This is my last full child-free week until November 7. How crazy is that? With the way the Jewish festivals have fallen this year, Ruby, being at a Jewish school, breaks up on Wednesday for 10 days. She goes back the day the boys break up for 2 weeks...yes, 2 WEEKS!!

Of course I am panicking just a tad about the stock I have committed to get to stockists by end of October, knowing I have just 4 more child-free work days before then.

But I am also panicking a little about other commitments I have made, like this Flickr Pillow Swap. As usual I got off to a flying start, but as usual if the project doesn't get completed in that time, it tends to sit to one side when other things jump the queue. I hate letting people down and as pictures were being posted about completed pillows I glanced to my half-finished one in one corner of the studio. So last night, as I was spurred on by something - guilt, most probably - I finished the pillow. I had so many more plans for this pillow that time wouldn't allow but hopefully my partner will love it and won't think there is anything missing... I've also included a few nice surprises to soften the blow.

You'd think I would learn and not commit myself to any further challenges on my time...but oh no, I've just signed up for this...

p.s. thank you for all your advice on fabrics for the European Pouches...I really appreciate it...and if you haven't done so already, you've got until tomorrow to give me your opinion and enter my giveaway x

Today I have mostly been playing...

I had a really productive day yesterday, but today I couldn't settle on anything, so instead I started picking fabrics for the Flickr group swap.

Now I'm going to go play some more and turn them into a pillow...

...and tomorrow I SHALL be productive and do some work.

A while ago now the lovely ladies at Saints and Pinners sent me a pack of the Warm & Natural Batting they are now stocking. I love this batting and have been using it for a while now and was delighted when Jo and Fran started to stock it. If you haven't come across this before you really should head right over to their shop and grab some.

It is exactly what it says on the label - Warm and Natural.

It's not a heavy batting which, in my eyes, makes it ideal for an array of projects, from quilting to oven mitts to wall art to table mats. It is warm and cosy enough to be used for throws and padded enough for those items that need a little cushioning, without it being overly weighty.

I've been itching to use it for a project but with everything else going on have only just managed to do so.

I'm off to London next week and was in need of a protective case for my Macbook and decided that this batting would work perfectly.

I had a little bit of time this morning (actually I MADE a bit of time this morning, otherwise there wouldn't be another opportunity before my trip) so I got started.

I love whipping something up for myself, partly because it hardly ever happens and partly because it's a good excuse to rummage through my fabrics.

Initial rummage got me to select the above blues and reds and whilst I really love them, they were stronger than I wanted for this particular item. I have however placed them to one side to make a cushion for my studio.

Second rummage gave me more of a look I was after. No great surprises in this selection I think you'll agree - obligatory Social Climber, Kei Grey Dots, a little hand printed pieces, some linen, along with several other faves. Maybe I'm getting boring or maybe I know what works for me.

After I'd pieced together the patchwork front, I quilted this with a layer of the batting and stitched across all the squares. I then stitched a piece of batting in place with the back piece. All super quick and easy. Super cute spotty lining and handles in place, oh and the addition of my favourite vintage braiding and less than an hour later I'm all set and ready to hit The Big Smoke.

The batting is absolutely perfect for this project. The tote has protection without me feeling I'm lugging some weighty, bulky accessory around.

I even managed to keep to my resolution with this project, as not only did I use some of my all time favourites, but incorporated some of the newer stash, the striped linen and the black speckle, which has just arrived from Cottonpatch. I think both of these are destined to be classed as all time favourites too.

How are your holidays going? We are having a grand old time and doing a bit of everything. Seeing family, seeing friends, going out on family outings, just the 5 of us, eating well, drinking well, sleeping late...

...and getting in some crafting.

I made a conscious effort last week of choosing a crafting project to do over the holidays that wouldn't keep me away from my family (I knew there was no point saying I would do NO crafting - I could NEVER have kept to that)

I'd used up what wool I had bought for the grey cushion on Day 1, so I had to think up a new plan.

I've been staring at the canvas I've been wanting to recover for the past however many weeks and have been ignoring it as I've been too busy to do anything with it. I'd had it in my mind that I'd tackle it more fervently over the holidays. The way the original idea was heading wasn't conducive to hanging out with everyone and also, the more I looked at it, the more I didn't like how it was developing.

