Crafty chat, and stuff

It's been a busyish sort of day. When I wake up in the morning, usually about 7am, I prop myself up to a sitting position in bed, and contemplate the day ahead. This is the time when my brain is refreshed from the nights sleep. I close my eyes and let my mind wander, and think about what I am going to do to fill the day. I sometimes doze off again and take an extra ten minutes of shuteye. Then when my plan is formulated I am keen to get up and get started. 

This afternoon I made three more bags. 

Claire mentioned Morsbags, yes I have heard about those, in fact I found one once, stuck in the hedge while out walking. Someone must have dropped it. It was made of cotton, and a bit flimsy like you could stuff it in your pocket. I suppose all kinds of fabric is used, mine are very strong as I use thicker fabric. 

Crafty chat this morning, we were up to full strength, twelve members at present. We are thinking of having an exhibition of our work at some point, then people can come along and see if they would like to join. Once again people brought stuff to show. This is a smallish quilt, possibly for a cot, or a throw over your legs while sitting on the sofa. I love the contrasting colours.

It's got a very interesting backing on it. The stitching is perfectly neat.

This might be something to try for the future. Layers of torn tissue paper are fused together with pva glue, then hand stitching is added, and it is folded to make a writing case.

 It looks very effective, like parchment paper.

The inside is covered by stickyback clear plastic, the sort you buy on a roll. It's got pockets for the paper and envelopes. You could put some hand made cards inside. A nice gift idea. 

A piece of ribbon attached with a button and tied around it to keep it closed. Might try this myself. Spose you could use any paper really, but the tissue paper is good because it goes crinkly with the glue.

I took the rag rug to work on. It's getting there, I'm working my way round the outer edges now. 

Last night I watched An Island Parish, while on the cross trainer. A delightful documentary programe about the Island of Sark, on BBC 1, on a Friday night. It lasted 28 minutes but I did the extra two minutes to make it 30. Boy was I sweating when I got off. I must say it did make the training a lot more interesting. Someone asked if my constant bobbing up and down while watching a fixed screen would give me a headache. The answer is no. It isn't like reading a book where you can't take your eyes off it or you will lose your place. You can glance around the room if you like and still keep up with the story through the headphones. Also there is a lot you can do to minimise the bobbing. Because you are using your whole body you can almost keep your head still and take the ups and downs with your knees and hips. A bit like skiing or ice skating. If you went down a ski slope as stiff as a board you would get a headache, so you use your legs like springs to cushion the bumps. Anyway, this is going to make exercising a lot more pleasurable.

And lastly, here is Heidi, practicing for her audition at Britains Got Talent. Don't you think she is a clever girly. I'm trying to teach her to stand on her back legs, and juggle three balls with her front paws, while singing 'What's New Pussycat'. 

Today I paid �1.50 for my crafty club, and I am pleased to say I have had six no spend days. Not spent a bean since last Monday. I will have to go to Tesco sometime this week, my fridge is bare. I am running short on a lot of things, so might go to town as well. No fresh veg left :o(( Tomorrow will be scrambled eggs and something out of the freezer or cupboard. Just remembered, I've got some stewed apples that I cooked tonight. Free food from my neighbour across the road. A spoonful of yogurt on that will be nice, and some for breakfast on my porridge. Anyway, must go, training time, got to find a programe on the iplayer.
Toodle pip.

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Sewing for the planet

It's been a sunny Sunday here in North Lincolnshire, so I have divided my time between indoors and outdoors. A walk to visit a friend. Tidying up in the garden. Wash hair. Dyson all through downstairs and half way up the stairs, couldn't be bothered to do any more. Wash pots. Sewing. And made a start on the decluttering. I cleared two shelves, and that's as far as I got. 

I need to sort the fabric into piles, from heavy to light. Then what shall I do with it? Put it all back in neater piles? I need to get rid of it, I need to use it up. and get it out of the house. So, I have a plan. 

