glad tidings of joy...

well the count down to christmas is really on, i have had 'three' sightings of santa, first the one when i was carrying my wood pile...the second whilst waiting at Safeway's deli for some cheese...

"look" i said to our #1 "not three yards from you is santa"

"that's not santa that's just an old man with a long white beard, who probably hates this time of year 'cause people like you point and whisper" she replied

"no, no, that is santa, he is just wearing his 'day off' clothes and collecting his deli chinese meal for dinner. it's all about believing"...

"i don't believe" (gasp!) it took me a while to recover, i had trouble looking her in the eye because she is heading to 5ft 10 inches, so i tippy toed and said

"i shall pretend that i never heard that"

a festive monster from our #4 (with a little help from Miss Ethel)

the third time was this saturday just gone, i was busy struggling with a queen size mattress and our van in the parking lot when he wandered by...

"morning santa" said i from under the mattress

"ummm, yeah, hi"

what was that, is that how santa would talk to you, i think not...lucky for him i was doing my balancing act. i have now come to the conclusion 'this santa' that always seems to be hanging around our local parking lot is not the 'real mccoy'...he must be an impostor...how else can i explain the 'ummm, yeah, hi' bit.

surely santa still goes "ho ho ho"...even if he ends it with a "dude"...

and so dear readers i have some fan-tab-u-lous news...it has been one hundred and forty days since we first stepped inside the yellow house and started to dream about moving.

the ups and the downs have taken their toll...i have doubled my gray hair count, added at least four new frown lines to my forehead and am requiring some serious under eye cream these days...but i am letting you know we are 'sold' and we will be moving to mossy shed (hurrah)...you can uncross your weary fingers and toes for the holidays (i thank you kindly for doing that)...at the moment i am surrounded by packing boxes as we have decided it would be a very wonderful exciting thing to pack and move most of our belongings, four children and several pets (accept heavy furniture because i'm a weakling) by ourselves...yes it is true to say we are going to go nuts...

in seventeen days (yes, seventeen...you heard me right) we will be living in our 'mock tudor' number amongst total chaos, me with my 'rose colored' spectacles and my man with his "where's it all going to go" "there's no attic space" "the ceilings are very low" "i think i need a shed" 'man blinkers' on...

so i wish you all a very merry time, what ever your celebrations this december...and i will return some time around the 14th January 2008 typing at my little blue desk, in the corner by the lovely fireplace at mossy shed...

she's wishing you a Happy New Year ~ Tif

according to plan...

according to my grand plan i would be posting a 'wonderful lovely' tutorial about crocheting a popcorn garland with lots of helpful pictures...but alas my plan has been thwarted by several things...first my 'flu' like symptoms that have plagued me for several days...secondly after spending nearly an hour trying to get non blurry pictures i have given up and thirdly i am blaming the lousy weather conditions and not my camera skills...

so you will have to use your imagination with this one, no pretty pictures sadly.

i might also add this is the most simple easy peasy crocheted item you will ever make, however with my inability to write clear concise 'crochet terms' it will appear to be the most super duper complicated item you have ever attempted...dear readers do not be 'put off' just pick up that yarn and before you know it you will have 'bluffed' your way through my instructions to your very own 'popcorn garland'...

so with the help of some 'irrelevant pictures' of Miss India Rose i shall begin...

1. you will need a 'worsted' weight yarn and a size 4.0 mm hook (i used lambs pride worsted yarn...it is a beautiful clotted cream color and crochets up a charm)

2. chain a length of around 2 yards...you could just chain one huge length but i prefer to do several shorter garlands so i don't get in a tangle)

now that was the easy bit...

3. slip stitch back into 14th chain from hook to create a 'loop' for hanging onto your branch

4. single crochet into the next six stitches

5. chain six

6. double crochet into 3rd chain from hook, repeat 6 more times until you have a fan shape

7. remove hook and place into first double crochet, collect loop and pull through to create bobble

8. slip stitch into base of chain to join bobble back to main garland

9. repeat from row 4. until 14 stitches from end of garland and make a loop for your other branch.

the garland will naturally twist as you proceed...i do so hope that i have made this clear, basically you need to count, six single crochets, six chains, seven double crochets, one slip stitch and repeat...plus remember i am using american terminology and i believe for british crocheting it will be different...my trusty rowan book tells me...

