Another Non-Ghost Moment...

Mr C outdid himself yesterday. Not only did he turn up with chocolate supplies last night...he turned up with his calculator and helped me with my sales forecasting. We worked our socks off until late at night and the spreadsheet was complete. Then we flaked out and watched trashy TV!

So maybe not a Ghost moment...but special indeed...to get so much help just when I needed it.






I made this coil pot...very rustic looking coil pot...when I made the pots in A Fiery Experience...part 1 and A Fiery Experience...part 2.

The glaze didn't quite go to plan but I like the way the pink and blue separated out to give a different effect.

Until tomorrow,
Nic xx

My School Cardigan

Its a beautiful sunny day outside...and I'm inside working on figures for my business plan :(

I have to sit and focus...so my run with Mr C's sister is cancelled...my Mum is on speed dial to help me calculate how many items I can make per metre of material...and Mr C is on the way over later with chocolate. Lots of it I hope. Its needed!

The thing I've realised is...when you're at school or studying you have plenty of people around you to ask questions and a teacher to help you find the answers. You're pretty much working at the same pace together.


When you're at work you have colleagues and managers to help. You work together as a team.

When you're setting up a business you have mentors...friends...other people setting up their business...books etc...but at the end of the day...its your business...unique to you...you've just got to sit down and get on with it. I suppose that's true of everything...it won't happen by itself!

So the calculator is out...the spreadsheet is open...and I'm working it out as I'm going along. Its a steep learning curve!

Hopefully I won't be as mishapen as my old school cardigan by the end of it...

My Mum knitted this for me when I was 13-14. I think it grew... I don't remember it being this baggy. I've taken the buttons off it as I'm going to turn it into a cushion cover. I'll let you know when I've finished it :)


Until tomorrow,
Nic xx

A Miniature Heart...part 2

Great time with the girls last night. Clear head today. Needed...I like to be able to get on with things...though cleaning the fridge is not how I'd anticipated my day would start...procrastination is a great thing when you know the other option is sitting down and doing sales forecasting!

Then I had to make an important telephone call...to sing 'Happy Birthday' to my Mum. I did notice how she tried to cut me off short. Tone deaf...me?

Mr C and me are on our way over in a while to deliver her card and present. A hand-made card using one of my designs...which I should be able to share with you very soon!

In the meantime...here's a small Tilda inspired heart.


Until tomorrow,
Nic xx

An even smaller Piglet...

Keeping with the tiny Fimo figures...

Here's Piglet...






...with Winnie The Pooh.






I've re-filled quite a few of these bobbins this week with the amount of over-locking I've done!

Right...better get myself ready...it's girls night at a friend's house tonight. I know shes already getting the cocktails ready. A clear head is needed tomorrow to finish my sales forecasting...best not have too many!

Until tomorrow,
Nic xx

Miniature Winnie The Pooh

Sewing...is hungry work I've realised...



I seem to have a rumbly in my tumbly all day.

Much like Winnie the Pooh.


Hmm...honey and banana on toast..lovely...




Have a great weekend everyone!

Until tomorrow,
Nic xx

As happy as...

Yep...as happy as...a pig in muck!

with a curly tail...









I've spent the day sewing...well...more over-locking.... Nice easy straight lines...material gliding through your fingers. Lovely.

Oh...for more happy easy days like these...

My production line is getting back on track :)






Until tomorrow,
Nic xx

Clowning Around!

I've had a full-on day today, sat at my desk working away on my business plan...which should have been finished before...but...and I'm learning this...it is far too easy to let other things get in the way...even if they are important...they're not necessarily priority. Though I seem to have had quite a few priorities to work on too!

So...a short and sweet blog tonight as I need to get back to my number crunching...

My Mum's best friend made this clown for me.

I own up...clowns are not my favourite things...but this one I love...he's a cute happy smiley clown with lovely rosy cheeks...and a message on his heart that says 'please cuddle me'...who can resist?

Its a Jean Greenhowe pre-printed design featured in Woman's Weekly.





Until tomorrow,
Nic xx

A Tudor Costume

I found a solution to yesterday's 'unable to write due to being out of breath after going for a run'...write my blog before I go running! Simple.

A few weeks ago my eldest niece and me spent some time together to finish her Tudor Costume. She wanted to add it to her school project on the Tudors.

It was entirely her own idea to do this. She wanted to design a costume; knew I had a tailor's dummy and would spend time helping her; and she wanted to give the girls in her class the opportunity to try on the costume too. As a bonus the costume can be used as evidence for her sewing badge in Brownies.

Now everyone at school and Brownies has had a chance to see it, the costume has been returned to me to photograph and share with you.





By the end of the first day we had completed the design, bought the material (some curtains we found in a charity shop) and made the Tudor Jewellery (see Tudor Jewellery).

