The Fair has come to Town

It's that time of year again, Hull fair has arrived for the week, well arrived for last week, it's actually all packed up now. I've written on here about the fair before and it's rather interesting history and royal charter here.

We didn't go, but Imogen went a couple of times with her friends and Adam and Holly took the children.

Apparently little Zack was quite taken with the rides and didn't want to get off when the ride finished! He's grinning away in this photo, sitting next to big sister Izzy.

I've been doing a bit of sewing. I thought I'd have a go at making a simple bag for Zack to keep his stacking cups in, one of his favourite things is to put them in, take them out, put them, then out again... you get the drift. I bought the spiderman fabric in a pack of fat quarters in Hobbycraft.

I thought a drawstring bag was the way to go, but I didn't want to just sew 2 pieces of fabric together as I'm trying to learn more about sewing. I decided to make a drawstring bag with a squared bottom

I lined it too. Much easier than I imagined it to be and that means there'll be a few people getting little lined drawstring bags for Christmas!

Holds all of Zackary's cups and he loves undoing it and pulling it tight again. I tied all the cords together to keep them nice and short and not dangerous to little ones. He is never left on his own, but you can't be too careful.

My wonderful husband has brought me a cup of tea upstairs, so I can stay in bed and do some blog reading.

Take care
xxx

Birthday Lap Quilt and Slimmer of the Month

I've noticed there are a few of us out here in blogland following the Slimming World plan to lose weight and adapt to a healthier lifestyle. I thought I'd share with you my latest success as I joined Slimming World at the end of April and have been following the food plan since then

I go to a lovely group with really supportive people and I have to say a rather wonderful consultant who always fills me with inspiration each week. This was my third slimmer of the month award, I'm getting a wardrobe full of certificates!

Thank you for all the kind wishes for my parents. Mum's home from hospital and trying to take it easy while also caring for my Dad, if you ask them, they say they're 'muddling through', it's not easy, but they're coping.

On a lighter note, it's Dad's birthday today so I thought I'd show you the lap quilt I've made for him.

It's brushed cotton so lovely and soft. I bought the fabric in a pack from Hobbycraft and thought it would make a lovely lap quilt for my dad when it gets cooler. I sandwiched a layer of light wadding in it so it's not too heavy. It was posted at the beginning of the week so arrived in plenty of time for Dad's birthday today and he says he loves it. We also sent him the full box set of The Detectorists, a lovely gentle humoured series set in the English countryside that I know he'll enjoy.

Take care
xxx

What's on my Needles?

What amazing weather we're having, the sun in shining and the garden is in full bloom, I think June is the best month in our garden.

I love all the colour, I think it's impossible not to be out there and smile with gratitude for how beautiful it all looks.

Thought I'd show you today what's on my needles... sometimes it shouldn't be... look at this cheeky little boy, he often comes and perches on the needles or my fingers, bringing any knitting to an abrupt halt.

I'm currently knitting a cardigan for Zackary. It's age 18 months to 2 years, so will be ideal for the autumn as he is growing at such a rate! I'm using Knit craft 'cotton blend plain' from Hobbycraft, it feels lovely to work with, 50% cotton and 50% acrylic. I'm using Denim and Light Blue and there was quite a few different shades to choose from.

I also have some crochet on the hook too. I don't know if you can tell yet from the shape, but it's going to be a budgie!

I've posted this next picture on Instagram, I absolutely love it. Adam and Holly were going to a wedding and popped in on their way to show us little Zack in his suit. Isn't he a little stunner the little darling  with his little dickie bow and quiffed hair, I love this little man so, so much.

As I've been posting dog and budgie photos, I thought I should show off Mitzi too, but she was too shy to turn round for the camera.

Take care
xxx

Little Piggy Squeak

Thank you for your lovely comments about little Ted and his bunnikins friend, they were so nice to reading I hope those who wanted to find needle felting tutorials were able to, it's a very rewarding hobby watching pieces of wool transform in front of you!


I picked up this polystyrene Father Christmas hat in Hobbycraft the other day. It's a very easy thing to start felting with as you don't have to do any shaping, just felt the wool over the top of it.

I've gone for the traditional red with white trim. It didn't take long to felt, but will look lovely on the tree at Christmas.