So a quick U-turn has resulted on it going in a completely different tack...

...Hexies...lots and lots and LOTS of hexies! I still haven't decided quite how many colours are going to be incorporated and whether it will be all hexies or a mixture of some other design.

But in the meantime, I'm getting my crafting time in, I'm doing a specific project that needed addressing and what's more, I'm not missing out on hanging out with everyone.

I hope you are having as much fun this holiday and managing to tick all the boxes.

Which room do you prefer?

This one?...

Or this one?...

Exactly! This is the only room in the house that has not been done and still possesses the characteristics of the family we inherited the house from. The stencilling - urghhh, the painted woodwork - puke... Maroon? Aaaghhhh!

One day we'll have saved up enough to make this room worthy of the rest of the house, but in the meantime it relies on the addition of some pretty soft furnishings.

There are a lot of things I love about this room. It's a great size. I love the fireplace, although the surround has to go. And the bay window has such a lovely aspect and cries out for pretty seating.

The pretty seating is a long way off but until then a couple of new brickwork cushions, a la Treefall Design will have to do. I love the design of these cushions. To me they work in a similar way to Log Cabins. They give the possibility of using an array of favourite fabrics in a simplistic design, letting the fabrics speak for themselves.

To be honest, when I look at this room, I struggle to see it's good qualities. All I see is the grotty decor, the dark receding colours, but at least now there is something in here that can make me smile and give me optimism that one day this room will be fit to sit next door to the one at the top.

Not only are December and Christmas creeping upon us oh too quickly, we are just one sleep away from Chanukah. Chanukah fluctuates every year, as the Hebrew calendar is lunar. December 1st is the earliest it ever is and it throws me every time it is this early. We are all geared up commercially for Christmas and when Chanukah comes 24 days earlier, it's more than I can manage. We don't celebrate Christmas so you would think it wouldn't matter. But, it's there everywhere and also, obviously, my business is centred around Christmas.

So now I'm panicking. I did a big Amazon shop last night (thank goodness for Amazon) and

fortunately I got an early start with some of my handmade gifts, but I still have the Poppy Doll to do for Ruby.

All the family are coming over to us for candles, presents and dinner on Friday and whilst we normally only buy the children gifts at Chanukah, I wanted to give each of the ladies a gift - a gift FOR the ladies, but for the men to USE, obviously...

I've made each of them a pretty tea towel to match each of their kitchens. The pink one above is my Mum's. She has the prettiest palest pink kitchen.

This yellow one isn't actually for anyone, but how I could sew something and not do a yellow and grey version? It will however be in my Etsy shop, along with several others very shortly.

Can you guess who this one below is for?

I'm feeling a little more relaxed and prepared now that I have these made.

But no relaxing just yet...it's our wedding anniversary tomorrow too...and I haven't done a darn thing about that...

Now isn't this a pretty site?

Not only did I purchase a few fabrics online this week, but I also unexpectedly got to The Knitting & Stitching Show in Harrogate on Friday and so picked up a few staples for kits and other work projects.

Let me show you what I bought...

I was stocking up in Hobbycraft on a few kit essentials and bought a metre each of these lovely Windham fabrics whilst they were in the sale. They'll be perfect for my kits.

I ordered some more grey Kei dots for my wall-hanging from M is for Make, this week. Whilst I happened to be there, I picked up some of Joel Dewberry's Herringbone designs in a couple of colours I hadn't yet got. I absolutely love this design. It works so well as a 'filler' with other fabrics. The last one in the row here is a Denyse Schmidt that also was noted for it's absence in my collection. I no longer have that problem.

The rest of the fabrics are ones I picked up at K & S. I was exceptionally reserved. This was partly due to the fact that it is like a cattle market at this show and you really have to scrabble and fight for an inch of space. If you've been , you'll know exactly what I mean. I'm not a great one for shopping in over crowded places, so consequently I was very selective and didn't spend too long shopping.

The second significant reason for my lack of purchasing was due to the fact that Matthew was with me and spent his whole time suggesting various fabrics that he thought I should have. Suffice it to say, we had a difference of opinion, a big difference of opinion, and it became clear that it was easier to steer clear altogether.

I'm really really pleased with the ones I did pick up however. First off were these gorgeous simple florals based on Liberty designs. I absolutely love the greys (obviously) and know that they will both be the equivalent of a LBD in ones wardrobe...very useful indeed.

