feeling wooly headed!

Hello! How are you feeling today? 

This is how I'm feeling....

 This is a current advert on tv here in the UK. (I'm not endorsing Sudafed here, just sharing the ad!) 

I feel just like that cleverly knitted lady! I marvelled at the ad actually, very clever! 

So yes, I'm feeling ILL again, a big nasty cold, I'm swamped in tissues, sitting here with my cup-a-soup, 

but ...

I thought I's share with you my Hubby's fancy dress costume I made/re-fashioned! 

I would share all of our costumes but my camera ran out of battery on the night and I didn't even get one of myself or step-daughter in our outfits!! so I will have to try it back on when I feel better!!

So if you didn't guess from my hint in my last post my hubby went as 'The Phantom of the Opera' one of his favourite films of all time! 

Please excuse the quality of the photo's as my step-daughter took them!

the trousers and cumber band and shirt are his own, I made the cloak, the cravat, and re-styled the frock coat. 

also, we got a cheap 99p Dracula wig from Tesco, and I took out the stupid white streaks and we shaped it to make sideburns

That cloak was such a challenge! I used black velour fabric, and ivory dress lining, which slipped and puckered all the time!! But as long as no-one looked closely at the seams no-one would know just how bad it is sewn up!! 

the Jacket was a ladies dress! I found it in a charity shop and took out the front panel, took out some darts to take out the womanly shape! I lengthened the sleeves, and edged them in the same material as the cravat.

The cravat was the simplest thing to make, made out out jacquard/ damask patterned dress lining. Not sure what its called!  I sewed on an ornate antique style button I had for a cravat pin. 

Quite a few people thought he was the best dressed there, and he did look so menacing and brooding as he wafted about! but perhaps that was because he had a bad cold too!

here's a photo of us both that My Mum took, but I will add more details about my costume on my next post! 

my boys were the Mario brothers. I made their dungarees and hats...

my eldest son isn't very happy here,because there were 3 other 'Mario's' there too, and heaven forbid, one of them was a 6 year old girl! and also his close friends weren't at the party due to illness, so he didn't know anyone...however after a little pep talk, and within half an hour of this photo he was skidding on his knees across the dance floor with all the other kids there!! and he had an 'awesome' time. 

I couldn't find a pattern for dungarees anywhere online, but I did find a trouser (Pants) tutorial (sorry I can't find it now!) so I followed that by basically, folding trousers they already have, pulling out the crotch bit and drawing round them and using that as a pattern, then I made the rest up as I went along! 

I had to put elastic in the waist at the back to save them from falling down to the ankles if the popper came undone, and I am very glad I did that, as most of the evening they went around with the bib part hanging down!! (the popper wasn't strong enough, should have used velcro in retrospect, didn't make a button hole as the button was too big!and I can't do them!)

Their hats I made with the help of  this tutorial from a very talented lady, AmberLee.

The first one I made was horrendously big, I must have printed out the instructions wrong, but I muddled through and eventually discarded the tutorial template and cut around melamine plates instead! ..but still followed the rest of the instructions ( I think it was a case of being late into the night and not getting my head round non-metric measurements) and  made two perfect fitting hats from fleece

To my sons amazement I even 'got the 'm' right, just like Mario's 'M'' 

(haha! that's because I looked at the proper font online and copied it!) the letters are also cut from fleece and the white circle is felt, I used fabric glue to attach these to each other and the hat. 

Inside the bill I used stiff cardboard from packaging, the tutorial said to use plastic canvas which I didn't have.

It was a really cold evening, so both boys were happy to wear the hat all evening!!

The other 'Mario's' all had shop bought costumes on, I saw these myself when I went shopping for Hubby's mask, and they were expensive and really badly made! worse than mine!!! So I'm glad that I managed to make the boys better costumes, more realistic (the others were all all-in-one suit, like a big romper suits, and with one button at the neck and a slit down the back!) 

I actually had bought twice the amount blue fabric I needed as I mis-calculated, but it was just as well as I'd messed up the cutting out their legs at first, so I had enough to re-cut them, still both costumes cost under £5 each to make (just over $7 to my US readers)

the shop was charging 3 times that for their cheap nylon suits. 

I also got them 99p white gloves too to finish off the outfits along with boots and tops they already had. 