US single is a UK double

US double is a UK treble

right, i think it is quite true to say that if you attempt this you will be requiring a drink within 25 minutes...if you actually manage to work out a 'popcorn garland' from my instructions then please let us all know so we can believe that miracles do happen at christmas...

she's hoping you can work it out ~ Tif

'tis the season...

for hanging stockings by the fireplace...

for not forgetting little ones...even the naughty ones...

for men to dig out their 'man blinkers' for shopping...

for lovely gift wrap from anthropologie...

for ginger snaps in pretty tins...

for handcrafting gifts...

for pesky gnomes to rest a while and sleep...

for starting a new yarn project...

for Tif to do a 'popcorn garland' tutorial on Thursday...

better late than never ~ Tif

the one about the six pesky gnomes and how they came to stay...

okay okay...you've got me, i admit that those little pesky gnomes made it on to my doorstep with a little help from me...
you see dear readers, having to be out of my carefully staged house for five hours (due to inspection being preformed) meant i was forced to hang around shops.

now usually this would not have been a chore in the least especially as i needed to get cracking with some christmas shopping but i am lacking one thing at the moment and have been since before Thanksgiving...the one thing that Mother Christmas can not be without this time of year...(no, not Johnny Depp, silly)...my credit card......................i paused a long while for you to recover, yes it is a horror story...the night before thanksgiving i am advised by those 'advisers' from the very important world of financing that someone is having a good time in Texas courtesy of me and my man.

not good, not good at all...and even more 'not good' i was informed it would take over ten business days to get a new card. well my little heart was thumping with the horror of it all, and more to the point i had planned to hit the Anthro sale the day after thanksgiving with my trusty credit card by my side...i let out a wail of despair and then i sat down with a bottle of my new found love to think it over.

after a while it seemed quite clear what i must do at this desperate time...i would raid my childrens piggy banks...our #1 was useless, she had spent all her money...our #2 wasn't any help either, hers is all safely tucked up in a bank account....our#4 was not even worth asking as money runs through his hands like water...so it was down to our #3, i knew he wouldn't fail me, he ferrets his money away and watches it grow under the mattress.

"i need any money you have and i need it now" (no time for politeness here)

"what for?" he asks

"the anthropologie sale"...

"ummm, (he knows his mother's weakness is the anthro sale tables) okay but it will cost you, i am thinking i will charge you five dollars...so you will have to pay me back the full amount plus another five"

"you're on"...

and so dear readers that is how Tif got her six red plates on the sale table the day after thanksgiving...which leads me to tell you that yesterday after days of checking on line, anthro at last dropped their prices on the red plates i required to make the number up to ten in my cupboard. "fantastic" i hear you cry...that is what one would think but it was not "fantastic" because i had no credit card to purchase them...as luck would have it, my man's card turned up two days ago. i phoned him at work in a panic, "quick quick, you must come home, anthro have discounted the plates...i must buy them now before someone else gets my lovely 'bargain' plates"...to which he replied "do we really need these plates" words fail me at times like these...

back to the gnomes...

i made it over to the store 'World Market' simply because they sell cadbury's chocolate bars and i was feeling the need for some light refreshment whilst crocheting 'popcorn garlands' in the car with my friend, used dog.
as i was paying for my chocolate bar, (carefully counting out my pennies) a little voice said "oi, over here" and it was little pesky gnome #1...before i knew it all six had jumped into my shopping cart and insisted on coming home with me.

