Friday 29 February 2008

Edward and Baby Ella

It's been a dark miserable rainy day here so have mostly been a home bird today. Have nearly conquered my ironing pile and have cooked good wholesome food for all my family whilst playing with Nathaniel.

Once they were all in bed tonight I have dragged out my sewing box (even though I just wanted to go to bed) and have completed some more elephants for my herd.

Meet Edward and Baby Ella;



Quite pleased with Baby Ella, she's the same as the 'love my money' purse on the site and I rather like her eye lashes!!


Am off to bed now, my eye lids are a drooping!
Night night, Daisie xxx

Thursday 28 February 2008

More Elephants

Well after a crap morning at kwikfit waiting for yet another new tyre, this really is getting silly, we're thinking of taking out shares in Michelin! I had a rather wonderful afternoon. Lunch made by Lynsey, entertainment by Anya (who modeled my dungarees for me even though she didn't really want to, thanks!), Tara and Francesca. Nathaniel was his usual chilled self on the carpet watching the world go by while I made some more felt elephants, the herd is growing! Lynsey meanwhile was doing a post for cuteable and showing me lots of lovely things!

Here as promised is a photo of Nathaniel in his prototype trousers, they are a little baggy in the leg but are a good length and the body shape is good, ample room for a nappy! Just a little tweaking needed and then we will have the perfect pattern for small boys' leg wear!


He did try and accessorize but Elizabeth managed to talk him out of it!!



Daisie xxx

Wednesday 27 February 2008

Nathaniel's Prototype

It was only a matter of time really before he joined his sisters in having all the first runs of good ideas, affectionately called 'prototypes' by Simon. Elizabeth and Francesca have an array of mismatched, cobbled together first attempts at projects and they treasure them so. Very flattering!! Am sure they'll get wise soon and start demanding 'proper' ones!!

So here it is!
Is it Blue Trousers with a check cuff.......



or is it check trousers with a blue cuff?



It's the same pair of trousers inside out!!

Thought it would save work; by having two pairs inside one another there are less raw edges to deal with which is always good! And you get two looks for the price of one, or when you end up wearing the lunch you can take your trousers off, turn them inside out and have a new clean pair. Genius. Am sure I'm not the first person to have thought of this but am quite pleased with the end result. There will be a photo of him wearing them soon.

I also made some beautiful daisy print dungarees in sunshine yellow colours but my girls are too big to model them so am off to borrow a small girl tomorrow, pics will follow.

Early to bed with my knitting tonight, very, very tired!
Daisie xxx

Tuesday 26 February 2008

Look What I Made Last Night....

I would like to introduce you to Elezabeth Eliphant (see what I did there?), she is a felt bag measuring 22cm x 22cm, she feels lovely and takes great pride in her appearance. Please admire the bow in her 'hair' and the sparkling earrings she's wearing. We love her here, I think there may be a whole herd of them soon, hopefully get some on the website next week.



Daisie xxx

Monday 25 February 2008

Feeling Much Better

You know you have almost fully recovered from an illness when you start to make things again!

I completed an order of ten assorted children's birthday cards and delivered it today, very pleased with myself. Got some new stencils recently and have just started to use them to make toppers for cards; this is the first attempt with the flowers, thought they'd do nicely for a Mum and Mum-In-Law next Sunday, what do you think?!





And I just love what I did with the dogs, Simon says it's a bit sick making but the girls think they're fab! Definitely cute, whether that's a good thing or not is a different matter.



Francesca and I visited my fabulous fabric supplier today and we've acquired some wonderful new floral prints so keep watching and I'll show you how they can become beautiful things to wear. Been working on getting the clothes I already have onto the site too. Hopefully now I don't feel quite so poorly things will get back on track again. Francesca has volunteered everyone for an early night tonight because she chose some fabric for herself and I have strict instructions to turn it into a dress with a matching hat and a handbag (she doesn't ask for much). Don't think it'll all be made tonight as the ironing pile is perilously high, I fear for my safety every time I pass it, maybe get that done first!!


Hopefully some pics of fabric tomorrow, not to mention the beautiful sparlky wool I got too!!!


Daisie xxx

Saturday 23 February 2008

How Do You Feel Today?

Happy,



Sad,



Cross,




Confused,



Or Funky?!



Daisie xxx

Friday 22 February 2008

My Three Penguins!

Hello all! Sorry it's been such a long time but I have been very ill indeed. It's been the half term holiday and we'd so many things planned (love having all my babies at home for the hols!) but plans never seem to happen round here! We managed a day at EUREKA! (the science museum for children in Halifax) on Monday and had a wonderful time. The girls printed their own money at the bank, took rubbings of foreign coins, scanned food in the shop and found out where it came from, changed tyres in the garage, walked down a magic corridor, learned all about their bodies and explored the different gardens of the world.

Here is Nathaniel in the 'leaf cradle' trying to decide if he wants to dress up as a bumble bee or just eat the costume:



Here are Simon and Nathaniel inside a honeycomb having a marvelous time:



Here is Elizabeth in the Arctic Garden in an Igloo we built together:




By the time we got home both Elizabeth and I were feeling decidedly unwell, so an early night for all and plenty of paracetamol. By the morning Elizabeth was much better and I felt like death, high temp, shivers, aching limbs, uncontrollable vomiting, general weakness. It took me until Thursday morning to have the strength to leave my bed and visit the doctor, it turns out that I have a form of Glandular Fever (a throw back to an illness I had as a child), no wonder I felt so bad then!! Have managed not to be sick today and have managed half a slice of toast and it seems to be staying put (fingers crossed). Feeling much better but weak.


Needless to say there has been no making and doing here this week!


