Couldn't Resist......!!!

This fabric for Ruby's new skirt.

I love the black combination on the pattern and it would definitely suit her but she doesn't like black. She is very fond of telling me that 'black is not a colour Ganma it's a negative'.
Unfortunately this was not out of the remnant bin on the dressmaking stall so a tad more expensive than I had anticipated.
The furnishing/workwear fabric stall was a total loss for bag remnants so I shall have to see what I have in that is suitable.
Didn't buy much else......some elastic, pink thread and a zip, a sewing book from The Works and two small green glass cake stands from Tiger for summer tea parties and then we moved on to food shopping and finishing up some holiday shopping for DD who is off to the Costa Brava with friends for a few days next weekend.

DD and I have eaten our main meal for today so I only have to cook for hubby tonight and I am not looking forward to it one little bit. He is having smoked haddock which I hate with a passion. My mother used to make me eat it when I was a child. What with that and the pilchard sandwiches........which I used to hide under the rug.....it's no surprise that I am not a fish lover. Then I go and marry a bloke who loves all those kind of things. He has to tackle his own pilchards though as they just make me gag.

Nothing on tv tonight so I think we will have a Downton session. Luckily hubby likes it to and won't mind watching it. We won't start that until later so first I might rewatch a fantastic programme I found on IPlayer about American Diners. I had it on while doing the binding on Ruby's quilt so didn't watch it properly. It's worth looking at again as I am totally fascinated with them.

We've had rain and by the look of those nasty black clouds there is lots more to come. I expect nothing less on Bank Holiday weekend.

Looking forward to picking Miss Doodle up after breakfast in the morning and having her over night. She will go home after breakfast on Monday ready to go out for the day with London Grandma and Grandad.

Thanks for stopping by.
Sheila-x-
 

Confused Dot Com!!!

The bright sunshine this morning doesn't make the scaffolding look any better.....lol.
Poor Smudge is totally confused by the fact that he can't go out of the back door for his wee. He can't squeeze his fat bottom through the six inch gap. Normally he isn't allowed in the front garden and here we are having to coax him out of the front door. By this time next week that will be his norm and it'll be time to use the back door again.

Miss Marlowe is bringing her Mummy for lunch today. Just a simple lunch of sandwiches and scones so that nothing can spoil if they get here and Marlowe needs feeding/changing/cuddling. Hopefully her cheeky, gorgeous little face will cheer her Ganma up. Not sure if we are having Ruby for a sleepover this weekend as DDIL's family are coming up to stay for a couple of days. Might have to change it to next weekend.

Managed to get both of the bag patterns cut out yesterday. One was a doddle with only three pieces but the other one seemed like hundreds. Not too bad though as they were mostly just rectangles and squares. I just need to decide on the fabric now but I don't think I'll get much time to do that today.

The weather was so foul last night that DD and I decided against going out and opted for lighting the fire and popping a pizza in the oven and then we slobbed on the sofa to watch Downton.

No major housework today as I really can't be bothered so just a quick tidy and a spin round with the hoover before my visitors arrive and that will have to do.

DD and I are off out to Derby tomorrow either with or without Ruby. I need to buy zips and I will most likely be looking at the remnant bins for bag fabrics. We will also have lunch out. If we are in Derby then noodles from our favourite place just has to be done.....lol.

I had best go and put some eggs on to boil for DDIL's favourite sandwiches and I suppose I ought to get myself some breakfast.
Hope the coming weekend is fab for you all.
Thanks for stopping by.
Sheila-x- 

Stocking Up For Future Projects!!!

Like most people I do like to take advantage of special offers if they are things that I would normally buy. Sewing patterns can be pretty pricey but I have found that there are regular offers on them. At the moment I have found half price offers on Simplicity and Vogue at Minerva Crafts so I got an order in and this is what has arrived at Tea Towel Towers.
Skirts, dresses and tops for Miss Doodle, two patterns for pyjama pants which I shall use to make loose cotton trousers for her for summer and some warmer heavier ones for winter, I love bags so added a couple of patterns in the hope that I can make some using the £1 remnants I get from Derby market. Lots of projects to keep me going and use up some fabric stash.

