Hello all! I've managed a bit of sewing the last couple of days, and lots of relaxing of course! Yesterday I whipped up a couple of ipod classic cases that had been specially requested. They have since been listed, purchased and posted - both are on their way to the US (to separate new homes). I'll make them in any colour and size if anyone is interested in ordering one - just get in touch! :)

Today I managed a little more sewing. I've been getting to grips with zips again and made 2 more fruity purses - an orange and a lime. Both have turned out really well and will be making an appearance in my shop over the weekend. 

I've been working on a few items for the secret monkey swap and I have plans for more fruit over the next couple of weeks so watch this space. I'm also looking forward to starting my maternity leave in 2 weeks time and plan on getting as much sewing and relaxing in the garden done as possible (weather permitting!) so that I am a little ahead of myself. I've even started to think about this years Christmas designs. I know it's rather early to be saying the 'C' word as I've not even had my birthday yet(!) but I'm going to have my hands full over the summer ;)

I would like to be able to tell you that I've been having a nice relax and getting lots of fabulous sewing done this week, but I haven't! Tuesday My parents came to take me out for lunch as it's my birthday next weekend. I took Mum around John Lewis and showed her all the lovely posh wool, we both stood stroking the lovely soft baby wool for a good few minutes before Dad looked really bored! Yesterday I spent most of the day painting the utility room - I probably shouldn't of as I was a bit sickly in the evening but it's starting to look good now! One more coat of paint (that J can be in charge of) and then we can get a new floor down and start moving my craft stuff! Hey, you never know, we may even make a start on the nursery before the baby is due (in 7 weeks!!!).

Also yesterday I got some lovely bright 4" zips delivered....HURRAH! Although the postman did wake me up from my morning snooze! Thank you Rachel for the tip of where to get them from! :)

So today I have a plan of action: morning sew-a-thon as I have a couple of ipod cases to make for some orders that I could do with listing this afternoon. Afternoon: midwife followed by small nap. Evening: more sewing! Tomorrow I'm hoping to have lots of lovely photos to show you!

What a gorgeous weekend we've had! Saturday we didn't do an awful lot just enjoyed the weather. In the afternoon we mooched off into Bham to the Imax for our hot date to see Start Trek. It was great - I love seeing movies there on the HUUUUUUUGE screen and the seats are far more comfortable for me with my ever increasing belly! We're hoping to go and see Transformers 2 there next month....I'll be even bigger then! (!!!)

Sunday was another gorgeous day so after we'd been and done the shopping we mooched about and started to tidy up the back garden. The bluebells are starting to look rather bedraggled and need to be hacked back before they set seed. So that was yesterdays job. While J was digging over the soon-to-be-new-strawberry-patch I made a start on weeding the herb bed (the little patch in the top-middle of the lawn) and then down the side of the path. It was a rather comical affair if you had been watching me try to find a comfortable position in which to garden! I sometimes forget that I'm pregnant until I feel a kick or can't get comfy and I get tired very quickly too. I used to garden for hours but now can only manage the odd half hour stint before I need a rest on the sofa. Luckily its half term now and the weather for most of the week looks dry so I should be able to pop out and do a little here and there. To celebrate our little gardening achievement and a freshly mown lawn, we had a little bbq :)

Today's job was to get started on the painting in the utility room. It's been a very bright yellow colour since we moved in. I don't have anything against the colour but as this room is soon to be the utility/craft room it needed a change! We've had new cupboards put in in the sink area and some new plain white tiles so that area is looking quite smart. Now all it needs is painting and a new floor. Today's job was to paint it white to get rid of all the yellow! And we did it!!! It's all white and once dry it'll be ready to start painting the nice blue colour we've chosen (the little square on the far wall - above). Here's the view from the other side, looking rather messy! It's so much better just being white! Wednesday I might even manage a coat of blue!

Tonight I have plans to prepare a little sewing for tomorrow. I've had a couple of requests for some of my felt ipod cosies and I'm having a bit of a felt emergency. I've ordered the colour I need (plus some extra lovely ribbon!) and hopefully it will get here soon from the super Sarah! :)

FELT lemons of course! When I got home form work today I fancied a spot of sewing. I decided to have a crack at putting a zip in - nothing too difficult, just a zip in some felt. It worked quite well once I'd remembered how to change the foot on my sewing machine (I don't usually do anything fancy with it!). I've been wanting to try and make some felt fruity coin purses for a while now and was quite please how this one has turned out!

This prototype is already in my etsy shop and a fantastically reduced price(!) and I shall definitely be making a few more once I've bought a few more 4" zips. Anyone know where I can get an orange one? John Lewis had every colour but....!

Well, can you believe it? I've actually got around to doing a bit of sewing. Over the weekend I've managed to make some nice new felt ipod nano cases for my etsy shop. I've been meaning to make some since they brought out the 4th generation ipod nanos but just haven't got round to it. Here they are in all their glory, a few new designs and an old favourite or two! These will be slowly making their way into my shop over the next week or two so watch out for them!

I reached the 30 weeks mark in my pregnancy on friday so here I am! I had fun ordering our buggy and car seat thingy last week. At least Bunny will now have transport and somewhere to sleep and we don't feel quite as disorganised as we were!!!

I have more sewing planned for this week, but we also need to get the utility room floor pulled up (manky carpet over even mankier floor tiles!) so that we can paint and get a some nice new flooring put down. After that its the exciting job of picking some sort of storage for all of my craft stuff!!! To finish things off for today, here is a photo of Sausage being a very naughty cat and snoozing in the vegetable patch under the shade of the artichokes. He's a bugger! I think I need to get on with planting out dome more veg so he can't nap there!!! :)

(Hurrah! My blogware works at last!!!!!! I was beginning to think I'd never be able to blog again!)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GUS! We're not quite sure when he hatched (do snakes hatch?) But we know it was some time in May last year and before the 9th as that was the date of his first shed. In celebration of the school snake reaching 1 year old here is a photo I took of him today! He's a Royal (or ball) Python and should eventually reach about 5ft long! He's still quite small but definitely getting wider and heavier!

For all of you secret monkey swappers out there - thank you all for signing up. You've all been put onto a fancy looking spreadsheet and I'm just awaiting J's return from work so he can choose partners and send out the emails so that I have no idea who will be sending me a monkey!

I've been having flashes of inspiration today so expect some photos of new ipod cases, card cases and some needle books in the next few days! I may even get around to making that bloomin pillow case for my maternity pillow!!! We've also been making advances with house preparations. The main bits and bobs are finished in the utility room (Thanks Dad!), we now have to remove nails and screws, fill holes, sand and paint! And sort the floor of course, but we're getting there!