Eye! Eye!

Well, that will teach me! Having joked about SpecSavers and Double Vision, I ended up back at the opticians just after I posted yesterday. The left lens fell out of my glasses. It happened on Monday, then again Wednesday morning. I took them back and the manager agreed that they were rather loose in the new frames. They have gone off to be fixed. Leaving me acting like Steve Fletcher again, alternating between two pairs of specs. 
A bit frustrating as I'd set aside Wednesday as a sewing day. I got on with it as best I could.
The half duvet cover was hemmed properly to make a tablecloth. I used part of the remainder to recover the ironing board. 

Originally there were seven "Ports Of Call" in Jeff Banks' bedlinen range. But that was 30 years ago - now there are just two patterns [but not this one]
Quick tip for making a new cover for your board. Measure length, and width. Add 25 cm to each of those, and cut a rectangle that size. Fold all edges over to make a double hem approx 2 cm deep. Press firmly.  Mitre the corners as shown. Then stitch the hem all round. Close to the edge  leave the mitres unstitched. This makes it easier to thread your elastic. 

Take a length of elastic, feed it through the casing and pull it tight on the board. Those unstitched gaps at the corners will make it easier to thread. Fasten with a knot and tuck loose ends inside. My elastic is repurposed from an old anorak, and still has the retaining bobble!

I am very pleased with today's endeavours. I have also been working on two secret projects for Ro and Jess, and working on the 2x2 [ but gave up because I coulndn't handstitch as neatly as I wanted without my proper glasses.
I did at least manage to do the ironing!

I Spy...

Two SpecSavers Home Visit Vehicles outside two adjacent properties. Is this a case of Double Vision?

Yesterday was very busy, lots happening on the craft front. One thing I hadn't done for ages...

French Knitting.

I bought this little knitting doll in Flying Tiger a couple of summers ago, and meant to teach Rosie but then forgot.

Now I have a genuine reason for wanting to make some cords myself, so I sat and had a practice after lunch.

I will explain later! 

The 2x2 project is progressing slowly. K and I are exchanging a lot of WhatsApp messages. I will be glad when the weather brightens up, it's cold and damp found here! 

Rediscovered Treasures

Back in 2012, my blog friend Floss suggested a new blog event. [now a fully fledged Anglican priest, it was Floss who started the Pause in Lent and Pause in Advent events]

She called it The Thrill Of What You Already Have and you can read more HERE

I was reminded of this on Saturday when I was pottering in the old garage, and came across a carrier bag of silk flowers. There were some daffodils in there, and I'd just thrown away a bunch of real [but dead] ones.
They were 95p in Lidl, and they had lasted two weeks and brought much joy. These ones could take there place until more fresh ones arrive.

Normally there is a green cloth on the dining table - I have two, bought from Scotts of Stow, back in the 90s, and I rotate them. But I felt like a change. I looked in the linen drawer - and found a single duvet cover. I know exactly when I bought that - Easter 1996, it was in Debenhams, half price - and I had just been given a new divan bed for the spare room in Kirby. That bed is long gone, and most of my other single bedlinen too. I shook it out, and put it on the table. Ta Da!

I really like the way the amber/brown pattern sets off the greeny blue vase, and the daffodils. And Steph's lovely picture behind picks up those shades too. I think she painted that when she was a student - it is at least 20 years ago...
It has the words of the Lord's prayer, and a dove of peace, and fresh golden wheat against a sunny background [originally hung on a yellow kitchen wall]

I quite like this arrangement - fresh and springlike. I think I may unpick the duvet cover, and hem the fabric from this side, and retain the other for something else!

I found other treasure in the carrier bag - but that will be for another post.

Do you use silk flowers - or only fresh ones ? [my daffs were purchased for a Day of Prayer display four years ago]

How often do you find 'treasure' in the cupboard, when you are actually looking for something else?

Oh Don't They Know? There's No Such Thing...

I know I am not the only one excited by last week's announcement by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. There's a new book coming in the Autumn, featuring the Gruffalo Granny! 

