WOYWW 870

.... AND THE SKIES ARE GREY....

Well, that was a busy week! It involved: visits, crafting and roofers, now there's a mix of things. All was good though and the days have whizzed by!

I used up all this bright fabric and really love it, so cheerful and funky.  It's eye catching anyway, definitely not a shrinking violet lol.

After thinking about what else could go on the craft fair stall, the jewellery wallets I've made in the past came to mind. I'd forgotten what the dimensions were so made it up....what's new I hear you say!

It's about 18cm wide and 15 cm tall when folded up like this but it opens out to:

A zipped pocket at the top, an open pocket at the bottom and a lace strip on which to hang your earrings. There's quite a lot of space and it folds up nice and flat - we'll see if anyone's interested at the next few fairs! I made five altogether:

It's quite handy for using up ends of fabric and doesn't take that long really. 

The RNLI gals have been knitting away:

Chris and Lesley have supplied me with a few each of these Creme Egg characters! The blonde hedgehog far left looks like me on a bad hair day lolol!! I'm so grateful that the ladies have saved me having to make these, let's hope we don't have any left in a few weeks' time.

My bro and SiL came for lunch last Saturday and we decided to blow the cobwebs off with a walk on the beach, the rain held off (amazingly) and the beach was very dramatic:

My nose and eyes streamed all the way round but it was worth it!

Neet is back in hospital again after cutting her hand quite badly, poor lass, she's not having much luck...big hugs to you Neet if you're reading this, I wish we could help in some way.

Have a great week everyone, may your crafting be enjoyable and stress free xxxx

WOYWW 869

 FOR THOSE IN PERIL ON THE SEA

Hi there folks, hope you've had a great week! The best news is that Neet is now home from hospital, hooray! If you're reading this Neet, I'm so glad you're home, it must be wonderful to be in your own space again xx

As the weather has been a bit chopsy this week, I've been in the JanCave quite a bit getting through a lot of makes ready for the upcoming fairs. A recent total from the Harbour Light cafe was another couple of hundred quid so we start the year on £13,011 which I'm so pleased about!

The JanCave has had a lot of this:

I LOVE this fabric, so bright and breezy! I've used both linings (at top of the pic) as they both work well.

This daffodil fabric is popular around here as you can imagine:

and I channelled my inner Bet Lynch with a bit of animal print!

It's quite classy rather than Corrie IMO!

Last Sunday saw me doing a fill in shift at the RNLI shop, it happened to coincide with the training that the crews do every week. The wind was blowing hard and the sea state was very rough:

The boats were launched off this slipway, they'd already gone out by the time I got there but they absolutely bounce over those waves as the tide is ferocious from right to left in this pic.

I managed to catch them on their return though:

They came back into the harbour where the tractor goes down the inner slip with the trailer:

The tractor crew have to be brave too as they often go into the water with the levels halfway up the driver's door.

It's nice to see what the fundraising money goes toward!

Love to you all, hope your week goes well xxxxxxxxxx

WOYWW 868

 WHEN YOU COME HOME AGAIN TO WALES...

G and I celebrated nine years of being back in Wales last weekend and we genuinely can't tell you where that time has gone! It was the right move for us and we love being back by the sea again - the weather was very much like nine years ago:

Sunshine and showers! And a lovely rainbow to mark the occasion xx There has been more rain than sun this past week so I've spent a fair bit of time in the JanCave getting stock ready for the upcoming fairs.

I had two metres of this pretty hearts fabric and have cut out various bits and bobs.

Everything gets lobbed onto the bed!

Strips and Zips....

Things waiting to have plastic snaps put on...

and zipped bags waiting to be ironed. Those piggies still make me smile!

I've learned how to put fabric tags on the zips for the bags, it doesn't half make a difference to the overall appearance, makes the top lie flatter with no unsightly bulges at the ends (if only I could do that for myself, lol!!)  It takes a little more time but is definitely worth it.

And here's my mindless crafting for the evenings, it's a cute little pattern called the Babbity hat and is really simple - it's effective in the variegated yarn.

I'm out at a craft group this morning so comments may be delayed. Hope you're all keeping well and enjoying your makes.

Have a great week!! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

WOYWW 867

 RED AND YELLOW AND PINK AND GREEN

Hi everyone, hope you've had a good week! Before we launch into desk stuff I had a very brief conversation with Neet last week, she's likely to be in hospital for a while yet, is keeping reasonably ok but couldn't say when she might be home. I think a card or email might be a nice thing to keep her spirits up xx

Here it's been all go on the knitting and sewing front as my first fair will be on 7th Feb with two after that so I've got to get organised!

I've knitted some samples of creme egg covers and two more little bunnies. I don't like the daffodil very much, it looks like a triffid! But the others are fun and will be knitted by a couple of the RNLI gals.

There's been a lot of cutting out ready for sewing:

Some new and some donated fabrics have been for the chop!

