Over Easy!

So I was advised by my beloved husband on Saturday last…"Maybe you should stop sewing now for a bit?!" Oh yeah, okay… like I'm going to do that, your a brave man to even think it let alone say it out loud! Okay I'll stop sewing if you can stop breathing… lets be honest it ain't gonna happen!

…but I have stopped being so frantic, and I have been able to step away from the sewing machine and socks for long enough to get all the christmas presents for the family, and wrap them! I now have christmas well and truly under my belt! …is that even a saying?

We sat for ages wondering how to wrap the presents and decided on brown craft paper with a silver bow…

Nice and simple bows to make but we used up quite a lot of ribbon, but now that they're all wrapped they look lovely under the tree.

Thank goodness its FRIDAY!

Wow what a week, I've been so busy everyday, if I've been in the house longer than an hour at the time I was lucky… don't get me wrong I'm not complaining but I am I little daunted by the fact that I now only have 2 monkeys left!

Now is the time to panic… other than my niece's bag I have no other presents for my family! I'm thinking of making the same bag but without the owl/penguin embellishments for my slightly older niece… and I'm sure a few of my nephew and nieces would love a sock monkey or a sock snowman – I know this because a few have asked!

I photographed my owl/penguin bag properly today and it now has a popper closure on it. I love this bag, I am going to have to make one for myself without the face!

So will I get any more sewing in before christmas! I'm hoping so but the ironing pile is getting higher and higher! Problem is that my head is spinning with ideas at the moment and ironing is not an outlet for my creativity… that's my excuse anyway!

Thanks for stopping by

Merry christmas

Rachael

Owl Bag!

…I did it! Can you believe it? I did something without getting side tracked – I made my first bag, and I'm so pleased with it and still so excited!

However… apparently it looks like a penguin so I didn't quite achieve what I set out to do but I still think it will be a fab present for my niece!

Apologies as always for the rubbish photos but it's late, and dark!

I lay awake last night working out how I could make it and it turned out really well, not sure there's anything I would change. I wish I could remember the photo that gave me the inspiration though.

The blue is a lovely vintage denim colour teamed with a pale blue and green spot bottom and gorgeous green lining (I also mimicked the outside spot on the inside lining). The underside of the wings are either blue or green… not that you see that unless you lift them up! I just need to get a fastening so that it closes at the top!

So there you go, my first penguin bag… ahem! I mean owl bag! Apparently it's the beak colour that changes it from a penguin to an owl… so say my family – brown beak for an owl, yellow for a penguin. 

…I may add a pocket to the next one or maybe a zip closure!

Oh yeah, I also made a heart for the little girl thats stolen my boys heart!

Yay, monkeys all finished,

…owl bag made,

…christmas tree up,

…I have nothing to do tomorrow other than ironing!

…quick, think of something, anything!

Thanks for looking… what do you think, owl or penguin!

Oh yeah, I will be potentially be making some kind of bags to sell next year too, maybe ones similar to my owl/penguin bag!

Rachael

Dreaming of bags

What a day, school performances left right and centre, extremely tired children, sock monkey madness… and then there's me going off in another direction again…

…I saw an image of an owl last night and for some reason decided I should try and make an owl bag for my niece for christmas! For CHRISTMAS – AM I NUTS!

Never mind that I've got two little boy monkeys that need their arms sewing on! Oh no, I need to make a bag. I need to get the idea out of my head, on to paper and then on to fabric! So I did, well I started at least, got as far as drawing the finished item, making a make shift pattern (like I do), and choosing some lovely fabric! Oh yeah… and making a mess in every room I went in…

This is meant to be living room floor, but I think floor space is overrated!

I have to say I'm very excited about this bag. I hope it looks as good finished as it does in my head at the minute!

I think I partly did so much today because it's been a tough day… my children have been pulling on the old heart strings and I miss my mum even more at christmas. I have shed quite a few tears today especially…  I'm quite emotional most of the time anyway but that teamed with a chorus of children wishing you merry christmas pushed me over the edge… that and my boy bursting into tears at the end of his christmas concert performance, amongst all of that my teacher whom I help out every week bought me a special gift…

…which of course made me cry too, especially when she said I was her angel! She's just lovely and I have been told by Mrs T that she's not just for christmas and she must stay out all year! …that said – she's going to live in my bedroom!

So I'm thinking… next year girls, we're going to make felt angels!!!

Thanks for looking and your always welcome to leave a comment.

Rachael

Maxines' Sock Snowman no1

…so here she is!

Yay, I'm so proud of both the girls for making them (Kaly's are still in progress), and not meaning to sound cocky when I say …see I told you you could do it!

