Tamsyn G on The road.

This is some of the Fabrics I was sorting to take to The Anonymous Travelling Market at Pyt House, actually these were the bits I didn't want to share :) Some lovely vintage fabrics that I will save for a day when the sewing machine comes out.  I sorted lots of other bits (two big boxes full!) into fat quarters and also sorted through my button stash and bagged up lots of buttons.

I was making things all week, lots more cupcake brooches and button bracelets., little heart brooches and mobile phone socks. So it was a bit of a manic week.
The Gazebo arrived on Thursday and i thought I would test setting it up.  Arthur came back from nursery and decided it should be a fruit stall, so out came his till all the fruit and george to be his customer.
It was great to be out on the road again, but I had really forgotton how much time you need to setup! we were right at the bottom of the garden, and I had loaded the van with hings in baskets and bags so that they could be put straight out.  This was not a good plan, and 2 hours later i was still trundling things down the garden using a borrowed wheelbarrow.  Then was asked to move the vehicles and that there was just 20 minutes left..which sent me into a panic attack, I  just felt like sitting on the floor saying ' I can't do it' and 'there's no way i will be ready' as people started to come in, (actually that is what i did in the end, then recovered quickly as people started shopping).  The next thing I knew it was 3 oclock  and I had not spoken to Kate (who was next to me selling lovely vintage bits) once, nor eaten and only managed to have one cup of coffee that a lovely friend got for me.

By the time we stopped all the food had sold out and people were packing up.  Though quite hungry i'd say that was the best result we could have hoped for.

The next time I go to a show the stock will be neatly stocked in 3 big boxes that fit on my sack trucks and I will have some sort of plan as to how the  stall will look.

I can't believe a whole week has gone!  though i have been fairly busy. I actually managed to get an order out.
These are tea cosies covered in vintage buttons (the more buttons I use up the more i can buy he he!) They were knitted and then felted in the washing machine before i added the buttons.
Another great way of using up some of my button stash..these little bracelets are made using some new yarn that came in last week, it is as wide as ribbon and has silver thread running through it. I can sew the buttons directly onto it and make instant bracelets, I also did some using the felt flowers and buttons.  I am aiming to do some mixed yarn bags for sale in my shops, also adding little packs of vintage buttons and unusual ribbons that i have now...one day soon i will get organised :)
I also finished a batch of my little felt brooches. All of the above has gone to my favorite cafe in Childe Okeford.
I have had a new delivery of yummy yarns
and gorgeous fairtrade Rosewood needles by Mango Moon.
The above yarn I thought would be great used as a fringe rather than knitting with it, and this will be one i add to the mixed bags.
This is a really soft multi coloured yarn, which i have not yet tested. I will make some mobile phone socks in this to see how it knits up.

Right i'm off to do some more making. I have 3 more shops waiting for orders.

Banished to the dining room.

Last night I was banished from our sitting room, as tony and harry were taking it over.  They were going through rugby dvd's of the under 15's North dorset Teams season...which I must say has been a good one winners of the County Cup 3 years running, infact i think they only lost one match in the whole season and that was to come second out of 8 teams.  any way tony is putting together the end of year dvd where it shows highlights from each player.  So they annoyingly have to watch all the matches , they watch a bit discuss it, pause rewind watch it again discuss, write down the number so they can go back to it..this goes on for hours! Now i don't mind watching Harry play rugby a bit, but i get bored after....10 minutes and moan so much that they have had to banish me, and warned me in advance.

Well I do have a lot of toys to play with (of the crafting kind!) so I decide to get out the embellisher which I have not really tested out properly since I got it at xmas.

The skirt on the table i started to embellish at the last Make do and Mend workshop, and just need to add one more heart and possibly some fabric to the bottom, to make it longer. I have this great wool that looks like it has been sewn all down the middle of it, I have embellished onto the skirt and used it to make some cup warmers (will finish them and post a pic tommorow). It is great for edging and looks as though I have sewn it on.

I have been collecting lots of denim skirts and jackets to upcycle, so at least I got going on that.

I also used the embellisher to fray the edges around fabric hearts which I anm adding to old pillow cases and turning them into laundry bags. So I had a lot of fun.
I had a brill day yesterday, starting with a carboot in the morning, me and arthur left the house quite early to get there before the other buyers, it was lovely and peaceful for the first half an hour and we managed to get quite a lot of good stuff, I got some fabric, needles and assorted knitting bits, as well as an old wooden sewing box with a lovely needle holder full of really old needles (twice as thick as the modern day ones) and two skirts to upcycle.  

