Summer days

Hi again,

Summer has taken a long time to get here this year. Supposedly it has been one of the coldest springs for many years in the UK. But today it feels like it truly arrived. It's been warm and quite lovely. Just the sort of day that makes you think of summer treats...

One of my favourite things is having a high tea. We do our own version, smoked salmon and cucumber sandwiches, pâté on water wafers, scones, strawberries and clotted cream, thin slices of cake and any other dainty cakes that come to mind. All served with a pot of tea - Quite delicious!!!


I wish the photos were better... They don't do it justice- but I got enough complaints making everyone wait while I took two quick photos so I didn't dare go get a better camera.


The perfect end to a lovely day in the garden.

Until next time
Gillian

I love owls

Hi again,

I thought I would show my gorgeous owls that I popped into my new craft bag yesterday. I made them a few months ago but they are so sweet I want to share them with you.

Here are Hottie and Hoots.




They are from a Whimsicals booklet called Buttons and Blooms. I used some Japanese linen fat quarter fabrics I bought early last year to make them. The texture of the linen makes them look so much more interesting than patchwork fabric alone would do.

The booklet also has a pretty bag I want to make soon...




... How lucky I bought the picture panel at the same time I bought the booklet... oh, and a meter each of some small print green fabric and a pale green fabric with owls, birds and branches. I am sure I can find some other matching fabric in my stash to be able to start the bag as soon as I want.

Until next time
Gillian

Craft bag

Hi again,

I've been away from blogland for a while, busy with real life making things.

The Great British Sewing Bee has been inspirational, taking me back to my sewing machine. I've started with sewing dolls clothes and now I'm moving on to bags and clothes.

Today I completed my Butterick b 5741 multi pocket craft bag.


It's a good size, 31 cm wide, 31 cm high and 23 cm deep.


There are four small pockets, 16 cm wide by 19 cm tall...perfect for a pattern envelope and multiple bits and pieces.


There a two side pockets big enough for a booklet or magazine at 23 cm by 24 cm.


It also can hold an A4 file and a large Plastic tub easily with lots of room to spare. I am so happy with that.

It took longer to make than I expected, mainly because the handles were awkward; thick seams and heavyweight fabric do not go well with curved facing and topstitching. My inexperience means I got impatient and just got on with it instead of pausing and thinking of a better way- I was desperate to finish today.

So on reflection, the good bits- great size and pockets too. A bag that will be useful.

The bad bits- the awkward handle, maybe I'll square off the top and make a strappy handle next time.

What did I change- I didn't use interfacing, I felt the canvas I used was thick enough. It would have been really hard to sew if it was thicker still. I also only had one metre of fabric, instead of the 1.4 m needed per the pattern so had to raid my scraps for facing and lining material.

What will I change next time- maybe change the handles, or maybe not as they do look good. I also think I might use a plain fabric with some bias binding to edge the top and pockets.

The biggest surprise- I didn't like the fabric at first, I originally bought it to make a present for someone with different taste to me. Maybe it's because it just reminds me of British summer flowers, but I just love it now.

Until next time
Gillian

100 Granny squares blanket

Hi again,

On Sunday night I finished joining my 10 square by 10 square bright granny square blanket.








I love it already. 100 beautiful, bright and cheerful little squares... Omg that's 100 times 2 ends to sew in... 200 ends... Arrrhhh!!!!!!

Until next time
Gillian

Cold, cold, cold Eden

Hi again,

During half term, on Thursday we went to the Eden Project. They do a scheme whereby local people can get annual or two year passes at a discounted rate if they buy during a particular month, so each winter we make a visit to take advantage of the offer. To be fair we wouldn't be able to afford to go each year otherwise... don't get me wrong- it's brilliant, but we would spend our money on new places to visit rather than go to the same place all the time if we had to pay full price. As it is we will now be able to go anytime we like in the next two years for no additional cost... perfect for a place to walk all through the changing seasons.




The sun makes it look a lot warmer than it was...








We happily went into the biomes to warm up!




In the Mediterranean biome a splash of brightness caught my eye... Beautiful spring daffodils...




I also found this lovely flower- I think it might be an orchid but I'm not sure.




