{quilt} while you're ahead

66**2013 - Lecien cushions -

For the boys.

Long overdue project.

The gorgeous Lecien fabric was bought in Tokyo last August.

Ahem ahem.

 

What are you all doing this weekend?  I'm heading to the Malvern Quilt Show tomorrow and then flop with the family on Sunday. 

56**2013 - Tova top -

The pattern has been sat on my shelf for what...two years? and then last week I finally took the plunge...

I cut the pattern pieces, studied the instructions, and over the course of a few days...

the ubiquitous and fabulous TOVA top emerged.

I used a light cotton fabric I bought in Italy during the Easter break.  I think it's French... but don't quote me on it, it's just something the guy in the shop said.  The selvedge was blank.

I'm very pleased with it!  I did it in a medium size and it fits perfectly even if it's not perfect... my gathering isn't brilliant (must practice 'gathering') and I'm not in love with the collar.  I think I'll try a simple bias binding doo-dah next time.  I also made it much shorter than the pattern suggested because it originally sat right on my hips and between you and me highlighting the widest part of one's body it is never a good thing.

(obligatory awkward self-portrait)

I will sew more Tovas, they're very wearable..  I have a Liberty fabric and an unknown voile that should be  just the ticket... stay tuned.

55**2013

Randomly.

Because it's Monday.

Because today I went running for the 2nd time in three years (both times in the past week, it's not that it takes me that long to recover!) and everything hurts.

Because I've spent the past three hours cleaning and tidying and I find it quite mind numbing...

See? running shoes.

I can't stop eating tomatoes.

On rice cakes and a veil of mayonnaise.

And those have got nothing to do with it but are my new shoes and they are beautiful soft and comfortable. (gosh I'm so pale).

if you give your children a blue slushy what comes out the other end... it's not blue but green. Bright green.  It frightened No 3 to death (he called me crying from the toilette, "mum my pooh is green!").  Sorry a bit TMI but quite funny.  I'll call it a life lesson; blue things are not meant to be eaten!

Talking of blue...

the sun has finally graced us with its presence. 

Feeeels good.

And you know what else feels good?

a bright patch on a boring dish towel.

 

Have a good week people.

 

138//2012 {{pencil case}}

Wednesday.

I have to admit the week is getting better.

- Mr M is back from New York

- The boys ate what I put in front of them last night without any complaining last night.

- Tonight I'm going out with friends.

- AND I've had the chance to sit at my machine and make a birthday present:

M is a mean skateboarder - when he doesn't have a broken arm - and a gorgeous friend of No 3

He deserves something homemade.

 

124//2012

- blue sky

- the first ice on the windscreen of the car

- and owl cushion sewn for an 'owl party' this afternoon

- Mr M in Hong Kong on business

- No 1 child asked for tomato soup for lunch (a miracle!)

- No 2 needs to be picked in ten minutes

- No 3 still at a sleepover up the road

- I've just finished a lovely breakfast: toasted banana bread with Nutella, Assam tea with vanilla, the new issue of 'The simple things'

102//2012

The boys are in Italy; I dropped them off at the airport and off they went... I miss them, the house is totally quiet and feels very empty.  Lilli and I look at each other and we both agree that it's not the way we like it.  Then she runs off chasing squirrels and I'm left with the hoover.

I'd rather be chasing squirrels myself.

Anyway, Mr M and I are off for a week by ourselves to the land of the rising sun (very excited!) and I've been trying to sort out the house so it doesn't scare me when I get back and pack in a mature and organised way (normally after packing for the three boys I'm so bored with it I throw my stuff in a case without too much thinking!)

So this is what's coming with me:

 

A new 'Artsy clutch' (from Bend the rules sewing) for the essential passports.  We have a 'family' one we've been using for years, but that's gone with the boys.

(remember when they were all the rage all those years ago?

A new small pouch for little essentials, like ipod nano, lib balm, moisturizers etc.

 

I really enjoyed all those little stitches.

And last but not least a new project bag for knitting on the plain essentials. 

 In this case a pair of socks. Pale grey, simple lace pattern.

More sashiko...

 

So that's it folks, be good... I'll be back in the next few days with a new series: Postcards from Japan!

 

81//2012

Randomly on a Monday

- No 2 is at home with a stomach bug.  Yuck.

- Italy beat England in the European Football Championship to earn a place in the semifinal on Thursday. Fingers crossed.

- I finished knitting my 'Bella Cardigan' with a foot of yarn to spare. Living dangersously is my middle name. Not really.

- Now I have all the ends to weave in - blah - and the buttons to choose - yeah.

- quote of the week: "this chocolate is nice mum, but it doesn't give me inner peace like an 'after eight' does" (No 2).  Worrying I know.

- The boys have finished a week of exams.  Anybody interested in adverb clauses? in the function of the large intestine? the death of Edward II? the five pillars of Islam, in Arabic? or how to draw a simple electrical circuit?  Actually I've already forgotten that one...

- Tonight I'm going to serve them buffalo meatballs.  They don't know it yet.  They won't know untill they've eaten.  Ha ha ha.  It's the small things people that keep the world turning and a mother happy.

- It's not supposed to be raining today but I can hear distant thunder.  To hang the clothes outside or not? That is the problem. Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and rain of outregeous weather... to hang, to dry no more...

- I apologise for that.

- I bought myself a kindle.  I love it.  Books don't get ruined in my bags no more.

- I still love books.

- I'm drinking a lot of green tea with jasmine.

- One of our fish is dead.

- And it's not the one who's been looking dead for the past two months. Go figure.

- Two of our fish have only one eye.  Quite gross.

- I really must go do something.

 

 

78//2012

Mr M has a brand new office.

Mr M's new office has a fabulous vintage sofa.

Mr M's fabulous vintage sofa in his new office had no cushions

Until now

At a local street fair we scored a large piece of vintage Swedish fabric (Plexus by Sven Frisedt)

And two cushions were born.

The strange thing is when I  researched the designer name he seems to have only designed this one pattern - his name is printed on the selvedge - whilst there are endless patterns attributed to Sven Frisdedt, with a 'd' in the middle.  Could it be a mistake in the selvedge printing process?  Are there two Swedish designers with similar names?

If anybody knows I'd love to solve the mistery.

 

67//2012 {{pjs trousers}}

Technically calling this a finished ufo is incorrect ... I hadn't even started it before the weekend BUT I've been meaning to make them for so long that they were 'on the list'.

I know you know what I mean.

The fabric was bought last May (2011) at the Malvern Three Counties Quilt Show and has been on the shelves since then.

As a template I used an un-stitched old pair of pjs pants that literally fell apart. It's a very clever construction of only two pieces (one for the left leg, one of the right) that came together in a ridiculously short time.

So quick I was that I had time for a spot of pedicure

and a slice of cake.

41//2012

The weather... ah the glorious spring weather...

No 3 is practicing his skateboard moves

and I'm hanging clothes in the fresh morning air.

It's a peaceful start to our Spring break... 

And that is exactly how I like it.

 

(In the spirit of honesty and realism I'd like to confess that actually my morning started at 7.30 when I found myself cleaning the kitchen floor on my knees after Lilli the dog vomited 8 times and pooed twice during the night)