righty ho... shop talk again

i am thinking this little lot of handmade-ness will be the last for a while to be in my shop. 

the next few weeks are tres busy with 'this and that' 

and then i am going on some travels of the utmost kind.

i would like to spend all day every day making handy dandy project sacks

but alas, i must wait until late spring for more sack making moments.

i was just going to pop them in my shop,

however some folks do like to know when this will be ahead of time.

so it is looking to be thursday 27th March at 8am pacific time

and for the first time in many many moons, 

there will be a few apron wraps.

hurrah, hooray, and voila!

handy dandy fruitiness ...

on thursday i did not get out of my pj's at all, i stayed quite fruity all the way through to the following day, spending my time wisely in my happy place, making handy dandy project sacks. 

i told myself i could not keep one... 

at the end of the day, i thought perhaps it might be 'a-okay' if i kept just one however i could not decide, for truth be told i wanted to keep them all forever and ever, but i will not because a) that is wrong b) tis against the code i made up several years ago and c) i have no need for all these project sacks.

i decided whilst merrily beavering away with Miss Ethel patching and piecing things together, i haven't felt quite this way since first making my apron wraps. there is something rather therapeutic about making them, and as my heart truly loves a coloured embroidered vintage linen, i am muchly happy spending all day in their company.

on friday i awoke, still in same pj's and not only fruity but now quite whiffy. as i had a meeting up at Tolt, i felt it might be wise to shed my pj's, freshen up the old fruitiness and thus, not offend anyone in the store. for indeedy, when you go to a yarn store you do like to smell wool and lanolin and in our case, all the amazing reclaimed wood and you do not wish to smell fruitiness and whiffiness coming from Tif.

before embarking on my country road drive, i thought how wise it would be to take my new yarny knitty project on a jolly outing with me and even wiser to test drive a handy dandy project sack. so i 'ip dip sky blued' till i found my willing victim.

 i noted upon placing my rather oatmealy creation inside of my handy dandy project sack, just how handy dandy it was. 

i enjoyed quite immensely pulling the drawstring, then un-pulling it several times to check upon my projects safety. 

my knitty project assured me it felt most safe and sound, was ready for the off and was muchly happy not to be rolling around the bottom of my basket gathering fluff, crumbs and whatnot, as is usually the way.

today the shed is half empty, (well its always half empty with my girls gone), so the shed is three quarters empty and i am taking advantage of this on a sunday morn and will remain once again in pj's not quite so fruity, just a hint and wander back into my 'atelier of sorts' to start on more handy dandy project sacks...

 for yesterday i came across several linens on my travels who asked if they could possibly come home with me and who was i to say no! since then all through the night, after a nice little bath (not me, just them) they have been whispering my name, and i can no longer ignore them...

footynote:

for those who may like to know, i will be adding a few handy dandy project sacks into my shop window later this week 

(however (not wishing to disappoint), the one in the second photo has already found a home with a friend and work colleague at Tolt so will not be making an appearance in my shop)

a 'hippity happity hoppity' easter = a 'safety first lucky happy' tablecloth

i am tres giddy today, for we are having an easter part-tee tomorrow! i cannot recall the last time we did such a thing. i suspect it is many many moons ago and not the fact my recall skills are pants. we have it all planned out. in the morning, me and Our #4 will make easter nests, an easter cake and hand rolled marzipan eggs, no less! then late lunch we will meet up with my adopted auntie and her man at the local curry house for the lunchtime buffet. oh but that... that is just the beginning of our easter part-tee. post curry buffet, we will return to mossy shed, spend the afternoon wisely playing board games and card games and then, come tea time, with a flourish and a voila! i will make a nice pot of tea and bring out the cake, nests, marzipan eggs with thumb prints and the fabby red velvet cupcake cookies my adopted auntie prepared earlier that day in her own kitchen.

surely i say to myself, this is so worthy of a bit of giddiness, and surely i say to myself, this thrilling event of an easter part-tee... which by the way Our #3 did point out really does it count when you only have 2 guests at your party, which i promptly ignored, then a few mos later dropped into conversation 'red velvet cookies' and suddenly he was all about the easter part-tee. ha! i see where his alliance falls. not with his mother's baking, no sirree! but with his mother's adopted auntie's baking. i did not let this rain on my little part-tee parade, nope, i did not. 

and so i say to myself, surely this fabby occasion calls for a fabby spring cloth for the table...

