WE'RE BUSY DOING NOTHING
WORKING THE WHOLE DAY THROUGH,
TRYING TO FIND LOTS OF THINGS NOT TO DO...
Oh yes indeedy, life is very full at the moment - I've felt a bit guilty sitting down and crafting when I should have been doing other things! The important areas of the house are clean, there's been a fair few miles travelled to Wales and back and I'm trying to get items made that I promised someone. I'd like a Time Turner, that Hermione used in Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban - it would be really useful!!
This mess is evidence that I'd been rummaging through my stash to pick some fabrics for a tote bag...
I'm cutting out at one end of the desk while all the Christmas stuff is still piled high at the other...tsk tsk....
Making pockets and selecting trims (hey Shaz, your good work sorting out my ribbons has really paid off, they're still quite neat!!) The bag is under construction, lol!
What else has been going on?
I've cut out a few smaller doggy bandanas for terrier sized mutts - one of the players at band has a little dog called Bruce, so I'm going to give one to her to see if it's roughly the right size!
My fab hubby retired from work last week - it's early, he's not a pensioner for some time yet but he felt that he'd done enough. As he's worked since the age of 16, that's a fair few years' worth. Last Monday was the first of the new routine and, as it was the most glorious day, we went out for a walk and he took his camera...
The Kennet and Avon canal near Pewsey - there was lots of woodsmoke coming from the chimneys on the boats - very evocative.
The colours were amazing!
Backlit leaves and silhouetted branches...we were surrounded by gold.
I'm tempted to get this shot made into a 2,000 piece jigsaw for my brother - ooooh, that would be fiendish eh?! Happy colours though - it has been the most beautiful autumn here, my favourite season of all :-)
Happy crafting everyone! xxx
Happy crafting everyone! xxx
37 comments:
ha, if anyone gave me a jigsaw of that, I'd give it back... stunning picture though! hope you both enjoy G's new life of retirement... you'll be busier than ever if all my other retired friends lives are anything to go by.... Helen #2
Hi Jan, I do love your fabrics and looking forward to seeing the finished projects.
Beautiful photos. Don't blame you and your hubby getting out when it's nice. Hope your hubby soon settles into his retirement.
Happy WOYWW
sue #14
Great to see you are multi tasking. Love the pics of the canal - I love them especially as my family home backed onto the Coventry canal. Happy memories x have a great week x Jackie 16
So much to see on your desk as usual - you are always busy creating fabulous things.
Hubby's photos are stunning. Autumn colours have to be the most beautiful and his photos really capture that.
Toni xx
Your walk looks like Healey Dell Nature Reserve near me. This is the best time of year to be out walking, I hope hubby enjoys his retirement. We are not there yet but are fortunate enough to spend time together in between jobs
Lynn //15 xx
I'm chuckling here Jan....it seems we have both been searching for fabrics this week. Mine was to find a little piece with happy faces on....I turned a whole box out, couldn't find it and then remembered I used it on the eye spy quilt!! Teddy faces it is then!....I'm making a fabric book for Theo but can share pics yet :-)
Happy retirement to your darling hubby. Here's to many walks together in such special places.
Hugs,
Annie x #13
Love a good rummage through fabric and always happy to look through your collection. happy Retirement to your hubby. Don't blame him retiring early I did the same! Best thing I ever did. Those photos are gorgeous. I think it's been a beautiful Autumn. Anne x #20
Hiya Jan, smiling at your ribbon box! Extremely fiendish with the jigsaw, naughty, naughty! Love seeing all your stash jumbled out on the desk though, some lovely fabrics there. Hope you are all well, and Gordon is enjoying his retirement time! Lots of love and hugs to you all, Shaz xx
Wow if retiring early means you can go for a walk and capture such gorgeous photos I want to do it as well. Beautiful fabrics as per your LLJ style.
