Hi Everyone

I can finally show you what I have had in my mind to do for a few weeks now and didn't get around to doing until yesterday.  May I introduce you to Smart Ted Bear:

He is dressed in an off-white fleece waistcoat with hand-embroidered motifs and feather stitch edging, fastened with the geese and trees buttons to match the lining.  The back of the waistcoat is also hand-embroidered with a bird and flower motifs:

Not having been someone who made clothes for toys before I think this has worked out really well. 

I have another couple of bears who also will be receiving waistcoats very soon.

Happy crafting.

Philippa x

Hello Everyone

Becky (www.beaubirds.co.uk)  and I went to the craft fair at the Cheese and Grain in Frome, Somerset yesterday to do a bit of market research (at least that's what we told our husbands).  On first entering the hall seemed rather dark but once we started going round we didn't seem to notice.  With around 40 stall holders there was lots to see.  What I particularly liked was to see a totally new craft to me and one that uses materials that would otherwise have been discarded.  That stall was the Somerset Feather Company www.SomersetFeatherCompany.co.uk and this lady uses feathers from various game birds shot on the Mells Estate to decorate lampshades.  As a vegetarian I would rather see live birds wearing their feathers and I don't agree with shooting birds just for the fun of it.  However, ordinarily the feathers would be discarded but these lampshades show how truly beautiful the birds' feathers are.  I think it is a wonderful way of using the waste product from one industry to create another.  It is a newish company so I wish her every success.  Mind you I did ask her whether she had ever questioned herself as to life being too short to make these wonderful shades.

Another stall I particularly liked was the contemporary crochet designs by Elvira Jones www.elvirajones.co.uk.  Ms Jones makes wonderful little pots shaped like tagines, bowls and bags.  I couldn't resist buying some of her little hearts and flowers.  I'm not quite sure when I will use them but I'm sure to think of something.

Having been round the fair a couple of times we then went round Frome itself and I took Becky up Catherine's Hill where we came across Millie Moon.  What a wonderful discovery!  I knew it was in Frome somewhere but had mistakenly thought it was in a different road so I was very pleased to chance upon it.  Like The Makery in Bath Millie Moon sells all kinds of patchwork fabric, ribbons, buttons and other findings as well as having an area for workshops.  The ladies in the workshop were making clay buttons. I really could have done with a basket to put all the things I collected off the shelves and racks.  Prices were not cheap but bargains were there to be found such as 4 fat quarters for £8 rather than £10.  I am sure we will be paying the shop another visit.  www.milliemoonshop.co.uk

Happy crafting

Philippa x

New additions

Hi Everyone

It has been lovely to have some time to spend creating after I finally bit the bullet and cleared up the Wendy Room.  It took me a day and a half to tidy up and I tried to be ruthless when it came to clearing out the excess fabric I seem to have in my stash.  The trouble is when you like fabric it is really difficult to get rid of it.  After all it was bought in the first place because I liked it.  I may not have had a specific project in mind when I bought it but at some point in time it would have found its ideal place in a quilt or cushion.  However, I have come to the conclusion that even if I live to be 140 I really don't think I would be able to use it all up.  Quite a bit (truthfully only some) of it has been put aside for the craft fair and maybe it will find a useful home in someone else's stash.  Then of course there are the old dresses, blouses, shirts, etc.........  And I haven't even started on my books yet!

Anyway as I say I have at least made some room to make a few new things which are now in the shop.  I finished some more of the baby bootees (please note this photo only shows one of each pair).  They're really cute and will look so sweet with real baby feet in them. 

I've been going mad making covered buttons too and have made up a few sets which I've mounted onto cards.  I'll be making more of these soon as they are ideal to do when sitting in front of the television of an evening.

And then just for good measure I made up a couple of coin purses.  The fabric I used is woven rather than printed so you get a different colourway on either side.  I found I had a couple of felt birds left over from the bunting (it's amazing what you find when you tidy up isn't it?) and I hand-stitched these onto one side of each purse.  As I am always keen to upcycle old fabric wherever possible I lined each purse with part of an old tablecloth.

I love all this creating.

Happy crafting.

Philippa x

Website finally up and running.....

Hi Everyone

What a week its been.  My good friend Becky came round and finally got me launched into the busy world of websites.  It is true when they say the road is paved with good intentions.  Its been a very slow stagger to get a website going.  Still its done now and each day I am learning more and more, tweaking it here and there, and perhaps one day I will think it good enough to stop fiddling with it!!!  (If you have come direct to my blogspot click here to go to my new website at http://www.wendyroomcreations.com/).

I am still working toward the craft fair in April and have been making a few new things on a Scandinavian theme.  My head is abolutely buzzing with ideas but there just doesn't seem to be enough uninterrupted hours in the day to actually make any real progress toward filling a stall.  Next week though I will be on holiday for two weeks and I am going to have such a sort out in the Wendy Room.  At the moment it seems to be chock-a-block with boxes and rolls of material that working is nigh on impossible.  I am going to be really strict with myself and in just one day I am going to clear out the whole room and only put back in what I want to hang on to, and put aside for sale all those things I no longer use.  I will take some photos in a day or two and show you just how bad it has got.  And then I'll show you the "new" Wendy Room.  I am not sure whether it will count as an "after" picture as "after the clearout" or as a "before" as "before I did any creative work".  Still it wouldn't be a workroom would it if no work ever went on there?!

Carry on creating.
Philippa xx

The night I slept rough

Beds are nice aren't they?  I was lying in my bed last Saturday morning (28 January) thinking how comfortable it was, how safe I felt and just how lovely it was to feel warm from my head to my toes.  Then I wondered whether I would feel the same way that night because that night I was taking part in the sponsored sleepout for Doorway, the charity based in Chippenham who support homeless people in North Wiltshire and work with them to get them back into society.  I knew I had my sleeping bag that was insulated for temperatures down to -14 degrees, I had lots and lots of cardboard boxes thanks to my son who had recently moved, I had lots of warm layers to wear, and I had generous sponsorship of many people so pride said I couldn't back out now.  Now why should a woman of 52 who is not always in the best of health want to sleep rough?  Only because I have always wondered what it is like and because unlike many, I have never had to.   

So at 7pm I dutifully turned up at St Andrews Church, Chippenham with my ready supplies of cardboard, tarpaulin and sleeping bag, and joined the 40 other people who were going to be sleeping rough with me.  There was a varied selection of "bedrooms" being constructed and many people already gathered around the burning fire pit.  Everyone seemed very jovial but there was a tangible sense of nervousness as the temperature started to drop.  For me the hardest part was actually getting into my sleeping bag inside my cardboard tube, and getting out again was just as difficult.  I swear having a baby was easier.  However, once in I can honestly say it was surprisingly warm and comfortable but then again I did have about 6 layers on.  Sleep was the hardest part as those church bells which sound so lovely from my house, were REALLY ANNOYING when the clock chimed ever quarter of an hour.  I can honestly say that the only one I didn't hear was the one o'clock chime.  Also Chippenham is really noisy all through the night.  Traffic never stops, young people are heading home or out at all times of the night, and music always seemed to be playing.  We were fortunate in that those of us "sleeping rough" were all grouped together and there were stewards up all night to keep an eye on our security. 

 
We were all kept safe but imagine if you were a homeless person how it must be to feel physically vulnerable the second you close your eyes, for sleep to be constantly interrupted either by noise or by being moved on, and perhaps not having the relative warmth and comfort that we had.  I feel I have gained some insight into all those things.  Am I glad I did it?  Yes undoubtedly.  Would I do it again?  Very probably not.  As they say, been there, done that - got rid of the cardboard now!