Mommy...draw me a picture...

Once again this week has just flown by. Its been spent in a whirl of spring cleaning and creativity, Oh and lots of cups of tea and coffee sometimes with a fellow drinking companion to pass the hours away with...However I always try to have those hours free of work and company when the children come home from school...that's our time. In the spring cleaning I moved some furniture around in the living room (to accommodate my beautiful old singer machine), this involved putting the coffee table in the middle of the room and this has changed the whole dynamics of our early evening routine... Now usually the children have a chill out half hour with a glass of milk and a cookie, then they go and play and come into the kitchen whilst I make supper when they either play Lego or play dough, something like that...With the coffee table being a focal point, as soon as they come home they pull out their pens and paper and whilst slurping their milk and munching their cookies I am regularly called in to join them with a 'Mommy...can you draw me a picture' Having two children I have to draw two pictures then another two etc...you get the idea!!!
My two are really into the whole Pokemon scene, if you have been reading for a while you will remember the Pokemon summer we had...The children are really into designing their own Pokemon's and naming them (we also have our own Pokemon names). My older one has been asking me to draw some of the people and I have to admit I have pulled away from it, I love Manga and the whole design elements to it and I adore the simplicity of their drawings and how they really say so much without words...this has always scared me if I am honest, anything that looks this simplistic usually is not!!! Well after a drawing session of numerous NEW Pokemon I gave into their requests...I had ago...What do think? They are pretty easy actually and certainly once colour was introduced they came to life...
On to sewing as I am not really 'Suzie Draws'! I had my patchwork class last Saturday, I have not gone for the last couple of months so I was really looking forward to it, I had missed some great classes too so I am having to do a little homework to catch up. This week we worked on this strip piecing, useful for filling in areas of the quilt, its a clever way to add interest and I can see many possibilities of use and wild colour combinations. Although I have to say my favourite so far has been the origami folding fabric blocks...Still I am sure when its all put together it will look amazing (I hope so)! It was pointed out to me (politely) that my colours are very Austin Powers...Well Yer Man!!!
OK OK this picture has no association with making, I bought the summer top with the weekly groceries, but I adored the colours and the linen(you know I love linen) it was hung up on the door frame waited to be carried upstairs to its rightful place in my wardrobe and just behind it hung my babes fishing net with his wooden fish and fishing rod, what do you know...SNAP!!!

On to the creative time of late, well I have been doing mixed media work, from making a load of birthday cards (for my First Born's anti natal class babes to celebrate their ninth birthdays) to knitting like a mad woman, I just need to sew up my little ones jumper and I am half way through the front of a summer top for me, knitting in pink...YER!!! Sewing...lots of sewing, the quilt top is nearly finished from the vintage squares and I am working on the embroidery squares (pictures next week), I need to talk swaps with you too...

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The project of the moment is my 'critters in cups' I am knitting mice now so many that I have actually lost count and I have got it down to a fine art, I have changed the basic pattern beyond recognition from size to shape of these little fellows so I can almost make them without my pattern ( I started making these about a year ago and talked about them then) I have never really designed a pattern before, obviously I had a basic pattern to start with and with each mouse I made notes of my changes until it came to a time I had to completely redo the whole thing so it was ledgeable. So using up some of my stash and some very fine needles...the result is a home being over run by the little critters...I am thinking school/craft fair for these as I worry about packaging the china for postal sales, but its fun to match the mouse up with the tea cup...I have so many tea cups and now I have an excuse to buy some more.

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So another week is over, the fun bit of this week was I went along to a knitting group...scary but I am so pleased I went and I will be going back, not that much knitting got done...nice biscuits though!

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We have a sleep over weekend, so I am not planning too much, just taking it as it happens, maybe I need to buy some ear plugs!!!

I wish you a great weekend and catch up with you next week...

Good Morning Good Morning to you...

Well its the start of the weekend, so far today we have had rain, wind, sleet, snow and sunshine. So its not really camping weather, my new flask and picnic rug are going to have to wait for another time. I was planning to meet up with a school gate Mom and her children at a seaside campsite which would have been super fun, sadly not to be...So after a hearty breakfast to cheer me up... The children went out for the day with their Daddy. Whilst I should really be doing housework...well I am playing...naughty but nice! I have had an idea in my head for a while now, that involves two sets of equipment that I bought at some cost...of course it also involves some beautiful fabric and what better for the spring, my all time favourite...Linen!

So whilst the boys are away this Mommy will play...and I am so pleased to report that the idea is taking shape and more importantly...its working...Once finished and having sorted out my mess if there is still a little day light left I will take a few pictures and show you what I have been working on...Oh such fun!!!

I am also hoping for enough time before my role as Mommy is back on duty... so I can get along playing with some felt...I made some felt puppets with my older child and from this I thought a more 3D bunny would work out well...so I am going to have ago at this, a simple design as I want the children to be able to make their own...

