WOYWW Past, Present(s) and Future

Hi Everyone - sorry if this is rather a long 'un for WOYWW, Julia, but it's mostly pics, and you can whizz through them.

Before I start, thank you for all the lovely comments last week. I didn't want (or expect) to hear how great I was to help my friend with her blanket - I'm definitely no Mother Teresa, it was no big deal! I just couldn't imagine how cobbled together it was going to look, after so much time, sweat and tears going into something that wasn't going to be at all square, and simply sewn together. It would probably have put her off crochet for life!

PAST

School holidays have a tendency to fly without us doing anything special so, as the weather was so wonderful on Monday, DH and I took Mum to Ann Hathaway's Cottage (Shakespeare's wife, for anyone who didn't know). We had a great time, and the guides were so helpful, making sure that Mum saw as much of the house and grounds as she could. 

Apparently, no matter how many colour tulips they plant, after 3-4 years, they all seem to revert to yellow or red.

The house is beautiful, and very different from the two room home that Ann was brought up in. It belonged to the Hathaway family from the time Ann's grandfather was a tenant farmer (late 1400s) to 1911, and has been added to and updated down through the ages.

The entrance fee of £9 each sounded expensive to me (cheapskate!! LOL) until I realised that it was for a year's pass. We have decided to go back in June, when the 16 little beds of sweet peas are in flower, that they were planting yesterday, and all the other summer blooms.

PRESENT(S)

Nothing spectacular on the crafting front this week - I spent yesterday afternoon in the garden, digging over one of the veg beds. I'll do one each day (four in all) so I don't do myself in.

This afternoon, I just took 6" off the bottom of Mum's dressing gown, so she can wear it without tripping

I finished the back of DDs cushion, having finally decided on a pattern. The first couple of tries came out too thick and chunky for the front, so I ended up doing two trebles above each pair below.

I haven't shown you Mum's finished room yet, so here it is. I just have to put her family photo's on the long wall above the bed.

She's very happy and cosy in there, I'm pleased to say.

FUTURE

Hopefully, little heaps of stuff like this around the house will soon be things of the past, when I get all my crafty bits upstairs, and sorted in my new craft/guest room. Whoop whoop!!

Before I forget, a warm welcome to all the lovely peeps who have joined my little band of followers. It is much appreciated. xx

In the meantime, I hope the sun is shining for you as it is here. Have a great week, and don't forget to pop over to see all the work going on around the globe, via Julia's blog.

Lots of love,

Chris xx

WOYWW Bits and Pieces

Seems like a lot of activity this week, without much to show for it.

Work continues on the back of the cushion for DD. I'll hopefully finish it to give her next week, for Easter, and will post a pic then.

Meanwhile, the saga of Mum moving upstairs continues. I'm doing it a bit at a time, partly to help her adjust to the idea, but also because I haven't the energy I used to have, and there's lots of swapping furniture over, etc. Yesterday I brought down the contents of her wardrobe, and today DH and I shifted her dressing table and contents. Tomorrow will be the biggy - a bed settee to go up, and her bed to come down - not looking forward to that bit! At least it will all be finished then, and I can get to the  fun bit of putting the craft/guest room together.

The other WIP - a friend has just learned to crochet, and wanted to make a blanket for a boy she sponsors in a Ugandan orphanage. Looking at the pile of 'squares' ranging from 3" to about 7" and nary a right angle between them, I offered to help out, when she said she was just going to sew them together.

I've evened them up by putting white borders around, and have mixed and matched singles, half doubles and doubles, to end up with three sizes. I did re-do a couple that were too mis-shaped, and am quite pleased with the result.

I'm waiting for the next batch, and will then help her to assemble it when there are enough. She wants to back it with fabric.. I think it will look quite cute when finished, and I'm sure the little boy will be delighted with his pressie.

I'm looking forward to this afternoon, when DD2 is coming over (on hol from work this week) and bringing a DVD for us to watch while Mum has her rest.

Don't forget you make yourself a drink, put your feet up and meet all the other crafters over at Julia's place for WOYWW.

Hope your week is going well. Love for now xx

Handmade Monday

Not an awful lot of crafting over the weekend as I've been gallivanting. Yesterday, I enjoyed a great day out with some lovely ladies, at The Hop Pocket, an hour out of Worcester on the Hereford road. Lots of gorgeous crafty ideas, as well as a yummy cafe - what more could a girl ask for?!

Today DH, Mum and I went to his sister & brother in law's for lunch, and were spoilt with a delicious lunch of roast lamb.  I could get used to being waited on, after all this!

I have managed to complete the front of the cushion that DD1 asked me to make, and I've started on the back (which will be plain, striped grey). She wants this to go on her newly decorated bed. Like I said previously, I apologise for not crediting the designer of this, but I only had a finished photo to work from, with no link.

