Spring flowers

Just a couple of photos I took yesterday in the garden.

Been out and about today and have come home with the beginnings of a migraine and feeling somewhat nauseous, so going to have a cuppa then a lie down before I attempt dinner. Probably guilt from buying some new shoes that I didn't need, but just HAD to have! Oh and combine that with disappointment when my eagerly awaited eBay win arrived and it was the wrong item so now I am going to have to phaff around repackaging it and returning it.

Busy Monday

Well it has been a fabulous day, the sun has shone pretty much all day, although has disappeared now behind a cloudy sky. I managed to get a load more washing done, on the line and now freshly folded.

I've put fresh sheets on our bed. In amongst the linen from my FIL's were some lovely new Egyptian cotton crisp white sheets which I've used. We have never had 100% cotton sheets before so I am looking forward to going to bed tonight as they look so inviting. I've also used my 'new' Duvet cover which I picked up for £3.99 in one of our local chairty shops. It is also in keeping with Blue Monday!

One of the lovely treasures that we have also inherited is this lovely white crochet bed covering. I've put it on our bed to try it out for size.

It looks good doesn't it?

I've also managed to sort through some more of the treasures today.

I wonder what this lovely wooden box contains?

Opens up to reveal lots of tissue paper.

Which wraps up lots of lovely silver and bone, mother of pearl and other assorted cutlery.

I'm not sure what you would use the little wooden set for?

Some more cutlery.


Now I have an excuse to make the lovely cutlery roll in my new book 'Sewing in No Time'.

I also tackled my knitting/wool basket today. This has been hidden in our loft for the last few years and I asked my husband to retrieve it for me the other day.

I sorted through the wool and... Oh my goodness, do I really have all these unfinished projects?!

Looks like I am going to have plenty of things to keep me busy for the foreseable future!

One thing I am very pleased about is that I have finished my crotchet bag.

Wtih many thanks to Lucy at Attic 24.

Her instructions are lovely, clear and concise and so easy to follow.

My friend mentioned the other day that she would like to do some crocheting so I have made her an invitation for a Coffee/(tea), Cake and Crochet morning.

Phew! Now I better go and see if I can rustle up something for dinner. I think tomorrow I will have to focus on some of the more mundane things that need to be done. Although I have managed to tidy the lounge and vacuum the floor.

Blue Monday

It's a beautiful day here today, the sun is shining and there is that gorgeous blue sky that I like so much showing its lovely face.

I thought I would join in 'Blue Monday' hosted by Sally at Smiling Sally. So I hope I do this right! It's always a pleasure seeing what others have shared, so be sure and visit her blog for the list of participants!

Considering my love of teapots, especially blue ones, I was thrilled to find this in the charity shop last week. I feel very lucky to find this as it is the third blue willow pattern teapot I have found in the last couple of months and I've been without one for quite a few years now when my dear husband broke the spout of my favourite teapot. I did of course keep the teapot with the spout glued back on, but it is only for display now.

This is a copy of a teapot made c1820, but I'm not sure when the copy was made. This teapot is in lovely condition.

This lovely little cup and saucer and plate is also very pretty and very apt with the bluebells and butterflies. Mmmm, I think I will have tea and cake out on my newly transformed front porch this afternoon.

I hope the day continues as lovely as it started. I have lots of things I want to get done today and need to go and enjoy the sunshine now.

The Weekend List

Yippee, I managed to convince my lovely husband to take me to the garden centre to get some potting compost and some plants so I can fill these lovely pots we got in the bargain section of a nursery last weekend.

Lots of plants - I think they ended up costing more than the pots did. Good thing I have joined the garden club and now get discounts!

Voila! Lots of potted plants - Unfortunately the lighting just doesn't seem right - not sure if I have altered the settings on the camera or it is just the dullness of the day. I'll have to take some more pictures when the weather is better.

Still they are going to look good and I can cross that off my Weekend To Do list now.

I've also managed to do loads of washing, goodness knows what the neighbours think with the amount of linen that has been on the line the last few days. Now of course I am faced with a pile of ironing - although as opposed the usual ironing pile I am going to enjoy ironing the various tablecloths, cotton sheets, pillowcases etc...

I've managed to sort through some of the sewing bits and pieces. This little wooden box was filled with ribbons which I have sorted through.

Not a bad selection, I'm sure I will find a use for all of these at some stage.

