findahappyplace's posterous http://findahappyplace.posterous.com Most recent posts at findahappyplace's posterous posterous.com Sun, 20 May 2012 10:01:00 -0700 Wake up and smell the Vicks vapour rub... http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/wake-up-and-smell-the-vicks-vapour-rub http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/wake-up-and-smell-the-vicks-vapour-rub

It's almost a month since I last blogged - where did May go? Actually much of May appears to have been spent clearing up after poorly small people at about 3am. Barbary Boy has had a shocking run of ill-health starting with a chest infection, running seamlessly into a tummy bug and is rounding off his 'bad things come in threes' with a four day run of fever stubbornly refusing to stay under 40C. We are all tired, wan and a bit grumpy; and if I hear the Thomas theme tune one more time I may have to stab myself in the eye with a fondue skewer. 

However in between the germ warfare good things have been happening. Miss Marmoset is still defiantly healthy and her reading is developing at an astonishing pace. My days of 'net surfing with her watching over my shoulder are now over. The garden is slowly starting to bloom and there has even been a bit of stitching here and there. Miss M's hourglass quilt is pieced and just needs some borders adding. As soon as the sun comes out again I'll get some snaps.
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In the meantime here's a little Jubilee bunting flag I've stitched up while watching 'The Best of Thomas' with Barbary Boy over the last few days. The children's school has asked for everyone to make a bunting flag for their Jubilee celebrations and this is my contribution. I'm quite pleased with it really as I don't usually attempt embroidery, and I can't lie I'm terribly proud of that little Corgi's face!
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I thought I'd share Miss M's latest portrait of me. The hair's about right, and I'm glad she's got me smiling but really I'm not that - well - stacked.
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Thanks for reading,
Helen
x

 

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/4SOaShQmSIFj Helen Purchas findahappyplace Helen Purchas Fri, 27 Apr 2012 11:26:00 -0700 Armadillo sits on pillow... http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/armadillo-sits-on-pillow http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/armadillo-sits-on-pillow

Under a willow 

munching a marshmallow...

I won't labour the point for anyone (like me) who finds a little of Dr Seuss can go an awfully long way, it's literary wasabi as far as I'm concerned. Barbary Boy however is a huge fan and is delighted with his new oversized squishy cushion to curl up on his bed and read his favourite books. Currently not Seuss but Roald Dahl, because you can guarantee that as soon as I've invested in fabric to reflect a favourite that favourite will instantly change. Still he looks pleased with it, which is probably about as much constructive criticism I can reasonably expect from a six year-old boy.
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The cushion was basically a 'make it up as I go' job. I thought the improvised nature with lots of bold brights would suit the subject matter. I was originally planning to make the back very simple with an envelope closing but made the fatal mistake of asking the lovely Kiwi for his opinion. He thought I should make a randomly patched back to match the style of the front and insert a  zip instead. Zips and I don't get on terribly well, but after much swearing (the monkeys were at school I promise), I finally got one in. It's not the neatest closing ever, but it was a good lesson in using the hitherto untouched zipper foot. Also a salutary reminder to never, ever ask the lovely Kiwi's opinion on stitching projects again - he always has notions far above my patience and expertise levels!
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These little hourglass blocks are far more in keeping with my usual style. They're also highly addictive to make. Miss Marmoset after all, really doesn't need another quilt, but these pinky/purpley blocks appear to be almost making themselves! If you fancy having a go yourself I'm using this wonderful tutorial over at Red Pepper Quilts and trying to kid myself that if I follow all the instructions exactly my quilt will be as beautiful as one of Rita's. I very much doubt it!
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It's Friday it's Friday! Have a wonderful weekend and lets hope the dreadful drought (pfft!) holds off just a little so we can get outside a bit this weekend.

Thanks for reading,
Helen
x

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/4SOaShQmSIFj Helen Purchas findahappyplace Helen Purchas Wed, 04 Apr 2012 14:23:00 -0700 Every day baking http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/every-day-baking-38091 http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/every-day-baking-38091

I'm no Domestic Goddess, (whatever that over-used, faintly snide term means), but I do love baking. I put this down to way back when in the mists of time I used to have a proper, real job. One that paid a, (fairly meagre but still), salary and meant I got to wear lipstick every day and go to the loo on my own. Part of that job was editing the occasional book; cookery and children's books. The cookery books, I was handed purely on the basis (I'm sure) that one day I turned up with a home-made birthday cake for a colleague. Baking has always been something I love to do, and I bake, I think probably every week for my little family.

