Where did the weekend go?

Good afternoon readers, where did the weekend go? For me it kicked off with the opening ceremony of the Olympics. I must say the start of it was rather underwhelming, then it picked up. But I have to say that it was a very late finish. No sewing done this weekend but have continuted to read my new sewing book and am starting to worry that I shall never get the hang of understanding a printed pattern let alone cutting it and adjusting it to fit me. The more I read the more daunted I become.

Sew magazine

I have just subscribed to my first magazine ever, "Sew" - how exciting I can't wait for the first addition to arrive. Also as a bonus for UK residents you get a free book and two patterns. I already have the book but I am going to give it to my friendie Christine as I think she will love it!!!

More on the new book

I have started well with The Colette Sewing Handbook and my goodness so much to learn. There are a few things that I can't get my head around and I think that I am dumb for not understanding them, so I may have to bite the bullet and email the writter to ask for beginners clarrification. As for the second on zips oh my gosh !!!!!!

I shall keep you posted........

My fav shop



Tatters

Haberdashers
106 High Street, Town Centre, Staines, TW18 4DP



Let me introduce to to Tatters. It is small and intimate local habershery shop - full of wonderful fabrics, ribbons, threads along with other arts and craft supplies. The ladies are cheerful and patient with beginners questions (that is the ones that I ask) and very helpful, willing to offer advise and recommendations.

Its arrived !!!



http://www.coletterie.com/

 After reading other peoples inspiring blogs, including Coleeterie.com, many have recommend the Colette Sewing Handbook - So I purchased it last week and it has finally arrived (I wished that it had been instantly delivered upon placement of my order) and I have already started to read it.

Little vegetable patch

Its Monday again already, where did the weekend go. I haven't managed to stitch anything new or old for that matter.

I did manage to dig up my potatoes from my little vegetable patch at the bottom of my garden, my tomoatoes have failed got some disease and turned turned brown and rotted to pull them up. Still have high hopes for a good harvest of runner beans (fingers crossed). The nice man down stairs (as I live in an upstairs massionette) kindly gave me some cauliflower and parsnips to plant so lets hope we have success with them also.

Behaviour bag

This project started out as an alternative to a wall chart which I think traditionally uses star stickers for recognising and rewarding good behaviour for children.

I made a simple bag out of blue cotton fabric. Cut out different coloured letters to make up the days of the week.

Pinned three on one side and four on the other along with the childs name at the top.

I stitched them on with a running stitch down the middle of each letter leaving the edges free. 

I then embleshed the letters with

butteflies (which i made by drawing

around the outside of biscuit cutter

for the larger and the inside of the cutter

for the small), buttons, handmade bows,

flowers and a wiggly eye to identify that

the letter is and "i" not and "l".

I cut out felt ladybirds and stuck them on to small pegs to use as the alternative to star stickers.

   The Front and Back of the      Finished Bag

So how does it work. Well the parents (adult) picks three or four behaviours or tasks that they would like to encourage and if the child does them on particular day they get to peg a lady bird onto a letter. Then at the end of the week they count them up and get a reward (not sweets) like an activity they don't normally do.