Sewing this and that

 Hello, we have been having a few more brighter days so the weather has definitley improved from the dark dreary days of a few weeks ago.  My daily walks have been bright but cold, I hope it has been as nice where you are.

I have got into a little pattern of going straight to my room to do my sewing every day, editing my listings on Etsy and writing everything down so that I don't forget.  I have started making brooches this week and I am enjoying doing that as it is a great way to use every last bit of fabric and mix all the colourful bits together.  Here a re a few few of those below...

Fortunately I had some card with butterflies on with my card making supplies they are just right to mount them on.  I may run out quite quickly though as there were only a few sheets I will have to create something else myself. They are about 15cm at the longest point so they are not a small thing. 

We have been watching Ozark this week and as we watch an episode every evening we are all caught up with that now.  I sometimes wonder if it was a better idea when we had to wait for the next episode a week as now we just watch things all in one week.

I made another Windmill cushion and a little lesson to go with it, if it is not required I will post it on one of my own areas such as here or YouTube.   

I have a few of these as I love making them they are such a good way to use up fabrics and make something pretty and useful.

In bag making here is todays make...

                                                                               Etsy Shop

Also watching more of The Last Homely House on YouTube, I mentioned this in my last post and Kate is such an industrious, creative lady, full of ideas and very easy to watch so if you love watching craft videos go and have a look.  I have it on in the kitchen sometimes while I am chopping veg and prepairing the evening meal it is like having a friend in the kitchen with you while you cook. 

Well I need to get on with more sewing now as I usually get back to it after tea for an hour or so, I hope you are having a good week and looking after yourselves. 

Week Three

 Hello everyone, well I began the week with a broken tooth/filling! I wasn't even eating anything hard oh dear, hopefully I am not falling to bits.  I managed to get in the dentist  Wednesday so that is all fixed, she was able to just redo the side of it without any need for numbing, I think that is always the worst bit so at least I was spared that. So possibly I will be eating very carefully around that tooth now for ever more, or at least until I forget. 

I have been watching some lovely videos on youtube at The last Homely House if you have never seen any of these go and have a look she makes the most amazing quilts and does all kinds of crafting plus she is a lovely lady to listen to and chats about all sorts, like listening to a friend. 

Tuesday I thought I had discovered the best ever GF Wraps and had two for lunch, only to find I had the most horrendous stomach ache for the rest of the day and all night.  After looking at the packet I noticed Xanthan gum!  Well that will teach me not to look, I had to throw this away when I had some as it plays havoc with me and unfortunatley most Gf recipes for bread have it listed.  That is why I bought some a few years ago but I soon got rid of it, it is tricky though as they sneak it in all sorts,  that and certain preservatives or artificial sweeteners they are another trigger, I know I think I just wont eat!  Bananas are good I'm ok with those 😀

Keeping up with the list making but I have noticed one thing I had one item that got moved three days running! Perhaps because I do put rarher a lot on these lists and also because I sometimes underestimate just how long things take. So my soloution to this is the item has gone to the top of todays list and it is the first thing I am doing this morning. 

Yesterday I made a bag that I am not sure I can part with, well I have listed it in my Etsy shop however I keep looking at it, it is so colourful and the flower turned out so well.  Some of my gifted  recycled fabric here, plus lots of odd bits.  This was one of the jobs I mean where I allocated time then it took twice as long, mainly because I was experimenting with the fabrics and colours then putting it all together.

Etsy shop here

I do a number of layers of fabric between the lining and the outer fabric so they are very stable, all recycled and a zip on this one also recycled.

Today on the list is to take some declutter to the charity shop, I have a confession to make I did buy three books last week from the charity shop, so this may sound like it is defeating the object of decluttering. However I am looking at it like this I am making sure  more goes out than comes in so that way I stay on top and I don't buy books every week it is just if I see them plus it supports the charity shop too. 

Here are the ones I picked up...

The one on the end is by the same author as The Mercies which I have just read and really enjoyed so I thought I would give that a go. The middle one was up on a shelf and just caught my eye, The travelling Cat Chronicles just looked a bit different. Waterstones eat your heart out ha ha. 

Well I am off now to get on with todays list, have a lovely weekend where ever you are. 

January...ing

 Here we are halfway through the month already so I thought it was time for an 'ing' post.  I am loving the month so far and trying my best to stay on track with all the things I want to do. How are things where you are?  Is the new year treating you well? I'll get on with it then...

