Crochet Kitten, Working Lunch Challenge

After a lazy morning of reading I finished my little crocheted kitten courtesy of Fi at Marmaladerose.

Thank you Fi, a nice easy pattern to follow.

My next project was to do some more sewing on my new machine to give it a good testing out. Now what to make? I decided to make an apron - perhaps I'll even wear it, who knows?

Here is my picture for the working lunch challenge over at at You Did What?.

To make the apron I used some material from a duvet cover and for contrast I made the pocket out an old nightdress.

The trouble with books & a delivery.

The only trouble with getting books out of the library is I then read them, and by read them I mean once I start a book I read it non-stop until I've finished it. Which incidentally isn't very conducive to getting much done around the house. That's right, I've lazed around pretty much the whole day reading. My excuse... I was waiting for some deliveries to arrive. Of course I could have got on with other things but...well that just didn't happen.

So the first book read was 'The Life of Reilly' by Paul Burke ISBN 9780340828199. I'm not much good at book reviews, must have been made to do too many as a child, and written too many essays and papers over the last few years to take anything too seriously now. However, this is a light hearted book, nice and easy to read, cleverly written from two points of view with a slight twist to the end I thought.

So what deliveries were we waiting on. Well I'm not sure what hubbies was - he whisked it off to his office in top secret mode. Hmmm.... But mine was rather a naughty purchase and not completely necessary, but seemd too good a bargain to miss and hubby agreed. After reading reviews of sewing machines in Which? magazine, I noticed a review of one of the machines was very good and quite fancying a machine that did many more fancy stitches than my very trusty Bernette I mentioned I would quite like one. I looked them up on the internet and found I could get the next machine up as a free upgrade for a ridiculous price. We decided to go ahead and order it and it arrived today.

Here it is fresh out of its box, as I was setting it up. It is a Brother XR6600. Very light weight compared to mine with 40 different stitches. However, then things started to go wrong. Do you think I could get the tension sorted? No I could not. Getting very frustrated with, I have to admit a few tears I toddled off down to hubby's office to tell him the news. He said don't worry, phone them and they will sort it out. I did phone, and the man on the end of the line advised me to phone tomorrow morning when there would be someone there to help. I then made the mistake of looking the shop up on the internet - oh my goodness, was there some pretty bad reviews. Feeling rather gutted worried I had been duped I explained all this to 'the wise one'. He patiently told me that if I have any problems we can simply send it back and get our money back perhaps just losing the postage costs. He also reminded me that the machine DID have good reviews.

Anyway I went back to the machine while hubby was cooking dinner - he'd obviously worked out by this time that that was probably the best stategy. I tried again, changing cottons and doing some more fiddling and sewing and suddenly it seemed to work just fine. So whether it needed time to 'settle' after transit who knows. I tested it out this evening and made a place mat for the table and I will do some more sewing tomorrow and over the next few days to make sure, but hopefully it was just a very small glip and it won't repeat itself.

Place mat - with insulated wadding to protect the table from hot things.

I also had some music arrive that I ordered for some of my students and strangely some musical socks seemed to have slipped into my order - whoops! Not sure how I'm going to claim that one!

Simple pleasures

Everyone seems to be doing it - making Union Jack cushions so I thought I'd try making one as well. I still had some left over material from when I made some cushions the other week. For the main stripes I used some of my new fabric bought recently.

I made the back envelope style and made a bias type edging.

It fits in nicely with my rose cushions and I'm quite pleased with my first attempt.

While in a sewing mood I also managed to get another project started and finished. This time it is a cushion made with ties. I first saw this idea on Pams blog here and here in memory of her father and his collection of ties. I've made this cushion for my husband with some of his father's ties. It has worked out nicely - I just wish I had some cushion inners that were nice and plump and big enough!

On my way home from work today I had to stop off at the shops and found this lovely little rose tin in the charity shop for 49p. I think I will keep buttons in it.

Yesterday our lovely sheltie did something very yucky - puked on our bed! He shouldn't have been up on the bed, and why he couldn't have got down to throw up is anyone's guess. So off the sheets and duvet etc... came. Still it was a good excuse to use my new stripy pillowcases!

Oh and I've found a place for the four photo boxes that were sitting in our kitchen! No longer are they there. It is amazing how naming and shaming yourself kick starts you into action. They are now on top of a book case in my younger son's room.

My younger son and I have been on our weekly trip to the library and I have a new pile of books beside my chair to read. Two of the books the library didn't have which I was disappointed about and another was on loan, so this is what I ended up with.

Blue Monday & The Week Ahead

It's going to be really is a Blue Monday for me today. I just can't seem to motivate myself. It is raining and dull and I always find it much more difficult to do things when it is like this. I start something, get easily distracted and then sit around on the computer so thought I might as well write a post on my blog. So lets join Sally at Smiling Sally for a Blue Monday. If you haven't read yesterdays post, be sure to do so as there are lots of blues on there!

I have always liked apples, my favourite being New Zealand Braeburn and Gala apples. Combine this with my favourite colour and what do you get? - A blue apple! This lovely blue apple was sent to me in March for my birthday by Mum & Dad and they got it soooo right - I love it!

It is Okra glass and is signed and dated on the bottom. Of course I then had to look up Okra glass on the internet as I had no idea what it is, except something rather special.