Whilst I may not be camping, I am still having a grand old time!

I have also been rescued from the housework post school holidays as my friend and her three children are coming up to stay next week, so no point in putting all the toys away, I am looking forward to the company because it has been a lonley Spring Break with everyone doing their own thing, it will be great to have some company and as this is the very women that taught me to knit I am sure once the babes are asleep (all five of them) we will open the wine and get some serious knitting done (and nattering)!!!

I am aware I am a little overdue in returning some emails, I apologise, its been a hectic month with two going away holidays, the children been off school for a fortnight and my hospital visit...well the time has just flown by and little has been achieved, after this week I am hoping to settle into the a New Spring Rhythm and sort out the chaos and get on top of things.

Have a great weekend!

Everything stops!!!

Every thing stops...no matter how many plans and commitments you have it all stops when one of your babes are ill. SO forgive my lack of posting this week as its been a bit of a poorly household. Since January all of us have been poorly in one way or another and with two hospital trips to boot...well how does that song go 'January I am sick and tired of you hanging on me' well that's how we feel. I know I am not the only one with this miserable January vibe...after all its the worst month of the year in this part of the world and has been for many hundreds of years. The last twentyfour hours my older child has been poorly. He is all curled up in bed and I can hear him give out the odd cough...Oh bless him, a friend is picking up my youngest from school so I don't have to drag him out, not that I could anyway!!! SO with all this going on not much crafting has got done, I spent a few hours this week working on a bag design, a belated birthday pressie for my friend in Australia...I need to put it all together...I have completed my quilting blocks from the weekend and that's about it...Today I have been anxiously curled up next to my sleeping child...
SO as not to have a post full of just words I went through my January file and pulled out these pics...A little corner of my home...this is it in the evening state, after all the toys have been put away. I love this time in the evening, usually after a cuddle filled bedtime for the children, I venture back downstairs and tidy up...then there is a moment and it is just a moment...when the silence is pleasing and a sense of peace flows over me...or maybe it the glass of wine waiting to be drunk that does it. Its a time to be on my own, usually I sit for a few minutes and reflect on the day and then either curl up to watch an hour of TV with my knitting or read or maybe if I am feeling very creative I hit the sewing room...
Now the second picture I would love to tell you that I made these socks...OH how I wish I could knit socks...No, my knitting partner who know lives too far away for us to knit together anymore started these socks when she came for a visit pre Christmas...I was inspired but not enough to pick up the double pointed needles myself...scary. She only got one sock made for her hubby in time for Christmas...but look at her go, a couple of weeks later not one pair but two...Just how cute is that picture?

The last picture is just for cuteness too, a Christmas present of a Country Living basket filled with lots of chocolate goodness and these amazing mugs...

Accept my apologies for the rather random post, I am sure you can understand that I am just popping in with a few words and pictures to say Hi...

The sun shines on...(Corner of my home)

Wow what an Autumn we are having we have just had five days on the row with glorious Sunshine and no rain, the sun is pouring through all the windows and in its rays of light it veils the rooms with a dusty glow...Its been a bit of a roller coaster this week, Lots going on and after my time withdrawing from all around me, I do this when I am feeling down, I have started to get out there a little. Including an emotional trip to my Moms today, the first trip without the boys in eight years, its nearly two years since my Dad passed away and at this stage he was very ill in hospital as yet he was not diagnosed with terminal cancer. So to do the trip home and continue to go through his belongings is just so hard for me. My Moms healing is keeping herself busy sorting out the house, for me I can not cope with all the change. Anyway the visit is done now. A few funny moments to confirm just how different my Mom and I are. Anyway I will not go into all the details, but just say blogging and 'making' are, well for want of a better word 'odd' to her, when you can go out and buy something why on earth would you waste your time on making something? This is from a women that made me amazing party dresses when I was a child and I have many memories of her sitting knitting, sadly though never teaching me...All that said it was lovely to sit and chat without running around making sure the children did not mess up the house!!!
As for the crafting this week, it has slowed down, to carry on at the pace I was doing might not have been a good plan, a girl need s to sleep occasionally...I did sit in the garden and finish off my rabbit, the pattern came from an old Homespun magazine, I love this Australian magazine, so much great stuff in it and two large patterns that do not need to be enlarged. I used some gorgeous fabric that I bought in the summer and added a little lavender bag (using vintage Laura Ashley fabric, that will not be seen, but I know its there!!!) into her tummy so she will help to keep the moths away from my fabric stash as she was made to sit on my sofa in the sewing room.
I am leaving you with a beach shot taken this time last year of my little one, you just can not beat a picnic on the beach all wrapped up against the cold, accept of course unless its the summer and your in your swimmers!!! I am having a blog break for one week only, the boys and I are going to spend some time together and I can not wait, come rain or shine I am sure there will be a few visits to the beach. We plan on getting the fire foing and snuggling up in the evenings with taosty toes and reading our new books and I have few projects planned, some knitting , a little sewing and of course my on going granny squares thanks to the inspiring Simple Sparrow. I wish you an amazing week, may this fantastic sunshine continue to come out to play...

