folklore vintage trim in scarlet, gold and biscuit brown

As mentioned in my previous post, things have been a bit hectic recently. I haven't had much time for making, but I have been listing some vintage trims in my Etsy store. I thought I would share some photos of my current favourite with you...I adore this folklore vintage trim, the detailing is amazing for something that is only 20mm in width!

folklore vintage trim in scarlet, gold and biscuit brown

Blogging break

I have had quite a long break from blogging recently. We've had quite a few upsetting things happen over the past few weeks and sometimes you have to focus on your family over everything else. I don't tend to blog about personal things, but the past few weeks have been particularly stressful and writing about this kind of thing can often help...

Our daughter was born with a large hemangioma birthmark or her arm. This wasn't really a problem in itself, but when she was five months old it became ulcerated and infected. We had to push our GP to get a referral at the local hospital, we both knew something was very wrong. It was incredibly painful for her because it had turned into a raw, open wound. It's impossible to explain to a child of that age why their arm is hurting so much, so she would scream and scream if anyone touched it.

As well as being referred to the local specialist, I did some online research and found the Birthmark Support Group (based in the UK). If you have a child with any type of birthmark, I strongly recommend getting in touch with them.

To explain everything that's happened over the past nine months would take me forever, but we basically felt like our daughter was not getting the right treatment. Her arm was constantly ulcerated and it became infected three times, so that involved three lots of anitibiotics in a 15 month time span.

The Birthmark Support Group had put me in touch with a specialist nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital in July 2010. We contacted her again in January 2011 and sent her some photos of our daughter's arm. She was shocked at the condition of the birthmark and asked us to get an immediate referral. Our daughter was admitted to GOSH in early February. The treatment she received had an almost immediate effect. Her arm has continued to heal at a rapid rate over the past few weeks and we are so pleased with her progress. After so many months of cleaning and dressing her birthmark, it is fantastic to see the improvement. She is no longer in pain and any parent would feel immense relief at this.

To respect our daughter's privacy, I'm not going to put photos on my blog, but if there are any parents who would like to see the progress of our daughter's arm pre and post treament, then I am happy to discuss it via email. I'm also happy to tell other parents the type of treatment we received from Great Ormond Street. I know how little information there is out there about infected hemangiomas, so if I can help anyone else - I'm happy to do that. I think if you feel that your child isn't getting the right treatment, it's important to push for a second opinion - after all, children need us to stand up for them and get things done properly.

On top of all this, my father-in-law passed away on the 21st February, just days after we returned from Great Ormond Street. I lost my own father in 2006, so I know what my husband is going through - nothing prepares you for losing a parent.

So it seems we've had quite a lot to contend with recently. I'm hoping to get back on a more even keel soon - crafting is my therapy, so I'm sure I will back making things for Pouch very soon.

Many thanks to Laura George, who very kindly allowed me to use her "Things Are Going To Work Out" print at the top of this blog post. I found it a couple of weeks ago whilst browsing on Etsy and fell in love with the sentiment it conveys - I think it's going to be my new mantra!

Vintage love: baby shoes

When you become a parent, you get very caught up in 'firsts', first smile, first laugh, first tooth - and one of the biggest 'firsts' is first steps!

Our little girl has been toddling about for a while now, so we decided to buy her first pair of shoes - a momentous event...the reason why I know it's an important event for any parent, is because my own Mum kept our first pair of shoes. She keeps them in a box with all our new baby cards dating from the 1970s, plus a bag full of hair from our first haircut! Like I say, all these 'firsts' are very special.



So here they are, my old pair of Startrite shoes from the late 1970s and my little girls gorgeous new pair side by side. Check out the wear on the toes of my shoes - what was I up to?! Mischief I imagine...





I love her little red shoes and she does too - they are definitely going to be kept for posterity, just like my Mum kept my shoes!

Vintage Supplies: a new shop section

Another first for 2011, a new section in my Etsy store - Vintage Supplies.