Now that Holly has returned to work, we're looking after Zack for 3 days a week to help out, it saves Adam and Holly the cost of a nursery, means Zack is being cared for by people who love and adore him and also means we get to spend lots of quality time with our beautiful grandson, so win, win all round! Holly was picking Zackary up the other day and casually mentioned that she'd been shopping with Izzy (her gorgeous daughter) looking for pink clothes as Izzy wanted to dress up as a pig for a farm dress up day at school. They couldn't find a costume and poor Holly was feeling bit stressed about it... I suggested I make Izzy a curly tail, snout and ears.

I twisted 3 pipe cleaners around each other then crocheted around them to make the pink, curly tail.

For the snout, I cut the bottom off a paper cup then proceeded to burn off my fingerprints as I used the hot glue gun to glue a piece of pink felt around it,

with a couple of little brown circles as nostrils.

I sewed the tail to Izzy's pink leggings, she was so happy with it.

Some ears cut from card with some pink felt in the middle of them and attached to an old hairband. I threaded some elastic through the snout and we were sorted. I've told Holly next time Izzy drops a dress up day at short notice on her, to let us know... I rather enjoyed making the bits and pieces.

Doesn't Izzy make a very cute little piggy! Holly sent me a couple of photos before Izzy went to school in the morning.

Just before I pop off (Zack is asleep and I'm trying to write this before he wakes again), I thought I'd share a picture of Honey. I took it last night, this is Honey watching TV, Paul O Grady for the love of dogs was on and she barely took her eyes off the screen!

Take care
xxx

Settling in for Autumn

Summer feels a long while ago (I think it may have been a couple of weeks in June) and it's definitely feeling a bit more chilly. I for one am welcoming it with open arms, as much as I couldn't wait for Spring earlier in the year, I now feel ready to fully embrace the autumn and all that comes with it.

The school term has started and we have all slipped easily into the routine that has been part of my life for the last 25 years (that's what happens when you have a large age gap between your children). I started off with the changes on the mantelpiece.

I've put our Halloween globes out, I like to display them from September otherwise it feels like they're only around for such a short time. The dancing skeletons are musical and I do think they're rather beautiful.

The 3 little houses each have a tea light in and give a lovely glow in the evenings as the nights draw in.

Settling down in the evening to watch a bit of TV (I do like the dramas that BBC and ITV show, the second series of Doctor Foster is one of my favourites right now), it's good to have something in my hands to keep me busy. I've started crocheting a jumper for Imogen, just a bit of rib so far.

I love the colour, its a marble chunky from James C. Brett. I picked it upon Hobbycraft as it was a special offer (all the different shades were on offer). Just the right sort of colour to be using in Autumn!

While I settle in to my crochet, Mitzi was busy settling into my craft storage, it looks like she was making a nest to keep warm through Autumn too.

Take care
xxx

Scrabble Tiles

Imogen went back to school today after the summer holidays. It's her last official school year (she hasn't decided yet if she'll stay on for 6th form or go to college). I like to take a photo of her in her uniform before she leaves on the first day of term. Here's the photo from her first day at 'big school'. She hasn't grown much taller, perhaps an inch or two, but is definitely much more grown up.

Here's my baby now, as always it's passing far too quickly.

I've made quite a few things for our new grandson, most of them crochet or knitted before he was born (little Zackary has been here for 4 weeks now). I thought it would be nice to make something that would include everyone, something with everybody's name on it to tie them all together.

I have some shadow picture frames that I'd picked up a while ago when Hobbycraft reduced them, just the right thing to make a scrabble tile crossword in. I chose white as it goes with most things.

I think the hardest part was looking through the papers I already have to choose one as a background. I love this design, I must have been influenced by the approach of Autumn.

Lots of wooden scrabble tiles, I knew I was going to need 3 Z's and luckily this bag had a good selection.

Then to simply arrange the tiles so they all interlink like a crossword, I also added a few novelty buttons to make it a bit more interesting.

It turned out really well, Adam and Holly were very pleased and I'm thrilled to say they have hung it in their hallway.

Only one of our 2 Hydrangea bushes flowered this year, though the one that did was covered in big, beautiful, pink blooms all summer. I snipped this pretty one so I could admire it from indoors too. Most of the ones outside now have a sepia tinge to them as though they have been soaked in tea, quite stunning.

Take care
xxx