February...ing

Lots happening this February...so many things in fact, it has taken me away from the online world. The biggest being my studio make over. When we moved house 18 months ago all of the furniture we didn't quite have a planned home for ended up in the studio and I used it to store my stuff. Now, with creating online tutorials for my work, I have to make it work as part of my job. The new working from home concept.

Painting - one studio wall white for better filming. The sewing wall houses everything sewing related with some room to spare. I also painted the table legs on both tables green, then waxed them to seal the paint.

Disturbing - all of my craft stuff is in its self disturbing. I had a good clear out and replaced this wall with more storage.

Building - two whole walls of IKEA Ivar units with bloke was gruelling especially as we did it all on one rainy day. My girls built some stuff too in the house while we put the units together and they kept popping in with completed parts. 

Exciting - news. The introduction of our cockerel, Gordon, has meant that Daisy the hen has started laying again. Hopefully, Heidi can hatch chicks which she has been reading up on. The incubator is ready to go in spring. For now though, we are eating the new eggs.

Giving - a Harris Tweed jacket a new life. It was a mens kilt jacket but I shortened the shoulders and sleeves; added a waist tie; covered some new buttons and added a cuff detail. It is such a warm coat/jacket.

Sewing - a comfortable dress. I am not mad about the fabric print as it happens but the pattern is brilliant and super easy. I have been exploring a range of patterns for work called Atelier Jupe. They have a wonderful wardrobe range and incredible instructions. This is the Charlotte dress and Lou top. I like that most of my clothes have names!

Sorting - out embroidery threads. With the two girls both stitching, it was all getting a bit of a mess. I bought them a bobbin case and the girls sorted out what they wanted to keep then got rid of the rest.

Crocheting - my knitting and crochet has ground to a halt. All of that painting and moving furniture has left me with a sore elbow. Also I have ran out of the medium grey colour wool for this throw and can't seem to find any anywhere. I have also found out that using my hands every evening to do yarn craft is actually what keeps me awake! I am finding it hard to keep my eyes open in the evenings without it.

Upskilling - my sewing by creating piping detail on my latest pair of Carolyn Pyjamas. The pattern really lends itself to the concept of moving your sewing on as you make each pair more complex. It is expensive but in my opinion, the only one PJ pattern you will ever need. This is my fifth pair (not all for me!)

Listening - to the wild wind this week and bracing ourselves for Friday with storm Eunice. I have tied the trampoline to a tree, turned all the sheep hay cratches away from the wind and picked up anything that can blow away and put it in the shed. All gates will be checked but fingers will have to be crossed for the tin on the barn roof. In calmer times...

Thanks for dropping by. Jo xxx

June...ing

 Loving - cut flowers from the garden.

Feeling - a bit young to be turning collars but my denim jacket is my favourite and oldest piece of clothing which I want to live on a little longer so I unpicked the collar and sewed it back on the other way around. It has lasted 25 years, here's to some more.

Eating - winter food?? but now we can move onto sunnier dining.

 

Wondering - when I started writing these posts. It was March 2017. I went back and wrote down all the verbs I used to use so I can reintroduce them.

Buying - loop turning tubes for waist ties, straps and rouleau loops. It is a game changer, far less swearing at turning thin straps.

Accepting - this beautiful gift from my uncle. We were in a charity shop and I said I liked the correspondence box in the window so he bought it for me.

Selling - Lots of left over building materials: roof tiles, quarry tiles, ridge tiles etc. It was looking like a reclamation yard in the field.

Sorting - out my wardrobe. I always pack away my winter clothes and get out my summer dresses. It feels like I have lots of new things. Some are a little on the snug side I must say! Out with the wool, velvet and long sleeved tees and out with the bright cotton prints.

Wearing - Summer dresses. All handmade except for one. YAY!

Avoiding - sewing in the day and trying to sew in the evenings and early mornings to enjoy the long awaited sunshine.

Making - An Indigo tunic by Tilly and Buttons with this beautiful delicate fabric.

Whizzing - up a batch of wild garlic pesto. Delicious!

Loving - that Meg has got her cactus to flower. She was so excited but they only lasted a day or two.

