all sorts (none of them bertie bassets)

I have been wasting my days. Well at least in the sense that nothing much is getting made lately. The sewing machine is languishing anticipating a fortnight of inactivity while the annual gadabout takes place. More about that after the gadding has taken place. Although Biddle and John have been pouring over timetables and web-sites nothing is ever finalised until we have actually accomplished it.


Things change due to weather, trains not running and a decision that something else has proved more attractive.

I made a decision not to put my doll in the challenge. I know this is a bit of a defeatist action but I know full well that she will not get any votes because my creativity is not anywhere near the standard of the others that enter. It's just a fact of life and I make things for enjoyment not too feel a failure. I know you have to be "in it to win it" but what the heck she is my doll and I like her.
Here is a little glimpse of her




I have used the Magic Threads Stitch Witch pattern that I have made so many times. But I have dyed the face and hands fabric and wired her hair, she also has a bun. This will be covered with her hat. But I wanted extra detail. The fabrics were a collection of fat quarters given to me by my sister as a present last year.

Everyone of these witches I have made has looked completely different.

I have been knitting. Can you guess what it is?




This

might give you a clue. I haven't knitted in multi colours since the children were small. But this looked like a bit of fun and a chance to use some spare yarn up... except it stipulated 100% wool yarn and in my overflowing stash I was hard pushed to find much of a choice. Most of my yarn is acrylic. Well I am halfway through and it is looking how it should look. I cannot knit for long at one sitting, partly because it seems both my thumbs hurt and my neck is suffering too.

I have a cross stitch square almost finished but discovered at the weekend am short of one colour, I was convinced I had a skein but having hunted through all projects (WIPs and UFOs ) none is to be found, not even the miniscule amount I need. But that is always the way. Doubles of things I don't need and not the ones I do.

The weather has been quite nice relatively speaking. No rain for three days and it has been quite warm too. I took this the other morning


It gives a favour of the garden, I have picked several bunches of sweet peas and we have teeny tomatoes growing.

We have recently bought a freeview + box which means we can record programmes and watch at a time more suitable. It is clever you can start watching before the programme finishes recording unlike a dvd. So we have spent most evenings lately listening to the prom concerts on Radio 3 .I have to say that I am not really into some of the more modern classical stuff. I like something with a bit of a tune to it! Its really good to sit and read and listen rather than watch all the time. I think we will do more of it.

I will not mention the cricket and I cannot believe it is the football season again.

Thanks for dropping by and for the comments, if you have a contact email I will reply

Reflections

I missed a week blogging because I didn't have anything new to show- still battling with dolls that may go in a challenge but might not.
DD has got over the swine flu short of she now has a chest infection and today spent a fortune at the chemist on anti-biotics, steroids and new inhalers. Its her birthday on Friday so I hope they all kick in soon. It hardly seems 32 years since I was rushed to maternity, the result being DD was born six weeks premature. To see her now you wouldn't believe she was 171/2 inches when she arrived and five pound four ounces. Her apgar

was really low

August is a strange month for the past 17 years we have had to go through the reminder of my dad dying three days before her birthday. He had leukaemia and had bee in hospital for a blood transfusion but had been expected to visit us the following week for Lib's birthday. It was in the middle of the Barcelona Olympics and a test match. He had only retired the year before and did not benefit for long from getting up early in the morning to go to work. I miss chatting to him about sport and politics. He didn't have to suffer the Premier league and most of the sport going to Sky tv and I wonder what he would have made of it all. Let alone the way politics have gone. My sister was pregnant with her only daughter at the time my dad died and last week end they packed up all her stuff to take her down to Canterbury where she is to start a new phase of her life as a student.



You can just see Biddle snuggled against him. The orange and black is a gonk my sister made at school. So he is a similar age as Biddle and the hippopotamus Libby had as fabric and a pattern for a present and we made him.


Over the past week I have been looking at old photographs, when Libby was a child I made most of her clothes but surprisingly few when she was a baby. I think that was because I just didn't have enough hours in the day to sit and sew, but once she could play and amuse herself it wasn't so bad, also until she was five we were a two parent family and had more disposable income.

The birds continue to visit and the garden is looking its best so far this summer. We only had for or five days in July when we didn't have rain and August isn't looking brilliant although its quite warm this week.