"i'm not sure i can afford you, i only have six dollars on me and i really really need my chocolate"

"don't worry" he said "we are on sale" (oh magic words to my ears)

when we arrived home, they were not best pleased i made them stand out on the doormat and ring the bell so i could get a good story...part of their displeasure was to do with reaching the doorbell, even with standing on each others shoulders they informed me a long stick would be required...

when i awoke this morning there was some telling evidence in my house...

she's thinking they may be making more trouble in days to come ~ Tif

the one about a gracious host...

when used dog and i returned late yesterday after spending most of the day out of the house because of the inspection, i was just sitting down with a cup of tea and the door bell rang.

i hopped up and answered it but no one was there...mumbling to myself i returned to my sofa, (please note crochet throw from my thrifting the other day) to work on my final popcorn garland and drink my tea...a few seconds later the bell rang again.

once again i couldn't see anyone there and just as i was closing the door i heard a little

"excuse me"...

well dear readers, what are the chances of passing strangers (albeit of the gnome variety) coming to my door looking for some christmas cheer (thank goodness i did not buy the blue plates...)

trying to be a gracious host, i got a little closer...

"we are six little pesky christmas gnomes from Norway and have lost our way"...

"oh really" says i "then why do you have a 'made in Taiwan' label on your backs?"

ignoring my question the leader of the dubious bunch continued "please can we come into your lovely warm home, we saw your christmas tree and popcorn garland through the window and we wish to rest our weary tiny feet a while"

"ummm" i said...

"we promise not to be any trouble"...

from past experience with gnomes i do not believe it one bit, but i didn't want to hurt their tiny feelings so i invited them in...

and so dear readers i am now entertaining a bunch of little 'naughty looking' gnomes for christmas, they have taken up residence on my coffee table and by the looks of it, have a new furry best friend...not sure if there will be six of them for long...

i think she's going a bit loopy with the trials of house selling ~ Tif

in the past three days...

1. i have woken up to snow...

2. had a power outage...

3. seen Santa walking down the street whilst buying fire wood because of power outage. (not fake beardy santa but the real thing, he smiled and waved straight at little old me and my wood pile).

4. had an even bigger dump of snow

5. discovered microwave popcorn is not the same as popcorn of old...it does not like to be strung as a garland.

6. created own popcorn garland for tree with the magic of crochet

7. eaten delicious pink owls cookies courtesy of our #2

8. jazzed up old thrift store coat with a handcrafted brooch...and decided to make more for presies. ("and when might that be, oh 'Tif of little time' ")

9. huge amounts of rain and wind pelting around the place.

10. have signed contracts with a buyer for our house...it's been a hell of a few weeks negotiating and until we get past inspection i am not celebrating...but if all goes according to plan we will be moving just after Christmas...("thank you up above")

phew ~ Tif

footnote : please do not uncross fingers or toes dear readers, until i give you the all clear...thank you :)

"Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"...courtesy of 'the grinch'

it occurred to me this morning as i was doing my usual round of vacuuming used dog's hair and scrubbing dried toothpaste off the sinks that tomorrow will be the first day of december...and do you know dear readers it was like the 'grinch at christmas'. a small warm feeling started to appear inside of me and the spirit of christmas engulfed my 'bah humbugness'...for tomorrow the advent calendar begins and the excitement will start in our household...

and so to keep my little flame of 'christmas cheer' alive i went and scrabbled around under the table in my studio and located a book that i bought several weeks back...i was buying a knitting book as a gift for my friend Suzanne's birthday and stumbled upon this one, it is such a lovely book i just knew i needed it even though i hadn't a hope of knitting anything from it in time for this year...

i like the retro vintage feel to the lay out and the colors they use. i have flicked through a few pages and it has made the 'little glow' grow...

wonderful stockings...

all those knitted hats...

i would love a pair of knitted socks like these to wear with my flannel pj bottoms...

maybe if i set about them in January they will be ready for next christmas to warm my toes...

to add to these lovely festive pictures i will share my new plates ("not more plates, Tif, what is it with you and plates") i found these on the anthropologie sale table the day after thanksgiving, there was a huge pile and i was over come with excitement as they were marked 70% off...