The only thing is - the range is nowhere near as extensive as it used to be. My days of whipping up a smoked salmon quiche for supper seem as distant as freshly applied lippy and solo bathroom visits. We are pretty much down to muffins - normally blueberry, Anzac cookies, banana bread and a chocolate/coconut sponge that apparently hails from Australia and is knows (of course) as Boomerang cake. 

Today's diversion from the norm started with these two unusually perfect pears. I say unusually perfect because it's incredibly rare I find a pear that's anywhere between bullet hard or schmush, but today was that happy day. With the assistance of my two delightful, accommodating and maddening sous chefs, I produced a batch of pear and ginger muffins and a loaf of banana bread. The picture of the fruits of our labour is a bit muted due to the weather changing from dazzling sunlight to pitch dark from minute to minute today.
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Baking is great for children, I think Barbary Boy has already a better grasp of cookery in general than the lovely Kiwi and Miss Marmoset is just so keen to try everything. What I do need to do now though is broaden everyone's horizons a bit. For no other reason than the head chef, (still me, although I dream of the day there'll be competition for the title), is bored to tears with the rotation of four we've fallen into. Do you have any favourite family recipes? I would love to hear of any you'd like to pass on!

Happy Easter everyone and as always, thanks for reading.

Helenx

 

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/4SOaShQmSIFj Helen Purchas findahappyplace Helen Purchas Thu, 29 Mar 2012 10:08:00 -0700 The end of term report http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/the-end-of-term-report http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/the-end-of-term-report

School breaks-up for the Easter holidays on Friday. With her usual dark sense of humour, Mother Nature has scheduled the unseasonal March heat wave to come to an abrupt halt first thing on Saturday morning. 

Weather complaints aside the holidays can't come soon enough. The monkeys have spent this week on the edge of outright exhaustion; Barbary Boy goes for silence, punctuated by occasional outbursts of crossness. Miss Marmoset is both owl-eyed and prone to sudden unexpected bouts of wailing, 'I saw a beeeeeeeeee!'. 
I am looking forward to adventures and fun with them these holidays. In many ways they develop so quickly during term time, (Miss Marmoset is reading a bit, Barbary Boy is immersed in learning about electrical circuits), we need the holidays to remind all of us that they are still only four and six years old.

I won't be doing much in the way of stitchery whilst they're off - they are both unnervingly interested in my lovely Janome, but I do have some projects for finishing at a gentle pace in the evenings. First up is this Dr Seuss pillow cover for Barbary Boy. Barbary Boy doesn't get an enormous amount of sewn things from me. But he has approved a big, comfy reading pillow for quietly snuggling up in his room with a pile of Encyclopaedias, Animal Atlases and Dr Seuss books. I've chopped up a Dr Seuss panel and added various solids, some pindots and some lovely linen. The linen is a dream to sew with, especially now I've learned that a touch of starch before sewing stops it squirming under my sewing foot like Miss Marmoset under the nit comb. I think a bit of bright perle quilting will finish this nicely.
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These English Paper Pieced stars are slowly coming along too. This project is definitely a happily meandering journey rather than a determination to finish and show. I think that rather than attempting to stick to any particular colour scheme it will just be a record of what's in my stash right now. There's a few prints I wouldn't use again that are too large for the diamonds, but I don't dislike them enough to be bothered unpicking them all.
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Finally there was a big planting week last week and whilst I'm eagerly awaiting buds and shoots appearing the hyacinths a filling the garden with their heady scent.

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Wishing you all a wonderful Easter break,

Thanks for reading,
Helen
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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/4SOaShQmSIFj Helen Purchas findahappyplace Helen Purchas Wed, 14 Mar 2012 11:20:00 -0700 The lament of the gardening tenant http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/the-lament-of-the-gardening-tenant http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/the-lament-of-the-gardening-tenant

As regular readers are no doubt aware, the lovely Kiwi and I are tenants. We rent the house we live in. We'd love to buy if we could, but right now, we can't. So it goes for us and thousands of others like us. I mention this as a preamble because I love to garden. This always seems to surprise home-owners who wonder why I'd bother with the garden when I'm 'only' a tenant? (The 'only a tenant' thing is a rant I'll spare you for another time). Gardening tenants aren't all that common I grant you - so many people are 'passing through' properties as they climb the housing ladder. However for a long-term renter like me, it's perfectly simple, I garden because I like to, and although our names aren't on the mortgage deeds, right here and now this house is mine, the lovely Kiwi's and the monkeys home - and I take a certain amount of pride in my home.

