Meet Madeleina.....

For those of you who were making guesses at my latest creation yesterday I thought I would do a show and tell. Some of you thought she was an elephant and for that she says she forgives you....it was the camera shot :-)
Her name is Madeleina and she is a little French ballet dancing mouse.
She will be uploaded in the shop in the near future.

WOYWW....

These Wednesdays seem to come round quicker each week....or is it I am just sooooooooooo busy at the mo?
It's been another manic week with yet more wedding dresses to alter. I am steaming a Wedding dress today so it will be windows and doors open to allow a breeze through and stop me melting.

I aim to have at least 20 minutes of creative crafting every day even on my busiest days but at the mo my mojo has well and truly gone walk abouts so I have been knitting or crocheting because I can do that on automatic.

Here is a little baby blanket I am working on this week. It's using really lovely rainbow coloured wool and I have used a pattern Suz taught me when she called in for coffee last Friday. Suz is a blogging friend that I have left comments for over many months but only this last week we have realised we only live about 10 miles apart!....isn't blogging wonderful? She is a really talented lady who creates some amazing crocheted items and has been very willing to share her ideas......do pop over to her blog to check it out cos it's well worth a visit.

So? what's on my desk today?.....nothing! I have cleared my little 'to do' rail of all other sewing jobs and just have a Wedding dress to steam this morning and another wedding dress to finish the alterations on [but that will take me the rest of the day!] .
So......

.....here's what was on my desk last night. The football season has started again so it's fun time for Twiglet and I. You can just see Twiglet's hands in the bottom left hand corner busy creating and yes girls, those are two glasses in the middle of the table cos we are still celebrating [ my customer numbers are already up to 1005!! ].
I sat dumfing a new feltie and...



....here is a sneak at what I'm making. Can you guess what it is yet? She isn't quite finished yet but already has a ballet dress and tiara this morning :-) Watch this space as they say.




Now girls pop over to Julia's blog to find out more about WOYWW and please join in the fun. I believe we hit an all time record last week of folk joining in the fun. But be warned....it is addictive :-)

My latest creation.....

I would like to introduce you to my latest feltie. Her name is Charlotte and she is made of a beautiful mixed wool roving that was bought from Sara at Woolfest, Builthwells. She will be uploaded in the shop later

Sunday's treasures....

We have spent today in the garden and I wanted to record a few of the treasures we have found and thought you might like to share them.


The single redcurrant bush was loaded with fruit so I picked them and transformed them to.....


..... a half jar of Redcurrant jam....yum yum.








We have weeded and cut back lots of shrubs and bushes to tidy up our extensive back garden.



The lavender is at it's best and all day was covered with bumble bees.













The hollyhocks are the best they have ever been this year. We remove a large buddleia at the end of last year that had been shadowing the other plants and this has allowed them more light to bloom.








The tomato plants in the greenhouse are heavy with fruit and are even starting to ripen now. Some are red but others are sweet and yellow when ripe.


These ones are really huge.







Having just read Twiglet's blog I can honestly say our day was well spent and when I wake in the morning I can look back on today and have no regrets....apart from the aches and pains I have to remind me :-)
I really hope your weekend has been as wonderful as ours.

WOYWW....

What an amazing week it has been. I ended up on Friday needing just 4 more customers to reach my 1000th customer and 3 of those came Monday leaving just one to reach my gaol. As you will notice on my last post I had my 1000th customer yesterday. It had already been a manic day because customer number 999 had brought materials for me to make 12 lined curtains for her newly purchased caravan[you all know how much I love curtain making!!] and needed them making for Friday!!! Twiglet arrived early yesterday morning to help me with the cutting and making and all day was spent working hard to get them done. It was very much like a sweat shop here!
You can all imagine that when customer 1000 arrived were both so excited that there was lots of singing, dancing and celebrating. Please help yourselves to a glass to help us celebrate.
Now, as to what's on my worktop today....
It's very much back down to earth today because my 'to do' rail is heaving having not had time to clear it yesterday and I have a bride coming at 10.00 for a fitting. Here's just a few snaps for you to share.


My heaving 'to do' rail!! All of which has to be done today or tomorrow!









A short posh frock I have to alter today. It has a boned bodice and I have to take it in! [big job]







My latest little dumfed bear still in the making!...still needing tweaking and facial features.







The gorgeous dresses I steamed last week for the wedding we went to Saturday.....



....and for you card makers the card I made for them.
Yes I do make a few but not with all the wonderful equipment some of you use.