Today I am beyond annoyed and have used more bad language....albeit in my head......than I have ever used before.
The saga of the roofline work continues and the scaffolders arrived to do their bit this morning after us being told it would be this afternoon. I had to reschedule my blood tests to next week which was very annoying as I had fasted for them.
The scaffolding has been set up in such a way that I have no access or egress via the back door. I can't get into the shed where my second freezer is and to use the tumble dryer or hang out any washing I will have to go out of the front door, up the road, down a side road and back down the back of our row of houses. The same for fetching in coal and taking out the rubbish unless I get hubby to move the bins to the front garden for the duration.
Because we are now having two phases of the job done in one we have to wait for the surveyor to come out on Tuesday to do the measuring for the dormer and then work will start on Friday next week. How's that for bloody rubbish planning? I have told them what I think in no uncertain terms as I think that being left with the back access blocked off for so long is a safety issue as well as an inconvenience. I am stressed beyond belief and am hoping that they can come up with a solution to get the work done quicker..... I am not holding my breath.
I think DD and I will get away from it for an hour tonight and go out for tea. Extravagant I know but I don't give a Tinkers Cuss today.

Ah well not much can be done so I think I will sort out some fabric and see what I have for making bags, cut out the patterns and perhaps make a start on one today.
Thanks for dropping by to read my horrible moany post.
Sheila-x-

Ruby's Picnic Quilt!!!

It's finished at last........and I love it. I think Ruby will too. Even at just six years old she loves it when Ganma makes things especially for her.
This quilt was totally worked around the fabric with the large black and white checks and cherries as this was a dress that her Mummy and Daddy bought back from their first trip to New York together when Ruby was just a toddler. The ladybird and tiny hearts fabric were a purchase from the local patchwork shop and I already had the black and white gingham.
I just went with a simple five inch square to maximise what I could get out of the dress and I just scraped through.
Forty four inches square......big enough for snuggles and to use as a picnic blanket for Ruby and Marlowe.
I'm just going to give it a gentle wash now to remove all the fluffy bits and then it will be gifted to Ruby when she comes for tea this afternoon.

The quilt was a good job to choose yesterday. Snuggled up in the dining room watching the mad weather. After a sunny start we had lots of dark cloud for the rest of the day and then at about four thirty it started raining a bit, then thrashing it down along with some pretty scary claps of thunder. Next to come was the hail stones followed by snow. All this in less than an hour and then by the time we were having tea it was back to bright sunshine. Crazy.

Hubby and I are roundly cursing both the people who built this house and the people who lived in it before we did. The access problems have added a whopping nine hundred and odd pounds to the cost of the roofline work. I hope to God nothing else crops up as we are just about at our limit with that addition so bang go my new carpets for the moment. They are coming to put up the scaffolding tomorrow or Friday and then we have to wait until after the Bank Holiday for work to start.

Not sure what I am doing for tea tonight. We had planned on grilled basil flavoured Haloumi on a bed of salad with a Mediterannean Tomato Relish but we usually eat after dropping Ruby off and doing the top up shop which makes it quite late. I can't eat late today as I have to fast for my blood tests tomorrow. I think we'll have beans on toast or something and eat at the same time as Ruby and save the Haloumi for tomorrow.

Right......washing machine on then a cup of coffee before I do a bit of tidying ready for my little Doodle to visit. Hoping for a quick cuddle with Marlowe today too.

Thanks for stopping by.
Sheila-x-

 

All By Myself!!!

Poor old hubby has to do an extended shift today and tomorrow so he has already gone for the day. I don't like it when he has to do this as he doesn't get a cooked meal apart from his breakfast and then he'll get two short breaks to eat sandwiches. By the time he gets in at just after 9pm all he will want is a cup of Ovaltine and then he won't be long out of bed.
I'm just glad that it isn't usually more than two days on the trot.

In sympathy DD and I are having sandwiches tonight.....pastrami, swiss cheese,mild mustard and dill pickle slices served with a side of chunky chips. Oh gawd my mouth is watering already.

I'll be able to get all my jobs done before lunchtime and then I am going to work on the quilt binding.......a nice snuggly job as it's very cold here again.......and I might put something on either You Tube or catch up tv while I do the hand sewing.......bliss.

First though I need my breakfast and a cup of tea.
Have a lovely day....whatever you are doing.
Sheila-x-