WOYWW 730

 FEELING HOT HOT HOT....

It's been Scorchio here in Wales with lots going on at LLJ Towers so not that much crafting has been going on tbh! I had the opportunity to check out some fabric items in the RNLI fundraising cupboard at the boathouse and rediscovered a couple of things I'd donated plus a few others.

I deconstructed them to rescue what fabric/cords were usable - I had a good time doing this!

Some I can reuse for cases/purses and some I cut up into 2.5" strips for string quilts in the future.

And that's it! My bro and SiL were down staying for a couple of days and we went to Aberglasney, the gardens I shared with you a few weeks back. The change was amazing, it was a riot of purple - alliums, foxgloves, primulas, rhododendrons. 

And the longest wisteria I've ever seen!

You can't tell the scale in this pic but they were nearly 2 feet long and covered with bees, if this blog had audio, there'd be a lot of buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzing.

It was too hot for me in the sun but I enjoyed the woodland glades...

I needed a sunhat like the pair sitting on that bench!

My favourite bit was the sunken courtyard garden with a reflecting pool and water sculpture by William Pye (his most famous one is the amazing font in Salisbury Cathedral. he's a clever chap, if I won the lottery, I'd have one of his creations!)

It was very pleasing!

My sewing machine is going on his holidays next week, hopefully he'll come back rested and raring to go again after I get back from mine!

Have a great week and enjoy your crafting xxxxxxxxxxx

WOYWW 729

 START PICKING UP THE PIECES, YES?

IT'S ALL REMNANTS OF LIFE

Well, wasn't that just the loveliest week? Not only was last Wednesday a glorious day of celebration but that feeling has gone on afterwards as each little jewel of an ATC has been received! When you don't get much snail mail these days, it seems extra special xx

Not only are the ATCs fabulous but the envelopes and other bits and pieces have made me smile as well! A huge thank you to Christine, Helen, Tracy, Angela R, Diana, BJ, Cindy, Sylvia, Caro and Mary Anne - that's a gallery of loveliness eh? I'll be having a sort of the corkboard in the JanCave and these will make a whole new gallery. Thank you lovely gals xxxx

Cindy sent me a box of goodies as well as the ATC:

Isn't that a great pic?! I had a lovely rummage around and a lot of fun sorting out the bits into the right spots in my stash. Thank you so much Cindy, it was very generous of you to send me all this, it will all be used in various projects!

I didn't hang around with the fabric Cindy, it got cut into strips straight away.

I initially chucked the strips into a basket...

but then decided to get all the strips left over from the string quilts and have one big sort:

That's better! All ready to start another quilt when I get back from my hols.

I have made a few things as well as sorting:

Some drain bags for the breast cancer unit at the local hospital. the fabric top right was from Wipso, the stripey was from my mate Kim and the other two were from my stash.

And I made something for me! I got this lovely Japanese inspired fabric recently and decided to make myself a cross body bag: I followed a YouTube tutorial (but changed the measurements) and have to say that the air was blue on occasions but it turned out ok:

I don't know if I'd make any more tbh but at least I didn't throw my machine out of the window, lol!!

Have a lovely week and enjoy your crafting xxxxxx

WOYWW 728 - 14 NOT OUT!

 CONGRATULATIONS AND CELEBRATIONS...

Another year rolls around and another anniversary arrives - there's so much to celebrate, art to admire, ideas and stash to be shared and some dear friends to remember who left us this year.

Many beautiful words will be written today about this weekly desk-fest and I'd like to add my appreciation to Julia for kicking it off in the first place, keeping it going for all this time and you lovely lot as well, true friends the lot of you!!

Talking of which - here's a stranger I met off the Internet a few years ago...

The lovely Wipso and Doddy, her hubby, came down to my area with their caravan last weekend - as you can see the weather wasn't too shabby!

We sat and chatted in the sun....

Wipso ran amok in the JanCave, lol!!

And their little dog Milly made herself right at home!

Wipso very kindly bought me some fabric, trimmings and buttons from her stash so these will get used for projects soon no doubt:

A pile of loveliness! The sausage dog fabric was a buy off eBay for a commissioned bag (it's really lovely quality Lynne!)

And a few early ATCs have turned up - it's so lovely to get this happy snail mail, I really love seeing the envelopes arrive knowing what's inside.

From Wipso, Twiglet, Crafting with Jack and Lynne - thank you lovely gals, they are fantastic!

I know WOYWW means different things to different deskers but for me personally, the most wonderful result of joining in this desky snoop is running across new friends who I just wouldn't have met otherwise:

Roll on No 15!!

Have a wonderful time celebrating today, it really is something important to do *hugs*

With love,

Lunch Lady Jan xxxxxxxxxx

WOYWW 727

 ALL KINDS OF EVERYTHING...

It's been a really lovely sociable week, seeing friends, volunteering in the RNLI shop and watching a bit of the royal celebrations.

The only thing I kept from the Queen figure (Betty, remember her?) was the Imperial State Crown and, having seen the original a few times this weekend, think that Kim and I did a blooming good job of ours:

It took me ages to stick on all those gems but it was worth it and Kim's idea of using coloured glue sticks to make the cabochon emeralds was simply genius!!  Still makes me smile xx

Sewing wise, I've been replenishing some of my stocks after the hospice ladies took everything I offered!

I finished my bees quilt and bound (? binded? bonded?) the edge with a satisfying coloured spotty fabric. Think this one might be a keeper!

Then I cut into the Scatty Cats fabric:

There was enough to make three folding shopping bags and two glasses cases.

My tv crafting is still knitting 6" squares and I was having a count up to see how many I'd done:

I like these tones very much, the variegated squares just give it a bit of interest. Only another 20 to do!

I'm really looking forward to the anniversary next week, it's always fun to join in and see what mini masterpieces everyone has come up with.  But before then, I have the added excitement of having Wipso and hubby visiting this weekend, they're on another caravan road trip and are coming down our way. It'll be sooooooo lovely to see them both again, it has been ages.....

Have a great week and enjoy your crafting xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

WOYWW 726

 LOVE IS LIKE A BUTTERFLY...

I've had a proper butterfly head on this week regarding my projects - I'd settle to one thing and then something else would flag up! Flit flit flittery flit….

This was from last week when I quickly ran up some items from this new dog fabric so I could take it down to the cafe where I was meeting my friend Kim for a coffee.

It's fantastic quality furnishing weight cotton with a lovely feel to it, hopefully these should sell well! There's a lot of dog owners round here so fingers crossed.

Then Rhys' boss had a new Grandson arrive as well:

Love the name, it's not that common these days - needless to say I had to get all my buttons out...(stop sniggering Twiglet!)

But this is my complete trim stash, I think I need to get a few more in...oh dear, what a shame….. 😉

This morning, two ladies from the local hospice are coming to pick up crochet blankets, the string quilts I made, some purses and bags etc. I thought I'd add a couple of zippy bags in as well and while the cotton strips were still out...

I sewed a few random lengths together onto a batting background, found a couple of zips and:

I don't know what the ladies will want to take for their stall in the hospital foyer so they can have fun choosing!

Lastly I treated myself to some flowers about ten days ago and they're still flowering amazingly well:

Aren't those colours gorgeous? I quite fancy a top in those shades...so good old Lidl, they were very reasonable and have lasted ages!

Hope you're having a good week, may your crafting go smoothly and without cursing *grin*

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