Bank Holidays...

So I found my bluebell woods, thanks for the suggestions. In the end I went with one close to home, just outside Chichester, near Funtington.

I'll have to ask if I can show you the pics with the children in, but I was super pleased with how they came out. It felt like everything was working in my favour. The camera, the light, the children, everything. These are just the throwaway snaps I was taking to check the lighting.

the sunlight dappled through the trees made for *perfect* light. Oh my goodness.

and after the bluebells, what better than to go on to the beach?

fish and chips tastes better when eaten out of paper on the beach, surely.

this is the beach I was brought up on - just down the road from my Grandma's house.

it's pretty seaweedy today, but it's not always.

Look at the colour of that water.

So how are you spending your bank holiday weekend?

Ah, April, how sweet you've been thus far...

A weekend away in Wales with some of my favourite people in the whole world. Despite a weather forecast of rain, we had blue blue skies, and a hot gorgeous sun. (Although we had all packed for the cold and wet..) We were in the middle of nowhere, being shown around by a wise old sage of a dog. Bliss. This was one dog that knew what he was about. You could ask him anything and he would tell you the answer, like a magic 8 ball. And I'm not even a dog person.

It was like the land that time forgot. Nothing and no one for miles. We stumbled across this old car at one point, what a perfect set for some photos.

With bluebells starting to appear out of the depths, a week later and this lush green will be all blue, I would love to go back with my camera, but it is a little far for a few photos. I will have to hunt out a place near me. A friend has asked me to take pics of her kids in a bluebell wood somewhere so I will have to find a good spot. Anyone have any ideas in the West Sussex area?

Staying in a converted barn on a lovely smallholding with a host of friendly animals. Hello piggies, it was good to meet you. You may have been a little smelly and fussy with your food (who knew?) but you made for some good company.

And a good chance to see the baby quilt I made a month or so back put to use. I only have really bad photos of it but I was proud of it, so you'll have to put up with the badness of the pic and only being able to see one close up detail. Most of the fabric is My Happy Nursery by Cloud 9, and the appliques were hand drawn based on this print.

And quick note to self: Everything is funnier when done with a fake moustache. I'm not sure how much my friend would appreciate this photo being posted, but you can't tell who she is, can you? I have other, funnier photos, but I'm not sure how everyone would feel with their odd facial hair being posted on the world wide web. I will have to ask for future reference. [side note: one thing you may not know about me, I love moustaches. The jauntier the better. The mexican birthday surprise for my friend was merely a reason for me to fulfil my moustache fantasies. Ahh...]

Oh, and Harrysmum, I'm still waiting for you to claim your version of the below.

And the winners are...

Before I announce the winners I thought I would share with you my favourites (it's only fair, I made you do it, now I should take my own medicine too, no?).I tried to narrow it down, honestly I did. But there are so many that I have had my eye on for specific projects, and so many that have always been firm favourites (thank heavens we sell out of things, if I was to go back into the archives I would never be able to pick.)

But I have narrowed it down to 2: The current echino range in the lightweight linen, the Rondo Stripe. This is the perfect width for pillowcases, which is my current easy sew quick fix item. Who wouldn't want to open their eyes in the morning and see some echino? yup. Just to prove I do actually make some things, here it is:

(not a great pic, but you get the gist..)

The other favourite at the moment is the Melody Miller Ruby Star Rising range - I love the teacups and have a skirt made out of the grey (mustard pockets, gotta love it), I have plans to make a lampshade out of the vintage ladies in ochre, and also have plans to make an ipod case from the transistors. Seriously, they are just a touch smaller than an ipod or iphone, so with a little border it will totally do. And how many would you get out of a fat quarter? Now that's value for money... if only I had a business selling ipod cases.

I realise that that is not one fabric, but a complete range, but I don't care. It's my favourite.

Also, and I have to totally apologise to all of you for this, but I realised how much we have that isn't actually online. Oops. I guess I didn't get around to a whole chunk of them. Well, when the new website (nearly there...) is done I will endeavour to get every fabric online. For real. I have already begun with the photos.

And now, (will she ever stop babbling, I hear you say, and announce the winners?)

The winners are Dearest Jackdaw, Fruity Loops, and Harrysmum - email me (sales@eternalmaker.com) with your addresses and I'll send out your scrap bags!

some of your words of wisdom please..

I made this card (please excuse the poor quality scan, I don't have my camera with me today), and as you can see it has a big box at the bottom for a greeting/ saying/ quote something. And we have tried but we just can't think of anything. Maybe we are all too lethargic in this heat. It needs to be a sentence rather than a 2 word job because the box is about 8" wide. Something funny, or punny, even. It's for display purposes, so not for any particular event, which leaves the field wide open.
Any ideas? If necessary I can add other button birds - I could add one on it's lonesome, or one flying away, or anything really. But please help with your genious birdy one-liners, I would be very very grateful.
thanks x

a pretty good birthday present...

I want to say the best ever, but I don't want to upset anyone else who bought me a present for my recent birthday (it was a decade one, so I did have some pretty good presents). This is something I've had my eye on for about 2 years, didn't actually think I would ever get it but ohmygoodnesssme look at this:

now this photo doesn't do it justice, I was getting a lot of glare from the hot hot sun, and the wind was blowing, and I was trying not to get it on the ground (and it's huuuge).

Aren't you jealous? I am jealous of me and it's mine. (That makes no sense, I realise).

This is also a well traveled quilt, having been all over the world in it's former life as a runway model (maybe not runway, maybe just exhibitions). But now it comes home to rest here in Chichester, many miles away from where it was born. It's going up in the shop on a giant hanger for a little bit until I move (hopefully soon, fingers crossed) so I can still look at it every day. Ah. So thankyouthankyouthankyou: best. present. ever.

Oh, and I haven't forgotten about the giveaway, I was thinking I would give it until Monday and then pick the winners. And I was thinking maybe I would head on over to our website and choose my favourite to share with you all. Although how on earth I'll pick I don't know. I'm liking your responses though, they are giving me lots of good ideas!

It's a lovely day for a giveaway!

It's such a lovely day, see, look how the sun is shining.

We've spread out a bit outside, packing some bits to go off to Cologne for the Handerbeit & Hobby Show (we're not exhibiting, but we're helping out 7 Islands as we are a little closer to Cologne than they are, being all the way over in California), although it is as nice indoors with our high ceilings as it is outdoors.

Anyway, in honour of it being a lovely day, here's a little giveaway: I have 3 of our Japanese Fabric Scrap Bags to give away - all you have to do is tell me what your favourite fabric is in our Japanese section on our website. And tell me what you would do with it, if it was yours.

And then I will pick 3 winners.

So, tell me what you think!

Anna x