Little Trip to the Lakes

It’s the Easter Holidays at last.  Which still means something despite not being a teacher or having children.  Especially given I’ve not taken any time off since Christmas!  To me it means being able to be away from work for just over a week for the price of just four days of leave, which is pretty lovely.  Planning a big trip next year means we couldn’t really afford to go away anywhere during our week off, despite really needing the break from this city that oppresses us, so we had originally decided to have a nice creative week at home instead – Flâneur would paint and draw and I would sew.  Well, it hasn’t quite worked out like that.  Not least because I decided that Flâneur really needed a break after a very hectic university term – and by that I meant a break from Manchester altogether.  I jiggled some things around financially, did lots of internet research and in the end booked us two nights in the above country B&B in the Lake District.  Just far enough and pretty enough to be different, but not so far that I’d be driving for hours to get there.  We have many lovely parts of the country on our doorstep so I figured it was about time we explored some of them!

Going only on internet reviews and their fresh modern website (really other people – why would you have a rubbish fusty website?  It immediately puts me off…) I booked us into the Westmorland room, a twin made up as a King, which had a lovely window seat with a view to a holiday cottage next door and then out across the fields to the local church.  It was a fresh, modern room, which looks like it was recently redecorated.  When we spoke to Sam and Tiree later (who run the place) it turned out that they’d taken over running the place from Sam’s parents the year before, so that would probably explain it!  Also after a short – ‘you look very familiar, did you go to St Andrews?’ we also realised that Tiree and I were at university together, in the same year.  And while we weren’t in the same hall of residence nor had we done the same subject, being the small tiny university that St Andrews is, yes, we did know at least one person in common and that’s how come we recognised each other!!  The little coincidences that go into making this world…

Anyway, this isn’t really supposed to be a review of the B&B, but it was lovely, the breakfast was yummy (excellent bacon), the service was great and I would definitely go back.  So if you’ve stumbled on here looking for a recommendation, I would definitely recommend it.  Not least for the Damson Gin they put out in the lounge in the evening – sweet and a perfect post dinner drink, like a sweet dessert wine.  Yum.

Despite the recent unseasonably warm weather that Britain was basking it, typically April got back to form and the weather was pretty rubbish while we were away.  At least on the Tuesday.  We went up to Ambleside and Grasmere and while the sky was dramatic, the rain and wind we could have done without.

This picture isn’t actually Black and White – that’s just the light!!  We didn’t do much walking while there as the weather wasn’t really with us, but we did have a good wander round the top of Lake Windermere at Ambleside (above) and then around the Lake at Grasmere (I really should know which one that is…), during the latter of which we got very cold while the rain stated to turn to snow!

It was at the point it started snowing that we decided our best course of action would be to head to a pub and warm ourselves up by an open fire.  There were a number that were recommended by Sam and Tiree on a map they left on the hall table of the B&B so we headed to the Mason Arms, a ten minute drive from the house, which was exactly what the doctor ordered – a cute little country pub with an open fire and good pub grub.  We spent over three hours there in the end, playing cribbage, enjoying the warmth and enjoying hearty pub food, escaping before it became too overrun by families.

The next day, our last in the Lakes, we decided to head up to Keswick to see some of the more dramatic scenery of the North Lakes.  Despite the flutterings of snow, there wasn’t any evidence on the roads or near the B&B the next day so we thought it couldn’t have lasted long or been that heavy in the end.  Until we went back through Ambleside that is, where the hills that had been clear the day before now looked like they were coming out of the depths of winter:

Tuesday

Wednesday (same hills, different angle)

It was brilliant!  I love a bit of snow – it brings out my inner child – and it really made the hills and surrounding area look quite spectacular!  It helped that the light was better on Wednesday too as the sky was clearer.

