Now It's November!

Well, I really don't know where the time goes!  Can't believe it's again another month since my last post!

What have I been doing?  Well, honestly I don't really know!  Not a lot of mini-ing been going on, did a bit of mini knitting, which I think i've already put on the blog.   Made a couple of Christmas things (which I can't show you lol) and just made a mini quilt for Bill for his new bed in The Boathouse.

I don't think I've made anything else recently, well baby clothes but I think i've probably already shown you them, well maybe not this one.

I've also finally got my houses all in one place, which is a definite first.  I'm very pleased with them all, think most excited about the Christmas Cottage!   Going to start a Christmas patchwork for that next, really want to get the house sorted.  Trying to choose a kitchen at the moment as well for it, it's so difficult I can never make up my mind.

I still need to make all the boxes for the quilting/knitting shop, oh and make a million tiny balls of wool!

Anyway, here's the houses all in one place,  Then I shall sign off, and hopefully not leave for another month before I take some more interesting pics and have pretty things to show you!

Oops I've Done it Again!

Well naughty me!  Look what's on it's way!   Yes it's that naughty Paula tempting me again!  It was her Christmas House and I've decided to copy lol, and this will be a Christmas house again.  I really shouldn't have but it's a lovely house!

I've decided that half my problem is that i'm always so busy trying to make a few pennies making things to sell, that I never seem to have time to actually do anything to my own houses!   Have got some Christmas orders to make and then I shall concentrate on doing stuff for ME!   Got to make a new quilt for Bill's cabin ships wheel bed, also need to make a quilt (and finish the rest of Beacon) for Betty,  Luckily they are only single quilts so not huge!   Also need to make another Christmas quilt (like I made for Paula last year) for the new residents (not found yet) of the Christmas house.  Think it will be a fairly modern house so needs some younger residents, but not that young lol.

Then I must also get on with the shop, still undecided what will be on the middle floor of that, but think I best get the ground floor sorted first.   Got to fill it up with "craft" supplies, well knitting, sewing, x stitch, that kind of thing.

I did dig out the mini knitting and made a few jumpers, will probably do a few xmas jumpers soon as well, at least they don't take too long.  Here are the few that i've made so far

I've still been knitting baby outfits as well (life size) but have to say i'm bored with that at the moment!  I also started another knitted bunny, but got bored with that.  Finished the two red bears for my friend's grandchildren and they are now in their new home

Have to say the bears are probably my favourite things to knit, they are really rather cute, which is a good thing as i've got so much wool to knit them in so many colours!  Think I could easily make another 20 of them with the wool i've got.  In fact the amount of wool i've got is crazy!  I really will have to seriously think of selling some of it all!  So much baby wool, wool for teds, wool for bunnies, wool for toy knitting, it's really rather silly!

Oh back to the house, mind wandering again, it's my age you know!   Well of course I don't have room for it (sure that's why I sold Lobster and the little shop) well took the plunge and bought a new chest of drawers for my bedroom, really hope it does fit!  I did measure but well that's me so it may not!  Of course it's flat packed ewwwwwwwwwwwww, hate flat pack furniture!  Will probably have a go at building it this weekend, then hopefully I will be able to get 2 houses on it.  That's the plan anyway.  I've moved the pink shop (newly named The Crafty Quilter, thank you Paula for the name and Bethany for the signs) next to Cove Cottage Tea Rooms, and fingers crossed the Christmas Cottage and Beacon will fit on the new chest of drawers, providing of course I manage to build it without it collapsing!

Well i've been rambling for a while now, so think it's time to go!  Will post some pics when i get my new house, it's on it's way so should be here tuesday or wednesday, soooooo excited!

Ooops New Shop!

Well, having sold Lobster I seem to have replaced it pretty quick!  Naughty me!   It is Paula's pretty pink shop, not directly from Paula, sold to another lady who lives local to me and tut at me I seccumbed and bought it!