We had a pretty good idea of how we wanted the costume to look and which material we would use for the dress and which to use for the jacket.

Day two we decided to make a top and a skirt rather than a dress.

We went through my pattern collection and found this skirt pattern. I think its an old one of my Grandma's. We gave it an elasticated waist so it would fit better for everyone who tried it on.

For the jacket we adapted a pattern for... an angel costume.

The sleeves on the over-dress were perfect for the jacket...fitted on the arm and much wider at the wrist.

We adapted the pattern for the slip-dress to use for the top.





By the end of day two we had cut out all the pieces and started sewing them together.

Add in lessons on pattern cutting...weave on material...pinning the pattern to the material...cutting your material...how to thread your sewing machine...how to use your machine...and some good old girly chat!



A day three was needed...there had been quite a lot girly chat...these things must be fun too!

My niece sewed the skirt pieces together. I completed it for her.

She decided on some dark green braiding for decoration on the top.

This is the back view of the jacket.

It has a full skirt, a nipped-in waist and long angular sleeves.

We made the centre back panel lower to give it a more decorative finish.

The jacket is slightly longer than the skirt so it flows on the floor behind as you walk.

 The Tudor Jewellery finished the costume perfectly...

It just didn't find its way back to me in one piece...the large bead is all that is left...

I think the necklace didn't pass the durability test with all the trying on... As long as fun was had that's what counts!




It was quite a project to take on for a 10 year old so top marks for a Grade A niece!

Until tomorrow,
Nic xx

A Large Angel

I'm short on words tonight...I've been for a run with Mr C's sister...first of the year...for over a year...

We're off for a run tomorrow night too...might be another short blog again...

Here's a large angel.

Yep, a Tilda design. From the 'Sew Pretty Christmas Homestyle' book.

I don't think there is much I haven't made in that book!

She is wearing a long dress with ribbon edging over pantaloons.

Her choker and shoes both have jewels on them.

She sits very elegantly on my art books.



Until tomorrow,
Nic xx

...that took me through to University.

Yesterday you got to see the first pair of curtains I made.

Here's the matching quilt and pillow covers to go with them.

This is my corner of a shared room at University, Aberystwyth, Wales.




Just to the left of my bed is a large bay window with seats in it. It had a perfect view of the sea as the Halls of Residence was on the sea front.

You can just see the bedroom window on the far right hand side of this picture.




It may have been an old building...that leaked in the rain...but it was great falling to sleep to the sound of the waves on the beach.

Until tomorrow,
Nic xx

My first attempt at home furnishing...

So here goes...my first attempt at home furnishing...it was the 80s...the decade of bright colours and geometric shapes...

I made these curtains when I was 16 or 17.

They even have tie backs.





My collection of frogs was growing...they're on my desk...on my window sill...on the wall (for my new readers...see A Frog Jumper for a Froggiac for an explanation).

Very importantly...on the left-hand side of the picture are some red roses...given to me by Mr C.

You see, he was the boy who asked me out when we were 16. We were in the same class at college. Chemistry. He sat in the middle row on the right of the class. I sat at the back on the left.

At the end of the second week I was walking down the road to go to my evening job when he caught up with me and asked me out. I remember standing there looking at him thinking I had absolutely no reason to say no to him...but suddenly realised I wanted to work in London...so I did said no... Clearly nothing was going to get in my way!

Well, I did work in London...then about 5 years ago I returned to Devon...and Mr C and me got together. It only took 20 years for us to get there...

Some things are worth waiting for. Absolutely.

Until tomorrow,
Nic xx

A Shell

According to Mr C...when I asked him yesterday the name for the noise seagulls make...they squawk. Birds chirp...seagulls squawk. So now I know.

We decided on good old Fish & Chips.

Definitely no room for ice-cream after that!








Keeping with the beach theme...here's a shell.

It's from the same Tilda book...Sew Sunny Homestyle.

It sits with the Sandcastle next to my sewing machine.

Enjoy your weekends everyone!

Until tomorrow,
Nic xx

A Sandcastle

Mr C has just phoned on his way home from work to say 'Lets make the most of the sunshine and go out and get some fresh air and something to eat'...I'm deep in production...but then I've been busy all day so I think a break is well earned!

My production line is getting back on track after being completely derailed when I was ill. I'm going with the positive...I would rather get all the hiccups out the way in the early stages of getting the business set up...like my sewing machine being sent away for a service because it isn't stitching... (I have a back-up...phew!)

Here's a sandcastle to mark the start of sunny days!

The sun is shining...I can hear the seagulls...hmm...what noise do seagulls make when they're flying around in the sky? Chirping...not quite...but we'll go with that.

