Friday 9 November 2012

Upping sticks

This week, I have mainly been.....

....Sewing..... I do enjoy a sewing machine project...I am dreadful at preparation and really always sew slightly faster than I am comfortable going.....but then there is nothing like a last minute idea that makes you sew faster.

Littlest's best friend celebrated her birthday with a tea party and we bought her a lovely story about a slug that wanted to be a  snail, complete with sparkly pictures (I can never resist a sparkly childrens' book)

Anyway, on the day of the party, I got it into my head that I was going to make a snail......a search on ravelry and a good dose of being realistic later, I decided that sewing one was the the way to go.  I saw some lovely ideas, but alas, all of them were way beyond my sewing prowess....so I went to a shop bought a big fleece blanket and made something slightly less ambitious.



I cut out some letters and shapes from fleece in my stash and after some careful pinning (this is impressive for me) I sewed away.

I was really pleased with the end piece, something useful and snugly which tied in well with the book and didn't cost a small fortune.


....... enjoying the good bits about the winter......I love bonfire night and although we didn't actually go to a display this year, the boys had fun with some sparklers....and I had some fun with my camera so it seems.




.........Knitting....ooooppppps, I may just have started ANOTHER blanket.....but in my defence it is a Christmas emergency....well, that's my excuse!


...............But actually.....I have been mainly....packing.....

At the end of last year, we knew this would probably be the year for moving, and I thought it may just wait until after Christmas......but I was informed last week that we have three weeks.....well, now we have two!

I am not dreading moving, we are moving to a lovely house....it's just we've been very happy here, and with a move comes a lot of changes......our animals are nearly all sold...and we can no longer call ourselves farmers....but hey, new adventures lie ahead.

In the meantime....I am packing.....there is no way of making it fun, and its only at times like these, you discover how many things you actually own..........I have a lot of yarn and fabric!

I wish I could pack my house on my back and off we go....as long as there was room for kids, hubby, yarn and ipad....well.....now I come to think of it, I'd want the sewing machine, my paints, my piano...............

11 comments:

  1. What a cute present and your far more adventerous with your sewing than me...yes I cross stitch but I have a love hate relationship with my machine I'd love it to do as I want it to do and it hates to do what I want it to do..disaster..love the sparkler pictures, here in Ireland bonfire night is not such a big thing. Best of luck with the packing and moving a chore I don't envy you and its only at times like this you actually see how much you have accumulated. When one door closes another opens and soon you will be on a new path and a new adventure wishing you all the very best on this adventure.

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  2. Faith, best of luck with the packing and the move, you will be so happy when you are all settled.
    hugs,
    Mertedith

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  3. Quite an upheaval, especially so close to Christmas, but it will be lovely to spend Christmas in your new home. Hope the packing's going OK, I don't envy you that job, bad enough before having kids, we've mountains of stuff now!

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  4. Look at all that sparkler fun! Brings me back to my childhood and weekends during Fourth of July at my cousins'.
    How come you're moving? Husband's job? No more farm? I'm sure a fun adventure awaits you and so many more, new discoveries. You did a terrific job on that blanket.

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  5. Good luck with the move! I cant wait to hear all about it! We moved into this house two days before christmas 3 years ago, it started snowing and was hectic but we did it!

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  6. That snail is adorable!! I know what you mean about sparkle and books... I think I might have been a magpie in a previous life!
    Hope all goes well with the packing and wishing you lots of love, laughter and luck in your new home.
    Remember, its the family that makes a house a home xxx

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  7. Brilliant sparkler photos, and I adore the snail :D

    The move sounds intriguing ... I'm horribly nosey, I'm busy wondering at the speed of it all and what you'll be doing next! Wherever life is taking you here's hoping it treats you well x

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  8. I love fleece applique - no raggedy edges to deal with and it's so marvellously forgiving. Your blanket is brilliant - what a perfect snail!

    Good luck with the move. Whenever we move (which hasn't been often) I become disgusted with myself for carting so much stuff through life ... but a crafter's got to have materials available for when the creative urge strikes, doesn't she?

    Amazing sparkler photos. :)

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  9. Your snail-adorned fleece blanket is such a lovely idea and you've done the appliqué SO neatly! Happy landings, Faith, wherever you come to rest! At least packing to move one discovers all sorts of things one thought were lost or elusive and some of them one is really glad to see again! E x

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  10. The blanket is gorgeous Faith...a very arty snail indeed...and I can just imagine the little one curled up under her snaily blanket reading her snaily book... awwww! You are so lucky to be moving...it is such a great chance to clear out, clean up, start afresh... and if it is to a house you love then all the better! I can't wait to see pics of the new place... good luck with it all...BIG hugs.. Jill x

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  11. Fab idea using a bought blanket and sewing your design onto it Faith. It looks lovely and snuggly and no doubt perfect for the weather you are having. I imagine the birthday girl loved it......
    Great sparkly sparkler photos, I bet your boys had so much fun with them.
    All the best with the packing and moving, I've been down that road 20+ times and I find it never gets any easier!! I often wonder why we have soooo much stuff. Look at people living in mud huts they no doubt could just about pack up all their belongings and move them on their back.........but then again I wouldn't necessarily want to live in a mud hut...too chilly in Winter!!
    I hope it all goes well, will it be another farm?

    Claire x

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