Maud's Having An Outing

I've only put this on as I don't like posts without pictures;

Maud is coming with me and all my handmade goodies tomorrow to a massive (yes really huge) gathering of local crfaters at the ACE centre in a nearby town to sell alongside all the musicky charity fund raising that is Oxjam. There are fifty confirmed stalls, it's going to be a great day, I'm really looking forward to it!

So I have spent today packing and getting ready for that and also cutting out a mountain of felt, I am running a workshop at the LET project as a member of the Art Exchange, I got to do a children's workshop (think I got the short straw) so opted for making christmas tree decorations as the ages range from 5 to 12. I fugured with the shapes precut and lots of buttons, sequins and glittery thread we can make it as easy or as complicated at the child wants. We can sew or stick,. whichever is easiest.

A busy start to the half term holidays! I have also been trying this week to sort out the cluttered space that is my den/cupboard/wardrobe. Remember we built an extra room(ish) when we gutted our bedroom and remember how empty and lovely it looked?
Well, needless to say it doesn't look like that anymore, it is bursting at the seams and with recent mad crafting it has become somewhat of a mess! I took 'before' pictures on monday and am not yet ready to reveal how it looks 'after' - another million man-hours needed I think. Progress is slow with so many small people to get in the way help me!

The renovations are finally coming together, Simon and I (well, mostly Simon) put the hallway wall up this morning and with him at home this week the plan is to lay the new floor and put the ceiling up. It's all very exciting but I feel so near and yet so very far.....

Daisie xxx

A Literal Mind

Last night, picture the scene, if you will, we'd gotten cold and wet at school so had bathed and donned PJs when we got home, we were warm and snuggled. We expected Simon in for his tea (doesn't happen often so a bit of an occasion) but by six with no Simon we sat down to eat before the boys fell asleep. The conversation was usual, who we'd sat next to at lunch, what writing/number work we'd done etc.

I said, casually 'I wonder where Daddy is?'

Nathaniel looked at me as if I was a bit stupid and said (in a tone to match the look) 'he's at Burnley College'

Elizabeth expanded the theory and said 'I think he's just got stuck at work'

After another minute or two of noshing and chatting Nathaniel looked at me very concerned and asked 'will someone get him out?'

'Who? What?'

'Daddy, if he's stuck someone must get him unsticked and tell him to go down the stairs and come home'

Wonderful images of Pooh stuck in a hole came to mind.

Needless to say he was 'unsticked' and was home for kisses before bed!

Decisions Decisions!

I am a one woman making machine today, my womanly bike has returned again so I have not got dressed today, love a lazy sunday, especially when I ache all over and feel a bit poo!

I have knitted these little bootees and matching hat for a teacher at school who is expecting a baby girl in around three weeks;


I have finally finished some bunting for my friend's little girl (only been making it forever), this is just a sneaky peep as she's not seen it yet, don't want to spoil the suprise too much;


And I made my funky purple zig-zag bag, ooooh, I love it so much but can't decide which button I want to go in the loop to keep everything inside;

This is a slightly better picture;

If we number them 1 to 5, left to right, I like number one best, Simon says number three, Elizabeth likes number four, what do you think?

Daisie xxx

Oooooooooooooooh!

Lookie what I got;


I went out with a friend from playgroup, she's hunting for bunting fabric for her shabby chic vintage tea party themed wedding next year, I took her to a place I hadn't been before, oooh, lots of lovely fabrics at amazing prices. I found this, it's quite heavy, upholstery type cotton, the colours are much brighter than they are in the pic. I took the roll to the man at the big table as I couldn't find a price on it. He said "It's 5.99 a metre", more than I would spend on fabric for me but if I got 2mtrs I could make a bag, sell it and cover my costs so I asked for 2. He said "there's a bit more but I'm not leaving it on the roll, do you want it?" "erm...." dither dither, thinking does he want more money..... So I bit the bullet and said yes, he folded it as only a man can (badly) and handed it over and asked for £11. Now my maths is not great but..... I asked was that right he said yes and there you have it, I have nearly four metres of this delish stuff for a mere £11. I do hope he doesn't get into trouble when the boss gets back!

And I have had several harsh words with my camera, I really do need a new one, and managed to get it to work long enough to take some half decent pictures of the changing bags I've made this week;

I took Amanda's advice and threw in a little 'free' gift with each bag;

Especially pleased with how the owl turned out;

Both bags are now listed in my Folksy Shop so we'll just have to see what happens. A big thank you to all who commented, your opinion really matters to me.

Daisie xxx

A New Design

The changing bag is finished!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The fabric my customer chose is just yummy and perfect for a girl or a boy. There was some wastage as I cut the pieces to show the pattern off to it's best.