Despite the over stuffing in the beginning she has turned out just gorgeous – and most of all she's loved by her new owner! Unfortunately I could only photograph one of them because the other went on an outing into school today! See sometimes you just have to give things a go, the out come may really surprise you.

…there is one little thing though! You left a thread on your button Max!

Any other sock creations we can think of… seen a lovely cat!!! No, stop enough!

Thanks for looking

Rachael

Peg Bags

Finally got around to photographing all the peg bags!

Bigger photo, sizes, description and reference under For Sale, but I haven't quite got around to putting them on Folksy yet… they are still for sale though, please just email me the reference number and I will reserve it for you!

 

 

Right must decorate the tree… I just heard a rumour it's nearly christmas, wish somebody had of told me sooner!

Thanks for looking.

When they're gone…

…they're gone!

No more… Never! Baby monkeys are as much effort as the big monkeys if not more. So this is it! 3 little baby monkeys for sale – actually there's just 2 now, 1 is sold already… and one sold before she was even finished – a gorgeous purple one who now is living with her big sister Veronica (sold last month) in Australia. I can't believe I forget to take a photo of her – I'll try and get a photo of them in their new home! Oh that would be fun… asking owners to send in photos of their monkeys… what am I talking about! I think these monkeys are making me mad! Right somebody slap me and bring me back to reality!

Okay, I'm back and just to reiterate – no more baby monkeys made by these hands (unless I find cute boys socks that I just can't resist!). Never say never Rachael… I should have learnt that after the Mumbo incident (my first sock monkey that I wasn't even sure I'd finish).

As before… email me if your interested! Babies are £10.

Annie

Mi Mi – RESERVED

Angel – RESERVED

Thanks for looking

Rachael

I used to quilt…

…now all I do is make sock monkeys!

This is just a little update for all those people who have expressed an interest – this is potentially my last batch before christmas – although there may be a few more little girls springing up!

Monkey Mug Shot Wall of Fame

just heads at the moment but it gives you an idea of colour.

If you are interested in a particular monkey please email me the reference and your name and I will aim to reserve him or her for you, and don't forget there are still a few little girls still looking for a home! Visit my sock monkey page!!!

mu.011 – RESERVED

br.pi.001

How to make a Snowman costume!

I am up to my eyes in my new range of sock monkeys at the moment but I did have to take a break…

…a break that I had been putting off because I wasn't quite sure how to do it… "mummy – I'm a snowman in the school play!"

Not so difficult I hear you say and that's what I thought when I set off to buy my lovely fleece fabric last Wednesday morning with the ambition of having it finished that afternoon!

I lay the fabric on the floor. Looked at it! Umm'd and err'd for a good 10 minutes… and then folded the fabric back up and decided to get on with the monkeys!

My task was only made difficult because of how I wanted the finished costume to look. I could have quite easily just made a little trouser like suit, but I wanted a costume that was shaped… and that's when it came to me! Saturday morning, 2am, I sat bolt upright in bed… 'it needs to be made like a pear!' All I needed was to see a photograph of a pear pin cushion and I knew I could do it.

I went straight back to sleep but was wide awake at 7.30 (which is unheard of on a weekend) googling images of pear pin cushions and drawing round my daughter on a piece of wallpaper.

For all you people out there who have no idea how to sew from a pattern… I'm with you! I make it up as I go along, but the more costumes I have made the easier it gets… so here is my first 'very professional' step of making a snowman costume…

…draw round the child in question – ta dah…

Step 2…  using aforementioned child template make up some kind of pattern! Feel free to just make it up and change it at any point! I do!

Sock Snowmen

I had the best day yesterday…

…of course I was meant to be cleaning but that had to be swept to one side as the two lovely girls I get together once a week to sew and gossip with could only meet on Monday!

I still haven't got Max to do a guest post on my blog, but we do still meet once a week to continue their education in quilt making! (We'll give them a little bit of lee-way as there is that gorgeous baby Ashwini that keeps taking our attention), and we do from time to time get side tracked with other projects… there were hearts at valentines, and Kaly started making bunting for the baby (before she was born, and she is yet to finish it, I might add!)… but yesterday was the day of Sock Snowmen!

This is Tinks, and watch this space as I will finish my boys very soon.

So it wasn't planned but Max had decided after seeing Buddy (the sock snowman I donated for the school raffle and stupidly didn't photograph – but he was exceptionally cute!) that she would be able to undertake this project… with a lot of encouragement from me saying 'It's easy, even the kids could do it'.

I have never laughed so much in all my life… who could have possible thought that you could go wrong with stuffing… the poor little snowman was huge and getting bigger by the moment and it was even funnier when Max attempted to put him in the sock that became his jumper… it was like trying to put a sock on a basketball!