Planning a couple of trips away in our caravan, so we are in a group on Facebook for people who own T@B caravans like ours and the good thing about that is that everyone ahres all the lovely sites they are on and pictures too.  So you get reviews on where is good to go,  I had spotted one site last year that someone had shared and we have got in touch and will be having a  weekend away at the same site.  It is not for a few months so I will share that at the time. Another one we booked is a place we visited last year while in the lake district,  we were not actually staying there but loved the place it is called Grangeover sands so we have booked a site near there too that one is for a week.  

Walking daily, I have always walked a lot because I have dogs but not always as far and as much as I'd like week days as the dark nights and being out all day affected when  I could do this.  Well now I am taking advantage of the weather at different times of the day and fitting what I do around that, it is much better and very good for the mood to be out in daylight in the winter.

Here is the glorious sky in the park yesterday, today we went early while everything was frozen, again beautiful but in a different way but no image as I didn't have my phone with me.  Many teenagers would gasp in horror at that statement!

Watching a few new things on the TV, so we have NOW occasionally, and other things based on offers my husband spots but not all the time.  Recently we have had these things so have had the option to watch a few things. Yellow Jackets has been good, a bit of a blast from the past with the music, we have loved the soundtrack to this series and it is worth a look.  We watched a film last night called The Tender Bar, based on a memoir, starring Ben Afleck and I really enjoyed that. I nned to find something else now, 9 in the evening is my sit down viewing time. 

Reading  The Dutch House, I have just started this and I am enjoying so far but it is early days I do hope it goes somewhere if you know what I mean.  The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People now I know I read this years ago but it doesn't hurt to reread some things and we are always different when we read stuff years later so it is on round two. 

Eating something different for breakfast each day in an attempt to trick my stomach, still not quite right so I though I would try and pin point the culprit that bothers me.  So far it is not working  so I guess I am just having a not so good month with this, I do get like this now and again then things settle down. This morning my husband came doen to find me making Gf fruit scones early as another option to have, he said it's like living with Mary Berry, ha ha not quite;)

Sorting through my fabric scraps still, the issue is where to put them all in a more orderely fashion,  I use them for my bags and I am quite hap hazard at creating with them so they are in lots of places.  I don't want things to be too pristine that I don't want to disturb them but I want some sort of sytem.  Keep working on it is my motto for this one.

Sewing all kinds of things this week, still not sure what I am allowed to share at this point from the video making projects so I am linking a few on the Minerva blog feed if you follow me there.

Then I made this Freya top and a video for youtube to go with it, please have a look and if you do could you like, subscribe and comment please that would be a big help.  The link is below

Freya Top, How to

Bag making, a few so far as you may have seen and here is the latest...

Find my bags here

The lovely pink upholstery fabric in two shades thank you to Jo at Three Stories High, a butterfly lining some striped canvas I have left from another project and a few craft cottons.  My messy approach to bag planning worked well here again.  A note here, this bag sold immediatley to a friend. 

So what are you all up to ? Please let me know in the comments I love to read them, take care and have a good weekend. 

Treat Yourself

 Hello week two of the new year and all is going well so far, I am keeping an eye out for objects to declutter and sticking to my daily lists they are really helping me.  I hope you are all keeping up with your good intentions.  I did  hear someone say the other day that January is the worst for motivation due to the gloom but we can only try to do what we can.

The meals have been looking a bit more intersting as I try new things from my books, also a few made up side dishes with potatoes.  We are having something I know we all like this evening and that is jackfruit with wraps and my special rice. I do have to add a bit of meat for my son as he is not meat free so I just cook him a portion in the oven and add it at the table.

Looking for little ways to reward yourself on a dark day is the wasy to go I think, there was this little chocolate bar in the cupboard that a friend bought me so I had that yesterday with a cup of Christmas tea ( I know it is not Christmas anymore but I can drink the tea!)  How do you treat yourself during the dark winter days?

I finished The Mercies, a few days ago and I have to say I loved this book, I do have another by the same author that I picked up in a charity shop but then realised it is a childrens book I will read that one now anyway as she writes very well. 

  So The Mercies is set in Vardo, a Norwegian Island in 1617 and during a storm forty fishermen drown during a terrible storm.  The book is about the women left behind and the actual event did happen, the  focus is on relationships, how they coped and the consequences of being strong women in a time when women were seen as something to be feared if they did not fit a certain mould or ideal of what a woman should be or do.  I love anything that has basis of truth to it and it always inspires me to look further into that part of history, the location and so on.  The author Kiran Millwood Hargrave, did a beautiful job of capturing the characters in the story, I hope you will  give this one a try if you are a reader.

Here is another little bag with various bits and think they go very well together if a little quirky ,but then I do like quirky.