The front;


I managed to line the top flappy panel up with the print on the front of the bag to keep the zebra in all his glory;


I used two of my lovely Dutton's buttons (well, she is a very special customer) to keep the front shut, I figured most Mummies can do buttons one handed but maybe not tie a bow?

The back shows the lion;


There are monkeys (monkies?) climbing up the side panels and I cut the straps to show the giraffe's long neck at both the front and back when worn cross body;

I am really pleased with how this turned out. There is a large middle section to the interior with four large patch pockets each big enough for a packet of wipes or a couple of nappies, spare clothes etc, I didn't add any external pockets as I didn't want to spoil the images on the fabric but think there is more than enough storage space for a day out with a baby.

I think I may be under selling myslef slightly though. I know there is alot about pricing going on at the moment and nothing annoys me more than someone selling the same sort of item for half what I'm selling for but equally I have trouble putting a price on my time and care and lack confidence in the value of my product. Gina has talked about this recently as has Nifty, there has been lots going on on the Folksy Forums today too but I haven't been to look yet.

The customer is paying me £15 for this one of a kind, handmade, designed by me changing bag for her daughter's new baby girl. She came to choose fabric for a shoulder bag for herself, I charge £15 for my slouchy shoulder bags, they sell well and people like them as much as I like to make them. Some of the fabrics I use cost little and some cost more so pricing the bags like this means the profit I make for each is different but felt I needed some continuity and that it would all 'even out in the end'. The changing bag took me longer to make, partly because it's a new design, partly becasue there are more components which makes construction longer and harder. I am thinking that maybe I should be charging twice that for such a lovely item. But then I think what would it look like sitting next to an equally lovely shoulder bag at half the price on my craft fair stall, is one too expensive and one too cheap?

This bag will go for £15 becasue that is what I quoted the customer and becasue she is so lovely and I know the bag will be loved (and lets face it yummy baby bags are probably worth their weight in advertising).

I need to do some thinking and would be grateful for any input.

Thanks, Daisie xxx

I Am Still Here (Somewhere)

I seem to be lacking in the blog spirit at the moment, there is lots going on but I have been feeling a little shit ill with a week long cold, sore throat, headache, hurting all over finished off with a three day migraine, am feeling slightly more normal today so thought I'd make an appearance and make excuses explain where I've been.

I have had a custom order for two bags, a shoulder bag made in fabric of the customers own choosing (she came and sat on my bed and rummaged through my stash), I was quite proud of myself as I didn't hide anything before she arrived and let her choose whatever she wanted. Mandy chose this rather lush chocolate fabric with gold embroidered leaves and red berries for her new bag for her new job;


Sideways picture and not the best but you get the idea! She also asked me to make a changing bag for her daughter who gave birth to a beautiful baby girl this week. It was a challenge for me as I had to incorporate things that I don't normally but out came the good old greaseproof paper and I chopped and eyeballed for days and came up with a design I'm happy with. The bag looks amazing and is just waiting for me to undo some top stitching and redo it, ever the perfectionist that I am and it needs some button holes and buttons to finish, hopefully will get it done over the weekend and will share then.

This small person has been throwing herself into school life in Y5, reading more than is natural and talking non-stop about vikings and equivilant fractions;


This small person has been driving me up the wall everyday since we went back to school, I am sure that "put your shoes on" is not too difficult an instruction but I think when you are a pink princess that lives in fairy land it loses something in translation and I therefore have to repeat it about a gazillion times between eight and eight thirty;

But she is forgiven because today the boys and I were at the centre and we went outside for a play as it wasn't raining (for a change) and when she spotted us while she was doing PE in the yard with her class I could see her waving hands and hear her delighted screams all the way across the playground! It's lovely to know that she loves me just as much as I love her!

This little person is finding it hard being a nursery boy with three hours away from us each day. He is enjoying all the new things to play with and the new things to learn but is tired and grumpy because of it;

And this little person has not slept for weeks and weeks, he has the snotty snozzle that we've all had and four (yes, FOUR) molars have sprouted in his mouth in the last three days, he has not been happy, I have been tired and unwell, it has been a hellish time. I am hoping that now they're through he should start to feel a little happier and more settled;

He is lovely though!

I have taken on some new groups as a peer suporter which has been going well. Busy fun packed weeks for me now.

And the highlight of this long, busy, poorly week is meeting my sister who is flying from the other end of the earth up from Newquay tonight and meeting me for lunch tomorrow, don't think I'll be able to sleep with the excitement! The last time I saw her was after my massive walk when we wnet shopping and my feet would have dropped off if I'd not have loved her so much!

Daisie xxx