Up With The Sparrers!!!

I wanted to be up early this morning so made sure that I didn't stay up half the night.
Ruby is due to be dropped off here at 8am for Grandad to take her to school so I didn't want to miss out on a quick cuddle before she went and I want to get the house jobs done early so that I can spend the afternoon sewing and hopefully get the quilt finished.
There are only twelve squares left to quilt and trim and then it's just a case of sewing them into rows and adding them to what I have already done.
If I get time I will also do the cushion cover. That will be that project over and then I can whip up one of the Beatrice apron/dresses for myself before I start on some more little dresses for Marlowe.

I shopped for salad last night and some cold meat so that tea tonight will be quick and easy. We still have lots of homemade pickles left so I'll serve some of those as well.

.......and that is me for today.
The computer will be going off shortly for the day so that it doesn't distract me and I will catch up with the daily round of blogs later.
Have a fabulous day y'all.
Sheila-x-

I Could Have Sewed All Night......!!!

.......and I very nearly did.
I didn't get the machine out until late on in the evening and I just kept sewing and sewing and never even thought to look at the clock. When I did it was 2am.....oooops!!!
Consequently I wasn't up very early this morning so I will be trying to catch up with myself all day now.
At least I got another row of squares quilted and trimmed ready to sew together and another row marked and pinned ready for quilting.

My daughter will be happy that I did remember to go out and check the pots on the front this morning to see if they needed watering.

They looked fine. It has been raining all night.
I hope it doesn't rain over the weekend as she wants to get out there again and plant up the rest of the plants either in the borders or in more pots.

Not an awful lot to do today in the way of house jobs just a tidy and hoover before me Miss Doodle arrives for tea. I can't wait to see her. It was very strange her not being here yesterday.

Well I suppose I had better shift myself.........after I have had me coffee of course.
Thanks for stopping by today.
Sheila-x-

 

An Evening Out!!!

DD came home from work last night and announced that we were off to Ikea. I didn't argue....lol......I love Ikea.
I fell in love with three kitchens, two bedrooms, four living rooms and a couple of spaces set out as work/craft rooms...lol.
I shocked myself with the fabrics I bought to make the Beatrice apron/dress. One plain but two......well let's just say....you will need your sunglasses when I show the finished garments.
There was also a purchase of a gorgeous set of little red steps for the kitchen to help with reaching the top of the cupboards and the windows when they need cleaning.
DD was over the moon to find the perfect curtains for her bedroom which has a definite New York theme going on in greys and blacks.
They will be way too long for her window (they only sell them in one size) but I will alter them and have enough fabric left to make her a quilted rug.

The new sewing machine was set up and tried when we got back....oh my days....it is really great and I am loving that top loading bobbin.
No plans to go anywhere tonight so I will get on with the quilt after tea and see how we go.

Tea will be quick and easy. Andy fancies chips so I will do a mushroom omelette with them and some peas and that should finish off the bargain mushrooms I got the other day. They have made two large boxes of mushroom soup, three portions of creamy garlic mushrooms and today will make omelettes for three of us.
Bargainous indeed.

Just a bit of fluffing and tidying to do now and then I really need to find somewhere to put all this new fabric as the drawer set is rather full.
The sun is trying to come out here but not quite making it.
Hope it is where you are.
Sheila-x-

Fabric Stash And My New Baby!!!

I had to get out of the house last night as I was going just a little bit stir crazy and having done a quick fabric inventory DD and I decided on a quick trip to Dunelm for a touch of stash buying......

Over eight metres of fabric for less than £35.
The top two pictures are Rose & Hubble crafting cottons and the bottom one is a couple of remnants which were ridiculously cheap.
The turquoise....nearly a metre and over 60" wide is going to be either a bag or cushions.......for £2.99.
Lots of fabric I liked for making the pattern I bought from the NEC.....but not at ten to twenty pounds a metre I'm afraid. I have seen lots I like at Ikea at four pounds a metre so there will be a visit there some time this week.

On the way out we passed the display of sewing machines and there was a machine I have had my eye on for quite some time although I knew there was no way I could afford to get it.
Just out of interest I asked the price and was a bit shocked that it was the cheapest I had ever seen it and it was the last one.
I told Andy about it this morning and nearly had a heart attack when he said...OK well let's go and get it then......OMG.
So here is my new baby.

Please excuse the pile of stuff behind which had to be shoved to one side to get her on the table.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with my Singer Tradition but she does make me squirm a bit when sewing through all the layers for this rag quilt I am making. She will just be kept for dressmaking and other craft sewing and the new one will just be for quiltmaking.
I can't wait to put her through her paces.

Before I can do any sewing today I need to put a curried pork casserole on to get cooking and I need to clear away that pile of stuff from the table and the window ledge, run the hoover round as Smudgedog has been chewing on carrots again and give the kitchen floor a mop.
There's always something to be done isn't there?

