Russian Doll Swap (and help me name my baby)

wow - how much interest so far? That's brilliant!!! I am so excited! (this is the first swap I've organised - I may be a bit rubbish at the organisational side of things....we'll see!). Just reminder to everyone, if you do sign up can you make sure I can contact you (email addy or link to blog etc). Or you can email me at katyejones@hotmail.com.

And just to answer a couple of Qs...international is (of course) fine, but if anyone does have an objection to mailing overseas just let me know and I can match you up with someone more local.

My new baby is amazing, she is totally amazing. I can't hear her when she sews, she is soooooooooo quiet. And the knee lift thingy - I don't know how I coped without it before! I can't wait to actually have something to sew, at the minute I am sewing hexagons together for a quilt for the ginger one, and also for a mini quilt swap on flickr (this month's flavour is English Paper Piecing, and I am a little hooked). I've got a bunch of hexagons to take in the car down to my mum and dad's today so I should have a photo of my progress when I get back.

I am stuck though...I can't choose a name for her. Help me out, and I'll send a little prezzie to the person who thinks up the best name (I say the BEST, what I really mean is the one I LIKE best... bearing in mind I am pestering W for a new -real life human -baby I can call Sheldon, my taste may be a little off the mark...)

Ok....that's it, I'm off.

Does Anyone Fancy A Russian Doll Swap?

SIGN UPS ARE NOW CLOSED!!!!! THANK YOU!



I've been thinking about this for a while....ever since I made the cushion for G.


A russian doll swap - use your talents, whether they're sewing a softie, a little dotee doll, knitting, crochet,creating a mini quilt, a cushion, painting a picture - whatever comes into your head.

Do you fancy it? Sign up below!!!! I'll leave the sign ups for a week, so you have until a week today to decide (or until I get too many people for me to cope with!) and we can go from there.




Russian Doll Cushion
Originally uploaded by imagingermonkey

I got one!!!!

Thank you so much for all your help and advice, it was great to have so many people give me their thoughts on what I should get, and I went to the sewing machine shop armed with info and questions - and didn't feel like a complete spanner, or get flustered (which is what usually happens!!!).

Soooo, what did I get? A Bernina Activa 240. It was the top end of my price range, kind of a bit over what I wanted to pay, but only a little bit, and I did have W's approval (he could see my face, I think I would have cried if he'd have said I wasn't allowed to buy it!).

The staff in the shop (Bambers in Eccles, Manchester) were fantastic, I was the only person in too, so I got to play with everything, and have a good fiddle about with all the different makes.

When I asked 'what would you buy in my budget?' the lovely helpful lady said 'bernina, it's the best you can get'. So that's what I got. (It was love at first sight, as soon as I sat down at her I was smitten) Now I have to read the instruction book, get her all set up and in her new home, and get sewing. I cannot wait (she really is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen!)

help me shop for a new sewing machine!!!

So, I think I need a new sewing machine. Well, I know I need a new one, mine is rubbish and always has been, but is finally on it's last legs!
The machine I have now is the most basic of basic (it's a joy's machine - which is fine for sewing the dolls, but not for anything a bit tougher), and I got it in a swap for some fabric from a friend (see how cheap and nasty it is!), it's now about 5 years old, and has served me and her well but it's needing to go into retirement and I need a new baby to play with!

So, I have a pretty much unlimited budget (thank you hubby), but I am thinking I'd like to pay around £500 or £600 (because I am a sensible bunny really).

I've looked around and I am liking the look of huskvarnas, they seem easy to understand (a must for a techno phobe like me), but what about the huskystar? Does anyone know about that one? Am I better off going for a fully fledged huskvarna? If I am looking at one of those, should I go the extra mile (and pay the extra pennies) and opt for a Bernina? Or is that just being a bit flash?

What about janome? Pfaff? Elna? Other makes? I have heard mostly negative things about Brother, and I must admit I haven't liked the look of most of them (weird fancy features that I can't see the point in). The same with singer (I had a singer before and it was a nightmare, it put me off machine sewing for years).