Next up were these tiny prints, that again are just perfect for my kits. Also, I know they'll be great for log cabins, brickwork, in fact anything where just a little is needed.

Finally, I went back to my favourite stand that sells the most beautiful Japanese fabrics. They aren't the cheapest of fabrics, but are just so stunning I had to pick up a few to have in my stash. I picked these in mind to use for the quilt I'm still planning to make for our bed.

Not only are the textures of these fabrics so exquisite but, as you can see, the designs and colours are just stunning beyond belief.

All in all a productive week on the fabric acquiring front. Some for work and some for play, so happiness all round.

It's not just purchasing to be done at K & S. There are many exhibitions around the halls, various embroidery and knitting guilds and also graduates displaying their work. Some of the graduates work was incredible. There are a lot of very talented people about and it was amazing to have the opportunity to see this work up close.

Since Matthew was with me, a purchase of art was made. Matthew loves buying art (as do I) and it's probably fair to say he is as passionate about that as I am about fabrics, so really, despite his interference with the fabric buying, we really had the perfect day out!

It will be a whole other blog post showing you what we bought and reporting on all the other stunning pieces we saw. So check back soon...

Thanks to all those that have posted/tweeted/emailed about book recos. I have a list of some fab new reads that is going to last me well into 2011 and beyond. And I hope you have all picked up some new titles too. Thanks for playing ;-)

Enough slacking now. It's back to business. The business of my wall-hanging.

My starting points, as you well know, where the inclusion of the Orla Blossom and a patch of my screen print. Oh and plenty of grey fabrics.

I had in my mind that I would be doing some brick piecing with the fabrics, so this week I've started doing that. I am quite conscious that I don't want this to be a quilt as such, so I have pieced the strips together with raw edges showing. I won't really know how this is going to look until I get further in. I do want these strips to be a backdrop for everything else that is going on, so nothing too dramatic there. Just lots of beautiful greys.

This was going in a whole different direction last night and then had a rapid U-turn when I caught sight of one of the cushions on my bed. Made over a year ago and still I love the Social Climber Flower appliqued on, so I bravely cut out a large section and positioned it to see how it looked. I'm quite liking the inclusion and am thinking a few smaller pieces dotted about may work too.

Still a long way from being ready to hang on the wall - particularly since I am awaiting delivery of more grey Kei dots - oh grey Kei dots, how I love thee - but it's slowly beginning to come together.

As you know we've done a lot of work on the house and are thrilled to bits with it all, but when you step into the hallway, it all looks a bit grey and bare (although seeing it here makes it look rather serene) and in need of something hanging.

So, I have a plan. I have an old canvas, an old very large canvas (it's 130 x 80cm) that I want to cover and hang there.

It's going to involve a piece of my screen printed fabric, a few of these embroidery threads...

...a section of an Ebay purchase of a matching Orla fabric piece to the wallpaper in the room next door...

...and lots of my favourite grey fabrics.

I'm going to try and be really patient (I can hear you laughing from here) and plan this design carefully and take my time with it. it's a large piece, in a prominent position, so it needs to be just right. I have lots of different ideas that I want to play around with before I actually cut into anything. But I have an idea of the one I am actually drawn to.

Watch this space.

I'm taking part in a Flickr Swap at the moment. I have mixed feelings about them as I have been 'stung' before by a swap partner not holding their side of the arrangement and actually making something in return. Time is too precious to spend it making something only to have your partner not do the same.

This swap enticed me however. First of all, how could I resist an invitation from Heather? Secondly, it's a Cushion Swap (or Pillow, as it is called in US). How could I resist? I simply love cushions. And not only am I excited about receiving one from my secret partner, but to make one too is sheer joy. In this busy work time of working like an automaton, wrapping up orders, it is a lovely distraction to have a bit of creative time.

This swap is a secret swap. We are given someone to make for and someone different will be making for me. I am given some info about my partner's likes and dislikes, colours he/she (can't give the game away!) likes. The rest is up to me.

Having had a good nose around their Flickr site and blog, I've come up with these fabrics and am now working on the design. I'm not quite there yet with the design, but I'm pleased with how it's all coming together. But above all, i hope my partner will be.