Apron on then and let's get them jobs done quickly.
Hope you are all having a fabulous day.
Sheila-x-

 

 

A Murky Looking Monday!!!

Payback time for the two sunny days then.
This morning is grey and cold and the heating has had to go on as I am shivering even with a cardigan on. It wasn't put on at all yesterday but I think it might be a while before we can do without it altogether.

A lovely start to the day though with Ruby being dropped off for Andy to take her to school. A nice little chat and some cuddles.
Today is DDIL's first day back at work for over a year after her maternity leave. I hope she has a good day and that it doesn't take long for her to get into her work routine.
Doodle Day will no longer be exclusive to Wednesday. It could be any day depending on what day Daddy has his day off or what day Grandad can pick her up.
It's going to feel very strange as she has come on a Wednesday ever since she started school.

Laundry day today and there is extra to do because I have sorted out two single bed sets to pass on to DDIL for Marlowe when she goes into her own bed. I don't use them any more as Ruby sleeps with me when she stays so they might as well be passed on so that they get used.
Tea tonight will be simple......sausages with tomatoes and mushrooms. I have tons of mushrooms as I picked up six punnets of organic whole mushrooms for 23p each and two punnets of sliced mushrooms for 25p each. I'll use the sliced for tea tonight and the whole ones will be made into soup and creamy garlic mushrooms for Andy to have on toast.

Broadchurch tonight.
I can't believe it will be over halfway done with only three more episodes after this one.
It shouldn't be long after it's finished that it comes out on dvd so we'll be able to get it and watch it properly without having to wait a week between each one.

Not in the mood for sewing today so I might just do some fabric coordinating to see what might be missing from my stash before I do any more fabric buying......I still have the money I came home from the NEC with burning a hole in my pocket but I will only spend it on things I really need.

So....kettle on for coffee and then I had best get on with chopping up this mountain of mushrooms and get some soup made for the freezer.
Hope it's a bit warmer where you are.
Sheila-x-

 

Day Two Of Sunshine!!!

Wow....we are doing well aren't we?
Another bright sunny day and there is warmth there too.
DD is out in the garden planting up some beautiful pots by the front door. They look amazing.

After a very half hearted offer to cook the lunch...His Nibs is ensconced on the sofa while I am doing the cooking with a little bit of extra banging and slamming around....lol.
I won't have time to go to Dunelm today and I am going to pass on the sewing as I can foresee mistakes if I sew while in this bad mood so I don't know what I will be doing after lunch but I will find something to occupy myself.

There was a visit from the Doodle Family on their way out for the day. Lots of cuddles and kisses from Ruby and a big cheeky smile from Marlowe.

Hope you are all having a lovely day in the sun.
Sheila-x-

Sunny Saturday!!!

What a beautiful morning to wake up to this morning.
Sunshine and blue skies outside.
Not so good inside......Andy has a cold and you know what a man with a cold is like. He has obviously caught it from DD and me but his is twenty times worse than ours was.
I have no patience for mollycoddling him today.

I am off out to the theatre later to see Ruby playing part of the Yellow Brick Road in her dance class show. 
Really looking forward to that.

The rest of the day will be spent pottering and making some sweet and sticky meatballs to have with salad for tea and then maybe some sewing as I am not much in the mood for film watching tonight.

All eight of the mug rugs got finished yesterday......

  
.....the colours are a lot nicer in real life. The yellow spot fabric is a lovely rich buttery colour.

DD has gone off to the garden centre. She is going to make a start on redesigning the front garden this weekend and has gone to look for ideas on what to plant.
The front gets so much more sun so we can make it look totally different to the back.

Seeing as Andy is so focused on himself and his ruddy cold I expect I will be cooking my own Mother's Day lunch tomorrow so I won't get my sewing day. I might cook lunch and then get DD to take me to Dunelm for a wander round the fabric department.
Oh I lead such an exciting life....lol.

Hope you are all enjoying sunshine today.
Sheila-x-

A Mountain Of Mug Rugs!!!

For some reason I didn't feel much like working on the quilt yesterday and wanted to do something a bit smaller.
With other jobs to be done I didn't have an awful lot of time so I decided to use up leftovers of the quilt fabric to make some mug rugs and set about cutting all the 5" squares needed and I managed to get enough for eight.
There are also four quilt squares leftover as I cut forty but only needed thirty six so they will be made into a cushion.
I will get some sewing done today but not much as I have to go out shopping tonight. Probably won't get much done tomorrow either as I am off to see Ruby in her dance class show.....I had forgotten that it was tomorrow so the fabric shopping trip to Derby has been postponed. 
As Sunday is Mother's Day I am hoping Andy will offer to cook lunch and I will get a whole day at the machine.

