June was worth writing about.....

.......but I just didn't. Guess nothing was amazingly, instantly, worthy of sharing. But there was a mix of highs, lows and just the normal plodding along.

M's Creative Computing Club moved into its very own premises and we had helped where we could with the building refurbishment to get it lab ready for classes (hubby far more useful than me). We were invited to the Grand Opening event, lots of people there and all saying lovely things about M and I even saw a couple of people I know. So very proud of M and Daughter too and all they've achieved so far, although I've a feeling there will be bigger dreams M wants to achieve. He was also honored by a BAFTA award for best UK mentor to young games designers! WOW

We've had the usual coffee morning and I've attended my monthly craft day where I've taken this black knitting for quite some time, well I finally finished the knitting (but sewn together in July).

With Daughter E has been doing uni visits. Some have needed sleepovers with friends nearby and that often means sleepover here too for O. R and Tilly like to spend their daytime here but we can't have the dog overnight so we take them home mid-evening.

I needed a third op for bladder cancer, thankfully this closer look found nothing that needed removal but they took biopsies anyway and they gave clear results. 😀

I've been playing with boro/shakio visible mending. This is a very old (and comfy) tshirt I sleep in.

Also in my bid to save throwing stuff into landfill I made some kitchen scrubbies from double thickness old towelling and the netting bag that satsumas come in. They seem to work quite well and regularly get thrown into the dishwasher so no chance of getting smelly.

SERV as a charity mostly using bike riders, have now decided all their riders need to be advanced level, so Hubby is now doing advanced rider lessons. Apparently he has a few minor bad habits that need correcting hahaha

Now summer events for SERV are in full swing I'm often alone at weekends when he's standing in a field/fete/supermarket entrance and some of Fridays when he's out filling the van or setting up mostly with M&S (not the store) hard working local volunteers and friends. Along with others he does talks and attends presentations too.

Daughter had 10 days at Kentwell, so we go into child+dog care mode. Daughter started the first four days with O as E was staying with friends. On the Monday Hubby took E to Kentwell and brought O back to stay with us. Meanwhile the whole time R and Tilly were picked up every morning and taken home every evening, and some days she was working at Red Rose Theatre so Hubby was constant transport and I was constant cook. Love having them here. Discovered our garden isn't totally dog-proof as she got out twice! Tilly likes a lot of attention

I had a lovely catchup lunch with friends made some 23 years ago when we did the art A level course. Two students and the teacher.
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The Red Jeans Challenge........

I think I've said this before but just to remind you, one day a month a large group of us get together and have a craft day. Our venue is within a residential community supporting adults with learning disabilities and more severe problems.

The charity were donated hundreds of these brand new capri length hipster ladies jeans in various sizes but all bright red. They have tried selling to anyone and everyone they know,  in their local charity shop, in bulk on ebay and singly on ebay, only asking £1 a pair but the huge pile is going down very very slowly.

I mentioned some time ago that for such a small cost it was worth buying for the fabric as so many upcycle ideas for denim are possible. So now T(our beloved leader and devoted fundraiser for the charity) has decided to run a competition on the lines of The Great British Sewing Bee invention test to make items to donate back to the charity for them to sell. I've bought six pairs (one of each size) to play with (I did try a pair on but think they are too red for me).

First item I made was this bag (see how I managed to use up a few ties which are still hanging about too).

Next I tackled a wallet which turned out to be a lot trickier than I thought it would so plenty of sewing, unpicking and resewing. I'd seen a picture of something similar but no pattern or instructions. Those ties came in handy again as I used the inner stiffening to give the wallet structure. I'm sure when I make the next one it will be easier.

Also using the little jean zip I made a little coin purse 

An apron came next with ties for tying. 

Here's a pot for putting stuff in or plants etc. Inside two small plastic bottles so watering a plant isn't a problem, you could also use empty milk containers or cans so even less going out with the rubbish. 

