Designer bag that cost nothing

Here's a little something I've thrown together, the denim bag is finished. It measures 16" wide, 17" long, and has two longish handles that can be hooked over the shoulder.

I wasn't sure where to place the embellishments, I decided to put them on one side rather than spread them all over. The colours look far more vibrant than is shown on the photograph, it doesn't look like a pizza in real life, ha ha.

It has a lighter blue lining with pale blue flowers. There is no fastening, I decided not to bother, it doesn't need it if it isn't filled to the top.

It has kept me busy today, I thought I might have difficulty getting the needle to sew through four layers of the heavy denim, but the machine coped with it, no bother.

Now, who would like it, my Christmas present to a lucky winner. Please leave a comment, the deadline is 6pm on Sunday. It is open to anyone in the UK, you don't have to join anything, or sign up to anything. Apologies to my overseas readers, I cannot afford postage costs to the rest of the world at this time. I have my car insurance and road tax to pay at the end of the month, have to be a bit careful with spending. Sorry.

Bugsy update. The old boy seems to have picked up a bit, since feeding his face on chicken and posh cat food. No more sick or runny poo's. Now he has a taste for nice food, I'm going to have to spend a little more on him. Still, he is my bestest friend, and cats rule in this house. Thank you all for your good wishes.
Have a nice weekend. Toodle pip.

Let's make a bag

Thank you all for your comments on yesterdays post, there was some interesting stuff there. It's great when you take the time to write about your experiences, we can all learn from them.

The weather has been miserable today, so I have been playing with fabric, and bopping around the room to the music on Radio 2. I had a smashing salad lunch, couldn't be better.

So, I have an idea for a bag. I have a massive piece of donated denim to use up, so I cut two pieces for back and front. I have been collecting tiny pieces of scrap fabric to try something I have seen on a yootooob  video. Spread some of it out on the front of the bag, in a sort of oval shape.  

Bits of cotton and string included.

Then cut a piece of gold coloured organza and pin it over the top, tuck the stray bits inside. I used a zigzag stitch and went around the outside twice.

Next I went across the oval a few times, then did a spiral from the outside to the centre. Looks a bit like a pizza now, ha ha.

 

 Check this out for ideas if you want to have a go.

To make the bag a bit more interesting and jazz it up a bit, I am making some embellishments. I made the first one of these out of velvet, but it was a bit too bulky, so I found some thin silky fabric, it works better. Cut two circles, one bigger than the other.

Sew around the edge using a matching cotton, with a running stitch, and pull tight to make a puff ball, then flatten it.

Put the two pieces together and sew a button in the centre. I have six matching buttons to make more, I'd better get on with it.

Look out for part two of the bag. Toodle pip.

My pledge to myself to live within my means

I've been thinking about how I spend my money, where I spend it, and what I spend it on. It's all very well saying you must have a budget, but what someone may see as an essential, others might think it is a frivolous purchase. For instance, I don't think putting loads of slap on my face is going to make me feel any better, wearing a mask is not for me. Others may enjoy decorating their faces. I am not going to enjoy forking out £40 for a meal in a restaurant, but I am going to feel ecstatic tucking into a plate of fresh steamed veg at home, made up from yellow sticker shopping. Others might enjoy going out and not having to cook and wash up. Buying clothes from a conventional shop on the High Street is a very rare occurrence for me. The last time I did it was to buy walking trousers from an outdoor shop, which I couldn't get from a charity shop. It wouldn't bother me if they closed all the fashion wear shops. I do not need to be in fashion, I invent my own style. Others might like to be seen as trendy.

Coffee shops are springing up everywhere, I don't feel the need to pop in one when I am out, the prices are daylight robbery. If I am going to want a drink, I take it with me from home. Putting the heating on at home, that's another expenditure that I scrimp on. I sometimes 'treat' myself to an hour of central heating when it is really cold, but I have to switch it off because I find it unbearably too hot. I go in other people's houses where they have the heating on and I can't stay more than half an hour. My body is acclimatised to fresh air, my windows are open, my back door is often open, and I move about a lot. I have worked outside in all weathers for years, I cannot abide stuffy rooms which send me to sleep.

