So many stockings.......

Due to a chance conversation I seem to have found myself with an order for six Christmas stockings to be completed before the middle of December.  This will test whether I stitch for pleasure whatever the item.  I'm nervous to find out though.  I would love to make a full time business of this but will I buckle under the time constraints?  I'll let you know.

It was our Christmas Fair at school yesterday so I have only had a half day 'off' this weekend by the time I'd cooked and cleaned and shopped today.  This afternoon I got out my trusty mdf stocking shape and, while watching a rather boring final F1 race I cut out the six shapes, plus one for Max

Next I'll cut a cuff (for the names). The applique shapes are all traced (all different) but they will have to wait until tomorrow to be ironed on to the stockings before being layered with wadding. I'll make six of them without binding but Max's will be bound to match Ben's,  although he is having a gingerbread man on his, together with a Christmas Pudding. His great grandma calls him 'Pudding' so it will be quite apt.

This is him in his teddy suit - he's already too long for his play gym.

 But at last he is turning over - much later than Ben.

And, exhausted from the effort he fell asleep with his teddy.

At five and a half months he is just about growing out of 9-12 months clothes. I'm not used to such a big baby.  My two were like runty baby rabbits and Ben was a skinny little thing too. 

For the fair I made some Christmas pudding shaped 'bean bags' (actually dried chick peas that were well out of date)

Sorry about the awfully blurry photos - these were all taken at night. There was a slight miscommunication between me and the art teacher - she made a four foot high Christmas Tree with holes in thinking I was making snowballs. On the plus side we'll do a 4 foot Santa with a gap to throw the puddings into his sack for next year and I'll be one step ahead!

I've been making a cover for my iPad so that I had something reasonably mindless to do when I needed to switch off.  It is actually finished but I'll have to wait until next time to get some daylight to take the photos.

Daylight is in short supply at the moment - even in the middle of the day. The weather has been awful and I seem to have a leak in the sun-lounge.  I think the gutters are overflowing with the heavy rainfall and water has found its way behind the flashing. It's so windy though I doubt if a roofer will look at it at the moment. The telly signal is flashing off and on as the rain hits the satellite dish sideways and in a moment I'm going to turn it off.

I'm looking forward to my Thursday night classes resuming after a two week break due to work commitments. I haven't got a pattern written yet but have a simple design for some table mats, half in my head and half down on paper. That'll be the first thing to do this week. 

Have a good week and don't spend too much money on Christmas presents! I've just bought my first - rather early for me!

Apple Crumble

Not what you would think - I've had a nightmare week with my laptop.  I had to reset something on my apple password at work and when I came to log on to my laptop it wouldn't recognise old new, newer or any password or swear-word.  It wouldn't connect to the internet to update the passwords... from Tuesday until Saturday morning I tried everything I knew until boom! Back it came.  I hadn't realised Apple was so secure until I tried to reset things. I still have one more problem to sort out but I'm heartily sick of keychains and IDs and security questions and glad to be back online.  I think it is all connected with the firewalls at school- I have a works iPad which somehow got linked to my personal things. I have a million different passwords - maybe I should only have one. My countdown to Christmas diet suffered a bit on Thursday night when I comfort ate a large ham sandwich and some muesli bar that I'd baked for the quilting ladies but I'm back on track again although I could kill for some real apple crumble now I come to think of it.

Anyhoo - the crochet blanket (oh dear):

First square is too small.  This is not blocked so looks a very lopsided, but even if I tried to block it I couldn't get it to be 16" - so it's back to the drawing board.

I haven't got a 4.5mm crochet hook so I am making a looser one on the 4mm.  If this doesn't work I'm switching to the Granny Blanket!

My quilty mind is veering towards all things Christmas partly fuelled by a purchase

These are a bit big for what I had in mind but I've done a pattern for bunting with various cookie cutter designs but I have something else in mind for these and more to do with quilting than biscuits.