…but with a little bit of stuffing removal she made good progress and only has a little finishing off to do!

…and because she managed to do so well, the spare pair of socks she bought incase it all went horrible wrong were donated to Kaly, who reluctantly and whilst constantly muttering to her daughter whom was off from school sick – 'I can't do that, do you really want one', also started on her first sock snowman!

I will photograph my lovely students snowman too as I am very proud of them – the girls, not the snowmen!

I had made my own modifications from the snowmen on thenshemade.blogspot.com/1011/01/sock-snowmen.html with regards to the process of how their bodies were sewn, and I also decided a little felt nose that looked like a carrot would be good… oh yeah, and pom poms on the hat!!! But hats of to thenshemade… it is just an absolutely fabulous idea.

Thanks for looking and please feel free to leave a comment – I don't bite!

Rachael

Monkeys for adoption

I know there were a few of you at the fair who expressed an interest in the sock monkeys… to see who is left please visit my facebook page or if you subscribe to following me by email you will receive a post when my next batch of monkeys is ready, alternative please email me if you have a specific request.

Rachael

Modern technology!

…so yesterday I was told by 'someone in the know' that I needed a facebook page! Oh happy day!

Oh now I hate modern technology (we'll just forget that I used to do web design way back when, as my brain turned to mush the moment I had Little'o – apparently Guy tells me it was way before that!). So any way I had tried to set up a page before but without much success, but today… hooray I managed to do it. I'm obviously on a role!

I'm not really sure what it will achieve because it looks a little on the light side but hey, you gotta try these things! …pop by and like it for me and I'll be your friend forever!!!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Monkey-and-squidge/252698701451773?sk=wall

…next question – how do I get people other than my '7' followers to to know it's there?!!

Thanks for looking

Rachael

…still buzzing!

So, for the past… who can remember how long, I have been trying to find 101 excuses as to why I wouldn't be able to sell at the school fair…

1 I don't think I'll sell any so it will be a waste of time
2 I could be humiliated
3 What do I put my products in if by chance I sell anything! (Which I wont so there's no point in going!) …I had no idea how expensive bags are to buy or how long you can spend looking on the internet for the 'right' bag!
4 …as a continuation from 3… bags are so expensive that's my profit I'm eating into!!!
…loved my clear bags though and have to admit I was slightly disappointed when people didn't need a bag!!!
5  …where was I? I'm sure there are more reasons! Oh yeah… I have to donate something to the raffle! (made those lovely sock snowmen Lynn pointed out to me, can't believe I didn't take a photo but his name was buddy!)
6 …urm! Give me a minute I'm sure I've got another excuse…
7 did I mention I could be humiliated!
…101 – I DON'T WANT TO DO IT!

…but at the same time I have been trying to make enough stock incase I DID decide to take a stand…

…come on, you know I obviously did.

I woke up at 6 this morning and told myself to go back to sleep… which of course I didn't due to the fact that I still had a mouth to sew on, a quilt to finish, 3 labels to print, 4 labels to attach, a quick trip to sell a monkey before the fair and a monkey who needed a quick spin in the washing machine and tumble dryer!

I have to say getting up early was quite good but I was so ahead of myself that I did start to bounce of the walls a little… but my family were fantastic, they all get dressed when I asked (including Guy… and if you know Guy you'll know that's an achievement!!!) and we were all packed up and in the car ready to set up at 11.

So I'm sounding quite confident right! Wrong… I had a space in the main hall, FAB! Hhhmmm… I wanted to be tucked away in a corridor away from everyone – remember I really didn't want to go, (it turned out to be a great spot though), but once I was set up I was really quite pleased with how it looked but notice the crossed (slightly nervous) arms… oh yeah and that smile.

Pretending not to be nervous I took a cup of tea that I was offered… big, BIG mistake, I have no idea how I managed to keep the tea in the styrofoam cup!!! Shaking? Me? No! I'm not shaking!!! I have an affliction don't you know! I'm sure I'm allergic to styrofoam cups, bring me out in an uncontrollable shudder! So as my voice went up a few octave's "GUY, quick can you take this for me… QUICK TAKE THIS!' my husband… my rock… rescued me from near disaster! – I have to say I couldn't of done it today without his support over the past few weeks and of course today! So I'd like to say right now a huge thank you… with a promise that I will once again start ironing (and washing, and hoovering, and cooking tea, and shopping – actually it's surprising what you can still mange to make with very little food but I am fed up with being referred to as 'old mother hubbard'!).

A day of sewing!

I had a change of direction today and decided that with 16 sock monkeys finished and 4 just needing their ears and smiles sewn on, oh yeah and the two that need everything doing… that I now had the sock monkeys pretty much in the bag… and actually I mean that literally!

