Wednesday 21 September 2011

Shower room update

Hi, I am posting from my In-laws house tonight.  We have just had a lovely dinner and are now listening to Sophie strumming on her guitar. 
So, an update.  The above pictures are from Monday, the toilet has been moved to face the opposite way which is where the taps were on the bath.  We had to have a new floor as we found out that there was a problem with uneven joists which would explain why we had problems with draining and the level of the floor for so long.
This picture shows where the toilet was and this is where the sink and vanity unit will go.  Believe it or not, it is starting to take shape.  There has been a lot of plumbing involved today so it does not look like very much as been done, but most of it is under the floor boards.
We have now moved onto and after a hic cup with the tiles, no fault of the tiler or our builder.  The titles were delivered at 40pm!  The Tiler also does carpentry so whilst waiting he set about hanging at door hinges round as we have decided to hang the door so that it opens the opposite way round.  It will gives us more room and will not bang into the shower cubicle.
Today we found the tiler putting up the wall tiles.  They are quite large and there was plenty of cutting round awkward shapes.  Looking good though and hopefully by tomorrow afternoon all of the tiles will be on the wall and the shower cubicle will be in. 
It is great when you see your idea for a room which is put together in your heads actually coming together and you still like it!
Hubby should be back tomorrow if the weather stays fine and the plane can take off.
No more making today but my first fashion illustration lesson was met with ooo's and wow's so that was a good start.
xx

New Designs on Etsy

 I am in the process of gradually up-dating my Esty shop.  Three of the designs above are brand new.  The heart shape keyring is a repeat design.  I have always sold a lot of these items and so far I have not made two the same.  I think that the blue flower design is my favourite at the moment.  A chance to use my embroidery skills.  Any of the above, and there are others already listed, can be made in other colour combinations.  You may even have a design that I could make up for you.  Pop over and have a quick look HERE.
  I have some more to add this week but as my bathroom is in mid re-fit Sophie and I are off to my in-laws tomorrow after school.  I need a shower and at the moment I do not have anything.  What has hubby done......yep, gone off on a mini business trip, so he will have a shower/bath won't he......typical.
I have not been making much this past week as I have been preparing to start a basic fashion illustration course at school.  Has brought back many fond memories of my time at college.
I have been trying to make some crochet flowers this week and some more knitted cupcakes.
Off for some more beauty sleep before another day begins.....
xx

Sunday 18 September 2011

Knitted Cupcakes for Pink Friday

On Friday 28th February Gina over at Fan my Flame is going to have a Pink Friday Party in aid of  Breast Cancer and Cancer Research.
The aim is to knit and make as many cakes as possible and send them to her before 28th. My first offering is above.
This is a very simple pattern which I found on the Internet a couple of years ago.  The link and pattern is in my side bar or tutorial links at the top.  I am in the process of moving some things around.
I have stitched them together and added some stuffing inside to give it a bit of body.
A felt base helps to keep the stuffing inside and make the cake stand upright.
If you would like to help pop over to her blog, she has a pattern that she is willing to email you if you leave a comment on her blog expressing your interest.  The post you need to read I think is 12th September but I can not obtain the link for that particular post today for some reason.
These two cupcakes were already knitted but not finished off so Gina;s idea of raising some money prompted me into completing them.
We often organise something at work for Breast Cancer research by wearing pink on a given day, this is another way of taking part.
This would also be a good way of using up scraps of wool left over from other projects.  A spot of easy knitting in the evenings is just what I need at the moment.
Best wishes all.
xx

Saturday 17 September 2011

Bathroom Chaos

When we moved into our house 12 odd years ago we did have a go at the bathroom ourselves.  Due to a lack of money more than anything we did our best.  Now we have saved up some money over a period of time and on Monday work will start on changing and up dating the bathroom.
The picture above shows the room striped of the contents and the basin has already been used for washing paint brushes and plastering equipment.
We are going to move the toilet to the other corner of the bathroom where the shower head is and put a basin where the toilet is. 
In this picture you can see that we have had the ceiling plastered and that light has now been changed for something that looks a bit like a space ship!
My garage is full of various boxes and pipes.  Next week we shall have to stay with the in-laws while rest of the bathroom is  ripped out plus hubby is dis-appearing off on a work trip.  Why do these thing come all at the same time?
Just like the kitchen I shall keep you posted how things go.

Many thanks for the kind comments further back.  I can not comment here about the sad news I received last week, maybe one day I can.  It just isn't the right thing to do for me.  I have pulled out of an Embroiderers Guild as I am not really in the right frame of mind for it.  Another class is sure to come along.
Have a good weekend.
xx

Thursday 15 September 2011

OPAM 2011 - Fancy Lanyard strap

I have been trying to make a Lanyard for my latest memory stick for most of the summer but I kept putting it off.  Finally. today I used my lunch break to do it.  I need to start using the stick and losing it needs to be avoided.
I used an existing lanyard to work out the measurements for length.  I used the fixings from a broken lanyard  as the clips are quite hard to find that small in the shops.  Recycling is always a good thing anyway.
New memory stick and recycled fixings.
Looking to see which fabric I could use to make the strap I noticed that my collection of cross grain ribbon was not only the right width, but  plus strong enough not the snap.  I settled on the one shown above.