It's very pretty and will be the new Handicraft Shop, now I haven't thought of a name for it yet and it needs some new signs, 2 of them are still advertising beach stuff, so i shall have to think of something pretty quick!

I haven't got very much to put in it at the moment as pennies are very tight, but there is a lot more room in it than in Beacon and this one has a lovely big shop window so really is much more suited to a shop. 

I haven't quite decided what will go in it yet, at the moment the doll that Paula made me a while ago (now for the life of me I can't think what his name was, but from now on his name will be Frank lol. he seems to be using the attic as a bedsit and he has nowhere else to live at the moment so I think he will be claiming squatters rights and staying put.

The ground floor will be the main shop and of course there is room for expansion on the 1st floor, depends what brainwaves I get, so it could remain empty!

Beacon will now become Betty (the tea room owner) new house, at the moment it seems to be a bed showroom

really just because I haven't got anywhere else to keep the beds!   The one on the ground floor is Bill's old bed and the first patchwork quilt I made!  He now has a smart new bed complete with a ships wheel as a headboard, i must take a pic of it!  He needs a new "manly nautical" quilt to go with it, so I shall be busy!   The black "iron" bedstead on the first floor, well I didn't need, but I liked it and justified it to myself that I would use it to display my patchwork quilts that I intend to make, they always look so much better on a bed!

Anyway this is how Beacon looks with a quick hunt for furniture.   I have got the most gorgeous brass single bed for upstairs which Paula managed to get for me, and of course it needs a pretty quilt as well.  The downstairs is just a sofa and table that I was going to sell, but hadn't got round to it, so they will stay there for now until I find something better!

I have manage to fit the little kitchen in the "scullery", not quite right but can't think what else to do, it's either got to be a loo or a kitchen and not sure there's room downstairs, although if I find a compact kitchen I might be able to change it round.


Anyway that's the changes so far, loads to do, but no money to do it lol, as is usually the case!  Here is a picture of my 5 houses (and still counting) but I really am running out of space!

I would so love them to all be on the same level, could do with another couple of chest of drawers! 

I keep saying I will keep my blog updated, but life always seems to take over and I don't get round to it and because I haven't really done very much to them it does seem a bit pointless!   I really will try harder though!

Well Slap My Wrist!

Thought it was a long time since I updated my blog last time, but this time i've been even worse, can't believe it's been nearly 2 months!  I just don't know where the time goes!  Well I do, it's called life!  We've had weddings, birthdays, etc. and just general life and mundane things in general!

I'm still on my weight loss kick and have now lost 5stone 13.5lbs, and that's been keeping me busy, although I don't really know why!

Anyway, enough excuses, what has been happening?

Well Lobster Pot Cottage is finally on it's way to my bestest friend Paula, I know it will be well loved and given a gorgeous makeover when she gets her hands on it!  I sort of lost interest in it when I moved the tea rooms to Cove, and it just sat in the middle looking very out of place!  So i'm not really sad to see it go but very happy that Paula is going to love it!

I've decided that no more dollshouses for me, ha, well that was until I spied Paula's pretty pink shop, so am in a quandary now!

I did actually buy some bits and pieces for Beacon, the downstairs is going to be a haberdashery/wool/craft shop.  Just bought the furniture, have got to pretty it up as the dresser is bare wood, so needs painting and papering and generally making it look nice.  As there's not much room have just got a counter/display in the middle with a few white wire shelf units to put things on, there's not a vast amount of room so have to be careful, i've got a wicker chair in there at the moment as well, mainly because I didn't want to get rid of it, but not got anywhere to put it either!  Got to make a heap of little boxes to put things like buttons, cottons, etc. etc., in and can't say i'm looking forward to doing that all that much, that sort of thing doesn't float my boat!  But on a tight budget so got to be done, sure i can find template for the right sort of box, I can never work these things out!  I did get some pretty papers (not dollshouse, but think they'll do) in a "freebie" from hobbycraft so hope to make them out of that, they don't need to be strong boxes just strong enough to make things in, if not the paper can be stuck to the card and the boxes made out of that.  Anyway here's a picture of Beacon so far