you could make one too, too, too, we're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo... no, no we are not, we are going to the curry house, not the zoo, stop this nonsense Tif and carry on with clear intention as to what you are rambling on about today.

quite right, (pulls up knee socks, does a bit of deep yogic breathing and steadies her wavering thoughts)

i am thinking, (cos i do a lot of that) you could make this tres grande, or tres petite. you could make it square, or you could make rectangular, you could also make it circular if you are wearing your clever clogs. you could take a measuring board and cutting tool, or you could grovel around on the carpet with a tape measure and scissors late at night like moi. you could serge or double fold the hems over or you could just like me, leave it raw and let it fray nicely, because after all, easy peasy is the name of the game

all things left wisely up to you as only you know best how you like things made.

basically all you need to have is a nice old mish mash of fabrics, all those pieces you have left from favourites you can't bear to part with. gather them all together and then start attaching them in strips. make sure they are sort of on the large size or this will take you more than an evening of grovelling around on the floor.

so to put it in a nutshell and make it easy to understand, looking at the photos i scattered throughout this most interesting and fascinating post, you will see, one of my strips was made from the tres bright and jolly retro orange flowers, on the right side of the cloth (kindly given to me by a dearie in old blighty, "hello hello"), and  the brown and blue mini floral (found at Joanns fabric store the other week). the other strip was made from the black floral (a vintage apron), a fat quarter of yellow florals (which i used the reverse for a faded look) and a bright pink paisley number (i believe also Joanns but don't quote me, as i really can't recall)

once you have your strips all measuring the same length, it just a question of stitching them together along the long sides. i also did do a bit of top stitching in a straight line along the seams just to keep those pesky raw edges underneath flat after a whirl in Miss Washer. (see photo #3)

after i had finished, i thought how nice it would be to keep going and make a lovely bed spread, or indeed a springified settee throw or perhaps a picnic blanket if i gave it a backing. oh yes i dreamed many dreams for 'my little 48" x 48" approximately sweetie' but t'was late, my knees and back were going 'yakkity yak' and also, i did not wish to drift from my path of 'cloth for easter part-tee'. so she stayed, just as she was, a perfectly patched little 'lucky happy' cloth, not just for easter but for any occasion requiring a bit of hippity happity hoppity...

now of course, some of you still awake may be noting, this little cloth is tres petite for our table, but i have a cunning plan, and my plan goes something like this. move the cloth to the middle of the table to add a dash of colour and springy-ness for the part-tee without folks being overwhelmed and attacked by too much fabric hanging around. because tablecloths can do that can't they? attack you and before you know it, you've jumped up to pass a lovely guest (one of the two you invited) a plate of easter nests, your frock gets tangled up with the hanging over the edge bit of the cloth and disaster strikes, cloth, table contents and yourself, all end up on the floor. hence my little cloth is a 'safety first' sort of tablecloth. 

give us a twirl little 'safety first, lucky happy' cloth....

'perfectly perfect for an easter part-tee' even if i do say so myself.

wishing you all a bit of 'hippty happity hoppity' this coming weekend, wherever, whatever you may be up to ~ Tif

discoveries of the utmost kind...

i love a day when a discovery is made,

a discovery of minute proportions in comparison

to many in the world,

but one which changes something within your own.

i would not say my discovery is worthy of calling our local paper,

nor climbing upon our roof to shout for all to hear.

however i do marvel at its discovery

for once again i am left, 

upon discovery of my discovered thing,

marveling how something you have had all along,

can upon one moment of 'ah ha'

become of use.

" we are a little sad, our lives in the kitchen no longer required, due to worn out spots & blobs of cooking "

last week,

 upon wrestling my growing braids into place

upon my bonce.

i noted as always the front looked done,

and the back did not.

i noted this is because in fact, i had done the front

and as always, neglected the back.

after 2 nights sleep, 

the neglect was even more in evidence.

to tame the matted back and highlight the smooth front

i rustled around in my scarf collection.

but just as i had thought before my rustling began,

all scarves in my possession just would not suit.

and so as one does,

i thought of ties, and when one thinks of ties

one thinks of apron strings

and without further ado,

this very thought led to some careful snippity snipping.

after keeping waistband and ties intact

i had myself a natty bit of vintage string 

to adorn and control the growing nest upon my head.

such was my delight, upon seeing it from Ivor's point of view

several more half aprons 'volunteered up' for the chop.

