St David's Day Giveaway

Welcome to my St David's Day Giveaway. There are 3 reasons for my giveaway.

1.  St David is the patron saint of Wales (where I live), and the day is very well celebrated here.

My daughter went to school today wearing her Welsh Flag as a cloak.

My son went to Ysgol Feithrin (nursery school), where all the little girls were wearing National Costume (pop over to Lunch lady Jan's blog to see a photo of her in hers!).

And at the Dolgellau Thursday Market where I have been this morning, everyone came in wearing a cennin pedr (a daffodil).

So here is my give away:

A notebook and glasses case, which can be changed for a phone cover.

2.  The giveaway is also to acknowledge the generousity of the blogging world in passing on info to one another (every asked a question on you blog? you'll be swamped with answers), but I have also received a couple of gifts,so I wanted to give a bit back.

3.  And finally, I have recently been awarded the Liebster Blog Award, not once, twice or three times, but FIVE times.  Well, whilst I am very flattered I can't very well re-do the award again, so here is a link to my latest three awarders, I ask you to take a look at their blogs.

Sandee , this one is over the pond.
Black Willow a belly dancer no less!
and Annette over at DevonCountryDiary

So how do you enter my giveaway?  Well after you've taken a look at the three blogs above, just leave a comment below and ensure I have some means of contacting you, e.g. so long as you have a blogspot blog I can trace you, if you don't, please leave your e-mail address.   And finally, the giveaway will be closed at a random time on Sunday evening GMT, (ie.when children are in bed, and I remember to do it).

Thank you. Pob lwc.

WOYWW - ruffled feathers

2 machines, neither in action.

Well I did appear to ruffle a few feathers last week at Whats on your workbench Wednesday, so maybe I ought to apologise this week?

NO, no apology, just a bit of education instead.

Last week I made a passing comment about my 3 sewing machines, and all you paper crafters started having palpitations. 

Only the other week Hettiecraftcz justified two glue guns because one was on special offer.

And papers, the things I could tell you lot about your scrappy piles when seen from a distance!

Pot calling the kettle black I say.

Pop back a posting and you can hear about how my baby blue Singer has risen from the grave.  Following that posting, Twiglet of Sisters Crafty Creations, sent me a darning plate from her old Singer (a machine now long since departed from this fabric ladened world).  On removing the sewing plate from mine, I discovered a section that yet to be de-fuzzed.

And if you recall from last week, my vaccum cleaners has broken down, so that is the stage the machine is at, waiting to be de-fuzzed.

The desk itself has several part finished items, some doorstops / bookends waiting to be filled, some waiting to be made, a stack of books waiting for me to attach the covers, (which are in one of the boxes under the desk).  All of which need to be finished for Dolgellau Thursday Market.

And finally, tomorrow (Thursday), there will be a small giveaway on this blog in recognition of all the generosity out there in the blogging world.

Handmade Monday - Technology

Singer 347 - complete with zig-zag stitch

Handmade Monday is normal the post where we show you what we have created with our own fair, crafty hands, but today I thought I would introduce a bit of repair to group.

I was given this sewing machine through the freecycle system ( you list things you no longer want, and someone collects it for free, or in my case, you ask for a sewing machine and someone realises they have gathering dust that belonged to their mother.).

I was told the machine was in perfect working order when it was put away.  Unfortunately whilst that may have been true, its 10 years or so in a box had slightly stiffened up the joints.  Also, the little toolbox had become seperated from it, and so it arrived with no bobbins.

Singer, I thought, no problem, I'll raid the handcrank machine.  However it turns out that a drop-in bobbin is a different size.

With the wonder of the internet I found a site that sold bobbins for this model.  They arrived in 3 days.  I loaded one up, but boy was the tension miles out! It took some time to persuade the machine it wanted to behave.

However now that I had the machine up and sewing, I felt the motor was a bit sluggish, so I assumed the belt needed replacing.  Once again I began searching the web to find out if it was possible to get a new belt.  Not only did I find somewhere to buy the belt, but I even found a blog that showed me how to adjust it.  I left a comment on the blog and by this morning the blogger had offered to e-mail me a copy of the manual, all the way from Indiana!



My machine was manufactured in 1965 I think, (obviously there is a website to type in your serial number to work out the age of the machine too).

So by the now my 2nd hand rather tired Singer Sewing Machine is like a brand new machine.

