A quick hello before I dash off to sew!

Hello! I've finally gotten the Applique Tutorial finished - look at the 'Tutorials' page! Is that cool or what?!  I need to finish writing and editing the half-apron tute, but I am slowly working through everything!
It's starting to get cool here in the UK, which isn't much fun, but at least it means my sewing room isn't a sauna...so I'm gettin' more done.
During the last week, we've been trying to make the most of the end of Savi's summer holidays. We went shopping for school odds and ends and fabric for me at West Quay, and we spotted this in the toy section at John Lewis, and I had to take a pic:

Apparently, that's Savi's 'I want this' face...that's what she told me afterward.

It's a Barbie, with 3 puppies, and get this: the theme is 'potty-training'... It comes complete with puppies that have holes where you can give them water, then squeeze them to make them pee (or poop).  The 'newspaper' it comes with will turn yellow or brown, for pee and poop:

Personally, I cannot think of a single toy that would be as much fun as 3 peeing and pooping dogs + a Barbie. You could have them pee on Barbie's new boots, and see how pissed off she gets about being pissed on! Or they could miss the newspaper by 2 inches and pee on her new white carpet. I'm certain that if I were a 10yr old girl again, peeing dog Barbie would totally top my Xmas list. (not)

We also went to The Crockery in Eastleigh, and had so much fun that we've decided to drag Buzz there this Saturday for a family ceramic painting day before Savi starts Stagecoach on the 18th. (Thankfully, we've moved her to the morning class so we'll have Sat afternoons free at least.)
We'd never been to The Crockery, and hadn't even heard of it til my friend Becci told us about it.  You go in and pick out a naked ceramic thing, and for an extra £4.50 you can use their paints, brushes, stencils, whatever they've got, and they'll fire it and glaze it for you. There's also a small snack bar so you can get cups o' tea and munchies while you're painting - you pay for all your stuff at the end.  Isn't that brilliant?

Savi painting her dog.

Savi's dog, pre-firing and glazing.

So hopefully we can go again this Sat with Buzz and pick up our goodies. I made a sweets bowl for the kitchen:

isn't it cute?!

I'll post 'after' pics when we've picked our stuff up.
And, of course, Savi started school at Mountbatten on Tuesday:

She's so cute in her blazer and tie!

Isn't her hair a nice colour? I dyed it Monday night!

Well, that's all for now - I've already spent much longer at the computer than I intended to...gotta go make some cool fabric cuff bracelets to sell! Want one? Let me know what colours you like, and it's yours for £16! I'll post pics when I get some done!