Phew...

The end of yet another really busy week. Customers numbers have now swollen to 855. I've altered 5 bridesmaids and made 3 voile bridesmaids sashes as well as the normal run of trousers to shorten, cards to make etc etc. [Oh and managed to make myself a new top!] It's nearly back to school time too and this week has also brought in the first few pairs of back to school trousers to shorten and more booked in for next week already.
Along with that Ive managed to slice, blanch and freeze the beans that big sister, Twiglet, picked for me here in our shared allotment. It's been a great year for produce. We have enjoyed the potatoes, beetroot, french beans, kidney beans, onions, the occasional courgette, a glut of tomatoes and the odd cucumber here and there. If nothing else this years weather has suited the garden.

Christmas is coming :-)

Just wanted to say I've just sorted out 4 Advent calendars to make in fabric. I made one last year for our new little Grand daughter and had so much interest that I bought more to make and sell for this year. Have only got 2 different designs so if anyone knows where to buy more please do let me know. I plan to make them and display them here in my sewing room for my customers so will really have to get organised early this year. I will blog more when I've made them.

A therapeutic exercise....

Having just read a fellow bloggers blog of today and sat here in fits of giggles I felt the need of having a go at my list of...Things I have but don't need as opposed to Things I need but don't have so here goes...

Things I have but don't need...
All the fabric bits I've hoarded for those 'maybe' jobs knowing that I will need them the day after I throw them out...guess that should include boxes full of used cotton reels etc etc
Boxes full of fur fabric..metres of the stuff bought for puppet making [made to order if you want one making]
Chocolate Easter egg moulds [not used for about 10 years]
Probably a near full set of cross stitch magazines...Used to do lots but haven't done any for years.
Foot spa
Electric fire with coal effect...got a log burner now.
Exercise bike....don't use it but actually the need is there :-)
3 dogs...one makes enough noise for 3 when anyone comes to the door
A knitting machine and about 3 bin bags full of cones of wool [not used since my youngest was little and he's 21 now!]



Things I need but don't have...
[being someone who has few needs in life this one is harder to think of]
Joints that don't ache daily [osteoarthritis is a pain!]
A size 10 figure [well a 14 would be nice enough.]
More hours in every day.

hmmm makes you think doesn't it? I am def a woman who has far more than she needs and needs very little. I am blessed.
Now for anyone who is reading this consider yourself tagged to write a list of your own yes that means you Twiglet, Snailbeachshepherdess, Mountainear, Kathy's waffle, Rob-bear, Friko, Petals textiles, When I am rich, Calico Kate, to name but a few. Believe me is very therapeutic and just maybe someone that has and doesn't need will find someone that needs and doesn't have :-)

Pleased to see me?...

...well! Me thinks maybe this tomato was pleased to see me :-) What fun is coming out of my garden at the mo.
If only all was as lovely. We have sooooo many wasps about this year and I'm really not pleased to see them. I don't like them and am afraid to say I am a flapper in their company even though I know it's best not to. I have already filled one wasp jar and have now put up a fresh one.
It's an old traditional way of catching wasps but it's cheap and really works. It's just a used jam jar with a little left in the bottom and the sides left sticky. You then half fill it with hot water so the water becomes coloured with the jam. Put the lid on and make a wasp sized hole in the top so the wasps can get in. Put it far enough from the house to attract the wasps away and hey presto..... wasp soup...yuck! They seem to get in but are unable to get out and end up drowned.

Love from the garden...

Just thought you might like to see the love that flows in from our greenhouse. If you feed and water your tomato plants yours might give a little love back to you too. :-)

F is the word...

Wahoo the Football season has started. This means more quality crafting time with big sister Twiglet. Last night was a Felting night. Much Fun was had and lots of giggling went on....then we opened the bottle! A small glass of wine topped up with lemonade helped the evening along. We did some wet felting first so it was bubble wrap, rolling pins, soap, water and felt of every colour.

3 pieces of flat felt each later and arms aching we moved on to needle felting onto a piece of nuno felt. We felted threads and silks in all sorts of shapes and patterns with plans to work on them further with beads, buttons and stitches before mounting them onto cards.

Me being me had to have something to show for our efforts as soon as possible so first thing this morning I've set to to make a few cards using our now dry felt. I'm rather pleased with them but am afraid the photos don't really do them justice. Maybe they will just give you an insight into what life should be full of......quality days with lots of fun and laughter.