What is easy to make? Yep, shopping bags. I am going to make lots of shopping bags, well, maybe not lots, but quite a few. Keep going til I get fed up of doing the same old thing over and over again. Then I am going to give them away. I am going to take them with me when I go shopping, and give them to random people outside Tesco who haven't brought their own bag. I am going to ask them not to take a plastic bag and to keep their new bag in the car for future use. I am not going to sell them as I don't need the money, and our cat rescue has enough at the moment. It's not about making money, the fabric cost virtually nothing, it's about getting the message across, doing my bit for the planet. 

So, making the bags is part of the decluttering. I've picked these four pieces out for the next bags. They are quite heavy fabrics, a bit like upholstery fabric or thick curtain fabric.   

Here's two I made earlier. The dark one on the left is very heavy fabric, I thought I would have difficulty getting the needle to go through it. Although bulky it was fine.

I have some sad news for you. My poor rigger boots have finally given up the ghost. After many years of protecting my feet from the harsh terrain of quarries, the mountains of mud on building sites, and the many winters of unloading lorries in slushy conditions after a heavy snowfall. They are now kaput, defunct, and not fit for purpose. 

I remember when me and RB met. I was working at Rugby Cement, I had searched everywhere for a pair in my size, but no one stocked small sizes. I went to the stores in the cement works and told them of my dilemma. Aha, said the man behind the counter, you might be lucky, and he went round the back and came out with a size 5. I tried them on, just like Cinderella, and they fit. Someone had mistakenly ordered them and they had been languishing at the back of the stores for a long time. How much I asked. He couldn't give them to me because I wasn't employed by the cement works. You can have them for �5, he said. I handed my cash over, and I was the proud new owner of my very own rigger boots. Now I was one of the lads, YAY :o))

So dear RB, you have served me well. You have been my friend for a long time and I am sad to see you go :o(( 

Before I go, I have read your comment on yesterday's post, Anon 'N', and will give it some thought for a future post. I see several people have replied, thank you everyone for your useful comments.
Catch you tomorrow. Toodle pip

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Genius idea for keeping fit.

I've made a start on the decluttering, but it is going to take a while. I can't do it all in one go, the task is too daunting, so I am going to chip away at it bit by bit. When it's finished I will post some new pictures.

I got a bit preoccupied today, I thought of a way to make exercising on the cross trainer a bit more interesting. I am not spending as long on it as I ought to, because it's boring, and I should be upping my game. Anyway, I won't tell you about my genius idea because it will spoil the video for you. See what you think. So simple, why didn't I think of it before.



I had to put the heating on to strip off and make this, ha ha. Don't worry the heating was soon switched off when my many layers went back on. Brrr, it's blowing a gale outside.
Enjoy your Sunday. Toodle pip.

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I'll get on with the decluttering....maybe tomorrow

This morning I made up my mind that today was the day I am going to sort out, declutter, and tidy the spare room. This room in the past has been the stockroom for my business, hence the metal shelving. Now it is mostly crafty stuff which has taken over. Oh dear, what a mess, it badly needs seeing to. 

After breakfast I spent an hour or so on the rag rug, I am wanting to get that finished, but I think I will need some more teeshirts. I will make enquiries about when the car boot sales start again.

The weather wasn't too bad this morning, a bit chilly but dry, so I decided to go for a walk in the park at 12 o clock. I'll start the decluttering later.

When I got back it was lunch time. I opened a tin of mixed bean salad, and put half of it in a dish with a portion of carrot soup that I had made and frozen. Zapped it in the microwave and ate it with a couple of slices of granary bread. Just the thing to warm me up.

At about 2pm I thought I'd better make a start on the room. I'm not sure I want to do this :o(

 Oh gawd, boxes of stuff everywhere. I made a start.

Then at 4.30pm my tummy was rumbling, better get the dinner on. I haven't got much left in the way of fresh food, but I have enough to make a three day stew. It's supposed to be a Rustic Ratatouille, that's what it says on the packet, even though mine looks nothing like the picture, ha ha. Worth a try with an out of date packet from the cash and carry for 20p. Anyway, my version of it is butternut squash, four small potatoes, one onion, the other half tin of mixed bean salad, and three handfulls of pasta. It tasted so nice I had to go back for second helpings. This should take me through till Sunday, I'll go shopping early next week. I have four eggs left and stuff in the freezer I can eat. Sorry about the blurry picture, I am no good at taking closeups with a flash.

