New Finds

Having my usual early morning browse of the internet craft world and have found some lovely things.

A site called Crafty Ferret with great printables and patterns.  Some lovely stitched patterns on Etsy.  Beautiful Hello Kitty stitched cards on facebook, but I can't find a pattern and not sure if I have confidence to do my own.

There are some great Christmas knits and other patterns on a site called Justjen knits andstitches my favourites being of course more cats

Reading Laura Howards blog introduced me to a site from Tesco called Tesco living with lots of great ideas and Laura's tutorial for brooches which are lovely as ever.  The link to Laura's blog is at the side of my blog page.

Finally a very cute quilting project.

No wonder I never have time to make anything I am too busy looking at everyone elses!

We are hoping to attend this event  hosted by Crafty Chez, where my sister in law Isla's Attic is having a stall.  Will be looking for Christmas presents to buy and for new ideas 8-|

We are off to the ballet this afternoon to see Three Little Pigs.  Last years Ugly Duckling was fab and this one is a sell out.  Keep on Dancing!!

Long Night

The extra hour is very over rated if you can't sleep and makes for a very long night :(  Makes me think of when I used to work nights, its easier to work and stay awake than try to sleep!!  I always liked working nights.  It feels like such a waste of time when I am laying in bed trying to sleep and watching the hours go past.  I feel I should get up and do something, but even though I am awake I am always very tired and getting up feels such an effort and would make functioning during the day even harder.

Its amazing what goes through my head and its not usually nice thoughts, lots of regrets and thoughts about things I want to do or wish I had done, being awake becomes a form of torture.

Emily is particularly hard work at the moment and its difficult to keep calm and rational and remember that it is normal six year old behaviour.  We all get very stressed and bad tempered.  Was interesting to look at this Child Development Guide and somewhat reassuring that she is normal!!  Wonder what typical 42 year old behaviour is? Lol according to Andrew Sadock (? who) its a critical stage that must explain it!

Craft as ever is lacking and with half term this week I don't think much will get done, ah well there is always next year 8-|

Well everyone is up and about now so best get moving.  We are supposed to be going to Rothwell Baptist Church shoebox service for Operation Christmas Child.

One down!

Finished one of the things on my list, the 1st birthday card, will post pics after the event.  I have now started a 90 using same pattern from Ann's paper art presented in a different way to the picture.

I collected a couple of books from the library for patchwork ideas, I am still looking for a cat, but have got a cute caterpillar and mouse in Sewn Toy tales and the pocket hanger in Cute and Easy Quilting.

As ever I keep seeing ideas and have more ideas than time and energy.

Feeling yucky at the moment after a busy weekend with family and a hectic night last night with Emily having a friend to play and then parents evening.  We tried to make Halloween cookies but the colour did not take very well so they just looked pale mottled colour, they were quite pretty actually and I am told they tasted good.  Wondering if painting the food colour on might work better than trying to mix it in.  The kids had fun anyway so that's the main thing.

Well my gluten free pasta dinner is nearly ready so I had better get to the table.

Slow, but sure!

Amazed myself today when I managed to make my appliqué block at quilting class.  Thank you Sarah for your patience and for letting me loose on your machine :D  Thank you also to the lady who brought gluten free cake, it was lovely and very kind of her to think of me.

I do have a tendency to try and rush through things as my time and energy is limited, but they I end up doing things again or not being happy with them which is also a waste of time.  I am always telling Emily to slow down and take her time with things, maybe I need to take my own advice!

So I went from this

to this 

Next I have my pieced cat shape to do, it looks complicated, but hopefully it will fall into place, SLOWLY!

Sarah asked us if we wanted to make something for Christmas next time and showed us some great ideas.  I liked them all, but think I have plumped for making a placemat for Emily.  Hoping to go to Patchwork garden to let Emily chose some fabric she likes, but without telling her what it is for :-$  Some of the ladies are going to make table runners.  I like the idea, but it would not be finished for Christmas, maybe next year, or the next or the next ;)

Sarah showed us some nice card ideas too, but don't think I will have time, still not finished the birthday one yet, not long to go and did want to do a 90 one as well, but not sure there is time.