My eldest rubbed his moustache off, as it felt 'stupid' but little one gladly wanted one and gigled the whole time I was putting it on with eyeliner!! 

So there we go. 

I am still making, in my next post I will give more details about my costume, and my step-daughters, and also show other makes I'd done recently. 

Take Care and thanks for reading Xx

Hello Friends!
Hope you are all well and cheerful.
I am feeling rather cheerful myself, which is a little unexpected, since we have such Miserable, Dull weather at the moment.
I have been really busy for the past few months, and also have not been too well, but...I feel pretty good now!

I have been bursting with inspiration and ideas of things to make.
I really love it when I feel like this.
There is nothing worse than to sit before your happy stash of things and have no idea what to do with them!!

I have made quite a few little things that I can't wait to share with you, but they are gifts for a special friend who reads this blog and I don't want to ruin the surprise!!
so in the mean time, I have some gorgeous fabric to share with you. I came across a online store called Sew La La . I could really have bought up her whole stock if I had the riches! I Love so many of those cute designs.
I am determined to make some things to sell, so I got some fabric to get me started. How pretty are these?...

I'm looking forward to making something with them! 

I also got a pack of fat quarters. In a basket amongst the gorgeous Tanya Whelan fabric, one of my Favourite designers, so I thought I was picking up a bargain! However, I have since discovered that its not Tanya Whelan's designs, I think its a mix, and may possibly be called 'Camden Market Chic'! Whatever the designer, I love this pack!!

I am really in the mood for SEWING lately. 

We are going to a fancy dress party in 2 weeks, I can not WAIT! I am so excited. I have made/re-purposed our costumes for Hubby, St-Daughter, my two boys and I. 

Also Mum wants me to come up with something for her & hubby. 

I have started them all, but still not entirely finished either yet! 

my boys are going as the Mario Bros! they'll be so cute! I looked everywhere for dungarees, but couldn't find any for my 7 year old, who wears an age 9 as he's so tall...so I set to making some!

 Eeek, I know!

I've NEVER attempted to make trousers before! 

I looked online and found a tutorial for making trousers, and then just added the bib part.

 Pretty much making it up as I go along!! 

I have almost finished my littlest sons pair. Just have to sew on the poppers. then I'll start on my eldest's. 

but so far, they look perfect on my little one. I am amazed at myself for figuring it out!!! haha!! 

My St-daughter is going as Barbie. Her boyfriend as Ken. Poor guy!! haha! 

 she already has a pretty pink embellished corset/basque so I am making her a big poffee puffy skirt with lots of tulle and shimmery organza, she'll look every bit the fantastic plastic princess!! 

My Hubby & I are going as a 'couple'. a famous couple who  never were quite a couple! 

Unlike my 'character' I will not be leaving Hubby's character to sob pitifully, smash some mirrors and disappear!!!!! Can you guess who we're going as???? 

On the night I will make sure I take lots of photo's of my handiworks! 

One last thing to share, I had a go at making some wrist warmers. I've never made  them before and made them up as I went along. They aren't perfect, but they do the job!!

well that's it from me for now, had better get on with some sewing! 

Take Care Xx

meet my giddy girls!

Hello there, 

Meet my little diddy 'giddy pigs' as my little one calls them! 

They're sisters, 10 weeks old now, and called Melody (grey one) and Amelia (white&ginger)

My eldest son named them, I was most impressed,with such sweet names, then I realised they were named after characters in Doctor Who!

We've had them for several weeks now and they are still very timid. I only just got around to taking photo's of them today after I cleaned their cage out. They both ran into their tube, at the same time and they looked so darn cute that I had to run and grab my camera!

I was surprised that they sat there like that for quite a while,posing! 

When I first got them my sons were estastic, my eldest said "OH mum! I've always wanted a guinea pig....and a meercat, but oh!! TWO guinea pigs!!" 

but as kids go, they have lost a bit of interested in them, but I adore them, and love cuddling them, listening to their little squeaks and purrs. 

If you can at all recall the noise E.T makes when he's nervous or scared...they do that!!

I have some things I have made to share with you soon. 

and want to share with you two costumes I am making for a Fancy Dress party we are going to in December.