I had been tagged by the fab Weirdbunny-7 honest things about me...
1) I am amazingly messy, I would love to be tidy but this is something that has always stopped me being creative, once I get into the flow of creating something I forget that I am actually making a mess, if I stopped to tidy up I think I would never make anything.
2) As a child growing up into a women I believed with all of my heart in a knight in shinning armor, who would whisk me of my feet and treat with like a princess and hang on to my every word...Mmmm then I grew up I guess!!!
3) Having my babes really is the best thing that has ever happened to me and my love of my children often overwhelms me.
4) I am a depressive eater and an eater of chocolate, when I am down or worried...well I eat and preferably chocolate!!!
5) I have a weird thing about smells, when pregnant anything that smelt, good or bad, would make me feel so sick, since then I am really sensitive to smells, especially anything chemical, I loath air fresheners, they really irritate me, my nose and my head hurts, so I go around opening windows in the morning and if I want to freshen the air I use candles, but only certain ones, Ikea vanilla is popular with me and Emma Bridgewater candles, her older ones (no longer made) are much nicer than her newer ones.
6) Two years ago I learnt to mow the lawn, I now find it to be a hugely rewarding experience, yer I know... sad isn't it?
7) I have more books than I could possibly read in my life time, that goes for fabric, yarn and wooden stamps!!!

So there you go, a little more bizarre 'honest' information about me. Now I need to pass this on. I do not want anyone to feel any pressure, so if you are reading this and would like to join in...have a go, you might learn something about yourself...


So many words today, thank you for still reading!!! Added late....I have just read over this a day after I had posted it and felt it was rather depressing, I assure you all is well in the Suzie Sews household, I am just still trying to adjust from the empty nest feeling so a week with the children is just what I am needing at the moment. Have a great week and sorry again for adding even more words to this post!!!

Look Mommy....

You know the scene, you awake to the sound of the kids playing and you stagger down stairs, you think maybe your late, it seems a little bright today...my oldest one was right behind me eager to get on with the days playing...I look out our kitchen window whilst I stumble to fill the kettle to get that cup of tea going, my eyes adjust to the start of the day...(7.00am)...the view I see is amazing, I think its pretty amazing on most days (except wet foggy ones) But, today the sky is stunning. I opened the kitchen door to share the delights with my older child...'Wow look Mommy the planes are sewing in the sky'... So we rush around looking for our cameras...my older child has got really into his photography, or should I call them his 'snaps'? I bought him a camera when I had to purchase a new one. The beloved camera that I had been using, my Dads, which towards the last part of his life brought him great joy... sadly it was handed back to my Mom. So if you had noticed the quality of the pictures is different, well this is why, I have a 'mare' of a camera which is just not a pleasure to use at the moment, but finances are meaning I have to wait till Christmas to see what Santa gets me!!! Anyway I bought my son a little digital for only a few pounds and he loves it, its fun to go out with him and share this passion. So today is very Autumnal...the chill in the air is enough to pull on a coat and there is no way I can get away with open shoes anymore...time to get the boots out!!! The boys and I breathed out 'Dragon Breath' as we set off to school...by the time we had reached school the sun had risen and the frost was starting to disappear, the crunch underfoot was especially crisp today and I came home via the park. Now this is bitter sweet for me, I love our local park, it feels remote with its amazing views of the hills, but is only moments away from the centre of the village and between school and home, I so wish I was there with my children and it just confirmed the fact that I miss them very much...still I took some consolation in the view...
Returning home to look at the Autumnal pickings...and with this season comes seasonal baking and the apples and pears all need to be used somehow...so on the menu this week apples have featured a lot, from apple crumble, fruit curry and apples with sticky spicy mince meat filling...now if I could find something to do with pears I would be OK...
Oh and just so you do not think I have forgotten that I am actually 'Suzie Sews' not 'Suzie bakes and takes pictures' this is the quilt I have been working on and off with for the past nine months on my course...it has all its boarders and cornerstones on now, it has been layered with wadding, backing and has even been tacked together (I loath basting). I will be working on the actually quilting from now on...I think this will be an ongoing project for a while yet, but it now looks like I am getting there...slowly...On Saturday I start a new course with a new Quilt design...
Now I have been tagged by the wonderful Weirdbunny of Chrystal Mountain to report seven HONEST things about me, actually she tagged me a while ago now (sorry) so that was going to be today's post...BUT...Oh there is always a BUT!!! I am having to rush off now and buy some flowers...I am doing Wedding flowers tomorrow and I have to go and buy them and get them all ready tonight as I will have little time tomorrow as its the schools Harvest Festival service...SO I shall away and wish you a happy and healthy weekend...I shall fulfill my Tag next week...

