I refuse to cower in the face of winter any more. I'm resolutely stitching blossoms in the hope that spring will get the hint and turn up properly. Inspired by pictures like these...

This has not been a vintage week chez HappyPlace. It started with Miss Marmoset taking a tumble at school, firstly I had a call from her teacher telling me not to worry about the enormous shiner she'd managed to acquire, followed ten minutes later by a call from the first aider advising that she suspected a fractured cheekbone and could I pick her up and take her to A&E? You can imagine I moved pretty quickly. We were fortunate, she'd only (quite dramatic) bruising but no fracture. As it is she looks like the toughest four year-old in Kent. To follow this drama she promptly developed a fever on Saturday which was an ear infection by Monday. Barbary Boy, who hates missing out, responded to all the kerfuffle by pretty much exploding on Monday evening. As a result this week is running almost entirely on Calpol and Cbeebies and has involved a lot of stories, colouring and endless, endless laundry.

I think I might be ever so slightly over cushions now. I'm up to four in three weeks - which is a fair amount for me and doesn't include the couple of goes I'm too embarrassed to show. 

The first two were intended to use up some scraps and match the coin quilt I finished a year ago. The quilt is currently in residence as winter's sofa snuggle throw, I had enough fabric left to make a couple of cushions to go with it. They had been on my to-do list for a while but finally here they are. 

Normally I'm against soft-furnishings being too matchy-matchy; but frankly, when you live in rented accommodation, having a corner of at least one room look as if you really meant it and aren't just doing your best with what you were given because you're not allowed to make changes becomes much more appealing. 

Next up is this little snowdrop cushion made from a pattern in Suzuko Koseki's Playful Patchwork. This is a completely new approach to hand-piecing for me - it certainly made the usual English paper-piecing I do seem incredibly straightforward. It's not perfect by any means but I'm fairly happy with it now. I can't lie at times the most playful part of this patchwork involved trying to find it again after I'd hurled it across the room in frustration. However I did resolve to tackle some new skills this year and this is part of it. I wouldn't be too daunted to do some more projects from this book, there are some really gorgeous things in there. Still as it stands this little 12" cushion sums up January for me; shy little snowdrops peeping up against a bullet grey sky with a zing of marmalade orange (one batch made so far) and the occasional slice of icy blue sky to provide a bit of colour. Please note the hand-quilting, I've never quilted so densely before but I really enjoyed it - must get a thimble though, I've now got the calluses of a guitar player.

I'm glad there's a bit more light in the evenings now - and I'm glad January's nearly over in just about 4 weeks we can officially say Spring is nearly here!

By now I hope any sewing/fabric fans who're reading this have made it over to Ali's blog, Very Berry Handmade and entered her Resolved to Sew mega-giveaway. My sewing resolutions have taken an unexpected turn this year. Here they are...

Just dropping a little note to let you know that the lovely Ali over at Very Berry Handmade is having the most fantastic giveaway starting on the 16th. Just look at some of the gorgeousness up for grabs! Start thinking about your Sewing Resolutions now and let Ali know on Monday. Personally I have a few scrap-using-vaguely-eco notions I've been pondering recently, but that might be something I bore you with another day.

One of my many New Year resolutions is to start sewing a bit more for myself. I've made a few things over the last last couple of years - but not many of them get to stay in the house. Not only that, but when I'm sewing for other people, I tend to play it very safe. I make things that I know will work and don't really challenge myself. This year that has to change I need to wiggle out of my ever-so-ever-so cosy stitching comfort zone and start tackling some essential skillz. 

Is there anybody out there?! I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't. After a prolonged period of radio silence I'm back in the land of blogging. I think I needed to take a break and examine why I wanted to blog in the first place. I started this findahappyplace to keep a sporadic record of what I'm up to or making and to give family and friends who live far away a bit more of an idea of family life here. It spares them the painful Christmas round-robin letter at least. I've decided that trying to pressure myself into blogging once or twice a week just makes me dry up completely. So this year I can promise no regularity, no routine, no consistency but hopefully still some occasionally finished projects.

Squeeze most of its juice into the fabric conditioner section of your washing machine, add a white wash, put your machine on and presto! Brightened whites!

Put the lemon skins into a cereal bowl, just cover with water, pop into the microwave and blast for 5-10 minutes (depending on how grubby your microwave is), carefully remove bowl, wipe down inside of microwave with a damp cloth and ta-daa!! Clean fresh microwave.

Put a couple of tablespoons of bicarb down your kitchen sink plug hole, carefully pour down the hot lemon water from the microwaved bowl and wallah! Clean and clear sink pipe.

I'm a demanding taskmaster, as the menfolk, children and citrus fruits of this household will testify.

Thanks for reading,
Helenx

The weather today is very autumnal. Yesterday was glorious, warm, sunny, beautiful light etc etc, but today if feels as if the seasons are operated by light switch with summer being turned off at 9.30 last night and the autumn clicked on instead. Maybe it'll help get the children used to school starting again, even Barbary Boy might consider school a better option than being cooped up in the house all day.

It's been a good holiday, although I wish the house move might have happened before school broke up as there was a lot of house moving stuff going on when the weather was at its best. We also haven't had a holiday, which I don't mind too much, but there haven't been as many days out as I'd normally plan in the holidays either so I feel as if we all really need a change of scenery; oh well, next year definitely.

This is an odd time of year for me, I always feel a bit sad at this time of year, as although I might moan a bit, I love having the monkeys around all day. The don't-have-to-be-anywhere-we-don't-want-to-be-days, the later evenings, the pottering about; I love all that. Give it a few weeks when I've got used to the routine again and I'll remember just how much I love Autumn instead...just in time for half-term no doubt!

Hope everyone has had a wonderful summer, here are a few bits and pieces from ours.

Thanks for reading,
Helenx

When I was one,
I had just begun.
When I was two,
I was nearly new.
When I was three,
I was hardly me.
When I was four,
I was not much more.
When I was five,
I was just alive.
But now I am six,
I'm as clever as clever.
So I think I'll be six
now and forever.

Happy Birthday Barbary Boy! If I could keep you at six for always I would :-)

Thanks for reading,
Helenx