So, this is what I need;

a strong basic machine that can quilt (by that I mean go through thick layers, and do a few fancy stitches, but not a million)
a drop feed thingy for free motion quilting
a knee lift would be nice, but not essential
something reliable and easy to use

HELP ME PLEASE!!!

Tell me what you use and why I should buy it.

Thank you very much x

EDIT (9am 28th May); I am going to Manchester today to a shop called Bamber's (family run, big sewing shop) and they have all sorts (including Berninas...oooohhhhh!!!!) So wish me luck! I have a little selection of fabrics with me to test on, I have hubby's credit card on hand...I'll let you know how I get on later today. Blimey, I am so excited. I am actually grinning right now!

does anyone have a cooler name than Gina Ferrari?

Because I seriously doubt it. I really want to ask her if it's her real name but I think being told she's really called Gina Smith would upset me. So if it's not your real name, Gina - don't give me the real one (but I think it really is - I can't think why you would think up such a name unless you were a car freak).

Anyway, the aforementioned Gina was my swap partner for the Lucy Locket mini quilt swap, and I was petrified. She is so talented. She did try and make me feel better with the old 'oh, I can't make a quilt to save my life' kind of talk (she is a mum to 3 boys, I'm sure she is well practised in those white lies Mums tell). I believed her when she told me she'd never made a quilt, but now I suspect it wasn't strictly true. Or she went shopping.....check it out.......


Yep, grinning cat. How cool?


I know, I know - close up he is even better



Then you flip him over and you've got this, a whole heap of crazy cats.

Too much. I am getting overwhelmed by swap goodness at the minute, I can't cope with it all!!
And don't you think cheeky cat and owl and pussycat (see previous post) will look super brilliant together? I do too.

another trip to the big smoke...a meme...and more swaps galore!

Last friday I went (with Ginge in tow, check out his happy little face by the fountains at Somerset House!) down to London to meet up with this here lovely lady, and her smallest fry. We had a rather super duper day, wandering around the skin and bones exhibition at Somerset house, which was very, very interesting, especially as I am a little more than a bit obsessed with Japanese fashion designers, and it was chocablock full of the likes of Commes des Garcon, Yohji Yamamoto etc. Imagine my rather head expanding surprise when I spotted a jacket rather like the one I was wearing in the exhibition. I felt all of a sudden hip and trendy, and it made me remember that sometimes spending a hideous amount of money of one piece of clothing is a good thing (as I do live in the jacket, and have done since I bought it back in 2006).

I took gifts down for the larger fry of Ms. Milkwood, as her birthday is coming up soon, and in return received far too many beautiful things. A tea towel that is too nice for dishes (so will eventually become an apron), a marvellously marvellous owl and pussycat mini quilt - too gorgeous for words, and the litte 'uns each got a present - ginge a bookmark with a ginger lion on (of course), which is currently being used as a shield for his Power Rangers (and is doing a great job at keeping the baddies away), and some cat highlighter pens for G. The girl almost cried when she saw them, highlighter pens are her weakness, and cat ones just tipped her over the edge. They are now safe in the pencil case and take a trip to school every day.





The day was too short, school and having to travel back up North got in the way - boo hiss, but I shall be back, for more skipping about London with Anne, she is sooooo bloody lovely! (and has really trendy hair - really, really trendy, it looks great).

On another note, I got tagged recently by Chloe . She has asked for a page 161 meme, a snippet of text from page 161 on the book you are currently reading. I am in-between books, waiting on hubby to finish one so I can get started, but I am currently flicking through a book I got from my Nan's house 'Modern Cookery Illustrated'. So, fancy making yourself some Egg and Tongue Ramekins? Probably not, I know. They sound pretty disgusting, but here goes....


2 Eggs
2 Oz cooked tongue
1 Oz butter
1 Dessertspoon Milk
1 Table Spoon Fried Bread Crumbs
salt
pepper
1 Tablespoon Gravy

Mince the tongue finely and heat in a little gravy. Butter 4 ramekin cases. Melt the butter in a small pan, pour in the eggs lightly beaten with the milk, add a seasoning of salt and pepper and stir over very gentle heat until the mixture begins to thicken. Put some of this mixture into the cases, then the tongue and the remainder of the mixture on top. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Put into a hot oven for 2 or 3 minutes then serve.