I've been a bit lacksadaisical with the shopping over the last few weeks and have some serious holes in my store cupboard that need filling. There is still lots in the freezers so no need for meat, fish or chicken just yet.
I had better stock up on bread flour as I am making bread nearly every day now. There is dough mixing in the machine just now ready to bake a loaf for Andy to have with some soup when he comes in tonight.

Just have to finish off my shopping list, knead the dough and leave it to prove and then I will get on and sew these mug rugs.
Beans on toast with a nice cuppa for quick tea for DD and I before we go out and that will be another day done and dusted.

Hope you are all having a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

 

No Whittering Today!!!

After the events of yesterday a post about me and my life would be inappropriate.

My thoughts are with everyone affected by the horrible attack.

Sheila-x-

When I Think Of Spring......!!!

........I think of green grass, sunshine and open windows letting in a lovely breeze to freshen everywhere....oh and of course baby lambs.
I don't think of brown filthy mud, rain and the heating on full blast because it's so cold.

Yes it's another wet and windy day here in Staffordshire and the sofa quilts and cushion covers which were going to be washed and hung out on the line will not be getting done today. Instead I will be making a huge pan of soup (Ganma's magic soup as Ruby will be here) and homemade bread.
I have discovered that I prefer to use the breadmaker to do all the hard work and then bake the bread in the oven. The loaf I made in the machine yesterday looked and tasted lovely but the crust was just way too crusty for comfort.

Two rows done on the quilt and four to go but there won't be much sewing done today. I might get another row marked up for the quilting if I have time before Ruby gets here but I'd like to make a cake too so maybe not.....I shall have to see.

Coffee has been drunk so I am away to don my apron and start on my cooking duties.
Hope your weather is better than ours.
Sheila-x-

 

This, That And The Other!!!

I do so love rag quilting.
Yesterday I got one row of squares quilted and trimmed and started to assemble them into a strip before it was time to cook and spend a little time with DD.
Today I am hoping to get a little more done as we are just having a cheese and pineapple salad for tea so no cooking.....although I will be making bread.

We made the decision last night that we will be going to the quilt show in August at the NEC.
DD is not a crafter but she has a great interest in anything I do and she loves shopping for craft materials and tools with me. In fact I could give her some money and send her out shopping and she would come back with things that I would have chosen myself.
Anyway....once I have been to Derby on Saturday to buy fabric to make the apron/dress pattern I bought there will be some serious saving going on ready for August.

It's sunny and windy today. Bitterly cold but I should get some washing dried outside for a change.

Right bread to be made and sewing to do....and that will be my day today.
What are you all up to?
Sheila-x-

A Yellow Mac And Red Spotty Wellies!!!

I have a desperate need to get out in the thrashing down rain for a walk to blow some of these damned cobwebs away......I have gone down with another cold which I could really do without.
Unfortunately I don't own a single coat that is even very showerproof let alone storm proof and I don't much fancy getting soaked to the skin.
Today would be a good day to own a yellow mac and red spotty wellies 😄

One morning this week I would like to get into to town to have a rootle round the charity shops.
I am on the lookout for an old candy striped or floral flannelette sheet to use as a backing for one of the quilt kits I bought on Friday and for the other one I am looking for an old embroidered tablecloth.
Neither of them will be started just yet but I would like to have everything needed so that when I do make them I can finish them.

Today I need to catch up on some laundry, do some tidying and hoovering and prepare tea for DD and I. Unusually we are having a cooked meal tonight....fish, potatoes, peas and parsley sauce which we love but Andy doesn't but it's just the right kind of day for comfort food and he will have a hot meal before he goes to work at lunchtime.
After that I will get back to layering and pinning the quilt squares before I start quilting them.
I'm getting impatient now to see what the quilt looks like when it's all put together.

Think I might need a coffee to gee myself up before I get going so I'll get the kettle on.

Hope it's a bit drier where you are today.
Sheila-x-



 

Happy Birthday Marlowe!!!

Well....today my Little Miss Marly Moo is one year old.
Happy Birthday you gorgeous little girl.

We had a lovely family party yesterday with DDIL's family up from London and Brighton and Marlowe absolutely loved all the attention.
The most hilarious thing was seeing her attacking her very first piece of cake. She started off very neatly breaking small pieces off.......and then the fists went in and all of a sudden everywhere was covered in cake.
She almost needed hosing down on the back yard....lol.
So birthday number one down and many more to go.

I am still feeling a trifle delicate from hauling my poor old body round the NEC and can't summon up the energy to go out for lunch so we are having a simple meal of stuffed chicken breasts wrapped in pancetta with roast potatoes and veg and then I will spend the afternoon layering up the squares for the rag quilt and pinning them ready for quilting.....well I will once I have put all my new stuff away so that I actually see the table...lol.
I'll have a good long session this afternoon/evening as there is nothing to watch on tv.

