Spring start

 Hello everyone I hope you are all well. It is starting to get a little brighter now so that is really lifting my energy, I think I slow down a little during the darker months no matter how I try to avoid it.  It is as though I am solar powered, not a great way to be living in rainy England but I suppose we all have our favourite seasons.  

The garden is bursting into life and every day I spot something new appearing through the soil, I have put in a few seeds but I never hold out much hope for the ones I plant straight into the soil as the ones started in the greenhouse always do better.  This is strange as the things that self seed manage perfectly well don't they? So that is ever a mystery to me, it is bound to be me that is doing something wrong.

We have just taken delivery of a rather large dog cart to pull Bonnie one of our older dogs around in on holiday, we always take our dogs with us and she can't walk far now but we of course wnat to be able to go on  long walks.  This is mainly what we do on holiday, so the cart is big enough to take her and her brother, there are harnesses inside it too.  Then we can let them get out and have an explore for a little while then get back in when they have had enough.  I will let you know how we get on with it.

Last month I made a blouse for #sewfrugal23 from a pattern company I have not used before, Maison Fauve.  Sam at #frugalisama shared this company as they had a free pattern to print off so I thought I would give that a go.  The sizing I found really good although next time I will lengthen the arms as they need to be longer on me.  It has a nice effect with the panel details and also looks good in three different fabrics, a good one for stash busting.  It is called La Blouse Tribeca.

I used gifted fabric from the stash I was given by the lady whose mother recently passed away, the navy is a cotton lawn from John Lewis and I am not sure of the pink a crepe I think.

I really enjoyed seeing all the things that other people had made too by using up their stash and all the free patterns that are available. 

 We went for a meal at a favourite restaurant last week in the evening, so I took this opprtinity to wear my new blouse. I have to say I did not enjoy the meal.  I think the sparkle may have worn off this particular place, we don't go out often and it is not cheap so you want to at least love what you eat.

While on the subject of food, my husband ordered me a food mixer a few weeks ago.  It looked lovely and was pretty shade of mint green too.  However as I had expalined to him I have never had one as my GF baking is not to be over worked, it was also very large and our worktop space is limited so we sent it back. I felt a bit ungrateful but there is no point spending money on things you won't use and that take up lots of space.  He understands, I could really do with a nice mixing bowl and jug  as mine are old and plastic. 

 This is a dog I made for a recent work project, I am very pleased with it although a lot of people have thought it a bunny.  There is a bunny on the pattern but this one is a dog, very easy to make too.

This was a very lovely carrot cake I made last week, gf and vegan of course I don't use a recipe as such for this it is rather my own version and I always sort of wing it a bit depending on if I have to sub a few ingredients it never lasts long.   This week I made a lemon cake.

My husband very kindly got the glass out of the oven door so it could have a good clean and I can now see what is going on in the oven again.

This was my lunch yesterday, I made a pink potato salad with some oven roasted chickpeas in maple syrup and chilli.  The crackers are nairns Gf seeded they are definitely some of the better ones.  I am trying to make sure I eat at lunch time as I work from home I often don't and I don't think that helps with my energy levels.

While we were shopping the other day I was looking for a bunch of flowers for my table and found these gorgeous tulips reduced to 75p a bunch so I bought two.  They looked as good as the regular priced ones, in fact the others were very overpriced.  I am thrilled with them, someone said put 2p in the vases so I have done.  It is supposed to keep them upright longer.

The downside is the water discolours straight away from the coin.

In other sewing news I have made a few bags using patchwork in a bid to use up my fabric scraps, I am going for more of a tote bag as these do not require all the various fittings my handbags do.  It is proving a good way to use them up, fun and if they don't sell I will have the most glamorous collection of shopping bags.

They are lined inside to make them more sturdy.

I have been keeping up with my reading and have actually really enjoyed the last few books, most recently I have read 'Educated' by Tara Westover.  This was shocking in places but also very inspiring in terms of perseverence and well worth a look, it is a memoir.   The Lamp Lighters by Emma Stonex was last weeks book and again I really enjoyed this, there were things about lighthouses and how they used to be that I had not really considered and the story is very descriptive.  The Family Upstairs was another good one, now I picked this one up in a charity shop when out with friends and I am glad I did.  My friend had heard of it so that encouraged me to buy it.  I have been keeping track of them all by posting them on instagram each week so if you want to follow me there you can @sewingreenlady.

Well that is all for today, have a lovely week and enjoy the beginning of spring.  (if you are on this side of the world that is;)