Christmas

I know, it is only the middle of October, but I am off work for a week and I have been trying to get ahead with my Christmas preparations.

Last weekend my hubby ordered me a new sewing machine, so I am waiting very impatiently for that to arrive. I hope it's soon.


I have started to make a Christmas throw using some fabric that I bought recently. I made a bit of a boob when doing the first block. I was going to have the holly fabric going from small to large and then in to the flowers, with the opposite side being quite neutral. As you can see I got carried away and put it on opposite corners. I quite like the effect, so will do the rest of the blocks the same way. I am making six blocks like this, and will then probably do something different round the edges. I haven't quite decided what yet. Unfortunately the picture doesn't quite show the colours very clearly, but it is very Christmassy and vibrant.


The cushion is something that I started making a few years ago from a kit I found when trawling a charity shop. I was very good and had hand sewn all the pieces on except the reindeer. I got bored with it and put it away to work on when I got the urge. A few months ago we converted our study in to a craft room and as I was sorting through my rather large stash of card making and scrap booking items, I found the bag with this in. I bit the bullet and decided to complete it and this time decided to satin stitch around the edges with the sewing machine. There are a few errors, and Santa doesn't have any eyes yet, but I am happy with it. The back is made from a cheap fleece throw that I bought in our local Asda (Walmart).






The weather here is very damp and miserable today, so it is ideal for sitting in front of my machine and playing. I also have my computer behind me, so I can listen to my favourite tv shows via C4 on demand or I can listen to one of the presentations from Create & Craft, providing it isn't Stephanie.

Where has the time gone to?

Since I last wrote, I have changed jobs, become a mother in law, and lost, then found my knitting.

In June 2007 my oldest daughter cam home from work and complained that she had a black spot on one of her eyes. As she had been arc welding a few days before, we thought nothing of it and told her to go to the doctors the following morning. The next week was spent going backwards and forwards to the hospital for various checks, and then finally being admitted to hospital. Initially the prognosis was that she had a cyst behind her eye and they would drain it. On further checking, it was found that she had a tumour on her shunt, and her brain was swelling becuase there was no where for the excess fluid to go to. Needless to say we were very worried when they told us that the top of her skull would be removed and the surgeon would have to go between the two halves of the brain to remove it.

A week later the operation was done, and she was allowed home. There was a lot of memory loss, mainly short term, but we got there. Her boyfiend never left her side and he was the only one that she really looked for when she opened her eyes in the morning.

On 20th June 2008, my daughter and her boyfriend were married. It was a week before her 20th birthday. Most people thought she was crazy, but he had been by her side through one of the hardest things, so it just seemed like a natural conlusion.

During this time we also had a lodger, who moved in for a few weeks and ended up staying for almost 3 years. He now has a home of his own with his girlfriend, and my house has returned to it's usual chaotic regime.

I left my job as a carer in October 2008, and was employed as a temporary receptionist. In February 2009, I became a full time receptioist, travel booker & document controller with a local engineering company.

It has been a crazy time, and my knitting & spinning have been on hold.

I now have a new craft room, access to my pc and am free to knit, spin, card make and play to my hearts content.