Thank you Mum & Dad (if only you had a computer and could read my blog!)

My Week Ahead

1. Try and be a bit more organised for the rest of the week! Try and focus on the must do's and get them done instead of procrastinating.

2. Tomorrow - work, banking, library visit and some craftiness. I have just written a short list of some projects I would like to sew.

3. Find somewhere to store the photo boxes piled four high in my kitchen that are STILL there after too many weeks to mention in writing.

Something to get excited about....

Our older son has finally become interested in looking at some Universities. He is due to start in September next year. Plymouth is on his list so we will hopefully be visiting there in June on one of the open days. Plus we might be able to have a look around the area and go and see the house I have had my eye on for some time which is about 18 miles away.

Verulamium Park

We decided to escape our two for the afternoon today as they have been such 'Kevin's aka 'teenage boys!' So I packed a picnic lunch for two, a knitted rug, camera and crochet and off we set for Verulamium Park in St Albans. Fortunately we were able to find ideal parking right near the park and this is the view as we started to walk down the hill.

The Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban. The Abbey and surrounding area is steeped in history. This park is the site where one of the biggest cities (Verulamium) in Roman Britain once stood. It is set in over 100 acres of parkland in which there are still remains of the city walls and the old London Gate which can still be seen today along with an original Roman mosaic floor and its underfloor heating system. When I home-educated our eldest we enjoyed studying these remains as it really brought the history alive and made it so much more real.

Anyway going back to the Cathedral, its nave is the longest of any cathedral in England and is 275 feet long! We didn't go in it today as we wanted to spend the time outside in the lovely sunshine. Most of the present architecture of the church dates from Norman times and it became a cathedral in 1877, and is the second longest cathedral in the UK. I recall we also spent a lovely afternoon on an educational visit with a group of local home-educators back in 2002. It was fascinating - or at least I thought so!

St Alban was Britain's first Christian martyr and was a pagan living in the Roman City of Verulamium. Alban sheltered a priest, St Amphibalus in his home when local Christians were being persecuted by the Romans before Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Alban became converted to the Christian faith during this time and when the Roman Soldiers came looking for the priest Alban exchanged cloaks with the priest and let himself be arrested in his place. He was taken before magistrates where he avowed his new faith, Christianity and was condemned and beheaded according to legend on the spot where the cathedral named for him now stands. All fascinating stuff.

Anyway we walked down the hill - me in my new Crocs - having seen them in Costco the other day - note the colour blue! Finally 'trendy', although probably a few years too late. Where we found a nice bench in the sun to eat our packed lunch and watch the birds on the lake.

Of course I brought my crochet with me to do while we were sitting there enjoying the peace after our lunch.

A swan was preening itself on an island in the lake.

There are lovely paths that you can walk along all around the lake.

Mrs Coot sitting on her nest.

Gorgeous colourful trees.

North Herts Cavy Show

I don't think I have had such fun at show in ages - so much laughter over so many different topics! A lot of fun had - and to top it off Takaro Alexander my Lunkarya under 5 month boar won Best New & Emerging Breed for the sixth show in a row! He won it for the first time at the same venue (different judge) in February. To say I was thrilled with him is an understatement. He is such a sweet pig as well.

The beauty of the garden under a blue sky

Okay, so I have posted twice today, but it is such a fantastic lovely blue sky day that I just had to take some photos of the garden when I got home from work this afternoon. I've watered my plants in pots, washed a couple of piggies for the show tomorrow and am about to have a cup of tea in the sunshine, but I wanted to share my excitement of the lovely day and the beautiful blossoms with you all.

Apple blossom.

Just look at this fantastic sky and the beautiful contrast.

This blossom smells delightful -like oranges.

Did I say the sky is a lovely blue today?

Well just look at it - simply beautiful - I just love the colour of the sky when it looks like this - it is simply the best!

Right, back off outside to enjoy the weather!

Show & Tell Friday

This is my second 'Show and Tell Friday'. For more Show and Tell, visit Kelli at There's No Place Like Home.

Among other things I am an arctophile - which means teddy bear collector. The name comes from the Greek words arctos (bear) and philos (lover). I have always loved teddy bears, and I think it stems from when we first emigrated to NZ from England when I was six years old. I had to leave all but one teddy bear behind. Over the years my collection has grown. Here are a selection.

Mozart is my newest bear and was bought for me three years ago.

He is my one and only limited edition bears and has his own special glass cabinet to sit in.

This fellow below is my Scottish bear and I was given him, again by my husband for our Wedding in Scotland in December 1997.

Mussel was 'adopted' by me at the Hatfield Craft Fair on May 9th 2002.


This rather old bear was my grandmothers.



Snowy was again bought for me by my husband in 1995 from Harrods.



Peter Panda I've had since I was a baby. Poor thing desparately needs some new clothes as he has been very well loved and was cuddled everynight until I was in my twenties LOL



Ping is another Panda (I especially love Pandas) again given to me by my husband in 1995.


This little bear is fully jointed and was found in our local charity shop a few years ago now. I couldn't leave him there now could I?

I hope you have enjoyed looking at some of my bears.

It is a beautiful day here again in Sunny Hertfordshire and I have to go to work - stuck in a 'utility room' in the middle of a building - that's right - no windows... can you tell I am NOT impressed. It is too lovely to be stuck inside today. Oh well needs must.