Enjoy your evening whatever you decide to do. I think an ice-cream is in order...even if it is still a little chilly and windy.

Until tomorrow,
Nic xx

A Birthday Bug

I can now show you...as my sister has seen it...her birthday present...

A bug...

Maybe not the first thing you would think of making for a birthday present...but oh so cute!

You'll find them in Tilda's 'Spring Ideas' if you want to make one.

We've just had a discussion as to whether it is a girl or boy bug...as you do! She thinks its a boy. I think its a little lady bug.





Until tomorrow,
Nic xx

Royal Costumes for a Carnival

One day I arrived home from college...to find my sister and her friend in the living room deep in the middle of a discussion with my Mum...they looked quite worried...

What's going on I asked...

Well, they said...the Barnstaple Carnival is on Saturday...and we don't have our costumes organised...

They were in the Girls Nautical Corp...at that point it was the girls' division of Sea Cadets...now all under one name. My Dad was the Commander in Charge. A lorry had been organised to be used as a float. They would be sitting on it with some of the other cadets.

You do realise it is Thursday I said...that makes the carnival two days away...

Cheeks started to get rosy and there were flustered splutterings being made and 'I knows' being said as they stood there looking very sheepish. They had sat on this information for some time...quite some time...

We had a search. Mum had some blue material...just enough for one costume.

Right...I said...I'll go into town after college tomorrow to buy material for the other costume. Then I'll crack on with making the costumes as soon as I get home...as you could see they were looking to me for a solution...or a miracle...

I made a bargain with them...they had to find the rest of the items needed to complete the costumes.

Fortunately for me (and for them!) I managed to find material that was pretty perfect. Then I spent Friday night and Saturday morning sewing like mad to get the costumes made. Not on an electric sewing machine either...on my hand machine...my right arm was turning the crank over and over again...

I did it though. I completed the challenge! Actually, I quite enjoyed it...just don't tell them that...

Here they are...my sister is on the left.

Mary Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth I.

Historically, probably the only picture of them together smiling!

Here they are sat on the float before they joined the other floats.

I got to sit in the cab of the lorry during the procession so I could get a good view...well, I had to have some reward for all the hard work...except I was so shy I spent most of the time like an awkward teenager hiding away!


Until tomorrow,
Nic xx

A Painted Lamp

I've always loved stained glass windows. I love to see the colours in the windows light up as the sun shines through them. One day I intend to attend a course to learn how to make my own stained glass window.

Until then, I've tried glass painting. Not quite the same results but good fun customising things...such as this lamp.

I liked the pattern on the wrapping paper I used in A Restored Shipping Box so used it for my inspiration.

Hmm...there's a few gaps in my painting.

It takes a very steady hand to get a good finish!

Now...I just need to find some inspiration for another project!






Until tomorrow,
Nic xx

A Whale of a Time!

My friend came round last night for some girly chat and pizza. We had a great catch up.

We used to work together. Often we wouldn't see each other at work due to work load. Sometimes we would manage to escape the office and go for a walk at lunch time. I needed those breaks!

Life changed last year. Mr C found out he needed open heart surgery. It was quite a shock I can tell you! I took the chance to re-prioritise my life. I decided to put him first. No more commuting. Left my job to be with him in hospital and during his recuperation afterwards. I don't miss the commuting. Definitely not! I do miss seeing my friend more.

Yesterday I introduced her to putting Emoji  pictures in text messages. Childlike and silly I know. It makes me smile.

Today she got a text with a picture of a whale to say 'I had a whale of a time!'

My sister introduced me to the pictures. I've told another friend about it.

Soon all my text conversations will be in hieroglyphics!

Anyway...here's a whale. Made out of Fimo modelling clay.



Until tomorrow,
Nic xx

A Plant Stand

A productive day today...I've been busy working on a quilt made up of t-shirts I've collected on my travels. I got the idea from from a TV program. More on that another day.

This is not the most exciting photo I know.

Its a plant stand.

Made by my Uncle as one of his school projects.

His name is inscribed in the centre.

Sadly not a date. It makes me think I should date the things I make too.

My plant pot sits on it perfectly.








Until tomorrow,
Nic xx

A Hidden Mouse

Its been a quiet day today. I'm under strict instructions to rest and do nothing for a couple of days. The virus is still lurking...despite the antibiotics. So I've spent it sleeping and watching TV. I'm all caught up with my American TV...The Good Wife, Big Bang Theory, Law & Order. Addiction satisfied.


Here's a little mouse. He hides in my Christmas tree each year.

Just like the decoration in A Patient Wooden Bird he was made by a patient my Mum looked after when I was little. She was a nurse.

He has pink felt ears and nose, a pink string tail, and little googly eyes.




Have a happy weekend everyone!

Until tomorrow,
Nic xx