I've been thinking about how I live, and how I decide what I spend my money on. It all boils down to me being in control of my money, and not letting it control me. I have a set of rules, my own recipe for living within my means. You might have one too, but yours may be different to mine. It's whatever works best for you. If you are not in debt then your way obviously works, you are winning. If you are in debt you might need to revue your rules and make up a new recipe. Something is amiss, money is leaking somewhere.

I'll post up my set of rules, maybe it will help. My pledge to myself to live within my means.

1. Before I buy anything I always think, do I really need it? It might be fun to buy it, it looks nice, it's shiny, but how long is the pleasure of something new going to last? Maybe a day or two, then it will get put in the cupboard with all the other stuff I didn't need.

2. I will not be bullied into spending money, for anything I don't want or need. Every purchase I make will be because I have thought about it, and because I can afford to pay cash for it.

3. I will not shop on the internet. I tried a couple of eeeeebay purchases once a long time ago, but not any more. The internet is awash with stuff I don't need or want. I will not get sucked in.

4. I will not be bullied by junk mail, and leaflets through the door, wherever they come from. I class them as begging letters, they want to steal my money. Even mailshots from charities get ignored. I give what I can to charities, when I want to give it, I do not feel guilty binning their letters.

5. Charity chuggers get the same treatment from me, those that stop you in the street and want you to sign up to a direct debit. I ignore them, I will not be contributing to their wages. As above, I do give to charity, but they are the charities of my choosing, not those who pester me.

6. I ignore all advertising. Inside shops and on shop windows, on the internet, door to door sales, and telesales. We are bombarded by it, there is more and more every day. I don't even waste my time reading it, or listening to it. If I watch a programme on itv player or channel 4od  I nip onto another page while the adverts are on. They have set it up so you can't fast forward.

7. I understand the value of my money. It is the money I worked hard for, the money I paid in taxes in 45 years of employment. It didn't come easy, I sweated for it. It would be nice not to need any money at all. There is a romantic notion that you can live without money, people have tried it, but it's not sustainable for a long period of time. At some point you do need some money, and you need to learn what it can and can't buy you.

8. Scams were mentioned in another blog, there are a lot of evil people about. They are looking for victims that they can steal money from. Beware, don't get sucked in. Don't give your bank and credit card details out to anyone who telephones you. They pretend to be your bank, usually with a story that they need to check something. Don't believe them, they lie, they are after robbing your account. Don't fall for the smooth talker if you are visiting dating web sites. No matter how genuine the story sounds. Scammers are expert at sweet talking people into thinking they are in a relationship with them. They prey on the vulnerable and the lonely. Grooming someone for a sting can go on for months, the sob stories are endless, please send me some money for my mother's operation. Don't believe a word of it. Best to keep your money and be lonely, than hand over all your hard earned cash and find yourself destitute and in debt.

9. If you carry money and cards around with you, make sure they are safe in a zipped pocket, or a closed bag with a long strap diagonally across your body and keep hold of it. Do not carry it in a handbag in your hand, or a pocket which will not fasten, or one of those long handled bags which just goes over one shoulder. Bags can be snatched by someone coming up behind you.

10. The only cash machines I use are those which are inside a branch of my own bank. I do not withdraw money from a machine in the street, I don't trust the hole in the wall outside, anywhere. It's very rarely that I run out of cash, I plan how much I am going to need and make sure I withdraw it from my bank. If I am away from home and see a branch I will do a quick calculation in my head of how much I have and if I need to top it up. Sometimes I might make a small purchase from a supermarket, pay with a debit card, and ask for a cash back.

11. I always check my monthly bank statement. I don't do internet banking, I don't trust it. I have one credit card and always check the statement and pay it off every month. I don't know how much credit I can have on my card, I don't need to know, I never go anywhere near it. My card is used for convenience, I use it because I know I have the cash in the bank.

