnham Maltings. It was in the neighbourhood and I wanted to go along to see if it was something I wanted to take part in next year, but I have to be honest I wasn't utterly sold on it. The premise was good, but in reality to me it fell short, I can't fully explain it. I think it largely came down to not knowing what it was meant to be. I personally felt that the set up at the Maltings might have also not fully helped it was a little too bitty, perhaps that was the reason I couldn't quite figure it out. If you've not been to the Maltings, its a collection of buildings linked together, with studio areas, halls and various other side rooms. Which for this festival made me feel as I left that I might have missed something. 

I might have felt even more disappointed had I not come across a rather lovely and local hand-weaver who also sold her hand dyed cotton threads. Naturally I fell in love with the threads couldn't resist purchasing a pack of mercerised cottons and one of her silk dying experiments. I highly recommend checking out Zoe Acketts by going to her site http://www.zoeacketts.co.uk/.  

Perhaps my thoughts on the show were a little hard, given it was the first one, next year I heard its going to be in September rather than November. Perhaps not to compete with the Christmas fairs. Which might work better...I'll leave my opinion as undecided. Did you go, what did you think? 

Now I must toddle off the evening has well and truly settled in and it's time to snuggle down on the sofa with a cuppa. 

Bees, Pictures and Tea

The secret squirrel project has been posted off, and I've decided to treat myself this weekend to a bit of me time, and wrapping up a few loose ends. So I can start a fresh next weekend and finally crack on with new projects and start work on the Honeycomb tutorial I've been promising.

So this weekend I've cleaned my abode, pampered myself and Hamish, hung pictures and tarted up a new mega sized notice board, cooked and finished off another overdue project. Oh, I also wrote a mini newsletter. 

Before I talk about the newsletter I thought I'd show you a few shots from the room, I've been able to keep the room tidy...lets see how long that lasts. ;) 

Just a few shelves...

Yes, that is Mary Poppin's on the screen. A few pictures on the wall.

New uber big notice board, time to fill it!

The newsletter that went out today was just a smaller than normal one mainly because of the sheer lack of doing anything other than sorting out the flat and focusing on the secret squirrel project. But I promised a free pattern to download so, the 50+ folks who kindly subscribe to the newsletter were the first to get it.

So the new pattern is a wee little planet to join the series and it's theme is bees...

To view this month's newsletter click here, or if you just want to skip to the new pattern then click this link. I'll have a stitched version of this soon, as well as an advanced purchasable pattern.

Now time to start sorting out some dinner and I have this vague feeling that I've forgotten to do something....

Oh, there was something a date for your diaries if your in Surrey, I nipped over to Farnham Maltings yesterday and picked up their events diary and on the Saturday 19th & 20th October is the Festival of Crafts. I'm going to nip along on one of the days to check out the wares.

Bye for now!