The housework can wait until tomorrow.
Hope you are having a lovely weekend.
Sheila-x-

NEC Shopping Haul!!!

It was without doubt one of the best shows I have ever been to at the NEC and I will definitiely be going again.
We met some wonderful people and saw some beautiful things.
I pretty much stuck to the list I had made and actually came home with money to spare so that can't be bad.
Now I'll let the pictures of my goodies do the talking.....

Rotating cutting mat with free blades and a stock up on the Shmetz needles I love which saved me £14.

 

Shape cut rulers for use with a rotary cutter.

I have been after this pattern for myself for ages and will be sourcing some fabulous fabric soon to make it.

Glorious kits from Worn and Washed Fabrics to make quilts that look just like they have been passed down from Grandma.

A lovely jelly roll with Marlowe's name on it. The green looks a bit washed out here. It's a lovely soft lime in real life.

This Layer Cake is so gorgeous it doesn't really need any words.

Couldn't pass these fat quarters up at £1.80 each and one day soon they will be turned in baskets.

Christmas cushion stash.

A bit of blender stash.

A bit more blender stash from an offcuts bin for 50p each.

This will one day be a bag with a slashed decorative panel on the front.

.....and this will one day be a purse for DD.

My feet, legs and back are destroyed and today I am hobbling around like a little old lady. Goodness knows what I would have been like if we had stayed all day. As it was....the first couple of hours were lovely. After that it was just shuffling along and I don't do shuffling so we went and found the stall where I had seen big cutting mats at a reasonable price, purchased one and then we decided it was time to go. 
By 2pm I was being treated to a late lunch at Harvester fairly near to home.

Thank you so much DD for my wonderful early 60th birthday treat......it was amazing.

Sheila-x-

Wide Awake!!!

Just look at the time.....02:59 and I am still awake.
I have been to bed twice and tried to get off but I am just not tired enough to drop off...... I must have had two nights worth of sleep last night.....either that or it's the lazy day I had yesterday.

I guess I'll just do a bit of browsing on t'internet and see if that tires my eyes out then grab a couple of hours before I have to get up and get ready to go out.

Ah well....all part of life's rich tapestry as they say.....although I would rather have some sleep than a flippin' tapestry...ta very much...lol.

I'll probably be too crackered to blog when I get back so I'll see you Saturday.

Have a great weekend.
Sheila-x-

No Plans Whatsoever!!!

I had an early night last night, fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow and woke up at half past seven this morning.
Consequently I didn't get that time lying there trying to get off to sleep when I sort of plan what I am going to do the next day.
There was nothing taken out of the freezer for tea tonight but a quick look in there has revealed some beefburgers that want using up. I have eggs and potatoes so I think a mini mixed grill with some peas and onion rings.
As for jobs....nothing planned so I'll just wash the pots and mop the kitchen floor and spend the rest of the day sewing and reserving my energy for walking around the NEC tomorrow.

It's very chilly here this morning. I think the heating will have to go on later when Andy gets up.
We have finally got used to the new heating system and have found that while the weather is here, there and everywhere the best thing for us is to just switch it off and put it on when we need it rather than having it on the timer. It takes next to no time to warm up as the house isn't huge.

Thank you all for your kind and concerned comments about my strange episode.
I have decided that as I don't seem to be suffering any kind of after effects I will be waiting until I have my annual review with the doctor to mention it although of course if it happens again I will get booked in as soon as possible.

When we dropped Ruby off last night I took the little dress for Marlowe to try. It fits beautifully and she looked gorgeous in it so there will be a few more of those on the sewing agenda in different fabrics.

Right I am off to start my rather lazy day.
No sunshine here so I hope you all have some.
Sheila-x-

Useless Article!!!

The window stick thingy......useless
I prefer the water trickling down my arms to getting a full on shower so I won't be using that again....besides which it is actually for using to clean the car so Andy and DD can use it. It won't go to waste.

The quilt is coming along nicely although I haven't got the squares completely finished. It took rather a long time to sort out the order they would go in on the finished quilt. I have only used four fabrics whereas a bought layer cake has lots of different fabrics which just go together randomly. All sorted now so I  just need to sew up twenty of the forty squares and then I can start cutting batting and backing fabric.....not today though as it's Doodle Day.

I actually got round to using the bread maker yesterday to make some dough for bread rolls..........

They turned out really nice and were served with smoked pancetta, potato and onion fritatta and a few baked beans. Andy also took a couple for his pack up to work using up the last of the beef from Sunday.

Had a very scary episode last night. DD needed to go into town after tea so I went along for the ride just to see a bit of different scenery and breathe in some fresh air. We had just got into town when I had the most awful pain across my forehead followed by double vision and it killed my eyes to look at lights. I have never had anything like it before. It lasted about ten minutes and then it was gone although I still have a pain on the left side of my head this morning which I always get when I have a migraine so I'm wondering if it's a new manifestation of my migraines. Not sure what it was but it was very frightening.

