CloudyCrafts

19/05/2026

Sometimes I share sewing, keepsakes and cosy creations… but today I wanted to share something a little more personal and educational 💙

My son was born with two congenital heart conditions:
Coarctation of the Aorta (CoA) and a Bicuspid Aortic Valve (BAV).

I didn’t know until our journey began just how commonly these two conditions occur together. Bicuspid aortic valve was found a few years later after his coarctation!

🫀 What is Coarctation of the Aorta?
This means part of the body’s main artery (the aorta) is narrower than it should be, making it harder for blood to flow properly. It can restrict or stop blood flow to the lower body. It causes high blood pressure in the limbs.

🫀 What is a Bicuspid Aortic Valve?
Most people have an aortic valve with 3 flaps. In BAV, the valve has only 2 flaps. Many people can live well with this, but it does need lifelong monitoring because the valve can become stiff , leaky or begin to fail over time. This causes a back flow of blood into previous heart chambers which should almost never happen.

💡 What many people don’t realise:
These conditions are often linked because they develop around the same stage before birth. In fact, a very high percentage of children with CoA also have BAV.

Some signs can include:
• heart murmurs
• high blood pressure
• tiring easily
• headaches or leg pain
• cold feet or poor circulation
• or sometimes no obvious symptoms at all

The amazing thing about modern medicine is how much can be done. Many children grow up active, funny, determined and full of life after treatment and ongoing care 💙

One thing I’ve learned as a parent is that congenital heart disease does not “look” visible from the outside. Some little hearts fight very big battles quietly.

So today’s post is just a little awareness share from me, from one heart parent to anyone else navigating appointments, scans, surgeries, medications, anxiety, or lifelong follow up.

You are not alone 🩵

And if your child has been diagnosed with one of these conditions, it’s always worth asking whether they’ve checked for the other too 🫀

15/05/2026

New addition to the keepsake collection… this sweet little mouse 🐭🤍

Standing at approximately 12 inches tall, this design has been created using super soft white faux fur with delicate floral fabric details inside the ears, arms, legs and tail. With its oversized glossy eyes, fluffy texture and tiny folded paws, it has such a gentle and comforting look.

Each mouse can be completely personalised and recreated using fabrics that hold special memories. They can be made from:

🤍 Baby clothes
🤍 Loved one’s clothing
🤍 Old blankets
🤍 Pyjamas or dressing gowns
🤍 Special outfits
🤍 Memory fabrics and keepsake items

A beautiful way to turn treasured fabrics into something soft to hold onto forever.

Alongside this little mouse, did you also know I can create:

🧸 Melody Bear – the most requested
🐶 Sleeping dog with flappy ears
🐕 Standing Labrador
🐱 Standing cat
🦁 Lion
🐵 Monkey
🧸 Ben Bear
🦊 Fox
🌭 Dachshund
🐐 Goat
🐘 Elephant

Every keepsake is handmade with care and designed to preserve the memories attached to the fabrics used ✨

I also have 2 other new additions as well - waiting pattern trials - there is one I am particularly excited about but all will be revealed in due course.

15/05/2026

✨ A truly special keepsake set made from treasured baby clothes ✨

It’s not often I get to work with baby clothes but when I do… I LOVE it. I love finding the tiny cute details!

This beautiful custom order included:

🩵 A large patchwork baby blanket made from 25 items of baby clothing
🩵 A matching patchwork cushion with a removable pillow insert and zip fastening
🩵 Coordinating front and back designs so every precious fabric could be included and enjoyed

Each item gave me 4 or more squares & every square in this blanket holds memories… tiny outfits once worn through cuddles, first adventures, messy play, sleepy feeds, and all those little moments that pass far too quickly 🥹

The mix of textures, colours, stripes, prints, and favourite pieces creates something completely unique that simply can’t be bought in a shop. From tiny boats and safari prints to “Little Brother” panels and soft knitted fabrics, each section tells part of a story 💙

The matching cushion is double sided to make the most of those special fabrics, finished with a zip and soft insert so it’s both practical and sentimental.

These larger patchwork blankets take many hours to carefully cut, plan, balance, interface, sew, and finish, especially when working with stretchy baby clothes while keeping everything neat, secure, and long lasting ✂️🧵

Memory pieces like these are designed to be treasured for years to come and are such a lovely way to keep those tiny baby clothes close even after they no longer fit 🤍

Thank you to Nikki for trusting me to make something so special.

12/05/2026

Sharing on behalf of Letham primary school

Gala Day has arrived! THIS Saturday, 16th May, open 12-3pm.

We are delighted to welcome Bruce Entertainment to Letham Primary School with his inflatables. He will also have street food available to purchase.

If you pre-purchased your wristbands in August, then they will be honoured.
Wristbands can be pre-purchased by following the link below ⬇️

https://www.bruceentertainment.co.uk/category/event-tickets/91/letham-primary-gala-16th-may-2026

They can also be purchased on the day!