When we got to Keswick, we spent a bit more time having a good wander round the town, looking in the shop the Pencil Museum (which was a bit overrun with Easter Holidays families to go in), and have a walk down to Derwent Water where we spent yet more time taking photos – so much so that we had to rush back to the car before we ran out of time on the car park ticket!  All this is good practice for me with my camera mind you…

The light was wonderful and the scenery very spectacular so I like to think the nature did help me out a bit.  It was a good relaxing couple of days and I’m glad we went, rather than staying at home.  Yes, I probably would have got lots of things done that I’m always wishing I had the time to do, but sometimes you just need to get away, even if that’s not very far.  I think it might have done Flâneur a bit of good too – he was certainly looking more relaxed by the end of the trip…

 

Some Little Things…

I’ve been quiet on the blog of late.  I started a new job and it’s been a bit mad – late night working, learning new things.  It makes for a tired me and a bit less free time than I would like!  But I’m sure it will settle down soon…  I have made a few little things lately though that I want to share.

I recently got the urge to make a zippy pouch.  I’m not sure why.  I must have seen one online that I really liked the look of.  Not really knowing where to start I scouted about online and on flickr and eventually bought the Hoop Travel Bag pattern from the Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery, which a lot of people seemed to rate.

I adapted it a little bit for the above pouch, as I wanted to make something squatter for carrying camera battery chargers when I go away, but the pattern was invaluable for learning how to stitch the zip to the lining and outer fabric.  I don’t think I could have figured it out without it!  The fabric I bought from the Eternal Maker stand at the Festival of Quilts last year.  I wish I could remember what it was called or who it was by…  I think I need to get better at keeping a note of that.  The pattern is a map of Paris though, which seemed appropriate to me for a travel bag.

This is actually the second zipped bag I’ve made using the instructions on the pattern.  The photo is a little bit dark, but the blue one at the back is the first one I made a couple of weeks ago.  I’ve used that one for carrying current hand-sewing project around.  It’s big enough for my easy peasy purse to fit into (which I stuff full of thread and pins and things).  I think it’s an 10 or 11 inch zip (rather than the 12 inch of the pattern, I just adjusted all the other measurements accordingly).

I have loved making these.  I bought a ton more zips last weekend and fully intend to make a bunch more.  With wadding between the layers they’ll be great for transporting things around, especially when we go away in the summer.

Another little project I finished recently was a gift for my three lovely colleagues from my old job.  We were a small team of four and they were brilliant to work with (I miss them quite a bit in my new job, if only you could take people with you when you move…).  So I wanted to make them a small gift each for when I left.  Something they could have to remember me by!  So I put some of my new piecing skills to use and made them each a mug rug:

J is a Coventry City fan, so she got the sky blue star.  T cycles so got the dark blue bikes (I love that fabric, it’s a Liberty special edition).  And C loves all things purple, so she got the slightly psychedelic one on the end.  They were all machine pieced, but hand quilted with Pearle Cotton thread.  You can see my slightly dodgy hand stitching from this picture of the back:

I really loved making them, so I hope they all like using them!

So that’s been me lately.  No less exhausted, but at least I’ve been busy for it!

Photo Project, London

I know I said that my next post would be about sewing, but I’ve not quite finished my projects yet to show them, so that will have to wait. Instead I’m going to show off some photos I took on a recent trip to London for Flâneur’s birthday that I’m quite pleased with. I’m trying to practice more with my camera before our big trip back to Seoul this summer. I gave myself a ‘project’ to focus myself with – otherwise I sometimes flounder a bit knowing what I should be taking pictures of. On this occasion I decided to go for signs. Especially as there are some great street names in London – along with other signs out and about. It was great fun and really helped to focus me (as I had hoped).  So this post is very image heavy, but I hope you like some of them…

Pub sign near the Bank of England

Off Cornhill, near Bank

Near Bank (love that there is a street named this!)

A sign at the Occupy London Camp outside St Paul’s Cathedral.  Love it.

Totally love that Knightrider Court is off Sermon Lane (near St Paul’s) – no Kit anywhere to be seen though…

I saw this addition to a no-entry sign near Covent Garden and it still makes me giggle.  Love whoever did this!

Good old London.  Man in Moon Passage is off Regent Street.  Of course it is.

And because I wasn’t just taking pictures of signs here are two non signage pictures I took that I’m quite pleased with.  We stayed in the Hyatt Andaz Liverpool Street and got upgraded to a lovely big room at the top of the hotel which had very cool porthole windows.  It was lovely with the light coming through the slightly open slats in the morning:

Porthole window, Andaz Liverpool Street.

