If you geek me, I'll geek you back

When I say that I've been working on something Top Secret, it sounds so serious. But usually, it's not very serious at all. Remember how Apryl sent me an awesome hand-crafted Eric Northman doll? Well, I thought I'd make her something in return. Something ridiculous.


I did a bit of detective work to figure out all the celebrities that get Apryl into a fangirl flap and made their images into a collage with handy annotations. It was a little bit embarrassing explaining to Steven what I was making. And what UNF means. Mom and Dad, do not even google that. It means cute.


I printed it into a fabric-fusible paper, ironed it onto some polkadot fabric and made a notebook cover for artist's sketchpad.


And because Apryl is going on a trip back to our homeland soon, I also made a smaller travel notebook.


Probably the saddest dorkiest most awesome thing I've ever done. But I got to laugh at myself for two whole days.

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Of liars, rockets, and pirates

Some of you might have seen on Twitter or Facebook that we had an inauspicious start to Jamie's fifth birthday. Despite ordering most of his gifts on Wednesday with a 'guaranteed' delivery of Friday (a service I pay heftily for through Amazon Prime), there was no delivery on Friday. One irate email later, Amazon customer service responded that City Link assured them that it was delivered and they had a name of a signatory to prove it. Steven and I wrapped up everything it the house that was vaguely gift-shaped so he'd have something to open in the morning (new trainers, a book with a duff battery left over from Christmas, and a t-shirt I made him the night before). Once City Link was open to speak to, I was able to confirm as suspected that it was not delivered and in fact in their depot 45 minutes away. Pretending to Amazon that it was delivered within the guaranteed timescale, and that [ficticious name] signed for it, was 'an error'. Steven took a two hour trip in the car to collect them. My correspondence back and forth with Amazon customer support has been an exercise in futility and escalating rage as they offer stock responses about their shipping procedures and nothing pertinent to my actual complaint. Anyway.... when it's your fifth birthday the show must go on!


For unbeknowest reasons, this birthday was All About Rockets. I wouldn't say that he's particularly interested in rockets in the day-to-day, but when asked what kind of cake he wanted: A Rocket.


This is the cake arrangement in all its horror glory. I used the same book as Maia's mermaid cake as inspiration, and the moon was my own personal solution to the ridicilously over the top cake yield. To back up this statement, only the moon was consumed by five kids and three adults. We will be eating the rocket and stars for days to come.

Stated gift desires also included rockets. This might actually be the best gift under a tenner we've ever bought. You stomp on the pump....


The rocket goes shooting high into the beautiful Edinburgh sky:


And you're so happy you look like a supermodel:


But the main present that we got for Jamie was a couple of Lego Pirate sets.


For a long time we've mainly had toys that were pitched at their age level (or below because I've been remiss about farming out old toys). But Jamie is so into technical toys, and actually really skilled at assembling, that despite these sets being pitched at six to twelve year olds he was able to follow the picture instructions with just a bit of guidance.


He loves them and I think they will really help his imagination and free play a lot. Despite the ordeal of non-delivery and collection, they were probably worth the wait.


I'm boggling that I have a five year old. Is it just me, or does that seem so much older than four?

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The Cooperative of Very Special Fabrics

It's decided, I'm moving to Sweden. If I needed a more compelling reason than a potential sighting of mine obsession, look no further than the fabric. The fabric. The Fabric. THE FABRIC.

Pink elephants on brown interlock

I know. It's more than ridiculous that I bought fabric last week when the fabric closet over-runneth. But these jersey prints were irresistible.

Orange clouds interlock

Obviously, I'm not even able to contemplate what sort of use I will put them too. I'm just happy having them folded on the couch where I can smile at them at regular intervals.

Pink clouds interlock

Incidently, a couple of days after they arrived I saw the cloud print featured on Bambino Goodies so I know I'm in good company in liking them.

