...want to ruin my reputation...BUT... I have to admit that I DO clean!! There its out! I admitted it! I don't do it a lot, however I do some most days!! That way it does not seem so much... and it gives me LOTS of time for "other" things.... what is this revelation all about you ask?.... well... as I was hoovering the front room today I got to thinking...DANGER ALERT!!... I could NOT be minimalist in my home xx The front room is fairly clutter free... I have pictures and quilts and candles and bits and bobs(!).. but you can see the floor and the furniture! Of course I have a WIP corner..
and my latest book is ready to hand...
BUT its tidy... and clean xx
NOW.. my back room..AKA my sewing area is CLUTTERED! I live in a Victorian terrace (built 1864) and I feel that in this room I become ...VICTORIAN!! there is "stuff" on every surface, boxes of fabric and books are piled up, fabric has escaped and is spreading across the room there is "stuff" all over the walls , some worked on, some in progress... some papers some pictures the kids have pained/drawn.... and I LOVE it xx
It helps me to be creative, and inspired, it makes me feel I can do (almost) ANYTHING I try xx ... and its FUN xx
NOW in a couple of weeks I have visitors coming from Australia (Blair's parents xx) I know Deb reads this.... SO ... you have been warned xx I cannot clean any more than I already do ... fear of dust and exhaustion and not being able to find anything!! BUT I will keep open a passage through to the all important kettle and tea pot xx lol xx
Keep smiling
Diane xx
...Gus is fine ... he keeps giving me the sorrowful looks and the deep sighs...BUT he is eating and drinking and managing to guilt trip me into extra treats xx I now have 5 days more to chase him round with antibiotics!! OH JOY!
I am continuing to play with the mug/candle mats...
just wish going to work (at what appears to be a mad house! is it a full moon?) did not cramp my style so much!! lol x
Hope you can find something to keep you smiling
Diane xx
... will I learn to keep my BIG mouth shut? Remember Gus went to the vet and was fine? AND I shouted about it? WELL 2 days later he started having trouble with his teeth again!! That'll teach me! The upshot was that he had 5 yes 5 teeth out yesterday!! If he was able he would murder me for this picture!!...
this was him in a drunken stupor last night! At one point his front legs were stationary and the back legs wobbling... round and round he went with Sam joining in this fun new game !! SO FUNNY!
Today he is a bit grumpy and giving me the cold shoulder... but much better x ALL I have to do now is chase him round for a week with antibiotics... no problem!! in my dreams!! lol x
To take my mind off what could be happening with him I made this little mug/candle mat ...
AGAIN ...so much fun xx...
I may just make another one x
I have also changed this..
which was given to me by Caroline 10 days ago (its a friendship mix, that you keep alive for 9 days then share with friends )... into these...
YUMMY
Keep smiling
Diane xx
...want a sneaky peek at what I did with all those SMALL ..half square triangles?.... well they are in one of these...
OK ! I will stop being quite so mean... I made quite a few of these....
Ready now to be posted at the end of the month xx NOT sure what is going on, but , I already have one of the AUGUST swaps ... and have had an e-mail to say the other AUGUST swap is on the way!! Isn't the year going fast enough?!!
It is the last meeting at Congleton for the summer tonight. SO... that means PARTY TIME xx I am off to Marks and Spencer to find some goodies xx NO I am not going to COOK myself... they do it so much better x
Keep smiling
Diane xx
... it rained today!! What a surprise ...so I thought I would stay in and do some ironing!! OH YES I do occasionally do some housework! Mind you I had a lovely chat to Sally (daughter) on SKYPE while I was doing it so it did not seem such a chore xx
I also did a different type of ironing... because I worked on one of my Mini-Round-Robin swaps for this month...
WHY did I start a border with such small pieces? I have NO idea! I must of had a brain storm of some sort!! Now I have started I have to carry on!! Hey-Ho!!
I feel it is time to put my feet up, have a cuppa and read this..
the postman has been again lol x
Keep smiling
Diane xx
... there are going to be LOTS of pictures in this post... because this is the one that I promised you ... to show how I made the mug/candle mat xx
First off you need to have a template or a ruler to make the "plates" for the Dresden plate... I am posh and have a ruler !! If you don't have a ruler there are lots of published patterns for making templates xx These are cut from 5 inch wide fabric... if you use a charm square you get 2.. if you use a jelly role strip you get ... quite a lot!!
I intend to make a few (!!) mats ... even so I think I went a bit mad !! lol xx..
then you need to start finding the ones you want to put together... I used 10 "wedges" to make mine .. it just depends on how you sew and how you want it to look ..
then you iron them all in half...don't be tempted to skip this stage .. it helps later..HONESTLY...
THEN sew along the top.. if you strip sew you get some bunting!!...
then turn then right way... and line up the top with the ironed line...SEE.. it was worth ironing that crease in as you now have a measure to keep them all the same and centered..
then sew all the wedges together..
the back ground I cut 6.5 x 12.5 ..I folded in half and used those marks to centre the placement and pin in place..
sew down in your favourite way... I do it by hand, but its up to you xx Then layer up. I used a cotton rich wadding ..then the insulated stuff... (I didn't have enough for one piece..so I patched it!!.. well its Sunday and I want to show you how to do it!! it doesn't show when finished... bet you forget all about it x)... then I used this great fabric that is all about tea for the back xx..
Then quilt it... at the moment my fav is the curvy stitch on my machine ,,, I use the machine because the many layers make it difficult to do by hand xx..
Then make a circle... I made a circle of cardboard, draw a circle on the fabric , sew a line of tacking, pull around the cardboard. tie off, iron over the cardboard,take it out and iron again. then fold and cut in half..
and sew it down onto the mat... covers up the edge of the quilting nicely..
then sew on the binding...AND if you are still with me ..... you have a mug/candle mat ..
so much fun!!
Keep smiling
Diane xx
...I was in and out like a fiddlers elbow!! AND I got wet through every time I went out!!
The last part of the day was to attend a concert given by the choirs of 6 schools... Josh (grandson no 1) was singing....and they were BRILLIANT. EVERY song was in tune... not bad for 8-12 year olds xx
SO ... after tea and a cuppa it was ME time xx I had such a good time with the mug mat for my swap partner that I decided I would make another one..
THEN I started thinking about Christmas...
and how it is always good to be ahead of the rush..
they came together so easily..
I will DEFINITELY be making some more. I may just take some pictures and show you all just how easy it is xx
Keep smiling
Diane xx
