Singer Sadness!

I've been at a bit of a loss the last few days, due partially to #2 starting pre-school and partially down to the fact that my sewing machine has been at the menders since last Tuesday.
It's the first time I've not had my machine for a couple of years and it's made me realise how much sewing has become a large part of my life.

It all started a week last Friday!
I knew that the prospect of having a day to myself sewing was going to be impossible in reality. But I grabbed the opportunity as sewing time has been non-existent recently, and the day started well with Mr D doing the school run and taking the two younger ones in tow. So I got going on one of the most pointless of projects that I had knocking around. Why I didn't put the dog to one side to concentrate on more important things I don't know. But I wanted to get the dog sewn up which I promptly did and then spent a ridiculous amount of time making a decision on his eyes (which I don't like now as I think he looks more like a non prickly hedgehog crossed with a womble than a dog) in which time the "tribe" had returned home. 

So peace was shattered as #2 on being asked to leave mummy alone upstairs, did in his usual manner the complete opposite and I promptly found him at my side refusing to leave the room! Now I should be very grateful that someone enjoys my company so much that they want to be joined at my hip, but occasionally it becomes rather suffocating and this was definitely one of those moments!
Anyhow throughout the day I persisted and eventually got round to the task in hand of sorting out our lack of storage. It's been something I've been meaning to get done for about the last 18 months and I really don't want any more plastic containers in the house and I can't bring myself to buy fabric storage buckets when I know full well that I can make them myself. So with fabric selected and cut I began sewing with #2 watching my every move! Now this is where it turned nasty!



As I had my doubts that the my machine would get through the layers of thick fabric and as it wined then started to make a knocking sound I started to curse the little onlooker who had insisted that the fabric bucket should have handles! Well let's just say the birds nest of thread was a good one and after clearing it out I'd somehow managed to affect the feed dogs and the tension both which I couldn't put right. So after much huffing and puffing, cursing and sighing I resigned myself to the fact that I needed someone who knew what they are doing to look at it. Unfortunately we don't have a menders in town but the local quilt shop does run a service where someone comes in once a week and picks up any machines needing a service or mending, takes them away to return them hopefully fixed the following week. So fingers crossed tomorrow I should have my machine back, oh it will be good to have the rather heavy I must say work horse back! And this time I think I'll pay her a little more respect!

In the meantime it's been hard not to notice that Autumn is here, we even woke to our first frost at the weekend, and the sunshine we've been experiencing in the days has meant we've got some very needed clearing done in the garden, and rather than Mr D occupying the kids whilst I sew he has had a chance to get some wood cut, so I don't think it'll be long before we light our first fire of the season.

Right now in the anticipation of some sewing happening tomorrow I'm off to clear my work space, and make room for my very missed friend!

A Butterfly Cycle

I'm feeling old!

My middle child has turned 3, and I'm left wondering were does the time go? That and how are we going to top this birthday next year! As today we have had the great pleasure of making his dreams come true! His favourite animals are meercats, butterflies and otters, so to be able to take him to see 2 out of his 3 favourite things was just amazing. And amazing it really was.

The otters didn't disappoint, especially as we got there at feeding time.

He's one even doing a meerkat impression! 

Look at those teeth, maybe their not as cute as they look! But it was the butterflies that stole the day.

Everyone of them as stunning as the next.

The boys loved the fact that they could get so close, and the heat and plants made it into a great exploring game.

But for me it was the chrysalis and the butterflies emerging out of them that I found so amazing.

 

They looked like shells found on an exotic beach,

 

 

Or some gorgeous handmade beads.

 

 

To see the whole cycle was incredible. And when I say the whole cycle I do mean the whole cycle!

 

Which seems somewhat fitting, seeing as this time 3 years ago, our second son was born, and what a character he has turned out to be. Mr Arl, you make us smile, you bring tears to my eyes when laughing with you, you give the most amazing hugs for someone so small, but my gowd you make us go bananas.

Happy Birthday xxx

 

 

A shop keepers Dilemma!

After getting off to a flying start with my Folksy shop, with 2 quick sales, it has rather slowed down. 

Though I keep telling myself that I need to be patient, I have also been doing some thinking, especially after reading the blog posts on Folksy, which I have found been incredibly informative and useful.

