Alice makes...

It's been an interest couple of days, so many crazy things have happened and I have started a new job :) 

However...I have still had time to make a few bits and bobs...and one of which being a new work bag...

And here it is :) 

I feel that as the new flowers of liberty range comes out tomorrow this was perfect timing :) 

It has been so lovely receiving compliments on my room from strangers when out in public recently, that I still have every intention of opening up my own business in the near future. 

So women can multi-task? I may well be the exception to this rule at the moment!

Okay...I admit it, I've been a bad blogger over the past few weeks... Well I haven't really been a blogger at all!! However, my lack of literary... (feel free to fill this gap yourselves) has an explanation! 

Starting with:- On the 13th June I received my degree results and a job offer on exactly the same day! 

I am delighted to say that I achieved a 2:1 in my Law degree, and on the 16th I started work as a paralegal for Le Gros solicitors. Friday the 13th has never been luckier... 

Since then I have been a very busy bee, and have had little time to make things which has been sad :( However, I have been adventuring and thinking of things to add to my book in my spare time (which is limited).

I have 28 working days until I go to New Zealand, 6 Weekends, Graduation, some injections, both my sisters birthdays and Katie's 21st birthday! Excitement doesn't even cut it... 

Whilst working, I have really been trying to make the most of my evenings!!! So on Sunday evening I went exploring in my local area...albeit exhausted!! 

IT WAS SO WORTH IT!!! Who'd have thought that just down the road I would find such a beautiful location!! I had never found this place in my whole life of living in Cardiff, and it really was just luck :) 

View from the top of the valley :) Beautiful!! 

After my exploring, we went for the notorious Cooksey family curry, and even that had changed!! Bright had decided to put sprinkles on my curry!!! What a pleasant surprise, he knows me too well!

An exciting parcel arrived today, with two books that I have been waiting to buy for quite some time, yet had never found the right time. I am going to start using the Everywhere Journal when I am in New Zealand, but until then I will use the normal one :) So excited to start this crazy fun!!!

I thought I'd save this picture for the bottom of this blog post as I'm so pleased with it. I also found this location on my adventure along the Taff. I feel that it looks like something Tolkien may have envisaged. Just beautiful and my new favourite place.

And this was what it led up to...

All in all I couldn't have had a lovelier evening, filled with such surprises. The weather has been so amazing, and it was nice to take advantage of such a lovely evening in such a beautiful place!! 

Lady of Liberty...and leisure!

I finished my liberty wiltshire berry print top and I couldn't be happier with it!! It's about time I started making my own clothes again, and after the success of this garment (in my opinion) I have decided to make a dress out of a different print (Liberty of course!!) for graduation :) 

So, in my new liberty top and with the delightful company of my best friend Emily, we were on our way to the Model House of craft and design in Llantrisant! I used to go regularly as a child with my mum, and felt the need to show it to Emily :) 

Alpaca dyed wools 

I rather liked this persons workspace :) 

Little bit of felting...

 Some beautifully knitted cushions, expressing some lovely welsh words!

 Because every Arts Centre needs a Singer of some sort!!!

Lovely display idea!

I intend to do just this!! £24.95 seems very steep for a frame and part of a scrabble board however!

Home sweet home

The very wise words of Mr Morris.

How many is too many cups of tea?

Beautiful Emily

 Being rather sassy!

I want to frame one of these!! We had just enjoyed a lovely cuppa and a slice of cake each. I actually had diet coke but Emily had some earl grey so I guess that counts! It was such a lovely day, despite my slow walking still. This also has to be one of my favourite cafe's in the world, regardless of the crappy parking. All in all, delightful day out with the bestie! 

The delightful day didn't stop there either. Upon arriving home, a lovely parcel was there waiting for me :) My brand new mannequin!!!! I have so many ideas for clothes to make and now I can do just that!! 

Another parcel was 3m of this liberty fabric that I am going to use for my first project using the mannequin. 

I have never used a mannequin before, so this should be an experience and hopefully an enjoyable one! My project, albeit brave, is a dress for graduation. I want it to be quite retro with a large skirt, with a sort of 50s swing to it. Think tea dress, think vintage!

I adore this print and think it will make a beautiful dress regardless of my sewing if it's crap! It is called Betsy Anne and is again by Liberty of London. 

Daddy cool!

Day out with Dad in his Morgan 

Today the sun was shining so beautifully that we felt the need to take full advantage of it! We took the Morgan down to the beach and drove down the motorway at a very fast face! On the journey there I actually felt like a helicopter. My hair was whipping around in circles and I felt like I would take off at any second...it was really fun!!!

I very much enjoyed a 99 flake ice cream, and a hot choccy! We took lots of photos even though neither of us were up to walking very far at all, I wish my foot would get better asap!!! Regardless, I had a lovely day out with my father, which is always a rare occasion, but always enjoyable!

On the way home...I was far more pragmatic/albeit silly! I had my scarf wrapped around my head (I say my scarf, it's not...it belongs to one of my besties Alice!!!) So, I'm sure you can guess, I pretended I was Audrey Hepburn... there was additional fun, especially with my horrendous pair of sunny g's!!!

After a lovely day out, I felt the need to return to my sewing machine, and perhaps learn a new technique! I have been following a french lady on instagram for quite a while now and she makes smocks out of beautiful fabrics, some being liberty. So I decided that today I would learn to smock/ do some shirring! I am very grateful that it was relatively straightforward, and can now say it is a skill I will hope to use regularly! I ended the day with the finished product of a liberty smocked top in Wiltshire Berry print. I am thrilled with it! Dressmaking look out, my wardrobe is yet to burst it's banks! Here is a picture of my fully lined and finished top :) 

I haven't made clothes for a while, but with new found confidence, I think I will post a tutorial on this one, as I truly believe that even a novice could do this, especially if  they already have a few sewing machine techniques :)