Where Am I?

One evening after school we were in Waitrose. Our food was paid for and we were chatting away, heading for the car. 

A lady came up to me and said hello, I read your blog. 

Sometimes people do this and it's lovely to see the people who read the words I write, who look at the pictures I share of our world.  All the happiness in my life is for the most part what I want to focus on, celebrate and share. That's what a creative life is to me.

Well this lady then asked why I haven't blogged so much. I gave her an honest answer and I will give you one too.

I told her my marriage had just ended and so I hadn't found much I wanted to write about.

The next few months will be hard, there's a lot of change that has to come about from all of this.
Some will be good of course, some is scary and some completely unwanted. All the same, we've got one choice my girls and I, and that's to make the best of it.

With that big news spoken aloud, I'd like to get on with the talk of creative whatnots to be honest. Ive not felt like making anything these past few weeks, but I've still been busy hatching plans and continuing with projects.

Some of you might recognise these pictures from Vanessa's blog do you mind if I knit?

Well an idea grew after I set up the online memorial to her. A few people on Instagram asked if there was a way of raising money to go towards mental health, as Vanessa suffered from this as so many people sadly do. 

A conversation grew and the idea of a collective blanket that would then be raffled off came about.

Colours were discussed with my friend Penny of PlanetPenny after I'd come up with the design based on a scarf of Vanessa's. We wanted to keep to her palette of colours so a lot of thought was given to them being as near a match as possible. Then I got in touch with my mate Jane at teawagontales to create an id badge for this project.

Colours were then releaased with details on Instagram, it's such an immediate format almost like being on the phone with everyone at the same time. From Saturday to Monday all the squares had been taken and I'd had to increase the size twice to allow everyone who wanted to take part join in.

The squares have been popping through my door every day lately, the next step will be sewing them all up and then selling the raffle tickets. That's the plan you see, to give everyone the chance to win the Do You Mind if I Knit? blanket and raise much needed funds for MIND.

It's brought a lot of people together to share and chat while they hook their squares.
My apologies for not bringing it into the blogosphere but it would have been so much harder to organise, especially with my world falling around my ears.

In the middle of all this I had a week off work with exhaustion. 

Turns out I'm very anaemic, not surprising for a veggie who misses loads of meals out. 

I sat on the sofa every day, after all the school running back and forth. I watched endless films and found a project to keep me busy.

I'd seen a pattern for a floral heart on Lucy's blog Attic24 that seemed a perfect sofa days make.

I changed the colours to suit me and worked the centres in white instead of adding buttons as Lucy had.

To make it easier to sew the hearts on, I covered the pipe cleaners in a strip of fabric.

I was really pleased with how this turned out..

It's been the last thing I've made for a while, I do feel the urge to get my creative head working again.

First thing I've got to make is something from a beautiful new crochet book Ive been asked to review. 

The book is soon to be released and so I've been asked, along with a few other bloggers to take part in the blog hop. That means there will be links to win goodies too for my readers. 

I'm booked to write that post on the 16th February, so if I'm not back before then, then I will definitely see you then.

Table Matters

Last summer, at one of my favourite vintage fairs, I gathered a few special bits and bobs together. One was a bright and zingy floral sticky backed plastic. Lesley and Val had always used this stuff on Blue Peter makes, but I'd never got my hands on any before so I was really excited.  Plan 1 was to cover a small formica table (in the future when I found a small formica table).

Plan 2 was to make placemats.

Yesterday I came across six any old how placemats for a £1 in the CShop. I dashed home with cutting and sticking firmly in mind.

It was such a simple and quick thing to do which was just lovely. Getting results quickly with little brainpower involved was just what was needed.

 New placemats are modelling with a newly found 1960's nibbles dish. I brought it home announcing "my buttons will look good in here". In seconds I'd been convinced by Little Bun that it's orginial purpose was just right and it should stay as a nibbles dish. We road tested it last night with peanuts, pretzels, cheesy balls and chocolate buttons and it did it's job perfectly.

 My second find in the same shop was this limey yellow cup and plate set. Now I'll definately be looking out for more of these as I love the zingy cheer of them.

All in all some happy tableware I'd say.

 With only hours to spare before my dentist appointment (another filling because of my toffee love) I got out the bag of cotton yarn. I had in mind to make a few floral coasters to go with the new mats. I've used this pattern so many times that I've lost count of all the coasters I've made for friends and family. Somehow I've failed to make any for us.