And the final one: my dear Flâneur, on a park bench in Grosvenor Square.  My poor husband is often the subject of my practicing techniques with my camera, but this one came out really well and is frankly just a lovely picture of him:

Flâneur

What you don’t see is the ones I took where his expression was more: are you still taking photos of me?  Or ‘blooming heck, it’s cold’…  ;o)

So those are some of my recent pics.  Do you like them?  I’m open to all constructive criticism!

Please do not steal these images (as flattering as that would be).  They are 100% my copyright.  One day I’ll work out how to watermark them, but in the meantime – play nice.

A post about exercising…

I think I need new trainers…

When I started this blog it was supposed to keep me updated with the exercise I was doing in order to find that elusive smaller dress size (which does continue to elude me, I must admit).  So in the spirit of my pioneering younger self (ha!), here is a post about exercise, not fabric or sewing or anything else.  Sorry.

Whenever I post about exercise a number of common themes seem to come out: I seem to forever be declaring a ‘new regime’ or to have found ‘something that works’, something that ‘stops me being too bored at the gym’.  Yeah, well, turns out that that’s not true.  To be brutally honest I just don’t like going to the gym.  Truthfully, the whole idea of exercising makes me want to curl up into a little ball and cry.  Don’t get me wrong, I do feel great afterwards, I really do, but that feeling always seems to disappear between sessions and I’m back to really not wanting to go…

To be fair, sometimes I do get the urge to go to the gym.  But those occasions are so rare that they are a bit more like funny turns.  ;o)

The last few weeks I have been able to work from home some days and I always find it easier to motivate myself to go to the gym during the day than after getting up at 6:15, spending an hour on a train, 8 hours at work and then an hour on the train again.  Funny, I’m not sure why that should be…  So this week I have been seriously challenging the desire to go home and curl up on the sofa with a G&T after work rather than going to the gym first. 

My biggest motivating factor is my husband.  Dear lovely Flâneur has been going to the gym loads and doesn’t seem to hate it as much as me (he may disagree) and seems to find it easier to motivate himself to go (again he may disagree).  And in doing so, he motivates me.  I think it’s a cross between feeling totally lazy if I didn’t go with him, and knowing that he’s there to keep me going.  He’s not a total fitness nut and he doesn’t stand there MOTIVATING me like some god awful personal trainer, but by his quiet persistence at doing what he’s doing (usually running 5K in under 29 mins), and saying ‘at least you came’ or ‘that’s better than you thought’, he quietly motivates me to keep on at it.  And anyway, going with someone else who can share your triumphs and tell you it’s not so bad on the bad days is always good!

So, my latest regime!  For, yes, I do have one.  And this one seems to be working.  Really.  (Haven’t we heard that before?) 

Having discovered that I do really hate the treadmill and the prospect of spending at least half an hour on it (not really news that), I have developed my own little ‘circuit’ regime in the gym where I do not spend any more than 15 mins on any one piece of equipment.  15 mins seems about my boredom threshold. 

I now start with 15 mins on the treadmill, either walking, or jogging and walking.  I see this as my ‘warm up’.  Generally I then want to cry and go home, but I don’t.  I move on.  And believe me, most days this takes a great deal of effort.  But I make it by reminding myself that the next thing isn’t so bad and it burns LOADS of calories. 

Yes, next it’s 10 mins on the Step Machine (Level 4 at present).  Which makes me sweat sweat sweat and burns tons of calories, but isn’t as soul destroying as the treadmill.  I think it’s the tunes I listen to while rhythmically stepping on it that help.  I have a fabulous playlist of super upbeat tunes* that makes it so much easier some how.  Just step in time with the beat of the song and the time (and calories) soon fly by.  And I’m talking about 200 cals for 10 mins work here people.  It’s that good! 

Just as I think my legs will curse me forever, I then go over to the reclining bike (Flâneur once described it as like a pedalo), where I subject myself to 15 mins at Level 7.  Level 7 is new in the last week or so, up from Level 5, but it burns more calories so it’s staying for now. 

