Bits and baubles

Last Sunday I got together with some of the Craft Room girls for our last meet up of the year.  The temperature reached well over 40C and what did I take to work on?  A crochet scarf........hmmmmm.  As a result I did not get as much done as I envisioned I would - it was just too darn HOT. 

The very lovely Ingrid (and her oh so lovely dolly baby Kitty) stopped by for a while and she brought with her a box full of vintage patterns.  I managed to score these five. 

I'm not sure they will ever become garments in my wardrobe but I do love just looking at their beautiful vintage goodness.

We did a gift swap again and I was lucky enough to pick Marina's (Wink Designs) swap item.  I just love the Matryoshka print tree ornaments - I couldn't wait for my Christmas tree to go up (not before December in my house, it's a thing I have) so I've hung them from the door knobs of my entertainment unit for the time being.  Every time I see them they make me smile :)

My swap item went to the very sweet Fiona whose sewing machine raised it's objections to being put through it's paces on such a sweltering day by  letting out a loud crackle and catching fire (it was just a bit of smoke really but that doesn't sound nearly as exciting)!

I have to be honest and say I had forgotten to prepare an item for the swap before I went away so I spent Saturday night in front of the tele making crochet and beaded christmas baubles.  This was just one of the many ideas I constantly have floating around in my head.  So many ideas and yet so few actually come to fruition.  I really am very creatively frustrated.  There just never seems to be enough time to get to the things I want to be doing (as opposed to the things I should be doing). 

I also included a 'Versatile Shopper' tote bag in my swap package, which I had made back here.  After a great response from some lovely reader's I was inspired to make more!  And two more I did before I was incredibly 'over it'.  Hence I learnt two valuable lessons 1 - I have a great aversion to making the same thing more then once, as I mentioned in my last post, and 2 - I will never make things to sell as I once dreamed of doing. 

Every time I go shopping I use my Versatile Shopper, I keep it in my handbag permanently. 

Every time I buy something from a shop which charges for plastic bags (as is become more common these days, and rightly so too) I think of the Versatile Shopper and wish I had it in me to make more as I am so proud and pleased with the few I did make - but alas it is not to be........  I have been wanting to post about the death of my little idea for a while now but kept holding on to the hope that I might be inspired to continue on, but if truth be told I know I wont.  So there you have it!  Enough rambling on about this.  Ahhhh, what a relief to have that off my chest :)

Anyway, back to my Craft Room post.  I did manage to finish the crochet scarf I was working on earlier this week but no pictures to show you yet, it's just been too hot to even think of wrapping a scarf around my neck. 

I want to say a big thank you to Corrie for starting up and organising the Craft Room throughout this year.  It has been such a pleasure to meet and chat with all the very lovely, talented and inspiring crafty women I have met because of it.