The only drawback about Scandanavian fabric is the cost. It generally runs at a fairly eye-watering (to me anyway!) £15 to £18 a metre. Which has given me a thought.... I've been wondering if there are others who would consider joining a Co-op of Very Special Fabrics. As a group, we could buy bolts of Very Special Fabric at wholesale prices, enjoy the lower per unit cost and combined shipping, and divide the spoils once it's in the UK. If there is remaining yardage, I could then sell to other discerning fabric lovers outwith the Co-op. Everybody wins.

I'm not necessarily thinking about only Scandinavian fabric, although there are VAT advantages of staying within the EU (with German, Finnish and Dutch fabric also being delectable). I'm talking about Very Special Fabric from around the world (Japanese fabric anyone?!). I'm getting ahead of myself, true, but how much fun would it be to see the different creations a dozen people made from one bolt?!

Who's in? Who's interested? Who's a buzz-kill?

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You say it best when you say nothing at all?

I've not been posting as regularly as I'm accustomed to. It seems that everything I'm working on at the moment is either Top Secret or repeats of things I've made before. Which leaves me not a lot to talk about. I could say 'Hi guys! I'm working on so many secret things but I can't tell you!' and you'd all want to stab me. I could say, 'Hi guys, remember that hoodie I made last week? Well, I've made another two!' and you'd probably start an internet bullying campaign on Twitter about how boring I am.

Look guys, I made one of these awhile ago and I'm still making them!

So I can't talk about sewing lest I get stabbed or bullied, which leaves me non-sewing chat. Do you want to hear about my suspected slipped disk? Or how I ran away from home the other night? I only made it a far as Scotmid, where I bought some groceries and then came home. But very, very slowly, dragging my leg behind me. No? You don't? Hmm.

Here, have a baby Jamie.

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Handmade gifts FTW. For the World. And the Win.

I'm still playing 'Make Gifts for People I Owe Gifts To'. It's a really fun game. All you do is act really pedestrian on someone's birthday, promise to make them a gift 'when you're less busy', and if you still have a friendship when you're less busy, then you make them something.


It has the added bonus of being practice for all the gift-making you're going to do for Christmas. Probably.


This is (obviously) a fabric cover for a year planner. But clearly that's not enough to make it up to someone who's been waiting for present for an indecent time. I am going to make everyone I know a makeup bag.


So there we go then. Christmas... what does everyone craft as gifts? So far I can make handbags, makeup bags, phone cosies and notebook covers, but as I've already given everyone in the world these already, what else can I make? If I'm not too busy.

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How do you out-awesome a skeleton?

Despite it being only the beginning of October, the crafty bloggy world is already a-twitter about Halloween. It's like the biggest event in the crafting calendar. I'm not much of a forward planner when it comes to sewing things for my own family, but Halloween costume fabric requirements would normally fall outwith the stash. Unless I make them go as Michael Miller and Amy Butler. Which, yes, would be funny. But only in limited circles. So I'll definitely need to buy some specialist fabric. But what to make? Don't tell me to ask them. I'm too much of control freak to spend my time sewing something atrocious and I'm 98% certain that Maia would request a Princess Ballerina. And Jamie a Care Bear. I'm not going to have that on my conscience.

A reminder of the costumes I made them last year:


If you want, I'm happy to discuss how much they've grown in a year. Before you ask, I don't know why Maia has turbo powered hair follicles. I suspect it's to torment me.

So, crafty peeps: what costumes are you making for the kids this year? Non-masochistic folk: what costumes are you buying?

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Have I gestated a latent comedy genius?

Jamie and Maia are really missing each other now that he's at school all the time. When he stands in line with his class in the morning, Maia and I stand on the grass at the side and she repeatedly runs over for one last kiss and cuddle from her brother. And at pick up time it's like the slow-motion-running-across-the-field-to-embrace cinema experience. She's obviously on his mind too, because look what he drew for her at school:

Maia in the sky with diamonds

We could talk about how adorable this is that they're so devoted to each other. Or we could go off topic and discuss Flowers in the Attic. But instead, let's revel in the artistic representation of Maia.... Anyone else seeing this?

For those of you who live in a closet under the stairs, that's Hyperbole and a Half, perhaps the funniest blog in the whole world. If you're not au fait, go and follow now. This is my absolute favourite post.

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