Progress Report (162)

The decorating is nearly finished in the little bedroom, though it's gone more slowly than I would have liked. I just can't work for as long these days, and have had to pace myself. I have also been sewing a cover for the divan base which will be staying in the room.

On Friday Christopher and I went to Ikea, where we bought a shelf unit, a computer desk for him and found a perfect wooden trolley, that's almost the exact size of my cutting mat, and a perfect size to use standing up. I'm going to make an ironing pad to go on it too. We also bought some storage boxes and baskets. Oliver helped me put the desk and trolley together yesterday, and Christopher and I put the shelf unit together today. Luckily, they went together easily.

Tomorrow I hope to finish painting the skirting board and the door frame, which will leave just the window frame and some shelves. They'll probably have to wait for a few days, as I'm going to the first day of an Intermediate Patchwork and Quilting course on Wednesday.

I'm so looking forward to starting to put everything back in the room and making it into my sewing and craft room. I'll take some photographs very soon.

First finish for 2009 (161)

It's been a bit of a rush, but I've finished the quillow for my niece's birthday on the 10th. I've used Moda's Urban Chicks range. I've not got a picture of the complete quilt because it's so gloomy here that I just can't get a photograph that doesn't look completely washed out and most unattractive, but the picture of the quilt folded into its pocket gives you a very good idea of what it looks like - I've used a combination of broken dishes blocks, rail fence and plain blocks.

From January 2009 04/01/2009 09:39

And here's the card I've made

From January 2009 04/01/2009 09:39

- I had great fun rootling about in all my piled up boxes and baskets which have been moved into the spare bedroom whilst we decorate, I can't find anything easily.

Messrs Bodgitt and Scram ....(160)

Messrs Bodgitt and Scram had great fun on Sunday afternoon, wallpapering our smallest bedroom. Thank goodness it is still the pantomime season, as we would have fitted right in. Ranging from knocking the paste bucket over, to cutting the paper too short, getting tangled up in the pasted paper, we were a real slapstick team. I even managed, quite unintentionally, to put the past bucket right at the foot of the ladder, but luckily Christopher spotted it in time and missed it. But the paper is up and you have to look really closely to spot the 'patchwork' bits - well it is going to be for a sewing room, so the paper will fit right in!

You can't really tell what the paper is like from this picture, but it's a white background with a pale silvery grey pattern. Very grown up and elegant - how we came to choose it is a mystery, but it does look very pretty.

From January 2009 04/01/2009 09:39

Today I started painting - a pale dove grey, but I'm not certain that I like the paint. I'll just have to cover as much of it as possible with quilts and stitcheries - mind you the room is so small that there won't be much wall space left blank by the time all the furniture is in. Tomorrow - more painting. In the days of my youth I could have finished it in one day, but these days I like to take things at a more leisurely pace.

Still Sunday ...(159)

It's still Sunday morning, and I haven't done any sewing yet. But I have taken most of our Christmas decorations down. It's traditional in the UK to leave them up until Twelfth Night (6th January, Epiphany Eve) but unlucky to leave them up after that. As I have the cleaners coming tomorrow I wanted to get most down, but have left the Christmas wreath up on the door until Tuesday.

Having taken down my Christmas quilt it looked really bare. So, whilst I decide what I want to put up there, I've hung my recently finished Home is Where the Heart is quilt. It looks a bit wonky, but I'm hoping that it's just because it's been folded up and needs to hang out for a while!It's my first attempt at free piecing and wonky letters, and I'm pretty pleased with it.

Friday and Saturday (158)

On Friday I buckled down and got our smallest bedroom ready for decorating. I removed everything except the chair and the bed-base, removed a noticeboard and some shelves, filled all the holes and sanded them down. I still need to sand the woodwork, but apart from that we're ready to roll. I hope that we can get the wallpaper up this afternoon. As you can see, it's a tiny room and last decorated quite some years ago - just look at that yellow, lime green and orange!! The mattress will be stored under the spare room bed, and with the base turned on its side there will just about be room for my sewing table and a chair and perhaps the ironing board. I'll be putting a new shelf unit in the alcove for all my craft and sewing things. Then I'll have to find new homes for all the towels and bed linen which have lived in there in the past.

Yesterday was very pleasant. We went to Brighton to have lunch with some friends, and managed to get both our sons along too. I was so pleased; we had telephoned the restaurant in advance to talk about my dietary requirements and they were very helpful. We agreed on a prawn risotto, and when we got there I discovered that they had put it on the main menu, so I wasn't made to feel too different and awkward. And a very good risotto it was too. We walked back to our friends' house (about 20 minutes in the freezing cold sea breeze, very bracing!) and on the way passed a junk shop. Outside on the step I saw this:Christopher did a bit of haggling and it was mine. I'm sure I can find a space for it in my new sewing room, it stands about 2'6" high. I'm sure it will look lovely draped with something or other.