Yesterday morning I went to the dentist - on the way from the station (I usually get the Metro into town) I have to pass Lakeland.  Don't go in there, really don't go in there...... but my feet weren't listening, so I came out with these:






Again - I'm not thinking biscuits - they are just the right size for buttons, so I will dig out my Fimo modelling clay and see what happens.












We have a severe weather warning out today but it's 3pm and nothing horrible has happened yet.  We will probably get the storms just in time to knock the satellite signal out when I want to watch the F1 race!

Will went for a quick ride on his bike today to blow away some cobwebs before the rain came - it is 16 degrees in the middle of November and he only wore a T-shirt - how strange that looks. He was out celebrating his birthday last night so has been very quiet today! He did manage to make himself a hearty breakfast whilst I was out shopping. It's marvellous how bacon and eggs can steady the stomach after a heavy night.

I'm pleased to report that Max's tummy is back to full health, but now he, Ben and Steph have a cold.  I excused myself from seeing them so I don't catch anything but I have to say my week has been poorer for not seeing any of my babies.

3 hours later................

Yes the satellite signal went off about 90 second before the Brazilian Grand Prix was due to start. I got it up online but sadly it was very boring. It did however, allow me to concentrate on my second block which came out bigger, but still not big enough. I think I will carry on though.  I can add a bigger border or just have a slightly smaller blanket. As a quilter I think the join marks are pretty naff and I might darn over the top to hide the uneven bits.  I really hope it steams out straight though - it looks really wibbly wobbly and I find that quite hard on the eye.  I think I'll steam this block before I do any more just to check!

I can't say anything about what has happened in Paris which sickens and disgusts me. I'm just holding my loved ones, my friends and family close to my heavy heart.

Double Dip Sock Weather

What a week!  Poor little Max had had a severe tummy bug and had to be admitted to hospital for two days.  Poor little mite just kept being sick - couldn't keep anything down. Coupled with a really bad dose of diarrhoea which left him dehydrated he was in great discomfort.  Luckily he's back home and on the road to recovery - lucky too that he is quite a chunky boy so he had something to fall back on.  Everyone is worn out.  Ben had a dose of jippy tummy on holiday but we're not sure if that was the same bug.  He came over this afternoon to show me his new coat.

He loves Thomas the Tank Engine as much is his Daddy and Uncle Will did when they were little and now Ben is eating from the little dishes that they used to eat from!

Well I haven't done a great deal of crafting this weekend because I 'lost' a whole day sorting out birthday presents for my two lovely boys and covering at the clinic while Steph nursed her poorly Max.

Yesterday afternoon and this afternoon I have been happily sorting through my Stylecraft yarn ready for the Attic 24 crochet along Part 2.  I had already made the centre squares:

Some taken in bad daylight and some with a flash.  (The flash pictures are truer colours). I'm leaving some at the sunflower centre stage because I am going on a long train journey next week so I wanted something small to take with me. I completed eight centre squares.

Last night I sorted out the colours I wanted to use - autumny shades - my favourites!

Then I wound some yarn into cakes. I may have to get some more 'Grape' and 'Camel' but should have enough of the other colours.  I think I only bought five colours in the end because I had plenty left from my blanket last year.

I've put the little colour pegs into a box so that everything is ready to go.... I think I'll put the colours in order in the little box as I do each square.

Late this afternoon I made a start - the anticipation has been overwhelming!

I've made a start but (tssk, I can't help myself) I'm doing the pattern slightly different from Lucy's.  She is using a variation of the original Log Cabin Quilt Block (Courthouse Steps) but I wanted to used the original setting.  I'm going to set it out to make an eight pointed star when all the blocks are finished. Instead of using 16 colours (plus the centre square) in each block I will only be using eight colours.  This is where I'm up to:

There'll be more before I go to bed because I can't keep my hands away from the yarn!

There hasn't been a huge pile of clothes to wash this week.  Much more than in the summer but much less than in the deep winter.  What I have noticed is what I call double dip sock weather.  When it gets cold Will wears two pairs of socks.  In the deepest winter weather he wears three pairs. I got him some long johns one year for a joke and he immediately asked for more. When it gets to Triple Dip sock weather you know it's time to break out the long johns. That makes for a lot of washing! 21 pairs of work socks every week. Let's hope we don't have a triple dip winter eh?