That said I clearly can't just go yanking things out of the ground a rattling up a pergola where I fancy it - but within certain limits I can breath some new life into a garden that's probably had precious little thought given to it in some time. I thought I'd take you through the garden that I have to work with right now and some familiar bug-bears which will be in most tenanted gardens all over the country.

  • What are we working with? A good sized but slightly mossy and weedy lawn with a path running all the way round. There are beds circling the garden and a high hedge of conifers at the back. It's a practical garden. Plenty of space for the monkeys to run around in and a decent sized paved area. This will be great for al fresco dining later in the year. The house itself is only ten years old, my abiding first impression of the garden when we moved in last summer was that there was hardly anything in it, and what was there was madly overgrown. The soil was still full of building rubble from when the estate had been built and the soil looked a bit thin and stony to sustain much plant life. You can see at the back the brown straggly growth of long-established clematis plants. It was a revelation to me that I could dislike a clematis but I'm not fond of these. The old growth looks ugly and the actual flowers are an acid yellow which fades to looking like dusty cotton wool when they're over. It's also climbed all the way into the conifers above.
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  • The all too common 'why' plants? As in 'why stick two largeish, hungry shrubs bang on top of each other here?' Of course I know the answer why, the idea is to fill the garden up with big plants - therefore no fuss. However I'm hoping my Dad will confirm this shrub is no longer with us so I can justify digging it out and popping some hostas and lily of the valley in instead. It's a very shady corner here, which is clearly why the other shrub (a rhododendron maybe?) looks so miserable.
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    The same thinking applies to this bed, which is full of a kind of geranium that quickly covers the ground and is a woody, deep-rooted 'mare to dig out. It's a shame, I think this bed looks as if it would make a perfect little veggie bed.
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  • So what will I be planting? Essentially heaps of sweet peas. I love sweet peas, the fragrance, the colours, the handy way they happily clamber all over established ugly plants I'm not justified in digging up *eyes the clematis meaningfully*. I've germinated loads this spring having lost a good number of young plants last year to slugs and I've got another couple of packets of seeds as back-up if necessary. If I'm lucky with them there'll be colour in the garden and flowers in my house from May to October.There's also strawberries to go in and hopefully some tomatoes in pots. 

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Hopefully for my next gardening update I'll have some beautiful blooms to show. One day I'll have my very own spot to wreak havoc/establish my own aesthetic on. In the meantime I'll just have to make do with what I have - wherever we are.

Thanks for reading,
Helen
x

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/4SOaShQmSIFj Helen Purchas findahappyplace Helen Purchas Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:28:00 -0800 Hi Dad - I made it for you! Do you like it?! http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/hi-dad-i-made-it-for-you-do-you-like-it http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/hi-dad-i-made-it-for-you-do-you-like-it

Oh dear - this week's post it brought to you by the letter 'F'. F for FAIL, and 'FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE JUST BUY SOMETHING FROM A SHOP!' Ahem, I had planned this week, to make my Dad a little something for his birthday (which was a good week ago, but I won't see him until next week, which means definitely not late in my book). 

It's so rare you find a good stitchy present idea for a man. Really, all the cute totes, clutches, tea cosies etc - are essentially very feminine. Pinterest had even guided me to this fab tutorial for a great boxy toiletries bag. Perfect for getting lots of kit in ready for the big cross-country walk he's taking on later this spring. It looked so nice and simple that even I, the world's worst bag maker, who has never inserted a zip, sewn with oilcloth or in fact made anything that wasn't intended for sitting on or snuggling under thought I could manage it. 

I'm pretty sure if I'd just stuck to the original pattern it might just have turned out just fine. Instead, I decided to tart it up a bit (it really didn't need it - I just panic when there's no patchwork or perle stitching required).

The linen is beautiful to sew with, perfectly softened, great colour, flows through the machine a treat. The oilcloth was really a tablecloth fabric and far too stiff for such a small project. It really didn't get on well with the linen, which went all slippy and coy and kept refusing to co-operate. Not one to lose heart, even in the face of a blindingly obvious imminent fail, I pressed on, finally producing...this.
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Yes Dad, this misshapen, lumpen construction (rapidly fraying where the linen refused to associate itself with the oilcloth on one end) was very nearly your birthday present! Aren't you proud of your little girl?! 

