26 May 2009

New Stuff




These are a few bits I made yesterday. I'm loving the cute clashing colours with the green checker. The coat is a work in progress that I started last week, this is the back panel across the shoulders, I want to do lots more of this patter around the bottom of the coat and on the front. I originally got this Ben Sherman coat in the Dublin swap shop Shebeen Chic for free, but I couldn't decide what to do with it.
(Note: as you can see my beautiful new mannequin has arrived, yey, I love it!)

Had a break, had a kitkat

As some of you may have noticed I took a little break. I realised working 7 days a week wasn't really that healthy, so some part of my brain decided to switch off. It was lovely, I did normal things like play poker(which I lost in grand 'All in' style), went to the pub, and a surprise birthday party for a friend of mine. We will also be heading away this weekend to Doolin, a gang of us have booked a house to celebrate my friends 30th, should be good craic. All in all I'm feeling really good, and normal, and not like my usual workaholic self. I have been tipping away on a few bitsfor the shop in Ennis, but I haven't been doing crazy 15 hour days.
I got some exciting news that may alleviate my mad workload. A lovely graduate of the art college popped down to the market and offered to help me out one or two days a week, for free to get some experience!! What great news! I'm meeting her today for a coffee to figure it all out. Many an hour I have spent wishing for a magical little elf to come along and help me sew in buttons. Fingers crossed it all works out.
Update: The meeting went really well, and Una has agreed to be my apprentice, woohoo. Starting next week I have a magical elf helping me 1/2 days a week. Sweet!

18 May 2009

Your Favorite Blogs?

I'm looking for some blogs to read, and I'm open to suggestions. As you can probably guess I would be into the whole art/craft/design side of things. Also I like well written witty blogs, that can be just general waffling . Things that I don't like are ugly blogs...I know that's mean but it makes my eyes hurt, and people who don't write that often, 3 times a week is more than enough though.
Any suggestions for your top 5 blogs?

17 May 2009

The dangers of online shopping

Eek online shopping is very dangerous, I just bought a mannequin. Everyone warned me that this would happen, the disastrous combination of a credit card and a broadband connection. Ah well I've needed to buy one for ages, and a 100 quid is not bad compared to some prices I've seen.

Sodden Feet

It was a complete washout today at the market, actually the word rain doesn't really do justice to the weather we experienced, the worlds population of cats and dogs pouring out of the sky would be a better description. I was completely soaked and exhausted by the time I got home. It was one of those days that all the traders were muttering 'why am I doing things?'.
Anyway...we all all need bad days so that we can savour the good ones,right? At least now I'm sitting at home with the heating on, and my cozy slippers warming my once sodden feet.

16 May 2009

Am I a Complete Old Lady?

I have discovered a new joy...audiobooks!! I know that sounds a little batty but they are really great to listen to when I'm doing hours of hand sewing. I found myself watching lots of films when I had sewing to do, but I mostly ended up missing most of it because I wasn't looking at the screen. I came up with the idea of getting audiobooks ages ago, but me being the eternal procrastinator I didn't do anything about it. Yesterday I tried to download some but I was very confused and frustrated by odd things like bit torrent and seeding (does anyone know what they mean cos I don't!). So instead I tottered down to the Library signed up to a new membership, and strolled over t the audiobook section. I was a bit appallled at the old ladyness of their selection, lots of Patricia Scanlan, and Daniel Steele, but there were a few gems in the rough. Also after a bashful enquiry I found where they had the Harry Potters were hidden(doh, in the kids section). So for free I scooted home with the first 3 Harry Potter books, a Terry Pratchett, E.M.Foster's A Room With A View (one of my favorite books), and Bridget Jone's Diary (which I've never bothered reading but I'll quite happily listen to it). What a wonderful idea, the library, I'm in love all over again, it brought me back to my preteen days when I couldn't afford books and I was always in the there with my mother.
Yesterday I got through The Philosophers Stone, I had a huge amount of sewing to do and plenty more still yet to do today so I'm sure I'll hear all of the second book today....oh the excitement. As you may have guessed I'm a bit of a Harry Potter fan, I've read all the books, watched the movies multiple times, but listening to Stephen Fry narrating them is really wonderful.

So am I a complete old lady by listening to audiobooks or does anyone else do it?

15 May 2009

I've been Tagged

Thanks to the lovely Balanced for tagging me, she makes the most beautiful Jewellery, and I'm insanely jealous of her photography skills.
(Note:I decided to do the slightly longer list I've seen knocking about blogs this week, rather than the shortened one that balanced has)


Seven things I like:

Sweet things(I'm a complete sugaraholic)
A good bargain
Buttons
Films
Going for a good meal with friends
My house
Making things

Seven things I did yesterday:

Worked on a Blue coat for a customer
Got distracted by my bold friend John and went for coffee
Got completely soaked to the bone
Went to the pub to dry out(it has a lovely turf fire)
Drank lots of Guinness
Tasted vinegar with gravy and chips for the first time
Was woken up in the wee hours by a party that landed in my house

Seven things I wish I could do:

Drive
Swim
Win money, not neccessarily the lotto but a sizeable amount
Teleport
Live of my buiness and not have to waitress
Click my fingers and magically all my work would be done
Buy my house

Seven things I don’t like:

Getting up early
Rude people(more specifically customers)
Hangovers
That I'm a procrastinator
The dentist(not a a person, she was lovely, but going to the dentist)
Hearing bad news about a loved ones
Not being able to do anything about it

I'm tagging:

Made Marian
The Biologista
Declan Shalvey
Red Lemonade
Magatha-May
Bex

13 May 2009

Design Work

This is the Soviet inspired invitation to the opening of the Robert Byrne Memorial Park that I did last week.

