fifty two weeks of happy week twenty

Untitled, originally uploaded by indiaeden.

Bonkers toddler making the most of a brief glimpse of the sun.



The gorgeous Azalea bush in our garden.



Making puddles. (Honestly Mother Nature doesn't need much help in this department.)



Experimenting with coloured gloop.

fifty two weeks of happy week nineteen

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Very late, oops! And only three photos this week.
Yummy quiche for a picnic at Yorkshire Sculpture Park last Monday.



Squidging bubble dough in warm water in the garden.



And a silly photo with Ernest. He's wearing his new sunglasses and I'm wearing my gorgeous pink vintage dress.

Another quick cheery spring make.

Peg bag free tute www.lazyseamstress.net, originally uploaded by indiaeden.

I love a new fresh peg bag filled with bright new pegs all ready for the spring.
I think I might have mentioned several times now that spring has been very late here, she is finally starting to shyly show her face though, and laundry has been dried outside...yay!
I love the smell of fresh laundry just in from the washing line. I remember as a small child stretching out in bed after a hard day of playing and a warm bath, breathing in that gorgeous fresh summer smell of line dried bed linen, just heavenly!

I make a fresh peg bag every year, this years is made with this pretty cotton I bought at Sewing for Pleasure in March, it's the same cotton I used to re cover my little piano stool.

You can make your own peg bag by following my free tutorial. Click the link here, or over there in my side bar with all of my other freebies.

fifty two weeks of happy week eighteen

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Late with this again, the bank holiday has really thrown me off my usual routine.
My four photos for last week include this one of my beautiful Sidney. He's such a gentle sweet and lovely boy. A true introvert, he doesn't say much, but when he does he gets right to the heart of the matter. I was snapping photos of him lying in the sun at Yorkshire Sculpture Park on Monday, and he wouldn't smile until I asked him to tell me about his most favourite thing in the world...Lego, that made him smile.



After a very slow start, it seems Spring is finally here, some days like today it still doesn't seem sure it's here for good, but I've cast off my winter boots now, and they are staying off! I've even managed five minutes here and there sat in the garden with a bit of crochet.



The blossom is finally blossoming. This tree is in a little park on our walk to the library, it lifted my heart last week to finally see it in full bloom. India picked a blossom flower from the ground for a buttonhole.

A new frock, Butterick B5209

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Jaycotts had a sale on Butterick patterns a week or so ago and I treated myself to a couple of the retro styles, this and B5813.
I wanted to make myself a dress in this gorgeous floral print polyester I'd bought at this years Sewing for Pleasure.
I managed to cut this out during the week with minimal help from Ernest (!), and stitched it up on Saturday...trying to sew with Ernest pressing buttons on the sewing machine or crawling under my desk to add some extra pressure to the foot was tricky, so I took lots of breaks.



I was really annoyed with myself, because actually I cut out a size too small. I still haven't yet got used to the size I am now, post breastfeeding and weight loss, that combined with just not reading the size chart properly, and I got in a silly muddle.
A bit of jiggling about and scant seam allowances here and there, plus lots of trying on and I've just about got away with it.
Skimping on seam allowances though is not to be recommended, it throws out the whole design, and sewing a zip into a tiny 5mm seam allowance is really not to be recommended at all!
Ideally I'd have re cut the bodice pieces and had fewer gathers in the skirt pieces, but I'd run out of fabric and had to make do.
I'm still cross with myself, but i can cheer myself up with the fact that my hair matches the dress..at least for a while anyway.



I wore my dress today to Yorkshire Sculpture Park, and even got a compliment from the lady in the gift shop, which was lovely.
Here I am being all 1950's housewife at our picnic. (Woody made the quiche of course.)



I really do love this dress, despite the mistakes and the fact that it's a tad tight. I think I'll probably use this pattern again, it's really easy, and a lovely flattering style. Next time I'll just cut out the right size!

fifty two weeks of happy week seventeen

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Wow, the weeks are flying by!
My photos for this week include this beautiful mug. I love love love the Emma Bridgewater mugs with birds and flowers and wildlife, but I can never usually justify spending almost £20 on a single mug.
Today I decided to treat myself using the vouchers I got for my birthday from my father in law and step mother in law.
Initially I was going to be sensible and buy something we needed, but Woody pursuaded me to buy myself one of these mugs instead.
I could only afford one, so spent quite a while crouched next to the shelf in John Lewis trying to decide which one it would be. eventually I decided on robins in honour of the robins that nest every year in our garden. and one special little robin who sat on the swing and kept me company almost four years ago while I was in labour with Florence. I'll never forget that little guy. (or girl?)



Yummy lunches



Gorgeous just woken up toddlers.



And something pretty waiting to be made up.

Quick cheery spring makes.

Untitled, originally uploaded by indiaeden.

Spring is finally springing here in the North West, but it's still chilly, and I like to keep warm with light layers. Scarves are really great for adding a layer at this time of year.
I've been helping India and Eden prepare for the Teenage Market that's taking place in Stockport tomorrow, and while sorting fabrics for India decided to make myself a couple of new scarves.
Both are infinity style, ie loops of fabric that can be worn in a variety of ways. Mostly I simply loop them round a couple of times, more if my neck is chilly.
The first is a lightweight drapey chiffon. the second a gorgeous cotton lawn.
Both are simply long strips of fabric with one long seam, turned right way out, pressed and the shorter ends french seamed.