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.

A pants day

Yep, today has been pretty pants.  I woke up with a headache and had to take tablets.  I didn't get out of bed until 2pm.  I even slept for a while.  It lingered for most of the afternoon.

We popped down to Tesco mid afternoon as we had run out of tea bags of all things.  I don't drink tea so I didn't much care but Simon was beginning to suffer withdrawal symptoms.

As we were out we called into a builders merchant and managed to get a new shower head which was good and I also persuaded Simon to stop so that I could go in the Crafty Patch shop and see if they had the 3 ply wool that I need for Verity's baby shawl.  Good news was they did have it.  Bad news was it cost me £30!  She had better use this shawl until the child is at least 10.  By the way I am not making it, Denise is making it for me.

Once home I gave the new shower head a test run before my bath and am pleased to say that it has made a big difference and we now have a half decent flow.  Might buy another one and see if that improves the upstairs shower.  Guess some of you might be thinking that it is odd to have a shower before my bath but I hate washing my hair in the bath hence the shower but I still wanted to have a bath as I love a good wallow in the bath. I was still feeling a bit grotty and a bath is relaxing.

Simon offered to cook dinner, grilled bacon chops and cauliflower cheese.  I was on the phone to my Dad when there was an almighty crash.  He has broken the inner glass door of my oven.  I had taken it out yesterday to clean as something had got splashed on the inner side.  It took ages to clean as I soaked it in washing soda.  I was very careful with it and had left it on the drainer in the utility room to dry.  It didn't get put back in the oven.

Simon realised that it was missing when he went to put in the cauliflower cheese.  He had the oven pre heating for 10 minutes.  He went to put the glass in, apparently being very careful and then his fingers touched the glass of the outer door which was very hot........you can guess the rest.  So first job tomorrow is to find out where I can get a new glass door. Bet it will probably cost a fortune.   I can't use the oven without it which will be a pain as I use my oven pretty much every day.

We finally had dinner after clearing up all the glass which had gone everywhere and I have a feeling there could still be bits we missed and I walk around bare foot all the time..............

This evening we were out at Gyll and Max's house.  They are the owners of the dog rescue.  They were having a little get together at their house  to sort a few things out.  I am going to take over doing the newsletter that goes out to people who sponsor a dog.   It was a pleasant evening with a few glasses of the red stuff.  

It is now 11.30pm and my head is niggling a bit.  Guess the red wine may not have been such a great idea.  I think it is time to head to bed now. I have a couple of magazines to read.  One of them is my Popular patchwork one and I really enjoy that.  Think I shall go and make some hot chocolate.

3rd January 2013

Well yesterday didn't pan out the way I had planned.  Instead of just pottering around at home we ended up going to Peterborough. I decided that as it is 4 months since one of the towel rails fell off the wall in the bathroom it was about time that we got another one.  You may recall that Simon was going to mend it but.... well I have heard that one before!

So off we went to B&Q.  Now I thought this was going to be simple.  Straight in, grab a towel rail, pay and out.  No such luck.  There were loads to choose from.  In fact I never really would have thought that there would be so many.  After all a towel rail is a towel rail isn't it?

Let me tell you that it would seem that it isn't.  They come in different sizes and shapes!  It was actually really frustrating and irritating.  I just wanted a basic towel rail the same as the one that was apparently not repairable.  They didn't have one like that.  The ones that seemed best were too long.  Simon suggested a round one, you know a towel ring.  Well we have one of those by the sink and they take hand towels.  I needed this one to be a rail as it is for bath towels.  We have another rail in there which is large but this rail is the one by the shower cubicle...............Oh my god, I can't believe I am writing about towel rails!  Long story short, we ended up with a small rail so I have to fold the towel in 3.  I'll live with it.

Oh, forgot to say that as it had a different fixing to the old one it meant that new holes would need to be drilled which meant purchasing a drill bit for tiles and glass!  How can men turn something so simple into needing to buy some new tool?

Anyway, as we were in Peterborough we decided to look in a few furniture stores for a chair for our bedroom.  We have been meaning to get one since we moved in.  We went to Furniture Village fist but didn't see anything there so headed to DFS where we were given coffee and biscuits on a tray!  I had a coffee in the first place too but had to get it myself from the machine.  It was free though. I wonder when they started giving out free coffee? Maybe they should do that in the supermarket.

Another long story short before I go into a long waffle......... we have purchased a swivel, cuddle chair in cream.  It is this one below but as I said in cream.  It will be delivered in 4 weeks time.

So that was yesterday.  Today has been a bit rubbish as regards to getting things done. We had a plumber here at 9am to do the pump on the heating.  I can't remember if I said that just before Christmas the heating all packed up for a day?  We were freezing.  Oddly the next day it started working again but we had a plumber out to check and when he looked at the pump it had obviously been leaking long before we moved here. It was encrusted with a thick layer of lime deposit and what almost looked like crystals! So, a new pump was needed.  It is done now and we are £350 poorer.  Hopefully though it will be quiet .  The old pump was so noisy that we would turn the heating off at night!  When my Dad slept in the room where the boiler is he nearly woke us in the middle of the night as he was so worried about the noise!