JD says the idea has been bouncing around in her head for over twenty years, and now she's a granny herself, it has all come together. AS says that down the decades since the first book came out, he has occasionally drawn a few Gruffalo pictures, to keep his hand in, Personally, now I am a granny too, let me add my two-penn'orth to the comments 

• I approve of the fact the Granny has let the rich chestnut fur grow naturally into an attractive silver grey
• As I suspect, the Deep Dark Wood may be in Norfolk. Evidenced by the lack of adequate dentistry.
• Her tail and ears are a little droopy  -  body sagginess a definite sign of age catching up with this busy woman. 
• A stick is always useful, for walking, poking, or hoicking things down from high places.
• Her eyes remain alert and bright
• Her expression is amiable, she looks secretly amused
• She carries a pencil and notebook ready record important things
• She has a sensible crossbody bag, capacious enough for knitting, drink, snacks, tissues whatever

The plot has yet to be revealed. Thus far we have just one line
the Gruffalo said to his daughter one day
    "your Gruffalo granny is coming to stay"

My daughter has suggested that maybe granny visits so that G and his missus can go out to the Pub [that would be the one on the far side of the Deep Dark Wood? ]

However I suspect she may be going to teach her granddaughter important life skills

• calculating the the Fibonacci sequence [you maybe female, but STEM subjects matter]
• learning to bake [see here for a good cookbook] 
• telling those stories that parents sometimes 'forget' ["when your Dad was small, he ..."]
• practising how to be a proper activist and go on demos. [let's role play, child - I will be Emmeline Pankhusrt, and you can be Greta Thunberg]

What do YOU think that Gruffalo Granny should be doing when she visits

Something Beautiful

 

O living God, 

draw all the fragments of my life

into the bright mosaic of your love;

weave all the tangled threads of my desires

into the tapestry you are spreading,

like a rainbow,

on the loom of the world;

and help me celebrate the many facets

and the dazzling colours

of your peace.

Amen

Thank you Kirsten for sharing this prayer from Judy Hulme.

Feeling A Little Pasty, Eating A Large Pasty

The former represents how I have been recently, not sleeping well and therefore feeling fatigued. The sinus issue was still bothering me - and I have apparently been snoring an awful lot. I finally saw the GP on Thursday, and he discovered I have polyps in both nostrils - and they, not the sinuses, are the cause of the problem. A daily nasal spray should deal with them [but allow 12 weeks for it to work fully, he says] I felt much better for knowing what was wrong!
The latter- I watched Jamie's programme on Monday night [Channel 4], and decided to cook his £5 meal meat and potato pasties
The recipe was easy, budget friendly and we both enjoyed them - but they were huge

They came out nearly 20cm across and filled the bowl, I served them with mix veg. The filling [mince, plus grated potato, carrot, onion] was very moist and the 3tbsp of brown sauce added extra flavour. We added a little ketchup at the table. Next time, I might make three[ or four] smaller pasties with this quantity of mixture. Using strong bread flour for the pastry meant it was both thin, and robust [but not tough] I need to practice my crimping technique though
Have you cooked any of Jamie's £5 Feasts?

Twelve By Two

 Post came bright and early on Thursday. with K's final patch

As well as the patch and notes, I discovered some lovely knitting stitch markers, and cute erasers in the small flat box. When I was wrestling with my knot ideas, I had told myself that if that failed, I would just do a miniature ninepatch piece. But I did accomplish the knot - and lo and behold, Kirsten has sent me a gorgeous little square, using scraps from other collaborations, and charm sqaures- and a postage stamp fabric to celebrate our cross country collaboration.

We are both itching to sew our dozen pieces together now. Arranging them is fun...

I'd started sewing mine on Monday at Craft Group, but the newest patch cannot go in that space, it is too similar to the one beside it.
Meanwhile Kirsten laid hers out, and felt that maybe some of them [like the darned square] need a bit of a border

I can see how that edging helps soften the bright white evenweave. We are both working on the design of our finished pouches, and plans for the embroidered 'rubric' tape.

Do you like the soft grey woollen fabric which we are using to back our pieces? Suitably neutral I think. 
I was given a length of red viscose last month, which I am planning to use for a lining. I have sent some of it to K too. Seven weeks till Easter, and we hope to be done and dusted by then...