I have been busily listing a gorgeous selection of vintage trims in my Etsy store, perfect for adding a unique twist to your next crafting project. Due to the fact these trims are vintage, they are limited edition. Once they are gone, I cannot source more - so if you see something you like - grab it quickly!

This is going to be a very image-heavy blog post! I think the trims speak for themselves, so I wont add too much description, except to say this is a selection of the warm colour trims in shades of citrus orange, crimson red and honey yellow. Next time I will blog about the blue and green trims.

You can see the full selection here

New for 2011

I have recently listed some lavender hearts and lavender owls in two new colourways.

The hearts are made with vintage fabric in shades of lemon yellow and cotton candy pink. They make great ecofriendly Valentine's day presents and they are also perfect as a wedding, bridesmaid or hostess gift.
vintage fabric hearts in lemon and cotton candy pink



Next up are some lavender sleepy owls in lilac and plum. I already make rabbits in this colour so decided to create some owls in the same vintage fabric. They are filled with chemical-free, French Lavender and non-allergenic stuffing. You can either place them on your pillow to help you float off to sleep. Or put in your wardrobe (they don't mind the dark!) to make your clothes smell nice.
Sleepy owl in lilac and plum

Sustainable Fishing

Channel 4 are currently running a season of programs to highlight the current problems with the way fish are caught off our coastline. I watched Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's program the other night and it sent my blood pressure through the roof. It's a good job organisations like Channel 4 run programs such as these or I would never learn about the senseless waste of precious fish stocks.

Most people know that the seas are over fished and you assume that EU fish quotas are set up to help this situation. Apparently not. I cannot believe that nearly 50% of all fish caught in the north sea are thrown back dead. Fishermen are not allowed to land over-quota fish such as cod and haddock, so they have no choice but to throw them back. You can read more about the campaign here. You can also keep up to date with the campaign by following @hughsfishfight on Twitter.

If you are interested in joining the campaign to send a letter to to Commissioner Maria Damanaki, members of the Common Fisheries Policy Reform Group, and all MEPs, check out the Fish Fight website. Over 94,000 people have already signed up which is great news.

Channel 4 are also urging people to eat types of seafood that are traditionally less popular. They want to encourage people to eat more sustainable varieties and not turn to the usual suspects such as Cod, Salmon and Tuna. Find some inspiration here

It's ceratinly made me think about the fish I buy and I'm going to try out some of the recipes over the coming weeks.

2011 - the Chinese Year of the Rabbit

Goodbye 2010 and hello 2011 - the new year seems to have come round quicker than ever! Time seems to speed up when you become a parent, I can't believe how quickly the months pass these days...

2011 is the Chinese Year of the Rabbit, which is good news as I love bunnies! The year of the Rabbit is "traditionally associated with home and family, artistic pursuits, diplomacy, and keeping the peace."

So in that vein, I am following "artistic pursuits" by working on some batches of Lavender Rabbits, some are in fabrics previously seen in my etsy store and some are in brand new colours. I am also working on some new ideas for bags, can't say too much yet as I need to try out some prototypes first. I am also planning to launch a new vintage supplies section in my etsy store - I just need to find a parallel dimension where time is no object and I should hopefully bring all these ideas to life in 2011.

And in the spirit of "home and family" I want to try and help a local charity called Children's Hospice South West. I have wanted to create a charity listing for some time now and I am determined to make 2011 the year I bring this idea into fruition. Some months ago a good friend gave me this fantastic green vintage fabric.



So in the spirit of 'paying it forward', I am going to use the fabric donated to me gratis to make some Lavender Rabbits. A percentage of the sale price for each rabbit will be donated to Children's Hospice South West. The reason I have chosen this charity is because it provides invaluable support for families experiencing one of the most traumatic experiences any parent could face. Another deciding factor was I attended a funeral of a lady on New Year's eve who was a tireless fundraiser for this charity. I would like, in some small part, to try and continue the work she can no longer carry out.



So Happy New Year to all my blog readers and I hope 2011 brings you health and happiness!