Some members of the household haven't had such a busy weekend!

Hope your week goes well, and see you with the other peeps, over at Handmade Harbour.

Grace Abounds

Hi there - well, a quick touch of botox and other facial surgery and I'm ready to face the world.

My new Mum loves me

and Frank reckons I'm the bunny's whiskers.

Have a great weekend! Love from Grace xxxx

WOYWW 252 - Where's the week gone?!

I only blinked and another week's passed, and another sad one, too. We said goodbye to Ann, a leader of our church and former colleague from my days in the church office, before I retired. She had battled valiantly against cancer for two years, and was finally called home on Friday. My heart goes out to Graham, her two girls, and her Mum.

This lovely pic was taken at their daughter Beckie's wedding two years ago. A difficult Mother's Day for them all, this year.

I managed to make Mum's pressie for Mother's Day without her noticing. A couple of years ago I made Frank for her. Here he is, with his brother Sam (I can't believe I'm sad enough to write all this!!)

Anyway, meet Grace -

Yes, I know she doesn't have a face yet, but my embroidery threads are lost in the piles of craft stuff waiting to be unpacked onto new shelves in the craft/spare room once Mum moves downstairs to her new room.

Frank seems quite smitten

and doesn't seem to mind that he can't stare into her eyes yet!

Having got that project out of the way, I've started on a cushion for DD1. She saw a picture on the net, and asked if I could make one like it (sorry, I don't know who to credit for it - I only saw a pic of the finished item).

Watch this space.

I don't care if you need a new ball of wool - I'm not budging!

Anyway, DH is out for a curry with the lads, Mum is settled to watch Murder She Wrote, Rosie has found another bed than my wool basket

And me? I'm going to crack open the Mother's Day Baileys, put my feet up and carry on with a little hookie.

Have a good week, see you over at Julia's  xx

WOYWW - A mixed bag ...

... of sad and happy this week. We had to say goodbye to Poppy, our tiny 17 year old, senile cat. She had been going downhill for a long while but, on Saturday, she couldn't stand properly, and we decided that she'd had enough. We are very blessed in having a friend who is a vet, and he came over and agreed with us. It was lovely, as he injected her while she was resting on my lap, and she just slipped away while we chatted. 

Anyway, I needed something to take my mind off all that, so I started a cot quilt I've been meaning to make since a friend's baby was born three months ago (doesn't tempus fugit?!) Well, better late than never, I finished it today. I've never done one before (hence the delay) but was pleased with how easy it was.

I used scraps from my stash, so the only cost was the wadding. I've had most of the fabric for years - the flowery, blue triangle at the bottom was left from my DD1's baby dress - 34 years ago!!

I've been told you shouldn't use a quilt these days, until the baby is a year old (makes sense, really) so I added a little friend using the border fabric, for her to play with in the meantime.

The pattern for this came from this blog  Thanks, Suse!

I've been finishing off some tiny prem baby knitting, to pass on, via Shelley. It's handy that Shelley lives just a few miles from me, so I can drop them off, rather than posting.

The first couple of piles are for babies who sadly don't make it - dresses with bonnets, and sleeping bags.

And, finally some tiny hats for little ones who are fighting back.

One thing I love is that I can pray for each of the families, as I'm knitting. 

Hope your week is going well, and that you find time to pop over to Julia's, to see what crafty stuff is happening elsewhere. Happy WOYWW! xx

Another One Ticked Off

I was uber glad to get to the end of this project.

I bought this yarn in Lidl, back in October, and rashly told Mr Flutterby that I'd make it as his Christmas pressie - just neglected to say which Christmas!! Finally finished it today and, thank goodness, it fits. One problem was that knitting for man mountain (6'2" and 25 stone) takes forever, and the second is that stocking stitch is sooo boring.  Anyway, the start of Spring and it's done - and he's very pleased, too.

The weather here is incredibly changeable at the mo - glorious warm, sunny days for the past week - so I 've spent time in the garden, and can report that the veggie seeds are all sown in pots, in the greenhouse, the grass is cut, and the front and back gardens are looking respectable and ready for the new season. I had wanted to get out again today, but it has been cold, wet and windy (hence finishing the woollie pullie).

We've been enjoying new dishes from the Hairy Bikers' Diet Book, and can thoroughly recommend them - especially this new favourite - not only is it delicious, but it's quick and easy to make, too - what more could you ask for?

I'm going to bed tonight, dreaming of what project to embark on next. I'm hoping to dust off the sewing machine tomorrow, and start a girl friend for Frank (on the left) that I made for Mum a couple of years ago.

Her name is Grace and she will be Mum's surprise Mother's Day pressie. I'm also starting a patchwork cot quilt for a friend.

Thanks for visiting, and see you around. Love for now xx