I always say to the children how important it is to really mean it, not to say it just to get me or whoever to just move on.
Today I couldn’t say sorry and mean it, in a way I wanted to, but I couldn’t mean it, so maybe when I push the children to say it, I should just let it go : (

why do children get up at 6 am at the weekend, and can barely drag themselves out of bed on a weekday, why!!!???

So been up a while, got a pile of straps to iron, putting them off, I have to say it is a real fag to iron them! But I do have some stuff finished ready for the shop,

I could not resist : ) I also might make a cushion cover using the motif as well, I really do love the way it looks, and moves, a really fluid design.

Looking a the BBC news site this morning, I saw this story about birthday parties and not being invited, I find this whole story incredible, the world has gone mad!

Also while I have a little rant, why do people who use Freecycle think it is acceptable to ask for things that most people accept that you have to buy, I’m constantly shocked by the Wanted items I see on my two local groups, ranging from requests for Xbox 360s to specific makes and types of coffee tables, what are wrong with these people! Ok, rant over, nice pictures of WIPs tomorrow I hope : )

but it isn’t, it is for a friend, who I made this for as well : )

But it is my design!

She asked for a design the same as this, and this, and then chose the two fabrics to use with the brown linen, and what good taste she has!

It was really enjoyable to make because I could try new things out, it has four pockets and a linen drawstring bag as well to keep special yarn in. I would like to use some of the ideas I have used in this bag in bags I make to sell on Etsy as well, especially the pocket which is the width of the bag.

I don’t think I would make bags like this to sell in the shop, simply because I would have to charge quite a bit more, but if you are interested, please let me know : )

Working on new ideas at the moment, and I hope to update the shop sometime next week, there may be some old favs as well, just got to see how the next few days go!

I have wanted to make a bag with daisies for an age,

and I’m really quite pleased with it, what do you think?

I think it works really well on on the chocolate brown, and I think I may make another one to go in the shop, as this is for a friend.

Regarding the shop, and the cupboard being slightly bare, well I will try to do an update soon, but I want the stuff to be right, not just filling a hole with stuff which isn’t selling. If I have an over stocked shop of bags and other things I love, then that is fine, but a shop of stuff I’m not bothered by, well I don’t want that!

I’ll leave you with this,

and yes, it was yummy, and I may now have my other one with a nice cup of tea!

Back in March I was asked if I would like to review a sewing machine, and I said yes! But due to my slowness I’m only actually writing it today, 3 months later, but I think it will be better for it, as I have sat down, made a new untried bag design, and I have to say it has been a very enjoyable experience : )

The sewing machine is question is a Toyota SPA15, and is a lightweight and ergonomic designed machine.
I would describe it as an entry level machine, but that is really doing it a disservice, as it is a very good machine : )

As you can see it is a neat little machine, not heavy at all, and I also had the use of an extension table which had adjustable feet to alter the height which was useful on my slightly uneven table!
One thing going against it, which to be honest I have not photographed, because it may just be a little niggle for me, but the storage of, and in the machine, is not great. I guess as it is entry level it would explain why it doesn’t come with a cover, or decent storage built in, or somewhere to keep the pedal and lead, but you could make all of those!!

Ok, the machine, and what it does, looks like and works like!

It is a very ergonomic, as I’ve said, and also very graphical, and what I mean by that, is that everywhere are clear indications of how it works and what you do!

As you can see, you don’t even need to look at the manual to work out what to do! I have to say the manual is extremely clear as well!! The whole machine is like this, this is the stitch selection dial,

Could it be any clearer! Actually I don’t think so, another reason why I think this machine is perfect for a first time sewing machine user, it is so clear, how could you go wrong, but I would have preferred a bit more choice on length of straight stitch, but the ones you do have, they are very even and work well.

And now down to the foot,

Again, more graphics, really easy to use and understand, then we have the winding of the bobbin, which to be honest I thought was maybe a bit of a novelty, but actually it works really well.

You don’t have to double de-clutch the motor, it works off a battery, set in the back of the machine, and you just squeeze a little lever across to wind it, very nifty!

And then I hand the experience of loading the bobbin, now my machine is a front loading, under the foot set up, but I have always been curious about these drop in ones, they look cool for one thing!!

so very easy, just drop it in, and do a little loop so the thread can be caught,

and then, it’s done!

woo-hoo, so now you are ready to rock and roll!

What can I say, really smooth, It took a bit of getting used to, especially the pedal, and of course because it is new, it was a bit stiff, but then I was away!! Straight line sewing, really good, I had a few problems with stitching circles,

I think this was mainly because this was the first bit of sewing I did, so the pedal was a little stiff, but once the machine and I were tuned in, it was great!

