Autumn

I went into Manchester this morning to visit the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair and was struck by how beautiful the city looks on a sunny autumn day. Sometimes I think trees make a city.

Didsbury craft fair

I'm very excited to say I'll be taking part in the One Big Craftea Charity Day at The Albert Club in Didsbury on Sunday. It'll be my first event in Manchester and I can't wait to get involved in the city's craft scene - fingers crossed it'll be a fabulous day for all!

Japanese cats

It was a very good friend's birthday a few weeks ago and to celebrate I made her this applique picture of two cats. It's based on a photograph another friend took of a drawing in a hostel in Hiroshima, Japan. I have no idea what the lady-cat is holding in her little paw, but I quite like that it's a mystery, and I love how serenely happy both cats seem to be.

Lavender pandas

The weather may be getting wintrier by the day and the nights may be drawing in, but all is chipper at Panda Perdu HQ, as I've been filling the place with these little darlings... lavender pandas! The name pretty much says it all - they're mini cushions filled with soft toy stuffing and lavender - and I can't stop making them!

The original lavender panda... this is the first one I made and has taken pride of place on the sofa 

Desk panda - to egg me on when I'm doing boring admin-ey type things

Lavender panda number three is guardian of the DVDs and particularly enjoys 24

Bathroom panda dreams of sailing the seven seas... if only he had a bigger boat

Quilting

I went to the Festival of Quilts 2012 at Birmingham NEC recently for work and was amazed at the variety and quality of the (very many!) designs on show. It was absolutely crowded and by the time I left, my head was spinning from information overload. Here are some my favourite quilts from the day (taken on my phone so please excuse the blurry nature of the photos).

I think I'd like to live in one of the houses in this quilt - very idyllic looking

This is my favourite design, I love how realistic it looks

Wish I could sew like this!

Everyone loves a landscape

New designs

It's been a bit quiet round here for a few months as I've been busy working on a new and exciting craft magazine that will be launched in February 2013... more of which later. 
I've also been cracking on with some new product designs for Panda Perdu, including a rather snazzy zip-top tote/cross-body bag which I'm quite excited about. Here 'tis:

You can't actually see the zip closure in this photo but trust me, it's pretty cool

The birdie applique design is something else I'm a bit proud of, he's quite a chubby little thing isn't he?!

Why I love Ted Baker

I used to think of the Ted Baker brand as, frankly, a bit chavvy. But over the last year or so it's been using some really beautiful prints on its clothes and has become one of my go-to high street stores for inspiration (and daydreaming about winning the lottery). Ted Baker handbags are often made of some sort of high-sheen plastic material which I find less inspiring - but a quick look at the website today has convinced me that the brand can make a good bag, too. Look at what I found...

The 'Parit' leather shopper bag

The 'Mollie' - from the Ted Baker/Brady bag collection

The 'Makani' maxi leather bag