There's my new baby sock monkey in there too, you can see how small she is… very cute!

So then my change in direction ended up with me making one peg bag and nearly finishing another, yay!

I only took a photo of the finished one and it's not the best photo but I'm glad to be blogging about something other than sock monkeys!!! (even though it's only a quick blog).

…and yes, your right if you think it looks familiar. I have used this fabric for my peg bag before but there is a slight difference to the shape and the button… and my label!

A day of bags tomorrow me thinks, I have found some fabulous fabric in my stash so I have to admit I'm quite excited. Roll on tomorrow.

Thanks for looking and please feel free to leave a comment.

Rachael

My new logo

…just a quick post to point out that although this is my lovely new logo – designed by my fabulous husband – this is just a temporary banner. I shall when I have time design a better one but for continuities sake I thought I should put it up (this one is on my folksy and etsy shops)!

Right back to the sock monkeys!

Rachael

Eat, breathe, sleep…

…sock monkeys.

That's all I seem to be doing at the moment but I have to say I am still quite enjoying making them. I think it helps that the response to them has been so fantastic.

But my obsession with socks is is making my life as a blogger a little dull – how many more photos can I post of sock monkeys… bring on the quilts I say!

I'm afraid though this is another monkey post and I write this post with a little bit of sadness in my heart, for today I bid farewell to two of my favourite sock monkeys…

Jules is currently in between homes as she awaits the arrival of a new baby. We miss you Jules!

…and Loretta, oh Loretta, she is at this moment in transit to her new home. Tink and I were very sad to see Loretta go… it was quite a moment when I sealed up the package!

So tomorrow… hmmm what will that day hold for me? Think it's time I made some more boys!!!

Oh and I need to point out that my logo re-design was done by my very gorgeous and talented husband (he made me artwork it though) – the first time he ever looks at my blog and he takes umbrage to the fact that I hadn't credited him – I will forgive him because I love him like crazy. Anyway I still have to design the banner so it's not quite ready to appear on my blog heading. Soon, very soon.

Thanks for looking, you can always leave a comment if you stop by.

Oh, and have a look at my new updated photos on my sock monkey page – all are for sale but some are  yet to be listed.

Rachael

Christmas fair is looming

I have so missed blogging…

…it's been so long since I last sat down and had something to blog about. Thats not to say I haven't been busy because I have. No more quilting for me at the moment, oh no… I'm on a mission.

In a moment of madness I decided to take a stand at the school fair… selling, wait for it… ta dah!

…monkeys, monkeys and even more monkeys!

My fingers are sore but I finally have a little group of finished monkeys. Most of them girls at the minute, the boys are still waiting to be sewn.

I will have them up for sale in the next few days on my folksy or etsy site… once I've got better photographs of them. In the mean time have a look at my 'new' sock monkey page. I know, I know, I lead a sad life!!!

Oh and I have a new logo too… watch this space.

Thanks for looking.

Rachael

Just a pair of socks!

…yay! Here she is, my cutest little sock monkey.

I couldn't resist making her a little pair of frilly socks and she has a cute flower tail too – I just love her… up for sale on Etsy… do I have to? I think I may have to keep her, urm for Tink I mean!!!

Enough with the sock monkeys now…

…I want to start a new quilt! Or perhaps even finish one!!!

Thanks for looking.

Rachael

Quilts to finish…

I can't believe a whole morning has gone and I have done very little… I still need to have a quick tidy round but my hands are so cold I decided a cup of coffee and a quick bit of typing may be what they needed to warm up…

I haven't finished my little sock monkey yet either as predicted (come on you didn't really think I would now did you!) but definitely by the end of today!

I have take some more pictures of my baby blue puffball now that it's completely stuffed. Unfortunately I didn't finishing stuffing it the day I said I would… there's a surprise! It wasn't really my fault, I ran out of polyfill!!! I am always amazed by how much I need to complete a quilt.

I am still a little undecided about the backing fabric, I'm tempted to use a lovely pale blue I have but then on the other hand I have a wonderful soft cream… decisions, decision – I'll decide tomorrow!!!

This is by far my favourite puffball, and for the time being is going to be my last!

I have finished the back of my single quilt and if I can summon up the courage I may just start quilting it tomorrow… seriously do you believe that? Not sure I do.

It's backed with aboriginal dots by Kaffe fassett – I just love this fabric, huge huge fan of quite a lot of his fabrics as you can see from the front, and although I'm not allowed I'm thinking this ones a keeper… it just looked so lovely on my bed, and it's so cold at the minute – definitely a reason to 'start' to finish it tomorrow!

Right, back to the quick tidy up and oh yes… that little stripy sock monkey!

Thanks for looking.

Rachael