Using up the last two jars of bought pasta sauce today to make a spaghetti bolognese for tea....another Ruby favourite.
I do have home made sauce in the freezer but I want to use these jars up and won't bother buying any more. They were only kept in for emergencies but in future I will keep on top of making my own.

Just need to have a tidy up and a hoover round before my little miss arrives but coffee is high on the list before I do anything else this morning.

Hope you all have the sunshine we have this morning.
Sheila-x-





 

Today I Will Be.......!!!

......road testing the window cleaning stick thingy that Andy presented me with.
It's very sunny this morning and the sun always makes me want nice sparkly clean windows.

Yesterday I pulled out the fabric for The Doodle Family quilt as I had found a video on You Tube for a 
Double Slice Layer Cake Quilt. 
I cut myself the equivalent of a layer cake and started to follow the instructions for slicing, sewing and then slicing again.
By tonight I should hopefully have forty....nine and three quarter inch squares ready to layer and quilt. I love that you can layer and quilt them individually before sewing them together and ragging the seams although Jenny doesn't make hers into a rag quilt in the video.

Quite a bit of gadding about for me at the end of this week with my big day out on Friday. Saturday we are off to Marlowe's first birthday party at The Doodle House and DD has suggested going out for lunch on Sunday.
Three days of wearing smart and tidy clothes instead of my usual scruffs. Will I ever recover from the shock....lol.

Right I am off to shove a load of teatowels in to wash and get cleaning these windows. It looks like it might rain later but I'll peg the washing out and finish it off in the dryer if necessary.

Have a wonderful day.
Sheila-x-

Cool, Calm And Collected!!!

A good night of sleep last night and I have woken up feeling much better than I did yesterday.
I ended up having a sleep on the sofa yesterday afternoon as the headache was proving difficult to shift. I took some painkillers and had me nap which got rid of it.
I do believe that after my busy day on Saturday that housework is not that good for your health....lol.

Had a quick look at my fabrics and have decided that I need to up my collection of blenders. There are lots of florals, lots of spots and plenty of plains but nothing with smaller patterns to go with anything. I will make that one of my missions on Friday and maybe have a look for fat quarter packs with small patterns and designs to mix in with what I have.
I probably won't do any cutting then until I see what I can get.
One job I can do is sort out the offcuts of batting and cut that up into as many nine inch squares as I can get out of it ready for the rag quilt I have planned for The Doodle Family.
I'll do that this afternoon while Andy has his nap ready for going to work tonight and if there is time I could make a start on cutting up the fabric for that.

Despite the bit of sunshine we've been having it's still pretty cold here so I have a beef stew for tea tonight. Andy will want his dumplings as always but DD and I will have plain boiled potatoes with ours I think or I might just do myself some salad and not bother with stew as I am not sure I want it after the huge roast lunch yesterday. I'll see what I feel like.

His Nibs has just gone off to the doctors for his latest blood test before he goes for his next hospital appointment. I'll shove the hoover round while he's out else once he goes to bed I'll have to wait until he gets up by which time it's tea time.

He could be out for ages yet so I am off to get myself a coffee before I do anything else.

Hope you all have a lovely day today.
Sheila-x-

 

Hot And Crotchety!!!

I spent all day on my feet yesterday and was bone achingly tired by the time I went to bed. There were expectations of a good night's sleep after being physically active all day.......well that didn't happen and I have got up this morning all hot and crotchety with the bedclothes in a mangled heap.
My legs and feet hurt and there is a headache lurking behind my eyes.
I so hate it when that happens.

Never mind...onwards and upwards. I could do with a day off but there is a roast to cook and a casserole for tea tomorrow to start off.
No baking today as I did that yesterday but I won't be done with lunch until late as DD is working today.
The fruit cake I made yesterday wasn't particularly fabulous. It was a recipe I found online. It's edible but very dry. My usual go to recipe is the Bero Boiled Fruit Cake but I find it doesn't keep for too long.
Does anyone have a favourite recipe for a dark, moist fruit cake that they would be willing to share with me?

Last episodes of both Call The Midwife and Good Karma Hospital tonight. I don't know what they will be replaced with or if it will be anything I want to watch. If not I will be able to have long Sunday afternoon and evening sewing sessions which I will enjoy immensely.

No fabric sorted out yesterday as it was dark before I got any time to myself and I prefer to match fabrics in daylight so that little job will be done in the week.

Well I had best go and start this beef cooking and whizz up some batter mix for the Yorkshires.

Hope you are all having a lovely Sunday.
Sheila-x-

How Romantic!!!