Deciding - to open the bi-fold doors for the first time. I thought it would make the house too hot but on the contrary, it was super breezy and cool. Looking out and looking in gave me great joy. I almost forgot the pain it took for us to get them shipped in time for the builders to fit them.

Crocheting - the last of the squares for a blanket with Heidi. It was so much quicker with two of us doing them.

Introducing - Monty, a seventeen year old in the village who has bought shearing equipment and is learning to shear. It turns out when he said he was new to shearing, he had only done 25 of his own suffolks in total. The first of our hebrideans took him 40 mins but he got faster. We invited an old shearer friend to come and share some tips and Monty got down to nine minutes. He had not done ones with horns before so he did pretty well and was proud of himself.

Teaching - my girl to wrap fleeces. The photo she took of me bending over, red faced and covered in lanolin was far too unflattering to show you!

Practising - a dress for Heidi for a wedding we are attending in July. I cut a size 6 but it still needed scaling down a bit so I tried it out in curtain lining first. Ready for the beautiful fabric she chose now.

Finally, I will leave you with the view because it doesn't matter how long I live here, it will always make me feel fabulous inside.

Jo xxx

May...ing

It is my favourite month of the year where everything bursts into blossom with the added bonus of the most vivid GREEN! Here is a little round up of May so far, it is jam packed...

Spotting - blossom of all kinds: pale pink, white, deep red, bright cerise. Just beautiful.

Picking - the last of my daffodils before deadheading the rest to make way for the tulips. I also rustled up a new set of table napkins.

Introducing - my children to tomato juice and Worcestershire sauce. They loved it which we drank with a scampi salad one evening when bloke was on night shifts. This is our idea of a 'girly' sharing dinner.

Walking - to the top of the Caradoc which is the hill we see from our kitchen window on the left. We tried to see our home from the top but we located the hamlet, but not quite our house!

Meeting - up with our favourite friends outdoors. It was wonderful to see the girls just slot back into conversation with their pals while Mary and I did the same chatting about yarn and family and sewing.

Cussing - myself for not doing a toile of my new pietra pants pattern. I spent a lot of money on this fabric and I was so cross with myself for not measuring the crotch seam pattern pieces and realising I should have taken out at least 2 inches. What is worse is, I already know this body modification from another trouser pattern. Bum! Anyway, they have been gifted to my friend who was delighted. Back to the cutting table with this one.

Teaching - a session on how to apply a neckband to stretch garments for Minerva. Heidi had a 'Billie top' to showcase a sweatshirt and cuffing combo that comes in 68 different colours!

Growing - a salad trough. Heidi has started her Duke of Edinburgh bronze award and for the skills section she is trying to grow salad vegetables in succession. Meg has the other trough. There may be some competition involved.

Finally making - preserved lemons. I love eating them but they are so expensive in the shops. It was a surprise to find the recipe was simply salt and lemons packed tightly in a jar for 30 days. I found out all too quickly how many little cuts I had on my fingers.

Admiring - the door wreath Heidi made by re-kindling her love of crochet. She made the whole thing on her own. 

Watching - as the new bulbs we put in before Christmas put on their show. They are from Farmer Gracy but I always lower my expectations by about 50% when I buy plants from a catalogue/online because the pictures are often a bit enhanced whereas these tulips have exceeded all expectations. This one is stunning called Orange princess and has been changing for over a week now. I have ordered more things too and have been impressed with everything.

Enjoying - the general bloom of May in nature.

Baking - a lemon cake with cream and strawberries.

Waiting - patiently for my second haircut in 14 months. I decided I liked it long but not the dead on the ends. Feels sooooo much nicer now.

Booking - the dog in for a well needed chop too.

Getting - three hens. Megan is all over them running to the coop every day after school. We had chickens at our old house for a while and then had to give them up when we were snowed under with building our house. I always promised we would have them again.

Collecting - the best eggs ever.

Staring - at the evening views. This one is from Heidi's room. Seriously, no filter.

Raining - like cats and dogs on Bank holiday Monday, then we were all rushing and shouting each other to see the rainbow. 

Thanks for dropping in. Jo xxx