Saturday 10 September 2011

Yarnbombing

While having a mosey around the internet, I came across this article on the Daily Mail online.  Now normally the Daily Mail is not somewhere that I hang out, I find their politics not to my taste and it's actually pretty poorly written most of the time.  Not that I can talk, but nobody is paying me to write!  But this article really caught my eye, and I thought I would share it.  Here goes with the linky....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2026977/The-astonishing-cobweb-yarnbombing-took-graffiti-knitter-months.html?fb_ref=LikeButtonTop&fb_source=profile_oneline

How cool are these!  I am in awe of the talent and dedication that has gone into these, I'm very much more a quick project kinda gal, and anything that took that long to complete would lose my interest before it was complete.  This is something that I do need to work on, but more of that later.  There is also a Facebook group dedicated to yarnbombing, with some more cool photos, so have hopped over and 'liked' that.

http://www.facebook.com/yarnbombing

So, who has been eyeing up the lamposts outside their house?  Or in my case, the particularly drab looking bus stop directly opposite my front door?  I live in a small village with an excellent bus service (I know, it's not usual!), so a lot of people use that bus stop to commute, often early in the morning looking half asleep.  I am hatching grand plans to lighten their mornings, but I fear it will come to nothing much due to lack of time, energy, sleep etc.  But in my mind's eye, I can see a perfect woolly bus shelter, and I would love to make it happen!

TTFN

Tuesday 6 September 2011

These are a few of my favourite things

Or not things, so much, as fabrics. I have a VERY large stash, my husband jokes that it is starting to generate it's own gravitational field... Sort of like a very colourful black hole....

Anyway, I thought I'd share a few of my very favourites with you - and a couple of things I've made out of them as well.

First on my list is Amy Butler - I know she's very popular at the moment, but obviously for good reason. It's the colours! And the patterns! And it coordinates! And looks fab with EVERYTHING...


My work handbag is made with Amy Butler fabric - this one...

www.gonetoearth.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=36_40&products_id=915

And here are the photos of it. I have to look vaguely respectable at work, so I made the outside rather sober and proper-office-type, but then lined it with my gorgeous-fell-in-love fabric.












The bag was made using this pattern

http://mmmcrafts.blogspot.com/2009/06/basic-messenger-bag.html


I carry a fair amount of rubbish vital equipment around with me and this bag is perfect.


The second designer I'm loving at the moment is Dan Bennett


http://www.cottonpatch.co.uk/acatalog/dan_bennett.html


I just love the quirky florals, and the bright colours (sensing a theme here, anyone?). My make with this one is a clutch bag I made for a friends birthday present, using the Bellflower fabric in orange.













And the pattern for this one is

http://www.noodle-head.com/2010/04/gathered-clutch-tutorial.html


So, that's my favourites. What are yours? Colourful? Pastel? Stripes? Spots? The amount of different fabrics out there is both exhilarating and overwhelming, one of my favourite evening activities is mooching around fabric websites and eBay to see what I can add to the stash! Step away from the credit card...

Monday 5 September 2011

Live to run, run to live...

Well, in my case - run to eat.  I like my food, and if I don't want to end up being rolled to the table, I need to either eat less, or move more.  Given that I don't like the idea of eating less, I went with moving more.  Specifically, running...

I used to run - but then I had kids.  And there was no time, or inclination, or it was raining... I was the queen of the good excuses, but eventually I had to face the fact that I was now officially fat.  Not obese, I had yet to scale those dizzying heights, but definitely fat.  Size 16, occasionally an 18.  Out came my trainers and sports bra.  Reinforced with girders, this would be an mainstay of my running equipment.  Because actually, you don't need much to start running - but if you are, shall we say, amply proportioned, a sports bra is pretty essential.

My first run was an unmitigated disaster.  I went off too quick, didn't warm up, tried to go too far - and I came home with blisters, almost in tears and not at all inclined to continue with this insanity.  But then a friend of mine suggested the couch to 5k running programme.  This is basically a series of run/walk interval training runs designed to do exactly what it says on the tin - take you from the couch to running 5k.  And boy, does it work.  The first run is actually mostly walking, but by the end of week 5 you are running for 20 minutes non stop.  And by the end of the 9 week programme I was running 5k in about 35 minutes, which is pretty respectable for a porker...

I am now running 4 miles in about 45 minutes, 3 times a week.  I've roped a friend into my lunacy, to create a shared hallucination of fitness - and some motivation on days when I'm not too keen on the idea... We run after our children are in bed, and I've lost 14lbs so far.  Still 28 to go, but we'll get there!  I've also cut back on the custard creams, because that really is a good idea as well...

Is this the way forward?

This is my attempt at bringing order to many things in my life.  I am a 33 year old married lass, with two children, both still preschool age, and a part time job - but there are many other things that I am trying to achieve in my life, and I am hoping that this blog will help on this journey.

I have many dreams, but the one referred to above is the dream to make a living from sewing, crafting, blogging and generally being creative.  I work in engineering consultancy currently, but the urge to create and bring joy to people through this is getting stronger all the while.  I have always had a creative bent, but chose to study engineering at university as this was the 'sensible' choice.  I'm good at it, and my job brings out the best of that side of me - but the other side is now shouting to be heard...

And the custard creams?  Well, I need to lose about 2 stone to be healthy and the custard creams are a problem.  I've taken up running and dieting, so you'll have to excuse a few posts along these lines also :-)