10th January

A third of the month gone already, just in case you hadn't realised!  It's been a funny kind of a day.  A lethargic day.  I haven't felt the best but then on the other hand I felt better than I did yesterday.  I'm not ill.  Both ears are hurting and sort of itching.  I can hear fine. I am treating them with lavender oil. My left knee is playing up too.  It is a different kind of playing up to what I have had before,  It is like a deep ache more than a pain.  Feels a bit as if there is a massive bruise but there isn't.  It is slightly swollen, sort of above and to the side of the knee cap and it is quite warm to the touch.  Strangely my skin also has a mottled look down my leg.  No doubt one of you Doctors out there will advise me.  Of course I shan't be going to the doctor because I don't like them and anyway I'm not ill, so there.

Now where was I?  Oh yes, a funny day.  A cold day too.  Freezing and horrid fog that didn't really clear the whole day. I hate winter.  Heard on the TV that they are saying that snow will be covering most of the country by the weekend and it will last 3 weeks.  Great, I hope they are wrong.

It's been cold in the house today too.  I realised about 10.30 this morning that the heating didn't seem to be working.  I was cold.  I checked and it was on but all the radiators were stone cold.  It has been like that all day.  At 7pm this evening the boiler made some noises and we thought it was coming back on.  The upstairs bathroom radiator is boiling.  All the other radiators upstairs are luke warm.  All the radiators downstairs are cold.  What the heck is going on now?  We just had the new pump last week. We are wondering if there could be a problem with the programmer thingy as it happened before.  We are going to see if it comes back on tomorrow.  It had better or I shall be moving out. I don't do cold.  We have lit the fire tonight in the living room.

I had a knock at the door this morning while I was having my breakfast.  It was a lady wanting to know if I had lost a Husky.  She had found one wandering along towards the main road that goes through the village.  She had managed to get it back to her house and as it had no collar or identification on it she was trying to find where it lived.  So I put on my coat and ventured out into the cold and fog to help her.

We discovered that it lives in the very end house of my road.  Strange I haven't see it before.  Later the lady who found it told me that when she took it back there was no one home but the next door neighbour came out and said that she would take it and put it back in the garden. She said they leave it in the garden.  Poor thing, I know he is a Husky and has a fur coat but it is still very cold.  Not to mention if he has escaped from the garden once he can do it again.  I phoned up and told Gyll and she said she would call round this afternoon to check on it.

After that I did a bit of housework as usual and then some sewing.  I have made 2 padded cases today both of which turned out too small!  The first was a phone case and I measured my phone very carefully.  The second was for an iPad and yes I measured my iPad very carefully.  Before you ask I did add on for the seam allowance.  I was right cheesed off.

I spent the  afternoon going through the folder for the dog sponsorship scheme.  Remember that I have now got responsibility for this. It seems that it is nearly a year since anyone was sent a newsletter and they are supposed to get 3 a year!  So first job is to write to everyone and apologise and explain.  I composed a letter and I have sent it to all those that I have email addresses for.  Tomorrow I will print out hard copies for sending via snail mail to the rest. Now I need to contact those whose sponsor dog has been re-homed and get them to choose another.  It all took quite a while.

Dinner was a bit odd too.  I am still waiting for the glass to arrive for my oven door so it is still out of action. Not thinking this morning I had got some chicken breasts out of the freezer to do country chicken!  I ended it up frying them and serving them with mash and veggies.  It was quite nice but I don't generally fry.

After dinner I spent an hour in my sewing room and I have started on a wall hanging the same as the one I made for Kathy.  You know the one, depicting English spring time.  Several people have said how much they like that so I am going to put one in my Fabrilushus shop.  Thank you all for checking it out and for your kind comments and suggestions.  I'm not really a business woman though Pammy!  I like making stuff and if I can sell it for enough to buy more fabric so I can keep making stuff then I will be happy.  Hopefully I can make a little bit for the doggies too as I am donating 10% of each sale.    It's worth a try and if it doesn't take off  well I'll just put bits on eBay.  I also want to have plenty of stuff to sell at the dog show in the summer.  All proceeds from that will be for them.  I don't think I am going to be making my first million any time soon!  Still it keeps me out of mischief!

OK, time to go to bed with a hot water bottle, some cocoa and a book.   Night, night.
  

Show and tell

Time for a "show and tell" I think so that I can show you what I have been making so far this year.  I have made a total of 5 tote bags, 1 child's tote bag, 3 kindle cases and a cushion.  Not bad.