Once again we are so grateful we live so near the Eden project.

Until next time
Gillian

Cold, cold, cold Stonehenge

Hi again,
On the way back from Surrey, a week last Wednesday, we went to Stonehenge on our way back to Cornwall. As National Trust members we get free admission, so we decided on a visit. As soon as we got out of the car we felt the bitter cold wind, the sort that seeps through even the tiniest gaps in your clothes to chill you to the bone. We quickly decided it would be a quick visit!!! In fact most people were doing a fast walk around, we think the wind chill was taking the temperature well below zero and as Stonehenge is very exposed there was no way to shelter from it.




We even look cold in the photos...








I think we got to the point where we just kind of huddled together to conserve some body heat!!!




What a spectacular place... Even if it took a couple of hours to warm up after our visit.




Until next time
Gillian

Dad's Dollshouse

Hi again,

My dad was a builder and carpenter all his working life and, though he is now retired, he still likes to make things. He has made three dollshouses from scratch to a standard that would pass a building inspectors scrutiny. Each is handcrafted from larger planks of wood to his own design. He estimates that each took ten working days to build. The houses are basically a timber frame which will be the base from which the house will rise. The roof and upper floor will lift off separately to allow access to the ground floor.












At the moment I don't have room to build one, but one is carefully wrapped up with my name firmly on it! It will be my ultimate project for some point in the future, building a house from the walls up. A true one of a kind project! I am so excited that I already have started planning the rooms... in the meantime I will hone my building skills practicing on smaller projects.

Until next time
Gillian

Witley Common

Hi again,
Last Tuesday we went for a walk on Witley Common. It is just a few minutes walk from my parents house and we often walk there when we visit.




As usual Kieran and Sean had to find staffs (big sticks to the rest of us!) and pretend to be in Lord of the Rings...




It was quite nippy in the air and the sun was low in the sky, giving long shadows and a real light and dark contrast.




It's a lovely place to walk, though I have to say I am a little sad at the way the National Trust is developing the common. They apparently wish to return it to heathland- a point that irritates us is that my Dad is in his 70's and says that it was never heathland in his whole life. Anyway this involves removing most of the existing woodland, and presumably managing the regrowth to prevent the re-establishment of trees, in the past this would have been done by grazing livestock, but will now have to be managed by man. So at the moment the trees are being chopped down and heather is running rampant. Ultinately this will make the soil poorer and increase the acidifcation of the soil. What a shame as it was a beautiful stretch of woods, and there is plenty of heathland in the nearby areas of Frensham. Whilst heathland might be rarer than it used to be, there is also value to woodland.


I have grown up enjoying the woods, walking and playing on the Common. I love to come back here...



It's a place we always go as a family when we visit.




Witley Common, 2013.




Until next time
Gillian

Portsmouth

Hi again,
We finally made it to Portsmouth the third Monday of Februrary. I won't go through all that has happened but will summarise and say that several times we planned to go but life got in the way and the shopping trip kept getting cancelled. So 18 months after Thomas moved to Portsmouth we finally went shopping at the fabulous Gunwharf Quay, walked past the HMS Warrior and saw the quirky Spinnaker Tower.




Portsmouth is a really nice place, it fells safe walking around and everyone we met was friendly and chatty.




Finally a photo of all my boys (including John!).
I am already planning our next trip to Portsmouth... I definitely can see getting most of our Christmas present shopping there...
Until next time
Gillian

Crochet granny blankets update

Hi again,

Another quick post as I'm still not back to full health, though I went back to work last Monday. Yesterday I had to see an emergency doctor and he nebulised me. I don't even think it was an asthmatic attack, just chest pains that I'm having a lot recently, unfortunately my asthma is really playing up right now, so I'm back on steroids again too... I really wish it would all go away, I guess it's back to the doctor tomorrow...

Anyway, I thought I would give a brief update of my granny blankets that I'm still working on.