"one, two, three, four" shuffle to counter "could you hold these for me please i am just getting more" shuffle back "five, six, seven aaaargh! this can not be" yes dear readers, the plates turned to royal blue in color...i could not have royal blue on my christmas table mixed in with red, any passing stranger invited in for 'christmas cheer' would immediately think they had time travelled and were in 1977 celebrating the Queen's jubilee (gosh i do so hope i have the right year, sorry ma'am)...and that would never do.

so there i was again left with a 'plate dilemma'... so i made the decision to buy six as it was nice and even and i knew i could buy them 'on line' later.

oh silly me, 'on line' they are still full price, every day i check and they are still full price...i refuse to purchase them full price at $12 when i paid $3.95 in the shop...

so there we are, i am feeling a lot more cheery and have plans to hang my door decoration tomorrow, yes sirree and quite recklessly unearth a few decorations gathering dust in the attic...

wishing you a lovely weekend and some holiday cheer where ever you are ~ Tif

sweet dreams...

the week has run away with me again, partly because of me and our #4 feeling under the weather, partly because the nights are drawing in so quickly and partly because of the count down to christmas is really upon us...i am trying to mentally get myself around christmas only being round the corner, usually i am much more prepared than i am this year. in our family we have christmas day then on the 26th Dec our #1 will turn 16 and on the 27th Dec our #3 will turn 12. every year i make sure i think ahead, so far this year i have managed a door hanging decoration which isn't going to get me very far...

i believe it is mainly to do with having the house on the market, i can't quite work out in my little brain how it is all going to play out...so instead of addressing a few things on my 'to do' list for christmas i holed myself up in my studio yesterday creating messes everywhere...today was my day for clean up but instead i went out thrifting, and of course a potential buyer came by because i had left my studio in a mess. i know if i had cleaned it up i would not have had a viewing, that is the way of selling your house i have decided...

anyhow, my thrifting did not result in anything spectacular...once again i was out looking for pillowcases, no luck there but i did score a lovely white cotton crocheted throw which i will show you once it has finished whirring around Mrs W. Machine...

so after yesterday's manic marathon sewing session i have produced a few custom tea towels and some pillowcases which will go into the shop tomorrow and they will be my last things i add before christmas. here's a few close up pics...

one

two

three

i plan a big tidy up tomorrow and then i will start next week with a fresh positive attitude towards christmas shopping and yes i will be shopping because the 'eco friendly dish cloths' bright idea has not turned out quite so bright. i have managed only two and do not see that number increasing any time soon...

she's promising to get all her 'bah humbug' spirit gone by monday ~ Tif

going nuts about the doilies...

i'm all of a dither this morning, i had planned a post and it does tie in rather nicely with the exciting news i have to tell (don't get your hopes up, it's nothing to do with Mossy Shed) but the problem is my typing skills are not up to scratch today, it's my 'shaking with excitement' hands...in fact i need a little of what Miss Ruby had yesterday to calm myself...

firstly though i have to tell you that when i wrote that bit yesterday about 'our #4 being at school'...let's just say it tempted fate, no sooner had i posted about 'Miss Ruby and her disgrace' then the phone rang and it was the health room at school...

"your son has a stomach ache"

"what kind?" asks i "is it the 'i am going to throw up any minute' kind or the ' i just want to come home and rest on the couch and watch spongebob squarepants' kind"...

"maybe you should speak to him yourself"...

anyway the upshot of it all, after not being in school for a full day in the past ten days (thanksgiving and teacher training days) our #4 is reclining on the couch in front of spongebob squarepants...he does have a temperature and is feeling pretty grotty so i am showing lots of 'tender loving care' whilst hoping around in my 'excitement'...

so enough of the chit chat...i had planned to show you a couple of finished items i had been working on today, both featuring doilies. then Jennifer left a comment to tell me i was featured on decor8blog, so i mosied over to take a look...i was bowled over...do you see 'little old me' amongst all those 'lovely' wares. clever creative people, just doing there thing with doilies! it suddenly dawned on me that i do seem to incorporate doilies in most of my work, i knew i liked them but now i think about it, they appear on my slips, my cushions, my bags and my tea towels...and now they are on my dressing table stool.