The one I liked best, looks more complicated than it is, but still not sure there is time.

Might make a few button ones, along these lines.  They are simple but effective.

Down side of the class was that I was concentrating so hard and had driven and walked to get to class, that I could not settle to rest, so am now starting to feel rubbish from it and its almost school pick up time 8-| and then the weekend 8-| 8-| #-o

Plodding along

Its been a week or so of just plodding along and keeping up with what needs to be done, but not a lot else.

Started Christmas shopping online and got quite a few things, but still not managed to make anything yet!

On the craft front I have finished the hand sewing on my orange peel blocks for quilting class on Fri, but not machine sewed together yet.  Done a little bit more stitching on the birthday card.  Finished making pockets for Emily's Advent hanger with her, but now I need to hand stitch them all on!  My knitting has not been touched.  I am frustrated as I want to settle to these things and get them finished, but it seems too much effort, I feel pathetic :(  I am not lacking inspiration just time and energy!

Been spending most of the time, I am not get routine things done, online just browsing ideas, but never putting any of them into practice as it takes too much time and energy and I lack the confidence to put the ideas into practice as well.

Rediscovered Docrafts which has a good site and magazine.

Maybe I should have a to do list or a want to do list!!

• Stitch on Advent pockets
• Make bracelets and earring for presents
• Make bracelets for Operation Christmas child
• Sew quilt block together
• Continue with knitting
• Finish stitched card
• Make hanging tidy for Emily's room ( something like this)

Have just reserved Cute and Easy quilting book at the library to add to Sewn toy tales that I requested yesterday.

Saw Dr last week about the numbness and the palpitations, it looks as if they are both ME symptoms.  Dr requested an ECG just to be sure and it was fine, which is reassuring.  I just have to live with the symptoms now.

Well had better get on and do my online grocery order or we will be going hungry next week!

Bad Week

Had a rubbish week last week, was so wiped out and needed to rest a lot just to function!

Hoping for a bit better this week, but not too hopeful.

Had my hair coloured on Saturday which always makes me feel rubbish, perhaps I should just accept being grey! But it helps me to feel half way human to have my hair looking nice.

Crafting has definitely taken a back seat, although I have finally got all the ends sewn in on the waistcoat so can continue with the knitting and hopefully now have it looking tidier thanks to being shown techniques by Barbara at Rivers Meet.  When I went to the knitting class a few weeks ago I found a friend (the picture does not do him justice)

Just leave me sitting there with a cat, some knitting and a cup of tea and I will be happy.  Cats and knitting don't always mix though.  My own cat sits in the way or tries to play with the needles!

I did start stitching the birthday card too.

As usual I am overwhelmed with ideas, but not able to do them :-(

Trying to get my hear around Christmas presents, would love to make some stuff, but it puts a lot of pressure on me to get it done whilst trying to juggle other things too! I made a button card the other day, it is not great and needs to be finished off.

Hoping to see Bead Shop Leeds at Rivers Meet on Oct 26th, might get some ideas and inspiration for making things.

I keep wishing I could find time for some respite at Fountains Court, but its finding the time and its not fair on Rob and Emily to abandon them so that I can recharge a bit.  Its great to have a break, but the benefits are not huge and I often feel awful whilst I am away as everything catches up with me and I have too much time to think.  I do usually return in a better mental state having had chance to think things through, but usually more determined to push and do too much to make up for being away and feeling so useless!

Well better move myself or it will be another day of not much getting done.

Cute projects- updated

Got some links for very cute craft projects today;

Baby snowman

Baby Gingerbread

Baby Santa

How great are they?

This is a quick simple idea, more my sort of task.

I love this quilt, colours and theme that I love

I was saying to Emily the other day that I have quite a few bits of fabric with cats on and that we should find a pattern to make a patchwork cat, just seen this one

which looks quite basic, but was the sort of thing I had in mind. Also found this great top, shame it's in the US and this too and another!

As you might be able to tell I am wasting time on the computer.  Feeling pretty wiped out today after school strike day yesterday and a knitting class in the evening!  Feel like I want to sleep for a week.  Barbara at the knitting class had tied in all the ends on the piece she had taken, I had only managed a few on mine and bless her she has taken that one too.