how now brown cow and a 'funny' story

the last couple of weeks has been all about college work and yet i still managed to leave it all to the night before it needed handed in, you can't say I'm a procrastinator.

now do you fancy a giggle? here is a story about balance and co-ordination - my mum decided that she wanted a mp3 player but i convinced her to get an iPod. so yesterday i went to argos to get an iPod, it was all going great, i picked the one i wanted, payed for it and collected it, all simple enough until i was leaving the shop. you know how they have that box of catalogues in the middle of the floor? well i wasn't paying attention to my walking and managed to very gracefully fall straight into the box of catalogues! ooh it was soo embarrassing, needless to say i quickly got up and walked fast out of the shop and that is the let time i shall ever go there again!

time for sewing stuff now if you can stop giggling! it seems i have a thing for making cushions at the minute, but when inspiration strikes, go with it.

*this post contains brown fabric*

i love, love, love brown fabric right now, i just cannot get enough of it! which is the inspiration for my cushion

cows and brown fabric - match made in heaven. this is harriet the highland coo. it all started with this sketch one day in college and i knew harriet had to become fabric-y

i really like her hair, even though i kind of just want to flick it out of her eyes. and her strawberry nose, can you tell i really like my new cushion?

when i finished the appliqué it felt like the cushion was missing something, and i couldn't figure out what. then one day i was tidying i found my most favourite pink flowery fabric and i just knew it had to be the binding. i have a love/hate relationship with binding, i love how it looks, but hate sewing it on, anybody else feel the same about binding?

rachael x

walking in the air

it's monday! my favourite day of the week.

yesterday it was my brothers birthday and we all know what that means, yes! a handmade present, yay! do you remember this panel from ages ago?

i said i was going to make a cushion for him moving to england, well his birthday came first so i made it for his birthday. 

some straight line quilting, a little bit of appliqué, some binding and ta-dah! a cushion is made, i really like this map print from out to sea by sarah jane.

have you guessed his name yet? i am also happy to say that he loved it! and took a nap on it straight away, i would say that it was a success, yay! cause you just never know with handmade gifts.

now you've seen the cushion you might be wondering what age he is, any guesses? here's a clue

yes he turned 23! and every 23 year old needs a map cushion (he studied geography, so at least its relevant haha) with their name appliquéd onto it.

two birds, one stone i got to make a handmade birthday present and put a tick on my FAL quarter 1 list,  win, win!

rachael x

oh and before i forget there was also cake, a polka dot cake

just a quick photo i snapped before it was all eaten, it was yummy!!

it's friday the 13th!! and there's a fly in my bedroom

it's september which basically means it's autumn, so it's time for all the warm comfy clothes to come out, yay!! i always get the need to knit in autumn and the fact that i can't knit is completely irrelevant!! haha i decided on sunday night that i just had to knit me hat after seeing jeni's on instagram onto the computer i went, then spent ages dithering over what colour of wool to get, but finally it was ordered!! then i had to wait like an eternity (it was actually only 3 days) for the wool to arrive, i was watching the postbox with my binoculars haha. 

now i really can't knit and definitly not with circular needles!! but it only took me 3 tries to cast on and actually start my hat, eeekk it's exciting. i chose navy wool :) and i'm using the hannah pattern by luvinthemoomyhood it's actually not that hard, i think if you can quilt you can knit it's like magic.

well obviously i needed a pouch to hold my knitting, enter jeni's fab drawstring pouch pattern i made the 'project bag' size i love these pouches they are so quick and make such a cute bag.

i added a smile-y pink buuny cause i like pink and bunnies :) i also cut into the animal print from indian summer i love this fabric and soo wish i'd bought yards of it!

i also added some sketchy writing so i know that it is my knitting pouch. i'm about half way through knitting my hat (i've also ordered more wool to make more, yay!!) i'll be sure to show you a finished picture of me modelling it with my new haircut :)

rachael x

linking up with crazy mom quilts

i finally found my headphones.

it's seriously been like forever since i blogged, lets just say it was my mourning time for brian haha.

anyhoo lets see what i've been upto:

i became a student :) starting september i'll be going back to school and i can honestly say i am beyond excited!! oh and yes i'm not looking at the camera in my picture and it kinda makes me look crossed eyed haha.

there has just been a little bit of fabric shopping, i finally got some briar rose and linen, which i already have some plans for :) oh and i got katy's blogger bundle, i seriously love this bundle and have had dreams about it haha i cannot wait to cut it up.

i've also done a bit of sewing, my new machine was meant to arrive ages ago, but it didn't (it came yesterday *yay*) so the shop very kindly let me borrow theres until mine arrived.

i made a set of placemats for a commission. i love that they're soo bright! the fabric is terrain by kate spain, i had a fat quarter bundle of it from ages ago and finally used it!

now you all know i love cows, right? you don't? well i LOVE cows i think they are just like the cutest animal, so of course i had to put one on a cushion. now i have to say i think she looks more like a duck, but i still like her :)

and finally

picture from google images

i discovered garth brooks music! ahh you can't beat a little bit of country music haha

rachael x

flopsy. mopsy. cottontail and peter

: :  my new quilt (big reveal on friday!)

: : doodles

: : house cushion top

: : circus cushion top

: : spending the day playing with buttons :)

rachael x

linking up with fabric tuesday

heffalumps and woozles

what do you do when you've lost your seam ripper in the green sofa of doom?

you go searching for it and find bondaweb instead and completely forget about the seam ripper and just accept that it is gone forever!!

bondaweb is always fun to play with, but it first has to give me a headache trying to remember how to use it, i can't work backwards.

have you read the suitcase kid by jacqueline wilson? there was a toy rabbit called raddish in it and this was the inspiration for my cushion cover.

the border fabric is the new anna maria horner linen, its great to work with. i embroidered little clouds to add to the cuteness factor.

while the bondaweb was out i decided to make another and you can't go wrong with a 'home sweet home' cushion

sketchy applique is so fun i really like the 'primitive-ness' of it. so two more to add to the craft fair pile, which is fast approaching and i've still got loads to do, eek!!

rachael x

linking up with crazy mom quilts