The value of what you create.

Why do I create things? Not for profit that's for sure. To give to others? Sometimes. To enter challenges? Occasionally. Most of the time I create things as a release from the strains and stresses of my working life and for the sheer pleasure of making them. I am pleased when others say they like them and can cope with constructive criticism ( although I usually put a negative slant on that). Which brings me to the purpose of this. There has been an animated discussion I have been following about the approach to creating. And the value/point/reason for what is created and how others perceive it.
Yes it is easy to stay within the bounds of what one finds comfortable but surely this is a personal thing? What one creates for oneself should not be devalued because it doesn't suit another person. It is perfectly acceptable to say that some thing is not one's own taste but that doesn't mean that another has to change her work to suit.

When I am ready, I move on to new things but I do it in my own time. I don't want to be competitive. From the age of six or seven I made dolls clothes, I progressed to making my own clothes, then my daughter's clothes and more dolls' clothes. I learnt that patterns don't always give the easiest of ways to assemble things and that sometimes they do. I don't make traditional dolls with extensive wardrobes because it would bring little that is new to me.(Maybe one day it will, never say never). So I make art dolls and those that I design myself I can pretend are right even if they are not perfect!

I don't want the stress of worrying whether I have done it the right way. or whether it follows the right format or whether it will be approved by those who think their way is the correct one. There is enough of that in the working part of my life. I sew to enjoy it, on a sunny day with the music on, there is nothing better than sitting with the sewing machine whirring.

Today I can show the colour exchange things I sent to my partner.


I made a bag to put it all in.




A close up of the needle case






Today I received my package I should have got it on Friday but I was working. I chose mauve shades for mine and I was not disappointed.


The buttons are particularly lovely and I am already wondering what I can use them on. As soon as I saw the wand and crown I knew who would pinch them!


Thank you Milly I love it all.

Grace requested a new skirt to go with the card in the above photograph. It is almost done. Biddle's new jumper is taken an age, Not sure why. Except that it will probably take even longer now. Yesterday, dashing down the stairs I nearly fell headlong into the coats at the bottom and as I saved myself I wrenched my neck. I spent the day in pain across my shoulders and today thought it wasn't too bad but a work to the Post Office has resulted in more pain. As long as its not a repeat of the agony I was in ten years ago I will cope but I might not be frantically knitting for a few days.

This is the last week of term, had a bit more work that I thought there might be. But it will be nice next week not having to worry about phone calls and dashing off

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Mothering Sunday

Yesterday was Mothering Sunday. Libby brought me a very nice card and flowers and a bottle of baileys. We paid a visit to the garden centre and then had take away curry for tea. The day was rounded off with an emphatic win by Liverpool. What more could I want?

But back to the term Mothering Sunday- when I was a little girl and went to Sunday School we would go and look for early primroses and make small posies to give our mums, maybe buy a card and a small gift or make a card at school. The term
Mothering Sunday

historically is a Christian event during advent when people especially girls would return home from service to their mother church (home) and families. During Victorian times girls often went into service as young as ten years old. This part of the day has now been largely over taken by the commercialism of gift buying and of course young girls are not sent off to work so young. Every year it is harder to find my mum a card saying Mothering Sunday.


Mothers' Day

in America is a different event. But I should imagine that commercialism has taken over there too.

Had a good week some work some play and finished and hung up this


and finished Grace's cardigan


She has now requested a skirt!!!

All my sewing is now up to date ( apart from the aforementioned skirt). The challenge doll photo has been submitted. I was pleased with her but still need to get to grips with faces. So what to make now?

We have had some warm sunny days but the cold wind has returned. This is the last week of GMT next Sunday we spring forward ( an event which always upsets my body clock) the days will grow longer and hopefully summer will be warmer and drier than the last couple of years.

Thanks for visiting

another week another blog post!

Its been a funny week. One where I am not sure whether I accomplished a lot or not. I did have some work so that was good and both days involved a mad rush after 8 30 in a taxi.

Several projects are completed or almost completed. I have mailed out my colour swap and will show what I did when it arrives at its destination. Grace almost has her new cardigan and she is looking forward to being featured here next time.

My challenged doll still needs few finishing touches and she can't be shown until after the end of the month.

So that leaves an almost finished wall hanging






Since taking the photographs it now has a backing and edging.

This year is whizzing past and I realised today that it will be five years on Tuesday since our very special puss Haydn died he was the most friendly puss and Tia is very similar in nature. He had suffered health problems for about half his life which were managed with medication and died aged 15.



The days seem to brightening up and its so nice to sit up here with the sun shining through the window




This is a created by the crystal similar to this John bought me one Christmas its motor is solar powered so once the sun is at its best the crystal turns and patterns fly around the walls its a most pleasing sight. I look forward in that respect to warmer days. Friday's trip to the Post Office in the sunshine resulted in blocked sinuses and a sore throat and that is the downside of warmer weather and spring flowers.

John and Biddle went out walking yesterday and you can read their adventures here

seems I have competition, he's a very clever blogging bear

Plenty of time to blog

Well last week was a fluke it seems. No work this week... except that I missed a phone call on the mobile on Monday morning. I just don't use it at home I leave it in one place and hope people ring the house phone. And then on Tuesday I could've had a late booking at 9 20 but I chickened out, it was a new school and would have involved a taxi. Last time the taxi got lost and I totally panicked. I have to get over this irrational fear of taxis.

We woke up to a hard frost this morning but it turned out quite sunny





And I remembered to take a photograph of these before the begin to spoil although you can see little nibbles in some of the petals.






The spring bulbs are coming through nicely






I have managed to catch up on some sewing, just the embellishments on the challenge doll. I had face trouble as usual but have managed to make her look a bit less aggressive! I have made a gift I can't show yet and began this


That's all I am showing at the moment. I have also knitted the back of a cardigan for a very spoilt bear called Grace who already has more than her fair share, she now has a facebook page as well as Biddle and me. This takes up far too much of my time. it seems face book is trying to close down bear pages. I hadn't realised there were so many people who go on trips and photograph their bears. It is something we have done for years. Then there was a KS1 geography topic called Where in the world is barnaby bear where children can take the school bear home for a holiday and photograph him in exotic locations. I don't thin k I will be quite so secretive photographing Biddle anymore it all seems perfectly normal.

John and Biddle have started going walking at the weekend and Biddle now wants his own blog to record his adventures

Thanks if you commented last time and sorry if I didn't acknowledge it personally