A season of great change...

I am trying so hard to remain positive and upbeat about all the changes going on around me. I am trying to have some sewing or knitting time each day just to keep me sane. First of all I can now report that I have accepted that summer is over, with great reluctance I must add. This might be down to the fact that our camper van needed to have the frost scraped of it the other morning and the next day I awoke to glorious sunshine, pulled on my shorts went outside to let the rabbit out and MAN!!! was it cold...The sun might have been shinning, but there was no strength to its rays. I eventually gave in and put on my wide legged linen trousers and a long sleeved top. Funny wearing clothes with legs and arms in them seems almost claustrophobic. I have spent some great mornings with my little one before he starts full time at school next Monday as he is still only (only she says) on half days. Everything we do seems bitter sweet, lots of this will be the last time!!!

Monday I went to my last National Childbirth Trust coffee mornings. I have been involved in this charity for over eight years and worked in many different roles. Both my children have been involved in the coffee mornings and the charity events...they really do have the T'shirts to prove it. Funny how something that was once so much a part of your life suddenly just stops and you move on to something else. My little one and I have spent time just relaxing, reading, baking, crafting and chatting. Did I mention thrifting yes we both love the little round of charity shops followed by a drink in our favourite tea shop to look at our prized goodies. Today he asked asked what I will do when he is at school...As you are aware (and possibly fed up with) I am not looking forward to it, I have been asked numerous times if am I going to get a job, or how am I going to fill the time, one kind person even suggested I needed a 'Project' to keep my mind off it all. Me a 'project' can you imagine...
Well yes I am going to find it very lonely without my little guys for company, I am sure I will also even miss the constant need for milk, loo trips, blowing noses etc... So with all this emotional stuff going on in my head I thought I would get a grip and take action...so finally I am making some 'House' plans. As time has gone on I have started to get more elaborate with my ideas and plans. The main one is sorting out my sewing room (studio or as it is really known as...the play room)! I have previously posted pictures of my sewing area, and been very open about the fact that it is actually the children's playroom, the above picture is the reality of what I look at when I am sewing, the 'other' half of the room. Well its going to get transformed, its taken a lot of thought as I potentially have three rooms I could make my sewing room, obviously the other rooms have a purpose and its a case of juggling it all around to work. So after the beginning on next week I shall allow the Monday to be tearful and generally sad at the silence in the house then it 'Action stations'...

I bid you a very good and healthy weekend and the next time I write my role in life will be shifted, but Oh! I have great plans...

WIP update...I am working on a few Craft Fair products at the moment, wishing jars and more knitted mice, the Dino knitted sweater is getting the odd row done every so often, lots of sewing for gifts including a toy for the tooth fairy to take those precious teeth over to fairy land...I will post more next week plus my giveaway, as promised...

PHOTOGRAPHS: 1)Thrifted cake stand with new cup cake candles2)dishes off my Mom, eventually she gave them to me rather then bin them Yippee!3)This weeks thrifted goodness, yes I know I could have done it myself, it was the thought someone had spent so long knitting it and finished off with great care I felt I had to give it a home that would really appreciate it4)The reality that it the Sewing and playing room!!!

Accepting the change...