12. The best way of keeping track of your spending is to keep a notebook with you. Write down everything you buy, and how much it cost, even a chocolate bar or a packet of crisps. I did this for a long time, it was an eye opener, you don't realise how much money is leaking from your purse. I don't keep a notebook now because I am so disciplined not to buy anything I can't afford or don't need.

Well there's twelve of my tips to give you food for thought. You may have some to add to the list. Feel free to tell us your tips for looking after your money, and getting the most from it.

Re-using scrap metal and plastic

Here's an idea to make something out of rubbish. I've been chopping the top and the bottom off these Coffee Mate canisters, to separate the cardboard, plastic, and metal for recycling. It can be easily done with a bread knife then the bits can be placed in the appropriate bins. It seems such a shame to throw it all away though, so I have saved some of the plastic lids and the shiny metal bottoms and rims. There must be something I can make with them.

The bits of cardboard stuck around the edge can be trimmed with nail scissors or a craft knife, to tidy it up a bit. It doesn't all have to be removed as it will be hidden. The date stamp on the bottom can be wiped off with nail varnish remover.

Then all you have to do is to put the bottom inside the plastic lid and press it tight in.

And there you have a free coaster. They can be wiped with a damp cloth, or the two parts can be separated for washing.

Now, what can be made of the metal rim around the top of the container. Well funnily enough this fits exactly inside the plastic lid, and makes a sweet little picture frame. The trouble is that you only have one plastic lid, so you have to decide whether to use it as a coaster, or the back of a picture frame. I have saved several lids so I have plenty for both. If you like you could cover the pictures with sticky back plastic, and use them as coasters, but you won't be able to wash them. You could always change the pictures if they get a bit mucky.

Another idea, join them at the back with sticky tape, add a bit of ribbon and hang them on the wall. Or you could glue a magnet on the back and have them as fridge magnets.

A free picture frame.

 And a free coaster.

Some snacky foods are sold in similar containers. You can use any of them for the picture frames, but they might not all be big enough for the coasters. When they start looking a bit scratched and scuffed, all you do is put them in the recycling bin, and make some fresh new ones. Easy init  :o))

PS. Thank you for your good wishes for Bugsy. He is a bit better today, no sick, and runny poo's to clear up. I think the chicken has settled his stomach a bit.

Having a laff

I like to have a titter now and again, life doesn't always have to be dead serious, full consternation (oops big word) and angst (little word). It's best to lighten the tone a bit and not get so hung up on things going wrong or not working out right. A little trip on an uneven flagstone makes me laugh, my trip that is, it wouldn't be right to laugh at someone else who has tripped, unless they are laughing themselves of course. When I say trip, I mean without falling down, a little stumble that's all. It's not funny when someone hurts themselves. It's the silly little things that make me titter, like the umbrella that blows inside out and takes off in the wind, or the kitchen that gets blasted with soup when you lift the blender out too soon. It helps if you can see the funny side of things.

I often laugh at my own little mishaps, like the time I nearly chopped my own finger off with one of those hand held blades that you cut grass with. A sickle I think you call it. I was slashing away at the weeds in my back garden, and not making much progress, all I seemed to be doing was flattening it and not cutting it. So I had this bright idea of grabbing a tuft in my left hand and hacking it with the sickle in my right hand. Yes, I missed and sliced into my finger, ha ha. A good job I lived just down the road from the hospital, and was able to walk there with my hand wrapped in a tea towel dripping with blood. What a pillock eh, won't do that again.

There were several little mishaps when I was driving, it's normal to make mistakes, everyone does it. Like the time I unhooked an empty tank trailer from my tractor unit, at a brewery. The first thing you do is make sure you are on flat level ground, what did I do, I dropped it on a slope. There is a set order of doing things, you need to wind down the legs on the trailer first. Then disconnect the suzi's, those coloured curly cables at the back of the cab, they are the airlines and electrics and they activate the parking brake on the trailer. Then you pull the handle to release the pin, lastly drive the tractor unit away from the trailer leaving it supported by it's legs with it's brakes on. What did I do !?!? I pulled the pin first, head was in the clouds or somewhere else. This released the trailer, and because it was on a slope it parted company with the unit and rolled backwards. It landed on it's knees, (legs not down to support it), and stretched the suzi's till they bust. Ha ha, what a plonker, and how embarrassing. Had to get a fork lift truck to come and lift the front of the trailer so I could wind the legs down, and get a mechanic to come and replace the suzi's. Didn't do that again.

