WOYWW 138

THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD
THAT LEADS TO YOUR DOOR....
I am extremely fortunate that I can step out of my front door and walk in any direction and I will end up in glorious countryside. This is one of the favourite family routes - this was taken last week when we'd had a frost one morning. You see that puddle in the mid distance?? Great fun was had, jumping on the ice listening to it crunch :D  LOL. As my DH says, growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional! I think we're regressing... *grin*

My desk this week is covered in the fabric that I bought in C&H Fabrics in Winchester last Wednesday.
Actually, the photo doesn't do it justice - it's fresh and zingy in 'real life'! I'm cutting out a peg bag and a tote at the moment.

It's an optical illusion pattern - sometimes I see citrus slices, when in fact, they are stylised flowers. Two for the price of one, like it!
Julia and I had gone down to Winchester to meet up with Lisa-Jane for a couple of hours. What a lovely lady she is! We had fun browsing around C&H, then whom should we espy in the haberdashery dept but Janet (aka Fairythoughts). It was like a mini WOYWW convention!!  It was fab to meet you both, ladies :D
This is how the pegbag/tote turned out...

I really like the tote bag, you can't see it but I've done a double line of top stitching around the edge and it's made all the difference. Think I'll do one for me!  I bought the same print but in a different colourway which both Julia and Lisa Jane liked but which I forgot to photograph...duh...


I found the tutorial for the tissue covers!! Huzzah!  It's Cut the Scraps by a WOYWWer called Jane H aka HappypaperCrafter. Thank you Jane, I've really enjoyed making this lot up for prezzies..
Ever so easy to do and a good way to use up those scraps!


I do have serious ribbon envy when reading some of your blogs, but don't buy masses myself. I think it's because I tend to match it to the fabrics I have at the time. Here are two that were part of a Christmas Box of Bits from my mate, Sue. They're almost too nice to use!
Nah, I've got over that now.  I'm going to start making some bread baskets and they'll look lovely tying up the corners!


Hope you have a fab week, all you lovely WOYWWers. See you soon xx

WOYWW 137

WHEN WINTER'S SHADOWY FINGERS FIRST PURSUED YOU DOWN THE STREET,
AND YOUR BOOTS NO LONGER LIE ABOUT THE COLD AROUND YOUR FEET,
DO YOU SPARE A THOUGHT FOR SUMMER WHOSE PASSAGE IS COMPLETE,
WHOSE MEMORIES LIE IN RUINS AND WHOSE RUINS LIE IN HEAT?
WHEN WINTER COMES HOWLING IN...

The weather has decided that perhaps it will become a proper British winter after all - we've had some cold starts in the morning with lots of frost, blue skies and sunshine. It's good to be alive sort of weather...
Here's my parsley covered with hoar frost...
Some rose leaves backlit by the morning sun...
Frost on the black grass...
Frost patterns on the green grass!!
And my favourite...
My fence with a crew cut!!  I had fun taking these shots the other morning :D

Anyway, my desk, in all its glory...
I love this funky Union Jack fabric - this is going to be a shopping tote bag.  I'm making quite a few different items from it. Expect to see a lot of this and other flag-type fabric this year. I'm a proud Brit and am going to enjoy the celebrations throughout 2012!
 And here's a peg bag in the throes - different spotty lining this time. I bought a job lot of different coloured spotty cottons from Fabricland. Blimey, they've been used hard and fast!! They don't seem to run out either!! I think I've discovered everlasting fabric, lolol!! I wish....
Doggy fabric, all cut out, ready to be a shopping bag - look, spotty fabric again. I tell you, it goes on and on and on.....
And last, but definitely not least, this cute little tissue holder..
Now, this was made following a tutorial on a WOYWWer's blog - and can I find it again to credit the author?? No, I blooming well can't. So sincere apologies to whoever posted the original. It's a fab idea, easy to make, uses up scraps  and I'll probably make a few more as prezzies.  If you read and recognise the design as yours, PLEASE message me and I'll credit you in next week's post. I really don't like using other folks' ideas without permission.
So, no horrible manky tissues rolling around the bottom of my handbag from now on, no sirree!!
Whatever you're up to, hope you're having fun... :D xx

PS The lyrics at the beginning are by Alan Hull (of Lindisfarne fame) but memorably covered by Def Leppard!!