Accepting the change...the change of so much in my life, I have found myself reflecting all week. Usually after every holiday I suffer post holiday blues, this time it is so much more, after nearly seven weeks of freedom from time restraints and all the great beach time (despite the weather reducing it somewhat) I am finding it hard to find my rhythm. Add to that the change in my Mothering status with both my children starting school I am really having to work hard at being positive and make myself look for the beauty in the simple things that surround me. I am also admitting to myself (still with great reluctance) that the summer season is drawing to a close and Autumn is starting to show signs of its arrival. Our favourite tree in the garden, the one we sit under in the summer when the sun is to strong for the children's delicate skin, is dropping leaves, the centre of the tree has turned yellow, it is a beautiful happy colour, yet still it pulls at my heart strings...eventually the garden will be covered in leaves and slowly the lushness of it all with fade. Soon, yes soon I am sure I will embrace the season, but just for now I notice the chill in the air, we sit outside less to eat, no knitting has been done in the garden whilst I watch the children play, we plan our days out rather than lazy days around the paddling pool. Reading blogs last year really helped me with this transition of the season, to read the outdoor nature trails, bags made in Autumn shades, children's crafting..painting leaves, acorn hats etc...so soon I will throw myself into it, just let the sun shine a little longer...
The advantage of the breeze is the washing is dry so quickly, as I had bought so much fabric last weekend I washed it all and had it ironed all in two days (see first picture). I went in search of good quality linen I was not disappointed. The plan was to sew some 'lounging around the house trousers'...but I had to have immediate gratification...so I made a row of little 'pull along' ducks. Sadly they did not pull along as they need to be more 3D so I need to work on this design (the basic design was from a book, the name of which I do not have to hand). I packaged them up as gifts and put in a few quilting pins to indicate the use as a pin cushion.
Suddenly there seems to be lots of babies and lots of little gifts needing to be made, and just at the right time my Amazon order arrived and in it was the book 'Simple Gifts to Sew'. Now I have a lot of craft books as most of us do, some are just pretty, some are useful and some are better left in the shop, this book however really caught my imagination, well actually you do not need an imagination except to take the designs a little further to make them more personal. It is clear easy projects, slightly different from the usual pillows and embroidered tea towel, not that there is anything wrong with this, and I have most of the materials already in my sewing room. SO with a free afternoon (very unusual for me) I immediately dipped into my stash...a few hours later many little gifts had been made...my kind of crafting, a little relief from the hours of quilting I have done this summer.
So once the gifts are made I can not wait to get them packaged up and given out. Later in the afternoon I did the dreaded weekly food shop, browsing down the reduced section of all the school stationary and school bags which are now all half price...I came across these little magnets for pence...(34p) Now I like magnets and I get mine usually from a children's resource centre, not cheap either, worth it though as the children make great things with them. SO when I saw these I picked up a few packs, great little stocking fillers (Did I really refer to Christmas then)? All I need to do is remove the magnet itself. Having read through the whole previously mentioned book I really liked the project for fridge magnets for little hands, we use the word magnets on the radiators, obviously when they are not hot! due to the fact that the fridge is set in a cupboard. I have so many piles of oilcloth, as I change our table cloth over every few months, its a big old pine kitchen table, bought from a reclaimer's yard in Oxford, despite lots of cleaning it has lots of groves and ridges from time and use so the oilcloth is a great cover up. I keep them all, but every time I come to redo the table I want something new so I now have a useful project to try out whilst being very environmentally friendly as my older child says 'Mom you have to reuse and recycle'.

With the many changes taking place here at the moment along with it has come some free time. It has been put to great use, for the first time in sooo long I went out for a meal in the evening to a lovely restaurant without the children, if you do not have babes it may sounds silly, those with will know what I mean. I got to wear a silk dress, not something you can do with sticky handed children, shoes that do not need to be flat to enable me to chase after little people, in fact I actually felt quite grown up. To also have some free time in the day, OK I have a house to put back together after its been torn to shreds by numerous children over many years. But I did get time to sew, to read a magazine, to shower without someone wanting me to read to them... Have I convinced you that I am not missing the kids...maybe I am just trying to convince myself!!!
...I miss them with a passion...

Are you really still reading my witter...I thank you:-)

A beautiful Island...

I forget sometimes how beautiful this Island is. For years as a young women growing up I chose to live abroad, I had a ball living throughout Europe. Paris in the Autumn, Spain in the winter, Greece in the summer etc... I moved around for a few years, always believing that the place I was in was so much more exciting that the United Kingdom. Maybe it is an age thing, you know that dreaded word...maturity! I do not know the the answer, just that I have come to love this land. I have lived in different parts of the UK too. Scotland, London, Oxford the Cotswold's, North South East and West. I adore the beautiful beaches of Cornwall the warmth of the sea and the special light in that part of the world. For many years Scotland was special, I felt that maybe this was my true home, then the excitement of living in the capital (London) also held my attention as a young career women, BUT nothing touches my soul like Yorkshire...
From the Romance of the Moors (Bronte Sisters) to the majestic and often spooky beaches of the coast line (Whitby and Dracula), there is so much history here especially in the wool and cotton trade, some of the mills remain with a working identity, some have been transformed to amazing conversions for homes and one is still a working Mill to teach the future generations of its amazing history that is now just taken for granted.
Yes, if you asked me the place that moves me, that brings out emotions in me that once I would have laughed at, it would have to be Yorkshire. So I return from my week in a cute little cottage by the Yorkshire Coast. The weather was good and the memories will warm me as we approach the turn of the season and head in to Autumn, already the day light is less and the shade covers the garden...the signs of the changes are near. Just for now though I will hold on to the memories, running in and out of the sea, the children as happy as, well 'sand boys' the need for ice cream, and laughter around the garden table as food is enjoyed outside and the smell of a fire on the beach just to be able to stay on the beach for a few hours longer...
The weather has not been kind this season and most of us have had to make the most of the little sun we have had, but as I reflect on the past seven weeks of the summer holiday, the vacations and the time shared with friends, I can say that this has been a special time, with lots of things made and learnt. I sat with my children last night as we prepared for the start of school, we chatted about our summer and our favourite things and we agreed that this has been a special summer. I know that both my babes are at an age when they will remember this time for many years. To be able to provide them with childhood memories is a job as a parent I do not take lightly.
Between us we have laughed, crafted, danced and had fun. We spent time with friends and we missed others, we might not have done some of the things we planned and we missed out on a lot of body boarding due to the rain, but as summers go it was pretty cool. I sit in silence now, the house is a shambles and much work is needed to done...the silence is weird...the house has been full of noise for weeks now, to sit on my own feels wrong...no one asking for juice or 'what can we make Mommy'... 'what are we doing today Mommy'... 'can I ride my bike Mommy'... ???
No it is silent and today I took my babes to school, both of them filled with a mixture of nervousness and excitment. I left my youngest sitting crossed legged on his new mat in his new class room in his new school in his new uniform...did I feel sad...did I cry...You bet!!!