Ok, while I'm at it, confession time, can laugh now, not funny at the time. When I got back to the depot one night I found I was one box of 24 cans of baked beans short. All was intact when I left, rope and sheet job (tarpaulin covering the load), so where was it. I found it on the road as I was driving home in my car, bent cans and beans splattered all over the place. I quickly stopped and jumped out with a carrier bag and picked them all up. Funny that there wasn't 24 squashed cans, someone must have stopped before me and picked up the undamaged ones, ha ha. Nobody ever found out about it.

Oh go on then, I'll tell you another embarrassing story, ha ha. I was at the Lucas factory in Birmingham collecting some machinery, they were closing it down and we were shipping all the equipment out to another site. I had a lowloader trailer which only just fit through the gates. A team of men dismantled the machines and put them on the trailer. It was my job to rope, strap, and chain everything down. I crawled slowly through the gate and started to turn onto the road, hesitating for a second to look behind me to check all was safe. Now this is every drivers nightmare, to see your load move and not be able to do anything to stop it from falling off. I held my breath and prayed, then two very tall upright machines started leaning to one side, like slow motion they fell onto the road. No one told me they were top heavy, and were filled with oil. OMG EEEEK. Everyone came out to see what had made the big bang, the road was covered in oil, the fire brigade had to be called to mop it up. The road was closed, the buses had to divert, and the police interviewed me. I wasn't laughing then, but it's funny when I look back at it now. I wasn't prosecuted, and I wasn't sacked from my job. Phew, that was close.

Hey, do you like jokes? I've found a few which might make you titter.

My tom cat used to stay out all night, so I took him to the vet and had him neutered. Now he still stays out all night - it turns out he likes to watch!

Man to friend, 'I've really had it with my dog, he'll chase anyone on a bike.' Friend, 'What are you going to do? Have him put down?' Man, 'No, I think I'll just take his bike away'.

A man goes for a check-up. The doctor says, 'I'm going to need a urine sample, a semen sample, a blood sample, and a stool sample.' The man replies, 'I'm in a hurry. Can I just leave my underpants?'

Two bachelors are talking about cooking. 'I got a cook book once,' says one. 'But I could never do anything with it.' 'Were the recipes too hard?' asks the other. 'No,' he replies. But each of the recipes began the same way - take a clean dish.....'

It's late evening and Tom's wife catches him pouring six cans of lager down the toilet. 'What on earth are you doing?' she says. Tom replies, 'Well it seems a waste, but I thought it'd save me getting up in the night.'

And now........This has got to be the funniest Mr Bean ever.



It's good to laff. Toodle pip

Come into my boudoir

Aye up me ducks, a man with a white beard dropped by last night, a Mr Claus I believe his name is. He pulled up right outside my house so I gave him a wave. He didn't have time to come in and was soon on his way. The street was filled with Christmas music, and his little helpers were running about with buckets collecting money for local good causes. The Rotary Club do this every year around the villages, and the kids love it.

Here is a peek at the latest patchwork thingy, using up all the bits. There are four 24inch blocks here, not yet joined together, that will be the next job. I think I'm going to have to carry on and make more, it's not big enough yet. I'm just wondering if I can carry my sewing machine to the craft club tomorrow so I can start on another block. If not I'll have to find something else to take. It's got a carrying handle and it's not too heavy, might try that.

Sandie and annie asked to see the new curtains, with the quilt and rag rug together. Very difficult to get all of it in the one photo, but I think you get the idea from this. I woke up this morning feeling cheerful, it's amazing what a splash of colour can do.

