Wrapped In Colour

Wrapped In Colour

OK so now you can start thinking about Christmas!

I’m no Grinch but my local supermarket was selling Mince Pies just after the children went back to school, seriously the sun was still shining and Christmas was the furthest thing from my mind. If I’d started buying Mince Pies then I’d be the size of a house by now, there is no way they would last until 25th September let alone 25th December.

I personally don’t think about Christmas until after Bonfire Night, there are so many things to enjoy in the autumn before the mad panic when the realisations that lack of planning means the bank balance will barely survive the coming onslaught.

What is there to enjoy pre Christmas? Well first the joy of the end of the summer break and if like me you have to work during the school holidays that brings the relief of no longer having to juggle childcare and work, then we can look forward to all those autumnal treats, the beautiful colours of the trees, the crisp mornings, Halloween and Trick and Treating – very American I know but the children love it so why not indulge them? Then my favourite thing Fireworks it seems such a shame that this activity isn’t done throughout the month of November rather than just one day! I know not everyone will agree especially those with nervous animals but a clear sky filled with colour is a wonder to behold.

But now that is over we can think about Christmas, deciding which relatives to visit, gifts to buy, menus to plan and presents to wrap! Not forgetting to send cards to remind those friends you have been too busy to see all year that you do still exist and remember it’s a time to celebrate and enjoy your family, sit back and take a few days to relax before you start working on that New Year’s resolution list!

Why do I always have so many lists?

Ok so I am getting older – aren’t we all? But my poor brain is getting so full that things often slip out of it, how do I solve this problem? I make a list! The only problem is these are getting slightly out of hand I now have so many lists I need a list to keep track of them.

I have a list in my kitchen for shopping, things I’ve run out of, things the children have asked for to have for dinner, things I’ve seen on TV and think I fancy trying that.

Then there’s my to do list - phones calls, housework (how can I forget to do that?), letters to answer, emails to reply to, birthdays and bills to pay.

I also have a Caroline’s Creations list – orders to make, ideas to try and things to buy (you all know about my ice cube tray obsession!)

Then there’s the list I have at work well actually I usually have two lists, things I really must do today and things I really must do soon.

Oh and I nearly forgot, sometimes I have one by my bed for things that keep me awake, I lie there worrying I’ll have forgotten them by the morning so I write them down.

Some of them are written on the back of an old bill or letter but some of them have their own little note pads, some plain but one is really pretty!

I googled list making obsession and the results were varied including it’s an ok thing to do to I have OCD – lol! Anyone who knows me will not believe that!

But I think I should try and calm my list making but how? Maybe I should make a list of suggestions?

Help me please!

Mrs Bath

Crafting With Children

Having two young children - 4 and 3 years - it is difficult to find the time to get some sewing done. I love sewing on the daytime due to the natural day light and the fact that I am not as tired as once the kids are in bed. But finding the time to do it is like guessing the winning lottery numbers!

If the children are at preschool it is great, I can get it done then, but I still have to get it all packed away before I pick them up. Or if Daddy is off and home and they are all playing together I can get on then. I get about 5 minutes of sewing in peace before either one or both of them come in to

A) complain that the other one is being horrible to them

B) Want something to eat, despite having only just eaten a big meal

C) See what I am doing as they are missing me!

Once they are in my sewing room aka the dining room/their playroom they are suddenly fascinated in all my stuff, my 4 year old son wanting to know what everything does, what it is called, if it is dangerous and what I am making whilst my 3 year daughter is asking if I am making her anything, if not is it for friends and then diving head first into my fabric boxes to see what "beautiful fabric for my babies" I have and then starts pulling it out and telling me that I need to use that to make something for her babies.

By this time I have steam coming out of my ears and am practically shouting "DON'T TOUCH, DON'T TOUCH, GET YOUR HANDS OFF, NOOOOOOOOO" whilst my husband is still oblivious to the fact that the children are hassling me and daring to touch my equipment!

