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.