Meet my up-cycled quilt!

Hi everyone,

I have missed you!  Haven't posted as much as I normally do because I have been a busy bee!  The last week or so I have been making this quilt!

I am really quite proud of myself, never made anything like this before, but I was inspired by this post, though I made mine without a book or pattern or anything, basically made it up as I went along with bits and pieces I had around the house.  It didn't cost me anything to make, and it even has an eco element because I used some of my husbands old shirts in the patchwork, the whole of the back and all the binding!  You can tell I am excited can't you?  

It is quite thickly padded which made binding it a bit difficult, I spent a long time cutting and ironing the strips, and even longer pinning the binding all round the edge of the quilt.

It certainly isn't the best binding in the world, as you can see, but it was a first attempt after all.

I am really pleased with it and proud of myself.  I would definitely been keen to have another go.  I have got loads of squares left because I cut tons a few years ago with the intention of making a huge quilt, but then realised it would look hideous so just chose the blue ones to make this quilt. I could choose another colour way from the selection I have for another quilt. 

Hope you have all been having a lovely week.  I have another keyring to put in the art shop, and some vintage map envelopes for the craft shop which I will put up in the next couple of days.  I have so many things I want to do, including my wreath tutorial which I promised weeks ago!  I am sure I have lots of news to share with you, like my lovely hubby on Valentines day and the fact that I have been poorly, and my recent sales, but they will have to wait for another day.

TTFN

xxx

I am a Princess...

...all girls are.

Have a wonderful weekend my friends.

(All photos from We Heart It, quote from A Little Princess)

New Years resolutions

What I love most about new years is not the drinking and partying (although that can be good too), but the feeling of starting a fresh.  For some reason the transition of one number to another on the calendar gives us a feeling of having another chance, a new start to life.  And this year is no different.  I have many many hopes for the year ahead, I am so excited about it but I didn't want to over do it with the ol' New Years Resolutions so have just come up with 10 (maybe that seems like a lot).  I have tried to be really specific with them rather than making sweeping generalisations and grand gestures:

1.     Read the bible in a year - following my new "Read the Bible in a year" book,

2.   2. Buy nothing new for a year – Only buy new if I can’t make what I need or find it second hand, I am not going to beat myself up if I do buy something, but I am going to try to keep this in mind before making purchases,

3.   3. Exercise – at least 3 times per week, workout videos and walking/jogging, I want to get fit, but also want to enjoy myself, not torture myself,

4.       Eat more healthily - don't buy something ready made when I could make it for myself, eat at least 5 piece of fruit and veg per day,

5.   5.Finish wedding scrapbook before 2^nd anniversary in July.

6.   6. Grow more veg – Tidy allotment and plant over the whole of it, spend at least 1hr per week, (don't get eviction letter), eat what I grow,

7.   7.Make £400 per month through photography, art and craft by August, this is the amount I will be losing by going part time at teaching,

8.   8.Pay off overdraft, be at least at 0 at the end of every month,

9.       Watch less TV -  it is no secret that I am a telly addict so I am going to try to only watch the TV for specific programs and not just put it on because it is the default entertainment activity,

10      Have 100 followers of blog by May,

Le    Let's see how I get on shall we...
          (All photos from weheartit)

Winter Solstice

Today is the shortest day of the year!  That means spring is on it's way.  This makes me feel very happy and optimistic because I am one lover of spring and summer, the winter months can really get me down, I am fantasising already about the spring, planting seeds, getting to the allotment, spring cleaning and a summer oF sipping wine in the garden and walks on the beach and digging up home grown fruit and veg and, and, and...
After today we will have more minutes then hours of daylight in out lives, this got me thinking about Jesus and how we call him the Light of the World; it therefore seems most appropriate that we should celebrate his birth shortly after the winter solstice when we are beginning to have more light in our lives. Whether you believe that Jesus was the Son of God or not, there is no denying that he brought a most amazing message of light and love to the world:
John 8:12

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

Images all from flickr, using search words: Light, new, spring.

What does Christmas time mean to you?

Guest Post!

Hi folks,
Tonight I have my lovely sister Megan staying with me so I thought I would let her do a guest post on my blog.  She is an amazingly talented fashion designer who graduated last year from her Fashion degree, you may remember this film I showed a while back of her Degree show, she also helped me design my wedding dress and made the entire thing for me:

(Megan is on the left), and here she is now:

Hi Meg, tell us a little about yourself:

I like Fashion, Dominoes Pizza and my boyfriend! I dream of being a successful fashion designer and going travelling. I hope to visit Thailand sometime in the future. I am currently living in Swansea with my parents and working in retail.