Its time to befriend my sewing machine again...

Photos...The Yorkshire coastline

Rainy days!!!

After a week of the most amazing sunshine the weekend arrived...and with it the rain, I awoke in the morning to grey skies and that all to familiar pitter patter on the window. Of course it was the weekend, I should have known. So the plan of a weekend away in the camper was put on hold...again, as I mentioned in my last post we had hoped for it to clear and head off later that day, sadly the rain kept on coming!!! To add to this my youngest had a rather nasty virus. He had a temperature and spent the day curled up on which ever sofa was close to the action. This meant I had some one to one time with my older child, so we got the paints out. Now I have quite a few kits for the children, I buy then when I see them, usually at a cut down price and then squirrel them away until either a rainy day or I discover them and have to use them straight away! Often these are the things I put in the holiday craft box when we go away together. This is one such kit. Painting stones, they are the glass stones used in paper crafts, I remember using them in the late 90s when they first came popular, plain glass, flat bottom curved top, which gives a great magnifying effect.
Between us we made quite a few, all the time we where serenaded by the gentle snoring from the little one curled up on the sofa next to the kitchen table, man did he look sweet!!! So what to do with these little stones, well this was our solution, we made little jewel boxes, We stuck them down with gloppy clear drying glue which oozed out of the side, then sprinkled on little tiny craft beads to add to the jewel effect. Yep I am still crunching these little beads under foot they are about the same size of fine sand!!! Not a great picture, sorry guys!
A very satisfying project with a great end result, I think this always encourages children to do more when they have a practical object at the end of their playing. Although I love nothing more that paper and paint for no other reason than the 'right now'

With my younger one poorly the older one went to bed and the I had a bath with the little one, who suddenly rolled his eyes and went floppy, I managed to get him out of the bath and on to the bed. He fell asleep, whilst slightly alarmed I did not worry. UNTILL...once he had fallen in to a deep sleep his breathing was very irregular, I moved away due to his temperature and his cute little hand brushed across the bare skin of my shoulder. It was stone cold!!! I started to feel that panic feeling which I tried to over come with logic, which worked for about fifteen minutes, then I felt the need to take action. His temperature was through the roof, his hands and toes so cold. I need to point out that I very rarely take my children to the doctor and in fact when my youngest was a new born I did not take him to have his weight checked etc and have no idea what centile line he was on...he was growing and happy..I trusted my maternal instincts I am a believer that today's world actually rocks a mother confidence (I would like to say that my child did have his six week , three month and hearing tests). So this was quite serious for me to worry.

NHS help line was called, I have been a bit cynical of this help line, well I need to take it all back, how lucky we are in this country to have the NHS, they are fantastic, very calming and very thorough. After a very worrying hour, with their advise he did come through his temperature, in fact I watched it go down, I even managed to get him to drink some water. Oh boy! he looked so sad and helpless, lying there, it was like having a little tiny baby again, so vulnerable and yet as I watched his little body was fighting like made to rid itself of this nasty virus. How are amazing our children are, in the morning he awoke and got out of bed, woke up his brother and started running around. We have so much to learn from our children. I am keeping alert as I am sure he will dip at some stage through the day, the medicine is near him, but he is off enjoying the day. As for me...well I am tied and frazzled, but the important thing is we are over the worse. So we might not have got our weekend away, funny how these things go, how frantic would it have been if we had gone away and he had been so poorly.

So on that note I am off to enjoy the day, the rain has stopped and the sun is peeping through the clouds...the garden is calling...

Photos...1) the work table 2)the finished stones 3)the end result 4)my current WIP 5)making me happy, two different charity shops in two days resulting in two matching goodies, I am so loving this mug:0)

Scary thought...the latest news about foot and mouth, it is such a worry, our British country side suffered so much last time in so many ways.

