a crafty community...

Hello! How are you today? I have been living in a land of germs again.  My poor boys have had a horrible virus which has had them laid up in bed for most of the week.  So sorry if you've commented and I haven't replied - I've been on 24/7 Mum duty which doesn't always leave much time for fun stuff like blogging!  I am going a bit stir crazy as I have hardly left the house since my lovely trip to the Vintage Fair on Sunday.  It's not too bad being stuck inside when it's raining, but today the sun has been shining...I want to go out and play!! 

Never mind...I have an exciting weekend planned.  This Sunday, rather than buying lovely things, I will be selling them.  If it goes well then once a month I will be spending a Sunday in my local craft shop, with a big pile of vintage fabric...what fun! 

It is a great shop, as well as selling all kinds of fantastic art and craft supplies Vicky, the super crafty owner, runs workshops, drop in sessions and courses, and gets involved in lots of community events such as our annual Lantern Parade. 

Here are some of the lovely things that she stocks for us lucky locals to play with...

ribbons and trims...

lots of lovely papers...

 

beads and bling...

gorgeous yarns...

and if we're ever stuck for inspiration she has a great stock of craft books and journals.

Her latest community project is a Crochet Coral Reef...this is a global project which was started by an organisation called the Institute for Figuring in Los Angeles but has now been taken up all over the world...this image is from a reef made in Latvia:

Last time I popped into the shop this was what Vicky had been working on:

Isn't it amazing? Lots of people are getting involved in making coral of all shapes and sizes, and she's also running drop-in needle felting workshops, where you are taught to needle felt for a tiny fee but the 'catch' is that you have to make a fish and leave it there to live in the reef... 

...as I'm sure you can imagine, it's the kind of shop I feel very at home in!

So I am really looking forward to Sunday.  I will be taking lots of fabrics with me to sell - scrap packs, fat quarters, patchwork squares and a few half metres and metres for those with a bigger project in mind. I'm also going to try to restock my vintage fabric-covered button stash by then - if my poorly boys give me a chance!  Of course if you're in Bristol then please pop in - it would be lovely to see you there and you'll get the chance to rummage through my fabric stash and take your pick of all the goodies!

I hope your week has been less full of illness than mine, and that you have a lovely weekend coming up.  Fingers crossed my kids will be well next week and I'll be able to catch up properly with all your blogs to see what you've been up to!

Rachel x