I had a lovely surprise in the post today, the postman doesn't normally knock on my door. A lovely blogger friend sent me a parcel. I have some pretty red fabric, golden ribbon, a stretchy key chain, a fridge magnet, packets of seeds, green cobwebby fabric, and something to soothe tired feet. Thank you very much Sue G, I am chuffed.

It's blowing a hooley outside, looks like it is going to be a miserable weekend weather wise. Best get on with the decluttering then. I'll get onto it tomorrow. Hope you have a nice weekend.
Toodle pip.

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A new needle case

Hello. Thank you all for your interesting replies to yesterdays post. I enjoyed reading about where you live. 

Someone asked what I was going to make out of my practice pieces, well today I have made a needle case. I had a piece of orange felt which I have used for the inside, and between the two layers I have put some window blind fabric, to stiffen it. I did a running stitch around the outside edge to hold it together. 

Inside I added a piece of white felt to hold the needles. Not bad for a first attempt. It's not perfect but it doesn't have to be, it's home made, and it does the job. I needed one, and it's for me to keep :o)

This is my old needle case, I have had it since I first started sewing at maybe 10 or 11 years old. The inside is falling to bits, it's a shame to throw it away, so I am going to give it a new innards. I will keep it.  

I've had my final gas bill through from British Gas, and surprise surprise, they owe me money. I'm still waiting for the last electricity bill, and I suspect that will be the same, because the previous bills they over estimated, then I sent in the final readings which were less than they guessed. When I get the bill I will be ringing up to ask for my money back. Ebico are my suppliers now.

I've just been watching a programme on BBC about two identical twin brothers, both doctors. One went on a fat only diet for a month, and the other a sugar only diet. They went through all sorts of tests, some of them I didn't quite understand. I also got confused about which brother was which, they should have worn name badges which would have made it easier to identify them. Anyway, it seems that both of them lost a bit of weight. The conclusion was, it's not fat on it's own which is bad for you, and not sugar on it's own either. You wouldn't eat spoonfuls of sugar, or pints of cream, because your brain is programmed to tell your body when you have had enough. It's the combination of both which is  bad for you, because any food which has fat and sugar in it tastes nice and you are tempted to eat more of it. Your brain doesn't know when to stop stuffing the cakes and biscuits in your mouth, the messages are not sent, so you keep on eating. That explains why I can't just have one biscuit or one cake, it's best that I buy hardly any of them.

I was going to go shopping tonight, but I can't be bothered. It's two weeks since I last went to Tesco. I have enough food to last the weekend, and can eat out of the freezer and cupboard. I will leave the shopping until next week.
Toodle pip

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Village gossip

Well it's getting on for eight o clock, so I suppose I'd better write something here. So what do you write about when you haven't anything prepared? When you haven't done much to write about except potter about the house doing little jobs like cleaning the cat's litter boxes, washing the pots, changing the bed, and cutting fabric up for a rag rug. I usually manage to pluck something out of the air, even if it might be a load of waffle. I can say anything I like really, it's my blog. I can say stuff it I can't be bothered, but I won't because I can be bothered. Let's see what I can ramble about.

Do you want a bit of village news? There are contractors in the next street digging the road up to put new drains in. This has to be done before they can make a new parking area for residents who at the moment have no off street parking. When it is done they will be able to park their cars in front of their own houses. How do I know this? Because I am nosey and I asked a man who was digging the hole.

Several street lights were not working a few weeks ago. Someone came and fixed them. Now the telecoms people have come to replace some telegraph poles. They are making a right mess, driving their trucks and JCB's over the grass verges.

We have two cheerful postmen in our village. They come in a van, and wheel their trolleys around delivering mostly junk mail. As you know I don't like junk mail, but if it keeps them in a job then so be it. They are always friendly and say Hello.

