Hokey Cokey

I had a lovely surprise this week when Amanda came over on Monday evening with these beautiful flowers.   Apparently I'd been sounding really "fed up" when we spoke earlier on the 'phone and they were to cheer me up.  They certainly did.

I've been having a few health issues lately which have so far involved six separate visits to the GP (seeing a different person each time); chest xrays; breathing/ spirometry tests; and £56 worth of prescriptions in five weeks!   With a holiday looming, I was seriously doubting whether I'd actually be able to go away, especially when Monday's visit to the GP left me under the impression that, if they'd prescribed antibiotics at the very beginning, this would all have been cleared up back then.   (I've since learned though that I had misunderstood that and actually it probably wasn't a job for antibiotics so feel slightly more confident in the NHS - although was pretty "fed up" as Amanda said.)

The fab sign was also from Amanda for my birthday back in August.   I love it!

(The other part of my present will need a separate posting on this blog, entirely of their own. Although that is all dependent on a kitchen overhaul, so I don't see that post coming any time soon!)

Cromer Lifeboat Museum

On Saturday, Shannon, Amanda and I headed up the coast to Cromer to a fashion exhibition at the Lifeboat Museum.   We had planned it a few weeks ago and, in the meantime, I had started my new sewing class and the blouse I'm working on has darts and pintucks, so I was hoping to get a few tips from the outfits and to see what darts and pintucks actually look like for reference.   The exhibition was held in a small room off the gallery above the small shop and till area.  The ladies manning the stall told us there was a jukebox in the exhibition and could we put a few songs on as it was brightening their day!

The day was basically spent larking about as usual - as we walked towards the exhibition, we found a lifeboatman and lots of kit, so I couldn't resist trying out for the crew.

The lifeboatman wasn't very helpful - he told me that in the time I had taken to get the gear on, a whole ship's crew might have drowned!

Amanda decided she'd like to be a lifeguard

And Shannon thought she'd become a signalman, spelling out the word "Cromer" with the flags!

We chuckled over all the old clothing adverts and I'm sure Mum's got this Woman's Weekly in her collection!

After a good mooch around the museum and a spot of retail therapy in the RNLI shop - including Christmas cards, much to Amanda's disgust - we had a spot of lunch at the Rocket House, and a promenade along the seafront.   Needless to say, wool was squished and bought too - it wouldn't be a trip to Cromer without at least one wool shop visit!

A fab day,  and we were blessed with the weather so close to the end of September - there were actually a few brave souls paddling.   Really enjoyed it and am fired up now to visit more fashion shows and exhibitions in the future.  

Waves in Progress

By writing this post, I have broken one of my own rules.   However, I am supremely confident that the recipients of this beauty will NEVER read the blog, so there'll be no little surprises for them before unwrapping it on Christmas morning!   This is going to be a double bed size blanket made in fifteen different shades of blues, greens, greys and sand.  A proper seaside inspired blanket.  

The inspiration for this came from Lucy who writes the Attic 24 blog - her version is a crochet blanket and she very kindly gave us the colour order too.

It very soon became apparent that I had seriously underestimated how big crochet stitches are in comparison to knitted rows.   So, instead of Lucy's eighty-four rows, when I get to the end of my eighty-rows, I then have to go backwards so I have a mirror image blanket - but it will still be the same length as Lucy's.   I may need to buy more wool!

So, here are the fifteen colours - I've used Stylecraft wool in a 100 per cent acrylic mix, which is very hardwearing, especially as I think the finished blanket will be used at home, in the caravan, on picnics and at the beach.   The rows have 456 stitches and it is made in a basic feather and fan pattern - one of my favourites as I don't need a pattern, it's engraved on my brain!   The colours are Denim, Aspen, Teal, Silver, Cloud, Meadow, Parchment, Camel, Khaki, Grey, Petrol, Turquoise, Sherbet, Aster and Bluebell.  

When I first started making the blanket, I wasn't at all sure that I liked it.  But I've discovered that the more rows I do, the more I love it.  Just need to get it finished for Christmas now!

Tada! "It's Curtains For You" Bag

After my first foray into bag making, I wanted to have another go, but using recycled fabric, rather than going and buying new.   On a visit to the Craft Room a couple of months ago, Bryony showed me a stash of fabric which had been pre-used - really beautiful fabrics.   I chose three curtains in a white background with lavender/ purple/ grey flowers and foliage and thought it would be perfect for Mary's birthday present.

Because the fabric was made into curtains and nothing more fiddly with heaps of seams and tricky corners, it was really easy to set to with my seam ripper to take all the sewing cotton out, then chuck the whole lot in the washing machine and, hey presto, ready to use gorgeous vintage fabric.  

The lining (not shown unfortunately in the photo as I was really pleased with it) is the blue fabric that I used for Shiriin's scrubs - post still to follow!   The quilting fabric was a bargain from Dunelm Mill - I needed a metre but it was nearly the end of the roll so I got an extra metre and a bit (as it had been badly cut and not at all even) - loads more bags on the way!   The webbing for the handles was a bit of a disaster - stupidly, I didn't take the material with me to match it all up, so I had to guess.  And I think I was way out - but at least it's a very bright contrast.   I will know for the next time ...

Tada! "Tiger In The Tank(tops)"

I've started making all my Christmas presents now - the list is prepared and I'm knitting or sewing twenty-two presents - eek!  

But I'm well aware that I've not made much for Folksy or for the Craft Room for ages - despite knitting baby blankets in my lunch break at work - so figured it was about time I sewed up the projects that are awaiting finishing off and I could then pop them on line for sale.   I haven't been very well lately and have had quite a bit of time off work, so slobbing about has mainly been the order of the day, while watching rubbish daytime TV and drinking endless cups of hot blackcurrant or hot lemon to keep my fluid intake up.   Because I like to do all my sewing up sitting at the dining table, rather than flumping on the sofa, the thought of sewing up big projects has not filled me with joy - however, I have plenty of children's clothes to work on instead.

I love these tanktops - they are so neat and small - they'll fit up to a two year old.   The pattern was provided by Bev - I'd made a couple of smart grey tanktops for her a couple of years ago, so had photocopied the pattern before giving it back - thinking it might come in handy.   The wool is King Cole Zigzag 4 ply and lovely to knit with - really soft.  I've mostly used it for socks or gloves, but I think it works really well in these tanktops.  I realise that not everyone loves this type of jazziness, but they kept me very happy making them.  Gorgeous!