wedding dress peek and roundup

I have been super bad at posting on my blog lately, i think it is as i am so tired at the end of the day that i simply cant be bothered, plus my days seem to have very little to blog about, so i have decided to try blogging in the mornings even if it is about the day previous, before the work begins.

I have been working my little socks off the past couple of weeks, making wedding plans, painting the bathroom, gardening, and making a trial run wedding dress, to name but a few things, here is a sneaky peek at my dress (not the finished article i might add) made from a duvet cover as a trial run, very pleased with it but still waiting for the fabric i have ordered off ebay to arrive to make the real one.

well must get on, should finish the bathroom painting today, just need john to fit the new toilet seat tomorrow and its done (not that i cant fit a toilet seat, i can, i have before, but is a gross job, so he can do it lol)

Valentines

We don't usually make a fuss in our house at valentines, in fact I would go so far as to say that I don't think we bother about it so much in the UK, reserving it to a day of maybe a card, and chocs if your lucky. Although one year I did receive a surprise Parcel from OH before we were living together, that I had to walk to the sorting office to fetch as he had sent me a bunch of Orchids :)

 I don't normally do any sort of decor for valentines either, but I have been tempted by one or two of the projects I have seen online, and made a small display on top of the jukebox.
Along with the pink paper hearts I made and popped in the old goldfish bowl a couple of weeks ago, I crocheted the lengh of heart bunting to drape on my vase of winter twigs, which is in residence for the winter.
The tutorial for which is at http://juliacrossland.blogspot.com/2010/03/teeny-tiny-heart-bunting.html

I also managed to find an almost new cashmere sweater for John in the charity shop a few weeks ago for a cracking 50p !! so I put it away for valentines. 

 Along with a homemade valentines card which I made with a glue gunned (I love my glue gun) together scrappy heart and some printables from Vanessa at a fanciful twist 

 And popped all into a used gift bag from Christmas. Frugality at it's best :)

Cable knit bangles

Hmmm I don't seem to have been keeping up with the blog very well the past couple of weeks have I, sometimes there is just too many things to be doing and making to be able to blog about them, so there will probably be a few catch up posts  over the next few days. better grab a cup of tea and a slice of homemade cake :)

One of the quick projects I've done recently was some cable knit bangles, i have some scraps of a jumper left over from making a cushion cover, and I hate to waste anything, so when i saw this on another blog i had to give it a go, bee trying to find the original post in my blog roll but can't find it right now, will add the link when I find it tho.
The lady on the original blog used old bangles, but I have used rings cut from an old stock tub.

Cut strips from an old jumper. this would probably work better with a lighter weight, close knit then I have used.

Glue gun it on, and voila :) instant woolly bangle :)

Recycled paper hearts

I don't usually decorate for valentines but I saw this idea here :  http://organizeyourstuffnow.com/wordpressp=16934 for paper hearts and thought it was cute.

After running around all over looking for some suitable paper ( although I make cards occasionally, i am not a scrap booker so it isn't something I keep around the house normally), I found an old gift bad my Nana had sent me a gift in.

I then proceeded to butcher it :) the pretty pink cord has now gone in my sewing basket, and iron it (yes I am that crazy woman who irons old wrapping paper to use again).

I then cut the paper into strips and folded and stapled them into hearts (you can see how to in the link above).

 And popped them in an empty goldfish bowl :)  These bowls are fab, I have two of them from the charity shop, and can be used to display all sorts, at Christmas this one was filled lights and the glass gold baubles out of the reach of cats :)

A hat of my very own

In between forum swaps and D.I.Y, I managed to actually crochet something for myself. In fact the first item I have crocheted just for me. It is made with a lovely new wool, light weight and chunky, feather light to wear, which is good as I am not a hat person, they generally make me feel claustrophobic, but a necessity up here when the wind blows.

Also managed to catch a couple of rare photos of mad Milly, usually she is camera shy and too quick.

Like butter wouldn't melt.

Autumn swaps and xmas cakes

Been a busy few weeks here, John getting the living room finished for me moving on to the decorating, the ceiling is painted now, but has taken me 4 coats of paint, now on to the walls :)
Also managed to find time to take part in an autumn themed swap on the forum I am a member of. For the swap I made an apple tea cosy, which I am rather please with as it is the first piece of complicated crochet I have done. From my swap partner I recieve this fab pin cushion and needle case, arn't they cute? The forum is fab, full of people who love making an growing things etc if anyone is interested the forum link is http://creativeliving.10.forumer.com/index.php?sid=d1a35df8e7a3898edaeff7254f35552e

I have also made my first christmas cake of the year, I am making several this year. This recipe is the one I have been making a few years now as I like it (no candied peel, uggh) and has pecans and brandy in yumm.

Also set away some hyacynths for christmas, something I have not attempted before, and found these lovely bulbs in a yummy colour, like sugared almonds. i have set away three in this cut glass bowl I found for 50p in the charity shop, and another two in hyacynth vases i found for 50p each.