As thanks to the wonder of the internet and the generousity of fellow bloggers, I shall be arranging a small giveaway on Thursday if you wish to call by.

Foot note below




Footnote (pun intended), if you were wondering, this is the generic free motion embroidery foot above a piece of cardboard.  I haven't found anyway of dropping the feed-dogs so I have covered them up!

WOYWW - Far too much

Look at the state of that!

I don't know about you, but taking part on What's on your workbench Wednesday gives me a great opportunity to realise what shouldn't be on my workbench.  Why can I only spot things in the photo?  I hadn't realised it was this full, even though last night I worked on the ironing board!

I am currently covering a batch of books, the drying ones are in the foreground. Mid-way back is a batch mid-way through the process, and the background is a batch of completed doorstops.

However the rest of the table is chaos and debris, including my daughters blanket for her 0-6 month car seat.  As my daughter is now 5 years old, I have absolutely no idea why it has suddenly appeared at the back of my table.  I shall have to check last weeks posting to see if it was there then.

So I thought I'd give you an after photo.  After the kettle had boiled.

Whilst the kettle did its job, I tidied up.

Now in truth, I still can't use that side of the table as on the floor are two sewing machines, one hard sewing machine cover and two vacuum cleaners.  But I promise that once I have posted this, I shall work on moving them.

Handmade Monday - I'm stopped.

I am completely doorstopped

Hello Handmade Monday, haven't you come around fast?  This week I have been juggling working with half term - 2 children and no formal childcare.

I've agreed with Funki Blue in Aberystwyth my 'range' to complement my fabric greeting cards.  One of the products we agreed on, is doorstops.  But lets not beat about the bush, doorstops are not for posting.

So I thought if I concentrate on producing them first, then they will definitely be ready whenever I can borrow the car and go to Aberystwyth.

I have just been filling a batch, but was called back after my (very nearly) 3 year old had a major crisis - he spotted a hole in his sock! So I have a batch to fill, a batch to sew and then it all starts all over again.

WOYWW - Feathered friends.

My desk

Hello folks, and welcome to another What's on your workbench Wednesday.  Now the one thing you can be sure about is when you reach my blog, there are no staged photos.  Nope, my photos always tell it how it is - messy.

Now compared to many weeks, this weeks workbench is tidy.  But I can assure you it isn't necessary to have around 50% of that stuff on the desk.

So what is going on?  Why has a flock of chickens appeared?  Well Funki Blue in Aberystwyth are stocking my cards, but they asked for more.  Not more cards, nope, more things, a 'complete range'.  Well what an opportunity!

I've begun with the simple stuff, so on my desk there is a flock of one abandoned chicken card, (used for measuring), one doorstop, one notebook, one trinket box.  I am waiting to hear if any of these are worth persuing, before doing anymore, in the meantime I shall be starting on a few more ideas bouncing around in my empty little head.

Pop over to Julia's and see if I am the tidiest pupil this week (don't worry I haven't got my hopes up).

Handmade Monday - ahead of schedule

Handmade Monday is hosted by Wendy over at 1stuniquegifts and surely means you post on a Monday? However, I am being highly organised this week and writing this early, because I know I will be busy tomorrow.  My college friend is coming to visit and we haven't met up since these two, were this size.

A few weeks ago I posted my early attempts at dumfing.  I thought you might like to see how my 'skill' is developing (OK the word skill is a little premature).

My first landscape, it is supposed to be Cadair Idris Mountain from Dolgellau

Bluebell woods

A field of daffodils

Twiglet has been very helpful, and I am hoping that she will spot her input my next post about dumfing. (Just putting this correction in quick  - dumfing is Twiglets word for needlefelt, 'cos of the noise her embellisher makes - me I just use a clover needle).

In the meantime I have a house to tidy, and blogging techniques to perfect, as my friend said she wants to ask me some questions about blogging.  So next week you may see my profile change to Blogging Consultant.

As a prelude to such a role change I thought I would let you into a little secret that Wendy at 1st Unique gifts told me, (at this point you realise that my friend ain't going to gain much knowledge from me, but I'm very good at getting it from everyone else).

How do you 'follow' 1st Unique Gifts if you are on blogger (or follow anyone else on Wordpress)?
On your dashboard page, scroll down below your reading list, and you will spot add, click add, and paste the relevant url.