If I do manage to get more than 5 minutes to sew I then start to get the inevitable 'mummy guilt', despite the fact that the children are happy and occupied with what they are doing I still feel guilty that I am not entertaining them and doing stuff with them, despite them and me knowing that I am working to pay for their treats and days out as well as contributing towards the household bills!

So once I have finished the nightly marathon of getting them into bed and making them stay there (bedtime has completely gone out of the window thanks to the Olympics and the summer holidays!), been on Facebook AGAIN to do my networking it is far too late to get the machine out as I am far too tired and the light is not great. So I will definitely find that hour to do it tomorrow... Maybe give the children a bowl of fruit and tell them there is there food, play nicely and I will give lots of cuddles when I am done.... Could work, stranger things have happened!

Mrs Fabric

You are not on Facebook AGAIN are you?

Having a business page on Facebook is not easy, having a Facebook page and a partner/family is impossible! To make a business page work hours and hours of dedicated networking and self promotion is needed.

Many an evening or afternoon if the children are out/occupied is spent on Facebook networking and promoting my page which causes the now well known phrase in our house "You aren't on Facebook AGAIN are you?" from my husband to be said over and over or "you still doing your work mummy? I want to play a game on your iPad!" from the children.

What looks to the uninitiated as just spending time chatting and socialising on Facebook (which ok hands up, we do a lot of over at the Village), is actually us working and actively promoting our work. Visiting networking page after networking page to promote our makes, get more likes and interact with other page owners and potential customers takes time. Always having to be professional on these pages means replies have to be thought out and sound/look correct, after all you are reaching a huge audience and every single one of them is a potential customer. First impressions and all that...

Although I have met many good friends through networking my business page on Facebook, believe me when I say that I would rather be sat at my sewing machine creating or fulfilling orders rather than being on Facebook AGAIN, but without the networking and self promotion where would the sales come from? Facebook is fast becoming the place to sell your items, getting a much bigger footfall than craft fairs so you need to be in there getting yourself known.

Until I earn enough from my business to employ a PA to do all my Facebook networking I am sorry husband, but yes, "I am on Facebook AGAIN!"

Mrs Fabric   

https://www.facebook.com/TheCraftyholicsVillage

It Changed My Life!

Crafty is what I have always been called amongst my close friends and ‘Linda will be able to use it or make it’ is an all too familiar phrase. To a certain extent this is true, I do see a use in most things fabric, and I will have a go, although not always successfully, at making anything. The problem is that once you start making things, and in particular quilts, you are always on a quest for something different, and these ‘lightbulb’ moments can happen at the most unexpected moment of an ordinary day.

The most recent inspiration happened when my son and daughter in law moved into their new house. We went to see it, before any furniture had been installed, and yes the architraves and light fittings were beautiful, the fireplaces were ‘period’ and the staircase was fantastic. However, the thing that jumped up and shook me was the floor. You might have guessed it wasn’t wooden, lino, cushion flooring, and no it wasn’t carpet. It was an original Edwardian Mosaic Floor. I could see stars, squares, triangles and rectangles – a perfect quilt block! I have bought the fabrics and intend to make either door stops or cushion covers (or both!).

I am not a person who very often sits in front of the tv to watch a film. If I do I am always sewing or knitting or crocheting to keep busy. Westerns have been a pet hate of mine for as long as I can remember. Not anymore!!! My war cry is ‘QUILT ALERT’, and with sketch book at hand I draw out the block from a 5 second flash that appeared on a bed in a log cabin in a 1950’s film (colour if I am lucky). My family now help me spot quilts in films. Mary Poppins and Nanny McFee I think have both got examples, but Downton Abbey, Larkrise to Candleford, Upstairs Downstairs have all – I am pretty sure – display fine examples.