The sun has got his hat on....

Well all seems right in my little world. The rhythm of summer is settling in and the children are finally getting the fresh air they so love, no beach trip yet, but that might be put right soon if the sun stays out. SO the house got left behind and out we went. The garden needs lots of attention after the torrential rain we have had, all that hard work pre rain needs to be redone, well I am on my way. The grass is cut, the children's play table is painted, a new sand pit has been purchased...the play tent climbing frame needs some serious cleaning, hot and wet...EW!!! Still it has not stopped the children playing in it. So far this morning I have cleaned the patio and put the cushions out and the the sun umbrella up...Ahhh it looks like summer again.
So with all this out door work and play the knitting came outside with me, those mice are breeding, I am getting better with each one and playing with the design and adding and taking away from the pattern so it will become my own little pattern. The little one is the latest one, with most of the changes, I love him but the kids still like the big clumsy ones!!!
Yesterday I went to collect my sewing machine, I took it in for a service last week, man how I have missed it, it turned out to need a full service with comments like 'You like your machine don't you' YOU BET I DO!!! Its not even a year old and I needed a new cutter on it...oops. Did you know Dunelm Mill are now doing patterns...here are my latest purchases, now with the sun shining I am less likely to sit in front of my machine in the day, as for the evening you can not beat a cooling glass of wine watching the sun go down when the babes are asleep, so they might take a while to get made up.
As for goodies in the post, I have wanted to show you these for a while, but I have been waiting untill I could show you them all together. They need no introduction if your an avid participant in blogland. They are from the very talented Tree Fall Designs, I know we all love her work and rightly so. It started off with the pear, I have a thing for pears, I used to use the design all the time in my paper craft days. I treated myself on my birthday and even bought the matching picture, I got some birthday money so I paid out to give the picture the full service it deserved and had it mounted and framed. Well the results speak for themselves. As a beach hut lover, when I spy ed Manda had made this cushion it was a must for my little collection. Did I mention the sun was shining? I need to away and tidy up the spare room and make the beds up as my friend (my knitting partner) is coming for a visit, bringing with her three little play mates for my children...her kids. Well two children and one babe, I have not seen the babe yet (this is the little poppet I did the baby knits for a few months ago). So I am looking forward to the company and the cuddles with the babe. First though we are off to a picnic in the park. Some of the School Gate Moms are meeting up in a local park for the children to play...Ah now that sounds more like summer...Long may it continue!!!

Have a good day now. Get out and enjoy it put don't forget your sun cream!!! Do I sound HAPPY???

Eye Candy-lots of words-you pick

Woosh and the weekend is over, my how quick it goes. Only a couple more weeks then its long lazy days with no school runs or time restraints. At the moment I am busy with lots of appointments, sorting out school bits and pieces and a few medical appointments for me. Then its time to relax and get the summer rhythm going...yippee! I have been giving school a lot of thought, I would so like to home school, being dyslexic though fills me with lots of worries about my children's education, I know, if your reader of this blog, I do make more errors than most. I am a believer that this is communicating and it's only recently that it became so important to communicate properly rather than just gets yourself understood. As a mother we want to give our babes the best start in life and that's usually a priority. This weekend I have been reading the blogs of a few favourites who home school, and I have found it fascinating. I have come away with the need to research some literature on the subject. Thanks to Soulemama's recommendations. I met a Mom in a thrift shop recently and we had a really long chat, she talked about her children, they had been removed from school as they had been told they could not be taught and the disruption they caused was not fair on the other children. So with an independent spirit as a single mom seems to have, she moved away and lived in a farmstead in the local hills near by. Numerous years on her children are all in amazing careers, from Doctor to Preacher, she believed in her children and let them just enjoy life and go with their own thirst for knowledge without a timetable or classroom. Amazing story, an amazing women, I wounder if I will ever meet her again. Its parents evening for us tonight and I have so many worries about my child's school and education, his hearing issues have held him back and his report says he is a quite student. Then I think about all this stuff 'Why am I worried, he is a fantastic character, he is kind, caring and such fun to be with, and a great thirst for knowledge and adventure'. I have mentioned previously that a lot of my friends are teachers and if you mention school to them in Mom talk it is difficult to get an unbiased opinion off them as they stick up for one another, I guess if you have worked so hard to become a teacher that's only right, but then I am left feeling worse. (In case your reading Caroline this does not include you, your cool). I think it must take a huge amount of inner confidence to home school. Anyway that has been my thought process for much of the weekend.
So on to the weekend, what goodies and delights have I to share, well first of all I took the boys to the local patchwork and thread shop as it was sale time, I planned for some threads and the sashing fabric for my large quilt, I did buy lots of threads, just too good to resist. The country embroidery machine threads by Brother, half price which made them an even better buy than day to day thread, so I went a bit mad and spend all my birthday money on them. (Thanks Mom , you did say treat yourself to something for me and not the kids, I know she will be horrified I spent it on thread, but it makes me happy). I did not buy the sashing fabric, instead I bought two fabulous fabrics that I have had my eye on all season just not been able to justify the cost. So with 30% off I made the investment.
We returned home to brighter weather, NO RAIN for at least an hour, would it stay off for our school PTA Treasure Hunt around the village...YES!!! The kids really enjoyed this and then we settled in for a BBQ and wore the kids out on the bouncy castle. A great time was had by all, and we won the booby price for taking the most time for doing the treasure hunt!!! Hey we won a bar of chocolate the kids thought it great!!!
SO after a good nights sleep and a bright start to the day, the garden was looking promising, just as some of the work got going the heavens opened. This was tragic as in the afternoon we had friends coming for a little birthday celebration. So in true British style we went ahead with the plans but did get rained off and had to come inside. It was Champagne and strawberries, after all it was the Wimbledon finals so we watched the end of the match shouting at the telly having had one to many glasses of champagne!!! The kids had a great time, the adults became a pile of hopeless giggles and we ended the get together with birthday cake. Now I usual make a cake for my friends birthdays, but I bought one, the reason being it was an operation cake (remember the 70's game) well it was cool, my Friend is a GP, that's Doctor not animal! So it was a joke really, but we dutifully played the operation game before we all dived into the cake with shouts of 'I want the legs' or 'I want the heart' LOVELY!!!!
So we start a fresh week, the Doll quilt has been finished, I have found out I am allowed to show the picture, also the person I am sending mine to does not read my blog as far as I am aware so I have posted the full pictures, so all my swaps are up to date...wounder what I can do next...