Pumpkin patch

From this

 To this (low calorie pumpkins)

and this,

  to this - rather higher calorie pumpkin cake.

A little bit of orange fabric to a squishy stuffed pumpkin for a friend and from a fresh pumpkin (which strangely photographed white when it was bright orange) to pumpkin whoopie pies filled with marscapone and maple syrup cream.  Yes it's Hallowe'en.

Sometimes we get one or two callers and other times (like last night) we got loads and I ran out of sweeties. One of the little groups of witches that knocked on the door had a cauldron full of sweets - maybe twenty or so packets.  I did ask her if she had a good dentist but she just gave me a black look.  I bet there were loads of children across the country bouncing off walls last night.

Karen finished her Making Merry Wallhanging this week - her stitching is beautiful:

And Archana continued with her Durham quilt - stitching the blocks together - here she is lining up the blocks - this is her first hand quilting and I am so impressed with the quality of her work - it is going to look beautiful.  She made 12 blocks and is going to do an 8" border as well.

So today - hot off the press is the appliqué version of the Making Merry Quilt
The same, but different this is in Scandi colours and matches in with some other Christmassy its that Steph and I have done.  It will look perfect in her sitting room. I have to say I prefer the appliqué version myself, although the colours that the ladies have done for their stitchery versions are lovely too.  Perhaps mine was a bit pale.

I love the little stockings panels

 

I started the Attic 24 crochet along challenge this afternoon - with a mistake. Poop. I will have to unpick this and start again but since it is in two shades of dark brown I will have to wait until I can do some daylight work (which effectively means next weekend).  I made 11 mid brown petals instead of 12 which only showed when there weren't enough gaps for the yellow petals.  I am doing a sunflower rather than the one that Lucy is doing because my colours are more autumny. I got a few balls from Raing-a-Rosie to make for a better mix,  but I still have loads left from last year's challenge. I've never done group of stitches with six loops on the hook before but once you get the rhythm it is quite easy. I'll just have to remember to count the stitches before I change colour.

So that's all my news for this week. Until you read me again - stay safe.

Peaceful pieceful weekend

After a quiet Friday at work I was looking forward to an even quieter weekend.  John and Steph are away in Tenerife and Will went out at 9.30 yesterday and didn't come back until sometime after midnight (I think).  I got a video call from John on Wednesday night and had a 'look' round their apartment. There were two naked boys lolling about after a day on the beach (Ben and Max) - John was fully clothed!  How different from the holiday communication when I went with them at that age.  We had to find a shop that sold phone cards (at vast cost)  and then ring to say we had arrived safely - that was about it.

Yesterday I tidied, washed, dusted and vacuumed, then settled down, with the fire on very low because it was cool and gloomy yesterday, to quilt until I could quilt no longer. I have to say it was nice not having one son saying "it's cold in here" and the other one saying "it's hot in here". Guess which one works outdoors!  Will spends most of his time at work outside (or on a tractor) and then most of his free time outside either working on his car or bike, or building something in the garden.

I had already sewn together a quantity of half square triangles at class on Thursday night.  Everyone was busy making things and only needed a light touch on the teacher front. I took some pear and almond frangipane squares and was very strong willed - not a crumb passed my lips.  Countdown to Christmas diet is still on track.

I used some half square triangles to make flying geese because we were talking about 'no waste' flying geese.

Then I laid out pieces for the top section of a second version of my 'Making Merry' quilt.

 I drew lines for the seam allowances on every piece

 And sewed them together,

 Section by

 Section, by section

 Until I had every part ready to assemble

 I tried to make sure that no two similar pieces touched, and still had to unpick some....

The last pic was taken later when I had to turn the lights on but I was determined to finish this part last night.

I didn't have to cook an evening meal so I just kept going until bed time.