Andy was off to the butchers this morning to pick up a joint of beef for tomorrow so I asked him to call at the garden centre on the way back and pick up a bottle of sewing machine oil for me......and he also bought me a present of..........a window washing tool.....lol.
I suppose it is slightly romantic in that he thought of me as he knows I hate how the water runs down my arms when I reach up to wash the windows with a cloth.
Windows are on my list to be done so I guess it will be getting a trial run pretty soon.

This morning I am doing laundry and will be baking at some point as a fruit cake and a coconut cake have been requested.
Tea will be scotch eggs and salad for something quick and easy.
Our butcher does the most amazing scotch eggs but they are so huge that DD and I can only manage half each.

This afternoon I will clean and oil the sewing machine and then have a look at what fat quarters I have that can be cut ready for a quilt top.........just wanting to make some room in the fabric drawers in case I pick up any fabric at the NEC. 
The leftover fabric from Marlowe's dress is already cut up but I need to see if the stall in Derby has any left as I could do with another half metre to make enough squares. If they haven't I will see if they have anything similar so that I can do half and half.

It's very grey and dull here but at least it is dry so that is something to be thankful for.
Hope it's a bit brighter where you are.
Sheila-x-

A Dress For Miss Marly Moo!!!

Yesterday was one of those days you wish you could have every day.
The sky was blue and the sun was shining. The back door was open right up until teatime so Smudge was very happy. Katy Perry was playing loud on the CD player and I was singing (luckily my neighbours are all out at work) and sewing all afternoon.
Buttonholes were practiced and mastered and the little dress for Marlowe was finished.........

I adore this retro print fabric even though it's not 100% cotton but this is only a practice piece to test for fit. I am hoping that it will be slightly too big so that I can make a few more for her for that will fit her by the summer.
The fabric has been in my stash for a while now so what is left will be cut into squares which I will pair with some tiny red gingham and maybe some plain red to make a picnic quilt.

........and that was pretty much all I did yesterday.
Today I will cut up the rest of the fabric ready for when I can get to Derby to pick up some gingham.

This time next week DD and I will be in the queue waiting to get into the NEC and I can't wait.

Hope you all have some lovely things planned for the weekend.
Sheila-x-

On A Roll!!!

Thank you so much for all of your lovely comments yesterday. I have only been able to reply to two and now when I click on the reply button for some reason it doesn't work.
So huge apologies to the ladies I have been unable to reply to.

A dress for Marlowe is cut out and waiting to be sewn up which will get done today. It may take a while to put the finishing touches to it because as I mentioned yesterday I am not good at buttonholes so a bit of a practice is in order.
I decided to use some fabric that I have had for ages that didn't cost an awful lot....just to make sure of the fit.....before I cut into the nicer stuff.
The instructions for the dress had me a bit baffled but I was over the moon to find a video on You Tube with instructions to simplify the exact pattern I am using. I don't do hard if an easier way can be found....lol.

Ruby had a sore foot when she came last night so I let her rest it while she watched some videos on You Tube of children doing funny things....very similar to You've Been Framed. Honestly I have never heard her laugh so much. I was laughing at her laughing rather than the videos.
Can there be anything more joyful than the sound of a child laughing?

I swear T**** have stolen my idea for magic vegetable soup. It's the soup I whizz up for Ruby when I make chunky veg soup for us. She doesn't like veg she can see but she loves it when it's smooth. I call it Ganma's Magic No Vegetable Veg Soup. They call it Nana's Magic Soup.
Cheeky sods......lol.

Well the sun is shining and the breeze is blowing. The black clouds that were here earlier have disappeared into the distance so I might risk putting some towels on the line for a while even if I have to finish them in the dryer.
I'll feed Andy who will be off to work  just after midday and then I am going to sew.
I am really on a roll now I have the mojo in residence again and I'm loving it.

Hope you are all having a sunshiney day.
Sheila-x-

 

Mr Smudge Models His New Quilt!!!

I absolutely loved making this quilt for our little fella and he is loving having a snuggle under it before breakfast.
He's getting an old boy now so he gets up in the morning goes for a wander round the garden and then comes back in for another snooze, has his breakfast and then goes for his morning walk with Daddy......and then comes in for yet another snooze and mega snoring session....lol.
We love this little boy to bits.

A bit closer view so that you can see the fabrics....

I was hoping to have enough of the yellow backing to make the binding too but had to settle for black instead.

One pattern has been cut out and I am hoping to start on a little popover dress for Miss Marlowe today. I will have to take some time out and some scrap fabric to practice buttonholes.
I am not good at buttonholes so why did I choose a pattern with ruddy buttonholes on it? Honestly I do wonder at meself sometimes.