this tulip stool is very special to me, i remember as a kid sitting on this stool in my mum's bedroom every sunday evening with a hairdryer 'hat' over my hair (you young things out there will be clueless about this one) and waiting for the hot air inside of the hat (similar looking to a shower cap but inflated with air!) to dry my hair into a deranged 'cow licked' mess...when done my mother would attempt to 'fashion' it into something more acceptable to be seen at school for fear i would become the 'playground' victim...

so i have covered my 'tulip stool of memories' in a patchwork of odds and ends along with "a doily" (surprise, surprise). it was easy peasy and you could do the same to any stool, (if it isn't cushioned then add a few layers of batting or foam)...then get busy with some scraps, a doily (of course) and a staple gun (the fun bit)...i have big plans to paint my granny's dressing table and layer under the glass some vintage wallpaper but all in good time...

next up is the knitted cushion cover that i started way back when and then came to a complete stop. my friend Suzanne shamed me into picking it up and finishing it ("think of the cost of that yarn") and so i tried again with it but didn't get very far...so i cheated, i cast off, cut up a tea towel and machine sewed it on to the cast off edge...i then sewed on a couple of doilies (surprise, surprise) and then finished it up by sewing the seams on Miss Ethel...

as usual my 'tension' was completely out and so the cushion has grown from being 18 x18" to a 20 x 20" but all in all it worked out just fine...i have a reversible knitted cushion but have no clue where it will go as it is too big for a seat cushion...small technicality that i am quite sure i will over come at some point..

so this has turned out to be a huge big rambly post (more so than usual) but i just had to share my 'little bit of happiness' with you...

she's thanking you for listening (unless of course you fell asleep like this little one)~ Tif

and the winner is...

"take it away Miss Ruby"

"what's that Miss Ruby, you can't see the 'entries' properly...they are all blurry and keep moving around"

"i missed that, you'll have to speak up"

"you are feeling a little queasy and the room is spinning?"

"have you been DRINKING, Miss Ruby ?" (gasp, shock, horror)

"i see, yes, yes...it was quite a lot of responsibility for a wee bunny to take"

"oh Miss Ruby do not start to cry, i will do 'the drawing' for you as our #4 is at school, but let this be a lesson to you...drinking and 'prize giving' responsibilities do not mix"

"right here goes"

"and the winner is"...

HURRAH for 'barefoot no knickers' aka Debi...here is Debi's alter ego...

name is debi, 50, plump, pink hair, scruffy patchwork dresses, 2 cheeky little grandbrats, living barefoot on an english canal in my rosie and jim narrowboat, sewing all day and watching water rats swimming past tormenting our cats, masses of fabric and vintage trim all over the place, hanging my washing on the towpath bushes to dry in the breeze, goodlooking hubby, barefoot of course, with a bare chest and a 6 pack, (well more of a 4.5 these days) cooking wild mushrooms for my tea that he's just picked himself over the fields and humming along to the archers on the wireless..and guess what...its true !!..well.. will be by new year as we've just sold the house, yipeeee..jacked in our hated jobs more yipeees...and put down a deposit on our dream narrowboat !!! AT LAST...aint life grand when you're 50 years old and just starting over...hurrah for old age and an understanding old fella who shares my life dream (thanks Chris)...RESOLUTIONS; intend to start a blogg in the new year and post lovely photos of our new life for all you lovely people to share with us old wrinklies...and finish all my sewing projects lying around in messy heaps ofcourse... wish us luck x x x

can't wait to read 'barefoot no knickers' tales from the riverbanks...thanks to all who joined in, i know i am not alone in saying how fun it was to read everyones alter egos...

she's off to scub sinks and get Miss Ruby a cup of strong coffee ~ Tif

footnote: Debi, just send me your details in an email tif@dottieangel.com and i shall put the tea towel in the mail so it can spend a happy life with you and your narrowboat :)

distracted again...