Well enjoy the rest of the week and be well. 

Weekend Charity Shop Find

 I hope you have all had a good week, it is dark and wet here at the moment like a proper winters day. Yesterday we had a trip to the charity shop I took some of my decluttering, five books, a top, a jacket and some bits and bobs.  Still on track with the declutter but I don't want to overwhelm the shops so I will do this weekly.  

I did come back with one thing, so exciting well I think so!  The Tilly Walnes Stretch book that I ordered from the libaray over a year ago and made some lovely things from.  It was just sitting on a shelf for £1 and in brand new condition.  Well rushing over to my husband he didn't know what all the fuss was about but this is an expensive book that is why I ordered it from the library and I did love it so to pick it up at this price was just fabulous.  Today I am wearing a sweater that I made from it.

The pattern piece sheet in the back doesn't even look like it has been unfolded, someone must have bought this on a whim and never done anything with it.  So I am thinking of working my way through this again and possibly doing some youtube on it, I can't decide if that will be a good use of my time as I already make vidoes for Minerva.  I also don't get that many views on youtube, if you think this is something that will be useful to you please let me know in the comments or I will be just talking to myself in the videos;)  Either way the book will used and loved.  Feeling very pleased with my bargain today.   My husband had strict instructions to not let me come back with lots of books but as this is non fiction and so useful it slipped through the net. 

Yesterday I added a trim to the neck of a dress I had made, I found the nekline on the pattern low for me.  It is just me personally but as I am petite I felt it was just showing a large expanse of chest despite  being a really good fit.  I think if you are larger up top this can be ok as you push the garment out and it gives a different appearance.  There is the option to add trim on the pattern but I didn't have any so I pleated a long folded piece of the same fabric to create my own trim...

It just gives me an extra 2cm and I will feel a little more covered that little bit can make all the difference.  If it was just a pattern I had created myself I would have changed the neckline but as I was showing a pattern here I have to make it true to the pattern, and just resist my urge to modify everything.

We watched a good film last night called the Last Duel, it had Matt Damon, Ben Alfleck and a few other big names in it and was based on true events.  If you get the chance give it a go, I do like films that have a bit of history to them and it is always astounding what women had to put up with and also the ridiculous ideas of the past that saw women burned based on the ideas and whims of men!  That is also a theme of the book I am currently close to finishing The Mercies, I know women in some parts of the world still suffer horribly due to superstition and religion. 

Anyway I will leave on an upbeat note, I have enjoyed my week of sewing from home and there is plenty planned for next week.  I hope you are having a super new start the year, back soon, Take care. 

Middle of the Week

 The middle of the week already, time passes so quickly I walked my dogs earlier and got caught in the school rush coming out.  We have a large secondary school near us and if you don't time it right you are faced with hundreds of teenagers walking towards you at once, somehow they don't know how to step to the side like we grown ups do  but remain in a block shoulder to shoulder.  It was a quick get out while my stomach is settled I will have to have a week on the FODMAP to get me back to normal as it feels like everything I eat I am at war with at the moment!

Here are  a few pics from my walk, as the sky was looking so lovely...

The dogs are  there charging ahead they have this little contest about how can be just a tad in front of the others at all times.  Still a very lovely winters day again today, I am making the most of every day despite my stomach trying sabotage things.

Here is the bag that I made up last night, Jo if you are reading you may recognise a couple of fabric bits.

The combination of offcuts worked well here again and the black fabric used to be a skirt. 

Every now and then I have the thought that I can't keep making all the bags different as I will not have enough variations but it has not happened so far and there are lots of different ways you can put fabric together.  My hudband said well they are the same shape and yes they are but I like to keep that bit simple and just play around with the fabrics I use or put on them.  The main thing is |I have fun doing it and hope the people who receive them enjoy them and appreciate that they are all different.

I will end with sharing this crepe top with you, very nice fabric to work with this one.  Ripple crepe from Minerva and burda pattern 6225. It hangs very well and was a pleasure to sew.

Have a super end to the week, and look after yourselves.

A Good Start

 The sun is shining and it is a beautiful day, what a good start to the year.  We have just been out with the dogs and came back to have a sandwich and some crisps.  The park was full so maybe everyone has the same idea to get out while the sun is shining.

As I don't eat regular bread I have used the last of my little gf rolls, so if anyone knows of a really quick little bread that can be made daily in small amounts please let me know.  I know how to make a full size gf loaf but it doesn't keep, it is only really good on the day and only me that eats it.  I buy the schar ones occasionally but they are so expensive for what you get so I need a really quick fix maybe something yeast free?  I had thought of adapting my scone recipe but there is plant spread in that so not so light as a bread, just a thought is thee such a thing as a scone bread?

