Birds and Beads

As it has been so spring-like here for the last few days, and the bird song has been filling our garden and the woods and hedgerows round about i decided it was time to show you some of the fabric birds i've made......

........this little bird is from my book *pretty patchwork gifts* and is part of a  hanging decoration which has a stuffed birdhouse and a flower too.............i loved making the projects for this book and also painting the little watercolour illustrations to decorate the page corners...............

 .............all the photographs in the book were taken by the wonderful interiors and lifestyle photographer simon whitmore............below is a picture i snapped at the weekend of the birdie hanger in the potting shed ....it was sunny and warm enough to spend a bit of time pottering there at last.....

 ...........i have also been making simpler little fabric birds to make a very loooong string....

 ...........years ago i bought a similar very long string of fabric birds from a hippie shop and i decided to make a new version with lots of bright fresh fabrics.........it took quite a while to make enough birdies.....

                                         ............and to sew on all their beady eyes.............

............to string the birds together i used baker's twine and put lots of gorgeous beads between each bird.......there were beautiful lampwork beads and some cheap and cheerful bright pink ones too.......

 ...........i am really enjoying having this little flock brightening up the sewing room.........

............my daughter sarah loves them so i'm making another string for her now....maybe not as long as the original one though so she will get it sooner............

.............we did lots of gardening at the weekend, clearing old leaves and cutting down dead plants ready for all the new growth.....  the garden has really come to life with buds and blossoms just beginning to open, lots of crocus and snowdrops looking pretty....and a robin and a family of blackbirds singing above us in the trees.............a wonderful time of year :)............thank you for visiting here, it is always a pleasure to see you and to read your lovely comments............wishing you all a happy sunny crafty week.....back soon xxxxxxxxxxoooooooooooooxxxxxxxxxxx

Happy Making

It's been a busy week since i last wrote in my little blog space.....lots of things to do, places to go...people to see...deadlines to meet......and a lovely day spent looking after the grandbabies during half term...we painted, walked by the sea, went to the park, made things and had a lot of fun.......

 .......this week i have been making things from scraps......such a satisfying thing when you are using up little bits of scrap fabric and making sure nothing is wasted..........it also means that you eke out the last bits of your most favourite fabrics to enjoy for as long as possible.............i made this quilted pincushion with a few tiny little pieces of some favourite prints..........

 ..........i love how each scrappy patchwork has a different look depending on the combinations that happen almost by serendipity..........

............this is the beginning of a new scrappy patchwork quilt top.......i decided i need to work with simple squares again after the complexities of the wonderful farmer's wife quilt......i do love squares and the way they show off the fabrics.............

 ...........as in my winter flowers bag, made for a magazine commission, i have left some plain white squares which i may embroider on later...we shall see how it all turns out :)..............

 ...........there are piles of toppling fabric in the sewing room........and now that i have used up some scraps it is time to buy some new fabric to replenish the stocks ;)............

 ...........below is some gorgeous new fabric that arrived today........some pam kitty love from sew and quilt here...........i love the colours and the sweet flower prints so much..............

 ......besides a bit of tidying of the sewing room i have decided to sort out the kitchen too....

 ..........time to find all the pretty spring china ready for easter decorating...............

 ...........i have two new greengate tea towels (one is shown above on the left)....but am not sure if i can bring myself to use them for drying dishes.....i might just have to make something with them as the farbic is so pretty...............

............the sun has come out at last again here today after a week of freezing temperatures.......so glad to see it :)...........thank you for popping in to see me here in my little space, it's always a pleasure to have your visit..........wishing you a wonderful week with sunshine and lots of happy making times.....back soon xxxxxxxxxooooooooooooxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Flower Notes

 For a few days over the past week it has really felt as if spring might be here........it was sunny and warm (out of the shade anyway)...........and everywhere there was the sight of trees budding and little dots of colour as early blossom unfolded and tiny spring flowers began to peep out..................

............there are lots of flowers in our house this week too....valentine's flowers, snowdrops picked from the garden, primroses and primulas too...........and some stitched flowers as well..........

...........this little applique picture is handstitched and on a theme i am especially fond of......little lollipop fabric flowers in pretty fabric pots, with added embroidery stitches and quirky buttons......

.............i love making these...........the *lollipop flowers picture* is a project that is now available complete with pattern and instructions and can be found in my new book here....................

 ..........here i have been making a bigger but similar design for a cushion panel..........

                                                  ..............finishing the sewing..............

.....................and deciding which little buttons to sew on..........the birds and flowers buttons here are from just another button company and the flowery covered button is a cath kidston one ........i will of course show you the cushion when it is completed ;)..........

 ............our first snowdrops of the season............there are many more in tiny bud form still......i used to draw and paint snowdrops every year, trying to find the best way to capture those perfect little pristine white shapes.......

 ..........sometimes i still do paint flowers but mainly now i love using my flowery fabrics to create a flowery crafty feel.......

 .............snippets from the bright and cheerful primulas in my favourite egg cup...............