Pictures...
1) EYE CANDY...the new threads
2) CHAMPAGNE AND STRAWBERRIES...a little birthday nibble
3) COW HILL...one of the views from my home, cow hill, the children spotted the calf having Mommy milk and wanted me to take a picture, I love this hill, it makes me very happy!
4) DOLL QUILT SWAP...Front of finished quilt
5) DOLL QUILT SWAP...Back of finished quilt

It did the trick...

OK I have to admit, it was a little more than a blog break. I disappeared for a whole week. I ran away on a little adventure with my children. I just went, it felt naughty, exciting and soooo much fun. I was so upset that my birthday plan had not worked out and various others factors just started to push me over the edge so I ran off to a place that is fun, peaceful and so beautiful and I am now restored.
The funny thing was it rained all day on my birthday so camping would have been grotty. Instead I was settled into a little cottage in the middle of a field miles away. Plenty of yummy food and a swimming pool, yep a swimming pool! I was woken up by my children singing happy birthday to me, very sweet, that is one of those special memories I will treasure. I then had to play the birthday cake came which involved birthday cake for breakfast. My babes and I climbed back in to bed with the sound of the rain hammering on the windows, all snug and cosy and we opened the cards and gifts I had taken with me. I was a little bit spoilt I can tell you. The week was a relaxing time, although we did swim twice a day, we did have a few hours here and there when it was clear skies and we made the most of it by going out for walks and jumping on the trampoline, well actually Mommy would sit and watch with sewing or knitting in hand. Infact I actually got a lot of creative stuff done, I worked on my patchwork quilt, cutting out the boarders for the blocks. I made a good start on my DOLL QUILT (press Doll Quilt button on blog) I am scared actually as my partner is an established quilter so I feel a little worried. Anyway I have done a little hand embroidery piece to go in it which I quite like the look of. The boys and I had a day trip in to the city of York, I am not a big city or town fan for that matter, but you know York is kind of special. I had not taken any knitting with me as I wanted to work on my quilting, but I could not resist a visit to a rather nice wool shop and came away with a project, I had got twitchy not knitting and it was just the tonic I needed, yer I know I have many projects waiting to be done...
So with all the bouncing, swimming, walking and creating (I shall share with the you the boys projects later this week) we also got a lot of sleeping done....
Oh its just making me tired just thinking about it. Remember Jammie the rabbit from Small Fox, those rabbits had quite a few adventures on holiday.

Half way through the holiday I came down with a cold, sneezing and coughing, so I guess I really was getting run down and the moment I relaxed the virus got a hold of me, pleased to report its nearly gone now and I am feeling quite in control. Yesterday I spent the whole day cleaning, The house sitter (who had looked after the animals whilst I was away) had done nothing in the house and it was a shambles, not that it was their job to clean up, so the house is in some kind of order now, I am off to my sewing room, some quilting is required...

Thank you so much for all your birthday wishes and comments, you made the sun come out on a gloomy day. Thank you