Autumn Crafting

Hi folks!

I've once again been a very neglectful blogger :( Life has taken a me in a few different directions over the last year but I'm once again starting to feel settled and gearing up for some cosy crafting.

Absolutely the best thing about working from home (other than wearing my slouchies) is being able to embrace my inner domestic goddess. In between working I've been making blackberry jam (with fruit picked from the hedgerows on my countryside walks), baking bread (the smell is heavenly) and preparing this season's sloe gin.

Well with this abundance of sloes on the trees, it would be rude not to make gin!

I'm terrible for getting an idea into my head and not being able to shift it until I've made the idea into a reality. So the other day when the thought of fabric pumpkins to decorate my home for autumn/halloween popped into my brain, I naturally had to do something about it. Which is why this selection of 'petal' shapes are slowly being turned into little plushie pumpkins.

Beautiful fabrics chosen from my local material shop. 1/4 metre of fabric could give me as many as 6 pumpkins!

Slowly but surely, I'm sewing them up and transforming them into these little fruits. (Dark orange one approx 7cm dia.)

Now, here's my confession: I do actually own a sewing machine. Where is it? In it's box. So I'm sewing all of these by hand. Am I crazy? Probably. But I like the control that I have with hand stitching and it truly is a labour of love. I still have a little way to go yet so pop back to see the finished project later :)

Next on my craft radar is a little bit of Christmas knitting. My boyfriend requires (another!!) hat to wear when he's fishing so out come the needles. The yarn has already arrived. Some Garnstudio DROPS alpaca that I ordered from www.woolwarehouse.co.uk It's a super-soft yarn that knits up beautifully. Once again I will be using this gorgeous pattern by La Maison Rililie but sticking to just the stripy pattern for the boyfriend.

Green's not my cup of tea but apparently it's the ONLY colour to have for fishing - boring!

So I bought myself some much prettier colours and I'll get my hat when everyone else's gifts are finished.

Ah well, I'd better get on with these pumpkins and get my bread into the oven.

Happy crafting everyone!

Lu x