................and a picture of these beautiful blooms from mr p.............they are not only varied and colourful but with a beautiful scent too...........sometimes i move flowers round the house so if i'm working in the studio - or the sewing room - all day i can enjoy them with me...........the pink lilies in this vase have now opened up and smell delicious...............it has turned grey and cold here again today, after a really sunny and gorgeous day yesterday, so i am glad of the flowers for a splash of colour.................

.....thank you to everyone who has sent me lovely messages about my new book, you are so kind to get in touch and let me know how much you like it...thank you :).................

....and thank you to everyone who visits my bit of blogland, friends old and new......wishing you a wonderful week....hope it has flowers, sunshine and lots of crafting in it ...........back soon xxxxxxx

Sew Romantic

 As this is a rather romantic time of year i decided this post should have a romantic feel too......but first i must announce the winner of my recent bunny giveaway......thank you very much to everyone who entered, it was so lovely that so many of you offered a home to miss hyacinth.......i wish that i had a whole burrow full of bunnies to give away.....but there is just one winner and that is............... sweet paula at the lovely blog sweet victoria rose.......well done on being the number chosen, paula...i will be in touch very soon for your postal address :)...........

...........i made this heart quite a while ago now as a project for my new book *pretty patchwork gifts*........i loved the french postcard print fabric and made the patchwork heart using other pale florals too, then added embroidered details and embellishments....

..........the pattern and instructions for the romantic french heart can be found in the book.............

                                                .............*pretty patchwork gifts*..........

..........i have also been sewing some new hearts for valentine's day and adorning them with buttons....the little blue grey dish was one of a set from granny's attic....i think they were designed originally as fruit dishes but now i use them as button dishes, and also to hold the pieces of a patchwork block, they are just the perfect size for that :)......

............the bright fabrics and haberdashery things in my studio are helping to cheer up one of the gloomiest and most bitterly cold days we've had this winter........ 

...........but some cheery primroses and a bright valentine heart seem to do the trick..........

 .........this week i received one of the things i love most......a brown paper package tied up with string.........it was a beautifully wrapped giveaway parcel from lovely nina at tabiboo..........i was the lucky recipient of a sweet collection of afternoon tea inspired gifts.............

..........i am looking forward to enjoying the tea and shortbread biscuits with my daughters who also love afternoon tea......and the cup and saucer, beautiful postcards and vintage apron will be treasured.......thank you, nina................

..............i am loving the new pink primrose plant in the old blue and white spotty pot which i use every year for the same purpose and always enjoy seeing on my kitchen window sill........

 ...........another of my paper packets...this one has special valentine chocolate inside..........

.........thank you for visiting my bit of blogland today it's a delight to see you :) and i look forward to coming and visiting you now............i wish you a wonderful valentine week with treats and treasures and happy crafty times.........keep cosy.........back soon xxxxxxxxxxooooooooxxxxxxxxx

Hearts and Flowers

Sometimes a simple thing can lead to lots of ideas for art and design projects......many of the things we found when clearing out granny's attic last year have been waiting in my studio to be used when the moment is right.........

 ...............a year or two ago i made some paper gift packets using children's book pages (from old and damaged books!).......and now i have used the idea here with some pages from an old gardening book we found, partly damaged and deteriorated but with some pages still usable for collage and crafting....

..........i needed some printed text pages for a recent magazine project, and then went on to make this gift packet....you place a small gift or some sweets on a piece of paper, place a matching piece on top and machine or hand sew round the two so the gift is enclosed.......then decorate the outside with rubber stamps, flowers cut from rosy fabric or paper, then tie up with raffia and add a heart button and tag.......

 ..........it can be torn open along one of the handily perforated stitched sides.......................

 ................i also made a decorated romantic wrapper for a white candle......(as with all candles do not leave this one unattended)......it is even nicer if you have a rosy matchbox to light it with.............

...............it has been tulip week here at helen's house......i bought a few inexpensive bunches at the local greengrocer's and have enjoyed them soo much.........here is one bright bunch with the new crafts beautiful magazine....the blue birdie on the cover is part of my project in this month's issue which is filled to the brim with spring crafting.......

                                                      ..........more of my cheery tulips...........

.........i mentioned some time ago that i was busy working on blossom and birdie designs for spring and now they are all appearing.........world of cross stitching commissioned four spring samplers from me for their special giveaway chart book and it is now available........for more information go here.....

.......and i created a new little home sampler for cross stitcher magazine....when i saw that the magazine photographer had styled it beautifully with paints and brushes i thought i'd plonk it onto my studio table among my own paints and brushes and current illustration projects for a quick picture.....

 .............one day last week i stepped out of the house and felt as if spring was in the air....a mildness and a brightness....and lots of strong looking green shoots and bulbs growing in the front garden.....
but then came the gale force winds and lots of gloom and rain for a few days........but it won't be long now till it really is spring :)........

.............thank you for all the bunny love in my last post....the giveaway for miss hyacinth is still open until february 11 so there is still plenty of time if you would like to add your name to the draw.......i have so enjoyed reading your lovely comments and finding new blogs to visit too.........wishing you all a wonderful week with sunny days and happy crafty times..........back soon xxxxxxooooooxxxx