A Quieter Day

I hope that you are all having a wonderful Christmas. Christmas day for me was very hectic, whilst I loved it and absolutely loved having my family around, I am enjoying a much quieter day today. This morning I lounged about in my pyjamas, catching up with a little Grey's Anatomy, we've been quite late to that party but we have arrived now. This afternoon I've done a little stitching. Before Christmas I treated myself to the redwork club from Dandeliondesigns, it was birthday money as I'm told I can be tricky to buy for. I enjoy handstitching as I find it therapeutic and can also carry it around in my handbag so that I have something to do when waiting around for No 4.  Her life revolves around her football and it allows me to craft around the country whilst I wait for her! Well my redwork box arrived just before Christmas, and today I have been stitching with coton à broder from the kit, it's amazing! Ive always used silks but not anymore! Who knew I would love it so much. I'm making a gift for someone very special but will post a picture of it once it has been given.

Wrapping!

So Dear husband went to buy the alcohol gifts whilst I went to buy the bottle bags. I've been watching Kirstie's Christmas so I thought I would up my game in the gift wrapping department. I've always been a more-sellotape-the-better kind of gal, so it was to be a big challenge! I planned it all in my head and they were going to look amazing and coordinated.
When I got home not only had DH bought bottles but also boxes of chocolates! This may be no big deal to many but to my newly found skill (albeit in my head!) It was too much. Even my No 4 had a sharp intake of breath when I explained my predicament.
Once the rarely heard logical part of my brain found its voice a new plan was formed! Here are the results...not bad if I do say so myself!

Time for tea!

Well, my daughter is definitely on the mend I am pleased to say. Today I've had to do some necessity shopping. Rabbit food, pig food, new wellies - as you do! In my defence they are quite posh wellies as it happens and a bargain too, which is always nice. I didn't actually plan to buy them but I've bought them nonetheless. Now I've called for a cup of tea before spending the afternoon chopping wood to keep the home fires burning, wearing my new wellies of course!
I must say that I have used my care week quite productively, as well as looking after No 4 I have been finishing a few home made Christmas gifts which is always good. Time is running out for my ambitious list, as usual! Perhaps if I hadn't stopped for a cup of tea. Oh well!

My daughter amazes me

Yesterday was a long day, I will even go as far as time stopped still for me. Yesterday my youngest daughter had an operation to insert two cochlear implants. She was born Deaf and her hearing deteriorated over the years. She has made amazing use of her hearing aids and she doesn't even have a deaf voice. She did her research, spoke to many of her peers who already have implants and made her choice. And so we start a journey of improved hearing. She turned 18 on Saturday and what a gift! She left surgery at four o'clock yesterday and now she is sat eating her breakfast with no pain relief. She is incredible and amazes me every day.

Another Workshop

It's been quite a week and was more than grateful when the weekend came.On Saturday I was very fortunate to go to another workshop at Hope and Elvis. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to be there. Louise has an incredible knack of choosing beautiful fabrics and materials to delight and inspire. Couple that skill with some extremely talented people and you have the ingredients of a makers heaven!
It was the talented and quite lovely Viv of  'Hen's Teeth'  a textile artist who uses a combination of stitching and paint to make artwork and accessories. This has to be one of my most favourite workshops that I have attended. She started her demonstration with a gift for each of us - a name badge that she had made for us.

I enjoyed watching Viv show us how to create our very own works of art. the theme for this workshop was garden tins. We selected a vintage tin and carefully recreated our interpretation of a floral garden under Viv's gentle tutelage. Just choosing a tin was exciting, I do love things with a story to tell and these battered and well used items certainly had that.

I'm usually a slow starter, often because I don't want to stitch something that has no meaning to me. I like the fabrics to call to me, and I like what I like. I'm of an age where I recognise that one of my flaws is that I'm a non-finisher! So I have to help myself out a little by choosing things that inspire me. I did my own thing it and involved a tin and it involved flowers. It also involved an embroidery of myself! How indulgent! Viv seemed to love it and I do too.

I even had my photo taken with Viv as a reminder of a wonderful day.

Yarndale Day 2

I must say I'm flagging now! I'm not sleeping as well as I should, my body alternates between hot and cold all night which doesn't lend itself to a restful sleep. It's an age thing!
Anyway back to Yarndale, it's nice to have the second day as it's a chance to mop up, visit all the stalls we didn't have chance to look at properly yesterday. It also means more money spent. I do wonder how I will smuggle my purchases in to my house! It doesn't stop me though. I've been saving my £2 coins all year for this very weekend.

Haworth the home of the Bronte family

We really did have a lovely day yesterday, which ended very nicely with a walk around Haworth. It was dark when we walked around so no good photos I'm afraid. Despite the darkness you couldn't fail to capture the beauty of the place. Maybe it wasn't beauty, maybe it was the nostalgia and romance of a bygone era. Maybe it was the very fact that this is Bronte country! Although reading some of the facts anyone living passed the age of 25.8 years was doing well. 
Our day has started well today too. A fantastic Yorkshire breakfast to set us off. It would be rude not to eat it all and my sides are fit to burst. It's a stroke of luck that Haworth is on a hill. I may have to roll home!

Attic 24

At the top of Coopers lives the creative work place of Lucy of Attic 24. It was lovely to see her crocheted creations in the flesh.

Yarndale

Well we arrived at Yarndale this morning. A beautiful drive through hill and dale. I've been counting the sleeps for a while, not because Yarndale is my most favourite place in the world but because it's a weekend away from my normal life with my equally mad friend! We leave our husbands at home and do what we want when we want, often it's stopping to squish yarn!

We've both already sorted with some of our hard earned and pleased with our purchases we have taken a wander into Skipton itself. Creatures of habit we always make for Cooper's where we are guaranteed some decent food and a warm and welcome drink. Lattés all round!

