WOYWW 807

 IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE.........

Hi there all you lovely Deskers! Another week of sharing our crafty goings on around the world, hosted by Sarah in her Craft Shed. Join in, it's loads of fun and very inspirational xx

It's been a full week again, that's for sure! Last Saturday saw me at the first craft fair of the season in a very nice village hall in deepest, darkest Carmarthenshire.

There were some very high end crafters there so I was the cheap and cheerful stall, lol! I made £156 though so was very pleased with that.

It's my turn to have a stall at the Llanelli branch of Dunelm this Friday - my slot was advertised on FB by the Dunelm co-ordinator:

I supplied the pics and did the business card but it looks quite good. Oo-er, getting excited now, wish me luck! I won't be on my own the whole time though, I have a rota of friends who are coming to help as it's a long day.

I bought a new bit of display for my stall:

These folding ladders will be very useful all year round and lifts up the items to eye level. I haven't knitted all these things, some willing 'volunteers' from the RNLI shop helped, lol!

I have been enjoying my new machine as well though, still discovering new things all the time. I love the extension table, it really stops larger pieces from falling off the edge of the desk:

It is so useful! I've started making a cot quilt for friends of my son who are having their first baby early next year:

A mix of some layer cake squares and my own fabric, I like the soft colours..

Some silver grey sashing and a darker purple border possibly, dunno, these things tend to alter as I change my mind *grin*

And that's it for now, it's a busy week ahead but a fun one, hope you enjoy it too xxxx

WOYWW 806

 NOW THE HOLLY BEARS A BERRY....

Hi there lovely Deskers, how are you all this week? Another day of meet ups around the globe, having a peek at what everyone is up to and getting ideas and inspiration at the same time!

I'm gearing up for the craft markets, the first is this Saturday:

It's in a farming area where Welsh is very much the first language so I thought I'd do some more flag items. Sheep, chickens, dogs, bees and ducks will definitely be taking precedence on the table as well!

I've been hooked on making these sweet little angels and will feature them on the two Dunelm stalls later in November:

I adore this holly and ivy fabric! I'm using up some red ribbon stash as well...

Making the bodies out of tulle is easy....

...but hot gluing their hair and wings on seemed a bit harsh....

Worth it though! I like them, but we'll see how they go.

I've not been the only RNLI volunteer making Christmassy things though, a friend knitted these Ferrero Rocher covers:

Fun huh? They're for the Christmas at the Boathouse event on 1st December, featuring an excellent local choir, mulled wine, mince pies and a couple of craft stalls. I'm looking forward to it!

Hope you all have a marvellous week xxxxxxxx

WOYWW 805

 TURN THE BEAT AROUND...

Hello lovely Deskers, hope you've had a good week! It's been a full one here with lots going on.

I've been getting to know my new machine but haven't yet ventured to the Dark Side of the stitch selection...

There's a few to choose from! I'm already in love with three fairly basic features, the automatic needle threading, the auto thread cut and especially the pivot function. All huge savers in time and thread!

I do a lot of pivoting, lol! And this new function means when I stop, the needle remains down and the foot lifts ever so slightly, I turn the work and off we go - six former stages condensed into one. It's genius and time saving too.

So making this flags for the Christmas bunting was so much quicker...

Sets of flags and tape ready to go, I like being organised!

I've also been making more angels:

It's amazing how their personalities are all different - I'd keep my eye on the one top right, she looks a mischief maker *grin*

I decided to pack my old Janome sewing machine away in its case/box to keep the dust off (I don't have room to keep both out) and of course the box was tucked away right at the furthest point in the JanCave wardrobe....typical. So out everything came:

Ooops...you don't realise quite how much stuff you have until you see it like this! I took the opportunity to have a really good sort out, lots will be going to the charity shop and I reorganised everything...

That's better! I do love having a sort out, sad but true......

Hope you have a good week!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

WOYWW 804

 OOOOOOH, WHAT A WHOPPER.....!

Hi everyone, hope you've had a good week! Mine has been full of log shifting, shop volunteering and making Christmassy things for the upcoming fairs. Can't be bad eh?

My mate Kim came over to help make some angels - there might have been more talking than sewing...*cough*

The effect is rather pretty! 

It's like Christmas up in the JanCave too:

The stockings will have candy canes in and the snowmen are covers for Ferrero Rochers. 

The carrot noses are a bit squiffy but ah well, that's how they'll be, I'm not losing sleep over it!!

I was gifted some fabric by a friend and it was perfect for some gift bags:

I've got to thread ribbon through and then they're ready to go.

The Christmas runner I made for the tearooms is now in situ:

The gap was 53", the fabric was 52". meant to be!