ever since my christmas copy of Living Etc turned up in my mail box last week i have been a little distracted with thoughts of Mossy Shed and painting her...my favorite months for receiving Living Etc are December and May. May is always the White Issue and contains an amazing selection of beautiful homes all done out in various degrees of 'whiteness'...and of course the December issue has lovely christmasy things in it...

so my latest copy features a home full of wonderful vintage nicknack's all mixed up in a modern way...but it is their front door that i am 'eyeing' up and the lovely farrow & ball 'off black' siding.

amazingly on the same day as my mag turning up, so did a lovely parcel from Janet containing (you are never going to believe this one) a farrow & ball paint chart amongst other goodies....what are the chances of that, i am taking this as a good sign...

in the meantime

i am now keeping fingers and toes crossed even in my sleep that we sell our home soon...

opening up my little shop has done wonders for distracting me from the 'moving' or 'lack of' that we are doing at the moment. but in turn i have become some what of a hermit and do not leave my little studio unless i am required to eat, feed someone, vacuum, clean sinks, or watch re-runs of 'That 70's Show' late at night. even 'little house on the prairie' has been neglected...

this week Miss Ethel, along with a little help from the lovely Miss Margery and i, attempted cushion pad #2...much happier this time, although Miss Ethel did have a moment of madness when trying to sew a circle and so it has a slightly squiffy bit on one side...we have also together made a few cushions for the shop...i dabbled with lamps and also tried out a squirrel, whom i am rather fond of...

it really has been a treat to get to know all those alter egos out there...Miss Ruby is taking her responsibilities very seriously and says her little jam jar lid is not sufficient enough and i need to come up with something better...i didn't like to mention to her that i wasn't sure her skinny legs could take anything bigger...

keep looking for those 'thinking caps' especially here ~ Tif

'giving thanks' with a little 'give away'...

you are all too kind about my 'kitschy' lamp cushion...our #4 cannot for the life of him see it as a lamp, he said

"oooh, i see you have started making some monster cushions"

"no" says i "it is a lamp just like the tea towels"

"no, it's a monster with a square head, skinny neck and look he has one eye, two feet and a tail"

can't really argue with that...

so we have reached the week of thanksgiving and what better time for me to say a few long overdue "thank yous"...so here goes (you might need to make yourselves a little more comfy, this could take a while)

thank you for the 'smile' award from here,

for the 'nice manners' award from here (which is ironic as i have taken so long to say thank you),

plus all the lovely comments from you dear readers, that you send my way,

the parcels that turn up unexpectedly in the mail...

the support of my new ideas

and on going 'trials' of trying to move...

you are patient, forgiving and very kind.

when i decided to 'swim' a few weeks back, i did not let on that i am in fact a rubbishy kind of swimmer, the type that flays around the minute they realize they can't touch the 'bottom' and do some kind of strange combination of the 'breaststroke' and 'doggie paddle' all with head stuck right out of the water...so you have truly been my 'water wings' over the past weeks and i really must 'thank you' all...

and as a little reward for 'good behavior', i have a 'give away'...my birdie house tea towel is looking for a home. this little number was the first 'off the press' and if you fancy a chance of winning it then here's what you need to do...

1. locate your 'thinking cap' from somewhere in your home, if you have lost it, i would consider borrowing someone elses, just for a while...

2. make a cup of tea (or maybe something stronger to get the creative thought process warmed up)

3. now here's the deal...you need to think about 'who' your alter ego is...you all know mine by now, and i know Janet has one too...so i am quite sure you all have one hidden away.

4. leave your 'alter ego' in the comments, or email me and your name will be given to Ruby to take care of, who is very responsible...(Ruby comes from a lovely etsy seller called clang clang...she now owns a crocheted pinafore as she was complaining about feeling chilly in my echoey studio...)

