Hello Lovelies!
I've had a bit of a gentle time of it these last few days, having being struck down with the Head Cold lurgy which struck just after Mother's Day and just in time for my Birthday!! Still, despite feeling pretty groggy and under par, I've managed to sneak in some hooky time and even got around to making something I've been after doing for ages!!!
Before the Nasty Bug descended, we had a rather lovely start to our Mother's Day Weekend. Saturday saw us enjoying a lazy, unhurried breakfast of poached eggs on rye toast, with fresh juice and hot coffee...oh I do like those sorts of mornings!
(gratuitous photograph of my delicious brekkie)
When we'd finally got ourselves ready, me and the little one did a spot of baking in preparation for Mother's Day ~ we made a special Peyton and Byrne rich chocolate cake, and the wee one made the meringue part All By Herself using the big electric whisk! I can't begin to tell you how funny she thought it was when I picked up the bowl with the meringue in it and turned it upside down over her head!!!
That afternoon I managed to sneak in some hooky time, for the first time in a long while. I got out my Rowan Handknit Cotton DK and started to make squares...
The pattern is for a rather delicious bag from my favourite crochet book by Nicki Trench.
I started out with a green edging, but despite it being a lovely green, decided I didn't want a whole bag in that shade. So I tried it with blue:
Much better!
I've got a good feeling about it now it's going to be blue. It's a lovely looking bag too, and if any of you have got the book it's the Patchwork Bag which needs to be lined. I've chosen a vintage rainbow palette for this project, which you can see laid out in the top photo and am keeping an eye out for some nice fabric for the inside. I'll keep you posted with it's progress!
Mother's Day turned out to be a lovely one. I had tea and toast brought up to me in bed, and some pretty flowers. Small was beside herself with the excitement and later that day my own parents came over for a Mother's Day meal and that chocolate cake which was enjoyed by all. By nightfall though, the lurg had taken it's hold and I lay on the sofa feeling quite awful. I'm afraid it's one of those that cling on, and so my birthday on Wednesday saw me snorting into many a tissue and not doing much at all (having not the energy or the inclination). Despite feeling very under par most of the day, I did start to feel a bit better and at teatime we all went out for a delicious meal to celebrate.
Thursday morning though, the Nasty Head Cold was back with a vengeance and Im hoping it disappears by Saturday as Im away to London ON MY OWN, ON A TRAIN to go to the COUNTRY LIVING FAIR!!! Yes, I'm a bit excited. I'm also going to be meeting a creative chum who I 'met' on Facebook for the very first time so it's going to be a very good day all round! Her name is Kate and she paints the most amazing cards and childrens name paintings. You can find out more about what she does here.
(One of Kate's gorgeous hand painted cards)
So the week has plodded on in a gentle and quiet manner; feeling weary has meant not much energy for much at all, but it did mean I could settle down to make something I'd been meaning to do for a long, long time.
Once upon a long ago we revamped a tired old Welsh dresser, and I recall how I said it absolutely needed Bunting.
And bunting it now has!
It is really the fastest, prettiest, ridiculously easy sort of bunting to make. Here's what you need and how to do it:
Fragments of material
Length of ribbon, twine etc
Pinking Shears
Piece of card
Pencil
Tiny Pegs (which you can buy from craft shops, I got mine from Hobbycraft and they're fairy cheap to buy).
Mark out a triangle template on the cardboard and cut out with ordinary scissors. Draw around this onto the BACK of your fabric and cut out your bunting triangles carefully using pinking shears.
Use two tiny pegs to attach each piece of bunting to the ribbon. Leave a bit of space between each triangle before attaching the next one.
That's it.
Simple as, but oh so lovely!
I think it finishes it off a treat, don't you? I now have ideas of making heaps of this in all sorts of colours and draping it around my house; putting it in windows, along shelves...! I love it, and it takes no time at all to make, and so very little effort!
That's about it from me for now - I'm away to infuse my congested head with a eucalyptus inhalation...I hope you're all well and thanks for coming to see me today! I'll be back next week with tales of my trip to London and a bit of Arty News.
Lots of love
J x x x
