I have a very small kitchen...

I would just love to have a big farm house kitchen....not that I am a keen cook...or for that matter, a good cook....but because I want a big pine table where I can sit with family to chat over tea and cakes...where I can sit and sew alongside Charlie whilst he does his lessons...However..I have a tiny kitchen...I ripped out cupboards..put the fridge under the stairs... and had to have my table cut in half to fit it in. I took out more cupboards to fit in my kitchen dresser...my most loved possession.

Some years ago I bought the flower fairy lights just because I fell in love with them, one of those impulse buys ...they sat in their box for a couple of years as I had nowhere to put them...Last year I put them around the top of the dresser...a little ketch...but they look so pretty in the evening...

I think my mum gave me the angel...it has been there about six years along with the peace decoration that I put up one Christmas and never took down... 

Somehow this photo has got a bit stretched...I'm not that thin...my bottom not that flat!! As you can see I have to stand on a chair to put my saucepans away...I'm 5' 5"...average height...My eldest son is 6' 4"...he can stand in the kitchen and put his hand flat on the ceiling. That would be handy for decorating you think...no such luck....

This heart plate was free with tea bags !....When we have special sweets or pretty little cakes I display them on the heart plate. The mug was a charity shop find...unused for a pound....I knew Charlie would love it.

Below are my kitchen curtains...not a good photo I'm afraid...photography is not one of my strong points....along with writing and spelling....thank goodness there is a spell check on here....

It took a while to find the right fabric to go with the wall paper...I found it at 'The old loom mill' where I used to rent an area to sell from....

The tie backs I made from a long necklace that was made from a string cord with little charms and beads threaded on it....I undid the necklace and cut it in half. I cut the gold flowers from a leather off cut and sewed them on back to back catching the string between the stitches. Next I put back the charms and beads and tied  little brass curtain rings on the ends...

This cat is a prised possession as it is one of the few things my son Peter has ever given me...It is made from wood and has been hand painted...a holiday souvenir...I think it is brill !!

A fabric heart I made and decorated with some shiny squeezy paints I bought for Charlie, but I just had to have a go with them...it hangs on an old pine wall cupboard from the local secondhand furniture shop...

This mosaic was a gift from my friend Alison when I moved in....eight years ago...goodness I have been here a long time now and still have not got it the way I would like it.....

 

I put this photo on so that you could see my wallpaper more clearly. I just love this paper...it is a gold that sometimes looks silver, and a teal blue....I know at first it seems a strange paper for a kitchen but everyone remarks on how great it is....When I am in this room I feel like I'm inside a big present that has been wrapped inside out.......

 

Handmade fabric... Ilove you... rag dolls

These little I love you dolls are by far my best selling doll....The idea came as I have so many pretty bits of material left from larger projects....Each doll is about 25 cm tall. I print the faces and use acrylic yarn as hair. I like to embellish each doll with embroidery, felt, applique and add something pretty to the hair.  I sold out of these at Christmas, not only were they sold as stocking fillers, but gifts to children and adults alike....everyone likes to know they are loved. I started making these seven years ago and selling them on ebay. Some customers buy up to five or more finding little girls like to play with many of them at once for their imaginary games.

Handmade gifts...girls applique cat tote bags...

This is how I make my patterns...it all starts as apicture in my head...then I cut paper to the size I want, adding seam allowences etc..I make notes on the pattern so that I will remember everything at a later date...I cut out the shapes and juggle it all around untill I am happy with the design...then I cut it from fabric....It takes me longer to choose the fabrics and trimmings than it does to sew the item up...I want everything to be as perfect as possible.

I made four different bags by altering the placement of the design...

These bags are lined in white cotton curtain weight fabric with a little pink rosebud design. I put wadding between the lining and main fabric to make the squishy and add body...The bottom corners are squared off..and the handles have been inserted and top stitched three times to make them as child proof as possible....They measure  width 31 cm...depth Not including the handle..25cm...just the right size for a little girl...

I put one of my cats in this bag to give an idea of the size.

Handmade gifts...perfect pink and white cat dolls...

These are my cat dolls....I have sold a great many of these...they are made from soft fleece with strong cotton fabric bodies...they are about 33 cm tall. The pattern is my own, in fact all the designs, patterns are unique and my own.I use felt buttons etc to embellish my dolls..every one is different.

Handmade gifts....cat dolls...

I either print out and sew on,or embroider a special little something.....a few meaningfull words that makes each cat or doll an extra special present for someone you care about......This one says ...You're Special...... The white heart and the ears are felt with glitter on....I spend ages choosing just the right buttons. 

I like my things to have a slightly handmade look whilst sewing everthing as perfectly as possible.

I am a trained sewing machinest and worked many years for a top upholsterer...we did upholstery for 'Cliveden House'...Lady Astor in Buckinghamshire... The fabrics we used were extreamly expencive,and I was often quite worried I would make a mistake.....The best thing though was that I got to keep the left over fabric...I still have a lot of it in the loft...Pure silk velvet...siks and embroidered fabric far too posh for my little house. Mind you although I love my fabric stash, I far prefer cotton and retro designs... 

Handmade pink fabric cat doll....

I really like the fresh colour of the fabric for this cat...I have used the same fabric as the backround on my cat tote bags....