I like the way the flash has made the ribbons gleam in this photo.

A good selection of crochet hooks were in this box.

There is also a nice assortment of lace and wooden cotton reels that I can add to my collection and will update this with a photo hopefully tomorrow if the light is better.

Oh and my bag is coming along nicely, only another row or two to do and then the handles and decorations. I took it with me last night to my boys school. We went to watch a musical production, so I thought I could do some before it started and in the interval. When I got there my younger son, looked horrified when I pulled it out of my bag.
'You're not going to do THAT are you?'
'Yes I said'. 'No seriously, you can't crochet Mum, don't embarrass me'.
'Yes SERIOUSLY I am going to crochet', was my reply. I also managed to do some when we got home as well. Mark also took along his iPod touch so he could work on his chess programme he is writing for it. Younger son squirms in his seat, 'Great, a computer geek for a Dad and a crocheting weirdo for a Mum'!

Now why are these fonts a different colour on my preview I wonder? I haven't pressed any buttons to change any settings that I know of. Another of those blogging mysteries!

Finally I also managed to find a place to hang the embroidered robin picture.

Cushion Covers & Pillowcases

Sitting here at 10.38am on Saturday morning still in my pyjamas when I should be up and 'doing'. Well I have put on a load of washing, but can't fit anymore on my line and now it is raining anyway. I do find it hard to be motivated when it is a dull and dreary day, but have lots to do so must press on. But first I thought I'd post the pictures of the pillowcases and cushion covers I made last night. I'd forgotten how much I LOVED sewing and especially my trusty machines, so I can see me doing a lot more now I have rediscovered this passion of mine.

The pretty little flowers don't really show up very well in the photos and the lighting isn't the best I'm afraid, but they just didn't look right with the flash on.

My cushion covers - I really need to get new cushion inners as ours are rather flat and well used.

Not bad for some scraps of material and four serviettes!

Oh well I better stop procrastinating and go and get dresssed so I can start some of the more mundane jobs of the day - clearing & tidying the kitchen and cleaning out the guinea pigs.

Lists

I'm always writing lists - lists of chores to do, crafts to make, goals etc... so I thought I would take up Jane's challenge and write a list for this weekend. Probably over optimistic, but still worth a try.

Continuing with the theme from yesterday I need to finish sorting through the sewing materials, cottons and trinkets and organize them into...well some semblance of order.

Finish my crochet bag - I only started this yesterday afternoon and have to say I am rather addicted to it.

Make two pillowcases with this pretty material I found in a charity shop earlier in the week.

Done! Pictures to follow tomorrow.

Also made 4 cushions with material bought on the same day.

Wash and iron this linen which was part of the collection from my FIL's house yesterday.

Find a place to hang this lovely embroidered robin picture.

Buy (?) and pot some plants for my new empty pots on the front porch.

Anyway off now to go and see a friend and have a cup of tea or two.

House clearing

My father in law died in June last year and we are finally getting round to sorting through his house. Today we came home with lots of goodies; new towels, some lovely sheets, lace, doilies, a lovely embroidered picture of a robin, and for me some beautiful crochet blankets made by my husband's grandmother and her sewing bits and pieces.

We still have lots of sorting and clearing to do and I now have a pile of washing, but of course the weather has turned and the last two days have been miserable and showery.

How I'm going to find the time to return to work after Easter I just don't know. I have been enjoying my time off recuperating from my shoulder operation far too much.

Cushions & New Books

Yesterday when I went down to post Mum & Dad's Christmas present - yes it IS late, but hey better late than never I say. (We did get it before Christmas but it has taken me this long to prepare all the photos for it. Yes it is a digital photo frame. I'm hoping it won't be to 'high tech' for them and that they will enjoy all the scenes of our life).

Anyway, back to my opening sentence, while I was down the town centre I just HAD to pop into the charity shops to see if they had anything interesting. Well I managed to find some material, or rather some cloth napkins and a length of fabric to make some cushions that will match our lounge suite perfectly.

The quality of the photos isn't the best as the last few days have been quite dull, but they give an idea, you can see the pattern of the settee just behind the fabric. I've cut out the length of fabric into squares so now just need to find the time to make them.

Yes I think they will look quite nice when they are made.

Two books arrived today which I am quite excited about. The first I've read about on both Jane and Lucy's blogs (links on side bar). 100 flowers to knit and crochet and sewing in no time.