But the biggest surprise of all is a very early Christmas present from G:

It's the Rolls Royce of machines, there's a lot of new things to learn but I'm looking forward to it, it's got automatic needle threading for one thing, wahoo. I shall do some simple stuff while I learn what all the buttons do, there are some really useful features. It's going to be a lot of fun! My dear old Janome is going to be a spare machine for when friends come round, I can't get rid of it, it's an old friend and has done hard work for me.

Watch this space!!
Have a good week and keep safe, well and happy xx

WOYWW 803

 

WHAT'S NEW PUSSYCAT?

Another week has whipped by! It seems no time at all that I was noseying around all your desks last week, I don't seem to have spent much time sitting twiddling my thumbs!

I was gifted some fabric from another RNLI volunteer:

There was enough to make little purses and quite a few glasses cases, so they'll be perfect for people who want to buy just one small item. I rather liked the MEOW liner to the cat outer!

It's definitely Christmassy in the JanCave! I was debating what to make out of which fabric...

I needed to make a card so out came the stash:

That funny green thing in the middle is a really cheapy bit of kit but it's really useful for cutting out circles! I make more of a mess with paper than I do with fabric, that's for sure....

RNLI friends are cracking on knitting covers for Ferrero Rocher chocs and Chocolate Oranges for the Boathouse event and I asked my mate Kim if she'd make mini stockings for the tree, we can put candy canes in or something.

For scale! 

She's done a cracking job! I know they'll sell like hot cakes. There's been a few things to organise for all the fairs I'm going to do so I thought I'd better up my profile a bit, lol!

I used one of G's photos, this should appear on the Dunelm FB page. I might put some contact details on another version and print off some cards, good grief, I sound almost professional *grin*

Hope you are all keeping well, have a marvellous week and hope your crafting goes smoothly xx

WOYWW 802

 TIME IS FLEETING, MADNESS TAKES CONTROL...

Please can someone slow down time a bit? It's mad the way days are whizzing past! I am trying to keep to a bit of a schedule regarding the order of what to make in accordance of what event is happening first but between you and me, that went out of the window at the very beginning *grin*

It's looking very Christmassy (sorry, I said the C word....) as I was sorting out kits from my stash to give to some RNLI friends who are knitting small items for our event in December. 

I also made a runner for a windowsill in the Harbour Lights Tearoom:

I cheated a bit with the printed patchwork fabric...

I've also been cutting out hearts from Christmas leftovers:

The three layer cake piles were an online bargain and are destined for a New Year baby quilt - it's always a risk getting these online but the choice is good, there's only a couple of duff ones.

I'm doing two stalls in Dunelm in Llanelli in November and needed some more professional pics of my stuff for the online ads - where's a professional when you need one?

He's a good lad, doing stunt high level pics as well!

A gorgeous little surprise turned up yesterday:

Cedric the Hare!! Isn't he fab? It was a lovely gift from Neet and Chas, I just love him and will put him in prime position in the JanCave. Thanks so much Neet, you're so kind thinking of me like that *hugs*  I've just noticed that one set of whiskers is crooked though - that's Cedric's not G's - so they'll need a straighten out! Though the curly side makes him look quite dashing! Again, Cedric's.... *grin*

Such a thoughtful little gift but it really made my day xx

Hope you all have a cracking (and hopefully slightly slower) week! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

WOYWW 801

 ALL KINDS OF EVERYTHING...

It's a shorter post this week you'll be relieved to know! Though it was lovely to hear everyone's memories last week that all those photos brought back xx

It's a mixed bag on show today - I've been making a few more things to take to the first Christmas Fair which is in deepest darkest rural Carmarthenshire, an area of farming and first language Welsh speakers.

I thought this daffodil fabric could maybe go well at the fair.

I did two sets each of the green and black linings, then wrapped up the sets in a nice ribbon.

I'm doing the same with this doggy fabric, for the same event.

Hopefully these will appeal and if there's any left over then they'll probably go down the Harbour Lights Tearoom, which is dog friendly and a captive audience, lol!

You may want to avert your eyes for this next pic......

The Christmas stash has resurfaced! I'm taking a table at the Christmas at the Boathouse event in December, held in the RNLI down at the harbour. I'm just having a quick look see to check how much of everything is available. I've delegated the knitting of the Ferrero Rocher choccy covers (Mini Santa and Elf Hats, Christmas trees and puds) to some willing volunteers from the fundraising team so those little pompoms in the bag will come in handy for that!

My evening crafting is the sewing up of squares to make a blanket that will be going out to Ukraine. A job I love sooooo much, as you all know... but it's for a good cause:

Only seven more rows to do....

Hope you have a wonderful week, may your crafting be snag free xxxxx