Think i'm quite happy with the upstairs, and to be honest there's not a lot of room for much else up there lol, so it's just the downstairs.  I've still got to sort my little shabby shop out again, now i've rescued it from the cats, it's just sitting under a table at the moment, i must sort it out though.  Just reminded me seein the doll in Beacon cos i'm pretty sure she is from the shop and that i just rescued her from the shop and she ended up in beacon!  Still nothing in the little annexe for beacon, still don't really know what to put in there, there's not much room at all in there so it can't be much!

I seem to have been busy knitting bears and baby clothes recently, not had a lot of time for mini knitting or quilting.  Did a little bit of mini knitting (my worst nightmare doll lol, and some xmas stockings) and that's been about it on the mini front.

The rest of my time has been knitting baby/reborn baby clothes.  I am quite enjoying doing these, but the reborn dolls that I spent so much on, I have to say have remained in their boxes in the wardrobe!  I am seriously thinking about selling them, lovely as they are, not much point in keeping them if they are in their boxes hidden!

These are the reborns and I have to say they are amazing!  All handpainted and have rooted hair, beautiful really.

This is the latest bear that i've made, he was a custom order to co-ordinate with a bedroom.

These are some of the baby clothes i've been knitting (and yes i am trying to justify my time away from the blog lol)

Well that's enough of that!

I have a yearning to make a new mini patchwork, not sure what, but probably a pretty flowery one or a cath kidston one.  Will finish the custom baby outfit i'm doing and then may give it a go!  Think i'm being inspired by myself lol, fingers crossed a "how to" tutorial I did at the request of DHMS magazine should be in the November issue, well it was meant to be in the October issue, but they had to put it back, so it might not be in November's, it could be next year or it could be never lol, but i was very flattered to be asked to do one, I was just going to start on a quilt for a lady so I used that one in the tutorial pics.  I thought it would be easy, how wrong was I!   Not that easy to explain in words, so whether it will make real sense or not remains to be seen!  Anyway I will let you know if it does get printed.

Right, well it's getting late and i seem to have been rambling for yonks!  Must not leave it so long!

OMG That Long!

Well naughty me, can't believe i've not updated since April, good job Paula gave me a much needed nudge!

I haven't really done that much dollshousing I have to confess, i've sort of run out of inspiration for it at the moment, as you will see Beacon is still very empty!

I did have a little move round of my bedroom so get the houses all in one place, unfortunately until i get some new furniture they are all a bit higgledy piggledy, but hey ho there it must be a very hilly street!  I've still got the little shabby shop which is in the kitchen but i'd like to move it as it's getting ruined as the cats seem to think it makes an ideal bed!

Her are closer views of Cove Cottage Tearooms and Beaon together

Still my favourites Driftwood Cottage and The Boathouse, inhabited by my favourites Bill & Maggie

Last but not least, Lobster Pot Cottage

Now for the inside of Beacon, as you can see it's a really tight squeeze in there!  The sofa I bought really is too large, will have to have a rethink, I was looking for something that could double as a bed, but really there just isn't room, think it will just have to be a comfy armchair in there, it's only a small property to very hard to try and fit anything in and the sofa, to me just looks tooooooooo big!

The downstairs and annexe is still empty, just lacking inspiration for them at the moment, the downstairs is meant to be a shop, but I have to say it could end up as just an ordinary house with a bedroom upstairs, living/kitchen downstairs and loo in the annexe, but that's very boring, so i won't do anything yet until i find where my inspiration is hiding!

That's really about it on the dollshouse front, not terribly exciting and it's very boring not getting packages from the postie!  I do miss getting new things, but at the moment money is very tight so there's not a lot left for dollshouse stuff.

I seem to have been busy knitting baby clothes at the moment, not even done any mini patchworking!

That's about it for now, if you find my inspiration please send it back lol.

