A Mouse, A Sheep And A Rabbit

The weather has finally picked up and we are once again feeling as if it really is Spring.  Hopefully once the garden has dried out a little we can enjoy the great outdoors and get on with some gardening.  In the meantime I am enjoying my time in the craft room and have finished the blanket for Hector ready for his trip to Disneyland.

 

One thing is for sure, it will keep him warm on a cold wintery day.

 

I smiled as I looked out of my dining room window and saw our neighbour walking her dogs, they range in sizes and ages but are all very well behaved.

 

 

Yes, you were right it is a SHEEP!  I have shown you pictures of this before, but even though I see this on a regular basis it still makes me smile.

I have kept myself busy on Honey's quilt and am pleased with the progress thus far.  It seems to be coming together quite nicely, despite the random placing.

 

It is bigger than I anticipated so I might have to adjust things from the initial plan.

 

 

I love the eclectic mix of fabrics, a real mix of makes and memories behind each block.  The bunnies make me smile and add to the magic.

 

 

I am having fun with this and enjoying the process.  What are you working on at the moment?

 

See you soon.

 

 

A Weekend Indoors

You would not believe the dramatic weather conditions we have had here this weekend.  A drop in temperatures, frosty mornings, rain, hail, snow and bright sunshine.  A really weird and yet wonderful mix.  Gardening was of course out of the question.  Already I am regretting doing some of the seeds.  Hindsight is wonderful, but with hindsight I should have left them a few more weeks.  I did pot on the plants bought from the Garden Centre, they do seem to be faring well so are obviously quite hardy.  It was the hail that surprised me so much coming down with such force.

 

The umpteen seeds trays will remain on the window sills for a little while longer, before been transplanted into larger pots and transferred to the mini greenhouse.

 

 

The tomato plants are almost ready to be potted on,  they have grown so quickly taking us by surprise.  They are a cherry tomato variety which taste sweet and are perfect for salads, a little taste of summer and don't need a lot of attention.

 

We do grow marigolds to grow alongside the tomatoes to stop bug infestation, it does seem to work.  They are growing quite well thus far.

 

 

With this strange weather a car boot sale was out of the question so I made a start on the list of requests for the Grandchildren.  Bertie wanted bunting for his garden shed so that was duly completed, using fabrics left over from his Western/Cowboy quilt.

 

 

All stitched and complete, ready for hanging.  He wants some curtains making too, just waiting for the dimensions.

 

A start has been made on Honey's quilt, we decided to go for bunnies rather than hearts.  To be fair I was quite impressed with the overall look.

 

 

Cotton yarn and the trusted pom pom maker were used.  A good start was made...

 

 

I find English paper piecing quite therapeutic, the preparation taking almost as long as the stitching.  I love playing around with the different fabrics finding just the right place for it to go, random placing rather than a set pattern.  Made with love for the newest addition to the family, our beautiful Honey Bunny,  that is what her big brother calls her.  Made with love from Granny.

 

It has been a weekend indoors, with some lovely moments in the kitchen making bread and soup, the simple things in life.  We did have a traditional Sunday afternoon tea consisting of scones with homemade jam and cream, Victoria sponge and copious amounts of tea, not forgetting the tiny but very elegant sandwiches.  Not good for the figure but brilliant for the taste buds.  Is the weather as weird in your neck of the woods?

 

See you soon.

 

 

 

Five on Friday

The temperatures have dipped again and we are back to overcast dark skies so my intention is to sit and browse the stack of books that I received for my Birthday.  My family know me so well and pick up books that I wouldn't necessarily pick up for myself, introducing me to new ideas.  To that end I am going to share five books this week and link up with Amy over at Love Made My Home for the weekly get together.

1.  Button and Stitch

 

I have thousands of buttons, an avid collector.  I have buttons in all colours, shapes and sizes.  It will certainly be interesting to see what is suggested to use my button stash.

 

 

I have just opened the book and it shows you how to make your own felted bunny buttons and felted ball buttons.  Does it get any better when I can increase the collection.

 

2.  Fleece Fantastic

 

 

I always have scraps of fleece as I use fleece to make bits and bobs for the Grandchildren.

 

 

I have already made headbands for Lily and Daisy and love the patterns for the animal badges.  I feel this book could quickly become dog eared.

 

3.  Embellish Me

 

A book of my dreams with all sorts of stunning ideas.  Not only does it show you how to print and dye fabric there are so many ideas of how to decorate.

 

 

...of course there were buttons...

 

 

Inspirational, it needs a proper read rather than the quick glimpse that I am doing.

 

4.  Sock Puppet Madness

 

A gift that immediately makes you smile, chosen by the girls because Granny loves a puppet show.  They know me so well.

 

 

I have been looking for a puppet theatre on my travels around the car boot sales but no luck so far.  Maybe my husband could make one???  It would certainly get a lot of use.

 

 

5. Felt, Cut and Sew Unique

 

A great book on how to upcycle jumpers into some amazing creations.  A throw caught my eye that would be beautiful in the winter months  it takes about 8 felted wool sweaters to make.

 

 

Wool garments are now on my list for buying from the charity shops and car boot sales so that I can give it a go.

 

 

Five books that I hope will be of some interest and inspire you to have a go at creating something.

 

See you soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Spring Day

I have had such a fun day today, the sun is shining, the temperatures are rising and the rain has stopped.  My dear Father has had a trip out for the first time since before Christmas, it was a joy to behold to see him looking so well and enjoying the great outdoors.  We went to the Woodthorpe Garden Centre, always a nice place to get some inspiration. 

 

We did smile at some of the ornaments on display, you really would have to have a large garden for them to fit.

 

I loved the elephant, there was something about it that drew your eye but not very realistic for my little plot.  We certainly had a fun time looking around.

 

 

We had a lovely lunch in the restaurant and enjoyed watching Dad eat something other than the soups I have been making for him.

 

 

The homemade coleslaw hiding behind the chicken breast in a bun was beautiful, the portions were a little large so I couldn't manage desert but it didn't stop my sweet Husband and Mum, they both got stuck in.

 

 

We got lucky with some sale priced plants too, so all in all a good trip out.

 

 

I have also had some fun in the craft room making some hair bobbles for the girls ready for their trip to Disneyland in the summer.  I covered some buttons with Mickey Mouse fabric, to make a simple but effective hair adornment.

 

 

I have also made a start making a couple of headbands for them ready for the Christmas period using some green fleece fabric and buttons.

 

 

A great day, I am going to put my feet up for half an hour and then attend to those bargain plants that I have just bought.  It doesn't take a lot for me to have a good day I really do enjoy the simple pleasures in life.

 

See you soon.