It’s fair to say that when I get off the bike the tops of my legs (and my arse) are pretty sore, but they soon loosen off…  And it’s all worth it as that little regime: (a) stops me getting too bored of any one machine; and (more importantly) (b) burns around 500-600 calories a go.  Which is far better than the 300 odd I was getting by just doing the treadmill.  Small steps, but I have seen a modest weight loss and definite toning in the four-five weeks I have been doing this, so I must be doing something right.  At last!

Well, until I get bored of this of course and find something else that will ‘definitely work’… 

I’ll be back to blogging about sewing next time – I’ve a few things I’m finishing off that I want to share…

 

*my stepper playlist: Pencil Full of Lead, Paulo Nutini; Spider Man Theme, Michael Buble; Candyman, Chritina Aguilera; Creeping up the Backstairs, the Fratellis; Goody Two Shoes, Adam and the Ants; Guitar Man, Elvis; It’s Raining Men, Geri Halliwell (!); and then just because it’s funny because I’m working on my butt muscles: Baby Got Back, Sir MixAlot.

Easy Peasy Purse

My swoon block is now sewn together, however, I’m not going to blog about it again until I’ve done the quilting on it.  If you want to see the block, you can find it on flickr.  I am totally in love with it, I must say.

Something else I am a little bit pleased about is the purse I made today (having a real sewing streak right now).  The above purse (more pictures below) was made from a kit from u-handbag that I have wanted to try for some time.  The fact that it came with some Aneela Hoey Little Apples fabric for the outside and lining meant I couldn’t resist it any longer.  I love Aneela Hoey’s fabrics, they’re so cute!  It’s the Easy Peasy Purse kit, and I must say it really did live up to its name.

I’m pretty sure it took me longer than the hour suggested, but that’s just because I’m a bit slow at the sewing and cutting sometimes and with reading and re-reading the instructions!  It all came together very easily and quickly when I got going though.  I had tried the baguette clutch that they do before, but for some reason just did not get on with it (no matter what I did I could not get it to fit into the purse frame, I think I sewed it all wrong).  But I’ve wanted to make purses for a while so I’m glad I gave this one a go, despite my previous experience!*

If you’ve ever wanted to make a purse but haven’t been sure where to start I can heartily recommend this kit.  And I well believe that I will be making more of these (now I have the pattern) – be warned friends and family, one of these may come your way, come your next birthday… ;o)

 

*I’m pretty sure it was me doing something wrong and not a problem with the pattern.  One day I will work out my mistake and slap my forehead and say ‘of course!’

Swoon-Along Progress

My fabric cut for my Swoon Block (Saffron Craig 'Bird Tree' and Kona 'Snow')

Today I had a random day off that I hadn’t been expecting.  Well, I had been expecting not to be at my current job, having taken a day of leave, but I had expected to be in Liverpool learning about my new job instead.  For very tedious reasons this was cancelled yesterday afternoon, so I found myself with an unexpected day to myself.  While disappointed I wasn’t getting to see my new job in action I was secretly excited about all the things I could do today that were just for me – things I always wish I was doing when I’m actually at work.  Like having a lie in (though not too long as there were things to be done!), going to the gym not totally knackered (ie before lunch), baking bread (hmm… fresh bread), and of course, sewing!  Having finished Flâneur’s bag I’ve been excited to get started on making my Swoon block and today gave me the perfect opportunity to get started.

Half Square Triangles waiting to be pressed

It took me a while to iron and cut the fabric (always the most tedious bit in my book), and at one point I was starting to regret having a directional pattern on one of my fabrics…  It meant I had to cut it slightly differently to the suggestion on the pattern, as I needed to have four of my 6.5 x 3.5 rectangles in the green fabric with the flowers going in one direction and the other four in the other direction (if that makes sense!), so that it wouldn’t look weird in the final block…

Pressed Half Square Triangles

The best thing about making this block is that it is forcing me to try new techniques (for me!) and new patterns.  I have only ever sewn squares or rectangles together to make a quilt before (heck, I’ve only made 2 big and one mini quilt so far in my quilting life), so trying out half square triangles and flying geese is very exciting for me.  I know, sad, eh?!  I must say, from what I have done so far, I am LOVING it!

