Guising

Halfway through the second week of the October break and I can't shake the feeling that something is missing. Although the last few days have seen feverish workroom activity , mainly in the construction of Christmas decorations, it hasn't been as fraught as it normally is. Perhaps I have finally learned to relax slightly and 'go with flow'. Ha! As if. 

No, the reason behind my relative composure is the result of yet another teenage milestone. For nearly ten years, as well as the usual craft fair preparations, the last few weeks of October saw me fabricating Halloween costumes and scribbling down poems to be learned as the 'turn' when out guising ( I don't agree with the 'trick or treat' mentality, the boys have always had to do something to earn any goodies ) Last year they told me not to bother.

I'm not quite sure what triggered their decision to stop getting dressed up and going out. There could be any number of reasons. Peer pressure, adolescent self consciousness, an aversion to frost bite! All I do know is that, strangely, I miss it.

So, I hope you will indulge me as I take this trip down memory lane.

Don't you just love muslin? Stitched on to a t-shirt and trousers for ease of use.  

What can be achieved with a football, wellies and a tin of silver spray paint.

A ten tentacled, eight eyed, four footed, two headed alien. Halfway through the night it split in to two!(you just gotta love Velcro) 

Eyes that were open even when closed.

Scary, Hairy Beastie Monster and his friend Inside-out Man. 

Hmm, that looks tasty!

Death and a zombie

Don't worry, he's 'armless *groan* 

Death obviously didn't find that joke funny either.

The Headless Horseman. Yes, that is real hair on the paper mache head. It was the only way I could get him to agree to a haircut!

A liberal splash of luminous paint helped this ghost glow in the dark. And there's that muslin again.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde I presume. Hopefully that's the last time I'll ever have to make a top hat.

Three years ago it became apparent that we didn't have ceilings high enough to make treacle scones a challenge.

Well, not so much treacle (bleargh) as strawberry and toffee sauce

I hope they have good memories of their guising years, I know I do. Although I think I can honestly say I won't miss the dooking for apples!

C is for......crikey, is it that time of year already?

So there I was, innocently marking a dentist's appointment on the wall planner, when it hit me! We were already a third of the way through October. It would soon be Christmas *said in a hushed voice* Eeek!!! 

Having worked in retail for many years I have mixed feelings about when it's appropriate to start preparing for Christmas. I used to hate this time of year as it usually saw the arrival of the 'holiday season' music tapes. Listening to Slade for 10 weeks can seriously damage your festive spirit. And don't even get me started on Cliff!

Ideally I wouldn't think about it until the 1st of December, when the advent calendar gets put up. Unfortunately, in order to have enough stock of decorations for the glut of craft fairs leading up to Christmas, I really should have started my preparations in August. I hadn't.

I hastily placed an order for some scrap bundles from Strawberry Fayre. Most of their cotton fabrics are quite traditional, perfect for what I had in mind.         

my fabric scraps

Many of the fairs I attend are ones I take part in every year. I try to make some new items to give regular customers something fresh to look at. So this week has been spent experimenting. 

I'm not quite sure what this could become. A napkin ring perhaps?

 I thought I could make my fabric flowers look more like stars. The smaller prints work better when there are so many folds. 

I wanted to try something simple and inexpensive that would work with larger print fabrics. I've filled this pyramid with some spicily scented wadding. Hmmm, I'm not sure it works.  

And finally, mini bunting, my alternative to tinsel.I was thinking about sewing small bells on to the points for a little extra festive cheer.

What do you think? I'd love to have your feedback or suggestions.     

And so to bed

I love jigsaws ! ( the puzzles not the power tool)

Unfortunately for me my family do not share my enthusiasm. In fact I'd go so far as to say they treat it with a certain level of contempt, seeing the entire pursuit as a pointless waste of time. Why on earth would anyone cut up a picture just to put it back together again?

To avoid facing the inevitable ridicule I have learned to subdue my passion. It's lying dormant, waiting hopefully for those twilight years when I'll wear purple, rattle railings and fit oddly shaped pieces of cardboard together until my little heart's content.

However, in the meantime I have discovered a productive outlet for my obsession. One that no one can complain about since they invariably reap the benefits. The gaping hole left by my unfulfilled desire for jigsaw puzzles has been occupied by ......Flat Pack Furniture!

