A Little Kitchen Update

 Hi everyone I thought I would share this DIY project that we did a couple of weeks ago, I have been meaning to share but keep forgetting.  So ever since we moved into this house about thriteen years ago I have had above worktop units all the way around.  If you have seen previous posts you may know that about two years ago I painted the cabinet doors grey to give it a little facelift.

Still not feeling like this kitchen needs replacing as it is a perfectly good kitchen, but there was a little niggle that did bother me.  The main stretch of worktop that I have to work and prepare on is below some of these overhead units, that means that you are working with them directly in front of your face and this has never been the best. For sometime now I have liked the look of open shelving and often save the images from pinterest, however as it is a small kitchen my husband has always maintained that these particualr units can't come out.

Well two weeks ago I decided to get everything out and have a look at the situation, the top shelf I am ashamed to admit had quite a few things out of date as I can't reach it without a chair. So they went straight in the bin, I also had a good tidy and found new homes for the rest of the items, including sorting a lower level cupboard, raising an internal shelf in one of those and putting all sauces etc in little storage baskets so that they can easliy be lifted out to use.

It is amazing how you can fit things into less space when you think about it and also look at what you use regularly or not at all. When all the cupboards were empty and clean I asked my husband to take them down (three over head cupboards) he said you will regret it but took them down anyway thinking it was a bad idea. 

This was on a Sunday, on the Monday morning as soon as I got up I got out my paint and set about painting all of the units again as a touch up, redid the tiles with tile paint, and painted the walls and ceiling  white.  When he came home from work it was all pristine, I arranged the shelves with some of the nicer things I had already in cupboards or else where in the house.   For me it is really just what I had in mind and I am very pleased with it, my husband is getting there he just keeps reaching for the wrong cupboard for the cereal!

The shelves are just loose shelving boards from Wicks and we just chose brackets ourselves, I reused some of the under cupboard trim and painted it grey so it would conceal the lights that are underneath. It is certainly much more light and airy and does not feel closed in anymore when I am preparing food.

 

The items on the shelves I had already, just today I found some pretty china measuring cups for baking my friend bought for me that usually live in a cupboard so I have added those now too.  The one thing I did buy was a print from Whitby at the top of the steps when we were away a few weeks ago, it is not in this image but sits on the top shelf. 

                                                   I still have the under cupboard lighting 

You may think I am crazy to get rid of three perfectly good cupboards but my feeling is the more cupboard space we have the more we pack things in, think about when you move house and have all those lovely empty cupboards.  They soon get packed with nonsense over the years don't they?  I think this is forcing me to be more organised in my kitchen.

Well that is all for today, let me know what you think.   Have a good week. 

The Saraste Top and Another Trip

 Hello, what a funny week it has been. What with the heat, I hope you have all kept yourselves well.

This week I made my first make from the book Breaking the Pattern that I bought a while ago, it does seem a bit of a faff about tracing all the pieces for the patterns when I have so many patterns already but I do like to try things out.  Also I made this into a much bigger job than it needed to be by making it into a refashion of a man's shirt. 

The Saraste top does require more fabric than you would first think for a little sleeveless top, because of the shape of it and the panels plus ruffles.  So I disassembled my shirt then thought oh, there is no way enough fabric to make this!  However I don't like to let things beat me so I set about using every last bit of the shirt, including unpicking the double yoke bit at the top of the shirt back.

•  I made the ruffles with lots of little pieces sewn together then top stitched.  This did also mean that some of those pieces were on the cross grain. I aslo only did the ruffle to the front panels.
• The front side panels are in two pieces.
• The back side panels are four pieces sewn together.
• I utilised the button band to save fabric there.
• The collar stand was carefully unpicked and re-used.
• The bias binding was some that I made previously from an old duvet cover.
• I placed the ruffles a little higher to further save on fabric required.

I don't think the joins are too obvious and of course you could see it as a design feature;)

It pays to think things through and not give up I think, I have made  two short videos for youtube showing the process if you would like to see exactly how I did it.

See the videos here

                                                                           Part one here

We went away at the end of last week in the caravan to the east coast and stayed just outside Scarborough on a lovely site, we stayed from Thursday to Monday and it was just as well because with monday being the start of the heatwave my dogs would not have coped I dont think I would either in the caravan.  So fortunatley we were back home just as it started to get hot, we had a lovely break and visited Scarborough, Whitby, Staithes and Bridlington while we were there. My sister in law lives at Bridlington so we got to visit her too.