Yummy. I bet the whole family would gobble that delicious sounding concoction up.

Rather than tagging other people, if you fancy sharing page 161 of your latest book - go on, let me know what you are reading. Maybe I'll share another of my very modern recipes with you later this week. We have all sorts, including mock duck (sheeps heart) and mock turtle soup (calf's head). Mmmmmmmm, just you wait!


And another thing...I got my doll swap parcel of amazingness in the post too, from Lindsey . I am overwhelmed to put it mildy. I don't think I can talk any more. The woman is far too clever, I am so not worthy! So, whilst I splutter and cough, trying not to weep at the sight of my doll swap dolls, and happy memories of a trip to London...here's a pic of the parcel I got. Too much, it's just too much....(but thank you, and I'm not sending anything back, it's MINE, all MINE...actually it got stolen by G, but I can pretend it's mine during the day when she is at school and I have a tea party with my dollies)

A wanderer returns....

A long, long time ago, way back in March a lady, called Gigi, in Canada made a bunny rabbit as part of a swap organised by swap organiser extraordinaire, Queen Lucy, and sent it off. And she waited to hear from her swap partner (moi). And she waited. And she waited. That naughty rabbit didn't turn up, he got halfway and thought 'nah, I'll have a holiday whilst I'm at it, that Monkey woman can wait'. And off he went. I have no idea where.
But then, this week, there was a knock at the door and Mr Postman (a different one, not my usual) handed me a parcel containing a very weary, but very happy bunny. The ginger one has named him Percy. Quite impressive naming for a 2 yr old, I thought.

In Percy's pockets are carrots, and he has a cozy scarf around his neck, as well as a bag containing a book. He says it's his diary and I'm not to read it. Fair enough.

So, thank you Gigi, I love him (and so does his gingerness)

(although the locals aren't quite as sure...Pete the Monkey is determined to swipe that bag)


SUN TAN UPDATE: after a weekend, and a couple of days this week, in the sunshine I can confirm I am now a nice shade of mid beige. Ginge is still see-thru white, but has some pinkness in his cheeks (that is about as far as it goes). On a downside, I put sun cream on without using gloves and now have eczema all over my hands. (I'm allergic to sun cream - but only on my hands...it's very peculiar)

Blimey - it's been a week already!

This is what happens when the sun shines, I get drawn outside by the need to get the ginger one's and my own skin exposed to the rays, and hopefully stop looking like we are both dead. G has been sunbathing at school, apparently, at lunchtime. She says the best place is the back playground, it gets really warm there. I wonder if the teachers would mind if I came down with a towel and got myself set up for the day?

Despite the need for a sun tan (and I need it, believe me) I have been doing some bits and bobs.
Sara wanted me to make a pocket sized doll for her little doll. I had a few leg issues, which were resolved by using rope. I couldn't get skinny enough 'normal' legs, they looked like sausages. I tried using the leg skins unstuffed, but that looked rubbish too. The rope works well, it's all dangly. Sara also wanted to get in on the mini quilt blog swap started by Lucy , and asked if I fancied doing an unofficial under the table swap. I did (obviously - stupid question!), so I made her this russian doll style one, which got me thinking about russian dolls and how fab they are. More on that shortly.....(watch this space)

Little Kitty and me - just saying goodbye


I've also started doing a monthly mini quilt block swap on flickr (well, you can pick and choose, but I think I'll be doing it all the time for now, I need practise). I want to get some skills, so I thought a good way to use up those blocks I practise on is by sending them to some other poor person (who will be far more talented than me - I can tell that already). I also get a block back, all quilted and ready for use as a.....I don't know, coaster? Hmmm. I'm sure I'll find uses for them all, and hopefully by the time the year is out I'll be able to make a real proper quilt.
This pic is the one I made and sent out to Denmark, it's 6x7inches, and although I was going to do some normal patchwork my partner said she'd like one of my mini quilts. Nice and easy to start me off!!! (the fabric the quilt is lying on is Olivia Pig holiday dots, or something - I just got it, it's blooming gorgeous!)


