More Crafty Capers

I'm still working out how this blogging stuff works...I had no idea these pictures had been posted on my blog!  I was only messing around and I'm a bit embarassed to find them here in all their rather large glory!  Since discovering Polyvore a few weeks ago I must confess to having spent a little bit too much time on there.  I've set myself the challenge of having a 'capsule wardrobe' for winter, and have been using Polyvore to help me create it.  I will let you know how I get on...

ANYWAY...

I'm doing really well with my goal number 4: handmaking everyone's gifts this year.  It might not sound much but for me to have got to March and not caved in and just gone to the mall by now is quite an achievement!

One of my close friends had a beautiful baby girl at the end of January, and I found this quilt tutorial which, to my slightly naive eyes looked pretty easy.  Well at first it was and I was really pleased with my patchwork (even though it didn't quite all match up but I am a novice you know!)  The problems began when I was doing the quilting...could I stop the material bunching up?  Erm no.  But after unpicking and retrying I had to realise it wasn't going to get any better and decided the result was "handmade quality".  Anyway beautiful Carys looks pretty happy with it...

Any tips would be gratefully received!

I've also tried my hand at "upcycling" a couple of dresses I bought in a charity shop into a really cool gift for my sister (my lovely cousin Naomi at Upcycled Creatively will be pleased!)  I can't show you yet as her birthday's not till this weekend...shh!

My next project is to make a Mother's Day gift for my mum and a birthday present for my dad - gosh men are SO hard to make things for!

In the meantime I've been reading the manual to our camera (ahem, that we've had for 5 years) to try and work out how to use all the buttons and knobs properly.  Here are a few snaps...what do you think?

Cheesy I know!  But the achievement here is getting Wayne's face that clear even though he was in shadow.

I just like the light and colour in this one.