I did not take as many photographs as I usually do as we visit this area alomost every year and I am sure I am just doubling up on the pictures so just a few this time.  The reason we visit so often is because not only do we like it but also because it is inly a few hour drive away.

Staithes is very pretty but only small, it was very busy on the day we visited but well worth a look if you are ever in the area.

The views below are from Whitby at the top, because you can't go to Whitby and not do the steps up to the Abbey.

We got absolutely soaked through in Scarborough on Friday as it rained on and off all day on Friday, it was umbrella up jacket on then ten minutes later boiling, jacket off sunglasses on!  So at least we dried quickly inbetween downpours. I bought the jazziest umbrella from a charity shop and my husband said I am not holding that, it had a design of a woman all the way around holding up her hands to the rain as if in praise, very 60's. Well the rain came down and he held it. 

Thursday I went to lunch with a good friend of mine, she had suggested a new restaurant on a farm and it catered for me with Gf and vegan options it was very nice.  I managed an image of my pudding before I tucked into it.  (It is sorbet on top)

I hope you all have a lovely week. Take care.

A Catch up!

 Hello, I don't know where the time is going but this is well over due!  We have had another trip, we went to Angelsey for a week and fell lucky with a fabulous week for the weather, it was so sunny all week and this is the third time we have been so it does seem to me that it is a place with its own little climate.  I am sure people who live there would probably think differently but my view is one of sunny Angelsey.  I will share a few images.

There was a nice breeze near the sea so that made walks along the front doable with dogs, fabulous as it is to have lovely weather we don't walk them in it for long when it is hot or we try to get to wooded areas.

This is a lovely coastal walk that we did, we also did it a few years ago with our sons with us.  This year it was just us and the dogs.

We try to get to a different place each day when we are away, I remember years ago we just used to go away somewhere hot and sunbathe all day, I really can't imagine doing that now.

Once again we stayed on a small site with just five caravans, it was beautiful overlooking a field of sheep. 

While I was away I read 'The lying Lives of Adults'  by Elena Ferrante I had ordered it before I went away and was so looking forward to reading it.  I read it all in a few days and I have to say I was disappointed. It just felt unpleasant with no purpose, there were elements of her other characters I felt from the My Brilliant Friend quartet. If you have read those you will know what I mean, of course there will be similarities when you read the same author but this time the stotyline was just bleak throughout.  I would not recommend this one sadly. 

As usual there has been lots of sewing, I am giving things away to family as I can't keep all of it but I am not complaining it is a dream to be able to sew for work so I am counting it as a blessing.   This does mean though I have passed a few things on without  saving a still image.

I made this one a few days ago in Blossoming Floral Minerva viscose challis and the pattern is Simplicity 8602.  There were quite a few sleeve styles to choose from on this pattern I went for this one with the drapey sleeves with vents. 

This top is for my mum and this design is called Shingle Path, the Pattern is Simplicity 8052 and she hasn't seen it yet so I am looking forward to giving her that. 

A striped blazer, oversized very colourful and the style is so oversized my husband tried it on, of course it was too short in the arms but he enjoyed trying it ;)

I love this cardigan/robe it is such a fun print and would be great for the beach to wear over a bikini I think.  For me it is a sort of throw on for over shorts and pjs.  I will not bore you with any more right now as there are so many things I am losing track.  There hasn't been much bag making of late but to be honest at the moment I just feel like I am just paying Etsy each month and there are very little views.  People probably have a lot on what with the cost of everything at the moment but it doesn't leave me inspired to keep listing things to pay out fees so I am in a bit of a slump with that.

We had a trip to the cinema to see Elvis  the other night, a very long, very odd film.   Not what any of us expected I feel like I am being a real grump today but why do they have to try and make things weird and edgy??

All three of my dogs had a luke warm bath today and then we went for a walk so they dried off it was the ideal time to do it. We also met a great Dane puppy in pets at home and he was beautiful, the owners were talking to us for ages and he looked all shy, massive paws at just eight weeks old and a gentle face. 

Well I hope you are having a lovely weekend and enjoying the sun, take care.