C is for...Completed Cushion!

I have only just finished my cushion! Even if I may it myself I am quite pleased with my first project in my sewing adventure!

I need to find a better pillow to stuff it with, but this will easily be remedied next time I go shopping later in the week, I didn't want to make a special journey - too cold anyway.

It matches with the other cushions on one of our settees.

I did make a slip up - but only I can see it!

This is my C entry in Round 10 of ABC Wednesday. I must admit I found it a really good goal to aim for - I wantred it finished by today - and I did, only just.

It is also just in time for a pledge I signed up for here........

Phew! Just made the end of January! I am keen to see what others have done - will be a humbling experience I'm sure, but at least I am on with my sewing adventure and enjoying every minute of it all!

For more ABC Adventures visit the link on my sidebar.

Up the lane!

We have several walks around the village......I really must explore more, but I always seem to go up Handale!

Had to laugh as we approached home - there they were, bold as brass in the next field! Proper free-range!

The moulting is over - now up to 4 eggs a day now! I can see Bev is laying her lovely blue eggs again. Need to have a baking session - the egg mountain is building up! Calls for a quiche I think!

Blowing away the cobwebs.

The weather forecasts we have had since October have all been wrong, but yesterday because it suited Jon's plans we decided to go along with the prediction of a nice afternoon - relatively speaking.

Over the past few months Jon has been tootling in his shed with his winter project....he turned a 98 Honda fireblade into a streetfighter. Basically this means he changed it from a sportsbike into a sit up and beg type.

So we tried it out yesterday......Mark our neighbour came along for the ride....

We had a coffee in Whitby

then went over Pickering moor, through to Thornton-le-Dale.

We came home over Blakey, passing through Hutton-le-Hole, Blakey, Casteton and Danby.

Surprisingly I wasn't too cold - but I was glad when we arrived back home as my hands were just starting to get cold......but we were all well wrapped up!

The bike performed well but is now in pieces again as it needs something fiddling with the cables and mirrors need fitting.

I was glad we had a run out yesterday - far colder today and many parts of the North East have snow.......we seem to have escaped it.......................so far!

Merry go round!

Just before Christmas I  lost the grand total of 2 stone. Over the festive period and New Year I gained 4 lb. Since then I have been chipping away and have finally shed the extra 4 lb, so as 2012 continues I have the target of losing one more stone!

Watch this space!

When Ted met Freida!

Ted has had his injections so I put a lead on him for the first time today! He seemed to get the general impression and took himself for a walk round his garden!

He met Freida for the first time - they got along like a house on fire. Freida showed him how to walk on lead - we didn't walk far, but every day in every way we will all walk a little bit further together.

My Sewing Adventure !!

For my ABC Wednesday theme I have chosen to focus on my sewing adventure. Basically I want to be better than I am and want to extend my sewing skills....although I chose A for Adventure last week I am doubling up.....2 for one this week....

A is for Applique.

In its broadest sense, an appliqué is a smaller ornament or device applied to another surface. In the context of ceramics, for example, an appliqué is a separate piece of clay added to the primary work, generally for the purpose of decoration. The term is borrowed from French and, in this context, means "applied" or "thing that has been applied."

Appliqué was first discovered when clothes ripped and needed fixing so they used to sew over the top of the rip patches of different material otherwise known as patch work.
In the context of sewing, appliqué refers to a needlework technique in which pieces of fabric, embroidery, or other materials are sewn onto another piece of fabric to create designs, patterns or pictures.

B is for Buttons.....

This technique below is called "yoyoing".....I am still experimenting!

All in all, I am pleased with my efforts and hope to show you the finished product next week.......C for completed........??????

For more ABC fun visit the link on my sidebar.

For cat lovers and owners, make sure you see my Giveaway post yesterday!

A Giveaway!

A couple of weeks ago I received a request from Whiskas for contact details.....this is what followed!



Hi Denise,

Thank you so much for your email - really appreciate you taking the time to contact me. :)


This January, Whiskas is launching a brand new range of cat food called "Tasty Textures" and I wondered if your cat Ella would be interested in trying out a few different flavours for us?


As one of our regular Facebook contributors, we'd be really interested in hearing your (and Ella's!) opinion on the new food. She would be one of the first cats in the UK to try the new meals, which have been created with cats' instincts in mind as we know how much they love different textures in their meals to bite and chew.


If you would like to try some Tasty Textures pouches, let me know your address and I'll pop them in the post to you.


Many thanks!


Needless to say Ella received and indeed LOVED the parcel contents.
Charlotte, the lovely lady at Whiskas read my blog and has really kindly offered to give some Whiskas free gifts..........WOW! Isn't that FANTASTIC!
If you would love enter the giveaway please leave a comment - Ella will pick a few names out next week(5 in all ) and the lucky winners will receive a little something in the post!

Watch this space!

A is for Adventure......of a sewing kind!

ABC Wednesday is now entering Round 10! How amazing is that? A meme I started 5 years ago is still going strong, bringing together bloggers from all over the globe each week with a letter of the alphabet!

I try to have a theme to my contributions - I have used random photos, literally going out of the house, armed with camera "looking for a D" or whatever. I have also just taken in inspiration as I go about my daily business thinking "That will make an excellent E contribution" or whatever. The last round I mauinly focussed on our DIY projects, but this round I want it to be a learning experience....for me.
Whilst I did not make any New Year's Resolutions I decided to try and develop my limited sewing skills. I know Blogland brings us into the pressence of wonderful crafters and I find myself in awe of their talents. I often say I will learn to knit  but I never seem to do it. Yes I can make and enjoy making cards and benefit quite well from wedding commissions etc, but I can sew - be it very very simply.......
so my ABC Round 10 is going to be a learning adventure on a journey of sewing!

