First make of the new year

Fresh start for new year

New years Eve I decided that I wanted a fresh start, so I didn't drink myself into oblivion like I normally would do when welcoming the new year in.
So next morning hangover free I was up early and I decided to start the new year with some sewing and make a new pair of pyjama bottoms for myself, so out came the pattern, scissors, pins and tape measure, along with the piece of fabric which has been hanging over the lounge door since October.

Ready, steady, Go! 

I felt relieved that I was finally doing something with the fabric which had been hanging around the house, for nearly three months let's just say. This is my fifth pair of pyjama bottoms I've made using this pattern, it's a easy pattern to use, it has got to the point that I only look at the instructions to check that I'm turning the right amount of fabric over for the waistband and the hems.
I didn't have any problems major problems, apart from getting the elastic in a twist didn't realise what I had done until after I had sewn the ends of elastic together! Luckily I had been a bit over generous with the elastic, I'm not feeling very skinny at the moment. So now for the Ta dah! Moment.

Hopefully the first of many makes 

After that the rest of the week was spent trying to get the house back to normal and the girls ready to go back to school, my youngest daughter needed new shoes.
Last day of the holidays I did treat them I took them to Prestatyn for the day and let them play on the beach, along with a picnic which we had in the in the car because it was freezing cold!!! But they enjoyed themselves and I even managed a quick visit to Abakhan in Mostyn on the way home and I didn't buy any fabric, but I was tempted, I bought a pattern instead with the last of my Christmas money, so far so good with the no fabric buying resolution.

Freezing cold day at the beach

Let's reflect and think about new resolutions

First let's reflect on the year just gone and think about the year ahead, but first let me reflect on my resolutions from last year

1. De-clutter and clean the house properly!

Well all I can say there is that it is still an ongoing project, currently I have a clutter free kitchen, bathroom, landing and a sort of clear dining room! The rest of the house, my craft area included are still cluttered, but I have made numerous donations to the charity shops and many trips to the tip as well. 

2. Post at least one photo a day on Flickr 

Well this one of my successful resolutions I actually manged to keep this one and post at least one photo a day, I will admit it wasn't easy there were days I struggled, days when the weather was against me, or illness got in the way, and I couldn't get out of the house but I managed it.

                      Even though I did take some very random photos some days!

3. Try and make one item of clothing a month 

Well to this one I can say yes and no, yes I did make some clothing, but no I didn't make one item of clothing a month but I will say that I made more clothing than the year before. What did I make Then?

1. One pair of knickers 

2. A summer top for me

3. Two pairs of pyjama bottoms 

4. A dress

5. Two world book day costumes, the girls went as golden tickets from Charlie and the chocolate factory 

6. A pirate costume for youngest my youngest daughter 

7. And finally two Christmas skirts for the girl's 

The year before I only made two pairs of pyjama bottoms 

4. Read more 

Well currently ive got three books on the go, I haven't finished one book this year, I'm listening to one audio book, readingone on a kindle and a good old traditional book. This will be one of my new resolutions for the new year finish all these books and not start any more books until these are finished.

5. Try a new craft 

Well this is it, drop spindle haven't done it yet another one for the new list.

6. Finish off the lurking UFO'S 

Well I only finished one UFO that's the one pictured above, that includes weaving in the ends and sewing up any seams, the rest are still waiting to be finished. 

7. Do more baking 

All I can say there is that yes I did, hope to be more adventurous this year.

8. Get the garden looking like a garden 

That is still a on going project, there is a lot of work to be done, well Rome wasn't built in a day was it!

9. Try and grow some fruit and vegetables this year 

Yes, but with success and failure. I got three ripe strawberries and five blueberries, youngest daughter ate the rest before they had the chance to ripen and I only got fourteen potatoes, which is a small success. 

10. Start blogging again 

Well I did, not as many posts as I would of liked but I did and I hope to do more in 2017

Time to move on to a new year 

What are my new resolutions for this year? All of the above, but I'm adding a yarn and fabric diet to the list as my stashes are starting to get a little bit out of control, so no yarn and fabric buying, I will shop from my stash until I've got them under control.

Slowly moving along

November arrived and the leaves carried on dropping along with the temperatures, the first of November we were greeted with a frost, which was a bit of a surprise! 

One of the many November frosts

And we had many more frosts in November, it was was a bit of  a shock to the system after all the mild weather we have had.

              Well what happened craft wise, well not a lot and that's the Truth!

slow crochet and Cake eating

And the crochet got slower and slower, it actually got to the point that it was becoming painful.

On the turn

Well it became so painful, that on December 13th I flogged it and the yarn is now in the waiting pile to see if it is either going to go into hibernation, or be made into something else. But at the moment I think it will be hibernation under the stairs.