I squeezed time in to make just the five coasters. Take the blue away and I've made Neopolitan icecream coasters. 

A good day off therapy I'd say. Much needed after a week of feisty, but fun teens.

 

Now today being International Women's Day Little Bun and I are off this afternoon with some friends to hear poetry and listen to a band called Eating Grandma. Miss Rosey failed to show much interest. TV and the sofa being much more appealing after a morning at netball training. 

Back soon to show you recent temptations and what I've done with them.

Overwhelmed

Don't worry, no tears are about to erupt, I'm not going to lose the plot mid-post. I'm talking about overwhelmed in the inundated and feeling engulfed with too many things kind of way. In a good kind of way too - I think?

I've felt overwhelmed by a too tired kind of tiredness for a few weeks (anaemia probably).

 

I also feel overwhelmed by wanting to do everything at once. On my days off work I get so excited about this huge lump of me time stretching ahead. I plan all the stuff I want to do and then I get overwhelmed by tons of other stuff. I find it really hard to choose which of the many lovely things I want to do when I know the clocks ticking and my day is running ahead of me. Sometimes I manage to make the most of that time - like today - and that feels good.

You see, I made these cushions today. Well, this morning to be truthful. In just over two hours the fabric was chosen, trims selected, squares cut and off I went with my very dusty machine.

 I planned to sew over the Christmas holidays, but it didn't happen for good reasons. Ever since then I've just felt dead tired on my days off work. After all the everyday stuff is done for another day I usually collapse on the sofa with yarn and a film.

All the same new cushions (and lots of other stuff that could overwhelm me if I let them) have been jostling about in my head.

Then I bought some new tea towels from Miss CK the other day and they spurred me on to blowing the dust off my sewing machine.

These tea towels are such a bright jolly print and they're handy sized for cushion and bag making.

I took a while having a think about what would go where.

 In the end I chose a soft French floral cotton mixed with some stripy skirt fabric. Usually the girls good clothes go straight on ebay once Miss Rosey and then Little Bun have had their turns with them. This Noa Noa skirt is made of fabric that I just couldn't resist cutting into and I'm so glad I did as I love the two together.

The tea towels got further dandied up with some white and blue trim.

Then I added my favourite red bobbly trim.

Cushion No.3 was a much needed thing. The chair cushion was all ripped and torn from too making bums on sitting on it's soft barkcloth. I chose a piece of fabric sent to me by Jenny. Everything finally finds what it will become and I'm gl\d I always remember where each piece has come from so their stories aren't lost.

I'm so ridiculously happy with my three new makes. Sewing was a joy and if I could have done, then I think I'd have stayed on my machine stitching a few more cushions.

This is where I'm really happy, where I feel most me.

Now I have an even cosier sofa to rest my poor old achey hip on. A war wound from the Man and I getting too daft and into the dancing at a Ceilidh at the weekend. In fact it's been a weekend of being overwhelmed by great friends, laughter and the joy of life.

 And while I'm still on the subject - I also get really really overwhelmed by all the stuff out there. There are so many fabulous books, magazines, newspapers, blog posts, films, plays, exhibitions that I want to see and take the time to enjoy. Not just rush through before the next lot comes rushing at me. 

My head feels like it's fairly spinning you know just thinking of it all.

 Time for a lie down most definately.

I'll be back very soon to let you know which book I'm reading for February and how I got on with my January book for The Year in Books. I finished reading Instructions on a Heatwave on the last day of January, I had a goal and I kept to it.

Let's Celebrate with A Cake

I'm in a state of shock and excitement. I've actually finished my first ever hooky blanket. There are many I've started - some are still waiting patiently in a basket to become their finished selves, others have just been forgotten and given up on.  I started on The Bubblegum Blanket (named so by Little Bun) last October. I worked a row or two and then put it back in the basket again to wait awhile. A lot of my waiting a while has been down to yarn supply problems as well as my tendency to hop from thing to thing.

It all started from the odds and sods of Amy Butler yarn left over from my Japanese Flowers Scarf. I loved working with this soft, chunkyish and bright yarn so much. As it's super warm too, making a blanket out of the left overs was the only thing to do.

After I'd worked a few rows I started running out of yarn which meant I needed to add to the left over yarn. No problem I thought as this is such gorgeous yarn I'll be able to get it anywhere.