I did a quick dash to Tesco at 3pm today. Not that I needed any food, but to get some chicken, and some posh cat food for Bugsy. The greatest cat in the world, my dear beloved Bugsy is not very well. He didn't eat anything this morning, pushed his food around the dish, and went back to bed. I eventually got him to eat something just before I went out. I need to monitor him now over the next few days. He is not a happy chappie, I fear the outcome will not be good.

I did manage to bag some yellow stickers while I was there. Loads of salady stuff, spinach 10p, lettuce10p, couscous 35p, pasta 13p, and dips 22p, and fresh pineapple 10p. I already had cauliflower, carrots, and broccoli, bought at Asda on Friday. My dinner tonight, steamed veg and couscous. Mighty nice.

Did you see the sunset tonight? I pulled in at a good high spot to watch it, on the way back from Tesco, wasn't it just glorious. I had only been there two minutes when a car pulled up alongside me. The local bobbies had stopped to see why I was parked there. I opened my window and called across to them, look at that wonderful sunset. They agreed, it was nice. I wondered how old they were, one male one female, only looked about 15 years old. I was bloomin annoyed that I didn't have my camera with me. I was cursing. If it happens again tomorrow night I'm going to get in my car and go back to that same spot. With the lights of the industrial estate in the foreground, and the wind turbines in the background, it was an amazing sight. Talking of turbines, they seem to springing up all around us here. I didn't realise we were going to get that many. Shows how much notice I take of the local press.
That's it for now. Don't get your knickers in a twist over Christmas, just forget about it. It's only one day, it will soon pass. Toodle pip.

Charity shop curtains for £1

I picked up a bargain yesterday when I was in town. Browsing in the Age UK charity shop where everything is £1, well it would be daft not to look wouldn't it, I found a lovely pair of curtains. I didn't bother checking the size, I will find a window somewhere that they will fit. It was the bright colours which made me take them off the rail. Possibility of cutting them up for patchwork if the fabric wasn't in good condition.

When I got them home and inspected them, they were like new, too good to cut up. I decided to take down these curtains in my bedroom as they have been up a long time, and I am getting bored with them.  

Looks a nice pattern on the photo, but they are a bit pale and wishy-washy. I fancy adding more colour into the room, to match the quilt and the rag rug.

Aren't they lovely? I am so pleased with them, vibrant colours to wake up to. They weren't lined, but I remembered I had a pair of linings which I removed from some other curtains before I ditched them. Guess what, they were the exact size, a perfect fit. So no cutting and trimming needed, just sew them straight in.

This close up picture makes them look a bit pink, they are more like a very dark pink almost red colour.

Not bad for £1, eh! Chuffin brilliant I say. I love a charity shop bargain. The other curtains I will wash and put away, I've got a few pairs now to swap about when I get bored.
Hope you are enjoying your weekend. I am busy sewing.
Toodle pip

Cheers, bottoms up

There's been a big mopping up session going on today at the bottom of the hill. Thank goodness that this mornings high tide wasn't as high as last night, and didn't make things worse. The pub was flooded along with several houses close by. When I went a walk down there, people were assessing the damage, the water had brought all kinds of rubbish up with it, as it breached the banks and covered the road. Several horses had been moved up into the village to higher grounds yesterday, and this morning they were walked back down to their fields which had luckily escaped the deluge. Some fields however are still covered in water, we now have ponds where there were no ponds before. One of the paths which I sometimes use is under water. Looking at the pictures of other areas, it seems we have got off lightly. Not good for the people who have to clean up, but it could have been much worse.

Moving on.......Austin asked me if I brewed my own wine. He noticed that I had paid £5 for a bottle at Aldi, and said I could make it myself much cheaper, at about 20p a bottle. Hello Austin. There is a reason for me not brewing wine, and it's the same reason why I don't bake cakes, and biscuits, and I don't make jam from foraged fruit.