I think the strangest time I noticed this happening around me – not to me this time – was in a restaurant in Birmingham. My friend and I had been staying at a hotel while visiting the NEC Festival of Quilts. We had spent two days looking at beautiful quilts, spending copious amounts of money on goodies from the hundreds of traders, buying books with new patterns and generally being overwhelmed by the designs, craftsmanship and variety of quilts. We were eating breakfast. I noticed a group of ladies sit down at the table behind us. They got comfortable and started talking as you would expect. Then it happened. They all got their cameras out and started pointing. Trying not to stare I followed the direction of their stares. It was the floor – again! This time it was the carpet! Circles, lines, oblongs, triangles squares, different colours. We all photographed the carpet with the full intention of making a quilt with the pattern. So quilting and patchwork has changed my life, I now watch westerns – much to family’s amusement – and wonder now if you will too. I also walk looking the floor far too often for my own safety!

If you find yourself shouting ‘QUILT ALERT’ think of me x

Mrs Goose x

From a Piece of Fabric to a Blanket

The journey from being a lonely roll of fabric in a shop to a part

of a patchwork blanket is long and time consuming.

Decide on the colour and theme of the blanket.

Go through all the boxes, cupboards and shelves of fabric I have in

the house before deciding:

a) they aren't quite right for what I want,

b) they are too nice to cut up,

c) I need to buy some more.

Head off to the shops feeling like a kid at Christmas and buy the

fabric I need plus plenty more I didn't realise I did! I then have

to try and sneak the extra fabric into the house without hubby seeing

or the kids telling tales on me to my husband!

Send the kids off to bed nice and early despite their protesting so

I can get the said fabric out and begin cutting. Then the fun begins

by spending an hour wishing I had paid more attention in maths when

we were using protractors whilst trying to work out how to use my

quilting ruler. Once the air is nice and blue I work out how to use

it and begin cutting, rotary cutter permitting! Many a time mid

cutting a rotary cutter blade has bent, become blunt or the whole

thing breaks - I really should bite the bullet and buy a more

expensive one a it will save me money long term! As the pile of

fabric squares begin to grow so does my imagination, mentally placing

the squares in order ready to sew. After an hour or two of back

breaking cutting I finally have enough, plus extra to start making.

With relief the cutting matt, rulers and rotary cutter is put away

and I can begin to play!

Although the blankets I make appear random I spend a good few hours

playing with the squares until it feels and looks right. Again this

is all done in stages:

Clear and re clean the table,

Fully extend the table and clean the middle,

Pile up the squares into matching piles,

Look at all the different fabrics and visualise it in my head,

Check how many rows and columns I need,

Place the first one,

Look again at all the squares,

Choose a square that compliments the first one - either similar

shades, lighter/darker, complimenting colours and feels right,

Place it,

Look again at the squares,

Repeat process until all the required squares are in place,

Step back and look at the full layout,

Take a picture,

Realise it doesn't look quite right so start moving a few squares,

Take a picture,

Still not happy with it so rearrange again,

Take another photo,

Repeat above steps another two or three times,

End up with a layout very similar to the first one,

Step back, look at it,

Yes, it looks and feels right (hey it is the same as the first bar 2

or 3 squares but I need to be sure!),

Take a picture,

Begin to pin,

Stick a post it note on the top of each pile stating wherein comes

in the blanket - top left square, top row, left hand side 2nd row

down etc,

Clear the table,

Get the sewing machine out and set up,

Get extra equipment out,

Begin sewing,

Finish sewing 2-3 hours later depending on size of blanket,

Iron,

Take another picture,

Cut backing,

Pin in place,

Sew it on,

turn the right way round,

Seal,

Iron,

Take completed picture,

Admire it,

Email customer to let them know it is completed,

Tidy away,

Get a glass of wine to celebrate!

Post the item,

Wait in anticipation to hear the customer has received the item and

likes/loves it,

Big sigh of relief when they do,

Stick a picture and their review on your business page for others to

see and read.

So the journey from a piece of fabric in the shop to bring part of a

beautiful patchwork quilt is long, time consuming and well thought

out. So when you see a handmade blanket for sale, balk at the price

- "£70 for a single blanket?!" think of this - if I were to pay

myself £10 an hour, you would be paying more than £70 for my labour!

At this price I am getting only a third of it for my labour!

Mrs Fabric