getting back to "normal"

It's been a strange day today. We were up before the crack of dawn (3.45am - yawn!!) to get Deb and Jay off to the airport for the long journey home. Douglas got back at about 6am and I was already on the second load of washing by then. (There was no way I could have gone back to bed until he was back so I just got on with things.) We just spoke to Debs on the iChat and they've arrived home safe and well and all the stuff they took with them seems to have arrived safely too. No breakages which is amazing considering all the breakables they took home with them!

Anyway, we've got the house back to ourselves again. Diana, my dressmaking dummy, has moved back into the spare room along with the ironing board and all sorts of other stuff that I'd moved out to allow them to have some room in there. I did a humoungous ironing and got into the sewing room and cut out a shopping bag which will zip into its own pocket. More about that when I get it finished.

In the meantime, I'm going to show you some photos of a cake Jo made a few weeks ago which I didn't blog about. It was for her work so we didn't actually get any of the cake other than a few trimmings. Probably just as well, actually, when you see how many Kit Kats and Smarties there are on it! But, oh, doesn't it look good??

the shed

Whilst Debbie and Jason have been here, Jason has helped Douglas to build a new shed. Actually, it would be far more truthful to say that Douglas was helping Jason!

I took photos throughout the whole process. The first one is actually from last year at this time as I completely forgot to take a before photo! Anyway, here they are in order.

It's not quite finished but Douglas is being entrusted to do the finishing off ... and I've to nag him to make sure he does it. I can do that! :oD

Debbie and Jason head back to Canada tomorrow. I'm trying not to think too much about that as I'm bound to get upset. I'm trying to think, instead, of getting my sewing room back to myself again. And to not having piles of stuff lying all around the house! Now that I am definitely looking forward to! :oD

featured!

I am so excited to be featured on the Totally Tutorials blog today. It's for my flirty frilly pinny tutorial!

How exciting! :o)

sunrise ~ sunset 26 March

Today's figures are:

dawn to dusk = 13 hours and 58 minutes (33 minutes more than last week)

sunrise to sunset = 12 hours and 43 minutes (33 minutes more than last week)

Our clocks went forward yesterday so that's why the times look like they've slipped back since last week!

engaging

Whilst on holiday here with us, Jason got down on one knee and proposed to Debbie and she said "yes". :o)

We're all so happy for them both. :o)

sunrise ~ sunset 19 March

Today's figures are:

dawn to dusk = 13 hours and 25 minutes (34 minutes more than last week)

sunrise to sunset = 12 hours and 10 minutes (33 minutes more than last week)

fabrics!

Well, as I said in my last post, I've been busy with the entertaining of Debbie and Jason who are over from Canada for a visit. I thought I'd just show my face on here long enough to show off the fabrics - and pattern - they brought me. They went to the same shop that we'd gone to when we were over there last year.

Without further ado, here they all are.

Spots, flowers, cupcakes, stripes, welly boots, checks, animals and a gorgeous flannel baby panel. All wonderful stuff! :o)

cushions and sweetpeas

Debbie and Jason are coming for a visit tomorrow so the spare room had to be tidied/re-organised to make room for them. In the process of that tidying, I found a couple of cushion pads I had bought to fill the round cushion covers I was knitting. I'd bought the wrong size - too small - so I'd just tossed them on the spare bed and thought I'd make covers for them "some day". Well, today was that day.

Of course, me being me, I couldn't just make 2 covers and be done with it, could I? Oh no. I decided that it was about time that the 4 cushions which sat on the couches in the living room could do with some new covers too. So, instead of making 2 new covers, I made 6 - 2 each of 3 fabrics.

Here they are on the couches. This one shows the round cushion as well. Don't they all look fab alongside the crochet blankies? I think so! :o)

And here are the other two with Rosie snoozing nearby.

The best bit - apart from them looking fab - is that I used 3 pieces of my stash to make them. No buttons or zips were used as I made them with envelope backs.

Here are the sweetpeas which Douglas sewed last week. They're really growing quickly. I swear, if you stood watching them, you'd see them growing! Roll on the summer when they bloom and I can cut them and bring them into the house.

If I'm not around here much in the next 2 weeks, it's because I'm entertaining Debbie and Jason ... or more likely snoozing on the couch like Rosie because I'm exhausted from the entertaining! :oD

sunrise ~ sunset 12 March

Today's figures are:

dawn to dusk = 12 hours and 51 minutes (33 minutes more than last week)

sunrise to sunset = 11 hours and 37 minutes (33 minutes more than last week)

baby quilt - all done ... and my new wheels

I hand-sewed the binding on to the back of the baby quilt today and, even if I do say so myself, I think it's stunning!

I laid it on the back of the couch after I'd photographed the above photo and thought I'd take some photos of my favourite squares:

I love the teddy caught with his tongue sticking out after eating the jam -

I love the sleepy bear - shame it's fuzzy!

And the owls -

And the music and the dice (and the frog and the spots and the brick wall) -

Then there are the doggy bones, the spots, the frog and the sheriff's stars -

And the snowmen and snails -

And the horse -

And the matryoshkas, the bikes, chickens, tractors/diggers and snail -

The crazy cats, the chicks and eggs and the Q for quilt -

Actually, I could have just taken photos of all 81 squares as they all have something that I love in them.

As for the new wheels, here's what I picked up today.

It's a Hyundai i10 and, so far, I just love it. I'm not too smooth at the gear changing yet but I'm sure I'll be fine after I've been out in it a few times.

baby quilt - almost done

I got on really well with the baby quilt today. Here's the top all sewn together: I *LOVE* it!

Pinned and ready for quilting:

With the stripey binding sewn on and ready for pinning and hand-sewing.

I have now pinned the binding to the back but am leaving the hand-sewing until tomorrow. :o)

And, just in case you think I get the exact photo I want on the first attempt ...

... not only was the sun so strong that the shadows were really dark but Rosie also decided to come and see if she could help! :oD

blouses and a baby quilt

I finally remembered to take photos of the 2 blouses I made last week. They're both McCall's 5359 which I just love. I don't even need to look at the instructions these days as I've made it so often - and have plans to make even more as well!!

Red gingham:

And pink stripe:

The baby quilt is for my cousin's daughter whose first baby is due this month. Talk about cutting it fine!

55 x 4½" squares

26 alphabet pictures which I then sewed on to another 26 x 4½" squares

I then sewed them into rows of 9 squares.

And this is me ready to join the rows up:

I had to stop sewing as my back and neck were beginning to ache. I've learned that, if I don't stop sewing when my back and neck tell me to, there's a great possibility of not being able to move for a couple of days. Been there, done that. Tomorrow's another day and I'm hoping it'll be the day I get the top finished. :o)

sunrise ~ sunset - 5 March

Today's figures are:

dawn to dusk = 12 hours and 18 minutes (31 minutes more than last week)

sunrise to sunset = 11 hours and 4 minutes (33 minutes more than last week)