I enjoy a glass of wine, but on the whole I don't drink much alcohol at all. I limit myself to one bottle in maybe three or four weeks, that way it stays a treat and doesn't become the norm. I only buy one bottle at a time, as and when I fancy a glass, and a bottle lasts me three days. If I had lots of bottles of home made wine in the house, I would be very tempted to have a glass every night, and could very easily come to rely on it as a comfort drink. This is not a good idea, excess alcohol does all kinds of horrible things to your body, screws your head up, pickles your organs, and is very bad for your health all round. I saw what it did to my father, he died at 46 through drinking every night. So, I would rather not put that temptation my way. I will carry on buying one bottle of wine from a supermarket, as and when I feel like a glass or two.

So where's the connection with not baking? In the same way, eating excessive cakes, and biscuits is not good for your health, there is too much sugar in it. I love cake, but, I don't want to bake them because I would scoff them as soon as they were out of the oven. I would rather not put temptation in my way. Cake once in a while is a treat, maybe for a special occasion. I sometimes buy cake when it is reduced to pennies on a yellow sticker at Tesco. Then when I get it home I find I have too much. So to get rid of the temptation I give most of it away.

Home made jam is much better than shop bought jam, but I don't collect berries and make it because you need to add a lot of sugar to it, and sugar is bad for you. Sugar rots your teeth and piles the pounds on your hips, I never buy jam for that reason.

I hope that has answered your question, a bit long winded I know. To sum up. I don't want 50 bottles of home made wine at 20p a bottle in my house. I would rather have one bottle at £5. Basically I am weak willed with anything that tastes nice. I have to be strict with myself because I don't want to be storing problems up for myself in the long term. I recognise my weaknesses and like to stay in control of them. Oh gosh, don't I sound boring. I'm not really  :o)
Toodle pip

Keeping safe, staying indoors.

I have been listening to BBC Radio Humberside all day, there have been updates giving severe weather warnings for the whole of the east coast. At this moment in time, almost 7pm, the reports are non stop about areas that are already under water, and areas under threat are being evacuated. We have had extremely high winds all day, and now we have the biggest high tidal wave in the last 60 years, coming up the Humber right now. 

Grimsby, Cleethorpes, and Hull are flooding, people are ringing in with what they are seeing, it is an extremely dangerous situation. Victoria Dock in Hull is about to flood in the next hour and everyone is being instructed to leave. Places of safety are being set up in leisure centres, elderly people are being moved out of their residential homes. I am amazed at what I am hearing, it is quite upsetting to think what people must be going through. There are a lot of low lying villages along the banks of the Humber, the Ouse, and the Trent, and some of them not far from here are being evacuated now. Luckily where I live is on the top of a hill so I am safe here.

This was the scene yesterday as I went for a walk. The River Trent is beyond the green field you see, so there is no way it will flood up here. We do have some houses, a pub, and a caravan park down at the bottom of the hill, quite close to the river. I haven't heard any news about what is happening down there, but I have seen the river come over it's banks before, and stop a few yards from the pub.  

I went outside briefly today during the wind, to retrieve some bins that were being blown about, and it was flippin cold. Best place to be is indoors, so this is where I have stayed. I have moved my extra large table to the front window so I can look out as I work. I have hung a second set of curtains over the ones already up, so it is nice and snug. The desk light keeps me warm. I've got my sewing machine and computer close at hand, no need to go anywhere today. I am working on the third patchwork square now, getting on really well with it.

I think it's forecast to be better tomorrow, so hopefully the wind might die down, and I might be able to venture out. Today it was not possible, the wind was too strong.

A quick hello to Austin, thank you for your friendly and interesting comments.
Toodle pip.

Time for a move

Oh what a nightmare it is to compare gas and electricity prices, and to identify which supplier will be the best one to move to. I've only done it a couple of times since I've been in this house, and now is the time to do it again. I find it an awful struggle to understand numbers, oh I can do the basics, like manage my own finances, but anything complicated I stare at a page of numbers and they don't register at all. My mind goes blank. I have been reading up about dyscalculia, a form of number blindness, and I am convinced I have a mild form of that. Maths at school was a nightmare, I didn't learn a thing apart from the adding, taking away, multiplying, and dividing. I bluffed my way through, mainly copying from my friends book. Later on, when I did a transport related course I had to leave the room because I had a panic attack when it came to vehicle costings. I failed miserably, that's why I now avoid anything to do with lots of numbers.