But I'll leave it for my next post! ;-)

Take care Xx

Shibby Shabby Shuffle Muffle

Heehee! In a playful mood today!
I saw my bestie buddy's new blog post today and thought like her I'd follow suit with a silly post title!!

I had a little blogland wander yesterday (and today while I should have been cleaning..) and came across a few Lovely little blogs, and one of them, Country Rose has a GORGEOUS giveaway! I can but only hope that perhaps I'll win such lovely goodies, but I never tend to win anything! So hopes are not too high, but OH! how lovely the things are! i want them!!

I haven't got much to blog about this week. Things are Hectic with the boys out of school and all with step-son home from Uni. The student in us all is coming out and I'm struggling to be bothered to get anything done!!!
I did however, completely tidy out my craft room and even managed to make it All Mine! Finally! Gone are Hubby's banished ornaments of little jousting knights, and tankards, and manly type things he liked to keep on display out there (because it was all too ugly to keep in the house!) unfortunately for me, its gone upstairs, on the landing, along with the bookcase (which looks better up there) so I have to walk past it all everyday, but its a small sacrifice to be able to have all my own 'room' (its the conservatory,click HERE for a post on it when I first established it last year as my semi-craft room) and I have TWO desks, my original one and now our old dining table, as my Sewing desk. I'm not showing photo's of it yet as I haven't had the shelves up yet and its not completely finished as yet. But I surely am looking forward to having a good crafty session in there soon (not going to be this week though sadly)


At the weekend, we went to my Niece's wedding, well, Hubby's Niece (so that makes her my niece too right?!) it was a Lovely wedding. I didn't get hardly any photos as Hubby and I were helping out and couldn't stick around for the pics, and also they specifically requested that any photo's of the wedding not be posted on any social network sites etc, so to be on the safe side, I'll not include them..here's me though!...

                                              Only one glass was mine!! Honest!!

 The skirt i was wearing is my new favourite skirt, so Floaty and a soft peachy pale blush colour...no nice photo's of that either!! Anyway, I loved it and swooshed and swoshed around in it, only to discover a 12 year old girl was also wearing it...i think she was a bit more Mortified than me!!!! That's what I get for shopping in H&M!

                                                                Me ^                          ^ Mortified 12yr old!
It was a really lovely wedding though, and they are such a sweet and happy couple.

On Sunday, we went to a friends Tea Party, just the thing I needed after the late night we'd had.
It was held in a cute little village hall, and it was such an enjoyable afternoon. Sunny and warm, lots of happy, friendly people, quite idealic!

LOVE this bunting!! No one knew where it was from! but had gorgeous little bird patterns on it, 

my little boy's plate! chosen by himself from the buffet table

(my goodness, that blanket goes everywhere with us now! a family Staple!)

Today, I tried to keep the boys busy, we built a little tent in the garden..

Take Care

Love Em Xx 

p.s For those reading this and then the comments and wondering what some are on about, i have since edited and removed some photo's and comments. Sorry. 

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Hello Friends!

Hello there,
I hope you are well. 
I'm not! Again! Oh I have been feeling most sorry for my self this past 24 hours. 
But I am gradually feeling just a bit better. I'm not sure what's up, I lost my voice again and had a sore throat yesterday. And horrible headaches too. Today the voice returned after lunch! It was so weird I had a whispery croak all morning, had a shower at lunch-time (I know strange time to shower but the step kids used the all the hot water this morning! so I had to wait for mine, since I was last one up! 
Anyway, I suddenly just got my voice back, but I have more of an annoying cough and still have a huge vice like gripping headache. 
But Enough on that. 
I'm boring myself!! 
I Haven't got much to share with you yet. although boy am I inspired, have you seen Attic 24 Lucy's new crochet cushion??? Oh its just wonderful and I want to make one RIGHT NOW!!!  
I have a long list, a whole page of things I want and need to make. 
But I have been busy being typically unorganised me! 
This week I have baking to do for my nieces wedding on Saturday, a big family affair, where we all help out with the catering. Hubby is waitering, and helping to set up and decorate the village hall thats been hired. I am making quiches and cakes. 
And of course still need to make a card and wrap the pressie. 


