a runner, some stockings and bread

I've done quite a bit of sewing - but then, that's not unusual for me. As the sign on my sewing room wall says "my sewing room is my happy place" so it makes sense that I spend a LOT of time in it. So, what have I been making?

Well, Joanna asked me if I'd make her a runner for her living room window sill. She gave me the sizes but told me she didn't mind what colours I used or the design I chose. I had a bit of a think and decided to do a sort of bargello design and this is what I came up with. I am sooooo happy with it.

For the back, I used a piece of Russian doll fabric that I've had for quite some time. Joanna loves Russian dolls so I reckoned, if she didn't like the top, she could always turn it upside down ... but why she wouldn't like the top, I just don't know! She does like the top! She's only seen it in photos but, as soon as we are let out, this will be heading her way.

After that, I made some stockings for my tartan bee shop. First a couple of patchwork stockings -

And a couple of cuffed stockings.

I've temporarily closed my Etsy shop as I'm not going out right now - even to the post office. I have plenty of other cuffed stockings cut out and ready to sew and have 4 sets of squares ready to be sewn into the patchwork stockings so plenty to keep me going.

We were running out of bread so I'd been using my breadmaker quite a few times. It makes perfect bread every time but I got a (crazy) notion to make some in my mixer instead. My problem - always! - with non-breadmaker made bread is getting it to rise properly and this time was no different. After waiting nearly 5 hours, I finally just thought "to hang with it" and put it back in the mixer for its last 10 minute knead. It then went into its tin and did rise - because I set it on the open grill door whilst the oven below it was on! After baking it looked good.

It tasted good - if a little salty - but, as I said to Douglas, the breadmaker bread is so easy in comparison and tastes good too so why put myself (and my Kenwood) through the torture?

I'd put in an order for groceries 3 weeks ago and they got delivered yesterday. There seemed to be an awful lot but, since it's nearly 6 weeks since I was at a supermarket, I'm not beating myself up about it. As expected, there were some substitutions most of which I understood. The one that puzzled me was, I ordered 2 small bags of shredded iceberg lettuce. The bags weigh 100g each (about 4oz). They didn't have any so what did they give me 2 bags of shredded iceberg lettuce weighing 260g per bag. OMG! I don't know if we'll get through that much lettuce - I thought it might be a bit of a struggle to get through both 100g bags! I'm going to have to investigate if lettuce soup is a thing.

Stay home! Stay safe! 💕

2 finishes and a lion

I spent a l-o-n-g time last week finishing off the two quilts I was making with my scraps. I am sooooooooo happy with them both. I've decided I'm giving one to each of our girls and they're both delighted by the idea.

Here's the front of one of the quilts:

And the back:

The front of the other one:

And the back:

I used up most of the scraps I had - although they seem to be breeding again!! - and I used up oddments of bindings all joined together for the outside bindings. I didn't have enough of the navy blue sheet I used for the fronts so used up some jade and some jade/blue stripes on the backs. I didn't have quite enough of the stripey one to do all the rows so used a navy spot on one of them - on the 2nd and 4th rows - and a navy stripe on the other. All in all, a LOT of leftovers were used up in these quilts. Very chuffed about that!

So, the lion. When our girls were wee, I made them a big sit-on lion which we called Benny. Debbie asked me if I still had the pattern for him but I didn't so the internet searching started. Joanna did most of the work but didn't quite get there. She showed me a lion she'd found which was similar but wasn't a big sit-on one but it was by the same designer which meant I knew what to look for. I found the pattern on ebay and, within days, it was in my grubby paws. This is the picture that goes with the pattern.

Debbie assured me she'd make him herself but asked me if I could do the pattern for her - it's printed on a grid and you're meant to draw if copying it on to 5cm grid paper. I decided I'd rather see if I could get it to print out to size so I scanned a 4 wide by 5 high block from the pattern which is what would fit on a sheet of A4 paper, printed that out and WOW! it printed out with the grid measuring 5cm. I couldn't believe it had worked at the first attempt!

Anyway, I printed it all out, stuck it together and cut it all out and this is what we've got.

We've got all the fur fabric, the felt, the laces for his face and paws ready to go but he'll have to stay here until we're allowed out again. Hopefully in the not too distant future.

On that note, I have to say, the worst part of being on lockdown is the lack of family hugs. I am definitely a hugger and to not be able to hug my girls and my wee girlies is so hard. Like I said - hopefully in the not too distant future. Stay home. Stay safe. 💕