Embarrassment in the embroidery aisle

I love shopping for fabrics. I have tried to buy them online, but I can't feel, see or smell them so they're just not real enough to me.

So I'm the crazy person walking around the local haberdashery with armfulls of fabric rolls, fingers blue from lack of circulation, eyebrows furrowed in concentration and zippers and cotton trailing behind me.

I'll go in with a set idea of exactly what I need, but it's not long before I've spotted something that just screams out and is in a colour or weight I just can't use for my current project. Doesn't matter, gotta have it.
Sometimes I chuckle to myself when I find something that just 'tickles me pink.' (where the hell did that saying come from anyway?) Like this one, that I didn't have a plan for - just gotta gotta

So, I'll put it up for selection for my skirts, and a light summer dress. It's going to be a popular one and maybe I should have bought MUCH more of it. Maybe I should have hidden the roll. Damn, wish I had have thought of that sooner.

Anyway, can't take husband to the haberdashery with me. Even though his carrying capacity is greater than mine and leaves my arms free to flail about with glee and rifle through all the bottom rolls that you can't see at a glance. It's because I take too long, and I'm erratic, and probably because I'm pretty embarrassing laughing at and sniffing the material. Come to think of it, I don't blame him. Anyway, its better when I can take my time, dive into the remnant box and emerge victorious. It's the most exercise I get - some people have the gym, I lift yarn and pump cotton. I run the button aisles and box my way to the cutting counter, And let me tell you, my opponents are not easy to beat. Why so many sour faced old biddies buying material? Don't you know this is as close to releasing endorphins you'll get this week? Enjoy! flick through patterns with glee! Buy that electric blue rayon just because you want to! Knit your way to nirvana!

Perhaps it's just me then. Oh, and I looked up Tickled pink. It was apparently originally tickled to death, so I am happy to be tickled pink rather than black and blue - or dead.

Anywayv - obligatory link to my store here
It's not overly full at the moment, but have lots more to put up over the coming weeks.

today's gleeful purchases (all smell lovely by the way!)

Like sands through the hourglass...

Woah, where does the time go?
I just had a brief look at this blog and realised that it had been far too long since I did a hastily thrown together post. Not that I'm into hiding behind excuses, but this really is because of a few MAJOR things:

1. My very elderly cat up and died on me.

2. My not very elderly dog up and died on me with no warning.

3. I got made redundant from my day job (but ironically now have more work until I go)

So here's to life! making the excuses for me. But now is the time to drag myself out of the hole and get back up to date. If you think I stopped sewing because of my sadness you would be WRONG! I have sewn more than ever on an effort to pretend things are normal. However my concentration levels did not quite meet standards. So,

Things are normal: sew my dress to the tablecloth
Things are normal: sew a zipper on - carefully - back to front
Things are normal: make more cushion covers than I have cushions for
Things are normal: break two needles in succession, cry a little

you get the idea.
Anyway, been working on the clothing range and have a few nice designs that I have successfully made templates and patterns for. These include:

*Ruffle skirt (currently my favourite)
*Box pleat skirt
*light poplin elastic waist dress with round collar (cute in any colour!)
*tailored peter pan collar dress with zippered back
*Eastern style slab dress with cute bow and button

Obviously I make all kinds of crazy things for myself to wear, but these are the patterns that I am happy with enough to make for others.
Its too late to take pictures of everything in my cave, I mean dimly lit house, so I will update this post when I can model them then sort them into saleable items. I should have done this ages ago, but you know - life.

So check back! or I'll repost and you will have to read this all over again.
Things are normal: repost same blog, DOH!