Few pics of Beacon

As promised here's a couple of piccies of the upstairs of Beacon.   I've pinched most of the stuff from the Pavillion Holiday let, which unfortunately has been languishing unloved on a table, and mainly used as a hat, gloves and scarf peg!  I've never really been a fan of the pavillion, have redone it and still don't like it, so unfortunately it is in the dustbin now!  The windows and doors had broken and it really wasn't any use for anything, so out it must go!

Anyway, as you can see have most of the things in Beacon and the rest of the stuff i'll be selling on my fb page or ebay, seem to accumulated a few bits and pieces and now I'm trying to sell Lake View I really don't need them.

Anyway, back to Beacon!

The upstairs i've turned into a sort of bedsit, well more a chair sit really!  Couldn't fit a bed in there or the settee, it's quite a narrow little property so not that much room, but we've got a bit of a kitchen, table and armchair, plus the lovely little boat shelf unit that Paula made for me and of course the gorgeous doll, who I can't decide on a name and i must knit him some more clothes as well!  He must be quite smelly in the same jumper day and night!

The downstairs is still bare as is the annexe, i'm hoping to make these into a shop and workroom for handicrafts, but need to sell some stuff before I can buy some shop units and shelves.

Here it is anyway!

More Mini Quilts

Seem to have been busy with making the mini patchwork quilts just recently.  Have just completed these two, one for Paula and one for a lady she knows, they will be winging their way up to Scotland tomorrow when I get down to the shops.

This is the pretty pink one for Paula

This is the one for Audrey

Otherwise I haven't really done that much else!  Started knitting another of my favourite teddies, I love knitting these and have got quite a collection now, shame they're not mini as they take up quite a lot of room!  I will have to get my act together and get them on ebay!

I've just got another order for another mini quilt so will be starting that next week as well.

Still got Lake View and the Garden Room as nobody seems to want it, typical now that i've decided I really don't want to do it and just want it out the way.  My listing ends tomorrow so I shall stick it on again, but will offer a courier service as well, it looks like it will cost about £30 for all 3 boxes together, so hopefully that won't deter people too much!

I have had a little play with Beacon this week and will take a pic and post it later.  I've kitted out the upstairs as a little bedsit, the downstairs I haven't started on.  I think that will be a sort of handicraft shop, taking in all the various little crafts that I do, e.g. knitting, patchworking, cross stitching etc.  Once I've sold Lake View i'll be able to buy some counters etc., hoping that I can make most of the things that will go in the shop, the little annexe will still be a workroom (I did try and fit a shower etc. in there, but it's not really big enough) so a workroom it will be!  Was quite nice having a play, seem to have been neglecting things recently!

I dismantled my holiday let (the pavillion) as it's just languishing on a little table in the hall and i'm afraid i'm in the habit of dumping bags, hats etc on it, i've never really liked it to be honest so i took everything out and most of it is in the new bedsit!  A few other bits I managed to rehome in Lobster and Driftwood, and there's just a few bits that are too big for Beacon, mainly a bedroom set so they will shortly go on ebay!

That's about all my news for now, will try and take some pics over the weekend of Beacon.

Bye Bye Lake View

Well, as you may have guessed from the title, Lake View will never be making it out the box now, I've decided due to finances and space that I really don't have the time or the money to do it, let alone no space to actually put it if I did complete it, so have taken the decision to try and sell it, i've put it on gumtree and a local facebook group in the hope that somebody will buy it.  Haven't put it on  ebay yet but no doubt it will end up on there on their next free listing day, hate ebay as it costs so much.   Don't think it would be viable to actually courier it anyway as it's 3 huge boxes which would cost a fortune to post, so it's got to be somebody local, just hope that I can sell it!

Anyway, had a little break from mini patchworks, all patchworked out, but made a gorgeous teddy bear, who is so soft which unfortunately you can't see from the pictures.

No idea what will happen to this bear, probably end up on ebay!