It's Wednesday so it's Miss Doodle Day. We did have a very quick visit from her on Sunday when she bought Grandad a present of some black pudding they got at the farm shop. Unfortunately her visit came just as DD had finished applying my hair dye and I looked a right sight.......I still got a kiss though 😍

Tea tonight will be a bit of a mish mash of things that want using up so....cold sliced sausages, chicken strips and a bowl of spinach salad but to avoid being a cruel Ganma....making Ruby eat salad two weeks on the trot...lol.....I will offer tomato soup although there will be enough of what we are having if she wants it.

Just a quick tidy up and a hoover round today and then I'll get sorting out which fabric I am going to play with for the dress....I have quite a few to choose from so it's going to be hard...lol.

Thanks so much for stopping by today.
Sheila-x-

I Made The Most Of The Day!!!

Yesterday turned out to be a lovely day.
I got some jobs done which then gave me some guilt free time to spend on Smudge's quilt so I finished the quilting, made the binding and got it sewed on and then began on my most favourite part of quilt making.....hand sewing the binding. I love, love, love doing that. Complete silence, a cup of tea and I could hand sew for a week and not get fed up. I just find it so soothing.
Today I will do the same....just two sides to finish.....then a gentle wash and by tonight Smudge will have his quilt.
Next on the list is to start on some things for Marlowe so tonight I will cut out the patterns and decide which fabrics to start with.

There's some blue sky outside but grey clouds lurking too. No breeze to speak of so I don't think it's worth putting towels out to dry today.

Tomorrow DD will be bringing the rabbit hutch home that we have had made so we will soon be able to take Ruby to see about adopting a little bunny and a guinea pig. She can't have pets at home so Grandad came up with the idea of her having them here. I am not overkeen but anything for me Ruby.

Loving the new series of Broadchurch but I get very, very impatient having to watch it weekly. Watching the box sets really does spoil you.

Well I think that is all from me for now.
Hope you all have a fabulous day today.
Sheila-x-

 

Another Day In The Life Of A Housewife!!!

Well I didn't have a busy day after all yesterday.
I started to feel a bit weird after lunch. I couldn't put my finger on what was wrong until I went to take my evening medication and found that I had forgotten to take my morning medication.
What an idiot.
By then it was too late to take it so I have got up this morning still feeling a bit odd. That should clear soon as I have made sure to take it this morning.

It's a funny old day weatherwise.....sunny but way too much grey cloud to think that it will stay dry all day. Never mind....there is plenty to do inside although I think I had better try and pace myself a bit today.

I'm getting quite excited about going to the NEC a week on Friday and have been perusing the list of sewing exhibitors and visiting some of their websites. It looks like there is going to be some pretty gorgeous stuff there.
I only have a couple of things on my list at the moment.....three if you count the totally unattainable Simply Sixteen mini long arm quilter at £6,000.....lol.
It's a very boring list really....just a stock up on Schmetz machine needles which I can't get locally any more and a June Tailor Shape Cut Ruler that looks very awesome indeed.
Anything else I bring back will be very considered purchases.
We plan to walk the hall first and make a note of things that interest us before we buy anything.
Luckily I have a birthday next month so I will be getting early gifts of cash from Andy and DD.....I am one very blessed wife and momma.

Right I will go and get that ex airing cupboard sorted out finally and then sort out some other jobs to make the most of a couple of hours before I give myself some time off to finish the quilt for Smudge.

Have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

....And It's Sunday Again!!!

DD was hoping for another day out in the garden but Mother Nature has decreed differently and sent us yet more buckets of rain.
It's not desperately cold but the rain is definitely stopping play.
She did a bit of a tour of the garden centres yesterday looking for arches to compare prices....hardly any to be found but she did come back with some lovely pots and the plants to go in them and managed to get them all planted up while the weather was fine.

So today is a half busy, half lazy Sunday.
Andy has been banished to the sofa as he rather tired himself out yesterday being outside all day. I want him to rest as he starts his first full week back at work tomorrow since his operation....and resting he is....I can hear him snoring...lol.

I will be busy until it's time to watch Call The Midwife as I am just cooking lunch.....pork chops, roast potatoes, cauliflower and broccoli in white sauce, carrots, stuffing, gravy and apple sauce...yummy.
This afternoon I will go and sort out the cupboard on the landing and see what we can store in there that wants putting away but needs to be accessible and I'll sort out the towels and bedding while I'm up there.
There is a rather wide grey landing strip on me head which DD will be sorting out later and that will be another Sunday over and done with.
Why do the nicest days always go the quickest?

The quilt for Smudge is nearly finished. Just need to finish quilting it and then do the binding and he'll have his own little snuggle for chilly evenings.

With Andy back at work everyday and DD going straight to the gym after work I should be able to have a very productive week with several hours a day to myself and really get on top of everything.
Windows need washing, corners need hoovering and dust needs shifting so plenty to do.