Lastly, and by no means leastly. I made and sent out to Ethel and Edna's tearoom a moomin doll, as part of the swap on Chloe's blog I had heard there was a moomin fan in the tea room. so a moomin doll was only fitting. I bought some badges from ebay to send too.


Now, there is sunshine planned for this week, so it's quite likely I'll be outside all week again....but I promise to be better organised and blog more often. And on friday I am going down to the Big Smoke again, this time for a fleeting 3 hour trip, to see this woman here . I need to get a doll made before though, an astronaughty, for her Miss Reva. There's a birthday coming up y'see.

more swap goodies, a trip to the Big Smoke and a surprise phone call...ooooohhhh!!!!

(commes des garcons s/s 2008....I did NOT buy this outfit!!!)

I went to the big smoke (otherwise known as London) this week. On the way, whilst waiting for my breakfast (a canny way of getting to sit in the relative comfort of first class whilst paying for a normal ticket is to go to the restaurant car - you can sit there for the whole journey - hoorah!) I got a phone call from a faux Geordie. Just as I masquerade as a Yorkshire lass when I am really a pure bred East Anglian (well, I don't know about pure, but East Anglian anyway), this woman lives in the North East but is a right little poshie. She sounds like the Queen (Ok, not quite...but still, I am enjoying painting a picture of her sat on her swivel chair throne, crown on her head, sewing the 3 billion mini quilts she has to make by the end of her life). YES, it's LUCY LOCKET!!! How lovely is that? (and in case you're wondering...she did already have my number, she hadn't somehow stalked me like a lunatic). It was a shame I was waiting for my fry up and on a train that kept going into tunnels, because I could have (and I think I will) chat for hours. In fact, we are going to meet up, in York, when we have both saved up some pennies for tea and cake.

I had a lovely time in Lonodn, but I spent far too much money on clothes, and not a penny on fabric. I even stayed away from the fabric section in Liberty (because the Devil would have tempted me, waving some tana lawn in my face, or some over priced hugely expensive but lovely Scandi print that I would never cut in to...too precious, too expensive, too lovely, I would say). I went to my fave shop ( Libertys ) and had tea and cake (they've done something to the tea room, it's horrible and all modern, I am bereft), went to my second fave shop ( Dover Street Market ) and had carrot cake (gorgeous) and bought some trousers that look like PJ bottoms (honestly, I will have to get a photo), and a jacket, and a couple of T-Shirts. Dover Street Market is the Commes Des Garcons shop in London, and I love Japanese fashion, so it's like a little piece of heaven for me. And the staff are friendly, not all fashionista weirdy and stuck up like in certain department stores in the Big Smoke. And I seem to fit in nicely there. I have been called a witch on many occasions, told I look like Gok Wan, someone from the Proclaimers, asked where my broomstick is, pointed at by students (that's the worst one - STUDENTS?!, wearing NEON???? The shame - I had my fave skirt of the time on too, I thought I looked fab). And someone once asked me (at a wedding, I was wearing Vivienne Westwood - the clothes, not the woman draped across my back) if I had made my outfit. Poor husband nearly choked on his champers. He'd paid a blimming fortune for it, and it apparently looked like I was a fashion student gone crazy with some scissors. One day I shall reveal my PJ trousers...they're gingham too (bet that makes you all go '???')


On to swap news.....

This little parcel of goodies arrived in the week whilst I was away from Hazel .

Hamish promptly took tea with Maya (who was another recent addition thanks to the joys of swapping)

Maya was sent by Stacey , and she is beautiful. So delicate and lady like (not like Hamish - he's a right little monster, keeps hiding spiders in my bed and everything)

The new friends took tea on Grace's doll quilt from my friend Beth over in Texas. It's so perfect, and gorgeous.

She cut out about a million little tiny triangles and sewed them all together. It's amazing, and really needs to be seen in real life to be believed.


Aren't I a lucky girl? Yep, I know. I am :)