It's Curtains ...

Good morning Ladies.

I have been meaning to show you this curtain refashion for a little while.

For one reason or another things here have been a bit hectic and I have so much to tell you about.

All in good time.

For now, It's curtains ...

As you know I'm not a whiz on a sewing machine. In truth they make me a bit nervous!!

But I faced my fear to give these curtains a face lift.

I have two windows in the dining room, before they were hung with some green curtains that had been passed on to us from a family member. They never really suited the room and made it feel quite dark.

I didn't want to get rid of perfectly good curtains, but they weren't suitable.

One morning while tidying in Charlie's room I had a brain wave. Charlie's room also has two windows, the curtains where light which meant he needed blackout lining to avoid very early morning during the summer!

Blooming things!! These liners were so heavy and bulky they just looked awful.

So killing two birds with one stone the dark green curtains retired to Charlie's room and block the light perfectly (no more blackout liners!) and the light curtains from Charlie's room would look much better in the dining room.

But there was a problem ... the light curtains were better, but they had pencil pleated tops.

I don't like them. So thought I would TRY converting them to tab tops.

I used my sewing machine to make the tabs for all four curtains. All 64 of them!

They were turned right side out and pressed (again).

Then I chopped off the pencil pleat from each curtain, turned it under and attached the tabs at regular intervals. Then more pressing and whizzed each one through the sewing machine once more.

Sounds simple right?! Well it was, but it did take me ALL day to finish them all.

I was chuffed with my attempt at converting the curtains and like the contrast between the creamy yellow curtains and the pink gingham tab tops.

But they needed a little more pink to bring them all together.

So I turned my thought to the tiebacks. I knew in the depths of a vacuum storage bag they would be tiebacks for these curtains. I hunted them out and went to work demolishing some crocheted tiebacks I had made for the original green curtains.

For each set of curtains the tiebacks were slightly different.

I simply sewed the flowers to the ready made tiebacks.

The room feels brighter, I spent nothing and I'm getting over my sewing machine fear!!

Can't be bad hey?

Sorry for the waffling Ladies.

Until next time.

Love Katie

xxx

P.s I brought this little embroidered hankie from a vintage fair. I really love it and I was lucky to pick up a teeny embroidery frame on a charity shop trip for 20p! Bargain.

This now hangs from a length of ribbon hung from a tieback hook next to my "new" curtains.

A few thrifty buys ...

Good Afternoon Ladies.

I just wanted to share with you a few of my favourite thrifty finds.

Flowery doves, Liberty oven mitt, Rosey coasters and pomander...

Sweet tapestries - Quiet as a mouse and Busy as a bee,

Birdie pomander, rosey bedspread, some pretty hearts from a craft fair and a few more books for my collection.

I want to tell you more about the books another time and you may have noticed my little pile of hexies propped up again my Bee tapestry. I'll also come back to these soon. 

Short and sweet...

Have a lovely week.

Love Katie

xxx

Jar of Love swap goodies.

Hello Ladies.

Just a quick one today. Lots of pictures I'm aware and not a lot of words.

I should have posted this before now so sorry about the delay.

Anyway ...

Because of the odd number of entrants to the swap I had two partners.

Marina at Evelyn-May and Beki @ Ramblings of an Everyday Mummy

Here is what I sent Marina ....

I tried to make both jars equal, so each had 26 items inside. I had read that Marina liked toadstools so had made her these little toadstool earrings and bag charm. There was a few Cath Kidston goodies in there: a keyring, soap, buttons. I made a tiny heart hanger with birdie embroidery and crocheted a pot cover to decorate the jar.

This is Beki's jar ...

Again a little more Cath Kidston. I made some button earrings and a ring too. The little cupcake charm I made out of Fimo. I notice she liked Hello Kitty so when I saw these magnets I thought they would be perfect. Again I crocheted her a pot cover for the jar.

This is what I received from Marina.

A pretty jar, wonderfully wrapped and finished with a pretty bow.

There was cupcake cases, fabric, perfume, hankies, teddy, socks, necklace, cookie cutter, lace, glitter, beads and chocolate inside (the choccy didn't live long enough to make it in the photo) !!!

Thank you Marina!!!

I am yet to receive a parcel from Beki, but if I do. I will be sure to share it with you.

Have a great weekend.

Love Katie

xxx

All Things British swap goodies

A little while back I join in The All Things British swap hosted by lovely Laalaa.

I was really excited about this swap, I loved the theme and had lots of fun thinking of ideas for the swap parcel.

I was paired up with the equally lovely Sue at The Krafty Cupcake.

I have admired Sue's blog for a long time, so was really thrilled to be her partner. 

She makes the most gorgeous cupcakes and goodies. You will always find something wonderful to read there!

Any way, here are the goodies I sent to Sue.

An embroidered London Bus heart

A little Beach hut bag charm and "Poppyland" box

Tower of London cup candle (I'll tell you more about this one, another time)

Embossed crown gift card

(all made by me)

and

A "British Pride" mug

Mini Cath Kidston "royal stanley" tote bag

London socks

£50 note tissues

Champions sweeties and Tunnock's Teacakes

*****************************************************

I was spoilt rotten by Sue.

She had put so much time, thought and effort in to all my lovely gifts and I can't thank her enough.

Every little parcel was wrapped beautifully with red, white and blue tissue paper and adorned with oddles of coordinating organza ribbon.

This is what I received...

A Gorgeous handmade card

cross-stitched needle case

wonderful patchwork pincushion

Union Jack socks

sea and sand Yankie candle (this made the whole parcel smell heavenly!)

the sweetest little egg cup

Union Jack mug

London Bus necklace

London themed fabric

British icon stampers

London biscuit tin filled with shortbread (no longer exists! was gorgeous!)

Sherbet Lemons

Union Jack cupcake cases and coordinating sprinkles!

Beautiful papers and British themed die-cuts.

You see?!? I was totally spoilt!

Every time I thought I'd reached the bottom of the box there was another little parcel hidden inside.

It made my day.

At the end of the month, my little sister and I are going visiting in London. My sister-in-law has kindly agreed to put us up and we're really excited about seeing the sights.

I have never really been to London (only on a school trip to the Science museum and with college to a beauty show at Excel) so I will need her to look after me and ensure I don't get lost.

So ... to receive all these lovely London themed gifts from Sue, has made it even more exciting!

Thank you all for reading and Thank you Sue and Laalaa.

Lots of Love

Katie

xxx

Simple Sewing

This week I've been enjoyed spending the evenings with needle and thread, happily stitching away.

Now although I have and know how to work a sewing machine, I don't find it relaxing like I do hand sewing.

So all sewing this week had been by hand, and numerous needle pricks and sore thumbs later this is the outcome.

A little CK purse using the kit from "Stitch", it's now the home for loose embroidery threads in one of my many sewing boxes.

Isn't my little Beatrix Potter pin cushion sweet? She was a Charity shop bargain, there is a flap that opens on the front to reveal the needle holder, with Beatrix storybook pictures on each page! Cute!

I've been meaning to whip up some drawstring bags for some of Charlie's small toys. I made both of these bags from one old pillowslip. I used the Chicken embroidery off a tea towel which I loved, that my dog ripped a hole in and an appliqued panel for the other from old cotton scraps.

Thanks for dropping in, I hope you have a lovely weekend.

Put your feet up and enjoy some Oat and Raisin cookies with me.

Love Katie xxx

In the Hoop

I've been experimenting with some embroidery this week. 

Perhaps should have ironed this piece first!

I don't have plans for either yet, any ideas?

Love Katie

xxx