Happy Spring Days

I'm writing this blog post in a ridiculously good mood, singing along (badly) to radio, and once I've stopped writing I'll be sorting out a spot of dinner, speaking to my best mate and then getting back to stitching. I would say it's down to a combination of enjoying the sunshine pouring through the windows, buying more plants for the flat, and just enjoying what I am making. Sure this week hasn't gone to plan from dentist's costing an arm an leg, unexpected bills...too and this is the funniest thing, having a sparkie come out only to realise the lights that you thought were going in the hallway hadn't been ordered...because it was you that was meant to have done it. Yes, I felt like a right idiot. 

Not that it mattered cause at the end of the day my teeth are in good order, the bill will get paid and the lights whilst not up, are now ordered, and most of the prep work has been done. Oh, and a phone socket issue was also sorted out in the process. 

So what does it matter, these things are sent to try us but I am slowly learning to just go with the flow...ish. 

Anyway, enough of that waffle! I've made some pretty things, well one finished pretty, another is in the process:

Mia Mouse

This little Tilda mouse was made for a friend's god-daughter, the dress/apron gave me a bit of gip but it's come out well. Bright colours were a must for the little girl it's going to. Slightly tempted to make a coat or a blanket for it, perhaps I might if I have a moment over the Easter holidays.

Then afternoon, I started work on the monogram for a friend in the States. Starting with a bit of prep work then moving onto starting the trailing. I have to really think about the order I work the monogram in as there is a lot of over lapping. The lettering was designed by me and I've found myself doodling what the rest of the alphabet would look like. So chances are there might be more like in the future.

Getting smart-arse with the filters on Instagram...

Looks like an 'e' but really is a twiddly bit (technical term) at the end of the letter, finished with a tiny little tassel, to help it stand out from the rest of the gold trailing, I flecked in some of the blue I'll be using to work the main part of the letter in. 

It's not the only things I've been doing this weekend, there's been a lot of shifting about, perhaps its the need of wanting to spring clean has got me spirited to do it. I'll not complain, because whilst it lasts the flat is looking utterly smashing. 

I hope everyone has had a lovely weekend! 

Spring is here - Let's Polka

So on Monday, Blighty was treated to a day of brilliant sunshine. It felt to me, and others, that spring had finally sprung.

It was fantastic timing too as I had booked a day off from the day job to spend the day with my best mate crafting, drinking tea, chatting and eating plenty of cake.

Of course, no day could start without a decent breakfast and this put us on the path to a fantastic day looking colour. We toddled around for a bit in town which meant I was able to pick up some thread, and as these things happen I also ended up buying fabric. Yes, the sun had done a marvelous effect on my mood and colour palette. There was also a brief stop in Farrow& Ball for paint and wallpaper charts. I love their colours even if my bank account doesn't.

The remainder of the day was naturally spent looking at the colour swatches and playing with the various threads I had picked up earlier that morning. We flitted between looking at ideas for the soon to be new flat (yes, getting there slowly) and new project ideas. The sun pouring into the livingroom, whilst making the room hot, certainly aided our colour picking abilities.

Aren't they smashing colours, the three spools at the bottom are the silks threads I purchased at the beginning of the year, the skeins above at the ones purchased on Monday, just your standard DMC cottons.

With the colours chosen for the new project ideas picked out on Monday, it meant I was able to get on with one of them today. Now, originally I had planned on using the DMC threads to stitch the projects but I was nudged into using the silk threads, so I ended up doing just that, except so not to waste the limited amount of silk thread I had I used the cotton as the padding for the satin dots. It was pure fate that the colours picked up on Monday matched the silk.

Work in progress - seeing dots.

This is the first of three new spring/summer collar designs, and the first one made up is Ice-Cream Polka. Every time I look at it I just want to smile, and then poke the satin dots (I haven't...yet). I backed it in the new purchased cotton fabric too. Using my previous collar pattern means this design is fully reversible. And look it features my logo as the fabric label.

Dots...lots of dots

Now, all I need to do is crack on with the other two designs! Ice-cream polka will be available to purchase from my Etsy store.