New Bike for me.........

Along with my new Slimming regime (have lost half a stone in 2 weeks!) I have also decided to try and do a bit more exercise. I deiced I wanted a bike ages ago so that I could cycle to work at the CS on Saturdays.

I have been looking out for one on freecycle, Ebay, free adds etc for ages with no luck.

Gav said he would do up an old / second hand bike for me as he used to work in a bike shop when he was a teenager as his Saturday/part time job.

I can't afford to pay the earth for a lovely new Pink one with a wicker basket, so I have been keeping my eyes wide open for one every where.

Today when I popped into the CS first thing there were 3 bikes at the end of the shop, a child's one & 2 ladies bikes. I really liked one of them so I took a photo on my phone and showed Gav when he came home from work before I started my shift. He said go for it we can fix anything that needs it.

That was lucky as I had already put a sold sticker on it!! 

So I worked my shift this afternoon at the CS, I dressed the window & sorted loads of stuff.

Then home time with my new Bike, yippee.

Here it is, what do you think?

It needs a clean and the tires need a good pump up, but apart from that Gav says it good to go.

I am now in love with the wicker bike baskets on Ebay!!

Well that's my news.

Have a lovely weekend.

Luv

Slimming MY World

Well I did the deed and joined Slimming World 2 weeks ago tomorrow!

I am quite enjoying it, I don't feel hungry and am eating loads of fresh fruit & veg, especially from the Garden.

(Yesterdays Haul)

I really felt that I needed to take myself in hand.

Last year was all about change at work and change it did, I find that when things are out of my control I can not focus on things like eating properly.

So 1st week down and I lost 4.5lb's, tomorrow is D Day and hopefully I will have lost some more.

I have made sure there is plenty of Free food in the house so I can not pic at Gav's sweets & crisps!

Although I haven't really felt the need to be honest.

So that's My Slimming story, lets hope I can shift a few pounds before we head off to New York in October on holiday.

Have a great week.

Luv

The Eternal Maker Cushion Course

Yesterday I went to the most fabulous place.

It's called the Eternal Maker, You may know of its online shop & blog?

It is in Chichester which is near to where I live.

I had never been to the Eternal Maker before but a friend & I decided to go on a 1 day Professional Cushion Making course their. It cost £25 and was well worth it.

It was the most amazing fabric, craft, trimmings shop I have ever been too.

I was in heaven, Like a kid in a sweet shop.

Here are some pictures of the shop, I took soo many as I was soo in awe of the amazingness of it all.

Beautiful fabrics & handmade loveliness everywhere.

Gorgeous cushions.

Buttons galore!!

Retro & vintage fabrics.

Ric Rack in every colour & size you could imagine.

Button & beads of all shapes & sizes.

Oh the loveliness...............

So on to the cushion making.

I have made plenty of cushions before but have never mastered adding piping or a zipper before, so this course seemed perfect.

We started by choosing our fabric & although there was plenty of fabric to choose from I had taken along with me an old Vintage table cloth that I found in the CS.

I chose a complimenting coloured blue linen for making the bias binding & a plain calico for the backing.

We started by making the bias binding, which I have never made before so that was a great thing to learn.

Then we made our piping, another first!

We had already cut out our fabric to the size required, I went with 50cm x 50cm to incorporate as much of the embroidered pattern as possible.

We used a circular object to round the corners of the squares of fabric, to aid adding the piping.

Then we started to add the piping to the front panel of the cushion.

Here it is with all the piping on the front panel.

Then we pieced the front and back together and sewed the two corners together that would have the zipper in between.

Then we added the zipper and sewed the rest of the cushion together and hey presto, a finished cushion!

Well all was not soo easy but, we got there in the end.

I was quite proud of myself to have done all the tricky bits myself.

All I can say is that it was a fab day and I will defiantly be going back to the Eternal Maker to shop & learn.

Have a great weekend.

Luv 

Window Shopping

Today I have the day off work to go on a course at the Eternal Maker in Chichester.

How to make a Professional Cushion!!! 

But more about that when  I get home.

I wanted to show you my CS window from last weekend.

Boy it was soo hot and I was in the window for ages.

I went with a summers day theme, as we had some lovely vintage summer stuff in the shop.

Tea on a tea trolley, man going fishing, ladies in summer dresses, a writer tapping away on her typewriter on the lawn. You know real Miss Marple stuff!!

So here it is, sorry the pictures aren't great the glass shows the glare of the parked cars.

This was the 3rd tea set I put on the tea trolley as the first 2 sold as soon as they went in the window one after another!!

Have a lovely weekend, I will update you on the course tomorrow.

Luv

Finally Five Minutes for Me

Helllllllllllllllooooooooooooo

Finally five minutes for me to blog, yipppeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

I firstly must tell you about my fabulous Swap parcels that arrived last week, I know, I know I should have told you about them sooner but I just haven't had time.

So firstly the Boudoir Swap organised by Deborah of Fondant Kiss, who I was lucky enough to be partnered with. Deborah sent me a lovely parcel full of gorgeous goodies.

A beautifully embellished pillow slip, a lovely hanging heart, some yummy chockie, a beautiful rose print in a frame & some lovely handmade earrings.

Thank you soo much Deborah, it was a wonderful Swap theme & I hope your parcel arrives this week and you like it.

So on to the wonderful Fairytale swap organised by Vanessa of Happi-ness.

I was partnered with the lovely Michelle from Michellek Art. Michelle sent me a wonderful parcel full of lovely Goldie Locks & The Tree Bears goodies.

A really cute teddy bear, some wonderful teddy writing paper & envelopes, really fun teddy fabric, some Goldie chocolates, some yummy smelling incense & a yummy teabag for a relaxing cup of tea.

Thank you soo much Michelle, it was a wonderful swap.

Well that's my five minutes up, right lots to go and do.

Talk soon

Luv