 " yippee! yippee! a new life, how thrilling to spend our days wrapped around Tif's birds nest hair "

they did not fret nor fear 

their bodies would be left discarded and unloved.

for i told them of my crafty plans... 

" oh how loved we feel again, our strings in Tif's hair & our body bits as a perfectly peachy cushion "

Tif

'three things & one note' monday...

thing one: shop talk

oh happy day! tomorrow is shop update day! alas and alack, due to beavering interrupted by the scoundrel Mr Lurgy, my quality time with Miss Ethel was somewhat curtailed by his shadowy presence and thus not every bit of handcrafted goodness was completed.

does not matter in the least, for it means the other bits and bobs waiting patiently in my studio to be finished will lead to another shop update in a couple of weeks

fortunately for me, Mr Lurgy stayed away from my adopted auntie and her trusty sewing machine Mr Bill, so apron wraps are bountiful, hurrah hooray

my new 'hodge podge' range of sacks has me most happy with their spiffy ruffley roundie fronts

appliqued cushion covers and a lappity lap blanket will also be looking for their forever homes

thing two: giveaway talk

i am positively overwhelmed by your wonderful imagination cap wearing over the past few days! i have so enjoyed reading each and every comment, and so has my mother! only this morning she told me on the phone just how much she was enjoying what folks had come up with. we both marveled at the cleverness of the ideas and how creative you all are. thank you so kindly for rustling around your kitchen drawers to find your little imagination caps. if you have yet to find yours, 

(having had my mother sort through my 'kitchen drawer of crappity crap' this past visit, i too would have had trouble locating mine. now however it is tippity top sorted condition and pride of place is my imagination cap, right hand corner near the back)

do not fret, if you still need a little time to enter, then a little time you have. i will announce the peachy 3 winners on wednesday

thing three: correspondence

i think today is as good a day as any to say thank you to all those that have mailed me of late, i must tell you, you have brightened my inbox with your cheery words, interesting tales and kindness. i love hearing from you and i will respond, just may take me a little longer... and yes, 'a little longer' is rather stretching it i know :)

oakie dokes, just a final note, not quite a thing, so a note is more fitting i feel, 

one note: time of shop update

i'm popping things in my store window at 1pm pacific time (give or take a few moments) tuesday 14th feb. now if my little cogs have calculated this correctly, that means 9pm UK, 10pm Europe and 7am Australian time. do not rely on my little cogs though if this is something of importance to you, might be worth double checking with someone in the know. i am sure there is someone in the know about these things somewhere, i wonder where though

she notes its monday, its raining, but its not getting her down ~ Tif

a 'Joyful' update...

hurrah hooray for a 'joyful' shop update.

i have never done one of these before, 

hard to believe but its true.

so i have thrown caution to the wind

and quite likely my sanity alongside it,

and this year i am doing one.

there will be over 40 handcrafted goodies

going into my little store on 

monday 14th november.

i will list things in clusters,

because i do like a cluster this time of year.

the clusters will be listed throughout the day 

and into the evening.

my hope is, 

this will mean where ever you may live

upon this round and peachy earth of ours,

you will be able to stop by for a ganders.

if you do decide to stop by

may i suggest you bring along your rose coloured specs.

then you will also be able to

enjoy the vast array of home baked goodies 

(which will look edible but i cannot promise they are)

and a favorite tipple or two.

do not fret if you forget them,

i have several pairs to loan out

 so you may enjoy the refreshments 

alongside the peachy joyful decorations hanging above your head.

there will be old favorites like

sunshine sacks, apron wraps

and wall hangings.

there will be new sweeties like

 perfectly peachy pinnies and

lappity lap blankets

and when they are gone

(or perhaps i should say 'if they are gone')

alas and alack, that will be it for this joyful season,
as my adopted auntie and i will be taking a little rest...

she is looking forward to seeing you there and will be sure to have her reindeer antlers on so you can spot her ~ Tif

things i like...

about my book

(yes, 'tis feels quite odd to say "my book")

* i like the rounded corners.

* i like the feel of the front cover.

* i like the hand stitched postcard and little loved barcode.

* i like that my grandmother's pesky pom pom squirrel is tucked into my apron pocket on the front cover.

* i like that it sits perfectly perfect in my hands.

* i like the chunky spine a whole lot.