12 May 2009

Do you stitch? Do you bitch?

I got a text from Marian telling me about a Stitch and Bitch that was going on tonight in Limerick. I had always wanted to go to one, and had previously tinkered with the idea of starting one, so I was rather chuffed to get the text. Apparently they have it every week in The Old Quarter Pub, on Tuesdays at 7.30pm. It's an open group and anyone can turn up! So get your kneedles/crochet hooks/wool out and start crafting. It was a small gathering of just 4 of us, but I am told that it's normally bigger. It was lovely, informal and a really nice group. Unfortunately I normally work on Tuesday evenings, but hopefully I'll be able to make it at least once a month. Sometimes with the when I'm crazy busy I feel like a bit of a hermit working away by myself, so it was lovely to be working and socialising at the same time.

11 May 2009

Hurrah For Sunshine

Image
We had a beautifully sunny day yesterday at the market, it's a rarity in Limerick so we all soaked it up with gusto. I popped of for an hour (while Orla looked after my stall), to go to the march against gangland violence in Limerick, organised by Steve Collins. There was a great turnout, 5000 citizens marched in red down Henry St. to say 'No' to the behaviour that has become accepted.I for one was proud to be standing among them ,but saddened that such a gesture is needed.

We had more glorious weather today and I just spent the last few hours in the park sewing...what a lovely treat. Hopefully it lasts for the week, if so I'll be frequenting the park often.

10 May 2009

The forgotten Prize Draw

This month it slipped my mind to hold my monthly prize draw, but I decided that I would still pick a winner from my list of entrants from previous months. So congatulations to


...next month I'll actually tell you lovely people so you can build up lots of hope and excitement.

9 May 2009

Star Trekin'

I have an admission to make...I'm a big Trekie, not the custume wearing, Klingon speaking type, but still a fairly big fan. Ever since I was a kid I was completely addicted to Next Generation, I am that person that Sky One was playing all those re-runs for. So it's no surprise to you then that I went to see Star Trek last night, and I loved it. There are obviously moments that you have to suspend belief but that's the whole point. I thought the characterisation was great, and it was really entertaining, a good balance of plot, action and special effects. John grumbled and moaned about having to go see it, and balked at the idea that I might wear my Star Trek t-shirt. To anyone that's a trekie, go see it, to anyone who is not it's a really good action flick. I must say I'm very tempted to buy the box set in HMV of all the original Star Trek Movies...would that be too nerdy??

8 May 2009

Recessionista Brownie Points

I was sitting down the other night watching the fantastic Brideshead Revisited, and I got the urge to trim my hair. 'An inch, two max' I was thinkng. No folks I did not do the sensible thing and go into the bathroom where there is a mirror, instead I curled up on the sofa with Jeremy Irons and a scissors. In the end I took off about 5 inches and layered my hair. I'm really shocked at how well it looks. My hair is wavey so I get away with the fact that it's uneven. My recessionista brownie points have just gone up another notch me thinks.

7 May 2009

Riverfest Photos



At last I have the photos of my stall at Riverfest. I had a double stall this year with my friend Orla Redican. She make the jewellery and crazy cool rainmacs(she also sells yummy baked goods but not on the days I took these pictures). Funny thing to note, see the green curatin...well that's my changing room. My genius boyfriend thought of using a hoola hoop and curtains, it works like a charm and has contributed to lots of sales.

Baby Googoo

Congratulations to my sister Sandra and her husband, as they had a baby girl yesterday. She is yet to be named but she is happy and healthy and that's all that matters.

6 May 2009

Riverfest Market

I'm back to reality after 4 days of markets. It was lots of work and fun all jumbled up together, and luckily the gods smiled upon us and we got fantastic weather albeit a little windy. Limerick was thronged with people, most were browsing and soaking up the atmosphere but thankfully there were still a few punters parting with their cash. I'll count myself among the shopping hungry as I spent a few of my hard earned euros at neighbouring stalls. I got two pashminas for only 10 euro, and I'm a huge scarf fan so I'm delighted with that. I bought a lovely wooden mobile from one of the Irish stalls for a co-worker who just had a baby. Lastly the stall next to me had beautiful woolen scarves cardis and some jewellery, so I got myself a fantastic pair of earrings(which I sadly lost on the way to the shop yesterday), and a fabulous cardi that is a really unusual shape, as it sits quite strangely on the shoulders but that's what gives it the wow factor.
I must say that the Irish stalls really raised the bar this year and and competed very well with our French neighbours.I know my own stall this year was a vast improvement on my two rails of clothes last year. It was amazing the amount of people who recognised me from the nationwide piece, an hopefully I got myself a few extra regular customers. I handed out about 300 business cards with badges attached, and told about a million people about the Sunday market on Bedford Row. By the end of Monday I felt like a mix betwween a parrot and a worn out pack mule ( we don't have a car so we transport all the stock on foot). Verdict: I'm exhausted but happy.

2 May 2009

Are you in Limerick??

This is a very short post as I'm running out to the market.
If you are in Limerick this Weekend then pay close attention!
A friend of mine is running an event as part of the Riverfest that involves projecting old films onto the facade of the old cinemas around the city. Some will be outdoor events, some indoor, all I'm sure will be magical. These events are a creative protest against the fact that we have no working cinema in the city centre even though we have all these venues that have been let go derilict. I was so excited to hear about this project, it's just the kind of guerilla behavior that we need to take the city and our culture back into our control. Click here for listing times and venues, I for one will be there with bells on for Metropolis, I may have an 11 hours days work ahead of me but I don't care.

Ps; The Market went well yesterday, beautiful weather, I have lots of photos, and really good feedback to my clothes. More news of that tomorrow though
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