My first ever (successful) Flying Geese block!

I must admit that I mucked up my first Flying Geese block.  Having sewn the first square on, I managed to press it before cutting, and thus cut the whole of the corner triangle off, other than the 1/4 inch seam allowance.  No photo of that I’m afraid, but big oops!  Thankfully I had a big enough piece of the purple birds left to cut another 3.5 square and tonnes of the Snow to cut another rectangle…  Dum di dum…  Everyone has done that at some point, right?!  But I got there in the end…  And, taking advice from discussions on the flickr support group, I created new Half Square Triangles out of the left overs from the Flying Geese, by sewing half an inch from the sewn seam before cutting the edge off.  I think I’m going to turn the left overs into pinwheels, so I have another new block type under my belt from this project!

Finished section

Because of all the other things I was doing today (and because I’m quite slow at sewing) I didn’t manage to get too much completed today, but I did finish my first section for the block.  It’s not the best photo because the light was bad by that point, but I am very excited with how this is looking so far.  I’m back at work tomorrow, unfortunately as I just want to keep going, but hopefully I’ll be able to get some more done tomorrow evening and make some progress towards the finished block.  I think this is something I am really going to LOVE.  I am so happy with my fabric choice, and that I decided to give this challenge a go.

 

 

Next Project: Swoon-along!

Having completed my bag for Flâneur I now have time to do a little project for me.  Having resolved to do some quilt sewing that is more adventuous with the shapes I use this year, I have decided to join Katy of Monkey Do blog fame (and about 750 other people – wow!) in her swoon-along.  Because I am a big fat chicken I am only going to do one block to begin with to see how I get on, but I reckon I might get the bug and just have to make more…  That seems to be how it’s going over in the flickr group anyway!  And I must say, even if you don’t sew – go and take a look at the work of the group – there is some seriously fabulous stuff there!

So, a little late to the party, I have chosen my fabric from my stash and I have bought the pattern.  All I need now is to iron the fabric, cut it all out and get going!

Flâneur’s Stripy Bag

For Christmas I bought Flâneur a bunch of cool stuff (we’re always a little over generous!), but I also promised that I would make him a new bag.  He always carries a messanger style bag around with him that generally has his computer, his iPad, pens, a note book, some very worthy work type book, brolly, etc etc in it.  His current one is falling to pieces – lining ripped, handles coming off, you know the sort of thing.  I tried to buy him one.  I looked around by they were all very boring.  Bags for men are, aren’t they?  All khaki, or black, or chocolate brown (if you’re lucky) and *huh* I’m a bloke’s bag.  You know because it’s ok for a bloke to carry a bag as long as it’s manly and in no way exciting…  Well, that aint my Flâneur.  He’s more stylish, more funky and just not in any way shape or form “blokey” (in a cliched sense).  He hates sport, except for Wimbledon, but he does run.  He loves baking and cooking generally (luck me!), and he’s an intellectual.  Not that blokey blokes who are into sport can’t also be intellectual, but you know… He’s an academic who specialises in drawing as a tool for expression, let alone creativity, and he doesn’t care if I don’t wear makeup or shave my legs (it is winter…)

Anyway… being unable to find a bag that would suit him in the shops my only recourse was clearly to make him one.  How hard could it be, after all?!  I bought all the fabric and other bits I would need before Christmas and wrapped them up so he would open a deconstructed bag on Christmas day with an IOU attached.  Choosing the fabric was quite tricky.  I knew I wanted something funky, not too girly (he may not be a blokey bloke, but he is a man!) and rugged enough to withstand all that he would put it through.  I was delighted when I stumbled across the website Deckchair Stripes.  Just what I had been looking for – home decor weight fabulous stripy fabrics.  Being a fan of Paul Smith, Flâneur is rather partial to stripes…  Which one to choose was difficult as they have lots of fabulous stripy fabrics, but delightfully the lovely people at Deckchair stripes will send you samples, if you request them.  And I must thank my colleagues for helping me chose Volleyball for the final bag.  A lovely predominately yellow fabric.  Reasons to be cheerful.  One.  Two.  Three.

