Opinions please

I have to confess to loving my Traffic Jam bunting. It was one of those designs that worked just as I'd imagined and I enjoy making it. I don't, however, particularly enjoy batch cutting and sewing, and the vehicles are pretty fiddly given the number of windows. So, I've been trying to rejig the pattern to reduce the amount of cutting and sewing involved but I wonder if the quality or design is suffering because of this. Could you give me your opinions please?

This is the bus as I currently make it:

and these is my proposed new design. Please bear in mind that I did this in about two minutes flat, so the zigzagging would be more even:

Thanks for your help!

Edit:

OK, following all your really helpful comments, here's my compromise which I think might do the job. I've taken on Martina's suggestion of the strip of felt under the zigzag and next time I cut some bus shapes, I will take on board the comments from my big sister about making the bus "chubbier":

Badges

I've never really been one for hand sewing: too fiddly, too many knots to tie, never sure if I can see better close up with or without my specs. However, I had an idea in my head last week - you know, the sort of idea which makes your fingers itch to get started in case the idea floats away before you've captured it. And you know what? I think I love hand stitching.


This week I went to visit three of my friends' new babies and deliver the mobiles I've been making (see here) so I thought I'd like to make a little something for the older siblings to make them feel special too and so it wasn't all about the babies (even though it was really!).


It started off with a little friend of mine who had her 4th birthday last week. I wanted to give her something she would love, I knew it had to be pink and shoes are a bit of a theme with me at the moment (more on that later). I'm pleased now that I've been hoarding all those tiny offcuts of fabric and felt:

I'm really pleased with how this has turned out. I love how the tiny seed beads mimic the cut-out pattern of Startrite shoes. I made another of these (but with turquoise shoes) for the sister of one of the babies but knew I needed something for the boys too. And show me a three-year-old boy who doesn't like tractors:

I'll be making more of these soon (definitely a space rocket one) but first I need to invest in a thimble. Ouch.

The traffic these days....

Look at all the vehicles I've been cutting out today, queueing up to be made into bunting and mobiles. Now think about all the button wheels I have to sew on...... toot, toot!

Batches

Today I have been rustling up a batch of fairy cakes. Obviously these are fairy cakes which don't involve me burning myself on the oven (again) and although I don't get to eat them I find them just as rewarding to make as the conventional edible cakes. This batch here is for the latest batch of friends' babies. I have three friends locally who have produced three baby girls in the past 10 days so I am planning to give each of them a mobile made from these fairy cakes. Sweet dreams Camilla, Hannah and Holly.

Taking over my life

More of my current obsession - bunting. I just can't help it, I love it. I love creating it in my mind, I love sewing it, I love seeing it hanging in my kitchen.

I still think the traffic jam is my favourite, but this comes a very, very close second. It just makes me feel happy - lovely cakes without the guilt of eating them! And those lovely shiny button cherries. I've always been a push-over for gooey fluorescent glacé cherries, and the buttons are just like them.

Can I take this opportunity to apologize to my husband though: he waits patiently for months for a button to be sewn on his shirt (and no, he really can't do it himself!) and I keep putting it off, but give me a pile of bunting and my lovely tin of shiny buttons, and I can't get my sewing box out quickly enough. Maybe he just has the wrong sort of buttons on his shirts?

Bunting, bunting, bunting

Those of you who know me will already be aware that I love bunting. Directions to my house usually end with the advice "Ours is the only house in the street with bunting". The thing is, I put it up for a special occasion and then it doesn't seem worth taking it down, because after all there'll be another birthday along soon, or a party or, well wouldn't you know it, it's Christmas and we'll need the bunting up then.....and now it's just grey winter and it would be too sad to take it down just when we need a bit of colour in our lives, and anyway it'll be the Little Helper's birthday next month. Before you know it it's been up for a year, and well, frankly, it just makes our house easier to find, and I'm rubbish at giving directions.

So, I've had this idea in my head for weeks for making bunting with a difference. I've spent ages trying to figure out if it would work, then designing patterns, cutting out, finding the time to make it and finally putting it all together today surrounded by three over-excited children, all of whom, by the way, covet this for their bedrooms.

I'm really pleased with how it turned out - I love the colours and the buttons, the proportions seem right. I like the way the vehicles sway slightly with any movement or breeze like they're revving up at the lights. I've got so many more ideas along these lines, I just need more felt and buttons....

Seeing stars

So this is what I've been up to today - stars in my eyes. Who knows where inspiration comes from? Am I all red, white, blue and stars because of Obama-mania? Am I starry-eyed because of the Golden Globes (don't even mention Kate Winslet to me)? Or could it be the telescope my eldest son was given for Christmas? Actually it's something for the Little Helper's bedroom. I will let you know when it is finished.

New supplies, new blog

This morning found me hopping from foot to foot waiting for the postman. The reason? Kirstyfish's blog yesterday showed her heading off to the post office with a bag full of parcels, and one of them was for me!! The joy of receiving parcels is incomparable. I delayed the moment of unwrapping - two loads of washing, a bit of filing, emptying the dishwasher - and then, the joy! It was like Christmas all over again - parcels within parcels, excitement, colour...

Here's my little helper enjoying himself too. I have great hopes for him as a craft lover...

Now, before I stumbled across KirstyFish's shop I didn't really get buttons, other than their basic keeping-things-closed function. But then in my first order, this savvy seller enclosed a few freebies, and PING! Lightbulb moment. Buttons are great! Shape, colour, texture, fun! So here are the buttons that arrived in my order today, and in their lovely new tin:

So, lovely buttons, felt balls, felt. Now I have to get down to work and turn the felt into something. Hmmm. Have to wait until the Little Helper is busy elsewhere. Can't wait though.