What is your idea of the perfect day?
Depends what mood I am in! Sometimes I like staying in watching DVD’s snuggled up on the sofa with some hot chocolate, sometimes I like going out and meeting up with friends for lunch.

What wouldn’t you leave home without?
My phone! My eyeliner, and a hair bobble.
What are your favourite shops?
Fave shops are Ikea, I really like going to Ikea, even if it’s just for the hot dogs! H&M , Zara, Attica and Cult.

What is on your wish list?
A yellow Citroen C2 and a round the world plane ticket, that’s all I want.

What is your favourite bargain find or product?
I once bought a top from Primark for 10p! It wasn’t very nice though. I bought a cardigan yesterday for £2.00 that was quite a bargain.

Who is your favourite artist and why?
Musical? I am gonna say Newton Faulkner, I went to see him with my boyfriend a while ago, he was really good. I don’t really have a favourite visual artist but my favourite designer is McQueen.

Where do you find your inspiration?
I find Victorian corsetry really inspiring for my fashion work. I love their structure and the way they shape the body.

Do you own anything unusual?
I have a purple Ukulele which I love, though I can’t play much on it. It was a present.

Who would you like to sit down to drinks with?
My boyfriend Kevin, and the Fashion designer Vivian Westwood! The radio 1 presenter Chris Moyles is funny, he would be a good laugh ooh and the primeminister!

Do you have any guilty pleasures?
I like dipping my Elevenses in hot chocolate and cheesecake.

What is your idea of a living hell?
Having to eat only vegetables for the rest of my life. I don;t hate all vegetables but if I had to only eat vegetables then I would be really gutted!

Thanks so much for letting me write on your blog!  I feel very special and honoured. I hope all you Serendipitychild readers have a lovely day.


Thanks Meg.
TTFN

Some thoughts on God

Well hello folks,
Whaduyaknow I am ill again. Yes I have a terrible head cold and a migraine to boot. Won't someone tell me how to get rid of a migraine without pain killers? I have tried virtually every recommendation on the internet, sleeping, meditating, peppermint tea, evening primrose oil, garlic, multi-vitamin, fresh air, fruit juice, if this headache doesn't go soon I might even try dipping a paper bag in vinegar and putting it onto my forehead as one website suggested!? This has not been a good start to the year, what with having a day off for my sore gums a couple of weeks ago, and now this *sigh* not good at all, and a sign that I have not been looking after myself properly.
Anyhow, I have been meaning to write this post for a while now, but haven't had time with work being so busy recently, but I have time right now so I will take the opportunity to share some photos with you and some thoughts as well.
I am always amazed by how beautiful this world is in its natural state, wild and free. It strikes me as proof of God, thrills me and fills me with hope. Just the other day there was a fantastic storm which turned the sky sepia; the leaves of the trees shone, glistened and were so vivid green I couldn't take my eyes off them. I have never seen anything like it. Thunder and lightning followed, and then a perfect rainbow, two in fact a sign of a promise, the hand of God at work in a beautiful and fantastic way.

A few days later I was running the worship session at the church home group I go to and decided to do an art related worship - draw how God makes you feel.
I had the advantage of having already decided what I was going to draw before the session began, and it came easily to me but I was surprised by some people's drawings. Many people draw that God made them feel small and confused. Confusion is something I have experienced with God, but I can honestly say that god has never made me feel small.
I drew a heart (which represented me) with two big arms hugging it (they represented God) I added wings to the heart and a sun behind, the a waterfall running over it. That is how God makes me feel.
How does God make you feel?
How does God show himself in your life?



Happy Monday

Haven't done one of these for a while:

All from weheartit using "free" as my search word.

Crafty friends

Went to a really fun party of a friend of ours yesterday, Matt and his girlfriend Elora. Apart from taking some photos of everyone there (which I am doing as habit now at every event I go to now) I also photographed some wonderful 1970's ephemera and crafty loveliness made by the fabulous Elora. It was such a joy to meet another crafty lady (in real life) and chat about crochet and quilting and thrifting and self-sufficiency, it was great. Any way here are some of the wonderful items around her house:

Amazing magnetic board made from a tray with button magnets,

Shelf with fab glassware, cake stand and 1970's coffee set,

Awesome notice board with retro fabric, plus motice the crocheted purple fower, she gave this to me!! (it went perfectly with my top.)

Cool clock,

She rocheted this blankey herself!!  Jealous?!

Amazing  crocheted cushions,

Fab 1970's casserole dish, she had several of these.