That took up all morning and was quite stressful as the dogs do not like having someone in the house so get over excited and I had to keep taking them outside to the garden when the plumber needed to go in the utility room.  Also the front door was open so we had to keep the dogs secure.  It was bloody cold with that door open.  Simon sat at the kitchen table doing school work.

Not long after the plumber departed Coralie turned up with the boys which was nice.  She stayed a few hours and we had a nice catch up chat. Simon went with Sam to collect some large metal cabinets from the barn and got back just after Coralie left.  He had the girlies with him so I got to see all 4 grandchildren this afternoon.   By the time they went it was dinner time and since then I have been vegging in front of the TV.

Not sure what we might be doing tomorrow. The plumber looked at one of our showers which doesn't have a very good flow and advised that it needs a new showerr head so maybe we will go and get that. We shall see.

Last show and tell for 2012

Show and tell time.  These are the last few things that I made in 2012.  I have already got started on 2013's makes but I will show you them in a week or so.

I started making stuff for Christmas presents last January and I was pretty much done by around October.  I am happy to say that my presents all seemed to go down pretty well.

The last few weeks were spent in making a secret Santa gift and a bum bag for my blog friend Eevee.

The secret Santa was organised by Kathy over in Merika.  It was more a swap than a traditional secret Santa although I think she did it with several friends.  Basically the idea was to make something from our scraps and stocks.  Value of no more than $5. I think that is about £8.    Then we swapped.  Kathy sent me a cute little pillow made form her own hand dyed fabric.  It is very cute and I will try to remember to take  photo to show you.

I wasn't sure what to do for Kathy and then I thought I would copy the spring panel from my 4 seasons wall hanging that I made early last year. I used different fabrics but it is very similar.  Simon made the heart shaped, wire hanger.  I think Kathy was pleased with it.

This the original 4 seasons with spring in the top left.

This is the one that I did for Kathy.

The other things I made were for my friend Eevee.  She had seen my bum bag and liked it and as she does volunteer work for a local raptor centre I said that I would make her one in owl fabric.  Eevee loves owls.   I think I showed you the fabric previously.

This is the bum bag.  Apologies to Eevee as  the strap was way to big!

I had left over fabric so I made her a little coaster to put her coffee cup on.

I was on a roll so I also made her a little felt brooch.

Eeevee also liked my small stuffed owls and missed buying one on eBay.  Don't know how that happened as they haven't really sold.  Anyway, I made her a little red one.

She received them today and I have had an email of thanks so I think she was pleased.  Hopefully later this year we may actually meet up.  Eevee doesn't live that far from me.

This is Saskia modelling Eevee's bag.

Before I go I must just show you the bum bags that Saskia made on Christmas eve.  She made 2 of these for Evan and Flynn.

So that is the last show and tell for 2012.  I shall  be back soon.  I just have to decide what to make everyone for next Christmas!!

Are you a Reason, a Season, or a Lifetime?

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.
When you figure out which one it is,
you will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON,
it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty;
to provide you with guidance and support;
to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.
They may seem like a godsend, and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,
this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON,
because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it. It is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons;
things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person,
and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.
It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

— Unknown

Wednesday 2nd January 2013

Well that's one day down, only 364 to go! New years day was a very pleasant one. We spent it quietly, just the 2 of us. Simon worked in his garage putting up some roof insulation and I did lots of catching up online and a bit of sewing. Simon cooked dinner which was nice and then I had an hour long episode of Eastenders followed by Miranda.  I love Miranda she is "such fun"!

I did a lot of catching up with blogs. I cancelled my account at Blogster.  I didn't really like it there and nearly every one of my old Multiply friends who went there has now left.  Sorry Pammy but we are in touch in other ways.  It is such a shame that the demise of Multiply has resulted in losing some friends. Mind you, I suppose the lost ones couldn't have been  real friends because I haven't lost the important ones.

That sounded so wrong...apologies. What I am trying to say, is that those friends that I am no longer in touch with must have been those that just come into your life for a sort while.  I enjoyed my interaction with them but they were not meant to be long term. Has any one out there any idea what I ma talking about?  If you have can you please tell me.

I am trying to remember that old rhyme about some people being in your life for a time or a reason or something........ dammit, going to have to look that up now.

Actually speaking of Multiply, has anyone else noticed that it is still there and you can actually still post blogs?  I didn't delete my account and when I looked the other day, I decided to test it by posting a blog and it worked.  Wonder what happened to the 1st of December?

So, my plans for today?  Be lazy!  I think it will be much the same as yesterday.  Simon will be working in his garage and once I have done a bit of house work then I think it will be a sewing day.

Just have to get out of bed first!