Hi to my customers past, present and future! 

Do you enjoy crafts?

I've been sewing since I was 12, knitting since I was 4, dress-making since I was 13, quilting since I was 25, and doing cross-stitch/tapestry for 10 years or more!  I guess I'm potty about patchwork & quilting; I have a real PASSION for fabric, its feel and its design.  I also love art and ceramics.  I have tried my hand at oil painting, working in pastels, watercolours and working with china clay.  I would secretly like my own potter's wheel and kiln..... 

Until recently I had my own high street sewing/quilting/knitting shop, which took up a great deal of my time.  When my dear Dad was diagnosed with cancer, I came to the decision that the shop would have to go, so that I could help care for him.  Fate being so cruel, Dad only survived a few weeks after I closed - his illness overtook us all with it's speed and ferocity.  His rapid decline and demise has left the whole family in a state of shock, anger and grief.  He was always such a fit, healthy, strong and very kind, generous man.  His passing has left a gaping hole in all our lives, which can never be repaired.

So, a lot of my eBay listings come from my shop stock, which became my own personal craft stash after the closure.  There is NO WAY I'll ever use it all up myself, as I now suffer from arthritis, so my ability to enjoy as much craftwork as I used to has diminished considerably.   I am listing some of it on eBay, to "share" with like-minded crafty people like me!    I made it my policy only to sell quality goods and items listed by me on eBay are ALL at BARGAIN PRICES as I'm not allowed to make a profit because I don't want to "run a business" any more!  (I won't go back into high street retail, nor running a business, preferring now to concentrate on my family life, after our sad experiences during my Dad's last months.) 

I'm not one to sit and do nothing - I can't watch TV without doing something else at the same time.  What about you?  Craftwork and particularly sewing, helps me de-stress.  Creating things helps me feel worthwhile - whether I am making things for myself, my large family, my friends or for charity.  If I'm not making things, then I'm reading about others who share my passions, and getting ideas for future projects.  I am a founder member of MERIDIAN QUILTERS a small group of potty patchworkers who meet weekly, hold exhibitions regularly and annually make charity quilts to raffle to raise funds for worthy causes.  We all agree that sewing keeps us sane and able to cope with what life throws at us!

My other favourite activities include looking after my cats, dogs, fancy chickens and rescued ex-battery hens, tending my large garden and growing perennials in my big greenhouse and vegetables and fruit on my veg. plot.  Nice to see that's come back into fashion!  I collect anything to do with chickens, including quilt patterns (which I sew), ceramics and jewellery.  I collect early 20th Century postcards, mainly greetings cards and I am mad about Art Nouveau - art & design, fabrics, jewellery, ceramics, glass, paintings, prints, books and postcards.

Of course, I really do all this for my large family - 6 children, 3 grandchildren - so far!  The youngest child has just turned 18, the eldest 34. 

My husband travels the world with his work (conservation of animals and rainforests), so I have quite a bit of time on my own to occupy myself.  His research students have projects in Bangladesh, Borneo, Venezuela, Brazil, Vietnam, Sumatra, etc.  Currently he is more focussed on trying to help save the Orang Utans. The production of palm oil will ultimately lead to the demise of this wonderful creature in the wild, and possibly many other animals, once their rainforest habitat has been destroyed for oil palm plantations.

For nearly 40 years he has been trying to get world governments to listen to the arguments against global warming and to act on the facts, it's such a disaster that it has taken until the last couple of years for them to take these man-made problems seriously.  Whether or not they will do ENOUGH to help aleviate the very serious damage the human race has already done to this earth, remains to be seen.

I would love to travel more, once my youngest has flown the nest and my husband has more time to spare.  My 18 year-old son wants to be a professional musician (drums, guitar, keyboard etc.) and songwriter and has just sat his AS levels at sixth form college.  He performs in 3 groups, each having a completely different style of music and has gigs lined up throughout the Autumn.  One group has performed at Cambridge Strawberry Fair and were very well received by the audience.  Two of his groups have won competitions.  Good luck to them all! 

Please keep watching for my listings; I am still coming across great items in my remaining stock to sell on eBay following closure of my needlecrafts business and I guarantee you'll be getting a REAL BARGAIN!  I may also occasionally sell personal items I no longer use or want, if I need to make space for my new collectables.  I accept PAYPAL only, not cheques thanks to customers who sent me bouncing ones and caused a lot of hassle.  If you are buying from outside the United Kingdom, I can only accept PAYPAL.

The items I list will only be on eBay up to TWICE (listed again if they don't sell the first time they are listed).  Since I am offering items at such BARGAIN PRICES, please be sure to bid on the first listing!

I visit the nearest post office twice weekly, so if your payment is cleared inbetween my trips, please be aware that your purchase will NOT arrive the next day following your payment clearing!  Allow 3 - 10 days.

Please note that where I am listing fabric, the sizes are approximate.  Please also bear in mind that quilt fabric to buy in the shops ranges from £9.50 to £12.00 per metre - fat quarters are on average £2.40 minimum.  Compare these prices to mine on eBay and you'll agree you have a great deal.  Some of my fabrics may be creased (through storage) but as all quilters wash and iron their fabric before cutting, this will sort out any creases!

IN THE EVENT OF POSTAL STRIKES/DISRUPTION I regret I shall cease listing items until the problem stops.  I do not want to risk losing packages in the mountain of unsorted post which will be stuck in sorting depots.  Please keep watching for my listings when these disputes are resolved.

Christine (twinklegran06)