Playday!

On Friday we woke up to a snowy scene. The back garden looked like this...

All the local schools were shut so no work for me and boys at home so I took full advantage of this bonus day to play in the garden and in my studio! Mabel had never seen proper snow before and after her initial surprise she decided she loved it and had to be dragged inside regularly to defrost!

I painted a little bird and had a go at some embroidery - still having fun experimenting with this. I also sorted out a pattern and fabric for my first homemade outfit of 2013! I hope to make this at the weekend although it probably won't be warm enough to wear it for quite a while!

When in doubt, doodle!

My plans to do more embroidery were halted when I sat in front of my fabric and threads and had a complete mental block! So I did what I always do when I'm thinking about things, which is doodle. I'm not even aware I'm doing it half the time but when I'd finished this particular doodle I thought it might have some potential as an embroidery so I gave it a lick of paint to see how it would look in colour. With a bit of simplification I think it might work.

It's not a great photo as the light was so poor. It's freezing today so to cheer up my little studio I hung some crocheted bunting in the window.

My blanket still isn't finished! I'm starting to hate it (or at least the making of it!) particularly as I've told myself I can't start anymore yarny projects until it's done. Each row takes me an evening and then  I have to sew in the 120 ends before I start the next row! At least I can console myself with the lovely colours waiting in my basket to be used.

Organising...

My poor studio has been sadly neglected of late and had become a dumping ground for all sorts of things as I tidied the house in the run up to Christmas. So yesterday I decided to give it a much needed sort out and  reorganise all my bits of crafty equipment to encourage me to be more creative in 2013.

I've moved all my woolly supplies and crafty books into here so that I've got everything under one roof. I've also unearthed my embroidery supplies and spent a very happy time winding all my threads onto cards.

I have plans for stitching some little birds, leaves and fish and displaying them in embroidery hoops so I played about with some ideas before resuming my tidying!

I've now got an organised studio and am all prepared for a creative 2013!