 Arthur got a fab spider man suit (which he has not taken off since it came out of the washing machine. I did make him leave it at the end of his bed explaining how hot he may get if he left it on! (not great to sleep in nylon!) he also got a whole load of army vehicles for a 1.00 so was very pleased.  
When we got back Arthur played with his new toys and I was able to do some spinning in the garden yay!  Alice aka Ladypole gave me some of her gorgeous carded wool to spin a few weeks ago, so it was great to see it turned into yarn. A wee bit over spun but i am just learning :)
Saturday i spent cutting some of my fabric mountain to put in the shop as fat quarters.  I have a huge delivery of fabric arriving tommorow, which i am a little apprehensive about as no one really knows i have started doing fabric...ah they will tommorow ,it is gorgeous linens from japan, some cupcake ones, some vintagey looking and some russian dolls with the most amazing ribbon.
These are button hearts i have been making to show people how they can use up there buttons.

Spring Time ha ra!

I have been adding more yarn to my website, I love the colours of the Gedifra cotton and can't wait to crochet some flowers and bags using it.  I have as usual got too many projects on the go!

In between masses of stock has been arriving which seems to take days to sort and then I change the whole shop around to fit it in.  This is great fun but does mean theres a lot less time to make.  Which is why I like the classes on Saturday mornings because it means I get to play too :)
The yarn above is just like ribbon, I think it would be great embellished onto things and used in Jewellery making. I made a crochet necklace using it which I hope to finish soon and I will post up.
It was so lovely to be out in the sun last Monday (the weeks seem to be going by to fast!) I met a friend at Pythouse and we had a delicious lunch.  Then walked round the garden and played hide and seek with Arthur.
So nice to see the daffodils out in the sunshine and know that spring is well on its way.
I will be glad when the clocks go forward this weekend, Arthur has been waking at 6 o Clock for the last three weeks but still goes to bed at the same time, at least then we can go to bed an hour earlier and when we wake it will be a more sensible time.

I have been busy changing the shop around and fitting in all my new finds and lots of new stock.
I am really starting to mix old with new, and am becoming a little bit addicted to finding vintage buttons and tins, my Sundays are now spent at carboots or antique fairs..well it gets me out of the shop.  Arthur enjoys it too as he can always find a new old car, he loves to rummage and find the perfect car or lorry.  The bluebird tin (which i think is gorgeous) sold with in two days of having it in the shop!  It looked so nice with my buttons in :(.  I must learn to share and not keep it all for myself!
This is some of the lovely new yarns by Gedifra and Adriafil...I am going for the colourfull and glitzy yarns. If That way if no one buys them I turn them all into lovely flowers and little bags (may take a while but it will be fun!)..
Lots of new stock I will try and get some online, by wednesday next week..if it hasn't all gone by then...always the optimist!
I can't believe a week has gone by and I am getting ready for tommorows workshop, which is a Button workshop..so I can share out a little of my button stash, mmm and then go and buy some more ;)

Last saturday was needlefelting, above is Alice's (aka Ladypole on Ravelry) felted bits..I have actually pinched the squiggly yarn idea on the heart, quite useful doing these workshops..every one is so inspiring!
Jane brought her three daughters, which I was slightly worried about, as the needles are very sharp! They were all amazing though and really enjoyed the morning.  I love the octopus necklace and Jane's flag brooch. Very clever.

Concentrating very hard!
They were all very industrious!
Above is Elizabeth's work,  I can see the half flower as a hair decoration. ("fascinator"). Elizabeth brought in some of her own equipment one of which was a needle holder with four needles in, much quicker to work with..and every body borrowed it.  I will need to get some of these in for the next one. 

 First I need to put in some new dates for workshops as March is just going so fast.

Well back to my buttons ..it is my first button workshop so I am a little nervous, I never know how it's going to go. It will be lots of fun and I'm sure everyone will have fun picking out the buttons they are going to use, and I'm sure they will go home with lots of goodies!

New yarn.

I have  been busy adding all the yarns in my shop onto my website,
I have got maybe half way through it! Bit by bit I will  get there.
Lovely yarns by Adriafil an Italian company. I really like there unusual yarns.

Kid Silk Haze by Rowan lovely jewel colours. Great knitted into lacy patterns.

Now I am getting ready for Knit and natter tonight..Last week I went to the kitchen to make tea and returned to find I could not get back in the room, not much elbow room!