Bit the same today. I had a half hour Skype conversation with John and Steph. Then I sewed the borders on to the appliqued quilt (by machine this time) and sandwiched it.  I got my quilting bits and pieces out ready.

But then I remembered I wanted to finish my Autumn Leaf block.  I decided to make a table topper for a little coffee table.

I managed to get a bit of appliqueing done before the light faded (an hour earlier of course)

I much prefer the appliqued version although I still find it hard to work with a limited palette.  This one is destined for Steph.  I'll reveal all when it's done.

So now I am sitting with my hand on an ice pack and waiting for the American F1to start, weather permitting. They had 8" of rain yesterday. There's a delicious smell of roasting pork wafting in from the kitchen. The house is quiet and tidy for a change, I love it. 

I'm taking two days off next week and have a huge list of things to do, which I know I will not get through but I don't want to waste any precious time.  When I say I have a huge list to do, I don't just mean things in the house and chores, I mean visiting my lovely friend in Whitley Bay and stitching and, hopefully, painting on the Hill.  I might take a stroll along the beach if the weather is kind. The fresh sea air is a wonderful tonic. We have our Christmas Fair at school at the end of November and I am busy making things for that too. This peaceful weekend has been just what I need.

Butterfly brain fully engaged

Firstly sorry about the quiet two weeks. So busy at work still but I'm hoping to take three days off during half term just to recharge the batteries. I've had full (baby-full) weekends and have had hardly any time to sew.  That and my poor sore hand have severely curtailed my handicrafts.

I had my hand strapped up for a few days to stop me over-extending it but I could still crochet. So I did. Using some of my new yarn I made a few more hexagons.

I am just so in love with this yarn - it is a joy to work with.

This is my blankie so far:

It will be at least 20 hexagons wide and about 25 or so long so there is still at lot of work but it is a labour of love.

I managed to get the quilting finished on the Christmas Wallhanging

The pattern is written - I just have to make the cover and it will be for sale in time to make it for Christmas.  I've just started an appliquéd version but had visitors this afternoon so it's still in pieces.  The light has been so poor that I haven't been able to get a good shot so you can't see all the little stitchery pieces very well.

During the week I wrote the instructions for a new block.  I made the maple leaf in class this week

Our cake break  was (part of) a prize winning cake made by one of our cleaners at school. She used to work in a bakery and quite frankly she should take this up full time.

It had a nutella core.Unfortunately I am on a countdown to Christmas diet and couldn't try it but it looked (and smelled) gorgeous.

I decided to make the maple leaf block (9") a bit larger.

So I cut some strips and added them, log cabin style to the block.

Now it's 18" square.  It could be a cushion front but I think I will turn it into a table topper. The fabric is from the Hallo Fall range by Sandy Gervais. There's lots of gorgeous oranges in it. 

So my butterfly brain has leapt from project to project this weekend.  I love it!

Just to finish with a smile  - a picture of Ben blowing out his birthday candles - ahh. He didn't seem too traumatised about Peppa Pig blazing away on the floor.  He also didn't notice that she didn't have any legs.  They were made like cake pops, using cake crumbs and buttercream and then moulded into shapes. William remarked that the 'truffle things' in the fridge were 'lush'. Yes, he had eaten her arms and legs. Luckily he had left the ears and I managed to make some arms with left over crumbs.

.....and Max who bounced himself to sleep in his little sling. Double ahh. He just smiles all the time, except of course when he's sleeping. I can't believe how big he is.  He was born on 3rd June - less than five months ago and he's in 9-12 months clothes.... which are a bit tight. Ben was such a skinny little thing when he was that age.

Maybe next week I will have some pictures to show you of the appliquéd Christmas Hanging. Or maybe my butterfly brain will have flitted to other things. However I need to knuckle down and get ready for work tomorrow - the endless merry-go-round keeps on going.

John and Steph are taking their little family off to Tenerife for a week for a well earned rest. It'll be quiet without them and I'll miss them but - whoop whoop the (F1) weekend is all mine!