Not such a busy week

The trials of self employment this week.

1. Sewing machine total failure.  I had planned to buy a new one anyway so off I went to buy one, got it home and the light doesn't work.  No time to take it back until next week.

2.  Panic about having enough stock for the Craft Fair on Sunday and wondering if I better contact Fat Elvis to see if the has got anything I can sell.

3.  Craft Fair is cancelled the day before the event, not the organisers fault, problem with the venue.

4. On the upside managed to get a cancellation at the Make and Mend market at The Star and Shadow. This is a lovely venue for craft fairs and gigs.  Got a confirmation when I was still in bed on Sunday morning so a mad panic ensued to gather everything up and get there.

5.  Central Motorway closed, traffic jams on a Sunday morning and an interesting diversion around Newcastle.

6. The sun shone and as a result there were not a lot of people at the market, but I did get some interest and a very excited young lady loved my bags and upon purchase immediately emptied out her old one and started using it.

7.  I did get a lot of knitting done.

I don't think I will be giving up the day job just yet.

Here are a few not very good shots of my stall.

Lindy's Loops Closed for Funshine

Everyone has to take a day off so Lindy's Loops closed for the day to participate in some fun.  The day started with the torture of my poor clarinet teacher, I just can't do flats, apparently I read in sharps.  I purchased some beautiful purple fabric to compliment this Berry Brolly Fabric watch out for the bag coming to my shop soon.

Next stop home to pick up my best buddy and then off to the toon for a wander in the afternoon sun.  First stop Ladbrokes to place a little wager on the Grand National.

Gateshead doesn't have a great selection of pubs these days, but the refurbished Central is wonderful it is a Flat Iron Building and provides such interesting rooms and now it has a roof terrace and although the view isn't what you would traditionally think of as spectacular it allows you the pleasure of Gateshead's old town hall and watching trains going in and out of town.

And in case you don't see any trains they have a model train in a glass case.  By the way look at the bridge behind the train it looks like the brickwork is starting to bow.

We made our favourite walk over the magnificent High Level Bridge

 to watch the Grand National and lucky for me I chose an each way bet as the only horse I picked that was placed came second, so I will have to make sure to collect my £6 or so winnings.

As always we headed off towards Ouseburn and on the way we stumbled upon a stray bus, all aboard the number 14 for Tottenham Court Road.

These guys look a little confused, they only hopped aboard the number 14 hoping to to go to Oxford Street!

We enjoyed some late afternoon sunshine outside the Cumberland Arms and in the garden of the Free Trade which has the best view of all.  As we set off for home we walked along the quayside and the party boats were out in force which meant that the blinking eye was blinking.

and I couldn't resist a little shot of the Baltic, before heading home.

What a nice day off.

Cowboy Dreams or the Tribulations of Self Employment

It all started with a beautiful piece of fabric by Alexander Henry.  

Ever since I bought the fabric I couldn't stop singing Cowboy Dreams and wondering what ever happened to Jimmy Nail.  More importantly I have been dying to make this into a bag.  So more haste and less speed, furiously cutting and trimming and stitching and then disaster, sewing machine fail, production halted at Lindy's Loops.

This is when I realised that I need to be everything in my self employed world so I called the maintenance department and there I was fiddling with moving machinery parts and machine oil in hand.  Now I know the frustrations when something goes wrong in your business.  They say you must add in realistic costs to your product to account for your time, well you better get your savings out if I add the stoppage time to this bag!  Any way I got things going again and it is finished now.

I thought the fabric was quite bold so I have put the patterned fabric on one side and plain fabric on the reverse and I have added my usual little flower brooch to the plain side for a contrast.  I just love these 50's style ladies in all their hour glass figure glory.  The fabric is called 'Shoot from the Hip'. If you want to buy this bag you need to visit me at the craft fair on the 17th April at The Pullman Lodge in Seaburn.

I hope you like it, I am planning some more bags in interesting fabrics so keep checking out my blog.

Perfect Little Circles

How appropriate that I should be drawn to this lovely fabric (which is actually called Modern Meadow, by Joel Dewberry) it has lots of Perfect Little Circles and today we are going to see Perfect Little Circles at the Head of Steam.  They are supporting the excellent  Pale Man Made and there will be music selected by Bill from Pop Klubb.

Anyway here is the dress which the music influenced.  It is based on a classic 60's A Line style and has a front zip which was a popular thing in the late 60's.  I do recall that it could be a dangerous thing to wear to a school disco, unless you put a secret pin through the zip to stop the boys revealing all!

The fabric is a sort of turquoise green and mustard colour and I have to say the photo doesn't do the colour justice.  It is a very light cotton so I have fully lined this in poly cotton so that you can keep your modesty and stay cool.  As always I have included a button brooch.

This is another one which will be going to the craft fair on 17th April at The Pullman Lodge, Seaburn.  I hope to see you there I hear this will be a bumper event as it is Makers Markets birthday and there will be cake.

Dotty Days

Today I have been working on a dress which will be going to the craft fair on 17th April.

The dress has a fitted bodice and a drop waist.  The bodice is fully lined in the same fabric as the dress and has a little button brooch on the shoulder.  The brooch is fitted with a clasp so you can take it off and pin it to your cardigan or jacket.

The skirt is slightly gathered and is the sort of skirt that you could twirl and swirl and flounce in.

You could easily dance around in this dress to some of the music I listened to today, Stars of Aviation, Miles Davis, Moira Stewart , Pocketbooks and Cilla Black.