sandra de @26
So loving your vintage looking fabrics, Jan! My hubby is thinking about retiring early too on his private pension. I could then perhaps get myself a part time job to subsidize our income. If we're not careful, life just passes us by! We'll see what happens with our housing situation. I'm hoping house prices will go down (there's just too much uncertainty about Brexit) - this would be very much in your interest as well, wouldn't it, having sold your house already! Great autumn photos and it would be slightly naughty to turn that into a jigsaw puzzle, LOL! Enjoy your week! zsuzsa #31
Gorgeous photos as always from your lovely man's camera, and yes, you absolutely must get that picture turned into a jigsaw puzzle. But make it only 1000 - that's probably plenty!!!
Thanks for stopping by! Big hugs back to you....
Morti @30
Fab projects and materials and LOVING your pix, lucky hubby, retiring early too
Happy WOYWW
Kathyk
My favourite season too - and I am so glad I did not show my pictures of the autumnal colours when I look at yours. Fabulous photos and the ones of the canal or truly beautiful. They would make a lovely jigsaw although I know why you talked about the other one.
Lovely sewing as always, guess you are going to be really busy looking for a home, Christmas and sewing.
Wish Gordon a long and happy retirement from me.
Hugs (thanks for your visit and email), Neet xx
Congrats to hubby on retirement. Pretty fabric. I'm sure your bag will be fabulous as always. Those leaves will be a terrific jigsaw puzzle. Have a Wonderful Wednesday and terrific week. LisaDV #37
Beautiful Fall photos! I love the one of the canal the best - what must it be like on one of those boats? It looks like you are absolutely having fun making the bag! Thanks for sharing, Lindart #41
Beautiful Autumn pictures. Great idea to turn one into a puzzle. Congrats to your husband! I hope he enjoys his retirement.
Happy WOYWW
Sharon K #38
Oh Jan! Those photos... Swoon... I only have time right now to pop in and out... (I need a Time Turner TOOOO... Grin) and I will be back later to really pore over your post, but THOSE LEAVES... Thanks for sharing!! Happy WOYWW from Canada - Lynne #47
This makes me feel like I need to have a day where all I do is focus on my sewing! Is it warm there? It is so warm here in the Ozarks, it's like California! Although my ribbon is sorted, thanks to a contraption I got at JoAnns, my fabric is folded and in bins, but I struggle to know what I actually have. However, I have the Downton Abbey fat quarters ready to go to make a Thanksgiving table runner! (finally) I'll let you know how the stitching goes. Do you feel like you have been very productive since you moved? It seems like you are making gobs of things and I love it. Hugs dearest! Happy Wednesday. Sandy Leigh #44
If you find a time-turner, let me know..I could use one too! Love all the fabric, and those are great pictures of the canal and foliage. Give your Hubby my congratulations....I can only imagine the joys of retirement...and I like my job! Have a great week.
-K #52
Awesome photos! Love all the fall colors. I forget that people live where LEAVES CHANGE! And they fall off. It seems so non-productive of trees... About that time changing thingy... I'm all for it as long as you don't rewind too far back. Just say NO to middle school. PJ #0
I really like the colours you've chosen for the bag. I love jigsaws but don't think I'd fancy one of the leaves although they make a lovely picture. The colours are brilliant this year - maybe because the weather's been so nice the leaves have had longer to change colour? - well that's my theory anyhow!!
Bernice #11
Fabulous photos Jan, it looks like you and hubby are enjoying retirement. It looks like a wonderful place to walk. I love the tote bag - that little pocket will look stunning on it - you really are the Queen of mixing and matching!
Hugs,
Diana xxx
Oh Jan those pictures of the K&A are wonderful. Did you know Waterways world do an annual photo competition for all things waterways? I reckon those might be in with a good chance.
Hope your house in Wales works out, I am very sad to be leaving Wales, but the chance of finding what we want, a house with a mooring, in Wales is pretty unlikely.
