Happy 2018! Here are some Bears!

Happy 2018! Wow how the time flies....I swear it was only the summer of 2017 last week! Anyway, happy new year! I always love the positive vibes at the start of a new year. Everyone always has such good intentions....so here are mine!

• To build my business even more - I am lucky that it has been growing slightly every year since I started so I need to build that up and have an even more fantastic year than last year
• To travel - I already have trips to France skiing, Barbados and a few other places in the pipe line so I think this one will be an easy one to keep up with
• To gym more - I live across the road so it is easy to go....but equally easy to think I'll just go tomorrow!
• To de-clutter! I have already done a little bit of spring cleaning and although it felt ruthless, it now feels good to have done it, so I'll keep at it to keep our little flat clutter free!
• To get on and make my new ideas more quickly! I so often have ideas in my head for months before I get on and make them - and then when they turn out to be a success I think why didn't I make them sooner?!? (See Unicorn mobiles last year - such a success!

So this brings me straight into a new mobile idea. I have been making small bear mobiles for ages, and they are pretty popular. So I had a few spare bears hanging around, and thought - Oooh why don't I make a large bear mobile?

So here it is (photos taken on my fancy new digital camera, after mine died in Nicaragua in 2016!)

What do you think?

Teenage Mutant Hero Turtle Costumes!!!

A fairly long time ago (over 10 years which is worrying) I made a teenage mutant hero turtle costume for various fancy dress parties at university (cartoon character, animal, superhero....). We only had one fabric shop at uni, which wasn't great, and for costumes, there was the added challenge of only buying remnants of fabric from the bargain bin. I think the fabric for my original costume cost less than £2 and it has been worn many many times.

When we were invited to a New Years superhero fancy dress party, a friend as if I had any ideas of what her and her boyfriend, and me and my boyfriend could go as, and I practically shouted at her: TEENAGE MUTANT HERO TURTLES!!!

It was high time Donatello got some friends.

So I took my costume into my local favourite fabric shop (A-One Fabrics on Goldhawk Road) and although I couldn't find anything exactly the same, as my original costume had been so cheap, and they only sell nice fabrics, I found some pretty good matches.

Here are some photos from New Years Eve....I think we all rock the green look!

Not bad for an afternoon of sewing....

Custom Dress for my Mum's 60th

I wanted to get something special for my Mum's 60th, but it was almost too much pressure, and I didn't know what I should get her! So in the end I promised to make her a dress, in any fabric, any style, perfectly fitted to her.

Straight away, my Mum knew exactly what she wanted - a dress in the same shape as a Boden favourite she has, but in the fabric that I had used to make myself a dress, which I wore to my Grandma's 80th last year.

So first things first, I went back to the shop that I bought the fabric from last year, and they had sold out!! Never to re-stock again! Argh!! Luckily they realised that they had packaged up the end of the roll, so I happily bought the 3m pack, even though I only really needed 1.5m - I was just so relieved to still be able to get the fabric!

Making the pattern was fairly easy, I just laid the dress down that Mum wanted me to copy, and made a pattern using baking parchment. I then made a toile, out of rough fabric, so that I could fit it to Mum and make any adjustments before moving onto the real fabric. 

I rarely line dresses that I make for myself, as I usually buy fairly bright fabric which is not see through, and also because it's a lot quicker not too (terribly lazy - I know) but Mum would never dream of wearing a dress without lining, so I made sure I worked out how to add a lining too. 

The chosen fabric is just beautiful - it's a lightweight cotton lawn, with a delicate flower print, and is just perfect for summer. 

And here is the finished dress - worn in Portugal where my parents are currently on holiday! Doesn't she look beautiful! And the fabric looks great with a tan! I am so proud!

Happy 30th to me!

Thankfully, I don't look or act my age, so everyone seems quite surprised when I said that I was going to be 30!

I love birthdays, I just love the excitement, and celebrations, and especially the cake. Even if it's not my birthday, I still get so excited for all the celebrations and fun!

So I was very excited when I had the day off for my 30th, and so did one of my best friends, and so we had a lot of fun!

It started with my boyfriend baking me a cake!!! This is one of his first cakes as he is not a fan of most sorts of cooking, and so I was so impressed!!

We started very classy, by going to yoga at our local gym, and then went to the amazing Oxygen trampolining land, that has recently opened in Acton! http://oxygenfreejumping.co.uk/

It was AMAZING!!!! As we went first thing in the morning, on a weekday, it was almost empty so we had the whole run of the place and it was just incredible!! We bounced and bounced and bounced and jumped into the pits until we were completely worn out!!

Then we cycled home, got showered and dressed up and went for afternoon tea! That was fabulous, we went to the Marriott Hotel right on the river in London and so had a fabulous view of Big Ben and the river. 

The we decided to walk off our prosecco, and inadvertently ended up walking 10 miles!! All the way back along the river, until we got back to Hammersmith in time for dinner!!

All in all a fabulous day!! I am so happy!!