WOYWW 136

THERE'S A PARTY GOING ON RIGHT HERE,
A CELEBRATION TO LAST THROUGHOUT THE YEARS,
SO BRING YOUR GOOD TIMES AND YOUR LAUGHTER TOO,
WE'RE GONNA CELEBRATE  YOUR PARTY WITH YOU..
I reckon Kool and the Gang were right - let's celebrate friendship, support and love.
The UK has a lot to party about this year and, as my first craft fair is in 4 weeks' time, I though I'd better get cracking. So here I am picking up where I left off before Christmas with the Union Jack bunting on the go..
 I thought I'd have a good sort out of my bunting that's already been cut out - I didn't realise I'd done quite so much but at least I can crack on straight away. It's one of my consistent sellers, so that's why I seem to make rather a lot of it!!  I do make other items, honest.. :)
There's a right old hotch potch there - shabby chic, seaside/boys' room blues, sophisticated spots. Hopefully something to appeal to every taste! It's quick to run up anyway - instant gratification!!


My brother - the one who gave me Herman, the friendship cake starter - bought a job lot of these kilner bottles before Christmas...
He's filled a couple with homemade sloe gin and blackberry whiskey but has quite a few left over. I suggested he try doing oils or vinegars but don't have many different suggestions. Do you have any special recipe you wouldn't mind sharing with him? It's got to be something that would store for a long time as it's for his consumption/odd gift here and there. Thank you in advance!

And finally, here's Ron checking out the three bags of sorted out clothes for the Salvation Army..
The white sack was posted through the letterbox the other day, which prompted an attack of the 'Sort Outs'! I really got the bit between my teeth and enjoyed clearing out our wardrobes.  But the thing I'm most proud of is the fact that in one of those bags sits an absolutely gorgeous pair of Russell & Bromley shoes. Imagine if you will...black satin, pointy toes, heels, diamante around the back.. a real class act. Except, I haven't been able to fit my feet into them for about 20 years. I hung onto them for many reasons, harking back to my youth, when I worked in the TV industry, before kids, when I earned a good salary (!!). I would take those shoes out and have a Proust/Madeleine moment.
But when I was sorting out this time, I was ready to let them go. I don't know what's going to happen to these shoes but I hope, I REALLY hope, that they go to someone who will love them as much as I did! And the Salvation Army are an amazing bunch of people who support the many who have fallen on hard times. They are going to be my charity of choice this year.

Have a great week! xxxx

WOYWW 135

IT'S JUST LIKE STARTING OVER!!
Happy 2012 everyone - Blwyddyn Newydd Dda for those of you reading this in Wales!  May this year be healthy, happy and exciting :)
After a very quiet New Year's Eve - we should have been partying but couldn't cos of illness - it's back to the normal humdrum routine from tomorrow. Back to school/university/sewing, delete as applicable! It's been an incredibly quiet Christmas for our family - we haven't been anywhere or done anything much..and it was FAB not doing it, if you see what I mean!!


This is a scheduled post. Julia popped over today (Tues afternoon) to bring some wood offcuts from Mr D to give to G3 for his woodwork GCSE project. There is now a heap of beautiful oak bits and pieces in my garage, like a huge jigsaw to be assembled. Have fun with that little lot, Rhys!

But I don't like to see her idle (!) so while she was here, I put her to work drawing circles onto some fabric scraps. I was cutting out while we chatted. The semi circles are going to end up being flower petals for corsages or bag charms. Pretty AND it uses up my scraps, love it!!
I had a bit of a splurge before Christmas and bought a whole load of toning fabrics...

I'm going to have fun with that little lot!! Think I'll make some more of the bread baskets with ribbon tie corners, they were quite successful and some doorstops and pegbags maybe. We shall see where inspiration strikes!


My friend Lynne and I both love knitting - she's so clever that she recognised the yarn I was using in last week's post! She found this amazing site all about radical knitting, here's my favourite pic from it..

Isn't this AWESOME!!!! Try cutting/pasting this address to see more...
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=176572965771351&set=a.142484345846880.27891.141668129261835&type=1&theater
I hope that works, I just cut and pasted it from our Facebook page. There are such talented people out there...*sigh*....


I'm off to knit me a Harley Davidson, I may be some time!!! See ya :D

WOYWW 769

 WE'LL MEET AGAIN.... I'm going to take a break from blogging for a while - please don't worry, all is ok! - think I just need a...