March 8 - Sunday Sewing (with Spud)

Did you know the best spot to sit is always right where someone is trying to sew?  Spud never fails to investigate my sewing project and them plop her bum down right on top of it.  Of course I'd rather she sit on whatever I am trying to sew than trying to steal the pins out of my pincushion, which always makes me nervous.

Silly old cat.

Happy Sunday!  I hope your weekend was good to you.

Toodles...L x ♥

March 6 - Old Jeans Bag

Second success of the week - brilliant new bag out of an old pair of jeans!  Anyone who has read my blog for a while will know I l♥ve to make bags.  Some of them get used for ages, most end up in the back of the hall cupboard.  This one however won't end up there.  What started out with me making my first 'dresden quilt block' (more on that another day) ended up with me staying up WAY past my bedtime making another bag.

I L♥VE IT

Big J donated an old worn out pair of jeans, which I used the wrong side of the fabric as they were a few murky stained parts and the denim was quite unevenly faded on the right side.  Little J donated an old belt so I could use the metal rings for the handle.  I added a pocket on the outside and inside and much to Little J's relief a key keeper, since my keys always sink to the bottom of my bag out of sight.

Did I tell you I L♥VE this bag?

Oh and the big button was a treasure I found in my first ever auction purchase!  I went to my first auction last Sunday, oh my, what a fantastic time I had. More on that later too.

Happy Weekending!

Toodles...L x ♥

5 March - Poncho Surprise!

Hello and almost Happy Friday!

I'm was excited to show this little ta dah moment the first photo I took as it was chucking it down snow this morning.   I really wanted a nice white background and the snow was perfect. You can see the snow falling and I had to dash back inside before it was soaked. It still got pretty damn and it was only out there a few seconds.  The second series of photos are a bit higgly piggly because I threw it down outside before the dogs came rushing outside and messed up the nice white snow.  It was still snowing at that point, but slowing down and I only had my slippers on so I didn't want to tromp around in the snow to straighten it out and get my slippers wet.  I know, I'm nuts.

Anyway, this dark green yarn started out as yarn for a cardigan. I tried three different knitting patterns and two different crochet patterns and nothing worked!  I was on the last sleeve of another tea leaves cardigan before I admitted that the top of the sleeves were just too tight and I hated it.  I threw it across the room in a fit of frustration and cried.  Luckily, the Mister rescued it from Beets, the cat and his partner Charlie, the dog, before they got a hold of it and destroyed it. After strong cup of tea and some deep breaths I decided it would be perfect for a cozy poncho to wear while I work. I'm always cold and sit with a blanket wrapped around me, so a poncho seemed perfect.   I made the pattern up in my head as I went.  I know I started with a chain of 84, which I joined with a slip stitch and then double crochet (US terms) to the 42 second chain where I did two double crochets, chained three and two more double in the same stitch and then at chain 84 I did the same.  If that makes sense?  Then I just did whatever stitch or colour took my fancy and was in the closest yarn basket.

I LOVE IT!

This yarn just wasn't destined to be a cardigan, it wanted to be a poncho.  It took me less than a week and I will definitely make another.  Perhaps next time I'll write the pattern down as I go?

I hope all is well with you this week. I'll have another ta dah tomorrow, a sewing project. I've had two successes in one week, its been great and after so many failures it really has got my sewing/knitting/crochet mojo back in full swing!

Toodles...L x ♥

Feb 27 - Friday Smile

Yarny goodness that after many, many, many false starts and frustrating moments is finally working. No pattern to follow, just whatever takes my fancy. In under a week it's nearly done.  Can't wait to share!

Happy Friday, wishing you a lovely weekend.

Toddles...L x ♥

Feb 19 - Frosty

It's been brrrrrr freezing here the last few days.  So far Little J has only had one day of school this week and they've already cancelled school for tomorrow.  We've drawn the curtains and made the house as freeze proof as possible and bundled up in layers and wool blankets as the temperature tomorrow isn't supposed to get above 0°F and that's not taking into consideration the howling wind.  It's been snowing and blowing all day and they are calling for more inches this weekend.  So i'm off to enjoy the latest episode of American Pickers and snuggle under my current WIP, a lovely woolly ripple.

I do hope it's warmer where you are!

Toodles....L x ♥

Feb 18 - Franklin

It's no surprise that the Mister bought me another old sewing machine for Valentines Day, nothing makes me happier as I just love old machines. Nothing is more satisfying that finding a beautiful old machine tucked away in some corner of a antique store, cleaning and polishing and getting it sewing again. This one was well and truly squished in behind tables and chairs, hidden in a dark corner and we had to move quite a bit to get to it, but there is no hiding an old sewing machine from me. ☺  At first I couldn't get the cabinet door open, but then the owner informed me there was a little button in the door knob to push.  We purchased the machine without actually seeing it the daylight, which is a bit of a risk. I've done this before, my first Franklin and first treadle and it was a mistake. The backside of the machine was in very very poor condition and that poor machine I took apart, sold the useful pieces on eBay for other folks to use and sent the actual machine head for scrap.  It made me sad, but it was beyond repair, no amount of polishing and cleaning helped.  At least it's bits and pieces were used by other restoring old machines.  This machine, on the other hand, is beautiful. Stunning really and I would say, barely used.  The cabinet, as you can see from the photos, is quite ornate - may crap photos don't do it justice. It has the handy function of lifting up the machine when you lift the lid.  I'd say this machine is probably almost 100 years old - no dating on Franklin machines.  It sews like a dream, I just love it. I never thought I would like the vibrating shuttle machines with their funny bullet shuttles, but I have two treadles  now and my Singer 128 which are all vibrating shuttles and despite having what looks like small bobbins, they actually hold quite a lot of thread.  Anyway, I won't waffle on anymore, the photos say it all, this one is definitely one of my favorite machines.

Toodles...L x ♥

Feb 12 - More Little Furniture



Hello! 

Happy Thursday almost the end of the week. 

This was going to be a post about knitting my first sock, but last night 'turning the heel' turned into 'turning an almost sock back into a ball of sock wool' followed by tears, feet stomping and a little temper tantrum.  Not surprisingly, sock knitting is on hold.
 

 

So, onto something a little more positive.

The other day the Mister and I were both off work so we took a little trip over the mountain and over the above very very frozen lake (Lake Youghiogheny to be precise) to Pennsylvania seeking out a new and exciting flea market.  I have to tell you we left to sunny skies, reached the top of the first mountain and encountered a blizzard, drove down the mountain to blue skies and a frozen lake.  It was quite the adventure.
 

The flea market/antique store was brimming with treasures at very affordable prices.  The Mister and I declared it a little piece of flea market heaven.  We will definitely be going back, perhaps when there is less snow in the forecast.

I found this sweet, but absolutely filthy, little dresser. I bit like the one I found last year.  I'm not sure what I fell in love with first, the sweet little decals or the beautiful tiny glass drawer knobs.  At first I feared they might be new, but no, they are definitely not.  The screw that holds them in place is well and truly rusted in place. It's quite fragile and missing one dowel rod between the drawers, but the Mister is confident that can be repaired.  He feared I may want to paint it or sand it, but I love it just the way it is!

The Mister also found a treasure, it was already marked down to an incredibly low price and without haggling the owner took even more off the price.  Too good a deal for the Mister to pass up.

 

 Those who know me well will know exactly what it is.  ☺

A little early valentines present for me!

Photos to follow on this find....it's a beauty.

 

Hope you all have a lovely Friday!  I'll be back soon.

 

Toodles...L ♥