A lovely book!

Hi all. Just a quickie post, as this morning my giveaway prize from JoJo arrived - 'A Boys Story' by Anni Downs of Hatched and Patched

such a lovely book packed with lots of lovely things to make for little (and not so little) boys. Here are just a couple of pages from the book showing some really super quilts

I just need a little boy to stitch for now ......... I don't mean me personally have a little boy (hells bells!!) - I'm a bit past that now!!! LOL - Actually, I've just remembered, my friend has recently become a grannie for the first time to a gorgeous little chap, so maybe Toby is going to be the recipient of a 'Hatched and Patched' quilt!!

I'm a Winner!!!

Weeeeeee, I won!!!

I've just had an email from Jo Jo at Home Sweet Home to tell me I won the prize in her recent Giveaway - aren't I the lucky one??!! I've won a copy of Anni Down's (Hatched and Patched) 'A Boy's Story' pattern book. It has several quilt patterns as well as many other cute 'little boy' things to make ..... it's very sweet.

Thanks very much Jo Jo - you're a star!!

Edit to post - If you look at the date of this post and then the date of Jo Jo's post saying that I've won the prize, you'll see that I appear to be telling you about my win before Jo Jo has announced it - a curiosity of the time differences around the globe!!

Easter Bunny!

I didn’t quite manage to finish my latest project in time for Easter, but here she is anyway – better late than never! Introducing, Bunty, my Easter bunny

Look at those big eyes and those long droopy ears – isn’t she sweet? The pretty floral dress fabric is some that I had in a fabric sale from the USA and have wanted to use for a while now, and her big pink nose is made from a little bit of my wool stash – some I bought from the NEC last year from the Festival of Quilts. I think this is the first bit of the wool I’ve used (been saving it up for I don’t know what!).

I’ve decided not to put my Easter bits away just yet, as it would be a shame to shunt Bunty off into drawer so soon, so I’ll leave her out for another week .... or two maybe.

Well, I have an extra day off work today (yippee!!), but I must get on, as I have to go and buy paint for the new front door I shall be having fitted next weekend.

Easter Time

This is the first sewing I've managed to do in weeks and it's a pot of Easter bunnies of course - what else could it be!!!

..... and here they are amongst my little Easter/Spring display - the chocolate rabbits and cross-stitch pillow are what I made last year

like my resin rabbit chappie - rather cute I thought?

Happy Easter to everyone - not too many chocolate eggs now - I won't be partaking this year, as I MUST, MUST stick to my diet. Ask me on Monday though!!!!

Pre-Raphaelite Exhibition

I had a couple of days off work last week and treated myself to a day out to visit an exhibition with my friend Pam (you know, the one who was 60 recently – remember? Shhhhhh – I didn’t say a word!!!!). It was the ‘Poetry of Drawing: Pre-Raphaelite’ Exhibition at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. I’ve always loved this period of art and design ever since I studied William Morris for ‘A’ Level at school.

The exhibition includes works by the original brotherhood members, Rossetti, Millais, Holman-Hunt and John Ruskin and also the 2^nd generation of Pre-Raphaelites, Edward Burne-Jones and Simeon Solomon.

‘Proserpine’ (an ancient Roman Goddess apparently) by Rosetti has to be one of my favourites – I suppose it’s her hair that does it – it’s so beautiful.

I wasn’t really familiar with Simeon Solomon, so it was good to see several of his works there – this is one of them called ‘Bacchus’.

Much of Simeon Solomon’s work was said to have been an attempt to explore his own homosexual identity, which is quite apparent from much of his work on show at the exhibition.

And while we were at the Art Gallery, we also popped in to the ‘Staffordshire Hoard’ Exhibition and it was fascinating to see just how intricate the work was from Anglo Saxon times. This is an example of some Gold decorated with a Latin inscription, but there's lot more besides to see

The Exhibition was free to go into too, so it’s well worth a visit if you’re in the area.

No blog problems!

Perhaps I shouldn't speak too soon, but I do seem to have sorted my little blog problems out at last. I even think it looks better than before now - I've managed to change my blog title back to black and have even changed the whole thing to a new (and rather cool!!) font ......... I just need something new to blog about now, instead of my blog problems!! Sorry, I will stop going on and on about it now - promise!!

If I get time tomorrow, I'll tell you a little bit about my visit to the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery last week.

WELL ...

...... perhaps you can ignore that last post; I don't know what I did, but I've sort of managed to get my blog back - what you see is the new background I had from Twin Creek Primitives, but at least I've got my bits and pieces back so to speak!! I don't know how I lost it all in the first place ..... and I don't know how I've retrieved it - work that one out!!!!!!!!!!!

