I'm going to ignore the fact that I haven't posted anything up here for at least a month and just go headfirst into all the squillions of things that need saying.  Or showing.  Whatever.

First up was Alexandra Palace Knit & Stitch show.  We had a massive delivery of Japanese fabrics in literally the day before and decided what the heck - lets take it.  So for the first time we had a little open area for cutting, and all the fabrics on the bolt.  Whew!  At one point my arms were seizing up with so much over use.  I guess you could say it seemed to go down well.  We didn't bring back quite as much as we took, lets say.

But of course I did my fair share of fabric buying too, some lovely liberty prints & others from Fabrics Galore (we seemed to just be swopping fabrics at one point).  

I also met the lovely Manda, from the amazing new magazine Sew Hip which if you haven't seen yet you should definitely check out.  Finally a magazine for people like me!  I am going to get a shop subscription - so if you want to know where to buy it, hopefully soon I'll be able to help you out.  I am especially excited about the next issue, but I won't tell you why - you'll understand when you see it...

The stand next to us was Clothkits, who we have come to know fairly well as she too is Chichester based and has popped into the shop on more than one occasion.  There are very few times I wish I worked somewhere else (I do love my job) but I do secretly want to work for Clothkits, they are doing such exciting things, really bringing the company up to date and then some.  After much umming and ahhing (is that how you spell that, I don't think I have ever written it before) I forgoed  (?) the purchase for me for now, (which would have been this) and I purchased for my fake neice (she isn't related but I think she should be) this cute little dress, 

which I sewed up last night and have thus created my first item of clothing from scratch.  (Unless you count a big skirt I made when I was 17, and it really shouldn't be counted.)

Anyhow, straight after that little dressmaking fire was in me and I just had to spew out another, this time with the new Sandi Henderson Farmer's Market range from Michael miller.  mmmm....  too cute...

 

Look at the cute cherries fabric with the gorgeous stripe lining....   oooh i like. 

and the frills.... aahhh...

So next step is to utilise some of that green liberty fabric I just showed you and make the Amy Butler Lotus tunic.  This is very nerve wracking for me, but I will do it.  If only big cat will get off the pattern pieces:

Oh, and lastly, I just wanted to show you the pics of my 3D card class we did on Saturday.  I was pretty pleased with the results, although it was fiddly and frustrating so I'm not sure how everyone enjoyed it.  I sometimes like to really keep my cards simple, and other times like to overwork them ridiculously.  This was one of the latter times.  So here is one using a paper artsy bauble, stamped onto acetate, embossed, cut out, slotted together, hanging in a little triangular box... you get it.

and then a diorama using Just Johanna's three french hens stamp... I love this stamp.  Seriously.  This whole range is just very funny and cute.

 

so, it's stamped seperately, I just used a tiny bit of red and blue colour on their berets, I stamped and embossed on acetate at the back, using a Amuse stamp, and my little letters stamps which I love (but didn't go down too well in the class, too fiddly, but I love that I can stampe ANYTHING with them on ANYTHING) saying ooh la la on the acetate and the greeting on the front. Here's a close up:

 they are Claude, Michel et Henri Hen.  It's great that the classes have more space, even though they are staying with the same amount of people.  I get frazzled enough with tiny classes so I'm not sure how I would do teaching a big one!  And now at least we don't have to worry about the fabric getting ruined in the tiny fabric room and we have natural daylight.  Great stuff.

Soon the last room should be ready and I can move some of my stuff in - finally!

So next it's off to Houston again for quilt market - is it that time of year already???  Hopefully I'll have lots of lovely things to show you when we're back.