* i like that it is part of the Suitcase Series.

* i like the fact 'little lucky bunny' has a whole story all about him illustrated by my brilliant brother

* i like that such an inspiring book, can come from the collaboration of just two folks, one crafty blogger and one independent creative design publisher, yes i think that is quite a thing to like.

* i like very muchly, that Janine and i were fortunate to have so many willing helpers with the handmade details the book required. including Janine's own Mom and her trusty sewing machine

* i like that when i flick through the pages it is everything i hoped it would be and so much more.

* i like that when i think about having dottie angel published in a book, really truly think about this moment, it causes me to well up inside. i never thought anything else in my life would match the moments of my children being born, but this moment sits alongside there nicely.

* i like very muchly to think this book would not be what it is without you, my dearest readers for which i am thanking you kindly today.

and most of all

*i hope you will like it too

she will be back on monday with a little giveaway, till then, be safe my brilliantly brilliant 'i spy' dearies ~ Tif

frankly Frank...

yesterday as i stood in the store, a sea of cameras infront of me, i only had eyes for one. shoulders slighty broader than Carlos, wearing a tuxedo and i noted a dashing streak of silvery grey around his temples. i moved closer, daring to reach out to pick him up, a few moments of twiddling and fiddling and my little pulse began to race...

"you aren't really supposed to return electronics once they are opened" the store lad told me "however" he continued "if you were to say go home, spend just 10 minutes taking a few photos and he isn't right for you, then by all means bring him back"

i handed over my dottie angel pennies and headed home to the shed with a feeling of anticipation the likes of which i have not felt since 'the royal wedding dress' reveal, oh and any given day when i venture to the thrift store consumed by the thought of what lurks within. a giddy kind of anticipation if you will.

upon arriving back at the shed i was greeted by my usual wonderful greeting committee made up of Used Dog and Little Olive, i had been gone all of 35 minutes but the way they greeted me, i might as well have been gone a whole year. i like doggies because of that very reason, they never have 'huffs' at you, or bear a grudge they just love you good and proper every single day like you are the best thing since sliced bread.

i rustled around for my rechargeable batteries, carefully unpacked tuxedo camera and his dashing debonaire good looks (slightly aging good looks, kind of dependable good looks, charming good looks, with a twinkle in his eye good looks). he sprung to life with a lovely 'ping', i switched him off and then on again just so i may hear him 'ping' once more, it was a 'ping' of reassurance, it told me he was there and he was poised for action. i pointed at a random corner of the shed on a gloomy day and pressed the shutter, 'cajing' he said in a meaningful way. well right there and then, i needed no evidence of photo looking to tell me this little camera was reliable and solid, his 'cajing' just told me so.

we were now down to our 7 and a half minutes of our 10 minute allowance of playtime together. so we proceeded to dally in every room of the shed, no setting up things, no twiddling with his bits, just good old fashioned, point and shoot, pesky critters, apron wraps and more...

then our time was up, heart pumping wildly from our 7 and a half minutes of whirlwind activity (in clogs) i removed his little card 'thingy me jig' and with baited breathe i uploaded the photos. truth be told some were blurry and pants due to our reckless ways but others, a soul so warm came shining through, it literally hugged me on the spot. a warmth and a hug i have not felt since Carlos retired. i am not ashamed to say i wept big tears of relief.

i turned to my new found friend and i said "new found friend, you are to be called 'frankly Frank', because quite frankly, Frank you have saved my sanity and my creative soul"

later that evening as i sat with 'frankly Frank' in my lap marveling at his reliable charming ways, it only seemed fitting that i should show him just how much i appreciate him coming into my life at a time when i had lost my way. i rustled once again in another drawer in the shed, retrieved my vintage dyno label maker and printed out his name. upon close inspection he was very limited in where i could place his 'frankly Frank' label, however there was a perfect spot just across his nose and so there it was stuck with pomp and ceremony befitting such an occasion. and as if that were not enough to mark this historical moment in my life, Carlos ever so kindly gifted 'frankly Frank' his little loopy handle, a loopy handle that has shared so many good times and now will share so many more, with me and 'frankly Frank' in the days to follow.

she is thanking you kindly for all your lovely comments and is wishing you a peachy one this weekend ~ Tif

alas and alack dear Leonard...

