Petal

I have finished one of the cuffs. Again, it is Julie Arkell inspired. I hope you can read the embroidery, it says petal.

Pretty messy

The mantelpiece became a bit cuter today. Alas, I should have been getting on with other things...



It has got a bit untidy here of late. As you can see, I have lots of little scraps of fabric and radom buttons that need to be made into something.



I started this doll a while ago and need to finish her.



Matroyska dolly is watching in dismay. If she could shake her pretty head, she certainly would.



But hey, it is almost Easter. I am looking forward to an Easter egg, I am a big kid really.



The dolly faces need to be finished. Not sure if they will still be brooches. They could be on a cuff or on a bag.



I made this wish doll and she is almost finished. I am not sure whether to add wings and make her into a fairy or not.



I know this is still at a messy, incomplete stage, but I am thinking of this kind of thing for some of the cuffs, floral fabrics and little leaves. I would be spring like and bright and a good way of using the fabric scraps.



The doll in the lace dress has been my most popular one on flickr, so at some point soon, I want to make something similar.



This one will be a birdie cuff.



More small dolls. They look a bit creepy at this stage with no faces, eek.



This is the foot of the wish doll. I have made her dolly shoes with red wool and I rather like them.



I have piece of gingham fabric I would like to dress some of the small dolls with.



Here is the wish doll and her dress which is in leaf shapes, kind of flower fairy like. I was inspired to do her stitched wish by the work of the ever fabulous Julie Arkell.



This will be another cuff. It is decorated with the vintage buttons I found in the attic. The fabric has tiny birds on it. I am not sure if it is too frilly. The stitching is quite messy, but I wanted it to look imperfect. It should look good with more buttons and sparkliness.



This will be another cuff. The fabric is silk and I am fond of the heart button.



Here it is, with a few more buttons.

I also bought some more fabric in Ikea. I am thinking of making some cats or bags from it. I would love to make Eliska a frock. I am still a learner though.

I like this folk arty ribbon. I am planning to put it on a doll.

More of the little bird fabric. It is super cute. I would love to make a corsage from it.

Righto, you have seen it all now, so I have no excuse not to crack on. By the end of March whatever I have made will go into my etsy shop. I have no idea if I will be able to sell anything, but you never know if you never try. It is my dream to make some money from making and selling pretty things. After writing this, I feel bit clearer about what I will be doing. Feel free to comment, it is helpful to me as it gives me an idea of what is good and what is a bit pants.

Byeee, Tracy

A wandering

There were flashes of sun today in Brno, although it was still chilly and I had my woolly hat on. I found some more little details, including the funny little statue outside the theatre. He really is a peculiar little fellow.

The second to top pic makes the sky appear much darker than it actually got, but I like the way it looks a tad scary and gothic.

As no shops were open, I peeked through the windows and took a few pics. There are a few shops in the city centre that I love. I am also a sucker for a fetching window display.

We saw some alarmingly large pigeons. Quite well fed tummies on them. The ever kind hearted Roman gave them some bread, when they quite clearly had had enough.

It was funny to see that one pub took part in the celebrations for Paddys day.

Part of the fireplace is done and I really like it. It looks as if it was always there, if that makes sense.

I enjoyed wandering about. I hope you had a smashing Sunday.

Baby Steps

Our house is steadily taking shape. At times, it seems like baby steps, but instead of getting frustrated and impatient, I am trying to take it easy. After all, I have a perfectly good roof over my head, clean running water and very little to whinge about.

Any road, as we sometimes say in Yorkshire, the kitchen sink and bath have taps. The bathroom tiles have been grouted. I have a stand from Ikea that I think I will paint white.

I have also chosen and ordered the tiles for the kitchen. I have not been terribly adventurous, as they were white. I was tempted by pink, yes pink. However, we have been waiting so long to move to this house that I could not be bothered with the hassle of choosing something coloured or patterned, to find it looked wrong. I think you cannot go wrong with white and I have lots of colourful things to brighten the kitchen anyways.

We have a wood burning stove and our friend is placing bricks today behind the place the burner will go and beneath it. I am not sure if this is a house fashion faux pas, as I remember when people had a phase of painting brickwork fireplaces. However, these ones will only be for where the burner goes, so I think they should look ok. Roman found the old bricks in a nearby village and some have lettering on. Curiously, even some of the older houses here can be quite bland and lacking in character, so I think this is another way of making the house a little more interesting.

I am thinking of white, cream and coffee tones for the walls. I am contemplating colour, but again, am worried about making mistakes. Many a time I have painted walls then wished for the lightness of an all white house. I think this house needs the light look as it has low ceilings and is not a terribly light place. I was thinking of some wallpaper but the only place that sold good ones has closed down. The other ones I have seen here have been of the cheap and nasty variety.

Anyway, hope I have not bored you silly with my ramblings. Hope to have more progrees reports soon. I know the house looks a bit of a sight in the pics, but I think it will be good to see the contrast when it is finished and shiny and tidy and nice. Apologies too for the quality of the pics. Our phone is on its last leggies, I think.

There is a randon shot of the cobbles in our drive, which I think are wonky and cute. A lot of the roads here are still cobbled, which looks gorgeous.

If anyone has any colour suggestions, do let me know.

Have a super weekend everyone. x

Window shopping

Ok, time to go shopping. Tis impossible, you cry. Ah, but the wonders of the tinternet allow us to window shop till our little hearts burst.

I love the picture of the window. It looks so cosy and inviting. The windowsill looks perfect. It is the kind of picture I wish I was in, if you know what I mean.

All the pics are from the site at Decorative Country Living. They have great stuff for kids, including woollen toys by Laura Long and a lot of vintage pieces.

I have seen so many delightful pics from this shop, Decorative Country Living, so thought you may like them too. As usual, these pics veer to the very pretty and girly and super cute. Behold, a glorious tin star, endearing woollen mice,enamelware and beautiful furniture. Is that a wistful sigh I hear... Ah, just me then.

Kiss the little things

What a strange day. It seems so oddly silent.

I was listening to Lauren Laverne today on Radio 6, completely oblivious to the events going on until she mentioned them, saying how helpless she felt. I had turned the TV off as Eliska sees a bit too much sometimes. I turned on the TV and was in shock. Eliska danced and twirled round the living room, totally unaware.

There seem to be so many natural disasters of late. It is so sad for the people of Japan, who, as my friend Lee said, have already known their own apocalypse in the form of the nuclear bombs dropped there.

It is eerie to see the sheer force of nature playing out before your eyes. At these times, nature seems monstrous. Anything I say seems trite. I just felt so sad today and realise how lucky I am to have my family. At times like this, all I can do is hug Eliska and Roman and appreciate every

moment.

I found a little Oilily soap tin with the cutest doll on it. Cute pics seem weird with this post, but I suppose that is why I love the cute stuff. The little things, the bright things, nick nacks, butterflies, fairies, dolls, candles cheer me up. I like creating a safe little place, a bit of a childish place if truth be told, that is an escape from the harsh world which is sometimes unbearably hard.
I hope Japan and other countries affected get the help they need. I complain too much sometimes when my life is good and I have a lot to be thankful for. It is days like this that bring that home to you like a kick up the bum. It is easy sometimes to look inwards but tody I am looking outwards and thinking of the small differences I could make.

Sending you all hugs and kisses or bugs and fishes, if that is too cheesy,

Tracy