We are also very excited to welcome Perthshire Trekking Centre, whose competition team will be running £3 pony rides (CASH ONLY)

Letham Majorettes will be performing at 2pm, and we will have various stallholders, including our own parent council run stalls.

Basic facepainting, tattoo transfers, and nail painting will all be FREE to the kids. Parent Council stalls and ponies are CASH ONLY, but everything else should have card payments available.

Come along and have a nice afternoon out with the kids! 😎

🎈☀️ LETHAM PRIMARY GALA ☀️🎈

We are excited to be part of Letham Primary’s gala on Saturday 16th May, 12pm - 3pm 🤩

For only £10 per wristband, kids can enjoy unlimited use on the wide selection of inflatables that will be there on the day! 🏰
If you had already pre-purchased tickets for Saturday 30th August, they will be transferred to this new date free of charge 🥰

Various local stall holders will be in attendance, there will be hot food, Candyfloss and popcorn available too! 🤩

Tickets can be pre purchased by following the below link 👇

https://www.bruceentertainment.co.uk/category/event-tickets/91/letham-primary-gala-16th-may-2026

Tickets can also be purchased on the day! ❤️

08/05/2026

Today at CloudyCrafts we officially welcomed our newest recruit 🤣

My eldest has decided he wants to earn some money and set himself a goal, which honestly makes me so proud. Instead of expecting things handed to him, he’s been asking what jobs he can do to help out.

So today’s task was learning how to properly draw out bear patterns. Low skill but Not as easy as it sounds, there are strict instructions : when some pieces need reversed, some need cut 4x, and others only once 👀

Accuracy matters because one wrong piece can throw the whole bear off, so he’s learning that crafting is not just “making cute things” … it’s following instructions, paying attention, and taking your time.

Current wage: £2.50 and a promotion pending depending on performance reviews 🤣

Low key loving seeing him take initiative and make himself useful. Everyone starts somewhere ❤️

(So before anyone panics 😅 absolutely no actual bear making is being handed over here. He’s helping with one of the very first prep stages by drawing out pattern pieces from the master patterns)

06/05/2026

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAMPBELL 💙

24/04/2026

So many of you tagged me in the post about comfort squares for the NICU at Ninewells Hospital and honestly… it means so much 🥹

It’s completely my pleasure to help. I’ve got a fabric stash that would genuinely make your eyes water, so being able to turn some of that into something comforting for tiny babies and their families just feels right 🤍

And can we just take a minute for this fabric… how cute is this little duck print?! 🦆
It’s actually remnants from Miffy’s squish fabric (if you know, you know 😅) — Aaron has me making a hoodie out of it, so it feels extra special that the last of it can be used towards something like this!

Soft, gentle, and made with love — exactly what these little ones deserve.

This is only the first of many il be making but it’s a start! Thank you for thinking of me and trusting me with something so meaningful 🤍

24/04/2026

Taggy blankets 😍

Polar fleece one side and dimple on the other

23/04/2026

“What do you mean triple sewn with 9 stitches?” 🤍

I get asked this a lot, so here’s exactly what that means…

Each taggy isn’t just stitched once — it’s fully reinforced in layers:

• First, it’s secured using my overlocker, which creates 4 strong interlocking stitches to hold it firmly in place
• Then it’s stitched again when the backing fleece is added — that’s another 4 stitches reinforcing it from the other side
• And finally, it’s finished with a top stitch to lock everything in securely

So in total, each section is held with 9 stitches working together ✨

This isn’t just about neatness — it’s about strength, durability, and making sure everything stays exactly where it should, even with lots of love and use.

All of this means they meet the requirements for UKCA safety testing ❤️

The stitch you see below is just ONE layer of the 4 overlocked stitches… it already looks very neat and secure but it will be done twice more 🥰

Built properly, not just quickly 🤍

If you’re still here, HI!🤍

It’s been a busy one behind the scenes. I did take a full week off over the holidays to properly spend some time with my boys, which was very needed.

I’m currently working on a large patchwork blanket, which are honestly my favourite to make. I love watching them come together square by square and choosing the perfect backing to match. I always underestimate how long cutting each square takes over many items 😂, time blindness is my thing, but it’s all part of the fun!!

Alongside that, I’ve got two book cushions on the go and a few of these Winnie the Pooh taggys as well. I’m also using up a lot of my fabric stash making up bonding squares for NICU 🥰

Things are a little quieter otherwise, so if you need anything at all, feel free to message me 🤍

16/04/2026

Every bear has a journey…

From carefully cutting each piece,
to shaping, stuffing, and bringing it to life.

But the most important moment?

The closing stitch 🤍

It’s the final step… but the most meaningful one.
The moment I sit quietly and finish it by hand.

It’s where memories are sealed safely inside,
ready to be held again.