I've been working on new patterns for my Etsy shop and so it's time to clear out some of the older stock. Most items are now marked down to half of their original price, and I've reduced the postage costs on every item!

So, if you need a little rainy day summer holiday activity you can do with your children, how about one of my Scrappy Bird Kits, now reduced to £2.25, and with easily enough fabric included for more than one bird, plus a template you can use over and over again to make as many birds as you like, or as an applique.



The Flossie's Pinafore Sewing Kits are reduced from £19.50 to £9.75. They each include enough fabric for one dress, thread and buttons, plus full pattern sheet and instructions. Sizes from 0 mths to 2 years. Pattern also available without the kit, reduced from £7.50 to only £5.00.


Take a look, there are scrap bags and larger pieces of my buddies fabric design printed by Spoonflower onto organic cotton interlock, all now reduced to half their original selling price.


Don't forget that I also have lots of free tutorials here on the blog too!

Take ten Ikea towels, (Nackten, 19p each), Two fat quarters of your fave fabrics, plus a swatch of co ordinating fabric. (I've used my Blue Dahlia fabrics.)

Cut each fat quarter into five equal strips to fit the short edge of each towel. Press under 5mm all the way around and stich to your towel using any stitch you fancy. Use the scraps left over, (and the swatch of co ordinating fabric) to make hanging loops, and decorative labels.

Quick, cheap, and now I have pretty kitchen towels all ready for the kitchen we ordered today. (so exciting!)

I finished making up the little pinnie from my cut and sew fabric, and the fabric panel is now available to buy from Spoonflower.
A few more details on my Flossies Garden blog.

Don't forget you can always make a Flossie's Pinafore in your own fabrics using the free pattern over there in my side bar. I know lots of people already have, and it warms my heart to see the photos of the finished dresses

You can see some here, and here.

The teal colourway of my buddies fabric arrived today, and I'm really happy with the way it's turned out. I had it printed on the organic interlock which is so soft. I'm wondering if it's too girly to make pj's for Ernest with. Maybe if I combine it with a stripe/solid...hmm something to ponder on.

I also received a sample of my cut and sew Flossie's Pinafore, and it looks pretty good. Hoping I'll have time to sew that up tomorrow.





We've had a little sort out here and taken down the bedside crib. Ernest has never slept in it for more than the very occasional nap, and it was really just a home for the pump, my knitting and various notebooks, pens and cups of tea.
I had to dig out the old and much used bed guard which though perfectly functional was looking rather sad.



So I made a little slip cover for it, it's quite pretty now.

PS, you can buy the teal Buddies fabric from spoonflower, just click here.

The other day while browsing Spoonflower, I spotted the upcoming contest for a cheaters quilt, infact it was just hours before the deadline to enter, and I had just a couple of days before designed a couple of cheaters quilts. I hastily updated my designs,and entered the contest...then began to worry. The standard of the Spoonflower contests is usually pretty high, and I knew my design probably wouldn't be quite fashionable enough to get many votes.
Well, now the contest is in full swing, and you can go vote for your favourites right here

You don't have to vote for me, unless you want to. I'll be happy so long as I get more than the one vote I gave myself! (I did vote for several others too!)

Despite the fuzzy head I still needed to tidy up my work space, and while putting things away I remembered I wanted to make a new cover for this cot quilt.
I know baby boy can't use a quilt (duvet really) until he's a year old, but the bedside cot will go up in our room eventually, and it'll be nice to have bedding that suits the current decor.
I used some of my Blue Dahlia fabrics, printed by Spoonflower on lovely soft interlock. The reverse is killington flannel, and I've used resin snaps for the closure.

I've just finished this little stretch sleepsuit using my blue stripe fabric I had printed at Spoonflower.
Honestly I'm not at all happy with the binding and I'm almost certainly going to either rip it off and re do it or cut the whole thing down into footed leggings...hmmmm.....

......

Anyhow, it suddenly dawned on me this morning that I forgot to draw a winner for my last give away on Friday as promised...oops! Sorry!
So, better late than never. The winner of the dress is.....

Hope's Mama

Just drop me an email to jeanette dot archer at gmail dot com with your address, and I'll get it in the post to you asap.

......

right off to do some unpicking!

***
Edit

Crappy binding ripped out, and replaced with good old fold over elastic. Not the best rescue because I had to work around the snaps I'd already attatched,but it's a darn site better than it was.
I made a little knotty hat too.

I do love a parcel of fabric arriving, and this print has turned out pretty well, wish I'd ordered more now!
The organic cotton interlock is a lovely quality, and suits this print nicely, though actually I think I might order some in quilting weight cotton too.
I'm so pleased with it,I've made it available to buy too. (click on pic below)



These are pretty good too, firstly printed on organic cotton interlock,



And these printed on quilting weight cotton

This is just for you Julie!
I've been having a play with some old designs, tidying up repeats etc and I made up a couple of stripes to co ordinate with my Dahlia prints as suggested by my reader (and sister in law) Julie.


