Amanda's Musings

Saturday, 18 January 2014

Rainbow Scrap Challenge

I've made three blocks from blue scraps for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. My plan is to make one or two of each of these blocks from each of the colours that Angela chooses, then I'll have three donation lap quilts to put together at the end of the year.

Nearly perfect points!

I'm going to make a whole different lot of blocks with half square triangles.

I bought a fabric panel with New York Beauty foundations pieces printed on it. There are twelve, so perfect for a small quilt, one for each month this year.

Saturday, 11 January 2014

Some sewing at last

I managed to get some sewing done late this afternoon, at last. It's not brilliant, but it's finished, it's made of scraps and it's blue, so I'm just in time to join in with the links at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

I followed a link on Angela's blog to Mad4Patchwork, and from there I followed another link to Handmade Harbour where I found the pattern for this scissor holder. I bought the hen hook holder in an antiques market years ago and have never found a real use for it; it hangs right close to my sewing machine so is a perfect place to hang the scissor holder.

Missing in Action

I'm desperate to get back to my sewing room, it's weeks since I've been in there.

We went away for Christmas, which we spent with Number Two Son and his partner in their new home. We had a lovely time and they were so excited to be able to decorate for Christmas and to entertain us. Number Two Son is a very good cook and we ate extremely well the whole time we were there. Christmas lunch was a triumph.

Number Two Son loves games and competitions and one of his ideas was to have a Christmas cake decorating competition. I made a gluten free cake, put on marzipan and white icing, then four of us took a quarter each to decorate. Good fun.

Christopher's is the over the top quarter with the candelabra and mine is the quarter with the snowmen.

We weren't able to see Number One Son on Christmas Day as he had been working on the pantomime, two performances a day since the 13th and this was his only day off, and he mostly slept. We did go to see the panto on Boxing Day - Snow White and the Seven Dwarves at the Redhill Harlequin theatre - and caught up with him for a drink after the show. Oh yes we did!

We stayed with Number Two Son until the 28th, when we went over to the Isle of Wight to spend the New Year with friends. Six of us stayed in a rented house close to a house owned by another couple. There was lots of walking - which Ruby enjoyed a lot; lots of rain - which none of us enjoyed very much; good food - we went to a couple of lovely restaurants; and lots of good fun.

We were staying in Bembridge, and if you ever visit the area the two restaurants that we went to are well worth visiting. Lockslane Contemporary Bistro and Fox's Restaurant are both in the centre of the town and served wonderful food. We also went to the Propellor Inn, which is on Bembridge Airfield.

Three of our friends were determined to go in the sea to celebrate the New Year (completely bonkers!). It was way too stormy on New Year's Day, but they were able to get in on the 2nd.

We came home on the 4th January. On the 5th I did the laundry and shopping.

On the 6th I went down with a chest infection and have been in bed ever since. The antibiotics are finally kicking in and I'm starting to feel a bit more human; perhaps I'll be able to stay up for a while today. And hopefully I'll feel well enough to do some sewing in a few day's time.

Sunday, 22 December 2013

Skirts

Since I retired I've pretty much worn trousers all of the time, unless I was 'dressed up'. And my wardrobe has gradually reflected that. Then during this past summer I wondered why. I started wearing skirts and dresses much more and really enjoying it. So I've made myself three new skirts for the winter. I've used the same pattern, since the first one I made fitted pretty well and I also feel good that I've got my money's worth. Aren't paper patterns expensive now?

Black fine needlecord

Burgundy jumbo cord

Tartan wool. I'm tempted to buy some more of this to make a dressing gown, it's so warm and costy.

Wednesday, 18 December 2013

Christmas jumper

Number Two Son has requested that we all wear Christmas jumpers on Christmas day this year, so why not oblige him?

I wasn't going to pay out good money for a jumper that will only get worn once or twice though, so decided to use an old jumper and vamp it up.

I'll have to do something about that wonky bow though! It's a ribbon that came with the buttons I've used, and looks like a piece of tape measure.

The sewing machine, needle, scissors and cotton reel button all came in the same set.

Tuesday, 17 December 2013

An early Christmas gift

Last week Christopher bought me Yoko Saito's book 'Houses, Houses, Houses'. It's a gorgeous, inspiring book and it seemed only fair that the first thing I made using it should be a gift for C. Since his heart attack he has to take loads of different medications, which means rather a lot to carry when we go away, so I made him this little pouch to put them in. I gave it to him now as we're going away before Christmas, so he can use it.

The patterns are a little daunting, primarily because the writing is so small I think, and there's something about the language that says 'translation', but this went together reasonably well until I got to the instructions for the zip. I just couldn't make it work, so ended up putting press fasteners in instead. Since all of C's tablets are in foils it doesn't matter too much that there isn't a zip; but I'd have liked to work it out all the same.