All worked really nicely, and having the extension table was great for doing that stitching off the circles onto the bag.

Now one main problem I have always had with sewing machines is the chewing up and lack of oopmhh to go through layers, well no problems here!

I really thought I would have problems with that piece of the bag, as the piece I was sewing was quite narrow and short, but also 4 layers thick, well, no problems with that, or this,

There is at least 6 layers here, and interfacing, and it was a breeze! Really smooth, and no jamming problems, so very successful.

Finishing off was good too,

Again, really smooth and just sailed though this.

So I made a new bag, which I can’t show you yet, as my lovely friend doesn’t have it yet, and it wouldn’t be fair to show you before she gets her mitts on it, and the machine worked like a dream.

So summing up, it is an incredibly easy machine to use, it would be perfect as your first machine, or maybe to replace a hand me down. I loved being able to see how much thread I had left on the bobbin, very useful.
There is so much more as well, I haven’t tried the other feet yet, which are clip on ones, I have also only tried two stitches, so I’m going to use it a bit more and hopefully come back to you with a bit more info.

I would like to point out I have not been paid to write this review, and it has been sitting here for three months, and not one person has asked me about it, so no pressure has been put on me.
It has been a pleasure to use it, and I’m going to let my friend, of the knitting bag fame, have a play as well, so a total novice! Ooops, I’ll get a smack about that! So after her play and a bit more from me, I’ll let you know how it goes : )

to say thank you, thank you to all of you who have left really lovely and helpful comments, and to those of you I have not replied to yet!

Big post coming up next, so I wanted to get this in first, because I really do appreciate everything that was left as comments on my last post, I think my creative juices are seeping back, so that must be good!

Having read another blog last night, and the writer suggesting that she mainly likes to read about craft stuff, but she writes quite a lot of personal stuff, I’m not sure where to start this, or even if I should be writing this.
However, you have all been through this with me, as you have read and listened, so to me, it makes sense that I should explain what has happened over the past few weeks, and why my level of creation seems to have completely tailed off : (

As you all know Edward, who is 9, has Aspergers and is now at a ‘Special Needs’ school, he is happy and has made great leaps forwards with this change, he is very different and I think happier for being there, and being understood.
When he started there, William was about to turn 6 and seemed to be quite settled, though his behaviour sometimes could be hard to work with.

Seemingly over the past academic year his behaviour and quite simply fallen apart at school, and I have to add that it is mainly at school, he is certainly no angel at home, but we don’t get the stuff which school ‘reports’ to us.

Unfortunately this has broken down further, and as I wrote back about a month ago he was temporarily excluded for two days, this has happened again, but this time with threats/promises attached to it.
So as I wrote before, he has seen the EP, but we are still waiting to see the Clinical Psychologist, which is very frustrating, but with the second exclusion, and to be honest the quite open desperation at his school, he is now having to go to another place in the morning, and only go to his ‘normal’ school in the afternoon.

The other place, is an education centre where they deal with children who can’t cope with in the ‘normal’ school environment, and normally this manifests itself in bad behaviour. He has now completed two mornings there and is enjoying it. It is far more structured, and with very strict rules, which he really needs. So this is going to continue for the rest of this academic year, and into next year starting in September.

I am much happier with this, but this week has been totally lost to trying to sort this all out, it has been madness, and I have felt utterly frazzled, and so has everyone else in the family. William seems to be happier, so we can only hope that he continues, and that his ‘normal’ school can begin to understand what works for him while he is still going there.

This is quite potted, but it is quite boring I guess for everyone else, but I just wanted to explain, why there isn’t much seemingly going on, and hasn’t been.

The picture near the top are the details from a new bag I’m making for a friend, it will end up being her new knitting bag : )

They are complete!!!!

Five normal sized totes, and the little drawstring bags now all in the shop!

I feel like such a weight has been lifted from my shoulders, I know that may sound a little dramatic, but I think how long it has taken me to complete these bags seems to sum up how stuff has been here since our holiday! But onwards and upwards! Another meeting tomorrow, and an induction……

They are all finished, just need to photograph them, well rather than like this,

I am so pleased that they are finished, because I haven’t updated the shop for such a long time, and also I have new ideas I want to work on, and some commissioned stuff, so I’m getting there, just.

Thanks for the kind words about my meeting, but to be honest that it is another post all on its own!

so how long does it take to make 5 bags, especially 5 bags that were half done before you went away on holiday?!

I do have an excuse I guess, and it is child related. I need to get at least one meeting done with today before I can comment on it further, all I say is that communication is everything, and when you get conflicting information coming from the person that is in charge, then it really disturbs everything and everyone : (