This bud print needed a bit of fine tuning too.



That's enough tidying up of old designs for now though. I think it's time I started on some new drawings and some new ideas.

Well, you can now buy them direct from Spoonflower. (At least I have added them to the market place,but I think it might take a short while for them to show up, so it might mean checking back a few times.)

Firstly there is my large scale Grey Dahlia print. This is lovely for home dec, would make great curtains, cushions or blinds.








Secondly there is my small scale Blue Dahlias. A lovely small scale print ideal for childrens clothing, or handbags, I'm planning to make some Christmas ornaments with some of mine.



This fabric used in the outfit below was a mirror repeat, the fabric available to buy is a half step repeat which works better.





Just click on the designs if you'd like to buy. The prints are available in a choice of fabrics, including organic sateen, organic cotton knit, and bamboo. I'd recommend either the upholstery weight or cotton sateen for the Grey Dahlias, and quilting weight or organic cotton knit for the Blue Dahlias, but the choice is yours.
And if anybody does buy either of these, I would love to see what you make from them.
(you can email me direct at jeanette dot archer at gmail dot com )
Maybe this will finally give me the kick up the bum I need to get my sketchbooks out again, and work on that collection of fabrics I've been planning for so long.

Hope everyone is having a good day. I've been busy busy busy,but am very lucky to have received lots of lovely pressies from my great kids and hubby.
Thought you might like to see my new labels too, I think I like these.

My latest batch of Spoonflower fabrics arrived this morning. I much prefer the large Dahlia print in the half step repeat,and I love the colour of the small dahlia designs.





I got the Teal Dahlias printed in a mirror repeat and a half step repeat.

Pretty happy with these.

Lookie what arrived today! I only ordered a yard of this design to see how it would work out. I was worried the monochrome green/grey colours wouldn't work ,and also thought I might lose some detail, but the print is perfect and I couldn't be happier.
I'm going to go ahead now and work on some co ordinating fabrics too.
This piece, I think is going to be a winter bag for me,but I can also see it as curtains,cushions,or even a fifties style dress or skirt.

I think I may be addicted to Spoonflower. I just ordered a yard of this design. It's a large print,the flower heads are about 3 1/2 " across.
I really ordered a yard to see how it works before I do some more work with this theme,but if it works out I'm thinking it might become part of a winter bag.

Oh and on the subject of spoonflower check out Petchy's blog. She's got a freebie design to download and get spoonflowered,and is thinking of selling designs in the future too.

I've been super busy this weekend trying to finish decorating my kitchen,I've painted the walls,and half of the cupboards...need to buy more paint today. Though first we are off to a maize maze with the children,I think we'll need wellies and raincoats!
Pics to follow.

PS, don't forget my Zidee Podeagi giveaway.

I'm really very pleased with these. I wasn't sure how they would work out. The colours are more muted than my original design,but I like them.
Obviously they have to be cut out to be sewn on,and as I only received them today I haven't tried that out yet,but I don't forsee any problems.
I will be ordering more.
I love Spoonflower!!

I've hung on to this painting for some time,it's unfinished,and a bit of a muddle,but there are elements I still like,so today I had a play,and came up with a few ideas.
Really a work in progress,but here's what I've been up to today.

Florals printed on felt and silk:



I think I'm going to hand embroider/stitch some detail into the felt ones,maybe keep them in embroidery hoops. Not sure yet.

I got a couple of repeat patterns finished.





And I had a play printing these on paper,handmade paper,silk and cotton.



Apologies for the quality of the pics,the light was fading fast when I took them.

I am so pleased with this,made with my spoonflower fabric from a Japanese pattern.
The pockets are trimmed with satin bias binding,and the hem is trimmed with grossgrain ribbon.

I still haven't found a label for my podeagi that I'm 100% happy with. I started out embroidering and piecing each label from silk and cotton scraps,but that became horribly time consuming,so I temporarily switched to bought generic labels,then some printed ones,but I'm not really happy with those either.
Still not feeling well enough to do much except shop on Etsy,I decided I should try and have a go at designing some labels myself.
I'm not a graphic designer (as you can clearly see),but not having the funds to employ one (and I guess I could just nip next door to my graphic designer neighbour,we were at art college together many years ago!) I have little choice than to at least have a go.
This is my attempt,each label measures 2x4" and I've ordered a fat quarter of them from spoonflower. I hope they'll print ok...we'll just have to wait and see.....

My first Spoonflower fabric arrived today. I'm pretty pleased with it on the whole. The colours are much more muted than I'd hoped,but I was expecting that after seeing one or two other pieces floating around the web.
The repeat could be better,but that's all down to my haste in getting something printed.
I'll certainly use Spoonflower again.The service is excellent. I got my shipping notice less than a week ago.
I'm going to wash it later and see how it fairs. the cotton is medium weight,and I think will make a good winter skirt,the colours are certainly autumnal.

Maybe this skirt...

In my Doris Day fantasy world,I'd wear this while watering the plants in my garden with a pink plastic watering can!