I have Jon's Grandma's vintage sewing machine......

But I also have one of these!
Bought for £20 at the local OAP's Table Top Sale. A dear lady sold me this, I feel I owe it to her to use it! It has been in the porch for a couple of years and it was only when talking over this and that with my good friend |Jill did I think to get it out and use it - so we are sharing it and bringing it to life.........Jill is
further down the road than I am, but I am here at the beginning of my adventure........
Watch this space!
For more ABC fun click on the link on my sidebar.

A Good Afternoon!

 

 

Last night was the coldest so far, with temperatures dropping to -7 apparrently. There was no way we were going anywhere - Jon was working in his luxury shed on his motornike project so I got out my craft stuff. Jill came over for a couple of hours and had a great afternoon. I started my sewing project and all went well, discounting the issue of the bondaweb! Oh well an ironing board cover is easily replaced isn't it?

Something I HAD to share!

Look!

Watch this space!

Z is for Zoom!

Meet Ted! No, he is not ours - he is our neighbours. I have a new role of being a part time puppy minder!
Today was the first day - he has been a star.
I fed him at 10am and 2pm - no accidents.

 

 

 

He loved his ball = filled with tempting biscuits.

 

 

Hopefully tonight he will sleep and push out some zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz's!

For more ABC fun follow the link in my sidebar...you'll be amaZZZZed!

New Year Stuff!

Over the past few days I have been doing some hand sewing - the lounge curtains to be precise. My talanted neighbour, Anne is an absolute whizz with anything fabric, in particular curtains and helped me (well did) pin the hems on the curtains. My job was to hand stitch them and I must say how much I have enjoyed doing them. Quite theraputic I must say, especially with the radio for company. Obviously each curtain took a while and indeed I have one more to do today, but having a break I have found and bought 2 interesting books - thanks to one click buying from Amazon. I reckon by the time I have finished the curtain and lining and  ironed all the curtains I will be ready for another little project, ideally and hopefully the books will be a source of inspiration. I think it will be a great project for New Year.....reading many blogs that feature knitting and crochet projects always make me feel inadequate - I can't knit or crochet......my mum spent endless hours trying to teach me. I did consider trying to learn YET AGAIN but felt the sewing idea was a better option as I have the basic knowledge and would not be liable to "throw the towel in" when things did not go to plan - as I fear would be the case with a knitting or crochet project.

I certainly have an idea for some cushion covers..........watch this space!

Infact I have joined in here.....

Back on Track!

Tonight it will be time  to go to my Slimming World meeting, or as we inmates refer to it "Fat Club!" Last week I gained 2 lb which taking Christmas into account was not too bad. This week I expect another gain but how much I have no idea.....you see it was not my fault!

Although we can travel a few miles to Tesco, Asda and Sainsburys our nearest supermarket is the Co-operative, referred to as "The Co-op!" Whilst the availability of certain foods is sparse and limited, on the whole it is a handy store. I rate the animal welfare standards it promotes as well as ethical practises - so whilst I could shop cheaper -  compromises have to be called for. It is only a couple of miles from the village ....fuel consumption is a big factor too.

Each day at around 5.30pm a decent selection of foods are reduced due to sell-by dates. A couple of people spend the afternoon in the pub then go into the Co-op and stand over the assistants as the food is reduced. I know these  people from my time spent in teaching. I do not support their idea of a lifestyle - pub and  children do not go together well in my eyes, especially during school hours!!!

On New Year's Eve I was shopping, it was about 3.30pm. I know many of the shop assistants well and have a good rapour with them, so when one of them called me over  keen to tell me she was reducing prices - early as it was New Year's Eve and I could have first refusal, before "that chap" came in!.....well what a time I had - and surely it would have been rude not to. We love cheese - Brie 29p......individual mince pies, pack of 12...29p. Litre of double cream...19p.... to name but a few!

So...........there you have it. We have had a couple of indulgent occasions since and now the hour of reckoning is approaching!

Watch this space!

Yesterday........

Y is for....yachts!

About 3 miles up the road from our village is the Scaling Dam Saling Club.
I enjoy looking at the boats there, so I decided to get some inspiration for ABC Wednesday whilst taking Freida for a walk.

I loaded my pictures into Picassa and used the basic tools to play around!

A nice little break from DIY!
For more ABC fun see the link in my sidebar.

We got there!

The lounge is finished and we are in!

The carpet.....is aubergine!!!!!

Chimney breast - built by Jon is Farrow & Ball's "Brassica" ......a tad different for magnolia eh??

Not only the chimney breast - but the oppoaite wall too!!

To show off my wonderful mirroe - bought in Yarm with my pal Jill!

The curtains were the source of inspiration - just need hemming now! Here are the canvas prints taken from my photographs of our ferry crossing in 2008 when we nipped over to Holland.

Our wonderful Mackenzie Thorpe prints given to us by Dorothy and Keith - just match so well!!!

The doors - soon to be replaced!!

Yes our wonderful, adored friend Spud came round on New Year's Eve to fit the carpet!!

The delay had been the paintwork but in the end the doors were fitted and we moved in! This room had always been cold - it is the extension after all. The doors were the original front door (external) so are not standard size for internal doors. We had so many problems replacing them we just went for a re-paint - but to coin a phrase "You cant make a silk purse out of a sow's ear!" The opening may not be standard, but hell spells I am married to a precision engineer! An engineer "engineers things and makes them work!" So Jon will "make the opening standard" and we will get new doors!

We are over the moon and warm too - the Rayburn is doing a wonderful job keeping the room warm. Our Christmas present to each other is a TV and we just need a unit and some bookcases.

So eh? Aubergine carpet - who saw that coming eh?

Happy New Year - and here's to good gifted friends - like Spud! His number is next to my heart! Good one!