Another little cross body bag

And a plastic lined bag to carry your water bottles

Small pouch for headphones or charger cables or whatever

For the Christmas rag-wreaths we are making for the charity to sell I've made three poinsettia flowers to tie on

And even small scraps and belt loops get used, bows with clips on the back so they can be broaches or hair ornaments

Just from the discarded seams a fabric statement necklace

Plus a bit of forward planning for Valentine's day 

It now turns out that the sewing bee challenge never actually got going with anyone else so my makes will be for sale on the handicraft stall at their Christmas Fair.......and I've still got three pairs of jeans I've not cut into yet. 

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May Challenge......

On facebook I'm in a crafting group and someone has come up with the idea of setting a monthly challenge.

The first challenge for May is to "make your version of this card".

It seems the majority of crafters in this group are card makers that watch the crafting channels and buy the equipment they sell, use dies and mangle type machines for cutting, stamps and embossing tools and other fancy gadgets.
I don't make cards like that. I rarely make cards at all.

I do craft though and wanted to join in the monthly challenge mainly to show my support for someone trying to add a little fun to the group.
So my version of that card became a bag!

Yin and yang.......

Don't know why I'm not getting here much just now, unless it's a theatre trip which I tend to do straight away. Good if I'm busy and not fitting blogging in but bad if I don't feel there's anything worth blogging about.

We bought a new mattress, we really needed it! I hate shopping and researching and choosing, then my friend happened to say they'd bought a new mattress, really good price and it had very good reviews, so I said to send me the link and I bought the same. It's thicker so higher than the last one so I have to do a bit of a Fosbury Flop to get onto it and when new it did smell a bit but that soon went.......and it's really comfortable. We got new pillows too and because I must be sleeping differently I'm guessing that's why I'm dreaming more than I ever did, which is neither a good or bad.

While knitting the end came off a fairly new circular needle, so I contacted the seller and asked for a replacement. Not knowing how long it would take and wanting emergency spares I also did a next day delivery for a really cheap set of bamboo circular needles. The bamboo ones arrived and they were sooooo smelly I didn't want to use them like that, so I washed them in perfumed liquid soap and hung them to dry over a towel to catch the drips......then I couldn't unplug the sink! Had to stay like that all day till Hubby got home. Hubby fixed the sink but by which time the whole bathroom smelt like the cords on the bamboo needles, so they got thrown onto the garden table to be left outside for a couple of days. Now two weeks later they have finally lost most of the pong! Actually the metal replacement came only a day later so knitting commenced.

In January we ordered a four piece leather suite (more horrid choosing and decision making) and in April they were ready to be delivered. Daughter now has two pieces of our original suite, but only after Hubby and Daughter manhandled (womanhandled) them out of ours into a borrowed van and into hers (needing to remove and replace porch patio doors), then took her discarded sofa and arm chair out to go to the tip, although halfway there he remembered that our tip now stays closed on a Wednesday so that became Thursdays job before the van had to go back. And while our lounge was relatively empty it was carpet cleaning time. We sat like newlyweds on the one remaining two seater sofa for the following week. The new suite (what is it with very smelly new stuff?) is brown so most of the old blue cushions looked wrong, so with my trusty sewing machine, an upcycled knitted jacket and a piece of material which had been in my stash for years we have new cushions (for free)

Yesterday was a fun celebration for an old friend's 80th birthday. We were honored to be included with mostly family and a few very close friends!
Tomorrow is the funeral for a very old friend. At the crematorium we are honored to be included with mostly family and a few very close friends!
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A present for me by me.......

I needed a foot stool that's not as high as the one that came with the lounge furniture and I've looked around for a while now but our suite is very dark navy leather but you'd only really realise it's navy if you try to put black next to it.....seems navy isn't a fashionable colour right now as I've seen almost every other colour in various fabrics that won't go, so I decided I'd have to make my own.

The last time it was mentioned I was out shopping with Daughter and E in a shop that had unsuitable ones,  and I thought just in case they decided to hunt something down or make as my Christmas present I'd better wait. They didn't and I got lots and lots of other lovely stuff (I'm so lucky).

Boxing day I made a start with a pair of jeans that didn't fit anymore and repurposed three large cushions that were just being ornamental on an upstairs spare bed. Because I was using ready made cushion shapes and not just stuffing a box all three sides of the base had to be hand sewn which took some time and pliers for the tough denim bits that the needle (and my fingers) struggled with.