Loose hexagon/squares, double knit acrylic wool, 4.5mm crochet hook



Large squares, 9 rounds, double knit acrylic wool, 4.5 mm crochet hook



Small squares, Stylecraft special double knit acrylic wool (the nicest wool I've worked with), 4.0mm crochet hook



Today I was comparing my crochet made with different hook sizes 4.00mm and 4.5mm. Basically I've usually made grannies with a 4.5mm hook but recently saw the fabulous granny blanket made by the fabulous Lucy at Attic 24 (http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/2012/09/granny-patchwork-blanket-.html and http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/2013/02/granny-patchwork-blanket-ta-dah.html). She uses a smaller hook to give a small more dense result which I think gives a pleasing look.

This is a quick photo showing the different effect changing the hook size gives. The larger hook work is softer and less structured, the smaller is tighter and firmer. Obviously the larger hook crochets up a larger size more quickly, so if I was trying to make a large blanket I would probably go with a larger hook, especially as I take so long to finish anything!!!!



Until next time
Gillian

I've not been well

Hi again,

I haven't been well this week with tonsillitis and pneumonia so I've just spent 6 days in bed per the doctors orders. I guess I'm feeling a bit better the last couple of days because I finally feel like doing something...

... A little reading, with Jaffa cakes (for energy!!!), curled up under my favourite double quilt I made a few years ago. I've discovered the Emperors Edge books by Lindsay Buroker (steampunk fiction that's fast paced and exciting)- a really good read


...a little crochet, well more looking at what I've already done and thinking of doing some more- the pretty colours make me feel happier too


Until next time
Gillian

Let there be light...

Hi again,

I'm having my midweek lull- also known as I'm too tired to do much, roll on the weekend!



I did however put the the lights in the Modern Witches Cottage. They are battery lights and, I must admit, are not as bright as I expected. They do however look pretty good and add some decorative interest.



I tried to place them so they had maximum impact, one by the living area and one by the bed.



I am very happy with how they fit with the look of a cottage. I wanted something subtle but stylish and they are just right.



Finally tonight, here are the two canvas pictures for the wall above the side table by the bed.



Until next time
Gillian

Weekly targets updates

Hi again,

Last week I listed my targets for the week

So the completed list is...

Furniture shabby chic'd
Stove painted
Roof completed
Platform shabby chic'd
Wash stand painted

I bought two canvas's from Ebay for the walls instead of painting abstracts... I really liked the canvas's as they look like faux windows, so the outcome is better than if I'd done my own.

The outstanding items are to sew up the duvet, pillows and cushions. I blame dark winter days and cold hands for not wanting to hand sew at the moment, but I need it done...so this is my target for the next week.


Until next time
Gillian

Painting day

Hi again,

The thing with painting is you need to do it, then let it dry. This is the bit I get impatient with. So I try to start early in the day, then go off to do other things.

Today I sanded the rough bits and put another coat of paint on the Rangers Cabin outer walls. I also bought some wallpaper border adhesive ( ready mixed in a tube for ease) so I could put the tile paper on the roof of the Modern Witches Cottage. Then I had to leave them to dry...as I'd completely covered our kitchen table, I had to stop crafting for a while... At least I had some ironing to keep me occupied!!!!




After the tile paper dried I trimmed it and then spent a few tense minutes wood gluing the two halves together before placing it on the cottage to dry in the correct position. It looks good, just a little bit of touching up to do (when I trimmed the roof paper I sort of scraped some of the paint off the eaves-oops!).

Thalia and the dogs quickly moved back in... From the gloom inside it's clear I must put the lights in next- I have some battery lamps as I didn't want to commit the cottage to always being in one place next to the electrical socket.




Whilst I had the wood glue out, I stuck the roof on the Steampunk Observatory (bandstand). A quick fixit I thought- unfortunately it wasn't a clean fit and a couple of bits had to be sanded to get the roof to go on properly- no one will know from looking at it, but it was awkward to put together.




Then it was back to the Rangers Cabin, touching up the outer walls and putting two coats of brown/mocha on the woodwork frame and window frames.




To the right of this photo is the roof trim for the cottage- painted to match the doors and windows.



Ok, so I know that's lots of projects on the go, but whole days when you can have time to paint are few and far between... midweek crafting has to be cleaner and tidier, and be a lot quicker to clear away! I do love all day Sunday crafting days!!!

Until next time
Gillian