5. Ruby with the help of our #4 will draw a name out of the bag on Monday 26th Nov, giving you lots of time with your 'thinking caps'...

so there it is...a little 'give away' to make up for my lack of "thanking you kindly" in the past few days, weeks and quite possibly, months...

she's looking forward to reading all the 'alter egos' out there ~ Tif

phew...

once again the weekend is nearly upon us, i would like a 'fuzzy naval' (my latest tipple) but it is only two in the afternoon...so i shall make do with another of my weaknesses

the last of the tea towels are listed in the shop...

cushions are in the pipe line...

a competition is planned for monday's post...

my sofa is the new owner of a kitschy lamp...

and all is well...
she's wishing you a lovely weekend ~ Tif

a bit of this and a bit of that...

i decided to do a bit of thrift shopping today...but sadly the pickings were slim, i think it is because i was sitting in a traffic jam and while i was waiting everyone else was in the thrift store buying all the good stuff...i did manage a few pillowcases and a bed sheet. i was hoping to find pairs of pillowcases as i have an idea hatching in my head, there were plenty of pairs to be had, but they were all rather dodgy looking...and the only ones that were any good were single. so i think i will just go ahead and pair what i have and make them match with colors and prints...does any of that actually make sense.

i did find some rather nice side plates, but as usual they never have the number required...i am all for mixing and matching plates but these ones happen to be in a set of five. that is not helpful at my table...i nearly just bought four of them because i can mix plates in even numbers, just not odd numbers (don't ask me why, it is a quirk in my brain that does not allow me to mix odd numbers of plates at the table...something to do with being an 'even' numbered family i think)...anyhow as the plates were only 49c (ooooh, i nearly put 'p'...spooky! it's like every now and then i sign my maiden name! how can that be after 17 years of wedded bliss, ummm) i decided to buy the five so i had the opportunity to have a 'casualty' and still have four left in the future. we do not in our house own a single set of plates or bowls without a chip or crack...even our glassware is looking a bit sad. but i think i like it that way, makes for an eclectic looking table...just as long as it is 'evens'..

i dabbled in some quilting again yesterday...i did this instead of watching 'little house on the prairie'. you know it's a real wake up call when you sit down to watch 'the prairie' and realize you have already seen the episode that is a repeat in the first place...that is someone up there telling you to get on with things and stop sitting around.

so i took the hint and decided to have a go at making a cushion for one of my studio stools. i am not overly joyed with the results, in fact i decided that it wasn't right with the cushion pad in it and so cut a few layers of old blanket up and stuffed it in the cushion cover, it has ended up more as a cushion 'pad' rather than cushion...i think the quilting made it too stiff and so it just didn't sit right...i then over stitched the edge which did nothing to help other than make the thing definitely too small for the cushion pad...

like most things i make, i always have to go away and come back and look at it later, i am sure we are all our own worst critic...when i took a look later it seemed ''not so bad" and after all i decided, my bottom will be covering it up most of the time! so not too worry...

she is off to dry up her thrift store plates with her tea towel ~ Tif

oh my, Miss Ethel, don't you look a treat...

well i have managed it, after a ridiculous amount of time (somewhere in the region of four months) i have opened the shop up again...do not get too excited if you were hoping to see slips, this is just not going to happen until Spring i am afraid (or if we give up trying to move). but i will have a few tea towels from time to time, along with cushions and pillowcases...

i had actually failed to realize just how far into November we have come and so it has been bought to my notice (by kids not leaving the house Monday morning) that for the next few weeks they are on 'half days' or 'no days' of school. so that mixed in with trying (so help me, i am trying with all my might) to sell the house, things are going to get pretty 'interesting' around here...

but let us not dwell on such things after all i have managed to list items on Etsy without a hiccup, which i am rather chuffed about...and another thing i am chuffed about is 'Miss Ethel' and her 'make over'...as my man said when he saw her "well, i guess she's staying and you are pretty confident that she isn't going to croak it anytime soon"...it would be true that i have tempted fate with her, but she seems such a steady little work horse that i am quite sure we have years ahead of us, sewing and laughing together without a single 'tension' moment between us...

my reasons for slapping a load of magazine tear outs on her white plastic cover are as follows...

