Squirrel Bag

 We have the luxury of a long weekend at my school this week so there were lots of excited people ready to enjoy the free time and relax.  Not a lot doing with the miserable weather however, my husband did get off for a bike ride yesterday but as I have had a two day migraine I couldn't join him and it looks like being the only good day of the weekend too.  Oh well never mind, I managed to drag myself out to the supermarket today despite still feeling rubbish but the shopping had to be done.  My husband did offer to go alone but  I know I am being a control freak but either he would have come back without stuff I wanted or I would have had to sit and write a list.  To be honest trudging around the supermarket did seem like the easier option with my current brain fog so I did that and actually I do  feel a little better now.

I have had a couple of bag sales this week which is always nice and a few more requests for Christmas masks. We are all feeling a bit deflated around here with the latest restrictions in place, I can invite my mum for Christmas lunch but  then there is the balancing it  off with  the fact that I am with children all week long. It really is a worry with elderly relatives while at the same time needing to see them before they completely lose hope.

There was a fully intact tub of tofu in the fridge today that was out of date, I am really annoyed with myself over  that as I am usually really good at avoiding food waste, to the point of ensuring any black bananas go in cakes etc. My husband did try to hand me a perfectly good half of a cauliflower as he on the other hand tries to clean the fridge of food that is perfectly fine just because we have been shopping!   I promptly put it back as I only cut it in half a few days ago it will be fine for tomorrow. 

So here are a few things I have been up to this week, mainly mask making I have to say with  a new bag thrown in for good measure.

I do like this combination of red and navy I think it looks very stylish although I will probably never get my need to keep every bag I make.  See it here

This make up bag too to go with the little skirt that I made last week, I recycled some shiny faux leather my mum donated from a bag and a few other bits to bring it all together.  See it here

I made a lovely vegan stir fry meal for us today when we got back from shopping, well I say vegan my son had his own version in a separate pan with chicken in his.  It all went down very well any way even though I didn't think I fancied all that much. 

There were a few Christmas masks dropped off at my mums front door, we may as we well look the part even if we can't have much of a jolly time for the next month. 

This will only be a thing for about another week I think and then everyone will have the ones they need, after Christmas these will be quite redundant!  My friend did suggest valentines and all sorts but I| am rather hoping there will be  an end to it all.

Well have a good weekend with your families and I will be back soon. 

Simple Sew Sophia Top Sew Along

 This week I took a few photographs of this project that I made some months ago, the  skirt was the first thing I made and initially I wasn't sure about it because the fabric is heavy and the pattern required a lighter fabric I think.  Now that it is cold, I have changed my mind and it is just right with tights so it was not so much the wrong fabric choice at the time but rather the wrong weather when I first tried it on.   It is another simple sew pattern, The Sophia top and skirt  and I have made the top as well. 

 I actually made a video on how to make the top and it was my first ever attempt, I felt a bit awkward and as it turned out I have filmed it with the phone the wrong way so there are lines down each side!  I tried to remedy that by putting tips and comments in the black parts down the side.  So please excuse this novice production and with the making of the garment also I like to just do things my way and if this helps then wonderful just take from it what is helpful.  I felt very odd talking to myself and I think my dogs were a little confused too!  

 Here is the link to the video  I have put it on as private but you can view from this link.   Here it is being worn on a sunnier day. I thought adding a video was going to be a quick job but it wasn't and I also didn't realise I couldn't just add it directly until I tried because the file is too big then I had to do it through youtube.  So the sew along video is about half an hour long so you can either skip and just watch bits or make the top along with me for the whole thing.   

  

In the video I do state how the skirt came it a bit heavy and I'm not sure about it, as you can see I have changed my mind. 

There are still gaps in my wardrobe in the form of sweaters to wear with jeans, these have never been a thing that I have chosen to make as I am always drawn to the printed cottons.  That said they would be much more practical for this time of year so maybe there needs to be a plan of action on that front.

I hope you are all ready for the weekend and staying safe wherever you are. 

November...ing

 November and  already part the way through, that came around fast so it is an 'ing post .

Making a skirt with little bird houses all over it, I have a bit of a thing for fabric with birds on so this is another one for my collection.  It was completed in the week but I am moving tow of the pleats ever  so slightly as I feel it will hang better, it is lined with white lining as that is all I had and has a zip and button at the side.   I don't know how it happened but  cut the lining pieces out of the good fabric!  I was laughing away listening to a ted talk and thought oh no!  I only just had enough fabric to cut out the main skirt then, luckily it is a short version, I have never done that before.

I like the shape of this, it is cotton though so we will see how it holds up to being worn all day, it may get a little crumpled.

I have also bought some Christmas fabric to make some festive masks, just a bit and I've not started yet as it has only just arrived.

The snowmen are quite a bit bigger than I thought so I may rethink that one.

Reading 'When God was a Rabbit' by Sarah Winman, I have enjoyed this book it is an entertaining read,  one of those books that makes you reminisce on your own childhood.  Still nothing is living up to the Elena Ferrante novels but I'm sure there will be something in time.  I have just a few pages to go then I will be on to something new.   I feel a  bit guilty that I haven't read much non fiction lately but I know that is foolish as there  are no rules as to what we should be reading!

Riding our bikes, we managed to get out twice last week and this week we did a good ride of twenty miles yesterday with some big hills.  We did use our motors on those, one bit in particular was Jawbone hill in Oughtibridge and it is really steep you can read about it over here Jawbone hill so we were glad of the motors at that point, I only use it on the hills I struggle with and I think we are out exercising and there is no way we would be able to do some of the routes we do without them.  So that said I am not feeling guilty about that, I am not an experienced cyclist so this is getting us out and I am sure I am getting better.  At first I went really slow down hill on the roads as I was nervous but I feel more confident now. 

 Watching Undercover, the drama series, well I say watching rather watched now as we viewed the last episode of series two last night.  I really enjoyed this and they managed to do a second series that was completely different from the first but still followed the story on from the last one, it was well done and worth watching.   It is a Belgian, Dutch-language crime drama and is on Netflix, you need to watch series one if you are going to give it a go so you understand the plot. 

Lengthening  my bedroom curtains, now I have a large and rather cold bay window in my bedroom despite being double glazed, it also has a cold wall below it I think the cavity wall insulation does not go in that bit for some reason.  Anyway I have two pairs of curtains up there as it it wide and last year I double lined them with thermal backing.  The wall below is still cool though, and liking the curtains I thought of a solution.  I bought a heavily discounted pair of curtains in a solid colour and I have added a colour block to the bottom of my existing ones.  I am happy with it, my husband thought  it was odd but I think it's a design feature and from what I have seen you can get some curtains with colour blocked bands at the bottom.  It has saved me buying two very large new pairs and wasting the ones I like.

  I know some people just have a flat pole going across the wall in front of it but you lose part of the room when it is closed that way.  There was a piece left of the curtain fabric that has also covered a foam base cushion for the caravan, a piece that extends the bed, so that was another little job done.

Baking homemade GF crumpets form the Jack Monroe site, these were very time consuming so I am not sure I would make them again in a hurry.  What with the rising and then waiting for them to cook and turn over, as you can only do a few at a time in a pan.  They tasted good but as I say too lengthy a process.  The recipe is for regular ones on the site, I decided to make both kinds so I could eat them as well so that did also add to the time. 

Feeling thankful for all that I have at this time when so many are struggling, health, family and everything else. Remembering to stop and appreciate things and not let the little day to day events steal my joy.

Thank you for stopping by and have a lovely week.