Mighty chuffed with my beach huts

Mighty chuffed with my beach huts

arty stuff crafty stuff sewing

Hello. Well it was more than just another stitch, it was ton's more stitches to finish the job. I had to secure it to a stiff cardboard backing which took a couple of hours. But here it is, finished. I have photographed it without the glass so no glare and reflections, it looks even better with the glass, gives it a professionally framed look. The dimensions are 14 inches by 11.5 inches. I chose green for the frame, it's ordinary household emulsion from my stash of tester pots, and I think the colour balances beautifully with the rest of it. It's a bright summery happy picture. 

The yellow sandy beach colour is lost a bit in the closeups. The first picture is closest to the real colours. I made the beach huts out of plain cotton fabric and painted them. Then used felt tip pens to add a few details.

Most of the stitching is simple running stitch, with a few French knots on the trees, and some back stitching.

The orange sun is a circle of felt. It took me ages to decide which fabric to use for the sky. The natural choice would have been blue, but I wanted to steer away from convention, and there would have been too much blue with the sea already blue. So red it was. First I tried patterned fabric but it looked a bit silly, so plumped for plain red and added the sun's rays.  

The back is now covered with the hardboard that came with the frame, and sealed with tape to keep the dust out.

I have really enjoyed making that. It made a change to work on something smaller, was much easier to handle. If you want to make the pictures bigger click on one of them for a slide show.

Have to wait now for another idea to pop into my head.

Thanks for visiting my blog. Almost the end of the year, have you thought about joining our Walking Group for 2017? Add your name to the post on the 1st of January, then update your mileage on the 1st of every month after that. Do yourself a big big favour and make 2017 the year you WILL get fit.

We'll catch up soon. Toodle pip

Just one more stitch

Just one more stitch

arty stuff crafty stuff sewing

Hello me hearties. I really shouldn't be showing you this. I've been working on it all day, hoping to get it framed, but run out of daylight. Working under artificial light is not the same, especially when my work stations are spread about between the two tables downstairs and the work bench upstairs. When I piece pictures together bit by bit it takes ages to search out the right type of fabric, plain or patterned, the right colours, and the thickness of the fabric, so it's a lot of walking up and down stairs. 

I think this is ready for framing. Just when I think I have stitched the last stitch I always find a little bit more to do. The frame is ready, an old one which was given to me has been painted.

I find hand sewing very therapeutic, even more so now I have discovered the gentle relaxing music on yoootooob.

I'll finish it in the morning and show the whole thing tomorrow. Right now Bugsy needs his hot water bottles refilling, it's perishing cold outside. I went to the church post office this morning to pay my last installment of Council Tax. Two free months now before it starts again. Picked up more free hearing aids from the medical centre because I've almost run out. Two packets last me six months. Fetched the bins back in after the council lorry has emptied them. Had a postcard from two of my readers, they are in London having a good time. Thank you for that.

I'll be glad when we start getting a bit more daylight. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

An ordinary day in the life of me

An ordinary day in the life of me

chitter chatter crafty stuff sewing

Hello. I've been doing a bit of running around today, not literally running, but doing jobs that had to be done. The car needed an MOT test, so I booked it online last night with Halfords Autocentre, and delivered it at 9am this morning. Their place is close to town so I came home on the bus and left it there because they were busy. Halfords is the cheapest place I have found at £30.

Next was a dog walk, I'll have to take a picture of Jade. She is easy to walk, though I think she is a bit confused that we don't walk the same route that Ken walks her. He lets her off the lead to run through fields, that's ok because he has been walking her for over a year, but I will be keeping her on the lead. We will be walking around the village on tarmac. I don't want to be paddling through mud.

Back home for lunch, a big salad, and some sewing to pass the time while I wait for the car to be done. I rang them at 3pm and they said, yes, its' ready, so I caught the 3.30 bus back to town. I don't normally go to the bus station, no need to, but I was disappointed that it looked so scruffy. Literally rubbish everywhere. Visitors must think we are a mucky lot. The bus driver put his foot down a bit, seemed to drive ever so fast. Or maybe my driving is getting slower so I notice it more.

I then had to go to the vet's to pickup some tablets for Heidi, it's at the other end of town. Traffic was busy  so I diverted around the queue's and went through some country lanes, and now the car is all dirty again.

Dinner tonight was a pile of steamed vegetables, drizzled with toasted sesame seed oil. Someone said they like seeing pictures of my meals, but the steamed vegetables look much the same. I had brocolli, potatoes, carrots, fine french beans, and mangetout peas. Did you know that Aldi's super six this week are only 19p. I believe all the supermarkets have cheap veg, now is the time to buy plenty. Skip the meat, just have the veg.

This is my latest work in progress. Lots of hand stitching. It's not a big picture, this is the sea. Above it will be the sand, then the sky at the top. The darker blue is the nearest shade to the real thing, difficult to get the true colours when using flash.

Right, I'll get off, evenings are taken up with mostly cat cuddles, they all want my attention. Bugsy has been a bit picky with his food, but if I prod it around in his bowl he will eat some. He wants to eat, but grumbles about what I serve up. Sometimes his head is in the bowl as I am emptying a pouch into it.