Frogging session 

Things got so bad that I got the blanket out that I started to crochet eighteen months ago and finished it. Also I did some more granny squares for the ongoing granny square project, because they are the ideal small project to have in my bag when I'm travelling, the blanket is more of a snuggle up on the sofa with and listen to book, for it's a cold day again project.

Time to snuggle up and listen to a book again 

The blanket is now finished but the book isn't (maybe the book was the wrong choice) well that's it for now I'm off to think about my resolutions for next year and reflect on this year's resolutions. xx 

Big plans that never happened

big plans 

At the beginning of October I had big plans, my husband decided that he needed some man time away from me and the girls, so he was off to the Shetland Islands for a week. I decided to have a making week, in the week leading up to his departure I got some pieces of fabric ready for this big making week. The day of his departure came round, that morning I got up felt a bit rough, in the afternoon I started to feel a bit worse and when he left that evening I felt really bad, I had got the mother of all colds and I did nothing all week,  well let's say nothing in craft terms, in being a mum terms I just carried as usual as if there is nothing wrong with me.

This photo is not taken in the Shetland Islands 

Husband came home from the Shetland Islands with all his tales and photos of his adventures and also brought home presents for the girl's and me, 

A very nice knitting book

And Guess what else he bought home, let's just say that I wasn't expecting this much

how much more yarn!!!!!!!

                         He had teased me in the week by sending me this photo

Which to me in yarn diet terms is equivalent of a large chocolate bar which isn't going to cause too much harm, is it?

What next?

What happened next then? Well I decided to have a try at doing some quilting, which in a way is a bit foolish thing to do the week  before half term. Then it's half term and nothing gets done, because I'm either too noisy or in the way! But let's finish with some photos of what I have done so far.

A slow return to normality

down to earth with a bump

I always think that it takes a while for things to return to normal after a holiday, because first there's the long journey home which isn't as exciting as going on holiday journey, then there is the unpacking, washing, cleaning and putting everything away jobs to do which can take for ever! And I have the added extra of my husband turning feral while I'm away, he wasn't too bad this time.

Still in holiday mode

It's only when the girls go back to school in September I can start to properly clean and sort the house out. While that is still sort of on going, along with the slow de-clutter even now, sometimes I think that I've got too much on my plate along with the UFO pile, the yarn and fabric stashes, I now think that that I need to go on a fabric diet along with a yarn diet as well.

So what did I do craft wise in September Then?  Well a few things,  finished my summer holiday knitting project, did some more of the ongoing granny square project and started another smallish crochet project,

Summer holiday knitting project 

This is now sitting in the waiting to be finished off pile with all the other bits.

more granny squares in the wrong Order! 

Granny squares and Cake! 

These are now back in the basket that they live in, I don't know what I'm going to eventually do with these. 

and finally the started project 

With this one I'm not sure if I actually like this project, but I really like the yarn.

Well that's it for September.

Can I call this one part three or not?

Let's move onto August then, the school holidays are in full swing and the weather is good! Which makes a change, normally when the school holidays begin the weather takes a turn for the worse.

Let's put the flags out it's not raining 

The only sewing project I did in the summer holidays was making some bunting  (see above) the girls have been wanting me to make some bunting for quite a while. So I found a nice easy tutorial online and set about making some, first I made a template using an old cereal box, then used it to cut the fabric triangles out, I used some pretty pastel floral fabric

all cut out ready to sew

Set about sewing them together, then turned and pressed them and that's where I had a small mishap,  I caught one slightly with the iron

ouch with the iron

But it isn't a big major problem, it's only a small thing it won't destroy the whole finished effect. Next was to attach to the bias binding which sounds easier to do than it actually was to do

all pinned and ready to sew

Then it was under sewing machine and hope that I have got enough thread on the spool, guess what I won and not the sewing machine for a change. The finished item is pictured at the top of this post.

itchy feet time

As August progressed on I got itchy feet (which makes a change from itchy fingers) and the girls were restless,  it was time for a holiday for. I decided to be very brave and take the girls camping on my own!!!!! So it was load the car up and off to Cornwall for a week. The start of week was very stormy, then the weather was brilliant for the rest of the week.

fishing boats pulled up high

But we did do a lot of exploring and had lots of picnics, which the girls thought was fantastic, and they didn't moan that they bored all week!

Mousehole 

very atmospheric view

Yes I did take two small projects with me, one knitting and one crochet. I did do some knitting/crochet while the girls were off playing, or foraging for blackberries,with their new friends around the campsite.
So what shall I end this post with, a picture of a sunset or a rainbow?  I know, how about both

summer memories 

and if you look closely you can see its a double rainbow