Caravanning and Competitions!

Posted on 10 August, 2015 by patchworkfairy

Gosh what a lot’s happened in last couple of weeks! I’ve been away camping, or caravanning, as I should say now, for a few days as I do every year, with extended family and friends. Here are my two grandsons early one morning.

My two grandson enjoying breakfast at Granny’s Cafe!

This year I had a new (to me) little caravan which was very nice and cosy! We decided to change up from the Camplet because even that was too much for me to help put up now. My little lightweight Freedom caravan is only 450kg and means I can just roll up, park, stick the kettle on and I’m there! This year however there was a large kerfuffle with the awning which came with the caravan as I left the instructions at home ! With the help of some friendly campers, my poor husband and our friends finally got the awning up in the dark! Next morning I discovered a full set of instructions in the awning bag ………

i couldnt help help making a few little comforts for my new ‘van just before I went…

My indoor-outdoor bunting

I had some very pretty fabrics from the Abakhan secret sale and managed to knock up two new cushions and the bunting just before we went. The bunting was made using waterproof fabric so I could hang it inside or out! With 100 purple solar fairy lights and a ceramic table top solar light changing thing my little patch looked very pretty and welcoming! Can’t wait to go away again and OH and I had been planning a little trip in early September for our wedding anniversary but last week I got a call from the hospital as they had a cancellation … So I am going in this Thursday for my total knee replacement 😱 it has put an end to my summer plans with daughter and the grandchildren but at least after it’s done I won’t be worrying every time I hold my new granddaughter in case my knee gives way. It was awkward on holiday as I couldn’t really walk about with her or jog her up and down and somehow babies always seem to know when you sit down with them, even if you are still jiggling them about!

To finish off my exciting fortnight, once I got back home I discovered I had won a competition in a craft magazine and a box full of Sewline products was delivered! It’s full of fabric glue pens, air erasable fabric pens and similar. All very useful and wonderful to have. I will have plenty to keep me busy after my surgery and am planning to set up a little craft station downstairs during my recovery period.

My box of Sewline goodies!

So that’s a quick round up – not sure if I’ll be in hospital next Sunday so might not make it in time for Handmade Monday again, but hopefully I will manage a quick update at least. Hope everyone is enjoying the summer holidays, whatever you are doing!

Abakhan Secret Sale!

Posted on 19 July, 2015 by patchworkfairy

Well you can tell from the title where I went this weekend! Yes, the Abakhan Secret Sale again! It all started with this in the post:

Secret Sale Golden Ticket

this exciting ticket entitles the bearer and guest to enter the Abakhan Secret Sale an hour before the general public. I was lucky enough to be sent one again and as my friend and I had enjoyed the last one so much we couldn’t wait to get to this one!

This time the sale started earlier and was in a much larger building with more space to look through all the lovely things. There are boxes and boxes of craft bits and bobs as well as fabric bundles, rolls and bolts. There are also slight seconds of things like foam, wadding and cushion inserts which don’t seem to have more than a few dusty marks on them or a small piece of foam pulled off. I especially like the uphostery ex-display fabrics which hang up on a rail as there are some real bargains £1 a display hanging which has fabric priced at £15.99 a metre in some cases! It was also lovely to meet Will Abakhan who had sent the tickets out and was on hand to greet customers as well as helping in the cafe later in the day!

Some pretty fabric – few metres worth

Our complementary refreshments after an hour of bargain hunting!

As a golden ticket holder we were also provided with a hearty bacon bap to aid our recovery after athe early start (8.30am) and bargain hunting!

After a very tasty bacon bap and coffee we embarked on the next bit of the day – buying things from the ordinary shop with our 15% discount! This proved far too tempting as every time one of us found something and wondered whether it would be suitable the other was all encouraging and ‘yes it’s perfect’ type thing – so we egged each other on until we had to go back to the car to offload all our stuff! The staff were fantastic all day – they carry things to the car for you and are very helpful all round.

I think Mostyn is the best Abakhan branch of all and I am so lucky to live near it. In fact I can easily get to the Birkenhead, Liverpool and Chester branches as well which seems unfair when lots of people don’t have a branch at all!

I havent ant got any pictures of our special dessert which we received after our second shopping spree but it was delicious! It’s definitely worth looking out for the next secret sale in a few months, especially if you keep an eye on their Facebook page and spot the chance to win a golden ticket. It’s a smashing day out for crafters!

Marilyn enjoying our breakfast baps

Linking up with Handmade Monday again this week!

Abakhan Secret Sale and an E Course!

Posted on 29 March, 2015 by patchworkfairy

The Abakhan Secret Sale! Wow! I am so lucky as I live in the middle of 4 Abakhans! Chester, Mostyn, Birkenhead and Liverpool! Yesterday was the much advertised ‘secret’ sale at the Mostyn branch. I have been really hoping I would be able to walk enough to get round the fabric shops again and although I can’t go for long without pain I am so much better than I was two week’s ago!

Being a lucky golden ticket holder I, and a friend, were able to access the sale at 10am (an hour early) after having a complementary bacon batch and coffee in the café. We didn’t rush off at 10 although as other golden ticket holders were getting moving we didn’t dawdle over the coffees too long! There’s something about a sale which makes you feel like you’re missing out if you don’t get in there quick and get rooting!

We weren’t disappointed – there was plenty of fabric and yarn and some ex-display items to purchase, like wool holders. My favourite place was the ex-display hanging upholstery fabrics which were £1 a hanger, and the big box of cut- offs which was ‘fill a bag for £10!

the red leaf upholstery fabric

the red shades

Purple shades!

the purple shades

Folk Collection – love all these shades for patchwork!

small coloured pieces in varying fabrics – ‘Folk Collection’

I managed to get loads in my £10 bag and found some useful pieces like this cotton with sweetie jars on it!

Sweetie-jars fabric

other fabrics from the ‘fill a bag’ box

So, as you can see I have plenty of fabric to keep me busy! It’s not like I don’t have a big enough stash already, I just couldn’t help myself when the prices were so low. We were very lucky to be the early ones in though as when we left to go and recover in the café there was a queue right round the whole site!

It’s definitely worth keeping a look out for the next one and registering interest for a discount ticket. We had 15% discount to spend outside of the sale as well. Finally at around 3pm we bought some more drinks, had our complementary chocolate pudding and went home!

Fabric shopping, coffee, chocolate and a day out with a friend – what a lovely weekend! Sorry if I’ve overdone it about going out but after months of pain and limited mobility it was wonderful and worth it even though I limped round the last bit and back to the car!

As well as going to have my days filled with lots of sewing in the near future I’m doing the Create and thrive e-course which Vicky recommended to us a couple of week’s ago! I Think the lack of constant pain has gone to my head and I can’t stop wanting to do stuff! So far the course is really making me think about Patchwork Fairy and how I want things to eventually progress. It’s a 30 day course and we’ve only had 7 days yet so I am excited to see where it takes me…

Anyhoo – time to link up with Handmade Monday again at Lucy Blossom Crafts – wonder if any of the Handmade Mondayers were at Mostyn? Do let me know if you were!