Josie:

Meet Josie my very first COMMISSIONED Doll. While I was in Birmingham my daughters friend Kathy, came to stay with her for a girls night in at my flat. Kathy fell in love with the dolls I have made that decorate my sewing room. When I got back from the NEC, Kathy asked if I would make her a doll based on her mum JOSIE and she would pay me for it. I was a bit dubious at first as I did not think I could pull such a request out of the bag. I have only ever made a doll following someone else's pattern from magazines or kits. I took a deep breath and before I knew it i had agreed to the task. Kathy gave me her specifics for the doll (ie; three quarter lenght jeans, black wool cardigan, leopard skin bag and scarf, type of shoes etc.) This really was a challenge. I did a few scribbles in my sketch book and made notes on how I visualised the doll and how I was going to achieve certain aspects of Josie. I have to say Josie's hair was the most challenging part of making her, Kathy said her Mum has short blonde her. I have just finished Josie tonight and I am thrilled with the end result I hope Kathy will be to.

journal quilts March and April:

I have struggled with these journal quilts and I am a couple of months behind. Here is March and April. March was based on the great news I received from my daughter Michaela that her and her partner Ian were expecting a baby. My heart was so full of love for them both. April I went to a Party with all the colleagues from work and I bought a gorgeous pair of shoes. As you all know I am a shoe girl so April was based on my shoe fetish.

Ribbon Slides:

Hurray I am finally back on the Internet, I have had a nightmare of a time with BT but thankfully all is now resolved. Yesterday I went to town with my niece Paige. I took her to Quiggins as she wanted to buy some rave paint, for a friends birthday present and some bracelets for herself. Whilst we where there Paige spotted a little basket full of Ribbon slides that were selling for a £1.00 each. I told Paige not to waste her money and that we were going to Abhakan fabrics were she could pick some ribbon and buttons and I would make her some ribbon slides. We then went and bought a pack of clips and this is the finished result. Total cost to make £2.22.

Easy as ABC:

This is a sneak peek at the ABC wall hanging I am currently making for my soon to arrive Grandchild. I purchased the pattern for Daisy's and Dungarees at the NEC. I have not followed the fabrics or the colour scheme of the original pattern. I bought the felt from Oliver Twist and chose my own colour scheme. I found it a bit difficult at first looking at the pattern but not working with there colour scheme. A few times I found myself questioning would my wall hanging be as nice? Once I had completed the top, there was no doubt at all, I am thrilled with the colours. There is a lot of hand sewing, not my speciality I have to say, but each night whilst watching TV I have taken my time and hand sewn all the letters. I have a little bit more hand sewing still to do before I can layer the wall hanging. Finally a bit of machine quilting in the ditch, bind it and put the sleeve on. I hope to have it finished by the weekend. Whilst Michaela has seen the original pattern, she has not seen the colours I chose but I am sure she will love it just as much as me. Best of all I look forward to teaching the baby the alphabet through something that has been made full of love.

Note book covers;

In February 2008 the Liverbirds had a work shop with the very talented Jackie Martin. The work shop was how to make a cover for a journal/notebook. I loved every minute of the class and was totally hooked. To make the basic cover you need to follow just a few simple rules. To embellish the cover is another matter because there are no rules what so ever. You can let your imagination run wild and I mean wild. Over the past year and a half I have made several journal covers, many I have given away as gifts. I thought I would share some pics of the ones I still have in my possession. The green one with the leaves on is the one I made in Jackie's class.

Natalie off to the captains dinner:

This is my lovely sister Natalie, wearing the top and skirt I made her for the special captains dinner evening. Her husband Paul took the photos on her phone so she could send them to me via e-mail. Doesn't she look fabulous. Natalie and I were both extremely pleased at the way the outfit turned out. I was worried that she had put such faith in me for such a special outfit. Bearing in mind I am not a dress maker and although we bought a pattern for the basic size there was a lot of pinning, cutting and adapting done to the top before it was what Natalie wanted and felt comfortable in. Still we got there in the end and me and every one at the event thought she looked beautiful.