I'm really pleased with my new pouffe, and it has pockets hahaha

A big behind....

...on this blog!

There's been no more DIY disruptions to report on as our next door neighbours have had a new drive laid so Hubby had been there for some of the digging out prep and helping to load the skip. He really can't sit still.

For me there's been lots of creating recently with knitting and crochet and sewing. BFriendM has a big birthday today and I've made her three handbags to go with the handbag organiser. Couldn't post photos of them before in case she saw and spoilt the surprise.

I was really pleased with them' just wish I was a better photographer ;o)

FriendT had her monthly crafters gathering at the 'busy bungalow' where it's mostly chat and some crafting but lots of swapping knowledge and ideas. Last time I swapped my baby ball pattern with FriendP's scarf pattern (that she designed herself).

I do have 'blocking' issues though as the edges roll even after wet blocking twice (second time in case I hadn't rinsed it enough and added some softener. I've tried steam blocking once before and managed to flatten what I'd knitted completely as I haven't got a decent steam iron so won't do it that way again. I'm really happy using the cheapest acrylic yarn I can find if it's not for clothes, which is probably part of the problem but there must be a solution so any suggestions gratefully received.

 

Last week also saw me reliving my motorbike terrors, when R went on her maiden ride with Granddad! She used Daughter's crash helmet and bought her own leather jacket off ebay. I waved them off through gritted teeth.

 

 She loved it! E wants to ride too, so fingers crossed we get another sunny day when she has the time.

 

Did hear this week that our gardener has finally decided to retire at the end of this year (he's 72) so I guess I'll have to do a bit more out there as Hubby hates the general keeping tidy jobs and only enjoys all the big stuff, whereas my favourite bit out there is just to sit back and admire everyone else's hard work hahahaha

 

Yesterday we joined BFriendM's family to celebrate her birthday. So special being included as family. Today I'm meeting up with a friend from my youth (yes that long ago) and we managed to find each other on facebook and meet up for the first time nearly four years ago and this is our earliest opportunity to do it again.

 

My diary seems quite full from now till the end of the year so from a big behind to plenty in-front.....or is that just me!!!

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First cut is the deepest.....

Or I could have called this "Fear is my best motivation".

I have a nice black coat that is a good fit and very useful in-between weight and has deep pockets and a hood, perfect.....except for one of those two-way zips that is a nightmare and has completely trapped me inside more than once, I have even been in a posh restaurant and had to push my coat downwards to step out of it, then had to go home freezing because I couldn't get back into it (actually very funny when I look back but not at the time). Having survived this winter just using the press-studs I'd decided that I need to make it into a button up coat. The four decorative buttons on the pockets are of course perfect for down the front.

So the project is to cut out the zip, reposition the buttons, cut and stitch four button holes and shorten the back of the hood (it comes right over my face). Yesterday, I carefully cut out the zip (not too bad as I hadn't used it for some time) and stitched the back of the hood. This morning I hunted the house for where I'd put the forth button when it fell off, somewhere safe to sew on again, somewhere very safe as it took me ages to find!

I measured and pinned where the button holes should go.......then I brought down the dirty washing and put the first load in the washing machine, then moved the coat along the sofa and checked my email and social networking sites again, unloaded the dishwasher and reloaded and ran it, then I cleaned all the kitchen paying special attention to the stainless steel sink, put a second load of washing on and hung the first lot upstairs on the clothes horse, went into the bathroom and washed my hair and brushed my teeth, then cleaned the bathroom, downstairs to make a coffee and took one out to hubby who is erecting a shed, sat with my coffee, looked at my coat, then heard the washing machine spin to a stop, so on with the third load and upstairs with the second, then out to check on hubby and see what time he wants lunch "now will do", so made lunch. After that I cleaned the dinning room, wrote out a birthday card and phoned a restaurant to book a table (for June), then it was 2:30 and my nail technician arrived so I sat for an hour being manicured and of course I can't do anything for a little while afterwards............then it's 4:30 so I cut four holes and sewed them around! Phew!!!

Really pleased with my rejuvenated coat, and my clean house  :o)
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