Also this week, we have my step son visiting for the next few weeks, next weekend I have my sister and hubby visiting, and have some friends coming over for dinner too, so I have lots to plan and think about. And all I really want to do is snuggle in some warm, sunny soft quiet place with my crochet, with a big mug of sweet tea. 

 I have made something, but I made it so quickly I almost forgot it!

I had forgotten to make a card for my youngest to take in to his Playschool on his very last day there, so I dropped him off, and dashed to get a pressie I'd had my eye on for the very occasion (a cute mug with special teacher text) and then came home and made this in just over an hour. It's not the best or neatest I've done but it's cute enough!

I used hobby Art and Waltzing mouse Stamps, water-coloured in, and used October Afternoon paper. 

My craft room is an horrendous mess at the moment, and all of my own doing, too many works in progress. 

So, I should pop in there and get things sorted out....who bets I'll get distracted making something and it still looks the same in 5 hours time?! hahahaha! 

Have a Super week, esp those of you who have children on school holidays...

Take care

Em Xx

The One that got away

Why Hello my friends! I'm back again! Two posts in one week!! Wow! (for me!)

Now on to a sad note

So after feeling cheered up from my feeling ill and poorly and getting a good bargain, I came home to find, that my naughty littlest boy had pulled off the wire fencing from our gate, and hence our bunny rabbit, Georgie Wiggles escaped. 

I eventually found him, or rather his body, by the side of the road. 

So when my eldest boy got home from school, we had a little funeral for him and laid dandelions on his little grave (his favourite things to munch besides all my flowers I liked that he had munched already) 

I will miss the sparky little thing. 

I know Rabbits don't exactly have a personality. They don't DO much in the way of entertainment or amusement, but he did have a very cheeky side to him, nibbling on my sunflower seedlings whilst keeping a shifty eye on me, and then pretending it wasn't him when I noticed! 

Or the way he'd stay nice and still, waiting until you were a hairs breadth away from picking him up.. and he'd hoppity-skip away, letting you chase him all evening, or getting wet in the rain! 

We'd taken to letting him roam the garden these past few months. he kept escaping from his run, so since he seemed to behave himself we just let him roam. He loved hopping after Charlie the cat, every time Charlie  stalked across the garden, Little Georgie-Wiggles would skip on over to walk with him, like a little brother following his big brother asking

 "where are you going? can I come too?? Please?? i won't get in the way,I promise!"

"Psst, Hey! Charlie Cat, Let me out! G'on I'll show you some lovely lettuce!"

My hubby looked his little body over (he works in an undertakers!) and he couldn't determine what he had died from. He didn't think he'd been hit by a car, or attacked in anyway as there's no marks on him or broken bones.  We can only guess that perhaps he got too cold in the rain last night. On rainy nights he would hop back to his hutch or nestle under our Magnolia tree between the Ivy and next door's wall. He'd seem quite content there and would put up quite a chase if one tried to catch him. 

Such a shame. I will miss the dear little thing. 

My Boys were sad but not too upset. I think Hubby and I were more upset really. We do get quite soppy and attached to these little creatures! 

I don't think we shall be getting another Rabbit. Although I did say that after the last one died,(of old age) and hubby came home a week later with this one! 

I think maybe a guinea pig next time...or just be content with our Charlie Cat. 

Personally I would like Chickens or a Dog. but Hubby doesn't want a dog, at all, and the chickens are a "maybe one day" thing! 

Well, I can't leave you on such a sad note now can ?, so I shall leave you with a glimpse of Georgie Wiggles' roaming and nibbling grounds, My garden.

Bye for Now!

Take Care

Please feel free to leave me a comment, I love hearing from my readers!

Happy Caravanner's!

Hi all!

I hope you had a good weekend. We are having somewhat of a heatwave here in England, so Hubby & I went on a spur-of-the-moment weekend break away in our caravan, with our boys and Hubby's parents. 

I Say spur-of-the-moment, we booked it last Monday and went there on Friday! 

We went to a place called 'Battle' in East Sussex. Its near where the famous 1066 battle took place between some historic figures and is all terribly significant in British History but Awwwwwwww excuse me while I yawn!!!!!

I'm sorry, I do love some history and love old stories, but Vikings and Saxon's and all that savagery and brutality and harshness is just not interesting to me!