So let's get started.  The tote bags are padded and quilted and have a strap long enough to go over the shoulder.  This was the first one. Made with Moda fabrics in blue, cream and brown and quilted in straight lines.

This was the second one.  Greens and mustard and quilted with a stippled effect.

Then as I had some fabric left I decided to do another one basically the same as the first with the same wool type fabric for the lining.  The quilting is wider apart on this one though.

The next one was a little different as it was made with half square triangles in multi colours.

For my 5th one I went back to the basic squares.  Lilacs and purple for this one.

My last tote bag was a smaller version suitable for a little girl.  I used squares again and some pretty yellow fabric.

So that's the tote bags that I made.  After that I made 3 quilted cases for Kindles and other E readers. They are all padded and quilted with stippling.  They are all lined too.

Red and Gold.

Pink trees.

Lovely bright flowers.

The last thing I made was a cushion.  I referred to it as a cheats cushion the other day.  The reason for that was that it is actually a printed panel that was given to me and the embroidered accents on the cat had been done already.  I did add some fancy machine stitching though.  I simply just made the back and turned it into a cushion.  It shows a Siamese cat.

So those are my makes so far this year.

My other biggie that I need to tell you about is the opening of my shop on Etsy.  You will know that I have been selling stuff on eBay for a while and that has gone quite well especially my little brooches.   Coralie has an Etsy shop and I did put a few things in there but didn't have any luck.  

Long story short, I decided that I would give it a shot on my own.  On Etsy stuff is listed for sale for 4 months and I figure that will be long enough for me to see if it is worthwhile.  

So I have spent several days listing lots and lots of my stuff on Etsy, 55 things to be precise and finally this morning I have "gone live"  with my own shop called, wait for it.......  FABRILUSHUS.   It is a sort of play on the words luscious fabric.

 This is the website address  www.etsy.com/shop/Fabrilushus 

Now for the shameless plug................. do me a favour and drop by.  Let me know your thoughts.  Good and bad.   If you are on Etsy then could you put me in your circle and add as a favourite please.  Apparently this all helps drive traffic to my shop.  If you can send your friends to have a look too that would be great.    I shall await feedback.  Thank you.

OK, time to go now.  I am not actually feeling too great today and I think I may even go to bed. It is only 9pm but I feel the need.

Wednesday the 9th

The 9th!  January is racing past, nearly a third gone already.  It flies.  The last week has been unseasonably mild too which is good because you know how I dislike winter.  However, today is the last of that for they are saying that tomorrow a cold spell is on its way and winter will be returning.

I had a good day yesterday and managed to get myself reorganised with all jobs done except the dusting.  I shall do that this morning.   I spent the afternoon reorganising and tidying my sewing room  then I made a cushion.  A cheats cushion.  I'll explain that in show and tell. I put some more stuff on my Etsy store and I think it may be ready to "Go live" today.

In the evening I watched Eastenders and then set to getting my head around the stuff that needs to be done for the administration of the sponsorship scheme for the doggies. I think I mentioned that I have been asked to do this?  It isn't much work; just maintaining the records, sending out annual reminders and then a newsletter 4 times a year with updates on the sponsored dog.

Do you remember the bedtime buddies that I made for all 4 grandchildren for Christmas? They went down very well.  Flynn loved his.  The following is part of an email conversation with Coralie which I found amusing:

"The bed time buddies are a huge hit. Evan mostly uses his for storing stuff that he does not want Flynn to get. Flynn, as he does with various things, has latched onto his with vice like grip. He sleeps on it for nap and bed time. Literally ON IT!

So my question is.... What are the washing instructions for a bedtime buddie? After just 4 days/nights it is in need of a wash. There is a fair covering of snot, a brown coloured stain and a general odour of sweaty toddler. It's not good! Instructions please."

I replied saying, wash on 30 degrees, short spin , tumble dry or line dry.  It is only fleece, should be fine.

"Bedtime buddy is in the wash as I type, will let you know how it goes!" .........

OMG,  bedtime buddy has gone lumpy in wash. Flynn currently rejecting him because he is "different."


LOL. Maybe there is a teaching opportunity here?  He needs to learn that being different is OK.  We are all different.

I just love my little ones.

Today, when I get out of bed. ( recently I have been writing blogs first thing in the morning after my coffee and before getting up) I shall get my jobs done and then I am going to sew.  Hopefully might do a show and tell blog later.  