Leonard the Lens and i have been acquaintances now for i am guessing quite a few months, at least four, possibly five, but lordy it feels like twenty or more. we have yet to move onto the friendship phase, let alone true love phase despite spending many moments close up and me twiddling and fiddling with his bits.

infact i think it true to say, i have twiddled and fiddled with him so much more than i ever twiddled and fiddled with Carlos. ah dear sweet Carlos my trusty camera, a little clunky and dated looking, living life in retirement and enjoying his twilight years upon my desk, close by.

trusty, dependable (at one point), comfortable, warmly souled Carlos

and then there is Leonard, looking mighty spiffy in his evening suit attire, giving me a 007 look as if to say "i'm all it baby" but when it comes to performance he just can't get his act together. his good looks masking a cold soul... sure he can take a nice photo if and when he pleases, but it lacks a warmth, one that i crave. i told him as such yesterday, after which he gave me 1 lovely shot followed by 36 apron wrap photos of tinted glowing crappity crap... as if to say "i'll show you i can do warmth baby" (he uses the term 'baby' a lot because he thinks it makes him attractive to the ladies, obviously you know and i know different)

i wept, he wept, (actually i don't think he did, he does not appear to possess any feelings what so ever) i told him i had given all i could give and there was nothing left to give. he told me "what you see is what you get, if you don't like it, then there is always someone else who will" (see, no feelings at all!)

so we are parting ways, i would say it is with sweet sorrow, but it is not. parting with Carlos was sweet sorrow but with Leonard there is a certain amount of relief on my behalf. i gave it my best shot, he gave it his best shot but his best wasn't compatible with my best, for i need a little warmth, i need a little soul, what i truly need is to find another Carlos

she is aiming now for tomorrow as apron wrap day for the shop, when she has found herself some soul ~ Tif

things of very little need to know but then again...

thing one to know:

a wrappy braidy coif can be achieved

even with my small offering of braidiness

obviously a long way to go in its wrappy braidy ways

but 'tis one none the less

and one with potential towards

a great and peachy wrappy braid coif

in the future

thing two to know:

combine said shown wrappy braidy coif with clogs

and a peachy summer apron wrap

and surely of all surelies ever to have surely gone before,

summer must be just around the corner

thing three to know:

Mr Spell Checker has advised me

i have over 13 misspelt words in this here short ramble.

i have advised Mr SC

i have no idea what he is talking about

she is getting out Mr Shark, letting him get all hot and bothered under the collar and freshly pressed apron wraps will be in her little store by thursday ~ Tif

footynote: did i hear someone just say "about blimen' time too Tif",

"fair enough, fair enough" say i

packing for a spot of beavering...

tomorrow, myself and Miss Ethel are leaving the shed for a visit with my adopted auntie. Miss Ethel is particularly tres delighted as she has not left the shed for a spin since last September. i am packing up lots of vintage fabrics and lace, where upon arriving at my adopted auntie's lovely old grey cottage by a babbling brook, we will spend many quality hours beavering away together making apron wraps. we are being most disciplined and will not spend our time chin wagging as we are apt to do, only to find several hours later we have achieved nothing for our time spent together other than putting the world to rights.

my adopted auntie has done a cracking job at rustling up some more lovely high hope flags to hang in the shop window. we have been most happy with how well they have sold and i in turn have been most happy with the results of cutting up all the leftovers she kindly saved for me.

little itty bitty high hope strings, all doing rather a lovely job of making it look like Spring has Sprung in my studio. which of course it has not and i do believe as tomorrow is the first of June it is likely to not Spring at all this year and now i am just hoping Summer does us the pleasure of his company before we go 'a little spare' in these parts.

the itty bitty strings are to travel the seas with me to England in three weeks time. along with the large high hope flags, they are destined to bring a certain dottie angelness to a lovely cottage by the sea. if indeed you are thinking you may like to visit this cottage by the sea and spend some quality time learning the way i 'patch and a piece' secondhand fabrics together then it would be lovely to have you join us. we still have a few places left, so if you are sitting on the fence pondering if this is something you may like to do then please do get in contact with either myself or Angela so we may help you get down off your fence and pack up your vintage stash and head to Suffolk in July. did i mention before that Our #1 will also be joining us, yes indeedy she will be my right hand man (or girl as the case maybe) and i am thinking, i could not ask for a better assistant, yes grand stuff indeed

she has packed a suitcase, just in case she is tempted to stay a while with her adopted auntie ~ Tif