Lickety Spit

It's been just me and Mr Blue this week. The rest of our gang have been at work and school while we've been at home. I've had the week off work doing stuff, Alfie's just done more of what he normally does. I've been throwing paint about and having a major chuck out of hoarded junk. Alfie's licked his paws endlessly and scratched and scratched until his hip bled. We've had a few trips to the vets and used sprays and stuff, but we can't find a cure for the itch so today there was nothing for it but the hood of shame. Poor little devil still itches and it's miserable for him.

To be honest I've only really had the last two days to get stuff done, but it's a start. After five years of ignoring our bedroom I decided enough was enough. I've had a long time to think about the right colour and as it's a room that has a real problem with damp I settled on a silvery grey.

It's a long way off being finished as I've only done half of it. Half the ceiling and half the walls. Then there's all the woodwork that needs doing yet again. I've also painted lots of spots on the carpet too as I didn't bother with a dustsheet. Wish I had now.

I'm still dithering about whether to paint the fireplace all matt black or re-do it as it is.

Just to show you there's yet more wall left to do. Also a quilt and a blanket to finish, plus some furniture to sort out.

When I was sorting out the porch this week I dragged out the two small chairs I had from the nursery school the Bun's went to. They were really lucky and went to an idyllic nursery in the grounds of a convent that had donkeys and a goat to visit on their magical nature walks. It was a precious time and these wee chairs were not only good for memories, but handy too for little ones to sit on to put on their shoes. Now they're not so wee it's time for a move about.

I've settled on one chair in here for us and one for them on the landing for toys to rest on.

I really must make myself finish the quilt and blanket as it just looks right in here. I also fancy a crochet garland or two strung along the walls, but first I've got a few orders to finish up and a teacher gift to make-up before tommorow. I've made two mug covers, just one more to go and we're there. Plus the bun's to ice for the year 6 lunch treat. 

Miss Rosey has her last day at primary school tommorow so we're off to the leavers service at church in the morning and then the leavers assembly in the afternoon.

Loving my Needle

Before I show you what I've just finished making, I have to say thanks so much for leaving such interesting and thoughtful responses to my last post. Writing it out helped make my thoughts a lot clearer. Also having the pressure off and not doing all the summer markets means I'm relaxed and really enjoying my time off with the girls. One more week and then back to work though - boo.

Today I put the last stitches in the quilt I've been making for Eldest Bun. I started it a few weeks back now, but it's really been over a year in the making in my head.

At the end of the summer she'll be eleven and really and truly she's grown out of a bedroom that is all pinkness itself. She needs something more grown-up and funky with white walls and painted furniture. I thought a quilt full of colour would give it that extra splash amongst the white. I've been collecting fabrics to add to some of her baby dress fabrics for a long old time now.

I wanted a simple square patch quilt using my brightest cheeriest 30's feedsack, 30's repro cottons, snippets of Eldest Bun's toddler dresses and the happy loud colours of 60's and 70's bedlinen. I made it as a ten across, twelve down quilt reckoning this would cover a single bed pretty well.

I'm definately no expert in this quilting lark, but I've asked questions and read around stuff that I couldn't sort out for myself.  Like why when I made a Memory Quilt for Little Bun over a year ago did all the layers slide around when I quilted them together? Well I found some basting pins and they really helped me out making a nice neat sandwich of it all. I read in Jane Brockett's book that she doesn't like using them, but they worked out great for me.

The other thing that I bought was some fancy lightweight soft cotton batting. It was expensive, but I really loved working with it.

Once I'd actually chosen the arrangement of all my squares, patched them together and then made my squishy sandwich it was time to spend hours and hours stitching a rainbow of embroidery threads along each of the strips to quilt it all together. I prefer the effect of using a bright running stitch and handquilting rather than machine stitching. I sat for a few evenings stitching along each strip of fabrics and got to really look at all the colours and the prints far more closely than if I'd rushed through it all.

For the backing I used a soft flannelette sheet I'd found in a charity shop over a year ago and had saved for this quilt. Eldest is called Rosey and loves blue so blue roses covered with spots seemed to good a find to be true.

This was the quilt first thing this morning. All quilted and waiting to be trimmed and bound. I made a huge length of binding from the turquoise spot I'd used on the skirt I made a few weeks ago. Zipped quickly around one side with the machine and then switched my brain off while I hand-stitched for what seemed liked forever on the back.

Then all of a sudden there it was done and finished, ready to be admired and cosied under. I want to make a date and name tag for the back, but I just ran out of being bothered steam today, so that'll have to wait.

While Eldest and Mr Bun were out running with Alfie I laid it on her bed ready to suprise her when she got home. Problem is it makes the rest of the room look really badly in need of that paint job now. Better get that brush out soon.

While I sat stitching that b..... binding this afternoon I thought about all the other stuff I've patched and quilted over the last year since I found out what fun it was. I couldn't find any pictures of Little Bun's quilt or the hot water bottle covers I've made, but I found all of these.

I have in my head that I'd like to try making a hexie quilt, but I'm not sure if I've got the patience. I'll wait and see how much the idea niggles at me. For now Mr Bun wants a quilt for our bed. I've said I'll only do it if he stops laying on the bed with the darned dog. 

I might fit in one more post before we go away for a few days next week, but if not have a lovely week and hope to catch up with you very soon.