Yesterday I finished my bag and listed that, I actually got all the photographs done only to find i had not added a label to the front.  As I have bought these bag labels they ought to be used so I handstitched one on and redid the photos again!  It is a good combination of colours this one, a bit of good news too when I got up this morning to see I had sold another bag, that always makes me happy.

First bag of the year this one, watch out for many more I do enjoy making them. 

 After lunch I have listed a few items on Ebay, I haven't done this for a while but thought I would give it a go.  They are clothes I don't wear anymore all in good condition back from the days of me buying in the next sale.  That was sometime ago as I make everything now but they are classic work wear styles so nothing that is out of fashion.  Step one for me of letting go of what I don't use, I look at them and they are nice but never wear them so someone else could be using them.

We have been watching Around The World in Eighty days and I am enjoying that, it is nice to see some easy to watch TV.  Also watching The Tourist, they do tend to start the new year with a bit of good viewing.

I have commented on the weather too soon as I have been typing this the sky has gone dark and it is now pouring.  We got out just at the right time. That is where my flexible plans for my days will come in handy, to get out while it's good and never put off a dog walk while the sky is blue. 

The tree came down this morning, it is always a little sad to say goodbye to Christmas.  Many people do leave their trimmings up a while yet but once it is new year we always tend to tidy them away for a fresh start.  It is just bare in the window without the twinkling lights.   We pop everything back in the loft in the same place each year so it is easy to find, the little counter top tree I had in the kitchen has been put in a bag with all the baubles still on it ready for next year.  Do you do the same or do you have a change each year?  I like to stick with the same decorations but if you like to mix things up I suppose you could do a swap with a friend or relative to save on waste. 

Have a lovely day everyone.

New Year Plans

 Happy new year to you all, I hope you all enjoyed your celebrations. I am excited for the new year and one of my intentions is to try and stay clear of the news especially first thing in the morning.  It can put a real spoiler on the day I think and of course there is not such much media coverage of all the good things in the world so I am aiming to focus more on those things.  I will of course watch later in the day at some point to keep up to date but I don't want to be consumed by it.  I think there has been a lot of that this last few years so it is now time to move forward without constant dread!

So I read the other day that is better to have intentions and I agree, we should try to do more of things we plan rather than this all or nothing approach where we just give up after a few months.  

We are palnning some more trips away in our van and we are looking forward to be able to plan those when we want now that my working time is more flexible.  For many years I have been restricted to the school holidays becasue even though my boys are grown I worked in school.  As I won't be doing that this year we are free to go when we wish and my husband can book his holidays when it is not peak times so that is a real bonus.

There is new bag cut on my sewing table ready to be but together, well it is mostly cut I just need to decide on a base and a lining but getting into all those odd bits of fabric. My stash of little bits is quite large now so I need to make a few more bags these coming weeks and get them worked down a bit I can barely get in the cupboard.

The little zip you can see in that image was also salvaged from something I was throwing away that was too danaged to go to the charity shop.  I just snipped off the zips and I will unpick it preperly just before I use it. There is much fun to be had getting out all the scraps and playing with them on the table, I am sure those of you that quilt probably do this too.

When we were going through the boxes to take for reycled I noticed that the whittards box that my tea came in before Christmas was patterned on the inside and very pretty, I have flipped it inside out and it is now on a shelf filled with zips.  Here it is with some of my other thrifted sewing bits, a nice tin (also home to zips) and my little tea cup.

One of my aims is to be more intentional with what I do in a day especially now as I am working from home.  I do tend to focus better with a list as  having things wrote down does give some structure and a plan.  There are  two jobs crossed off already today although I do know that many people don't like to do this.  It is whatever works for you, but pen and paper seem to be my friends in this regard. 

All of my sewing jobs for the next few weeks are lined up on drawers ready to go and I planned the next list after that last night. 

A few other bits I wish to improve on are 

• Staying off facebook unless its a quick check in for groups that I am in 5 mins tops and using a timer! My close friends don't use it anyway so it is a bit of a time waster I fell back into last year.

• Reading more non fiction alongside my fiction of course.

• Doing a daily declutter even if it is just a couple of things.

• Looking back on the past week to see what is on track, to celebrate not criticise. 

So I think they are a few good things to concentrate on for now I can alsways add more if I wish,  what are you up to this coming year any specific things to focus on for you?

Well have a lovely day and enjoy the rest of the week. Take care.