Actually this blogging first thing isn't good for me, have just realised that it is twenty minutes past eight and I am still in bed!  Going to shower now and start my day.

Tuesday the 8th

Well that's the holidays done and dusted then.  Simon is back to school today so I can get myself back into my normal routines; well for the next 5 weeks anyway.   February half term is early this year.  First though I need a couple of days to get myself straight and reorganised.  Everything seems to go to pot when Simon is at home!

Can you believe we are already over a week into January?  Only 51 more weeks and it will be 2014! Only 350 days to Christmas!  Goodness, best get a wriggle on.

Yesterday was a fairly quiet sort of a day. We had a little sort out and put some stuff into the loft.  Simon caught up on some school marking and planning ready for the start of term.  Then we went out for a short while, to the post office and then to Sainsburys for some food shopping.  I have had to plan carefully for this weeks meals as I cannot use the oven.   Good news about that though, we have contacted the manufacturer and the new glass for the oven door should be with us by the end of the week.

After lunch Simon went out to potter in the garage and I did some sewing.  I made a padded case for a kindle and a child size tote bag.  I shall do a show and tell soon.  I am going to have a go at selling on Etsy.  I did try on Coralies site and didn't get anywhere but I figure maybe I will try harder if I have my own site so I am currently setting that up.  Details soon.

Todays plan is for housework this morning to include  hoovering throughout, changing bed linen, cleaning and tidying kitchen and both bathrooms, washing, ironing and maybe, just maybe, even some dusting.  Now that is a biggie, you know how I feel about dusting! The trouble is with so much coming and going over the last few weeks things have been moved and disturbed and the dust can now be seen!

If I get it all done by lunch time then I shall retire to my sewing room for the afternoon.  I need to take some photos for the Etsy site and then I have things to make.   So, time to get to it.  Onwards and upwards.

Sunday the 6th

It is a grey day here in the Fens but at least it isn't raining. I wrote that line yesterday and this post was entitled Saturday the 5th.  That was as far as I got with it but the first line still stands good for today.

Yesterday was a normal Saturday with me at the dog rescue kennels as normal. I have been there every Saturday for more or less 5 months now.  I do enjoy it.  It can be very hard and absolutely heart breaking but the reward of seeing a dog happily settled into its new forever home is priceless.  

It was a fairly quiet day yesterday but we did take in one little Staffie of 8 months old.  He was just unwanted.  The story was that the daughters boyfriend had got him for her for a  gift and she is now at Uni and the dog has been left behind with the parents who don't even like dogs.  What a thoughtless prat of a boyfriend.    He was called Tyson when he arrived but as we already have 2 Tysons he was renamed Dodger. Funny how names just conjure up a picture.  When the woman phoned up and said he was called Tyson we all said he was going to be a Staffie.  He is such a dear little chap.  It really breaks my heart. They get such a bad press.

Fortunately not long after we took him in we had a lady come in to formally adopt a dog called Lacey.  She has been in her new home for 3 weeks and she is clearly in love with her new owner.  So nice to see.  They are like different dogs after a few weeks in a good, loving home. It is that end result that makes it all worthwhile.

You know ever since I was a very small child I have always had an affinity with dogs.  I have always loved them dearly, every size and shape, I love them all. I think maybe I have found my calling helping out with the rescue.

Simon took some stuff to the dump and then went off to the barn to fetch some more stuff.  I am hoping that apart from the cars the barn is nearly empty because the new garage is getting pretty full now!  He then came to the kennels and we had a  couple of dogs out to play for a while. A dog called Chief  and then an old Boxer called Dolly.

Chief is an American Bull dog and he loves playing with a big hard plastic ball.  He chases it round and round.  It is really funny.

Dolly is 10 years old and has been at the shelter for 8 of those years.  They have never been able to find a home for her.  It seems that people don't like white dogs and they don't like Boxers either.  It is such a shame as she is a sweet girl.

The rest of Saturday afternoon and evening was spent relaxing and generally vegging out.  Today has been pretty much the same.  Simon has done some more of the garage roof insulation and I have been sewing.  Today I made a patchwork tote bag and 2 padded kindle cases. I shall do a show and tell some time in the week and show you.

Guess it is time to finish now.  Simon goes back to work on Tuesday so tomorrow is the last day of the holiday for us. I am quite looking forward to getting back to my normal routine.