The cat fabric made into the trio sets that sell well...

I managed to eke out a few bits from a metre remnant of this lovely peacock material...

This donated piggy fabric makes me smile! I'm going to make some zippy bags out of this as well, it's one of those designs that will either appeal or not!  

Hope you have a great week!! xxxxx

 

WOYWW 866

 RING OUT THOSE BELLS...

It's officially Happy New Year now and what a first week it's been! We've had a fair bit of snow here, enough to stop us getting out and about, it wasn't that deep but so cold it was treacherously slippy!

Big fat flakes fell, it got a fair bit worse than this!

Consequently I've spent a lot of time in the warm crafting away and not feeling guilty about it!  I finished the blanket and bunny combo and they've now been sent off to my great niece:

I enjoyed making the bunny so much I've made the parts for another two but haven't yet got round to sewing them up:

I also found this pretty variegated yarn in the stash and I thought I'd knit a little cardi/hat as a bit of mindless tv crafting ( I have to concentrate and follow the pattern - mostly - for the bunnies)

This is the scene in the JanCave at the moment:

Some more sunflowers WiPs and, oh look, there's some new fabric, it's part of the Sewing Rules to start the New Year with some fresh stash! Isn't it? Or did I make that up...possibly... *snigger*  Anyway, I struck gold in the Doughty's Sale:

You so rarely see a decent cat print that I just had to get a couple of metres of each of these, I know they'll go well!

As it's forecast for more snow at the end of the week, I may make a start on cutting some of these out. My days of going sledging are over!

Sending big hugs to Neet who is still in hospital, we miss you so much lovely gal and can't wait until your name is on the list again  xx

Have a great week xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

WOYWW 865

 WITH THE WASSAILING BOWL WE'LL DRINK TO THEE!

Here we are then, the very last day of 2025, another year of desky sharing, fun and camaraderie over and a new one lies ahead. I wish you all good health, happiness and joyful times through 2026.

It's been an odd year for us with many best laid plans going AWOL, this continued when our son Owen couldn't make it home for Christmas, he's been extremely poorly with flu or Covid, so we jointly decided to postpone things. That's just the way this year has been!

I have been back in the Jancave after getting things back to normal:

It's been good to get back to some sewing! I had one metre of this funky sunflowers fabric in my stash so am making 1 folding tote, 4 glasses cases and 3 little zippy bags (and a partridge in a pear tree, la la la!)

This makes me happy!

I've also been trying out other knitting patterns and enjoyed making this little rabbit:

She stands about 7" high - the pattern was bought from Etsy and is the most verbose, fussiest set of instructions I've read recently. And I disagreed with the construction of quite a few parts so once again did my own thing, especially with the dress....why change the habits of a lifetime eh?? Lol xxx

G and I took down our decorations yesterday, I do like a fresh clean house to start a new year and I'm sorting through the Christmas cards to upcycle or recycle:

I enjoy doing this, upcycling into new cards or tags where possible. 

And that it's for this week. I'd like to thank you all for your continuing friendship and support of my blog. Sending big hugs to you especially Neet, we're thinking of you lovely gal and missing you so much.

Happy New Year from me and my boys, lots of love, LLJ xxxx

WOYWW 864

 WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS 

AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's the last day before Christmas and I'd like to send my very good wishes to you and hopes for a happy, healthy and riotous New Year!

Here's my Christmas card to you all, something a bit daft (remind you of anyone?!)  

Our Christmas is going to be slightly different to what we'd planned as our eldest son Owen has been really poorly and not well enough to drive a long journey, so everything has been pushed back to next weekend when he'll hopefully be ok. Not a problem, it'll just extend the festivities for a bit longer.

A lovely thing happened this week, Mary Anne offered to send me £43 to make up our RNLI crafting total to the round £2,000!! So kind of you MA, the crafting girls were really happy to hear of your kindness. The WOYWW loveliness continues, it's a marvellous thing xxx

Talking of Deskers:

Lynne and I had a long overdue catch up yesterday, it's great that after 43 years of friendship we can still natter on for ages lol! I was doing some crocheting while we chatted:

I'm making a blanket for a present to give in January so got to get a move on!

Talking of presents, I had a couple of early ones from my dear mates Kim and Sue:

Kim made me a book of watercolour paper and found these beautiful pearlescent paints - I am definitely going to carve out more painting time next year to use these gorgeous lovelies.

And Sue gave me this fun little knitting brooch (plus a beautiful scarf). Isn't it fab? That's definitely going on my denim jacket with a few other prized bits and pieces xx Thanks lovely gals!!

Once again, I'd like to thank you for all the amazing comments, sharing and support through another year of WOYWW. I'm so happy that our wonderful community still meets up every week, it's a really positive thing. Thinking of Neet, I hope you're doing ok lovely gal - you really are in all our thoughts. Big Hugs xx

Have a wonderful day tomorrow and a good week! xxxxxxxxx