Sigh...I will not be beaten by a fabric box. You and I will meet again boxy toiletries bag, but not alas for Dad's birthday.

When's Father's Day again?

Thanks for reading,
Helen
x

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/4SOaShQmSIFj Helen Purchas findahappyplace Helen Purchas Wed, 29 Feb 2012 05:04:00 -0800 WIP Crackaway http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/wip-crackaway http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/wip-crackaway

To the tune of Whip Crackaway from Calamity Jane:

Oh the Dresden Plate is coming right over the hill,
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And the tiny-wee hexies are collecting and bugging me still,
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Quilt top finished last March

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still hasn't seen light of day,

So! WIP crackaway WIP crackaway WIP crackaway!

Thanks for reading,

Helen
x

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/4SOaShQmSIFj Helen Purchas findahappyplace Helen Purchas Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:30:00 -0800 Good day Blues http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/good-day-blues http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/good-day-blues

So today is a good day - a lovely day in fact. The first 'look no coat' day since October and the feeling of real warmth is blissful especially after the Siberian blasts of cold we've had recently. 


It's a great day for my first quilt finish of the year, the blue and red patchwork from last summer, finally backed quilted and the binding stitched down this afternoon. I hope it's intended little recipient (and his Mum!) like it. All the fabrics featured come from my stash, there are a couple from a Christmas collection, the gingham comes from a French market a couple of summers ago, the rest are either 1930's style feedsack prints or Liberty prints picked up from the V&A Quilt exhibition. It's fair to say there really isn't much blue left - ah well, another reason to shop!
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So lovely to see a bit of spring bulb action appearing here and there, I have some sweet peas waiting to germinate indoors, I can't wait to get properly going in the garden again.

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Hope spring is finding it's way to you too. Thanks for reading,
Helen
x

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/4SOaShQmSIFj Helen Purchas findahappyplace Helen Purchas Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:13:00 -0800 Bring on Spring http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/bring-on-spring http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/bring-on-spring

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...

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If this seems overly simplistic you'll be relieved to hear it's not without some pain on my part. I'm trying to recreate the blossom with these teeny-tiny hexies and a mix of all the pinks and off-whites I have in my stash. The hexies themselves are 1.25 centimetres across (that's a penny there for scale). I have some very short appliqué pins which are great for pinning - but still have my large, cumbersome, sausage-like fingers which really aren't helping at all. This isn't going to be a huge project, but it's requiring more patience than Miss Marmoset's entirely hand-pieced and quilted quilt! 

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The plan is to position the hexies first then stitch the tree after the blossom is appliquéd. I have a variety of perle 8s to use for the trunk and branches. We'll see how this one goes over the next couple of weeks.

Thanks for reading,
Helen
x

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/4SOaShQmSIFj Helen Purchas findahappyplace Helen Purchas Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:45:00 -0800 The House of Poorly Poppets http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/the-house-of-poorly-poppets http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/the-house-of-poorly-poppets

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.

However there are some colourful moments amongst the gloom, my last Christmas present arrived today and I can see there are lots of projects in it that I'm going to want to make. I love Zakka style, I love the look of natural linen with bright cotton prints. Simple, practical and lovely.
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I've also started a madly scrap-happy quilt which I think might be a bit beyond my technical skills, but still, stretching yourself is important right? I love the look of the quilts in the Material Obsession books, but felt a bit intimidated by them. Quite why I've decided to chuck myself in with a really technical one to start with I can't explain, but I've fallen in love with this Maple Leaf Rag quilt and want one of my very own.
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So far I've made about 35 of the crazy patchwork kites, only another 100 to go - and that's before I have to start on the spider webs! This is going to be a long haul, but that's fine, I'll merrily occupy myself other mini projects rather than slaving over one quilt. It's going to require a huge number of scraps for variety - if any other stitchy types reading this fancy a scrap swap do let me know, I've got plenty I'd be happy to exchange!
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Did I mention that we were nearly over winter last time? Tsk - when will I learn? *head desk head desk* Let's all hope Siberia would like its weather back really soon, hmm?

Thanks for reading,
Helen
x

 

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/4SOaShQmSIFj Helen Purchas findahappyplace Helen Purchas Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:59:00 -0800 Cometh the hour - cometh the cushions http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/cometh-the-hour-cometh-the-cushions http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/cometh-the-hour-cometh-the-cushions

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. 
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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. 
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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.
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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!