My guard dogs...

Thought I'd introduce you to the old lady in our 'family'. This is Skye. She is an 11yr old Cairn terrier and such a character. She is sitting on the wall by the road waiting for 'the boss' to come home from work.

We have 3 Cairn terriers but this one came first. She was 5 before we decided she would like company and went to buy another. We paid a visit to the new litter of pups and having already decided that we wanted a little bitch we made our choice...Wispa. [Their mum's name was Cadbury so chocolate bar names seemed the obvious choice] Whilst there Rocky chose us. He sat on hubby's foot the whole time we were there. When we collected Wispa Rocky did the same again but our minds were made up...it was to be the little bitch. We took Wispa home and promised to ring the breeder 2 weeks later with an update. We had the 2 weeks settling in our newcomer and made the phone call. The rest of the litter had gone to their new homes all bar one....Yes you guessed it...Rocky. My other half insists I said he was to be put to sleep if no home was to be found but would I? :-) We jumped in the car and fetched our new little boy....he was half price after all!

Rocky enjoying some sun

They are all such different characters. Rocky is head of the pack [being the man], next in line is Skye [being the matriarch] and finally the under dog is Wispa. They even pee in order. Where Wispa goes Skye follows and finally Rocky has to leave his scent .

A typical submissive pose from Wispa

Wispa is quiet and submissive and a real darling who will play fetch all day but is the one who carries extra weight...life just isn't fair. Rocky is a real mummy's boy...he is kind, gentle and licky but lazy....he is happy to take the ball off Wispa when just 3 foot from you and pretend he has fetched it from the bottom of the garden. Skye watches the 'pups' [actually now much bigger than her and 6 yrs old] activities but prefers not to join in the ball fetching...that's for kids! She will still play like a puppy at times but has definitely slowed up and prefers to sit and watch.

Wonderful news...

Monday night we had our youngest daughter A home with our beautiful little P. She is now 9 months old and crawling. Being a Grandma is just the best experience ever. Sharing in every new development. Every week brings change and the memories come flooding back of when ours were at that stage. The new tooth, the new words...... Watching your daughter bringing up your Granddaughter and doing such a good job fills me with pride. Little P is happy and contented and doing all she should. Looking at A on Monday night something was different. She had a glow. Her dad even asked if she was pregnant and the answer came back a firm "No. Why?". We were all well aware they were 'trying' for number two and I knew she was being bombarded with questions so I said nothing but quietly thought to myself 'if she isn't I am' and believe me I AM NOT!

Yesterday morning she rang me to say......"guess what?".....you're right, no guessing needed. They are soooooooo excited....and so am I :-) There will be just 17 months between them but having only 15 months between my eldest two I well remember the joy. They are doing a wonderful job of bringing up P so I'm certain number 2 will just fit in to their very busy lives just as ours did.

Seven words...

Thanks for tagging me Snailbeachshepherdess. Will give it a go...

1. Loving...Having been a nurse, midwife [delivered 150 babies], child minder [to 35] and of course mother to 3 and now Nanny to our beautiful little P I guess this should come top of my list. I have more than enough love to spread round each and every one.

2. Generous....would rather give than get and have very simple needs in life.

3. Gregarious....Love, and actually I would say I need, company. I thrive when in company and have to keep very busy so as not to get lonely when alone.

4. Accepting / Fatalist....Life doesn't always throw at you just what you want and often things happen that you would rather didn't but usually even if a long while later you realise that they happened for a reason.

5. Optimist.....My cup is always half full but usually it's overflowing [and no I don't just mean my bra size!]. Suffering from osteoarthritis can be a real pain at times but I am able to do many more things than I can't do and I thank God every day it's me that suffers it and not my nearest and dearest.

6. Libran...Actually having a birthday on 23rd October I am between Libra and Scorpio but have the indecisiveness of Librans. I guess my family would say on the odd occasion they do see the sting in my tail but not often.

7. Determined....Come to think of it probably stubborn is a better word for it. I am independent to a fault and my 'I can do' attitude does occasionally step on toes but it has got me through many difficult times over the years. When I had my replacement knee my physio said my knee should bend to 90 degree by 3 weeks post op. By day 5 it was already reaching 110 degree and I was told by many that I was really determined to make it work for me [some would say I was just bloody minded].