What's still not right though is my blog title (Bilberry Grove) in the header - the text was black before and now you can only see half of it - anyone any ideas, as there doesn't seem to be a way to change the font colour.

What on earth have I done

.... to this blog?!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday, I was attempting to change my blog background to one offered by 'Twin Creek Primitives' blog ........ BIG mistake!!!! Having changed the background, I decided I didn't like it after all, but I have now lost everything from my original blog. My 'favourite blogs' list, my favourite shops, my header picture and even the 'Design' page that allows you to add pictures and all the other things we like to add ..... I can't believe it. Anyone else had a similar problem, as I seem to be stuck with exactly what you now see - that will teach me for messing around I suppose. I can see me having to start all over again from scratch!!

Confused.com!!!!

Another bit of cross-stitch!

As I’ve got 5 minutes to spare while I wait to hear whether I’ve won the lottery tonight!!!!!!!!!, I thought I’d do a quick post. There’s been very little sewing going on around here lately, but I did finish another cross-stitch scissor/needlecase a couple of weeks ago which was a present for my niece (adopted niece anyway). It matches the pincushion I made for her for Christmas using the ‘little bird’ pattern Patti very kindly shared with me. And in keeping with the heart theme in the pattern, I bought a pair of ‘love’ scissors from Kelmscott Designs ........ I thought they were rather sweet! And just because I can, I finished it off with one of my new ‘handmade’ labels – what a show-off eh?!! Apart from the fact work has been very busy lately, I’ve been taking advantage of the lovely weather we’ve had this weekend and last, and have been outside sprucing up my garden fences, by re-painting them ..... it’s good exercise too!! And there’s plenty more to do tomorrow – oh joy!!!

I just remembered ......

...... that I forgot (make sense!!!!??) to show you this



a cross-stitch needle/scissor case I made for my friend's 60th (don't tell her I told you!!) birthday in January. I mentioned it a little while back, but in a bit of a senior moment, had forgotten to take any photographs! But when my 60-year old friend (aren't I rotton!!) came for dinner on Saturday, she brought it with her so that I could take a few snaps - unfortunately, it was mid-evening, so the light isn't brilliant. This is the inside:



That's it for now - just a short one this time. I shall have something similar to show soon, as I'm working on another one (another pressie).

Say "Hi" to .........

....... 'BERRY' - my latest little fabric wonder!!!



She's quite whimsical/quirky looking isn't she? And are you thinking you've perhaps seen her somewhere before? Well, just scroll back up, - and there she is - the little lady on my 'Bilberry Grove' banner at the top of my blog. I've been meaning to make a rag doll to look like her for a long time.

And here she is too sitting in her very own chair - a 75p bargain from a second-hand shop recently. I'd been looking out for something for my dolls to 'pose' on while I took a photograph, so I was very pleased with this.



And get this:-



my own personalised fabric label - something else I've been wanting for ages and I recently found a web site I could order from!!

Now then, if you like Berry - here she is again ............ but this time, with her twin sister. I thought I may as well make two, while doing one.



And Berry's twin is up for sale if anyone is interested! £25.00 + postage and packing. But just in case anybody who purchased a 'Tilda' doll from me in 2009 thinks the price is a bit cheaper than Tilda was, that's because I haven't had to buy anything to make 'Berry' - she is made entirely from my stash, whereas I had to buy practically everything from scratch for the 'Tilda' dolls ..... sorry, just felt I needed to explain that point.

Anyway, if anyone is interested, email to discuss!

Confession time!!

It's just as well Wendy is such a lovely bloggy friend ..... and forgiving too, as I recently had to confess to her my guilty secret of out and out plagiarism!!!!! I hear lots of sharp intakes of breath, "how could she" I hear you say!! What happened was that I linked to Tanya's blog from a comment left on one of Wendy's posts and discovered the cutest Gingerbread doll dressed in pink that Wendy had made and sent to Tanya, (click on the link to see the original, and best by far, Ginger doll). Then realising I had some of the same pink fabric and the right colour felt, I couldn't resist having a go at making one. So here is my version of Wendy's little Ginger dolls:



Please note, ALL CREDIT FOR DESIGN GOES TO WENDY, not me!! And credit for her forgiving nature too LOL xxxxxx and Wendy is so modest, she didn't even put a picture of the one she made on her own blog ... can't say the same for me though eh!!!

