6 Things That Make Me Happy...

Lucie at So Millie tagged me ...

6 Things That Make me Happy ...

1. Listening to my family talk and laugh together - especially when we are all relaxed on holiday.
2. Crafting - as you can tell I am a little hooked to crafts .... give me yarn and a hook and I am happy!
3. Reading good books and crafting magazines!
4. Having a hot drink (coffee, tea, hot chocolate etc) after a cold school run !
5. My two fluffy ginger cats and my old spaniel - Sherry, Tequila and Brandy (and having my son tell my doctor that he loves Sherry LOL - I hastily told the Dr it was the cat !!!)
6. A tidy house - which to be honest is quite rare as I have crafting stuff everywhere I SWEAR it multiplies overnight !)

Now I am going to bend the rules a little and anyone who reads my blog and has a blog consider yourself tagged !!!

All you have to do is write the 6 things that make you happy on your blog, leave a comment on my blog so I can read them !! and Tag 6 more people !

Consider yourself TAGGED.

Off to tidy up the lounge so I can craft after swimming lessons!

Chat later !

XXXX

Wednesday's Work...

I have been busy this morning. I decided I had to do some of my quilting homework. I am a little behind ! This is the Somerset Star ... I think I only need to do one more round but I was short of the triangles ! So later tonight I will iron some more.

I am working on another granny square blanket as this is a portable project - I take it to swimming lessons etc ... this morning I made the lilac, white and brown squares.

I have been working on the HUGE striped crochet blanket since before Christmas (not continually ! ) It is growing slowly - did about three rows of this as well. I found Luke's red, white and blue blanket I started before Christmas - completed one round of this too...

And then I felt like making a top for me - I LOVE wrap tops and couldn't find a crocheted one so found a knitted one on the knitty website. So I am converting it as I go along - we will see if it works out !

Have made dinner, still have to do children's homework and bathtime ...

Chat soon XXXX

Tuesday's UFO complete !

Anna-Kate's crocheted blanket is finished !
All the ends are woven in and it is on the stairs on the way upstairs to her bed.

Then I fancied doing a log cabin quilt top. It is slightly rectangular. Made from pillow cases. On hold for now though as I have no more navy blue - and so will go to the shops on Friday and get some more.

My cat Tequila decided to make a quick inspection.

I think she approved !

Chat tomorrow.

XXXX

Scrap Granny Square Blanket.

Almost done ! Just have to add a border... I had hoped to finish it today but tomorrow is another day !

Hope that you have had a wonderful weekend.

We have had a quiet one - managed to get hold of Greg for a chat today, the lines have been really bad to Libya recently

Chat soon.

XXXX

Saturday ...

Saturday always begins with Anna-Kate's swimming lesson.

This is the river we walk along it is raging at the moment. It is not usually this wide or flowing so quickly ! This is our house when we win a LOT of money - it has a cute look out point, you can launch your boat under it and sit and have afternoon tea on the balcony

There is a tennis court and a pond in the garden and the house is HUGE .... we love it so I took a photo of it.

Here is Anna-Kate and Luke on the way to the swimming pool.

After swimming we visited my parents for lunch. We were home by two so I started joining up Anna-Kate's blanket - this is what I have done so far ... still have a few more squares to join up into rows.

Anna-Kate and Luke played the wii all afternoon with no fighting (yeah !)

Now we are going to have some popcorn and watch Demons - not my favourite programme but the littlies like it so we have made it a family night ! Which is my favourite thing !

Off to do some more crocheting !

Chat soon.

Vanessa

Oven Gloves.

I received these oven gloves from my MIL over 10 years ago. They have holes in and I always burn myself when I use them. But I just can not bring myself to throw them away - or use the new ones hubby bought for me when he saw me burn myself for the 100th time over Christmas !

Have you got anything that you can not bear to part with - but really should ?

Amazing Post Day ...

I am taking part in a swap on Craftster - I received not one but TWO lovely parcels from my friend Caroline ..

.

I initially thought Caroline had 'just' sent me the first picture - which I was sooooooo happy with. I love cats and having the two cats sitting on the patio just makes me think about summer ! And long summer evenings.

The second parcel I thought was from somewhere else so imagine my surprise when I found the mermaid in it - a lovely work of art - all embroidery and sequins - it is STUNNING and will look lovely in my bedroom which will one day be in shades of blue !

And that was not all ! I was also sent the perfect little box (which I collect!) full of beads and buttons (which I also collect ! ) I am beyond happy - and am slightly nervous about my parcel I am sending her ! I hope you like it Caroline ! I had to seal the envelopes as I kept on adding to them !

So now I am all photo'ed out I am going back to crocheting .... good night all !

Chat soon.

XXXX

Luke's Birthday Party.

Luke's party went off without a hitch. We all went to a soft play area - as Greg is still in Africa, so I wanted to go the easy route. Unfortunately a couple of children didn't RSVP or appear which was a little disappointing - but Luke did not notice and was not upset about it at all !
This was the only time I saw him ! He was off playing the rest of the time.

He slept so well last night - he did not even notice me sneaking a photo he was fast asleep ! With teddy (I am so glad he is not too old for teddy !)

Anna-Kate's blanket is growing - I am adding more squares every night. Just using up balls of wool left over / tangled - hence the strange colour combination !

I hope that you all have had a great weekend - we even managed to get some homework in today !

Chat tomorrow

XXXX

After Birthday Cake.

Big birthday smile for mum ...waiting for the big birthday song !

The song is ending I am getting ready to blow out the candles ....

Yes it is definitely ending ... I am getting ready to blow out the candles ... and yes there are only five candles... mummy forgot to buy candles... and this is all I could find (Bad Mummy Points!!)