It's quite sad really when I think about the sheer pleasure and sense of accomplishment I get when I've put something together. When I say 'I' I mean just that . In the interests of marital harmony flat pack furniture building is a solitary pastime ( the instructions always seem pretty clear to me! )

This is my latest contribution, a single mid sleeper with under bed and overhead storage. 

It replaces a high sleeper cabin bed, one of two I built a few years ago. They had a wardrobe, drawers, desk and shelves underneath with a bookcase at the side and seemed like a good idea at the time. Space saving, practical, and they took two days each to assemble. Bliss! 

What I had failed to take in to consideration was the passage of time. Time that would see the boys undergo a growth spurt and me suffer a loss of desire or ability to climb up a ladder to change the beds. They started bumping their heads on the ceiling while getting in to bed. And me? Who knew putting a fitted sheet on a mattress while perched on a step 4 feet above the carpet could be so exhausting?

I know what you're thinking. Why didn't I just let the boys change their own beds? Or the sheets at least! I tried. Honestly I did, but have you any idea the mess two teenage boys, who would much rather be playing their X Box than scrambling about on a mattress, can make of putting on a sheet? I mean, for goodness sake, there aren't even any corners to tuck in! It was more than I could bear. They had to go - the beds, not the boys.

So far I've managed to persuade son no.1 to go for a change, hence the new addition. Son no.2 is being slightly more stubborn. A good thing I suppose, this way I can look forward to piecing together more furniture at a later date. Well a girl has to get her fix somehow!

While the sun shines

I know it had been forecast but it was still a pleasant surprise to open the door this morning to such a glorious day. I was sure Autumn would descend with the same false promise as Summer had. 


With the sun on my face I set out with every intention of getting some work done, but on my way to the work room I was stopped in my tracks by this rather handsome devil.

WARNING: if you have a fear of spiders look away now

Sorry if you're not big on spiders but I couldn't help myself, he was just fantastic.

Not being an entomologist I have no idea what sex or type of spider it is, I just called him ( or her) 'Big'. I watched him ( or her ) for a while as he sat waiting for something tasty to drop by. The temperature began to rise, a soft breeze ruffled the turning leaves and I thought to myself it would be such a waste to be shut up in my workroom on what was probably going to be one of the last good days of the year.


Instead I went back to the house , collected some gloves and a pair of secateurs , and spent a very enjoyable morning doing some outdoor housework ( or gardening if you prefer ). When we bought the house 6 years ago I inherited a rather large herbaceous border that always needs cut back at the end of the season. The last few years I've left it too late and the rain and sudden frosts have landed me with an unappealing brown mush to deal with.It wasn't going to happen this year. During my tidy up session I came across a number of others that were busy making the most of the last minute sunshine

These bees were collecting pollen from the few flowers that escaped my flailing shears. When armed, I show no mercy! 

Evidence of more spiders could be found. Unfortunately as the day wore on and the dew evaporated the intricate webs became almost invisible, great for a spider trying to be inconspicuous, not so good for a very poor photographer.


There has been a lot going on these last few weeks, filling my head with one quandary or another. Today was more than a bonus weather wise. It was also a chance to remind myself to stop and take the time to appreciate what I have around me instead of constantly seeking the elusive 'more'.

An unwanted stray

It was inevitable. It happens every year. The little darlings go back to school after a break and catch up with their friends. A few weeks later they come home with a stray cold they have picked up on the way. They feed it, make a fuss over it but after a while they get bored with it and that's when they give it to me to look after.


Of course by this time it's no longer the innocent little thing they arrived home with. Oh no, by the time they've finished with it the mutation is complete. It's now a cold with homicidal tendencies!


It starts by trying to drown me to death, streaming simultaneously from eyes, nose and down the back of my throat. It does however do wonders for my deportment, especially since chaos ensues should I tilt my head in the slightest. Another upside, I'm excused from making dinner!


When that attempt is thwarted it tries to smother me. Where it procures the copious amounts of cotton wool it stuffs up my nose and into my head I'm not sure but there always seems to be enough left over to soak up any moisture in my mouth and throat. The resultant sporadic breathing can be quite noisy. You know it's bad when your own nocturnal grunting wakes you up.


Its final attempt is the lung expulsion (I may have mentioned this particular tactic in a previous post) The aim is to make me cough so hard my lungs are ejected from my body via my trachea.


Suffice it to say I never look forward to the boys bringing home this particular stray, it always seems to get the better of me.