Hubby loves all the knights and Viking stories and archery and Beowulf type stories, and finds it all fascinating, but its not my thing! give me Jane Austen or a period drama and I'm happy!! 

So I digress, we went to a nice little site, My in-laws in their tent and us in our almost finished renovated caravan. 

We didn't have a particularly interesting weekend so I shall spare you the recount, but I did discover some LOVELY little shops in Battle,that we had a browse around, including a wool shop, that actually stocked some wool I have been looking for that has been discontinued. I haven't been able to find it anywhere, and yet there it was, the nice lady behind the counter went straight to it. 

The next day I had decided to go back and get a few more balls, just in case, and sadly it was closed.

What I enjoyed mostly I think, apart from the lazy afternoon and time spent with my family, was enjoying seeing my little caravan with her new curtains and cushions!! all made by me!

I took these photo's when we first bought out "Ellie" (our caravan's name!)

 As you can see, she's ok but a bit dull, with the terracotta velour curtains and cushions, and the pale mossy green upholstery. 

So this is how she looked this weekend...

I think she looks lovely with my crocheted blankets on the sofa's but also looks ok without them too..

I am currently making throws to go over these sofa's properly, as my son doesn't want to part with his blanket and we have got used to our happy summer blanket around the house, and they are both too big really. I am mid way through the first blanket. All granny squares. in the same colours as the cushions.

We need to finish the painting, Hubby got busy with some urgent repairs that he needed to do on her, and so she didn't get the paint job finished. 

We've had to take her back into storage for the time being as our Landlords (and neighbour) aren't keen on our keeping the caravan on the drive.

 Not everyone is a caravan-lover like me!!

Anyway, that's it from me for now. I hope you enjoyed seeing my little home from home!

I will be back soon as I am working on something...just need a few more hours in the day to get working on it some more. 

I currently have 3 different projects on the go,all a different craft!  with another few pending, waiting in the wings!!

Do you like to have different projects on the go, flitting from one to the other, or do you stay with one until its completed and then move on to the next project on the list?

Cute Little Monsters

Good Morning!
I hope you had a good weekend. Ours was rather uneventful due to my boys being unwell, and Hubby's back hurting and I was feeling rather groggy too. 
So I managed to get a few crafting things done. 


Last week I treated myself to a lovely magazine called 'Mollie Makes', I haven't bought a magazine for ages, and so was shocked at how expensive it was!! But I noticed all the craft magazines are a simular price now. 
It was FULL of lovely crafty inspiration. 

Also I borrowed a magazine from my Mum called 'Craft Seller' which has so many things in it I want to make. 

My boys saw some knitted little monsters and begged me to make one for them each, so I happily got my knitting needles out and set to work on them. Gosh! I forgot how slow knitting is compared to Crochet! 

The first one I made has not been claimed by either of my boys as 'Mine', but he was a test version so I'm not offended! I've decided to name him 'Wodderick' as it just sprang to mind as I finished him! 

So,I gathered them this morning for a little photoshoot. (You would not believe the fun I had!!) Firstly,  meet Wodderick the cute little monster...

He is a lovely Saffron yellow

Has a cute little tassle tail

and is rather taken with this strawberry!

Next we have my youngest son's monster, Gubbi

So named as 'Gubbi' is short for 'Reggub'...

which if you reverse is what he was to make and what I keep saying as I made him!!

I had lost my wool needle and oh my word do you know how hard it is trying to sew with wool on a little tiny sewing needle!! 

Here he is with Woddy, (who still can't take his eyes off the beautiful Strawberry!)

Gubbi's eyes are made of felt, I don't trust my 4 year old son with button eyes!!

and I thought of 'Puss-in-Boots from Shrek' as I made them!!

Poor Woddy didn't take well to Gubbi holding the Strawberry!

Next, may I introduce, Pookie, my eldest Son's Monster

who reminds me of Sloth from the Goonies

"Hey you Guys!"

Here they all are together, Pookie was much easier to make as I went a bought a new wool needle! 

Would have been a nice shot if it not for Woddy and that Strawberry!

Hmm, slightly better!!

On Friday We went to the school fete, and my boys got their faces painted! 

Here are my own little Spiderboy's...

That's all from me for now, I hope you have a good week ahead of you

Take Care Xx