Getting my groove

Well its taken all of the children's summer holidays to finally get into our summer groove. Its been a little bit of an adventure both good and bad to get to this stage...
but here we are, the three of us away enjoying the last opportunity of quality time together before our routine changes in ways I an quite frankly not prepared for. After twenty years I will return to college education and work, my eldest child ventures off into the unknown when he changes school. The prospect of moving to a new home. So many changes and so much to move through. HOWEVER... right now this very moment we are all together, enjoying special family time.
Which of course weather permitting means time on the beach.
...and of course a little bit of yarn play for Mommy.

I wanted to say a special hello and a huge thank you for all the lovely comments on my last post, what a delight to log on and read such lovely messages. Such a gift. I welcome you to my humble little blog.

cup cake crazy

With the Dotty Red shop closed for the summer I have been trying to snatch some time between flood management and chilling out with my guys to working on the cup cake range. What is it with cup cakes . . . we all love them . . .
doesn't matter if they are knitted, sewn or of course freshly made with real cooking ingredients.
The Dotty Red range is working out just fine and dandy. I find the knitted ones very relaxing to make and with so many patterns out there I thought I would write my own pattern. Its not the first time I have tried to write a pattern but I have to confess its the first one that worked out. I love the pretty sweet like colours I am working with and its one of my favourite yarns.
Last year I made many of these cup cakes for an Internet shop based in London, batches of them in cup cake boxes, I guess they really do look much better if there are a few of them. I was astounded by the retail cost compared to the price I sold them for wholesale. So many cakes made now... I have made some with rattles in for little ones to shake, display cakes for cake shops and fashion shops, I even made some for my own children's play kitchen. I have them down to a fine art now and can whip them up in no time compared to the hours they originally took.
On to the rest of the range, the cushions are coming on well, I have a few made now, these ones just walk out the door on their own, I think its down to the lovely vintage floral fabric I have been using, sadly I only have a couple of meters of this left. I have made a two book bags, two pump bags and two lunch bags for the style conscious school girl...
And of course you cant talk about cup cakes without the real thing that inspired me in the first place. My breakfast raspberry muffins. Just the quickest and yummiest recipe for muffins, no buttermilk or yogurt just basic store cupboard ingredients and of course raspberries, or chocolate chips or even cranberries if that's your preference. If your interested in the recipe and indeed I do make it at breakfast it is that easy, let me know and I will post it up for you.

So on with the holiday, how can we really be half way through the seven weeks and yet so little time has actually been spent with my children, what with the flood management and all the rubbish bits going on in my life at present I am running around like a mad thing and juggling more than the usual balls in the air at once. If you read my old blog Suzie Sews you will know that beach time is a priority for this family, without the camper van its not as much fun for the children to be fair but we have had some fabulous days walking along the beach in the wind and the rain and indeed making up a camp spending all day swimming and chilling with a BBQ ongoing to keep the snacks flowing, my children seem to eat a phenomenal amount of food, I seriously cant keep them filled up!!!

I typed this with a kitchen full of little people, all wanting something different, every time I settled down to type another request would be made... so forgive the lack of flow:) Ah motherhood!!! HAPPY DAYS

Time on my own...

Time on my own this week, its very unusual, I have been a full time stay at home Mom for a decade now. My children have been the very centre of my world. So to suddenly find them away with Dad having never been away from them for more than a couple of days is so emotional. Also not helped by phone calls from my children telling me they miss me and my littlest one secretly asking to come home for a Mommy cuddle. Yes its a funny feeling having time on my own and is so not right on so many different levels.The flood has caused major damage, we are talking new plaster boards and maybe a new upstairs floor. The house is full of industrial fans so I have run away to my little haven, my little place by the seaside. My travelling companion is my sewing machine and a basket of gorgeous yarn. Dotty Red is closed for business at the moment with the summer season other than an order for felt hearts for a new children's shop.
So whilst I am trying to work on a few Christmas ideas (oh man, did I really say the 'C' word) and indeed the ideas are being put into practice and turning out well. But you know I forget that this is my holiday too and despite all my worries and concerns I have been spending a little time on me because there is not much I can do when away! The thing I do that de-stresses me...
The thing I never seem to have time to do now as my time is taken up with orders, no the me time focuses on yarn play, two baskets full of my favourite yarn. I am making the crochet saggy bag from Attic 24 using rowan cotton and a blanket of hearts for my wee one using Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino DK.

Yes its not right that my children are not here and every moment hurts, but soon they will be back in the fold of 'my little family of three' and the usual team work will commence, along with sorting the flood out, stupid unnecessary meetings with solicitors but most importantly laughter, fun and masses of cuddles.

In the meantime, you can hear me clicking and hooking away whilst listening to the sea rolling in and out and the screeching seagulls who are liking the look of my picnic.

Its that time again...

Indeed it is that time again, time to head off to the seaside, dip cute little toes in the chill of the sea, feel the sea breeze rushing through your hair, watching your little ones running around in the sand and too much ice cream sticking to sandy faces...
Packing up a picnic for the day and some 'creative makes' for Mommy to do, yes its that time again, the best time of the year...
Trying to find my summer groove is tricky this year, its the first time I am at home with the children and also working on my sewing and trying to fulfill orders. I am finding I am spending my evenings, once the little ones are curled up for the evening after a busy day of play and eating, sewing - right through till the early hours of the morning then waking up feeling the symptoms of lack of sleep. Not to mention the guilt I am feeling that for the first week of the holidays I have spent it on the telephone to either solicitors or insurance people. I have had a flood at home and found that the damage is going to cost thousands rather than hundreds...
So along with keeping the little ones happy, being innovative with our entertainment with little money to spare, sewing and the little problems life just throws at you, well its being a testing week. My philosophy on this is 'Things can only get better" after all I only have to listen to the sound of the sea to feel my soul calmed.
On the sewing front, I am working on a cup cake range, this is my first cushion, along with working on some shabby chic style cushions using beautiful vintage fabric. Add to the range some knitted cup cakes and children's draw string bags.

Yes finding the summer groove, its a little more challenging this year but with the children's laughter and all the extra hugs I am getting I know we will get there... Hoping you have found your summer groove and also a little space for just yourselves...

Another school year roles past...

Hurrah... its the start of the holidays. They have felt like a long time coming this year. So much to do and so much organising. The children seem to have had one event after another... busy busy busy!Of course the teachers deserve a little treat...
Which prompts a sewing order full of heartfelt thanks.
On a personal note I wanted to say a big Thank You and how much I appreciated all your fabulous comments on my Dotty Red Blog. I thank you for following me over here and for bearing with me over the past few months. I am sure in time I will share the events that have led up to this stage but I wanted to ease myself in gently and get back the rhythm of blogging.
Sewing is no longer just a hobby for me, its now a way of putting food on the table, life has really turned up side down and I am still trying to work it all out, the future is full of insecurity and unanswered questions but with a little focus, energy and the support of a precious few I and indeed my children are getting to a better place. I thank you from my heart.

Get going...

A constant supply of beautiful 'Yorkshire lavender' hearts...Introducing the 'Love the Beach' summer cushion range...
Beach Hut dreaming... Cushion made with vintage Laura Ashley 'Emma' fabric.
Reminiscent of deck chair fabric, bunting and blue gingham. Ice cream, sun cream, blue skies and the sound of the waves rolling over the shore...
Dotty fabric that just makes you smile...