Thanks for reading,
Helen
x

 

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/4SOaShQmSIFj Helen Purchas findahappyplace Helen Purchas Fri, 20 Jan 2012 04:27:00 -0800 Resolved to Sew 2012 http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/resolved-to-sew-2012 http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/resolved-to-sew-2012

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...

1) Last year's fabric diet went surprisingly well. I really stuck with it and hardly spent anything on fabric. There have been a few little treats to myself in the sales but not that much really. The main thing I noticed last year - that despite the production of five quilt tops, various bags, cushions and heaven knows what else - there was still an amazing amount of fabric left, not only that, the scrap mountain that flowed out of all of my sewing last year is the thing I'm most proud of! I love scraps - really love them, I think I may in future go the route of buying scraps over the more usual fat quarters or half yards. You never know what you'll get in a scrap bundle, Etsy is full of people de-stashing their scraps it's a really affordable way to add to your fabric stash.

2) Scrap usage extends to wadding/batting too. Way back in the summer when we moved house I had some scraps of polyester wadding that I knew I wasn't going to find a use for. (I find polyester loses its loft very quickly and given it's reaction to heat they didn't seem to be suitable for coasters/place mats/pot holders which are my usual 'go to' projects with small bits of wadding). To my horror I couldn't recycle them - I tried various organisation who all informed that they'd only accept cotton/wool/silk/linen/natural fibres for recycling. To my sorrow had to chuck the scraps into the bin - ready for landfill. Never again, from now on I'm using only 100% cotton, cotton/alpaca mixes or bamboo for wadding. These are all great for using for small projects and the tiny bits left over can still be recycled.
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These little coasters are made with scraps from Miss Marmoset's Campari cushion of a couple of weeks ago, strangely I think I like these leftovers more than the original project!

3) I'm going to have a crack at some smaller projects. I love making quilts, but sometimes I do feel a bit bogged down with them. Time to stretch my sewing wings a bit I think.
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4) Scrap sewing requires serious scrap storage - my Ocado plastic bag (I know all class right?) is clearly approaching a state of critical mass. Some of these lovely fabric storage baskets might be just the ticket.

Do you have any resolutions for 2012?

Thanks for reading,
Helen
x

 

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/4SOaShQmSIFj Helen Purchas findahappyplace Helen Purchas Thu, 12 Jan 2012 08:32:32 -0800 Psst! Heads Up for Resolved to Sew! http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/psst-heads-up-for-resolved-to-sew http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/psst-heads-up-for-resolved-to-sew
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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.

Good luck everyone - in a strictly elbows akimbo, get behind me sort of a way of course!

Thanks for reading,
Helen
x

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/4SOaShQmSIFj Helen Purchas findahappyplace Helen Purchas Sat, 07 Jan 2012 11:06:17 -0800 Skillz and Selfish Sewing http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/skillz-and-selfish-sewing http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/skillz-and-selfish-sewing
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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. 

So how am I planning on scaling this mountain of ambition? Why through the medium of cushion covers - naturally. 

Y'see as well as tackling new skills, (trickier piecing, curves and - dare I? - even free motion quilting), I need to go back to basics and start again, again - if you see what I mean. I'm not happy with binding, or fabric choices, or basting, or pressing, piecing and most other things. The cushion cover at least works like a mini-quilt, so I can practise the basics over and over as well try some more challenging blocks.

This week's cushion cover was the first attempt - mainly with trying to work with different colours than I normally head for. Purple, I've decided, is a bit like Campari for me. I can handle a little bit - but it needs to come with a generous quantity of mixers. Also, talk about the need to go back to the beginning, look who stitched the binding on backwards - gah! Overall I'm happier with this than my other attempt to make a purple cushion cover last week - it was hideous. Normally I'm all in favour of bloggers showing their disasters - but trust me - this was hanging. And I don't want to put you off your dinner.

In praise of selfish sewing, although Miss Marmoset has since snaffled this pillow, the next one will be mine, MINE, I tell you!

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/4SOaShQmSIFj Helen Purchas findahappyplace Helen Purchas Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:26:00 -0800 Happy New Year! http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/happy-new-year http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/happy-new-year

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.

Speaking of which - most of autumn 2011 went on hand quilting one project - little Milly's quilt. Milly is my niece born on Boxing Day of 2010, the intention was to give her the quilt as a first birthday present. Quite why I thought hand quilting and not starting until the beginning of October was the way to go I don't know. It took some effort, and some heroically damaged thumbs, but we got there in the end. The quilt was really well received by Milly's parents, the birthday girl herself was - quite rightly - much more interested in all of her new talking/squeaking/barking toys to take it in. I'm sure she will in time - it's either that or Auntie Helen threatens to make her some clothes. Which as Miss Marmoset will be the first to say - nobody wants that to happen.