But not this time, you little terror of a cold virus you! Having lost 2 weeks earlier in the year while I did battle, this time I remembered my girl guide training and I was prepared. I had brought in reinforcements. 

Copious amounts of hot ribena, echinacea and raspberry tea and toast and marmite* were consumed in between popping various pills and potions, while kleenex doused with olbas oil ensured at least a few hours sleep. 
Some remedies were homeopathic while others were allopathic, in this instance I have no problem being a belt and braces kind of girl.


I didn't escape completely but what is usually an extended engagement became a minor skirmish. Result! I have missed a few days in the workroom but will hopefully be installed behind my machine by the weekend. 


Oh, and I discovered that doing some ironing proved to be a productive substitute for a congestion relieving steam treatment (but it's a good idea to keep a hankie handy) :o) 

*I know, I know 'marmite'! But it really is good for you and when you have a bad cold you can't taste much anyway.
   

'Of Wallets and Women'

Okay, okay, so in this country we call them purses but lets not argue over a little alliteration. Anyway, back to the topic in hand. 

I've been doing a lot of travelling this last week for one reason or another. While waiting to pay for yet more petrol my mind began to wander, as it so often does. Since I was holding my purse in my hand at the time that was the direction it decided to take. 

A woman's purse is a curious thing. Every little girl will have one, probably from so early an age they can't ever remember being without one. The type used will change as the years pass, accompanying the various stages in her life. The evolution of womanhood as displayed by her purse!  

Hmmm, so perhaps the petrol fumes had gotten to me :o) but it's an interesting theory don't you think? Since I haven't had much time for making I thought I'd have a look on Folksy and see if it could be substantiated.


I'm not sure if they prove anything but I just had to share some of the fantastic examples I found. First, a selection that I'm sure every little girl would adore.

Beautiful felt purses from babyjanes , a distinct improvement on the pink nylon coin purse with plastic seed beads  I remember from my childhood

Better yet , a personalised purse from the piggy bank made from recycled materials

Who wouldn't want this furry friend from Pidgeon Stitch  looking after their valuables

Or a monster purse from The Linen Cat to keep lunch money safe behind its teeth while securely clipped on to a bag

Inevitably there comes a time when we feel the need to put away childish things. Something a little more grown up is called for.

This simple coin purse from Wardrobe Surgeon  offers a perfect transition from childhood to teenagerdom

And this one by Leanne Wood Designs has a separate pocket for the ever important first bank card

This zipped purse  by Jenny Gale, with space for cash, cards and a phone, is the perfect teenage accessory.

And for something a little bit different this clever pouch by Lynn Fisher has a  zipped pocket and  two card holders inside

Early adulthood arrives, and suddenly we need to acquire space for more cards. But since at this stage we probably still have a social life we don't want a purse that is going to take up too much space in our bag. That's when the wallet comes in to its own.

A simple but stunning card holder from Very Berry Handmade

This recycled comic wallet by Kluck will definitely get you noticed

Then something very strange happens. The size of our purse increases while the amount of money we have to put in it decreases. Instead we need space for more cards. Membership cards, loyalty cards, library cards, donor cards......and don't even get me started on the vouchers! 

A spacious but stylish wallet/purse from Kayomi that provides plenty of space for money, cards and receipts

And this fabulous oilcloth offering from Dianna Jessie's Oilcloth accessories has the advantage of being able to be wiped clean

Of course there will come a time when fingers can't grab a zip pull as easily as they used to and thats when the framed coin purse has its day. Now I can remember my grandmothers purse and I refuse point blank to ever, and I mean ever, be reduced to using anything that even remotely looks like it.  Fortunately there are so many out there we will all be spoiled for choice.

I have my eye on this glorious retro print from Court & Spark

Or this wonderful little tweed number by Jane Coe with its silk lining

How about making a statement with this luscious recycled purse from  make new and mend 

Although to be honest this one from Sew You is more likely to be the statement I'll want to make

And if we feel like bucking the trend and throwing my theory out the door without so much as a goodbye there are always these quirky little cash containers to choose from.

Intriguing leather purses fromYummy Mummy Living

Simple coin pockets by Little Bobbins

And a truly delicious little felt pouch from   Created and Felted by Claire Louise 

Well after all that I think it's about time I made my own purse a little lighter by snapping up some of these lovelies. Look out Folksy, here I come!