Purse and Bag Sale

I've just been looking through my shop and have decided to put some purses and bags in a SALE section.  http://folksy.com/shops/everybag?shop_section=sale  to make way for some new summer bags.

I've got some lovely new fabrics - I just need to find some time to design and make them!

Embroidered Linen Brooches

Hello again.  Today I received some brooch pins that I had ordered online only yesterday morning - superfast delivery, didn't expect them so quickly.  So I was really pleased to be able to complete some small brooches that I had started last week.  They are made from linen with flowers embroidered on that I had just sort of made up as I went along.  Well, I sketched the designs first on paper and then decided which stitches to use according to their shape.  There were a couple that I wasn't happy with but the rest became brooches today.

I've put some in my Folksy shop to see if they attract any interest before I make more. http://folksy.com/items/3138642-Embroidered-Linen-Brooch  They're quite addictive to make once you get going and relatively quick too.  I have visions of myself sitting in the garden with a cup of tea and my linen and embroidery threads, being rather civilised, but it will probably be raining when I feel inspired.  I think this is my favourite one:

William Morris Sewing Day

A very productive day.  I had bought some William Morris furnishing fabric a couple of weeks ago, so today I cut it all out and sewed for hours. Here are the results:

This one is lined with a wipe clean fabric - so great for cosmetics.  I put 2 of them in my Folksy shop
http://folksy.com/items/3135502-William-Morris-Make-up-Bag

The next one is the same shape and size but is lined with a striped cotton fabric - so great for anything slightly less messy! Although all are washable.  http://folksy.com/items/3135474-William-Morris-Make-Up-Bag

I also made four Tote bags with nice long handles that fit snuggly on your shoulder (isn't snuggly a lovely word?) I put one of these in my Folksy shop http://folksy.com/items/3135534-William-Morris-Shopping-Bag  and the other bags and purses will all go into the craft shop at the museum where I work.

So all in all a very satisfying day.  Oh, and I hung the washing outside today for the first time this year, so Spring has definately Sprung!

Re-vamped folder

Unfortunately I haven't had much time to write or craft this week as I offered to work extra days to cover for a colleague who is visiting Australia.  I usually work 2 days a week at our local Museum which is a lovely calm and peaceful haven, there is also an excellent Art Gallery on the site as well which is a very handy and inspiring lunch time experience for me.

However, today when I was sorting through a few things at home I came across an old expanding file which was in excellent condition but had a very boring cover. So, true to form, I thought how can I make this more lovely?  First I dismantled it by just taking off the old cardboard front and back,

then I cut out two pieces from wrapping paper that were just a bit bigger than the cardboard pieces.  I glued these over the old card, wrapping the surplus over the edges. Next, I glued them back into their original position.  A lovely fresh spring like folder to keep my paperwork organised.

Banana Cake Recipe

After having written about my banana cake yesterday I thought it might be a nice idea to share the recipe. It's really quick and easy to make.

Ingredients
2 ripe bananas
50g marg
150g caster sugar
2 eggs
225g Self Raising Flour
pinch of salt

Method
Mash bananas.
Cream marg and sugar together.
Beat in eggs.
Add flour, salt and banana and mix well.
Pour into a greased loaf tin
Bake in middle of oven Gas 5,  375F, 190C for about 50 mins, until golden brown, springy to touch and shrinking slightly from sides of tin.
Turn out on to a wire rack to cool.

ENJOY!

I just thought I'd show you my 'post valentine roses', I say 'post' as I bought them for myself the day after valentine's day.  Not that my husband isn't romantic but we don't really go in for all that commercial stuff.  Plus, I like to lead a frugal life!  Anyway they're nearly 4 weeks old now - I think it must be the cold temperature of my kitchen that's keeping them going - a bit like living in a fridge.
Beautiful aren't they?

Gardening & Baking

I know this is not a particularly exciting photo but when I was out in the garden today - getting rid of all the moss which seemed to be covering the soil - I was really pleased to discover that lots of little Welsh poppies were coming up.  Last year I sprinkled the seeds all over the place and many have taken. Also my first colour in the garden this year - purple crocus. I think we're a bit behind the rest of the country with our growing season!



All this fresh air called for some home baking.  Now, like quite a few people I know, I am a bit afraid of bananas.  That may sound daft but I can't cope with the smell!  However, my family do like banana cake so I braced myself and mashed the bananas - at arms length - and hey presto I survived.

Sorry that the photos are a bit dark but it was getting quite late in the afternoon by then.  Still no sewing machine so I'm trying to be creative in other ways.  Bye for now.



Trough of Bowland

Well I haven't been very creative today as I had to take my sewing machine for a service - first one in 22 years.  I've been meaning to do that for ages!
So, we had a bit of a nostalgic tour on our way home.  This is a photo I took in the Forest of Bowland today, somewhere that we used to take our 3 daughters to for picnics when they were little - it's very remote and beautiful and brought back happy memories.  Although it was always warmer than today!
Our eldest daughter is now 25 and living in New Zealand for a year (so she's experiencing the warmth) and she has a blog here which is a nice way for me to see her thoughts and ideas - just another dimension to email or skype. Missing her loads.
Anyway, I've promised myself not to spend too long on this new found media, (it's quite addictive) but I've tried out linking to others and adding a picture today so I'm satisfied that I've got the hang of it.  I'll say goodnight for now.

First Blog, at last!

Hi, my name is Ruth and I just love to sew. In fact I'm happy creating anything; baking, growing plants, sketching, printing, knitting, embroidery, crotchet ... the list is endless!
I decided to start this blog not only to share my projects with you but also as a sort of diary that I can look back upon. 
Time seems to fly past so quickly with everyday responsibilities and so I've come to the conclusion that it's really important in life to find time to do the things that make us happy and to celebrate these achievements - however small.
There are so many creative people out there and I get much pleasure and inspiration from reading their blogs - I hope you will enjoy mine too.  Thank you for reading.