Birthday boy almost managed to blow them out in one go !

Back to crafting tomorrow !

Vanessa

My Log Cabin Christmas Quilt and Birthday Boy.

Happy Birthday my little man. I hope your 7th year brings you health and happiness ! Sorry you had to go to school on your special day.

It is never too early to plan for Christmas. Here is my 2009 Christmas Log Cabin Quilt - well the first four blocks anyway. This is going to go together really well and will very Christmasy when completed

Chat tomorrow - after lots of cake and ice-cream.

XXXX

Just Crocheting.

My work in progress - loads on the go ! These are just a few of the crochet blankets I am working on - have another three not even pictured!

I am itching to cut strips of fabric for a log cabin quilt but I must finish some crocheting first I think before I drown in an ocean of blankets !

Have just blown up 10 balloons - just hope they stay up until tomorrow nit sure the knots are tight enough. Have put up the birthday banners and wrapped the presents. So I am ready for my little boy's 7th birthday - how did that happen? It really does seem like yesterday when I had him in Bath ...


Happy Birthday my little man - grow up to be happy and wise...

Not happy with my stitching...

Not having a great day today, I am not happy with my hand stitching - my fault I guess for choosing 2 very different colours! Any helpful hints for hand stitching?

Still working on Anna-Kate's blanket - got a long way to go still !

But good news I have almost finished the Hello Kitty blanket - just have to add details now.

(and on another note Anna-Kate and Luke both ate chicken today yeah !!!)

Chat Soon XXXX

Quilt Wallhanging.

Yesterday I cut up all my scraps and today I made this. This will become a wallhanging to hang above my stairs - when it is done. Have to buy the wadding first so it is on pause until the end of January.

It did not turn out the way I wanted it to... but it is OK.

This weekend has gone so quickly. Saturday was taken up by swimming lessons and house work. Followed by cutting out squares and crocheting.

Sunday came and we went shopping - treated the littlies to Christmas crackers and other Christmas goodies for sale at ridiculous prices so they kept my two quiet today while I sewed. Anna-Kate is enjoying Animal Crossing at the moment. (Vanessa whispers I actually enjoy it too !)

Off to crochet - hope to finish the Hello Kitty blanket tonight.

Chat soon.

Vanessa XXXX

Origami Quilt ...

It was back to school for me today. My quilting classes have begun again. Today we did the origami fold block - I was scared ! But it was fun really ! So here is one of the four I have started.

Still have to add the coloured square in the centre, like the cathedral window block... so this is fun ! Will do more - for a wall hanging? Or a cushion - we will see.

Today is cold (bbbbrrrrrrrrr) I took my camera on the school run - there was still frost on all the trees, can you tell I love bare trees?

We walked back and took photos - do you like the poses? They posed all the way from school until we got home !

Lasagna for supper tonight - yummy....

Chat tomorrow as I need to crochet !

XXXX

Blog Giveaway

A blogging friend of mine is having a grand re-opening giveaway. All you have to do is leave a comment for her .... www.reclaimingthehome.typepad.com/home/

I wish her all the best with her re-opening !

Off to bed now,

Chat tomorrow.

XXXX

Dresdan Plate.

I did some more homework today - my Dresdan plate or is it Dresden (?) I googled it and got both as results !

I hemmed the inner circle by accident and so now my circle is too small. It will just be easier to make a new circle !

Now I am crocheting more blocks !

Chat soon (off to make a cup of coffee or tea or maybe light hot choc as it is trying to snow outside !)

XXXX

Mariners Compass

OK - I have to finish this block by Friday. I have had all of the holidays to do it - but because I was scared I have been putting it off.

So today I decided I had to do it - no more procrastinating!

I cut out the paper patterns.

I chose the fabrics I wanted to use... here they are.

The first segment of 8 is complete - OK so here are some rules...

1. Don't get cocky - you don't know everything - as soon as you think you know how to do it that is when you sew our fabric on back to front !

2. Don't rush ! If you need to do something else go and do it ! The segment can wait !

3. My seam ripper is my best friend !

4. Check before you sew !!! (Or cut!)

Handy Hint - fold along the printed line to get an idea of where the seam will be ... that helped me !

The paper side - completed! Phew...

And the fabric side. Just need to get a template for the circle in the middle and learn how to place it on a block - will probably learn this on Friday. All very exciting.

No post is complete with out a photo of my two. Yes we scooted to school - Anna-Kate took a tumble and we had to run back home to change her tights. Have to carry the scooters back to school for them to ride home (they are folding scooters and I carry them in an Ikea bag!)

Off to make a cup of coffee now and return to crocheting.

Will chat soon.

Vanessa

XXXX

Crafty Day Again !

I have been crocheting squares today - my take on granny squares. Can't actually show them as they are for a swap I am in !

Anna-Kate made a money box (it is a dog!) I think she is a little hopeful though as she does not receive that much pocket money !

Oh well - chief children bather has left for Africa so I can not chat tonight - have to round up the littlies and get them bathed !

Have a good evening.

Vanessa XXXX

Quilt in Progress.

My Christmas flower has opened. Very red and very tall. I love it !


While I was busy my two littlies were also very busy. Luke made the triangular cushion and Anna-Kate made the square cushion - one for each cat. Tikkie (Tequila) and Shezzy (Sherry).


The new cat house !

My first machine quilt ! Not sure the technical term but sewn with my machine anyway not by hand ! I have sewn all the blocks, but have to sew them together. My maths was a bit off so I have to trim the vertical blocks.

Off to my Hello Kitty crocheting now though.

Chat soon.

XXXX