What Do You Think?

Too green?

Mac's Back

My comp is poorly. It's gone off the Doctor Pappa Jones and the JCB hospital for some rest, recuperation and maybe a new fan, but will soon be returning home. For now though, I'm using my trusty old mac, which is great but not very trustworthy when it comes to pictures... so a photoless (aka boring) blog entry come forth!

Maya's been here a few days now, and we're loving having her in our house. She's fully embraced the life of a crafter's dog and happily snoozes on the sofa whilst the sewing machine brrrs away. I've torn myself away from dog crafting this week though, and although I haven't done any more fair crafting, I have been busy making Ruby some fabulous pinstripe trews, a sewing bag from some jeans, a scissor roll up case, and two pairs of curtains (five more to go...). I've also had the Crazy Crafting Sisters round for the first part of Easy Peasy Skirt night, and they're looking fab so far, with The Ladies Who Craft coming on Friday to make awesome lunch packs. Pics of both will be coming soon.

As long ans good 'ol El Compo survives...

Craft, But Not As You Know It...

This week has been spent sitting at my sewing machine late into the night, frantically getting stuff ready for the craft fair. Oh, wait... that's a pork pie.

I have indeed been crafting, but it's been for one particular individual. Meet Maya:


Isn't she gorgeous? She's the newest member of the Jones household, and a reason I HAD to craft. Not that I need one. So far I've made her:

A bed (I know the fabric's completely impractical, but I made two and they come off for washing)


A lead (I'll be making a matching collar as soon as I get the bits)


A crate cushion (with removable fleece cover)



A bag for bits and bobs (brush etc)



a poo bag bag!

I had everything at my house already too, so they cost me nothing, wahey!


Right, back to craft fairness. Maybe I can fit a pair of pinstripe trews in for Ruby first...

Coolness is Bowl Shaped

Holy Moly.

Goodness

Today has been an extremely successful day. I ventured into town in search of vinyl records to make into bowls for display and to sell at the craft fair, and I managed to get all of these for £3! There's about 35 records there!


Whilst I was there, I also found this fantastic vintage suitcase which I'm going to display my purses in at the craft fair. Another bargain at £2.


I was also visited by my lovely friend Richard who brought me this:


Isn't it glorious? It was nestled at the back of one of the workshops in his new house. He was going to burn it!

A good scrub (well, as I good as I could, I seem to have an inability to get anything really clean) and it looks like this.

OK, it doesn't look hugely different, but believe me it is. I had to kill a lot of spiders to get it to this stage.

It's now the home of all the crafty goodness I keep downstairs, including sewing machine number 4. I'm going for one for every room.

The Bird is Back in Town

Selfish sewing week is over, and I'm back on the sparrowarms train. Last week was very enjoyable, made a few dresses, did a bit of knitting and crochet, but as the craft fair looms, thought I'd better knuckle down.

I've been staying at my parents' this weekend so took a box of hand sewing goodies with me and made a pile of corsages. They're my latest fave as they're pretty quick and easy to make, but look really effective. Plus I can do them on the sofa under a blanket which is a big bonus on these chilly (aka frickin freezing) evenings.

Whilst the Rubes was at nursery this morning, I sewed 11 purses. ELEVEN! I'm quite proud of myself. They still need buttons/badges and poppers, but small victories and all that.


Last week also saw my second craft evening start up, so big welcome to my new students Alex and Lizzy, who made some awesome bags. At original craft night Natalie made this fabulous apron.

The photo doesn't do it justice at all, but Nat should be very proud of herself. I know she baked valentines gingerbread in it this weekend.

And what could top a quality week off? Raspberry Cheesecake, that's what.

Tshirtastic

This week I've been making stuff for myself and the Rubester. Just a couple of things, but they're goodies, and all made from old tshirts:

Knickers, so easy and sooo comfortable.


This is what I began the next project with, a purple top and a piece of leopard print stretchy fabric...


... and turned it into this!I'm loving this shape of dress, I'm going to make LOTS more. I also made the belt type thing out of some black tshirt material I had in my scrap box.

I also turned these...


...into this!


Ruby was very excited when I showed her. I think she appreciates my clashtastic sensibilities.

All Change on the Sparrow Front.

So, things in the business starting business (hmm) have taken a turn. I've been liaising with the job centre from the beginning, working out whether I'd be better off by going into business for myself. It all seemed very positive, even if I made nothing I'd still be better off because of Tax credits as long as I worked 16 hours a week.

Then I went for another meeting and got Pam, the lovely job centre lady to work out how much better off I'd be depending on how much I earned. It didn't look great. If I earn £80, I'd end up £40 better off than I am now, but to get that £80 I have to sell aprroxiamately 30 purses. Which is about 15 hours work, just in the making of them.

I also though getting 16 hours of work done would be easy. Ruby goes to Nursery two mornings a week, but that's only six hours of work time, which means fitting 10 hours into my evenings. Which leaves my weekends free, if I do every evening, but that never happens, because of, you know, Life. So I thought of putting Ruby into nursery another morning a week, which would end up costing more and being against why I wanted to work from home in the first place: to spend as much time as possible with Ruby.

Sooo. The New plan. Chill a bit, but still do the craft fair in March. Sell some things on Folksy, and take it easy until Ruby starts school next year. Then start again.

Rant over.