Tree Fall

Now

 

 

 

 

The past. My past.

The past used to just be any time before today. Now it's everything before February of last year.

I struggled through the first part of last year by drinking more wine than normal. I also tweeted a lot (sometimes when I really shouldn't have). Pushed friends away a lot. Cried a lot. Cried a lot more. And argued a lot.

Then I started to try and get everything back under control and I started talking to a professional, cut back on the red wine, focused more on work and tried to stop feeling so completely out of control.

I've worked hard to learn how to cope with mum's illness and the fact that Jim is still out of work. I try not to worry too much about what will happen and I try to push that lead weight of fear away, so that it doesn't paralyse me. And for quite a while I've suceeded.

But it's not easy. In fact sometimes it feels like it's getting harder. I want to stamp my feet and shout that I just want it all back. I want to go back to my past. To a point where our worries were so much more manageable and where cancer and losing our home wasn't a part of our reality.

But instead I write this blog and make things and teach and try and make our futures better.

None of which stops me looking at those pictures and wishing for the past.

 

 

 

Hmmmmm....

 

This mini messenger bag was made for a workshop that I taught for Bradford Museums recently. It's made from a teal linen and a natural linen and is exactly the right size for carrying 4 My Little Ponies and a Sylvanian Families trampoline.

Apparently.

 

Piped

 

I've been wanting to learn how to make cushions with piping for a long time, but have always assumed that it would be complicated, plus you need a special foot, so I've put it off.

Last week though I decided to bite the bullet and order a piping foot for my Pfaff sewing machine, hoping that having one in my possession would give me that extra kick to master something new.

 

 

After a few days of staring at the foot (and wondering if I'd ordered the wrong one by mistake), yesterday I finally sat down to use it and within only minutes I was making my first ever corded piping. And then not much later I made my first cushion with piping!

 

 

And I'm hooked. So much so that if you sit still for too long around these parts at the moment, you're going to end up having piping sewn to you.

I love (and am a little surprised by) how professional the piping has made the new cushions look and I really love the little burst of colour it adds.

 

Blues

 

I'm not feeling as chatty as usual at the moment, so I just thought I'd share some images that have been inspiring me, from last months Living Etc and Elle Deco.

 

 

 

Spring time beds

 

Orla Kiely pillowcases in both Rhododendron Multi and Scribble, vintage pillowcases, Monsoon Poppi Teal duvet cover, Round the Garden Path quilt and Zara at Home sheet (unseen).

 

Or as it's also known  - the trampoline.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Timber!

It's almost a challenge these days, just to see how high it can get!

New Nu Jersey Snoods...

 

 

 

Forest green, Charteuse green and Stone striped snoods all in the shop now.

Elephant blanket

 

This baby blanket was commissioned recently for a beautiful new baby boy called Rowan.

I particularly wanted to include the My Happy Nursery print by Cloud 9 Fabrics as well as the most beautifully soft aqua coloured linen. So I decided to keep it really simple and just pull it all together with a couple of different spot prints.

 

 

And because I liked the idea of sticking with the elephant theme I also used a print from the Zoo Menagerie collection by Eleanor Grosch.

The blanket has been backed with the natural chenille that I like to use and is lovely and warm whilst still being nice and lightweight.

Surprisingly, when I was making this I found myself most drawn to the plain linen, resulting in a small linen purchase today, specifically to make a new, solids blanket.

 

Finally

The new jersey snoods are finally in the shop, after a long delay.

All of them are super long (they reach your waist at full length) and extremely comfortable to wear.

After living in my woolen snood all winter, I'm not quite ready to give up the warmth of it, but have to admit (thank goodness) that the change in the weather means that these soft, lightweight jersey snoods are much more comfortable to wear these days.

 

I'm currently alternating between my plain grey one and my blue and white striped one. They go with everything and really do keep out the chill that is most definitely still in the air.

They're available here.

Happy Habitat

 

The missing cushion. Such a beauty. And the start of the new Spring Time Changing of the Cushions (you've never heard of it? I'm shocked).

The cushion is from Habitat and is currently making me very happy.

But not as happy as this is making me

 

I've wanted this Habitat play house for a long time, but up until now it's been too expensive. Today though, I happily put back the lampshade that I really wanted and instead bought this for Bella and Lily, at half price.

It is currently taking up 50% of our living room floor space, but I figure we can just start using it as our guest room!

Oh and the girl's love it too, of course.