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

A really nice book cover

A really nice book cover

crafty stuff sewing

Hello. Bit late tonight, I thought I would get the Tesco dash over and done with before the busy weekend starts. I also had an £8 off voucher on a £40 shop which needed using before it runs out. Did well on the yellow stickers, had a laugh with the boy who was marking down, and a chat with the lady on the checkout. Shouldn't need to buy any more food now till after Christmas. 

I finished the notebook cover today. This is how I began. A piece of cotton fabric bigger than the book when it's opened out.  

I started by adding the square piece of fabric, then kept adding more until it was covered.

This is it fully covered. I then did cross stitch along all the seams, with some other stitching as well. 

I cut another piece of red cotton the same size and pinned the two together, right sides in. Then I marked a line around the book, and machined them together on three sides, leaving one end open. I cut off the excess, then turned it the right way, and stitched up the open end by hand.

The front of the finished cover. 

 And the back.

Inside front.

Inside back.

This is the whole thing opened out. 

I did blanket stitch on the top and bottom to make the pockets to slip the book into.

The twisted elastic is sewn into the back cover and flips over to the front to hold the book closed.

I am very pleased with how it's turned out. The cover can be removed when the book is full, and put onto a new book.

Right, half an hour chill time and cuddles with Bugsy, then I'm off to bed. Thank you all for visiting Amy's blog, I bet that gave her a surprise. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
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Making a bespoke notebook cover

Making a bespoke notebook cover

cats crafty stuff experimental food sewing vegetarian

Hello. Bugsy cat is looking like one happy and contented cat tonight. He's just eaten one and a half sardines. The vet said to give him smelly food to tempt him so I called in at the shop after I had finished making Santa's Grotto at the Village Hall. We decided to keep the Grotto simple this year, so I covered the two walls in the corner of the entrance hall with white paper and hung tinsel and coloured balls on it. 

I've started a little project to use up some small pieces of cotton fabric. I'm making a cover for a notebook. The red fabric is a piece of bed sheet. Lay the book on the top to mark out the size of the fabric. 

Now I'm covering it with patchwork.  I started it off at Crafty Club on Monday,  hand sewing up to now, but I've started to sew the strips on with the machine. When it is covered I shall add lots of hand stitching over the top of it.

I made extra steamed vegetables last night, and incorporated them into my lunch today. Started off with mushrooms in a pan, almost two weeks out of date, add a chopped onion, a handful of spinach, and some baked beans. Then add the steamed veg.  It was bloomin lovely, filled me up a treat. 

That's another month gone by. If the Walking Group members send in their mileage, I will update the page. I only did two miles today, pacing myself for the final month. I will be doing extra in December, so no need to stick rigidly to my routine.

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
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Recycling Upcycling Queen

Recycling Upcycling Queen

free make a bag recycle sewing

Hello, and welcome to Tightwad Towers Recycling Centre. There was a knock at my front door this morning, my friend Bob was on his way to the council dump when he decided to call in here first in case there was something in his car that I could make use of. Most of it was packaging, but I had to rescue a few things. I'm not sure if I actually need them, but I couldn't see them thrown away. I can probably use the two big frames, but the smaller ones might go to the charity shop. 

I do need a small lamp shade, but I these are going to be too big. Probably charity shop. Three cushions. Don't need them myself, but I could take them apart. They have too much stuffing in them, I could make four cushions for the church. My goodness I've got loads to do now, I'm going to be busy trying to keep up with all this recycling upcycling lark.

I made a sign to go on the lamp post on the High Street near to the Village Hall. It's simple, didn't want to spend too much time on it, as it will only be up for six days, then put away till next year.

Two shopping bags made today, with the fabric from one of the beds. They are a slightly darker shade than they are here on the photo.

So, that's what I've been doing on this chilly but dry Sunday. The days are very short now, it's a job to get everything done in reasonable daylight. I've got to go. There's a ginger cat demanding my attention, he wants to snuggle up to me. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
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Another hippy bag finished

Another hippy bag finished

crafty stuff make a bag sewing

Hello. This bag has been hanging around for a few months, waiting to be finished. Today I got my finger out and bingo, it's done. I forgot to photograph the back, which is a dark red, same fabric as the handles. It has a red satin lining, and is 12 inches by 13 inches, and the handles are long enough to hitch over your shoulder. 

Some machine stitching and some hand stitching. I made the front and back as two separate pieces, and sewn them together by hand with blanket stitch. They have several layers so won't go floppy.

The bluey greeny one I made earlier, not sure which I like best now. 

I've been on the phone today, booking another short break, not so far to go this time, three days walking in Derbyshire. Thought I'd try another hotel in the Christian Guild group. They have a special offer of £39 a night at the moment. Have a look at Willersley Castle, it looks very nice. It's not far from Matlock, plenty of good walking in that area.

The car is empty, all wood put away. I've washed the fabric which I salvaged from one of the beds, it's a lovely shade of blue. I'm making a sign for the Christmas Fair to put on the lamp post near the Village Hall. Will get that finished tomorrow. I'm not sure when they will be building Santa's grotto, if it's the day before I won't be able to help as I may be out walking with my buddies, if the weather is ok. Perhaps I can do it on Thursday, we shall see.

That's it for now. Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon.
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