Hope you are all enjoying your Sunday.
Sheila-x-

 

What Is It?

There is a very strange light here this morning...oh....yes....sunshine.
Ha....ha....ha....I had almost forgotten what it looks like.
DD is outside pottering in the garden and Andy is out fixing new finials to the posts on the garden steps so it's a hive of activity here.
Amazing what a bit of sun can do.

After over twenty years of waking up in a cold house we are now waking up to a warm one and it is absolute bliss. I got to have a shower in a warm bathroom this morning and it was awesome.

I am just having a pottering kind of day today...putting things back in their rightful places now the work is finished  and stuff like that.
Last night I unpicked the row of the doggy quilt that hadn't quite gone right and I shall be finishing that this afternoon once everywhere is tidy and I may even make a cake for tea tomorrow.

What are you all up to this weekend?
Whatever it is I hope you have a lovely one.
Sheila-x-

That Sinking Feeling!!!

We have had so much rain here and still it keeps coming down.
It has softened the ground under our garden path so much that the flippin' thing is sinking and soil from either side is being washed across it making it a complete mud bath.
It will have to be dug up and relaid when and if we ever get any dry weather so another job to add to the growing list of things needing doing outside this year.

Our first night last night with heating and hot water was bliss.
I managed to set the timers and everything came on when it should have done so fingers crossed it carries on behaving.

Got lots done on the tidying front last night so I pretty much have my kitchen back. Just need to sort out the new pantry space now although I won't be able to use it as the food store I was hoping for as there are still pipes in there that get warm. I will though be able to put full width shelves in and will be able to fit all of my larger kitchen appliances in there and hopefully some of my most used baking tins.
There is also a new storage space on the landing now that the tank has been removed from the airing cupboard but we need to put some board down before we start filling it as there is a hole in the floor left by all the removed pipework. I will give it a coat of paint in there to brighten it up too as I don't think it's seen a paintbrush in there since the house was built in the 50's.

Today I will catch up with the laundry which was put off earlier in the week so that I didn't get in the way of the workmen and while that is doing I want to make a large batch of tomato sauce for the freezer. I have unearthed my breadmaker in all the sorting out and will be making pizza dough to freeze too once I have been to do a top up shop and picked up some yeast. I want to have everything ready for Ruby's next sleepover so that we can have a pizza night and she can make her own.

Well that's me for today from a very soggy Staffordshire....just wondering if I should go and sort out some wood and start building an ark.....lol.

Hope it's a bit drier where you are.
Sheila-x-

Teething Problems!!!

Things are a little calmer here today thank goodness and I can see light at the end of the tunnel....well I can if I look past all the muck and dust....lol.
The plumber and boiler fitter are here today doing a bit of tweaking as we found ourselves with no heating and no hot water last night.....all down to a plug that had fallen out somewhere inside the boiler when they put the cover back on yesterday.
All sorted now so the plumber is just removing redundant pipes and tanks this morning and once he is finished and gone I can start the big clean and tidy up. By the weekend we should be somewhere back to near normal.

The next big job will be removing the showering facilities in the bathroom and reinstalling a bath. I have hated being without a bath ever since we had it done. We may keep the shower over the bath as both Andy and DD like a shower.
I will warn the plumber that we will be calling again sometime soon.

I ended up having to cancel Ruby's tea date yesterday after all as we were just in such a mess so she is coming today. Can't wait to see her.

Marlene at Simple Living has some lovely photos of her garden coming to life after what seems like a very long winter. After all the hard work DD put in last year ours should really look better than it does but there are some pretty little daffodils just out and the alliums are sprouting so there is a bit going on out there. I am just desperately waiting to see if my 'new last year' peony has survived the wet and cold.

Well I'm feeling a bit phsychic today and forsee Marigolds and many buckets of hot soapy water in my immediate future so I'll go and crack on with it all once the plumber has finished.

Hope you are all having a fab day.
Sheila-x-

I Was Lulled......!!!

......into a false sense of security by the gentle pace that work has been taking place on our conversion.
This morning hell has been unleashed and chaos reigns from the attic down to the back yard. 
I want to cry and curl up in a corner
If I had known it would be this bad I might have asked if Ruby could come for tea tomorrow but I don't like changing plans on her without letting her know. She would be so disappointed to come out of school thinking it was business as usual and finding it's not.
I am keeping out of the way in the dining room. Smudge is barking every time someone goes in or out of the house so he is driving me crackers......and Andy.......well he has buggered off out of the way to fetch his papers.

Nothing of any interest whatsoever going on no sewing and no cooking. I have a pile of housey type magazines which I am going to peruse for help with colour schemes and design ideas for the lounge......and I am going to drink coffee.

I will hopefully see you tomorrow if they haven't carted me off in a straight jacket.....lol.

Have a fab day.
Sheila-x-