And here as the title suggests are my three penguins, taken in the Arctic Garden, Nathaniel hasn't magically learned to stand unaided, Simon was helping somewhat:





Daisie xxx

Sunday 17 February 2008

Party Weekend

Not much making and doing going on at the moment, been busy making another cake for Francesca's party and wrapping things for pass-the-parcel and party bags and all the usual stuff that goes with birthday celebrations.

Here she is playing pass-the-parcel:



And here she is waiting to blow out her candles (again):



I did manage to make some cards for my little stall at nursery this week, here is one I'm quite proud of, the children love it!




Daisie xxx

Wednesday 13 February 2008

Blue!


Blue fluffy mohair coin purse/business card holder.
Picture is awful (although the lack of daylight and over bright flash make the kitchen worktop look rather good) but you get the idea. The yarn itself is a lovely denim blue shade and because I've used a small needle the stitches are close so makes for a firm finish. The overall shape is good but I need to change the flap slightly. Not bad though as I just made it up as I went along!!
It's late now so am off to bed, night!
Daisie xxx

Pink!

Here's a little something I knitted for a friend of mine, she ordered two (one for her daughter and one for her niece) for Easter gifts, can you believe how organised she is!? They are pink fluffy yarn with a bubblegum pink DK strap. The shape is the same as the blue one I made for Lynsey but I have made it smaller and added a shoulder strap, perfect for any small girl about town!







I spent alot of last night nursing a poorly baby so have been knitting some little mohair coin purses, rather cute (and useful too), picture to follow soon!

Daisie xxx

Tuesday 12 February 2008

Things to do with an infant whilst cooking.




Number 1.
Fill sink with warm water and handwash (or whatever is next to the sink that will make bubbles), immerse child, give child suitable plastic object, in this case a Miffy cup and resume cooking as normal!

Crafting taken a bit of a back seat today as Nathaniel and I have been to playgroup, he just loves it! Francesca, Nathaniel and I then went shopping for crusty bread and mushrooms for tonight as we have some friends coming for a meal, hence kitchen-sink-bath scenario!

Daisie xxx

Monday 11 February 2008

What a Lovely Day!

The sun has been shining, the birds have been singing, the windows have been open all day, the beds have clean crisp sheets (looking forward to bedtime) and we have had a lovely walk. Francesca walked all the way to school with her pram which had three baby dolls in it, then after a trip to the bakers we went for a swing in the park with Elizabeth after school.

There has been more sewing too.
Am particularly pleased with this 'Noah's Ark' dress.





Going to do some more knitting then am off to bed for a long snooze, feeling tired today.
Night, Daisie xxx

Sunday 10 February 2008

The Hills Are Alive.......

...........with the sound of music!

Am always falling in love with upholstery/curtain type fabric and wanted to put them to use in clothes but images of Maria dressing the Von Trapp children in their playroom curtains always come to mind! Am hoping that I have found a way to dress children in these types of fabric without them looking too much like they are wearing the actual curtains!

Have been a busy bee this morning and have made some fabulous little t-shirt dresses; made with a t-shirt style top so no complicated buttons or zips for small fingers, just pull it over your head!






L-R: Age 3-4, cream with blue and pink flowers (there is a hat to match this), Age 6-7, bubble gum dinosaurs, Age 8-9, dotty long sleeved top.

What do you think?
Daisie xxx

Friday 8 February 2008

Happy Birthday Francesca!

Can't quite believe my littlest girl is four (well she will be at half ten tonight!) seems like only days since she was a bump! We've had a very pink day indeed. Fairy cakes went down very well at nursery school, some teachers reportedly had seconds!!
When I asked her last week what she'd like for her birthday cake she couldn't decide, so in the end when I dropped her off this morning she said, "just make me a pink suprise cake please Mummy."
And here it is:





A vanilla sponge with strawberry icing and many millions of pink sweeties on top, what more could a girl wish for!?


And here they are enjoying it!



Some beautiful handmade gifts from Lynsey, will post some pics when we take some tomorrow, we are just too tired tonight and we're still buzzing from all the E-numbers!!
Happy birthday baby,
Daisie xxx

Thursday 7 February 2008

Cakes, Cakes and more Cakes!!!

More cakes than you can shake a stick at!




Hope everyone enjoys them, I know any left overs won't last long!!
Daisie xxx

Happy Birthday Naomi!

Just a quick one at the moment as am making the fairy cake mountain for Francesca's big day tomorrow, see pics later!

Wanted to say Happy Birthday to my very good friend Naomi, won't tell you how old she is though, (ancient) and to show off some of the things I made for her.

A Fairy Sparkly Window Card:



And a Butterfly felt coin purse, the picture doesn't really do this justice, it has small sparkling beads sewn onto it's wings and it closes with a press stud under a felt heart (like the "love my money" purse on the website).





Be back later with hundreds (slight exageration, maybe) of pink cakes!
Daisie xxx

Tuesday 5 February 2008

Don't worry,

I haven't died! Just felt like it a bit over the last few days, full of a horrid cold and feel like I have been run over by a huge steam roller!
We've still managed to have a day at the park and I have made Nathaniel some lovely dungarees (they're just waiting for a zip), pics to follow soon.
Have been having early nights but am feeling a little better today, helped by the lovely homemade bread (courtesy of Elizabeth) and some really thick leek and potato soup!

You really can't beat homemade soup and hot bread in your pyjamas!!

Am hoping to feel much better tomorrow as it's Francesca's birthday on friday and I've said I'll make pink fairy cakes for all her pals at nursery school. Am sure there will be a photo of the cake mountain on thursday night. Needless to say she is very excited and counting down the days.

Night, Daisie xxx