If you want to see some of the amazing talent in this group, go check it out here.

Ever since I was invited to join the Flickr group "My morning cup", I've been hooked on these little 'mug rugs' that everyone seems to be making at the mo.

They are very sweet and I love the idea of them. However I am partial to a tray to put my morning cuppa on, so they weren't actually going to work for me.

But, as I said, I love the idea of a splash of colour on the table and adding texture when a full cloth may not be desired or practical. Just a little decorative touch to break up a surface.

So I have extended the idea a fraction and made a couple of mats for various positions in the house. The first one above is now sitting in the middle of the kitchen table. It's already, within the 24 hours it has been sitting there, been used for a fruit bowl, the coffee break, oh and I think breakfast juice and glasses.

I've just finished this second one and it is now sitting on top of our new fireplace. I absolutely adore our new fireplace, but couldn't quite put my finger on what was missing.

A touch of soft fabric to break up the hard surface...perfect!

I'm hoping to make some of these for my shop, so if you like and are interested, drop me a line and I'll make sure I do some in the colourways you like.

(I managed it! and they are right here and here)

It's been yet another mad and crazy week. Madder and crazier than ever I might add. Not only has work been testing the boundaries of possibilities, but it seems that when life is so manic, there are a shed load of other things to juggle too.

This week was one of those weeks. Parents' evenings every evening this week, along with a Prize Giving Evening for Sam and then family birthdays galore. This meant whipping up neccessary presents, oh and other members of the family quickly ringing to ask if I could just pop something in the post for the afore-mentioned people's bithdays.

It's really lovely that everyone comes to me for gifts. But it would be a whole lot better if they could do it sooner than the night before!

One relative's birthday is today. My lovely sister-in-law Ruth. Last time we were down at theirs she mentioned that she would love me to make her a Tea Cosy. Obviously I never got around to making it any sooner, so a perfect idea for a birthday. At least I knew I'd be giving her something she wanted!

Ruth and Dan have just redone their kitchen...in my favourite shade of Duck Egg Blue too. So making an accessory for this scheme was an absolute pleasure. And certainly not a problem in terms of having the right colour fabrics in my stash ;-)

I had recently bought these Denyse Schmidt fabrics from Kate, and knew instantly that they were going to work for this project. I'm really pleased with the outcome and delighted to report back that Ruth is too.

I think this may be the beginning of a new range too...

I'd like to think that this week life was going to give me a bit of a break. But it's not looking that way. matthew is away for most of it, which means all falls on me. And it's 2 nephews' birthdays at the end of the week. I'm pretty sure though that I won't be russtling up anything for the 15 year old...too cool for handmade...

I've had a very productive couple of days. London Gift Fair is just 2 weeks away and up until now I had done nothing for it. Absolutely nothing. I was beginning to panic big time, what with it being the school holidays and not able to get down to any preparations. Then this weekend I had the house to myself, whilst Matthew went on a road trip with the children to visit his Nan.

This was quite a momentous occasion in itself. Since having had the children, I had never been home alone. I've been away on the odd girlie trip, or down to London for trade fairs, but never been left at home by myself.

I just need to stop and hear that again...home...all...by...myself...

This wasn't one of those Coming and Going as I Liked kinda weekends. This was an Operation Work weekend. No going out for a run in the sunshine. No meeting friends for coffee...or dinner for that matter. Nope, full on work.

That in itself felt fantastic. Not having to cut what I was doing short, because someone needed feeding or taking somewhere or being picked up from places. Consequently I had such a productive couple of days making all the samples for the fair. Yesterday I got all the cushions and needle sets done. Today was spent doing a few more needle sets and then getting these 2 Personalised Log Cabin canvases ready.

There's still quite alot to do. Like working out how it's all going to be in the space. Printing out all the literature I need. But it was a good start. A very good start.

One thing I find difficult is to be cut off in mid sew, so to have had all this uninterrupted time was sheer joy and luxury.

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I just want to thank you all so much for your genuine and encouraging comments re the cushion. I'm so glad that you thought so highly of it as to leave a comment. I took you all at your word and posted it off to Jo...she loved it! I keep looking back at it and whilst I'm not wholly convinced (Kylie I agree about 3 being a magic number and the cut off flower!) I like the overall feel. Anyway, with your encouragement there will no doubt be more! x