Just doing some little mini knitting, a baby romper suit, hat and bootees, not finished yet so will post pics when it's done.

Anyway that's about it for now, nothing new happening here!

More Mini Patchworks!

Have been busy making 2 more mini patchworks for my dear friend Paula, have now finished them and they will be making their way to Scotland next week!

They do take a long time to make as I still make them the old fashioned way, cutting squares then cutting papers and tacking the papers in the squares then sewing them all together and taking the tacking and papers out (not my favourite job!) and then backing and binding them.  I do think they are very cute though, each square is approx 0.75cm and it takes an average of 170 to make a single sized quilt!  Now that's a lot of hand sewing!

And here they are!

Should really be starting Lake View now, but it's still sitting in the cupboard!  My excuse is I need the kitchen table tomorrow for a family Sunday dinner lol.

Still haven't done anything with Beacon either, but lack of funds is stopping that.  Oh I wish I was rich!

Anyway I had bought some wool a while ago and am knitting a teddy (full size) at the moment, now I never know how they are going to turn out, so time will tell!

That's about it for now, back to the knitting, it's quite nice to be able to do something without having to wear my glasses, that's the good thing about full size stuff, not quite so reliant on glasses!

Another mini patchwork

Have just finished another little patchwork for Julie (the lady who makes the lovely dollshouses) for one of her little cottages.  She saw the one I did for Paula and asked if I could do a similar one, I am quite enjoying making the little patchworks at the moment even though they are fiddly and time consuming I do get a certain satisfaction from seeing them completed and in their new homes.

Here is the finished quilt

Just as well I'm enjoying quilting at the moment as I've got 2 more to do for Paula!

"Pretend" Patchwork Quilts

Finally got round to having a play with some patchwork look fabrics that I had and made a few quilts.  I do rather like the little girl, holly hobbie type fabric.

These are very easy and quick to make thank goodness, but to be honest I'd rather make my proper patchwork ones.

I even had a go with the blue/yellow fabric with putting wadding in and then quilting it, but i'm not sure that finished effect is worth the effort!

Anyway here's a piccie of them so you can see for yourself.

Fishy Jacket Finished

Finally finished the fishy jacket, at long last!  Have to say it's taken me even longer than the reindeer jumpers, but i'm quite pleased with the finished result.

Think it took so long as it's absolutely full of pattern, so involved many balls of wool hanging off the back and immense concentration lol.  Anyway it's done now thank goodness. 

Haven't really done much else today apart from finishing the jacket.

I've got to have a play with Beacon as only 2 out of the 4 lights are working at the moment, no doubt they have come a bit loose during transportation, will have a proper look when it's daylight again, sure it's just going to be a bulb loose or a loose wire in the plug.  It looks lovely lit up (well the upstairs and outside) as well.  Will sort the lights once it's light enough to see the wires properly lol. 

Don't know what I will be doing next, should really get Lake View underway, but am still very daunted by it, but hopefully once it's out it'll be easier than I think, famous last words!

Introducing Beacon Cottage

Yippee, Beacon Cottage has arrived from the talented Julie, it's really rather lovely!  Still not sure what I will do with it yet.  Can't decide whether it will be a new house for the new younger fisherman who is arriving soon, or whether to do some sort of shop with workshop attached.  No idea what sort of shop though!

Now I haven't forgotton i've got Lake View sitting in boxes in the cupboard and it will make an appearance in March!

I'm within sight of the end of knitting the little fishy jacket, hopefully it will be finished tomorrow and will post a pic of the completed article, can't believe how long it's taken, i've been busy doing this and that so it's taken me longer than usual, but as it's completely full of pattern and colours takes a lot of concentration, which can be a problem with me lol.

Took this piccie this evening as both my cats decided that there was room on my little shop for them to sit on, usually they sleep on it one at a time, and it's usually first come first lay on it!  I really must find somewhere else for it, as it's doing it no good being a cat bed!

Have to admit they do look quite cute though!  Maybe I should have made it in to a pet shop!