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Naturally as it was intended as a present I couldn't show you any progress until it was finished and given, so here are a few shots. Sadly after all that effort I took some really rubbish pictures in

 low winter light with some pretty unforgiving overhead spots, there's been some playing in Picasa to try and right the colours but I might have to ask you to use your imagination. Assume that apart from the yellow border, it's not all pale yellow okeydokey?

Thanks for reading,
Helen
x

 

 

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/4SOaShQmSIFj Helen Purchas findahappyplace Helen Purchas Mon, 05 Sep 2011 04:02:42 -0700 Take one lemon... http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/take-one-lemon http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/take-one-lemon
Lemons

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


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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/4SOaShQmSIFj Helen Purchas findahappyplace Helen Purchas Sun, 04 Sep 2011 04:20:00 -0700 End of the summer http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/end-of-the-summer http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/end-of-the-summer

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

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/4SOaShQmSIFj Helen Purchas findahappyplace Helen Purchas Mon, 08 Aug 2011 03:41:00 -0700 Now we are six... http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/now-we-are-six http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/now-we-are-six

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Author: A.A. Milne

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

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/4SOaShQmSIFj Helen Purchas findahappyplace Helen Purchas Sun, 24 Jul 2011 03:10:00 -0700 Summertime http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/summertime http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/summertime

At last school is out, and as expected, despite having to be dragged protesting from their beds at 8am for the last week of term, the monkeys are up like excited meerkats at 6.30 since school officially finished. It's as much fun as it sounds, what age does the concept of the snooze-in kick in? So we have 6 weeks ahead of adventures, trips to the seaside, the 'crunchyside', castles, safari parks and yes, the small matter of a house move to squeeze in. But we won't dwell on that today. For today the sun shines and I can reflect on the last couple of bits and pieces I've been working on. I can see I'm not going to get anywhere near my sewing machine over the next few weeks.

These scrappy dappy doo coasters are addictive little things to run up. The pattern comes from Natural Patchwork again, just like the tea cosy. They are a great use of old wadding and scraps. I can see me churning out a lot of these in the future. I've used cotton wadding for both these and the tea cosy, I'd love to make some pot holders but I think I'll wait to get some Insul-bright wadding for those.

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This is a little sneak peak of a lovely new baby boy's quilt I'm working on. I'm hoping to give it as a Christmas gift this year, so this is the first and last show of it I can make until the New Year. I really like all the blues and bits of red together like this, and yes it's all from the stash. There'll hardly be a blue left to play with by the time this is finished!

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Thanks for reading,
Helenx

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/4SOaShQmSIFj Helen Purchas findahappyplace Helen Purchas Thu, 21 Jul 2011 12:16:00 -0700 A grand day out http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/a-grand-day-out http://findahappyplace.posterous.com/a-grand-day-out

Just recently my parents holidayed in Kent, not with us, for which I don't blame them one teeny bit, but on the other side of Kent, near Faversham, a good hour or so's drive from us. Naturally we still went over for a visit. It turns out they were staying in a converted worker's cottage set in an old orchard. Surrounded by beautiful fruit trees all dripping with ripening fruit after the amazingly warm and dry spring we enjoyed this year.

It was a day for going for country walks, climbing trees,

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and wondering just how old this ancient Elm might be.*
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Also a day for picking this huge pot of dark and sweet cherries from the orchard, the best I've ever tasted.

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Then admiring the plums and apples and even a fruit I've never seen in real life before; medlars. Like quince this is the kind of fruit I usually think of as being a really Victorian ingredient. They are, to put it mildly, well 'ard. The key time to eat them is when they're practically falling in on themselves, this can take a very long time. But I'd love to have a go at cooking with them, I've got a great looking medlar jelly recipe I'd love to try.

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So far all attempts to persuade my parents to rent the cottage again in ooh, mid-September have fallen on deaf ears. I'll keep plugging away at them!

Thanks for reading,
Helenx

*the ancient elm turned out to be up to be possibly up to 1,000 years old according to this website, the kind of geeky history site I love!

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]]> http://posterous.com/images/profile/missing-user-75.png http://posterous.com/users/4SOaShQmSIFj Helen Purchas findahappyplace Helen Purchas