First problem I ran into was that the local yarn shop said goodbye so I couldn' get any more there. Then when I went to the big yarn shop in the city it turned out that Rowan didn't make or sell Amy Butler yarn anymore. Now it was time to get creative. A few colours and some of the huge amount of pink I was after turned up on ebay. Weeks later John Lewis tipped a few balls of the colours I was after into a sale bin and I roughly calculated I'd have enough to do the 10 rows by 10 I was after.

Late on Saturday I found a quiet spot by the fire and felt an urge to work some more squares on the blanket. My man was cooking, the Bun's were happy doing their thing and so I lit the woodburner, popped on Darling Buds of May and snuggled up with my hook and yarn. This cosy scene was made all the better when I was handed a glass of wine.

By this stage of my Bubblegum Blanket I was nearly 8 rows in and only had another ten to go. Then I realised I only had a ball and a half of the main pink left. I just couldn't face searching for more pink and then waiting for it to come if I even found any, so a quick change of plan and I decided it was big enough as it was.

Then it got exciting, because it meant the end of my blanket was close in sight and we would actually be able to start using it. I started and finished the border on Sunday. My plans were changed to fit in with the amount of pink yarn I had so I kept it simple and added in a row of cream trebles after a couple rows of double crochet. Sad to say but I was holding my breath as I worked the last row of pink trebles wondering if my yarn would last. It did and I even have enough left to tie a few things that might need tying up with it. 

So here it is in all its glory. Not as big as I'd hoped for, but certainly as soft, colourful and lovely as I'd dreamed of. Now like everything else it will need a partner as I have two girlies who love all this stuff I make. How can I say this is yours and you're not having one? Just hope they're patient that's all as it may take me a while ...

... because there are a hell of a lot of ends to sew in on this one first.

I was most definately in a finishing up mood, as the scarf that's made from the same yarn is all done and dusted too.

I like it, but I just wish it was fatter and I wish it was red. I'll have to make another because I can't get out of my head the red one that started me making this one in the first place.

I'll just leave you with this cheeky shot of Miss Rosey. After all that Darling Buds of May wallowing I got quite housewifely and whipped up a big fat choccy cake for afternoon tea. Lack of a table was overcome with the ironing board under which my girl popped out from as I took the photo. I have to be quick to get any pictures of random stuff here. I can see how odd it seems saying hold your cake eating desire a moment longer as I need to take a photo of it first.

This cheeky girl is one of a pair that belong to a girls school that I am very proud of. Last week they had their annual November Market at school and Miss Rosey's class won first prize of £50 for their stall. They wanted to donate it to give aid to the Phillipines rather than pay for a party. The whole school asked what they could do, so a collection was taken after Friday's assembly and they raised £1,500. The most amazing part and something that really makes a difference is direct action. A former pupil at the school has parents who own a haulage company. They offered a lorry and a driver to take essential building tools and clothes straight to the Phillipines as long as all donations were at the school by the end of Friday. When my man walked in with our bags it turned out the first lorry had already left and they were sending another as there was far too much for one. That along with the amazing support from the rest of the UK makes me feel really proud to be part of a society that cares for one another irrespective of which race or religion we are from. 

Good people thankfully outnumber bigots (that's as far as I will go with airing my social beliefs on here in case you were wondering as I have enough political debate at home to last a lifetime).

Let there Be Light

Like most of you, I really fancied getting my hands on a copy of this here magazine, book thing. I got the last one, I kind of liked it, but I wasn't as impressed as I should have been. There was far too much of a re-hashing of the same articles that had already appeared in Mollie Makes to make it anything truly new or exciting. This time around, I'd had a sneak peak and liked what I saw, plus lovely Jane was in it and I fancied seeing more of her pad too (because - like most of us I'm nosey ok).

 

Apart from buying it online, I just couldn't find the darned thing anywhere. Then having a quick sleepy time shuffle through Instagram (where I've sort of joined in as Bobobun68) I saw that Jane had pointed someone in the direction of Hobbycraft. That was me sorted then. After dropping the girls at school I whizzed off for a quick food shop and then patiently waited for the HC doors to open.

Back home in time to truly enjoy a Monday off, I threw together my favourite breakfast, gathered my latest hooky thing and my newly found magazine.

I only looked at the pictures this time round. Words will follow later when I'm in the mood for them. I did have to stop to read a few words near the back mind you. There in the back pages are instructions for recovering a lampshade. I've wanted to re-jig all of ours for a while now, but couldn't get my head around the instructions in the books I have. These seemed really straightforward. Easy enough to jump in and have a go right now I thought as I binned all of my other plans for the day.