And of course my biggest reveal this week....Yes girls I managed to snap Twiglet whilst she was putting the finished touches to my latest new top.

A Date to remember.....

20th July 2010 at 15.30 hours

I know there are lots of my wonderful blogging friends who are waiting for my news.

I have just had my 1000th customer!

What a day :-)

What can I say? Having updated my blog, after Twiglet left, to say that I had 998 customers I was really amazed to have yet another new customer at 4.50pm!

999

I close my shop at 5pm so she was very lucky to catch me but she came with arms full of .........Yes, you've guessed it curtain fabric! :-( When she spoke it was obvious she was not of English origin and explained she was in fact from Hungary :-) Also one of my customers that came this morning told me he had moved to Scotland since he came here last but as he was back visiting in the area he had called in with his sewing :-)

As you can see I have had, not only a busy day, with 3 new customers, but one that's included customers from all over the world :-) My little [or not so little!] sewing business never fails to amaze me.

1000 is looming fast so watch this space :-)....and of course with 12 lined curtains to make I now have a need of Twiglet's help for the day tomorrow......Oh what a hardship :-) :-) :-)

I'm so excited.....

997 [this morning]

:-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-)


Latest update

998 [this afternoon]

Yes, I really have had 2 more new customers today :-)

The countdown :-)

I have just done my books up to date for my sewing business and I am now up to 996 customers so only 4 to go to my 1000th. Having spent most of my life lacking confidence and with low self esteem you can imagine what my successful sewing business is doing for me. I feel 6 foot tall [....and for those that don't know me I am barely 5 foot.] The last 6 years has allowed me to find the real me and I am now aware that I can enjoy myself, do what I want to do with my life and yet people still actually like me. If you have ever been bullied or had problems with confidence you will understand where I am coming from.


I would like to say a huge thank you to all my blogging friends for helping this happen and of course my biggest thank you must go to my best friend and sister, Twiglet. Our time together is precious and we always do our best to make every day count. We are blessed.

My mad week and my WOYWW.....

If you have ever been paint balling you will know how I have felt this week. Life seems to be throwing everything at me at the mo. Everything from emergency ambulances for an elderly friend with a broken leg and visiting her in hospital [45 minutes each way!] to babysitting my granddaughters [treasured memories] and many other family commitments. All that, along with sewing, sewing and yet more sewing [including making my outfit for next Saturday night] and yesterday I had a room full of wedding and bridesmaid's dresses to steam [sorry but I can't share these with you yet]. We have the theatre tomorrow night to see an ELO tribute band, a Wedding evening party to go to on Saturday night, our baby Granddaughter's christening to go to on 1st August and a holiday to get ready for. To say the least it's been a little hectic :-)

Saying all that I still have sewing on my 'to do' rail [too boring to show you]....



......and two really pretty posh frocks to alter. For all those who think I make the wedding dresses can I please correct you. I do not make the wedding/bridesmaid's dresses. I just make them fit by altering them. [yes, at times this virtually means taking them apart and starting again but I do not actually make the dresses.







I've been given some really pretty new coloured balls of crochet cotton by Twiglet to make some flowers with. I am enjoying experimenting with this and have even made a couple of double flowers in two colours. I had a lot of interest in my other crocheted flowers but as yet none of those who asked me to make them for them has put an order in so these latest ones will probably be used for one of our creations for the shop.





I have also been knitting a baby blanket with some really colourful random wool and thought you might like to share.



Well, my friends that's a peep into my busy life this week. If you'd like to look at other busy crafting desks then please pop over to Julia's blog and join in the WOYWW fun.

WOYWW.......

It's been a really exciting week. Everything from gardening, sewing, crocheting and meeting the lovely Linby to a brilliant night out at the theatre and even a blog anniversary. Never a dull minute here :-) For those wanting my crocheted flowers they are now bagged up and available in the shop.

This morning this is what is on my work desk....

......It's the material for yet another waistcoat for one of my customers and what fun the material is [hope you can see a little of the animal design on it]. This waistcoat is one I have designed especially for a disabled gentleman. It has lots of special pockets with anchorage rings in each to attach things like his mobile phone and a wallet I made for him. He has little use in his one arm and leg so has to use a walking stick and the waistcoat enables him to carry his daily needs around with him and to keep his personal belongings secure when he does his voluntary work out in Africa every year [he drives and is very independent and could teach most of us something about not giving up when times get difficult]. This one the sort of jobs that my nursing knowledge helps with and I have done all sorts of adjustments on clothing to help with medical needs [ including putting popper tape on my own knickers for when I had my knee surgery....a girl just has to maintain her modesty :-) ].