They say they are making it easier to work out your utilities costs, to understand your bills, but looking at the reverse of mine which I have just received from British Gas, there are more numbers than ever on there. It's taken me an hour to understand it.

Anyway, I need to move from British Gas, not because of the price increases, I can budget for that, but the fact that they have introduced a 25p a day standing charge on both gas and electricity, so that's going to bump my bills up big time. 50p a day for 365 days a year, chuffin heck.

I've done a comparison on the Ebico site, putting in my figures for kilowatt hours used, and they are going to be cheaper. I am a low user so I am going to benefit because they have set their standing charges at zero. Also there are no penalties for quarterly billing, so I can keep that and don't have to sign up to direct debit which I don't want to do.

I'll wait and see what happens next. I believe it takes a few weeks for it all to go through. In the meantime I will pay this £60.81 British Gas bill tomorrow. The standing charge came in on the 23rd of November, so for four days I've already been charged £2. Not for much longer BT, I'm out asap.

Toodle pip.

More patchwork, and a declutter

I got straight onto the job of adding more patches this morning, after the breakfast pots were moved into the kitchen. That's what I like about being retired, I can do whatever I like, and today I decided I am going to get this block finished. I've cropped the edges in the photo. It started as a 24inch square, and half an inch will be trimmed off all round to give a neat edge.   

I think this method works pretty well, and it goes together quite quickly using the sewing machine. I am going to carry on and make more. It won't be a bed quilt, probably a throw for the sofa. I'm not sure how big to make it, I might get away with six blocks, but might go to nine. As it's already got two layers I will just put a backing onto it. I will need to dig out some more fabric from my stash, I don't want to buy any more, but want to use up what I already have. So, hey ho, keep on sewing.

Another little job I tackled today, keep on chipping away at those boring unglamorous jobs. I have a nice little old writing bureau sitting in the corner of my living room. Someone gave it to me years ago, they were moving home and didn't have room for it in their new abode. I seem to have a talent for finding freebies, ha ha. Anyway, it has been housing my card making bits and bobs, mainly old greetings card which I cut up and stitch onto new cards. I haven't made any cards for ages. I tried to sell them at one point, but I think most people are of the same mind these days and have given up sending cards.

I thought about chucking the whole darn lot, having a good clear out, but there are some very old family cards here which I don't want to part with just yet, so I have just scaled down my collection. I took the scissors to the ones I didn't want to keep and now I have a big pile of white card to use for notes. I've also saved a lot of decorative snippets which can be used to make new cards, if I feel inclined to start making them again.

That's a lot better, the unwanted clutter has gone in the paper recycling box. I bet the bin men will think it's strange when they empty the box, to find lots of Christmas cards three weeks before Christmas. They usually get recycled in January.

I did find time to go out for a local walk today, I like to get out once every day. Right, I'm going to do a bit more sewing, make a start on the next block.
Toodle pip.

Moving on to another patchwork project.

Craft and Chat club was very busy this morning, a full house of twelve turned up. We have room for more should anyone else decide to join us, maybe they will once Crimbo has been and gone. The tables were split into two camps so that three ladies could get on with making Christmas wreaths without disrupting the rest of us with their piles of greenery. Two of the ladies were receiving instructions from the third who makes them every year for Normanby Hall. The finished wreaths looked fabulous, a great first attempt to be proud of.

I took the last bit of patchwork to be completed for this cushion, then when I got home I knocked up the cover it was to go on. So here is number five, the last one. Phew, I'm glad that has finished. Don't much like repetition, want to move on to something else.  

A full set of five. Spose I could make another one, no maybe not. Five is enough. I'm mighty pleased with them.