I scoured the advice and tutorials on the u-handbag blog for what sort of interfacing I should use, and ordered some professional woven fusible canvas for the outer stripy fabric and some Vilene white woven iron-on for using with the lining, from their webshop, as well as the other sundries I would need.  I must say both of these were excellent and perfect for the job.  The white woven iron-on left the lining fabric just feeling lovely and gave it great drape and structure without being too stiff.  The fusible canvas gave the decor weight fabric a perfect stiffness that means the final bag wont flop too much and retain it’s structure with everything stuffed in it.  Armed with a copy of The Bag Making Bible by u-handbag’s Lisa Lam for any tricky bits (like fixing the magnetic snaps), and instructions from Flâneur as to what he wanted out of a bag, I set about making a couple of weekends ago.  It took me a wee while to make what with all the pattern making, fabric cutting, ironing and maths I had to do to make it work, but I’m pretty pleased with the finished bag.

My instructions were a side pocket for his brolly (see above, although it might be a bit tight), an internal pocket for pencils and paracetamol (!), plus two sections on the interior.

I made a lined pocket for the pens and drugs for the bag (see above), using the external fabric and lining fabric (Kona Ochre, if anyone is wondering), to echo the bag itself.  The interior partition was not as tricky as I had thought it might be, but did involve me making two sets of gussets for the lining and a lot of maths trying to get the dimensions right so it wouldn’t be too wide!  I had been dreading that bit, but it actually worked pretty well.  Phew!  I’ve not got webbing to make a proper strap yet, but we borrowed one of an old bag so we could see what it would look like all done:

I think it rather suits him (even if he is in his jammies in this picture!)  Now, who said bags for men had to be dull…

Happy New Year

The fairy from our tree, granting New Year wishes

On 1st January I was feeling pretty glum and meh about 2012.  I saw it as something to be got through, not to be enjoyed in itself.  A nuisance or a chore.  2013, on the other hand – that will be exciting.  We’ll finally go to Japan for our Amazing Honeymoon (TM), only 3 years after it was initially cancelled by BA going on strike.  I’ll finally pay off the massive hideous loan I try not to think about most of the time for fear of depressing and horrifying myself and be rich, rich I tell you!  Oh yes, 2013 will be good.  2012, on the other hand, was looking like it was going to be all about worrying about whether or not I’d get another job when this one ends in June; my season ticket for work going up to over £300 per month (£314.20 to be precise) making me poorer; the possibility of any new job I would get paying me less and me being even poorer than the poor church mouse I already am; a job interview I had done pretty much no prep for that I was convinced I wasn’t going to get; not being able to afford to go on holiday with my lovely husband this year…  etc etc etc.

Anyway, things took a turn for the upside on the 4th Jan when I had that interview I had been dreading.  I spent just over a day putting the presentation together when I would have rather spent the final day of my holiday doing something more interesting (particularly given that Flâneur had been very unwell during the week off we had together but was better by then, and yes, I know I should probably have done it while he was in bed, but I was getting acquainted with streaming films from Love Film instead).  I did very little research into the actual place I was going to, other than for the presentation, although to be fair to myself it was pretty in-depth on the facilities they have for potential students, so probably does count.  But for once I didn’t totally freak out about the interview itself.  It helps that it’s a short term contact – maternity leave cover of 9 months initially – and that I had confirmation that my current contract has been extended to June.  So it felt like it didn’t really matter if I didn’t get it.

So, totally knackered from not sleeping properly the night before, I went for the interview.  And I rocked it.  It’s not often that I come out of an interview doing the ‘I’m awesome’ dance in my head.  Really, I’m generally much more modest about myself in a work context.  Seriously.  But I did feel like it was the best interview I had done for a long time.  And I’ve been in quite a few in the last 2 years…  It helped that the questions were easy for me to answer, but they were also impressed with my presentation, which on reflection was not bad, considering I’d never been in the building before.  It probably also helped that not many archivists with 10 years experience would be going for a short term contract, but hey ho.  They gave me the job.  And that’s what’s most important.  And, again blowing my own trumpet (really I’ll stop this soon, it’s getting embarrassing), my interview was at 10:15, they interviewed 5 people (I was number 2), and they rang me at 4:30.  So I reckon there can’t have been much competition.  And then just to add to my utter joy of knowing that I would be employed until at least November this year, I found out today that they have agreed to my request to pay me one point up the scale, rather than the bottom.  Because of my experience and the fact that at the moment I am paid a mere £30 more than the bottom of their scale.  I’ve never done that before and am so delighted that I did.  So I’ve got a pay rise and will pay less on my season ticket (the job is in Liverpool which is £40 a month cheaper to get to than Sheffield).  So WOO HOO!  Go me.  etcetcetc…

