Blog Neglect - and some Vintage Pattern Love

Yes, I am guilty. I have realised with a shock that it has been months since my last outside broadcast. Of course, I am still a bit on the old FaceBook but shame, shock, chagrin, I have hardly touched this blog. So apologies if you have been checking in, although I don't really know if anyone has...............

Tonight is Halloween, but I will ignore that for now (it's not a big event around here. If I get one Trick or Treater straggling up the lane they will deserve a mug of cocoa and a blanket as much as some sweets).

I am mainly here on Tinterweb to show off my latest aquisition in the Vintage Pattern stakes, this amazing girls smocked party dress. If I can get off my petooty and finish all the MBD Christmas orders in advance I will try and make one but it will have to be a gift to someone with a teeny girl - the patterns in Size 1 only and both my girls are too long and tall for this style. The 6 yr old looks like a standard lamp these days, in a frilly skirt. Luckily Baby T has several under 1 yr girlbabyfriends so......

I like the pink gingham version with the bigger bow at the back - that's a tongue twister - but these are all really short hey. Very full skirts too - need some matching knickers I reckon - cute!

Whew blog is bit behind!

What with all the business of the past two months I suddenly realised that I have been neglecting my blog! Sorry if there was anyone in cyberworld waiting for my latest update - actually I doubt it but I know I have a few visitors who deserve new things. Proper new things will have to wait for later but here is a list of reasons/excuses why I have not been blogging:

Health - My 18m old daughter was given a last minute slot for her long awaited heart operation. She got through it brilliantly but I was a nervous wreck!

School - Seemed like there wasn't a week without an end-of-term event or whatnot to help with. Burnt midnight oil making a squirrel costume for the Village Carnival (Eldest daughter wore this not me!!). Cakes for Toddler Group End of Year Party. Meetings about previous. Meetings about next year's Toddler Group (am Chair - arg!?)

Holidays - I did squeeze in 9 days in France with the rellies. Don't shoot me, I needed it!!

Anyway - so much for that. Sometimes it's just too sunny to blog.

Watch this space (I am back) and in the next few weeks we'll have lots on 'Dealing with a Plum Glut', 'Making Satin Sashes for Bridesmaids', 'Panicking about oncoming third baby' etc etc etc

Dxx

Shame you can't see the tail which was a masterpiece I tell you

I've been FOFFED

Very exciting as I have been dying to find myself on Found On Folksy! So at last I can proudly bear the badge.



The blog post in question is on Scandinavian style, and there are some fine examples - including of course my very own red folky heart. *Chuffed*

Stylish Bloggers

Look what I got!

I was nominated not once, not twice, but three times!! So thank you to Sugarplum Kawaii, Milliebead and Cards With a Difference

There are rules:
1 Thank the person who sent it.  Done that. I hope you were paying attention!

2 Dare to share 7 facts about yours truly. Huh? OK:
I am a Sagittarius which means I am unwittingly incredibly tactless
I have a wellington boot curse meaning they always wear out or get lost before 6 months 
I recently got my hair cut accidentally like a Bay City Roller
I love cats. But have none. 
I hate washing up. But do it everyday. 
I spent all today cleaning ice-creamy sick out of my car. Which leads us to that last fact:
I am a mum!


3 Nominate 15 blogs and forward the award. Whew! Here we go: 



Amy Orange Juice's Blog
Life Through A Slim Lens
Sew Scrumptious
Cluck Cluck Sew
New Vintage Lady
Flossie Teacakes
Crafterhours
Skippedydoodah
Kitschycoo's Blog
Sew Retro
Pukka Pinnies
That Fuzzy Feeling
Lynwood Crafts
Giddy Stuff
Lily's Night Garden

I have tried to chose people who have not been nominated for the award by other people! Actually I could do this all day but 15 it is................. Love you, bloggerati xx

Angel Challenge

Last month I decided to take part in an Angel themed creative challenge, curated by Dee at Dizzy Little Kingdom.

For January we made angel wings hanging decorations/lavender bags. There were such a lot of beautiful entries. Mine ended up looking like this:

 I love doing these blog challenges it really gets my creative sewing juices flowing! This month is a bit more of a committment, as we are designing and making an embroidered angel panel based on a picture of our choice. I have been having a look around and I think that I will make a panel using this as my inspiration. We are supposed to be using our printer to get the design onto paper but I am probably going to have to use the old lightbox method instead as I am afraid it would kill our printer to be fed fabric. Anyway, watch this space - or go over to Dizzy LK for the complete picture.

Tweeps!

OK now as much as I am ambivalent about the whole Twitter phenomenon, I did get all happy when I hit 100 followers today. not as many as Stephen Fry, true, but he's been doing it longer. LOL. I have a lovely rounded 50 followers here on my blog too, but I like them better as I feel that they are more into what I do. Unneccessary favouritism? It's not REAL LIFE, after all. Or is it?

If you are a tweeter, why not say tweet tweet to me? I am @MadebyDolly

Simplified!

Ah the wonders of modern technology mean that I have now been able to simplify my Facebook Fan Page to this:

http://www.facebook.com/madebydolly

Much neater!

Bunnies! and Funnies

Got more than a few thoughts to catch up on at the moment. Just when I was getting organised I was struck down by a tummy bug BAH HUMBUG. But I am better now and have got a bit of time so here's all my nuggets (har har) from the past week.

First merely another spotting. On the lawn this week, we have mostly been watching...bunnies! The most gloriously cute baby bunny has been nibbling the grass outside our window and melting our hearts. Daughter's love of rabbits was in full flow until she realised that they were the ones eating her seedlings and probably the strawberries too. Now she says crossly 'Stupid Nibblers'.

On the subject of nibblers, we have been continuing to try weaning the baby, who resolutely refuses to eat any finger food, but can successfully negotiate a spoon into her mouth. So here is the latest snap of her trying the technique known to the BLW fraternity as 'The Loaded Spoon'. I am obviously not managing to do this whole self-feeding thing properly as it's meant to be a non-pureeing adventure, but at least she is enjoying herself. Her skin will be lovely too after all that porridge smeared on it!

'But what..' I hear you enquire, 'of the sewing?'. I gave myself a blister cutting out fabric on Saturday and have now purchased a large amount of fibrefill, so now I have recovered from my lurgie you should see some more activity on this front. Promise. As long as I don't get side tracked.... and I have to finish sewing sequins onto some tabards for the Pre-School Carnival Float first.

How about this? Weeks Target: Finish at least 1 thing, put it on Folksy.

New Look

As you may notice I have been playing with the Blogger Designer tool. I like it!