Tooling Up

Day 3 of 40Acts has set us the following challenge

Create a list of the tools you have at your disposal: it might include your creative mind, your enthusiasm, your computer skills, or your savings. Then, use one item on your list to bless someone today

So I may add to this later, but my “tools list” of things I think I am good at looks like this

• cooking
• sewing
• knitting
• crochet
• encouraging
• caring
• listening

There’s a lovely lady from church who has been a total blessing to me and many many others and has become a lovely friend checking in on me from time to time.  She loves my sewing, so today I am going to make her a little something to bless her with to say thank you for all that she is and does.

So yesterday my plan was to make some more things to add to the baby package.  I managed to squeeze a pair of slippers and scratch mitts out of the leftover fabric from making the pajama tops.  Am still waiting for the extra fabric to make the bottoms out of to arrive though which is a little frustrating.  Hopefully that will turn up tomorrow now.

Slippers and scratch mitts

Have a couple of twin needles for my sewing machine which I have inherited so I’d like to have a play with those today and teach myself a new skill.  I think I’m really enjoying this sewing journey, there’s so much to learn and new skills to try I’m never getting bored and with each passing day I am getting better and better.  Dress making is still something I need to really start thinking about.  Making little baby clothes is fine, but I would like to try my hand at more dress making with different fabrics so I shall probably start doing a bit more research into that now.

Until next time x

Generosity

Act number two in 40acts for lent is

This Lent, set aside a generosity jar and commit to putting in a small amount daily or whenever you have spare change.

Now we already have an ikea plastic tub which I clear out all the the copper and 5p coins from my purse into regularly.  It’s known as our “charity box” because we let it build up and then use it to buy things for the local food bank, or give it to another charity.  This plastic box is far from pretty though so I have today transferred it into a preserving jar and wrapped a bit of ribbon around it.  We now have our generosity jar and I have cleared my purse out of everything smaller than £1 into it to top it up a little and will make a point of doing this on a daily basis now

So onto yesterday’s work.  I bought some cotton jersey fabric a while back to make baby pajamas to add to my friends baby shower package.  I’ve never worked with stretch fabrics much before so it was a bit of a daunting prospect.  I had done a bit of reading and researching on how to deal with the fabric and definitely learnt from others mistakes.  Now they’re not perfect, but I am rather pleased with how these turned out

First time working with knit fabric

Inspired by my success and having fallen in love with the pattern I grabbed some fabrics left over from another project and measured up to see if I had enough left to make a top out of each.  May have to buy a little extra of each of these fabrics now to make matching pajama pants to go with them because I absolutely adore how these ones have turned out!  Robert Kaufman fabrics are my absolute favourite prints at the minute and this soft cotton flannel is perfect for snuggly Pjs.

Baby pajama tops made from leftover fabric from another project

Today’s work plan is to make some baby shoes for the baby shower package and  then I may have to see if I have enough trimmings of the above fabric left to make some slippers or scratch mitts.

Until next time…

Fresh start for Lent

I have signed up to 40Acts this lent and Act #1 is to Create a journal and begin Lent with a gratitude list.  Today therefore seems to be a perfect time to start my blogging life so we’ll start with the above and then I shall go on with the rest of things I’d like to share.

Today I am thankful for my friends, family, church, health, my skills and talents, the fact my hobby is my job, our fabulous home and those few things are just the beginning of a very long list.  I have so very many things to be thankful for.

I do have a wish list of people I would specifically like to bless during Lent, a couple of lovely facebook friends who I won’t mention by name incase they read this, my husband, a lady from Church who has been a very real blessing to me, and two fabulous friends who are going through some very exciting but scary times at the moment.

Generosity is something I have, I hope, become quite good at.  I often give away little gifts on my Celery Crafts business page, customers love a freebie and it’s all good marketing.  I have recently discovered “The Giving Bunny Project” too and have released a few little handmade bunnies from scrap materials into the wild, all of which have been snapped up and are in new homes now.

Today’s work plans are to make another marble maze, and to research some more little bits for the parcel I am putting together for a friend’s baby shower.  So far we have a cute little hat, an appliquéd onesie, some bandana style dribble bibs and a little butterfly toy that has wings that make a crinkle sound.  I think I’d like to add some shoes and pajamas to the parcel, and possibly a snuggly blanket of some sort.  Will share photos of the package as and when I complete it all.

I think I’ve shared enough for my first post and the post office run is calling me.  I am sending my first marble maze out to a facebook  friend for product testing purposes.

Until next time x