I've made a start with another project, using up all the bits I have accumulated. Rather than just piece them together which would be a very fiddly job, I am using an old sheet to sew them onto. This is a bit of an experiment to see how it turns out. I have cut a 24 inch square from the sheet and started by pinning a square scrap in the middle. The idea is to go round and round it, until I get to the edge. Adding complete strips, or making up longer strips out of two or three pieces of contrasting fabric. The width of the strips doesn't matter. I started this off with hand sewing at the club this morning because I didn't have anything else to take with me. It's quicker and easier to do it by machine, so I'll continue with it at home.   

The idea is to cut the next strip to size and put it face down on the edge you want to add it to, then sew it on.

Then fold it back so the right side is showing. At this stage you could iron it flat as you go, but I think pinning it is enough until you sew the next piece on.

I've joined two pieces here to make the strip.

 Pin it with right sides facing each other, and sew it together.

 Then fold back, and pin it down.

Next strip, join two pieces.

 Pin and sew again.

 Fold back. Another strip added.

I will keep going like this and see what happens.
Toodle pip.

My new second hand winter coats

Hello. Did you see the beautiful sunset last night? Wasn't it fabulous. I was hanging out of my bedroom window for this shot.

Then I thought, if I run to the church I might get another one. Five minutes later and it was gone. I love it when the sky turns red. Such an amazing sight.

Yesterday, after the Christmas Fair, I went to see my friends J & T, and their dog Bella. Poor Bella is not feeling so good, she has had her lady bits seen to, and was a wee bit sad. Nevertheless, she found a burst of energy when I rang the front door bell and came charging towards me when she saw me through the glass. Bella is a gorgeous white labradoodle, and so pretty. After an excited greeting, she went back to sitting in her chair again, where she let me whisper sweet nothings in her ear. Poor Bella.

It came up in conversation with J, that she has three jackets which she no longer needs. She has either gone off them, or they no longer fit. She asked me if I would like any of them. I tried them all on to see if they fit me, and Bingo, they did. J mentioned that they would be good for dog walking because they are warm and thick. My goodness, they are far too good for dog walking  This one is a Per Una from Marks and Spencer. It's dark green with a knitted back and sleeves, and a cord fabric front. Nice and long, it's more like a coat than a jacket. It will keep my bum warm.

This jacket has a Crew Clothing label. It's got a fleecy lining, plenty of pockets, and a fleecy lined hood with fake fur trim.

And this one is the icing on the cake. It's a really thick long jacket, quilted lining, fake fur lined hood, with a Fat Face label. It's snuggly and warm. Don't you think it's just fab.

I am chuffed to little mintballs with these lovely gifts, they will last me another five years or more. My friend is chuffed because they have been given a second life. There are some lovely people in my village. I don't mind at all if someone offers me their preloved, no longer needed clothes. I say hand me downs are the best kind. I always wore my aunties clothes when they were passed down to me when I was a child, and my younger sister always wore the things that I grew out of. I guess the habit hasn't left me. It's silly to feel embarrassed about wearing something that someone else has worn before. I certainly don't.

This morning I was awake early, it was bright and crisp, and I had the urge to go for a brisk walk. I had a coffee and put a banana in my pocket to eat while on the move, and set off along the hills, high above the River Trent. I met a couple of runners and a cyclist, and I even broke into a little jogalong myself now and again. The ground was still hard from the frost, but it isn't ideal for running, there are a lot of pot holes and slippery slopes. I am happy to stride along at a fast pace in my walking boots, don't want to bugger my knees up or break my ankle.

It was a there and back six mile walk, and I was timing myself. This went out of the window as a man walking his Rotty dog struck up a conversation with me at the halfway point as I was eating my banana. Then on the way back two more dog walkers stopped to chat. It took me almost two hours to complete it. I could knock 30 minutes off that if I wasn't such a gas bag, ha ha.  

This afternoon I spent an hour in the garden doing some hard digging, I've been to visit two lots of friends, just had my dinner, steamed veg as usual, now I'm going to play with some scraps of fabric. Got to get something ready to take to Craft Club in the morning.
Catch you tomorrow. Toodle pip.