Our Proper Grown Up House

Our first house was the perfect two bedroom terrace house in a central location very near to where we both grew up.  Perfect for a couple fresh from graduating and starting out. It had so much character and was all ours, including the lave and plaster walls! We couldn't even put blue tack on the walls without them falling down. After 4 years of really good times and many parties in our fabulous kitchen it was time to move on.

We made the decision to move to a small village up the road where I was working at the time.  "Oh how I do like to be beside the seaside".  We were 26 years old, and we knew then this would be the place we would settle down to have a family.  After a few more years partying, frequenting the local pubs, getting to know the locals, lock ins, many very late nights back at ours, we were settled.  After coming to terms with the BIG 30, with the help of a few last burn outs, we did it, became a family of 3.  The house we brought when we moved to the village was not of our taste at all, it was not particularly attractive from the outside and had very little character inside, however the location was spot on.  After a few big changes to the property we ended up with a house we were very proud of.  We stayed for nearly 8 years.

Now here the three of us are, in our very 'proper grown up house'.  As I sit here writing this post, I can hardly believe we are living in the most beautiful victorian town house in the heart of the village.  Life just seems like it couldn't get any better right now, it's picture perfect.

So here is where all the ideas stored in a hand quilted indian silk A4 notebook from my favourite shop at the moment HomeSense, finally come to life and I am so excited if not a little overwhelmed by how much I want to do, and all before Christmas.

Now I am unpacked and ready to share some of my creations.  

I would love to hear your thoughts, comments, ideas, crafts and all.  So keep in touch, sign up and subscribe to "All Things PP" and I will share with you regular craft projects based around my personal past times; children, clothes, crafts and conversations.

Coming first is a hand embroidered Cath Kidston Elephant Cushion, perfect for Poppy and any little girl's room!  I can not wait to share this project which was inspired by the Cath Kidston Sew Book using Cath Kidston fat quarters I had sitting around.

Listening to Florence & the Machine, Ceremonials.  Musically Magical.

Nice to see you again!

Stitch and Bitch

I have become an obsessive craftaholic.  I  spend way more time than I actually have, searching the internet, reading books and magazines collating a wish list of sewing projects, all of which I want to complete in a weekend.  I am a beginner only, so with a limited repertoire of sewing skills I am more often experiencing frustration as opposed to fulfillment!

I have recently shared this preoccupation with a few friends and family who I have since discovered I have a shared interest. Following the first viewing of our 'dream' house (hoping to move by the end of October), I had the immediate urge for one of our pending spare rooms to become a place for creative sewing.  When I mentioned it to my mum, mum and sister in law who were all keen to join me in the eve's.

So 'Stitch and Bitch' was born, a group of girls meeting up once a week to share sewing projects, skills and challenges. The group very quickly took form way before any offer on the house had been accepted.  So the first meet was scheduled for the end of September at my existing abode, amongst labelled boxes and bare walls.

I could not wait to begin sewing with my girls, so emailed all members with our first project, our patchwork sign. 

 

The project for our next meet is cushions.  Already my ambitious imagination is way over and above my actual sewing or artistic abilities.

Now its time for my book and bed.  How many pages can I manage tonight?  

Nice to see you again.

Xxx

What am I doing?

I don't know if this is a hobby to pass the time as our pending house move is delayed by a further few weeks, a distraction from general household chores or mind-numbing TV schedules.  Or perhaps the reality that I secretly wish that I could create something as special as so many others have before me.

I have never been a big writer or a particularly good photographer, so I am not sure if this blog will live up to the high expectations I will no doubt set for myself.  I am however a very enthusiastic learner, who is always looking for the next challenge.

I am absolutely blessed with the most supportive husband I could ever have wished for, he is my best friend and confident.  We have been together for 17 years and married for 6. Gareth is the most amazing Dad a little girl could ever wish for. We are both so proud of our perfect two-year old daughter Poppy. She makes our heart smile everyday.  Our extended family is a large part of our life to whom we rely on so much for support, advice and quality time.

I am obsessed with clothes shopping, my days are filled dreaming of the next purchase, fuelled by window shopping, stalking people in the street, scanning the web or reading magazines.  Like so many of us girls, I have a wardrobe full of clothes and shoes, yet I struggle every day to find something to wear. 

I have more recently become a craftaholic, desperate to make every new project I come across.  We are hoping to exchange on our 'dream' house by the end of the month, which has inspired me further to fill every room in our new home with a haven of homemade creations.

As a family we are commonly referred to by all our friends as 'The Pigs'.  Thankfully not due to our eating or living habits but because of our surname Piggott.  We are very lucky to be surrounded by so many friends and we thrive on high levels of social interaction and often too much alcohol!

My name is Penny and it is lovely to meet you.

Xxx