Little basset!

Not only is it Yarndale this weekend (which, by the way, is only three sleeps away!) It is also the twelve month anniversary of basset ownership. It's not been without teething problems, possibly because he is a grabber and often leads with his teeth. He came to our house with lots of baggage poor boy which is always a risk when getting a preowned dog. I would say preloved but I'm not sure that he was totally. He was frightened of men, frightened of loud noises, frightened of cars, probably frightened of his own shadow. A frightened dog can be an unpredictable one and at times he has been. I have asked myself many times 'what was I thinking?'  Also, when his stress levels are too high he also has seizures.
Slowly but surely he is realising that he is safe here. That he is in a family that love him and he without doubt loves us. He is still a little bit uncertain of situations but these are less frequent. He still steals food and trust me for a short dog his long body ensures quite a reach on any kitchen surface!
Some people would say that he has fallen on his feet. Maybe he has, although he might need to stand on them first!

No photo

After a wonderful home cooked lunch we continued felting our fleeces. The whole water/soap mix meant that my hands were way too slippery to even hold my phone, so no photos of the afternoon. I must say that my hands are very soft from all the lanolin. They don't feel like my hands at all.
I learnt such a lot in this workshop. It's a shame we are entering the cooler months as I would love to do some more. I did in fact buy a couple of fleeces so if the weather does happen to be good during October half term then I will sneak another rug making session in. I would do things differently next time. Even though our tutor Lisa has great success in the method she showed us, mine wasn't quite up to my standards. It will be once I have finished it I hope! The weather has been very wet since the workshop so what to do with two very wet fleeces!
I'm hoping to go back to Lisa"s to do her pin loom workshop. She has made some amazing things with hers and I can't wait to try it. Do I need to learn another craft? Oh not really but that won't stop me!

Thank you to Ann for being a loyal follower, despite my very sporadic postings over the last couple of years. It is lovely to hear from a familiar blogging friend. I can't believe you still hang around these parts. Thank you x

Living Felt Rug

I can't tell you what a fabulous day I'm having! After getting lost on the way initially  we arrived to a wonderful greeting and a cup of tea. After introductions we choose our fleeces and set to work. My son choose a Welsh mountain fleece. I'm not bitter but that was the one I wanted! Good mother that I am I sacrificed my choice.  We are breaking for lunch now but I'll be back in a bit with the afternoon show and tell!

A Craft Kit follow on

I think my excitement for my craft kit has waned slightly. I'm still loving the price at £3.99 and the lion is definitely cute. I would indeed like to crochet a friend. I'm just not sure that I can. I have all the ingredients; yarn, crochet hook, stuffing and needle. I also have the skills, despite me saying that I can only crochet Granny squares I really can do double crochet! I'm just not as confident with it as I am with many of my other crafts.

I've opened the kit and it's OK. Yarn quality is slightly squeaky which is to be expected at the price, but that's fine. I'm just not sure if I'm going to get on with the instructions. They seem a little basic, not enough helpful language for me.  It's maybe because I've followed Attic24 patterns before which have lots of language and photos. Even I can manage those. These instructions are not quite the same! I shall keep you updated with my progress ... or not. Opening the package was progress, wasn't it?

A craft kit

I just popped into Aldi and have discovered some crafty bits on sale. I can never resist crafty bits. Although I can crochet a little, I don't seem to have progressed from Granny squares to be honest, well maybe the odd triangle may have slipped in too! I thought that I would try to crochet out of my comfort zone and have bought a kit. I'm hoping to finish this one and not get bored mid leg! It's yarndale next weekend so there will be many more temptations.  I'm quite into needlefelting at the moment and have taught a few classes recently. I run them with my daughter which is lovely as I do enjoy spending time with my children. We are working on our final workshop of the year which will be Christmas themed. Where has the year gone?

Delighted!

I'm quite delighted with a recent charity shop find.  I've not had a great deal of success lately as I find that they have become very over priced. I have no wish to sell on my purchases but even if I did there is room enough for everyone to make money without the level of greed involved with the charity shop 'chains.'

Anyway back to my delight! I have found that embroidery really is my thing at the moment. I've always had a great love for fabrics and my own stash of fabrics that I have collected over a long time will not get used up by me I've come to realise. I often find that I've replaced fabrics without ever having used them in the first place. Anyway without further ado...my purchase!

It's a lovely little hard backed book covering an enormous amount of different stitches. It is stamped Immingham Comprehensive School and I can imagine that girls, year upon year will have used my book to embroider their own initials. I do like a purchase with a story!

Hope and Elvis

I have been fortunate to have been to two Hope and Elvis workshops recently.  The first was a Marna Lunt workshop entitled Spring Flowers. I had such an amazing time and became a true groupie having my photo taken with Marna. I have done more stiching on the embroidered picture since the photo was taken but this is how much that I finished on the day.

 I have also become a header for Marna's Facebook page! Get me! She had some serious scissor envy!

My next workshop was another stitchy one. This time it was with Janet Bolton. Another amazing workshop.  This sadly remains as it is in the photo. Well it was only last weekend! Who would have thought that work would get in the way of my stitching?

Both ladies very generous with their knowledge and experience. Both extremely funny and warm. I have more workshops planned for 2016. I have been rather generous to myself. But I'm worth it!

A wedding!

Well I have been a little busy whilst being missing from my blog! No.1 daughter have become a Mrs, which meant that I have been busy making wedding arrangements and decorations. From handmade place settings, to crochet bouquets, to crochet cake decorations, it's all been happening. This happened towards the end on November and was quite amazing. Such a beautiful day of celebrating with close family and friends.

I've also been fortunate enough to have partaken in a couple of workshops. More about those later!