Even though the edges are already neatened, the ends taken through the clip need folding in and pinning.  I then used the old lanyard to work out how much I needed and then cut it off the roll.
Using straight stitch, secure the folded ends of the newly cut ribbon using a sewing machine or firm hand stitches.
 May be not a particularly creative make but certainly a very useful one!
My table runner is still glaring at me as I have been very neglectful these past two weeks, I thought Friday evening I could cheer it up by progressing a little more with it.
Hello to the few added followers who have joined this site.  I shall try and pop over to see you if you have a blog etc.  But for now, Hello!
x

Monday 12 September 2011

Still Here...

Hi, still here but lots happening and not all good either, in fact some very bad news indeed.

The pictures above were taken at Lanhydrock in June this year, using my little Canon.  I and really pleased with the first two pictures on the left.  I have been practicing my close up picture taking and with different shaped flowers. Strong colours are working best and with flowers that have strong shapes as well.  Some of these will also be made into cards to take to work.  The last batch using pictures taken at school to encourage a photography student have been very popular.

Last week I started making some knitted cakes for Gina over at Fan my Flame for charity and I shall post them as soon as they are finished.  At the moment they are still in bits!
Have a good week.............
x

Thursday 8 September 2011

Just amazing!!

As you know I love make and decorating cupcakes and I have been practicing with new icing tips and nozzles over the past few months.
Whilst looking at my Craftzine subscribers email I saw the above.
I was astonished to read that this is in fact a CAKE!!
Link HERE to see even more examples of very clever cakes on the theme of craft.
Now, I have a machine exactly like this one and I think that it must have taken hours to make this.  I am in awe of the talent shown here!  Sorry gushing a little here, in fact I have a little green eye envy of the patience that must be needed.  Where do you start?
Do take a look at the link, there are scissors, knitting examples etc.  It is discoveries like this that makes the Internet so interesting to use.  I am off to look around the site a bit more.
xx
Due to personal issues I never got to sewing group  this week so my table runner is no further forward but it is on my sewing table and ready to roll. 

Sunday 4 September 2011

Nigella Lawson's Tarte Fine Aux Pommes

Or apple tart to the rest of us!!
A sudden batch of apples from our apple trees meant a dash through the books to find something to make with them, other than the usual.
Well I found a recipe that I thought I could have a go at in the above book.  It was a Christmas present about three years ago and it has proven to be very useful book.
So, on page 217, if you have a copy, is this quick and easy recipe for a type of apple tart.  I did struggle with the caramelising of the suger etc but just added a sprinkle of cinnamon and brown sugar instead.
I am no pastry maker and for this I was in a bit of a rush so I bought some instead, well the book is titled Express after all and it is suggested as well!
My apples are actually for eating, not cooking but I have very rarely worried about that anyway, just add less sugar.
I tried to arrange them in a nice way, just as the book shows.
I love my new oven which is now about a year old, get good results with it.  Lightly browned the pastry was lovely too.
Cut into slices with a cup of tea, or for a pudding with single, double or clotted cream!  Yum!
I still have some apples left so I shall stew them up and maybe some apple turnovers, I used to make those when I was at school during Home Economics lessons.  I used to make pastry at school so I bet I still could, but there is always the time factor and my hands are way too warm.
If you have this book give it a go, I shall be making a smaller version next time as it is quite filling and makes a lot for just three of us.  Or look on Nigella's website, there may be a version there as well.
Enjoy.
xx

Saturday 3 September 2011

Halloween PDF Pattern

I am gradually sorting out my Etsy shop.  I have added the above PDF pattern for a Halloween bag which I made for Sophie to use and thought that you might like. 
Halloween often creeps up on me and I have listed it earlier this year so avoid this and get me to think about it too.
There are more pictures here if you are interested. 
You could easily change the colours and method of decorating it and this can be made without a sewing machine!
xx

Friday 2 September 2011

WIP - My first Table Runner

I have collected some Christmas theme blocks over the last couple of years.  Via a swap and a quilting bee.  Enough to do something with but not enough for a quilt, which I doubt I would use. 
Being a part of OPAM 2010 and 2011 I have been visiting Peg over at Happy in Quilting a lot and seen the lovely table runners that she makes.  An idea began to take shape.  The two blocks above are my creations.
 The block above was made my Carol as part of the Quilting around the World Bee.  It has been appliqued and fitted in with all of the other blocks.  I am going to make this my centre block.
I had added some gold thread as part of the applique so I decided to add a little gold machining on each of the blocks.
I stitched all of the blocks that I felt went together and it will fit along the dining room table with a block hanging over the edge at each end.
I have two more blocks to add gold thread to and I have some thin wadding to quilt it on to.  I just need to find some fabric for the backing.
This is my first WIP for September and I intend finishing it this month.  Last Year I got to New Year and realised that I had not made anything festive at all!
I will post the finished item when it is done.
Many thanks for the lovely comments for the August round up. 
xx
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