And then, last night, ta da!!! (Imagine a trumpet fanfare if you will) I finished my first ever sock.And it fits!! Now the challenge is to make another one roughly the same size. There were a few tricky bits, and the odd hole has appeared, but I managed to work through the instructions and I'm truly chuffed to have achieved something that actually looks like a sock.

And so, after a very lazy start to my Sunday morning, I'm off to do some sewing while Christopher is running. The domestics will have to wait.

Have a good day - and by-the-way, if you haven't got too much on your plate and would like to join in the PIF, please let me know, there's still room.

New challenges (157)

Only January the 2nd and I've already signed up for two challenges! The first is a Pay it Forward with Amy at Amy's Passions. The second is with Kris, at Tag Along Teddies. Now, if I could only remember how to put the logos for these two challenges in my sidebar, or even into my blog, I would do so. Help!!! Can some kind soul enlighten me please?

Kris's challenge is to complete one challenge a month, which should be do-able. If you'd like to join in the simplest thing is to follow the link to her blog, where you'll find all the information.

The rules for the Pay it Forward are like this:

• Three people will be chosen to participate when they leave a comment on this post asking to join (I'll obviously choose the first three)
• You then agree to post a similar announcement to this on your blog, asking three more people to join in, etc
• You will create a hand-made item for your three people sometime over the next 12 months.

Seems simple enough - so this is how it works. Amy will send one hand-made item to the three people who have signed up with her (I'm one of them);I will send one hand-made item to the three people who sign up with the challenge via my blog; then the three people who sign up with me will send hand-made items to each of the three people who sign up with them. And so on. Get it?

Now Amy, being a bit of a clever clogs, has done some maths, so I can't do any better than quote her here:

"Here's the number of people to be 'affected' with the Pay It Forward ...

Level 1 : I give to three (3 people affected)

Level 2 : Each of those three give to three NEW people (9 NEW people affected; 12 total lead from my saying yes)

Level 3 : Each of those 9 give to three NEW people (27 NEW people affected, 39 total)

Level 4 : Each of those 27 give to three NEW people (81 NEW people affected; 120 total !!!)"

If you want the equation that she used have a look at her blog, it's beyond me.

So, how about it - a whole year to make three gifts can't be bad. If you feel like joining the fun, just say Yes in a comment on this blog.

And now, all I've got to do is get the logos on my sidebar. 

Backwards and Forwards (156)

From December 2008

Happy New Year to you all. I vaguely saw the new year in - I'd given up trying to stay awake by about 11 o'clock, but the bongs of Big Ben woke me at midnight, then Christopher came in with a ginger wine (just a sip for me, I seem to be allergic to alcohol sadly) to wish each other a good 2009.

So, looking back to 2008, what are my main memories?

• Lots of quilting, yay. I've made quillows, lap quilts, single and double size quilts; quilts to use and quilts for decoration
• Lots of stitching. Stitching to combine with patchwork, stitching that stands alone
• I've made all of our cards, not bought a single one
• Seeing the boys becoming more settled into their chosen ways of life 
• Having more time to spend with Christopher now that I'm retired and he works just three days a week
• The sad tale of our house move. Sorting the house, the excitement at the beginning of the process, the disillusionment as the falling market caused problems, the pleasure at achieving a sale, the huge excitement when we found THE house, the disappointment as it all came to an end
• My health. Having had a pretty rotten year, the last few weeks have seen a steady improvement to the point where I feel pretty good most of the time
• Discovering blogging 

And looking forward? Well, I don't do resolutions, 'cos they're easy to break. But I will continue toward the goals that I have set myself over the last couple of months.

• Continuing to eat healthily and sticking to the diet that seems to work for me
• Now that I'm feeling better it's time to get fitter - back to the exercise classes and get out for more walks with Christopher
• Finding some patterns that I like, and that work for me, and making some new clothes
• Getting through the current to-do list of quilting and sewing before starting any new projects. No UFOs for me!!

And plans? Well, it's time we stopped putting our life on hold whilst we tried to sell the house and time to do some of the things we've been talking about

• Decorate the little bedroom and get it sorted out so that I can use it as a craft/sewing room; decorate some of the other rooms; 
• Buy a motor caravan and take some holidays
• Get a dog
• Christopher needs to get out of the job he's doing, because it's far too stressful and find something else to do that he can really enjoy

And vaguer thoughts? Well, I've plenty of those, things I'd like to do, things I ought to do. But most of all I hope that my sons continue to find happiness, health and stability in their lives and that Christopher and I can continue to enjoy each other's company as we head into our 30th year of marriage.

And to all my blogging friends - thank you so much for enriching my life over this last year, and for showing interest in my very ordinary doings. I look forward so much to a great 2009 and hope that you do too.