For those that like to keep up with the posh frocks that I sew I have another wedding dress to work on today [can't show you that one yet sorry]

..... this is one I steamed at the end of last week for a wedding on Saturday.


... and a little bridesmaid's dress I have to take in some time this week.






That's all I have to show and tell this week so please pop over to Julia's, our Queen of snoop, to join in the WOYWW fun.

My First Anniversary....

Last night we met up with Crafty Linby and her OH and had a really lovely meal at one of our local pubs. I am pleased to report she was not a mad axeman and must say how lovely it was to meet them both IRL. Blogland has a lot to answer for :-) I really do feel I have made many new friends since I started blogging and, as I was asked last night....."when did I start blogging?".


I have just looked back and checked and wahoooooooooooooo I have been blogging a full twelve months. I started on 3rd July so have actually missed my anniversary. What a lot has happened since then.

Twelve months ago.....

I had just 800 customers.....I now have 990!

I had one little Granddaughter of just 8 months.....I now have two and the second is already 3 months old!

I had never heard of WOYWW.......I now read and leave comments on over 100 blogs every week. Thanks Julia

I have met over a dozen bloggers in real life.

Twiglet and I started up our Blog Shop and it now has sales regularly with wonderful support and encouragement from all you wonderful bloggers. Thanks to you all.

........The list goes on and on

I only started blogging to keep a sort of diary for myself really but it really has opened up a whole new world for me and I love it. Thank you to everyone who takes time to read it and leave me such lovely comments. I hope to be here for many a year and who knows what changes there will be ahead of me.

Crocheted flowers.....

The crocheted flowers are all bagged up and in the shop for those wanting to buy some. You can find them here in the shop.

Another busy weekend....

Wahooooo, yes, Saturday night Twiglet treated 4 of us to go to the Theatre in Shrewsbury to see the Proclaimers. They were supported by a group called the Misers who were really good. They had us clapping and singing and I'm sure we were all well warmed up by the time the Proclaimers came on stage. The Proclaimers sang several old favourites and lots of really great new material. I have to say a great night was had by all. Thanks Sis x.


So, fun over, it was all work no play for Sunday.
Our front garden went from this....


.... to this




in the day. We have regained about 2 foot of our front drive.

At least now my customers [and visitors] don't have to fight their way to the front door....and we do have a very special visitor and her OH making her was to our door later today :-)
The Crafty Linby is visiting the area and we are meeting up for real tonight for a meal in our local pub. I thought it safest for them to come here first then if she is really a mad axeman the dogs will sort her out :-) Really excited now and I still have to work all day today! ... and that includes a Fun Day Monday and the arrival of lots of customers who couldn't get to me last week because of the roadworks outside [yesssssssssssssss it's all finished now and looking very smart too]. I even have a Wedding dress fitting this afternoon :-)

A few answers to Wednesdays questions and good news....

Firstly I wanted to say thanks for all your lovely comments yesterday and quickly answer a few questions....

For anyone wanting sewing doing I am more than happy to do sewing for anyone willing to pay the postage on top of my charges [my prices are often reasonable enough to still be cheaper than getting things done locally even when the postage is added :-)]. I have done this many times before and it works as long as I have clear instructions as to what is needed e.g. if it's trousers that need shortening then if they can be either be pinned up to the required length or maybe you know a finished leg length you need or know you just need them an inch shorter. Just email me with any questions and I'm more than happy to help.

I have had several ask about the crocheted flowers. I don't use a pattern and they are almost all made differently so look slightly different. I am intending bagging some up to sell them in the shop so if you're interested keep an eye out.

I was asked what a blind hemmer was......you know the magic thread that hems up trousers and if you find a loose thread and pull it it all comes undone?....this machine puts that hemming stitch in :-)

Several kind caring friends enquired about my eye.....It is now much better thank you. I have drops and ointment that I have to use for about 6 months so that it heals properly but otherwise I have no problems with it at the moment.


Liverpool Lou asked me what my 'clever' sewing machine was....It's a Janome Memory Craft 4900 and I love it. I do my wedding dresses and intricate sewing on it and all my machine embroidered cards and edgings.






Now finally I just wanted to share my exciting moment with you.


I have today received a parcel and lots of wonderful goodies from Jo from www.jozartdesigns.blogspot.com. I won third prize in her blog candy give away. I never win anything so this was such a surprise.


And this was what was in my parcel :-) I feel so spoiled. Thanks Jo.