But I am blushing from my own gushing now and it really isn’t very British of me, so I’ll stop now.

So 2012 is looking up.  It really is.  My Christmas tree fairy has done a good job so far.  And to add to my delight about being employed and a bit richer than I thought this year, now I’m (probably) also getting an exciting holiday, accompanying Flâneur to Seoul in July/August.  He got a big(ish) research grant from his university to go and do research on Marketplaces in S. Korea and is planning on staying in the big posh hotel we stayed in in October as it’s not actually very expensive and he cheekily put in for the exact amount of money for staying there in his bid…  Hmm…  I’ll be put to work to earn my keep while with him, but only in a photographic manner – I’m not sure he’d want me to do any sketching or notations or any of that other stuff that he does in his research.  But I’ve got a pretty good camera and I’m not afraid to use it!

So what about the rest of 2012?  These are the things I said I would like to do when we wrote our ‘resolutions’ on January 1st*:

– worry less
– make two quilts
– be more adventurous with the shapes used in the above
– Lose a stone (in weight, and keep it off – planning in the first instance to do this as a pound a week)
– Learn Japanese (again)
– Learn some more fish recipes
– Eat more veg
– take more photographs.  Of anything.
– enter a photography competition

Clearly written before the interview – and some of those things are a base level, if I do more then that’s great!

So my progress so far, 9 days in?  Well, I am now worrying less, that’s for sure.  I have made a start on the first of the two quilts I want to make and am already planning the other one in my head.  We rearranged the spare room a bit so I now have a dedicated sewing space, which helps!  The two quilts aren’t going to be exactly squares sewn together, but I can’t say too much more for now.  I have lost 1lb in the first week of January (and have been to the gym three times so far this year).  I am making a new fish dish on Friday this week (using a fish  I’ve never used before) and have eaten my 5 portions of fruit and veg today.  The Japanese and photography will be on their way in due course, I’m sure.  And I have found one competition to enter by the end of January.

Phew!

So here’s to 2012.  May it be brilliant for you all.

*Flâneur’s list was much more interesting and exciting than mine, but then he was in a better mood about 2012 when we wrote them than I was!

Some Hexagon Progress

I think I may be a bit slow at paper piecing…   I started making my hexagons back in (quickly checks) April and although I have now turned most of the squares of fabric into hexagons, and have even started on some solid yellow centres* (to make proper pretty flowers), not many have been sewn together yet.  It’s supposed to be one of those takes-forever-labour-of-love things right?? 

That’s not all of them, but it is the majority.  I don’t know if I’ve made enough to make a full quilt.  In fact I’ve not counted them and have no idea how many I have actually made.  Maybe I should do that…

I have an hour train journey to work and back so have made some of them on the move, packing everything I need into a sandwich box for the trip.  The small square one I have fits a good number of hexagons (or paper and fabric squares), thread, a long pin cushion (which doubles up a scissor holder when I keep scissors in the box) and a thread cutter / threader.  It’s not so handy when sewing the hexies together as I can’t really squish them in when I’m done, but that didn’t stop me taking it on my 11 hour flight to South Korea in October where I managed to make three flowers while watching about five in-flight movies.  It was a great way to help the long flight pass I can tell you!

These are some of the flowers I have made so far.  As I said at the beginning I’m pretty slow at sewing them together but I love what I’ve done so far.  They’re so pretty when you see them together like that.  Maybe it will serve as inspiration to pick up my pace…  Can’t wait to have it all done now!

 

*the yellows I am using are Kona Cotton solids I bought from Mandy at Simply Solids at the Festival of Quilts this summer.