So I have decided to rename my shop! Even though when I set up my Folksy account, I read that you can't change your user name, I rushed into doing it and after setting it up decided I didn't like it and named my shop something different. But even I find it confusing having, sew obsessed as my blog, Sewn Vintage as my shop name, and sew vintage obsessed as my user name, so I have decided to change the name of my Folksy shop to the same as the user name, "Sew Vintage Obsessed", phew!!

 I have been busy adding to my shop, in between trying to settle back into our school routine.

Though it'll be all change again next week, when my middle child starts pre-school. He becomes 3 in a weeks time, and he will start to have his own routine, his own "life" out of home, some independence and without being aware of it, he'll start to carve his own way in the world. And what a big world it is for a little 3 year old. At the moment any talk of pre-school results in a shout of "I'm not going" and he has such a strong character that part of me thinks that if that's what he says, that'll be what happens, but I'm pretty sure that once he gets there he will be fine.

As for this week, I'm determined to make the most of him being 2!! And watching him rule the roost whilst his older brother is out at school. It's lovely to watch him play with his sister, who even though is only 10mths old loves to get involved.
So all of this means that I definitely need to get over my new found obsession of checking how many views each item on Folksy has had!! Very sad I know, but unfortunately very true!!

A vintage brain shared!

It comes in very handy that Mr D and I have similar taste in things or as some would say, "share the same brain"! As it means that I'm safe in the knowledge that when Mr D is wandering through the market past our favourite stall upon spying this vintage curtain he knows without a doubt that the only possible thing for him to do next would be to buy the curtain for his fabric obsessed wife that was at work.

 You could even go as far as to call him "well trained", like on Sunday when he took #3 out for a drive to help settle her, on stumbling across 6 cars parked on the moors having a car boot in the Devon drizzle, he was able to spot this retro braid poking out of a pile of boxes on someone's stall. 

 This 'sharing a brain' also means when thrifting it's possible to know the items that each other won't like or will find funny or even just odd and need to be investigated further! It also means that when we wander around a car boot Mr D knows without the need of speech which boots of 'junk' I will need to rummage through.

 So when I spotted these two lovely vintage aprons and this rather special Egersund ceramic lidded pot he knew that the best thing for him to do was to stop, hand out the refreshments to the kids and make room in the pushchair for 'mummies' new purchases!

I will just add that it works both ways and I have quickly learnt that upon coming across a stall full of old tools that my best bet is to find somewhere comfortable to take a breather as it could be sometime before Mr D finishes his bargain hunting!! 

Finally ......

I'm not sure how it happened but some how today I found the time to upload some of my items onto my new Folksy shop. So here it is, Sewn Vintage  is born and up and running!!

I've started with my vintage baby bibs, backed with cotton terry towelling.

And vintage fabric burp cloths, backed also with terry towelling that coordinate with the bibs,

I had a little hiccup when it came to uploading the photos, as I haven't realised that Folksy square the photos off, so I had to take a lot of them again taking that into consideration. 

I struggle to find any area to photograph items where the light is good and the background is neutral. My sewing table once uncovered offers me a white background but the light isn't great. I'm sure as I go along I'll learn new tricks and to be honest I was starting to think that I wasn't going to get the shop up and running so I'm just pleased to have got my first 6 items onto Folksy!

 I have more waiting to go on, probably Monday. And lots of ideas floating around to what I want to do next. What I can say is that I'm starting to work my way through my vintage fabric stash which gives me the most perfect excuse to go shopping!

Looking for some "idees"

I guess there has to be a plus side to having your parents living in another country. For me one of the bonuses of my mum being in France is getting my hands on copies of "Marie Claire idees" and with my sister returning from a holiday there the other day it means I get to have a flick through the summer issue.

And as ever it's full of lot's of inspiration

Gorgeous uses of colour and fabrics

I especially love the little girls dress.

What about this fish for an idea of what to do with your bottle tops!

This picture has given me lots of ideas of how to make the map on the wall in the boys room more inspiring!!

And I want the globes,

and love these badges!

Even the recipes make me want to get baking, 

I've got plenty of courgettes I could use in this courgette and goat cheese bread,

But enough of this relaxing, flicking through magazines, I have a boys uniform that needs naming ready for the start of school on Monday!

If like me you love magazines, you may be interested in the magazine swap going on over at Troc, Broc and Recup, you have until September the 10th to sign up to what looks like a great simple enjoyable swap. 

I can't wait to see what magazine I end up with!