Now or...

With Home & Gift being at the end of this week there were a few things that I wanted to do by today or, let's face it, they weren't going to get done until after the show. Or about a week after the show, after I've managed to scrape myself off my floor and am fully recovered.

One of the things on the list was to blog. I've done a couple of pathetic 'hi, I'm pretending to be here' posts over the weekend, but I was aware that I've been keeping a bit of a low profile here. So that needed to be put straight.

The other thing I was determined to do was to finish the cushions my sister had commissioned me. I know she's going away on Saturday and I know I wasn't seeing her until she got back and so that could have been a post show item but, as I mentioned before, by the time I've done the show, recovered from it, there will be so many more pressing things that have built up.

So last night whilst twittering away to some of you lovely people (thanks for keeping me company!) I finished off her second cushion. I'd given her a glimpse of the first. She loved it. She said she'd like the second one to match but not identical. Well, duh.

I'm really pleased with how the second one (below) has come out. I was really pleased with the first, but like anything I seem to do, somehow the second of something seems to progress, in a good way, from what has come first. It's almost as if the first was the experiment.

Matthew, however prefers the first. The fact that his first reaction was 'wow, are they for us' is compliment enough for me. And hopefully my sis will feel the same.

Building Blocks

I'm at a loss as to what has actually been achieved this week. It's been one hellava week on so many different levels and there is alot of preparation going on for some exciting new projects in the pipeline. You know what it's like when you are preparing for something major? It takes time. There is alot of ground work to be done, alot of building blocks to be put in place. And all this is happening before you can actually see anything concrete. Well that is what has been going on here.

Hence no blogging for almost a week (how did THAT happen?). And almost no making for a week either.

Last night, armed with a shed load of new fabrics from a trip to a new venue with Manda (that will have to wait for another post!), I really couldn't rest until I'd cut a hole in one of them. I'd taken them apart, folded them neatly, compared and contrasted, but nothing was going to satisfy me until something had been made. And since I didn't have a great deal of time to make anything substantial and since I didn't want to use up unthoughtfully any of my new luscious buys, I opted for making another little pin cushion. A perfect quick project for using a splash of colour.

I've been enjoying making pincushions recently. This red one is another 'knock up in a spare moment to satisfy a making craving' item. I have to accept that there is a time to sew and a time to plan and prepare. And at the moment it's the latter. And the quicker I get on with it, the quicker I can let you know what I'm up to...

Shoulda known

I just knew I wouldn't get away without making Ruby a brooch once she'd seen mine.

Cute tho, isn't it? (If you cast your eyes away from the hand-me-down Bratz PJs that is)

Roses are red...

..or white, or pink.

We are having the best weather at the moment. I'm not sure if it is due to last, but it certainly puts a big smile on my face before I even leave the house.

And then when I do leave the house, the first thing I am greeted by is this...

Oh the scent hits me first. Delicious. And then I notice the sun bouncing off the delicate pink petals.

And one of the best things about this huge rambling beauty (I've only snapped a smidgeon) is it enables me to do this...

So I can be surrounded by this delicate beauty inside and out. Long may it continue. Happy summer everyone.