It’s been a productive week off work with Gwyn house painting in the morning (with some help from pals) and I’ve been at sewing in the crafternoon.

Sorry about dodgy photo quality. …

I’m in love with these skirts.
All made from fabric stowed in the linen cupboard, mostly recycled and the rest scraps from other projects. – and a great Henry the 8th tea towel apron I picked up at Ecofest a few months ago.

I’ve used Toni Cowards A+ skirt pattern (make it perfect). Which I love.

And because I like patch’ey-patch’ey-ness I’ve made them patch’ey-patch’ey

I promise never to show you photographs of my feet again. X

After a bit of fabric cutting, some straight line sewing and staying up past my bedtime (gasp) I popped out a queen size quilt, yup, just like that.

I used a good number of vintage floral pieces, some bits and pieces of opshopped sheets, aprons and the like… and when I started eyeing of one of Bonnie’s dresses I knew it was going too far.
I’m officially labelling it as ‘ the Family Heirloom’, just because  I can.
Although quite possibly no one will want to inherit it as there are a few small puckering issues and one rather large unpleasant looking line of sewing (that I may actually even fix) mostly I going with ‘it has character’ and just adoring it.

All in time for Bonnie’s birthday.

Thanks Shaun and Caroline for our trip to the zoo. X

Looking forward what this year might bring.
As always at this time of year i’m inspired by all those doing fabulous 365 challenges (maybe 366 this year?)
i had thought i’d have worked up to this being my year for leaving the stupidmarket behind. But they deliver groceries right to my door and i am too addicted to that to stop right now.
So, an easier challenge for this little household – no canned goods.
i’ve been soaking the lentil and chickpeas. Made some fabo hommous, popped quite a few bags of garden tomatoes in the freezer and we’re off to a good start.
And why?? bpa’s and that sort of hoo-ha.

Looking at the garden and my children playing in it always reminds me of the many things I have to be thankful for and helps puts life in perspective.

Along with the usual debris that can be found on the kitchen floor – (today’s favourite – a weet bix that “someone” (let’s be frank , it’s Harriet)  has managed to pilfer from it’s package and smish into three million crumbs)  one can also find glitter, sliver cachous and hundred’s and thousands.

And this  is one pointer to the fact that Christmas is several days off.

I hope yours is happy and safe and filled with the loveliest of moments.

Thanks for popping over here a little bit this year to a rather ad hoc, un focussed sort of blog and sharing some of your day with me.

I’ve had a number of  other half witty things that I’ve thought to share with you this year, but as life happens blogging gets passed by – and that’s a good thing!

Enjoy your gingerbread house (photo to come of ours – not quite as hideous as last year… although I shouldn’t speak just yet!)

xxxxxxx

golly – I did speak too soon.

Even as I wrote this post Harriet, Sweet Harriet pulled a stool up to the table and has been squishing her fat naughty baby hands through the icing, hundreds n thousands and caschous that cover the roof of the gingerbread house and smearing it into her cheeky little gob.

Gus and Bonnie will be less than pleased to see their artisan gingerbread house  has been treated in such a manner.

Joy!

edit -a later addition!

here’s a photo. it went… well… wrong…

(and I cannot even blame a child)

Margaret Fulton your recipe is awesome. What fabulous tasting gingerbread.

And my construction skills leave much to be desired.

So first of all I had to make it a gingerbread compound, rather than a house.

And then while I tried to find a flattering angle for a quick photo, I realised any angle would do as long as it was quick… and before it collapsed

This once-a-year cooking pressure! arghh

Bonnie has done her first spot of shoplifting.

Oh yes, the sneaky little bowerbird surprised me with some embroidery thread which I assumed came from the crafty stuff in the backroom.

But no, she informed me it was from the wool shop. Hmmm.

I think maybe a criminal crafter in the making. Not lollies, not toys but some crafty supplies.

When we chatted about taking it back she was rather adamant that she’d stay outside the shop while I did her dirty work, and even more so that we wouldn’t tell Dad when he got back from work.

She stewed about it overnight and kept bringing it up, so we are at least relieved she has a conscience.

I didn’t get to see the handing back (much like I obviously didn’t see the sneaking out)  Gwyn and the kids went round to deliver it back while I was off at the market on Saturday.

Sneaky babe

Thanks Cassie from Rainbow Lollies

http://www.etsy.com/people/RainbowLollies