Anyway, now that that confession is out (phew - doesn't it feel better to get these things off your chest??), and talking of Wendy, which I was (I should have called this post 'Wendy' shouldn't I really, instead of 'Confession time') I was going to show what I had made for her ..... firstly a belated Christmas pressie (very belated) is a Prairie Doll:



...... and secondly a birthday present - this cute little Cupid Rag Doll:



So that's the lot for now. I'm working on yet another Rag Doll - it's no use, I just can't resist making them, so I won't try (resist that is)!!

Till next time

A Nostalgic Rush!

...... that's what I got when I did a quick blog hop last night before turning in.

As an avid follower of Diane's blog, her post yesterday sent me scurrying to find the old Girls Annuals I bought from ebay a couple of years ago. They're copies of Annuals I had when I was aged 10 - 12. It's amazing how a simple book can wipe away the years!



At that age, Saturday mornings meant a bit of a lie-in and waiting for the sound of the paper-boy dropping my favourite comics through the letter-box - I loved the stories and articles, and as I went into my teens, the pin-ups too, which were 'pinned up' liberally over my bedroom walls (you could barely see the wallpaper), David Cassidy, Donny Osmond to name just a couple. Every Christmas I could guarantee that two of my pressies would be my favourite Annuals, which I could never wait to get my hands on.

This 1970 edition of the 'Bunty' Annual though was my best find, as it contains a story that absolutely captivated me at the time (when I was 10) .......... I must have read it dozens and dozens of times:




and even to this day (before I bought it on ebay) I could have told you the substance of the story - it was about a deaf, mute, orphan girl taken in by a convent of Nuns. The girl turned out to be a pretty good artist, and as a consequence uncovered some long-lost gold and thus saved the day!! We all enjoy a happy ending don't we!! And to re-read this story (which I now know was called 'Bianca's Golden Gift', and all the other features nearly 40 years on, was pure nostalgic bliss!




Who remembers the regulars in 'Bunty', such as 'The Four Marys' ............ in glorious black & orange:



.... and 'Bunty's Cut-Out Wardrobe:





I remember well sitting with my scissors and dressing her in her different outfits - from the weekly comics anyway, I didn't cut up my Annuals!! Perhaps not too different to me now with my love of making Rag Dolls eh!

Anyway, thanks Diane for another trip down memory lane - it was great!!

Back to Blogging!

If you're reading this, thank you for sticking with me ....... and not deleting me from your blog roll!! LOL

It's been more or less 4 months since my last post and although I don't want to go into detail, I will simply explain that my absence was due to the sudden loss (shortly after my last post) of a very close family member, and so it has been a very difficult time. I won't dwell anymore on it here though!

This is a crafty blog after all!

I didn't sew at all for about 2 months, but have been doing bits since just before Christmas. I was eased back in by making a small cross-stitch pin cushion for a young lady for Christmas.





I was also going to show you a cross-stitch needle/scissor case I made for a close friend who was celebrating a big birthday in January, except I forgot to take photographs (what a numpty as Wendy would say)!! I'm waiting for my friend to email some piccies to me, so hopefully I'll be able to show them later on.

Then I made this cushion cover







.......... it's for my nephew's girlfriend who spent several months last year studying in Paris (lucky thing). The fabric on its own may have been enough, but I did embellish it a bit with some buttons and beads and I did a bit of appliqué on it too. She hasn’t seen it yet actually, but I think I’m safe – I doubt that she’ll be reading my blog ……. too busy having a great time at Uni in Manchester if she has any sense – which she has!!

At the time (referred to above) my lovely bloggy friend, Wendy, and I had agreed to a little Christmas pressie exchange, but with what happened, it was impossible for me to see it through – Wendy was very understanding of course. Then just after Christmas (I think) I received a lovely package from Wendy – she had still gone ahead and made things for me, and this is what she sent to me



a woolly crow on a stand; AND



Gingerbread Jam!!

aren't they gorgeous? I just LOVE them both and was so pleased with them, as they are both things I had admired that Wendy had already made previously either for herself or for another friend.

So I can now say publicly – a very big THANK YOU to my lovely, lovely friend Wendy!! Of course, I had already started what I was making for Wendy (I was about 75% through making it), but simply couldn’t finish it at the time. I have, however, since finished her pressie and made something too for her birthday (leap year baby), which I sent to her recently, but I’ll show those next time.

Anyway, I’ll leave it there for now, apart from to say that I have discovered just how much of a comfort my sewing is to me - it has truly been my solace and I should count myself lucky for that!

I’m very happy to be back in the world of blogging – it’s so addictive and so much fun, although I must resist being a slave to it in future, as I end up feeling guilty about the amount of time I spend at this computer blogging and blog hopping!