Thanks for visiting,
Chris #7
Oh I SO know that song! I did a dance duet routine to it as a kid. Had old straw school hats on with wires in and hair plaited over the wires sticking out. We went to a May day show to do it and were in the middle of a field enclosure thing and completely forgot it. Them were the days.
Oops sorry missed the rest of your post!!! BJ#48
Thanks for the visit earlier, I love my rose bed... and I love your hubby's photos. A word to the wise to him - think carefully before you commit yourself to anything outside the home!! Otherwise - Congratulations and a happy retirement.
Have a good week
Christine #23
I too am early retired and today took a walk on the beach with the dog in the sunshine as we are having a mini heat wave, Your Lovely Man will not regret taking the time he has earned himself...I miss work not one jot....and we two now have a saying "in England we lived by the clock, here in France we have time..." to be fair My Old Man was digging out a huge hole for what will eventually be our very first floor...whilst I was sunbathing...I did offer to help and got a a 'thanks but no thanks look...' doonexxx @53
My hubby and I retired early and are still not pensioners, the way the government are going some people may never reach pension age as they keep changing the goal post. However we have not regretted it. When you are out in the country like that you can't help but know you've done the right thing. Thanks for the visit to mine and happy crafty WOYWW, Angela x 19
Lovely post, Jan. Congratulations to Mr LLJ, I hope he continues to enjoy a long and healthy retirement. The future is full of exciting possibilities. Love the photos of your autumn walk along the canal towpath. I'll swear the trees are looking particularly colourful this year. I could do with a time-turner too ... there are never enough hours in the day for all I want/need to do.The fabrics you are working with are lovely. I should be sewing too but I'm not so you are putting me to shame. Hope you have a great week. Hugs, Elizabeth x #35
Ooh lovely fabric as always - I can see some of it IRL hanging on the door of my craft room! Beautiful canal pictures, I think the puzzle idea would be a hoot!! Happy WOYWW Cindy xx
Sometimes you just have to make time to craft, no matter what else has to be done. Congratulations to your husband on his retirement... I love his photography, by the way. Blessings!
Hello Jan. oh how you have been busy and how sweet Shaz was over to organizing your ribbon. I did notice the snowman fabric...had to show my daughter as I am always a sucker for any snowman. I do hear you I always must do everything in the house before I get into my craft room so yime isnt spent at my desk as I would love to. The pictures your DH took are stunning and that picture would be a great puzzle. Thanks for visiting me earlier and have a wonderful week. Hugs~Anne L#1
Hello Jan.
Love the look of the fabric I have a friend who would love all that, but like all us crafter's she has loads but is always getting more.
I love the pictures of the narrow boats, Before Hubby got ill and passed away we has a narrow boat and loved the life,
That picture would make a great puzzle,
lilian B #16
Oh what a fab time to retire - well done for both of you! It's a gorgeous Autumn for walks and outings - enjoy every minute. Your fabric stash is like the magic porridge pot - it just keeps on giving!! Love it. x Jo
Totally luscious photos, autumn is pretty in the sunshine. I already know how fab Bruce looked in his bandana, he should definitely be a model! Xx
Happy Belated WOYWW. It will be great to have another WOYWWer in Wales. I have only been through Burry Port on the train. If you are anywhere near the station, I will have to venture east to visit you! I will do a blog post and offer the fabric to someone else. Too much bother to get it sold and it is too good to be sitting in my cupboard unloved. Ali x #11
Your fall colors are so much better than ours on this side of the world. I would love that puzzle - so go for it, It will make a perfect xmas gift for a puzzle nut!
Just starting to gather fabrics, not to work with - but I use them when I photograph my cards for the blog, can't wait to go hunting! Happy belated WOYWW donna #49
Hi there Lumch lady Jan, loving the material on the non Christmas end of table well done. And congrats on Mr LLJ retiring too awesome shots ..l
...Running bit late here....
Thanks for popping over and for sharing,
Shaz in Oz.x
{Calligraphy Cards - Shaz in Oz}
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