For my first ever attempt I decided to use some small scraps of a precious barkcloth. I've had it stashed away as I only have it in small pieces, too small to make most things with, but perfect for cutting out small lampshade panels from.

Once I'd stripped all of the red gingham fabric off the shade I got on with the easy to follow instructions. First off I made a pattern.

Then I chopped up the eight panels to cover the shade.

Once stitched together they came up a bit bigger than I needed so I did a bit of extras stretching and stitching and there it was fitted all snug pretty. 

After handstitching around the top and bottom, I really wished I'd bought a glue gun the last time I was staring at them. No glue gun at the ready, so off I went with my stitchiness to add a zig zag of

red for a finishing pzazzzz.

There are a few Heath Robinson bits in this make, but what the hell. I can't believe I've actually got round to covering a shade and it looks ok

Do you know the lampshade making even went so well that I still had enough time to make a couple of the cushions I'd had planned.

I bit the bullet and used two of my most favourite fabrics that I've been saving for goodness knows what really.

Other than wishing there were more hours in a making day, I'm really really pleased with how it's all turned out. More lampshade and quick cushion making will most definately be happening.

Basket Case

Now this post might strike a chord with some of you. Some of you it might not. I'm aware that some people manage to live in pared down minimalist houses and then there are others who live in a hodge podge of stuff. I'm one of the latter. My man, the girls and I all have magpie tendencies. We gather, collect, create and store stuff and every now and then all that stuff needs a bit of organising, a spot of getting on top of.

I can't think of a better way to justify in my own head my burning desire for more and more baskets. Not only are they blinking gorgeous to look at, they're pretty darned useful too. I love that everything I need can be stored in one place and then moved here and there.

I store fabric in some, all folded away ready to dip into. The bigger bits hide on shelves in the laundry room. I have to say this is one of my favourite baskets. I was asked by an artist once if they could borrow it for a still-life they were painting, that's just how lovely this basket is.

Then there's the basket that was once the picnic basket, but now it's become the overflow place for cookbooks.

This is the random things basket. Only lovely things are allowed in here, but they are random because I don't know where else to put them for now. Each thing is actually on it's way somewhere else. Golly needs to visit the bathroom for a good old wash and scrub up and the books need to find a shelf.

This wee basket has become useful for long sticky stuff and just makes me smile at it's smallness.

Then we have unfinished projects baskets and dressmaking projects baskets all heaving and ready to topple over if I don't go and rescue them soon.

Piled high above all these useful baskets is another one that displays my wares at markets. At home it holds onto sticky backed plastic and other vintage papers.

By my desk are piles of books and magazines (just out of shot) and then there is the tidy basket of a few bigger ones ready for fireside reading.

Waiting for me each evening are a multitude of knitting and crochet baskets. This one is my favourite at the moment as I dash to try and finish both things in it before it gets really really cold.

Just over the way there is the forgotten projects basket, not to be confused with the really very forgotten project basket (not shown). Behind that is another favourite which is in the shape of a coconut. I was offered money to sell this on the same day that I hummed and haaed about buying a peach of a 1950's basket. I thought too long and hard and when I went back to get it it was gone.

This was one of the first baskets I bought many moons ago lined with beautiful delicate French fabric. Pip our older cat has had too much fun with the handle and has even more fun destroying my repairs, so it doesn't come on shopping trips anymore. 

There are a few more baskets here and there holding onto daft stuff we just can't bear to throw out. 

I imagine there will also be tons more baskets coming to live with us as we always need a good looking bit of moveable storage.

Alongside all of this I'm feeling a bit of a true basket case myself. My mates have told me it's definately hormonal, but I don't like it one bit. Words are eluding me when I'm talking. I chat to my man describing the word, but am unable to find it in my head. I often start conversations and wonder what on earth I'm on about. I feel as if an army of invisible insects are crawling over my skin and I'm really really snappy and emotional. Apparently this is all normal. I'm only in my 40's for goodness sake and I don't think it's normal at any age to be this held to ransom by hormones. Just thought I'd mention it as I want to blog with my voice, but then I find I'm struggling to find the upbeat me hidden in the depths. I want me back basically and I'm impatient to know the date she'll be arriving.

As always I really appreciate your kind words and thoughtful comments. You said some really insightful and helpful things about this whole parenting malarkey which made me feel a whole heap better. So thankyou.