My friend who has been cutting the grass in the churchyard has now retired. He had to have a pacemaker fitted, this was a wake up call. He is 73, and was going to carry on working until he is 75, now he can relax a bit and go rambling with his friends, walk his dog, and go for a pint in the club. I am pleased to report that his job was advertised and a new man will take over looking after the churchyard. I am happy that it won't get neglected and run down. This new man is newly retired from his full time job and was looking for something part time. Perfect really, and he lives close to the church.

There seem to be a lot more dogs in the village, it's nice to see them being walked. It would be nicer if all the owners picked up their poo. I took Lady out for a walk this afternoon, and she couldn't have done her poo in a more convenient place. On top of another pile which had been left, and right next to the dog poo bin. Clever girl, ha ha. Tesco nappy bags are very cheap for this not so pleasant job, only 35p for 300, so I don't know why people don't pick up.

We get a newsletter every so often from the Conservative party. We used to get a church newsletter but they couldn't find enough volunteers to carry it on when someone stepped down. We have a parish council who do a newsletter, and several notice boards in the village as well as the notices in the shop windows. I have a thing about notice boards, I have to read them, wherever I am, in any town and any village. I am just nosey, I want to know what's going on.

When I moved to this village someone was supposed to move in with me. We looked at houses together. He said he wanted to live somewhere away from other people, in the countryside, in a cottage with some land, down a lane. I had a feeling that wouldn't be quite right for me. I was beginning to have doubts about the relationship, would it work. Then I found the house I am living in, he said it was ok for him. I chose it because it has space around it, big garden wide road, not living on top of your neighbours. It's close to the village centre, and I can see people walking by. I wanted to be part of the community but still have my own space.

I was right to choose this house. He didn't move in with me, my doubts were correct. Imagine what would have happened if I had moved to an isolated cottage and then the relationship broke up. I would have been on my own and lonely. I'm glad I went with my gut instinct, and let my head rule my heart.

I love my life in the village. I can shut myself away in my house if I don't feel like speaking to anyone. I like my own company by the way. Or I can go out and about in the village. I know lots of people, I have friends. I know lots of dogs and their owners, in fact I can hardly get out of my street without meeting someone to pass the time of day with. The neighbours around me are friendly. It's funny really, I like living here, but then I also like going away to visit other places. I think I have the best of both worlds. This will suit me for the time being.

What do you like about where you live? If you were to move would you choose somewhere different? Told you I am nosey, ha ha.
Toodle pip.  

 

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Practice pieces

I think I've got the hang of this now. The weather has been awful, so another day in the crafting studio, aka my living room. I haven't got one of those wooden embroidery hoops so a bit of imagination was needed to find something else which would do the job. Take one wooden picture frame, remove the backing, picture, and glass. Then stretch the fabric and net over it and secure around the edges with plastic clips. I used a piece of curtain lining fabric for the first practice piece.

The mesh I used was very fine. I found that stretching it can alter the shape of the squares, these are more like diamonds. It is important to stop the mesh from moving while working on the piece by securing it tightly around the edges.

The mesh is removed. These stars are quite tiny and not all exactly the same. I don't think it matters. 

The second one I did was on a piece of orange silk, using two colours of cotton. The silk was slipping a bit and I had to adjust the clips as I was working on it. Some of the lines are a bit wavy. It would probably be better to use a hoop for slippery fabrics, to stop it moving about. 

This reminds me a bit of cross stitch, each star is two crosses, one on top of the other. I needed to get quite close to it when I was stitching, because it's important to push the needle through in precisely the right place. This meant bending forward, and suspending it between my knees and the table. I had to keep stopping to straighten up as I was quite uncomfortable. It would be better to find a way of lifting the work to eye level, perhaps using a free standing embroidery frame, or using a magnifying glass which hangs around your neck. That would stop the need to lean forward and scrunch your body up. I need to get more organised before I do any more of this. Sitting hunched up is no good for my stomach. Back to the rag rug tomorrow.
Toodle pip.  

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