Recent Sewing

Before heading south to mums, I managed to get some sewing done, including this tea cosy and egg cosies for nana and grandad. The pattern for the tea cosy came from 'Sewing in No time' and the egg cosies from 'Sew - Cath Kidston', dont they look fab!
I also made some slippers for myself using the pattern in 'Sew pretty homestyle', but even though I enlarged the pattern a little they were still too small for my big feet, so they went to mum. I also embroidered a cafertier cosy for mum but forgot to take a pic, so will have to ask sis to take one for me to post.

More cushions

I seem to be getting a cushion cover addiction, not that i am buying them of course that would be a waste of money and unnecessary. I've been making them, it is so easy. For example the latest addictions were knocked up in the space of a couple of hours, and I'm really not a sewing expert. the design came from Cath kidson's Sew book,with my own fabric used. The blue panels were made from a fabric remnant I picked up in the fabric shop months ago for just 50p. And the blue background is from an old valance sheet, the blues work together so well.

Also my weekly trip to the big city yielded a few more charity shop bargains, anyone would think me a shopaholic, nevermind. Acquired a replacement Pyrex kenwood chef bowl for £1.50 to replace the one i broke just before i moved up here. And a stainless steel swan roasting tray which is funny because a few days ago whilst washing dishes and scrubbing my old roasting tray I was thinking to myself "i would never have another of these coated roasters that you cant give a really good scrub with a metal scourer, I will have a stainless steel one" and low and behold one turns up, for all of £1, psychic moment :)Also some bits for the spare room for when its finished, the vase and the candlestick were out of the 20p box, as was the glass bottle which will go in the bathroom, the french "room" sign will be for the spare room door most likely, and cost 50p, although the original price on the back is in euros so perhaps it was bought in France on someones holidays.

Bolster cushions

Ive started to make a load of cushions to go on the bed in what will be the spare room, but which is currently ours. The first are these bolster cushions.

The pillow forms I made out of old feather pillows sewn up with strong thread.

Aprons and Aquilegia

Been really busy the past few days, both on the crafting front and the garden, when the weather permits. Finished off a full length apron for baking days for myself as I am so messy in the kitchen.

In the garden, the aquilegia is finally flowering. they are self seeded but a beautiful deep violet colour.

Also John has been making me some raised beds to put my herb seedlings in this year. The garden is so big and been left unused for so long , it will take us years to get it under control.

Calender Quilt-along

On the creative living form : http://creativeliving.10.forumer.com/index.php some of us are doing a calender quilt along, where for each month we will do a square to make up as a quilt hopefully this time next year. I've decided to make a wall hanging from mine and have gone for applique for the squares. This is my first completed square, for May.

Shower cap

Finally finshed sewing the shower cap I started making weeks ago. The pattern came from the Cath Kidston - Sew book, and the fabric was a bargain flat sheet from the charity shop.

Also finally managed to catch Milly on camera:

Homemade Natural Sugaring Recipe (or Cough Sweets)

I have finally got around to making some more sugaring solution, no more hairy winter legs!
I've made this a few times now, and this is how:
You will need:
1 cup white sugar,
juice of half a lemon,
and 1/4 cup of honey.
Give it a mix and heat gently till sugar is all melted and it bubbles a little. you should end up with a syrup, not toffee.
When it is warm spread on legs and rip off with fabric strips !
Don't despair if you over heat it and it turns to toffee, simply wait till it cools, smash it with a toffee hammer and you have cough sweets !!
The recipe originally came from this brilliant website: http://www.pioneerthinking.com/

After spending months I have finally finished the window dressing in the front room (i.e.my craft/relax/pagan/book room). I spent hours scouring the internet for the right fabric, till mum suggested plain calico, which looks great.

Also got some funky tie-back hooks to go with them from ebay, very me :)

Yesterday I finally finished an apron for doing housework. This is the first sewing project that I have completed which was not just a case of hemming rectangles (curtains sheets etc).

I'm rather please with it. Using gingham helped when it came to hemming, but I decided to place the gingham on the diagonal for the pocket, which I learnt makes the fabric stretchy, but it turned out ok. I also had to finish off the apron by hand as the sewing machine blew up, whoops.

Calendula hand cream

This weekend I have finally got round to making some handcream, which I've been meaning to do for a few weeks now.The skin on my hands has got terribly dry this winter, a combination of cold weather and washing in cold water, I will be very glad when we have hot running water.

I've made some calendula cream and i am very pleased with it, it certainly seems to be working as well and if not better than the cream bought form the shop a few weeks ago, so here is the recipe:

place 50ml of oil (I used olive) in an enammel pan or pyrex bowl, with a good pinch of dried marigold petals. Sit this to steep somewhere warm such as the airing cupboard or on to of the range (warm plate only). Allow to steep for a couple of hours, or overnight.

When oil is ready strain and add appox 1 tbsp of gratted beeswax and melt into the oil.Place another good pinch of marigold into a jug and pour on 50ml hot water, allow this to steep for about half an hour. strain and put back in jug and reheat.

Making sure both oil and water are hot (but not boiling) very slowly with a balloon whisk, whisk the water into the oil only adding a tiny amount at a time (like making mayo), if you do it too quick it will split.

Spoon into a jar and hey presto.

Also finally the snow drops are out in full flower in the garden, took them long enough.