1. the fabric one i made for Miss S. Machine did not fit Miss Ethel's more ample proportions, plus it was falling apart

2. when and if Miss Ethel resides at Mossy Shed, she will be living downstairs in the family room, which technically will not have family in, but all my lovely bits from my studio (when i notified my man of this, he wasn't quite so on board with the whole idea...just give it time) therefore she requires to look attractive at all times for 'visitors' calling in...

3. i am always tearing out pictures that i like, my studio closet doors used to be covered in them (sniff, pang of heart strings), but i have found in the past if you squirrel them away, you can never find them again...so better to surround yourself with them

this got me thinking (dangerous ground again). i am sure there is a market for sewing machine companies to make covers for machines with prints on...i know in the UK you can get appliances with lovely graphics over them...i am thinking designer guild, orla kiely, cath kidston...why hasn't this happened already. (maybe it has, i just haven't noticed)

so there it is, Miss Ethel is looking lovely sitting proud on my table...and yes Miss Margery (owner did give me permission) will be getting the same treatment once i have managed to unglue the lid of the glue bottle after my 'sloppy gluing' from the other day...

she's off to find a strong willing man ~ Tif

footnote: just because i manage to list on my shop without a hiccup, those pesky lines decide to appear again...and i thought they were behaving so well...just typical.

a bit of holiday cheer...

whilst i was out and about last week i couldn't help but notice that 'christmas' was in the shops...and so i thought i would share with you, dear readers, a couple of ideas for 'handmade' door decorations...i'm not so good at the 'glitter and tinsel' side of decorating and have found that i prefer the more scandinavian style of things when it comes to my home, plus i love to see 'handmade' decorations, which add a personal touch to whatever 'holiday' you celebrate...

both of these ideas are pretty simple and require a few items along with some yarn.

first up is 'the wreath'...i got this idea when out and about christmas shopping with my mum last year. one of the shops had as part of it's window display, balls of yarn to represent snowballs. "how clever" i said to myself and then on my return home the little cogs in my brain started to turn. i decided to opt for a silver/blue/cream theme as that is what my yarn stash had to offer. all you will require is some yarn in your color choice, a wire coat hanger and a pair of knitting needles. get to work making different sized balls of yarn (kids are very good at this bit) and just secure the yarn with a few stitches into the ball.

next, open up the wire hanger and make a rough circle shape. then start to thread the balls onto the wire...(not suitable for kids as it takes a bit of 'wellie' to get the wire through the balls, so hands could get hurt). once you have filled the circle, then close the hanger up, (you will probably need the help of some handy pliers) and fold the hanger top over to make a loop. cover wire loop with a bit of yarn, stick in your needles and hey presto, you have a 'crafty' yarn wreath that lasts through winter, especially if your colors aren't too christmasy.

okay next up, is my 'door hanger' that i have made for this year, i was inspired to make it when i found these lovely door bells in our local World Market...i then proceeded to take the same idea of 'balls of yarn' and mix it with scraps of lace, buttons, some 'die cut' felt snowflakes and a garland of felt hearts from Ikea that i cut up...

you are going to make strands of different lengths and layer them in front of the bells. it is simply a case of mixing and threading items on to yarn...i chose quite a traditional color this time, but i think it is possible to have a load of fun with this one...i'm thinking you could attach baubles, knitted mittens, little toys, popcorn, dried oranges, cookies...the list goes on, just use items from around the house and your sewing corner...

at the top, to disguise the knot of yarn, i just sewed a simple bit of old lace...you can see the bells hanging out just below and i can't wait nearer Christmas to hang it on the door, be it my one here or the one at Mossy Shed and hear the bells jingle when the door is opened...

hope my instructions are clear, i'm not sure the 'tutorial' bit is my forte,

the pictures are pretty clear so you can get the idea from them without all my 'waffling'...

the sun is shining today so she's off to get tea towel pictures done for tomorrow ~ Tif