Friday Smiles

Hello My Lovely Friends

Happy Friday everyone.  I have a little change to my usual Friday Funny.  I actually have two photos of yours truly going to bed!!

Last Friday I was sat at my sewing machine making the PJ bottoms that you see me wearing.  As I sat there making them, I could not help but think of my Mum and all the happy times we were at quilting workshops, sewing days, lace days and was smiling the whole time.  I emailed our dear friend Annie a picture of the fabric and  told her I was smiling as I was making them and on finishing the PJs on Monday she insisted I shared photos of me wearing them today.  So here I am toddling off up to bed with my Rupert and hot water bottle.  Well it is cold right now!!

Please do enlarge the photo to see the little characters on the fabric.  I bought the fabric in Doughtys in Hereford, purely on a whim as I just knew it would make great PJs!!  I didn't want a matching top so I bought the t-shirt from a store on a well known auction site!!

And now I suppose you want a joke as well.....Here goes!!

A senior citizen drove his brand new Corvette convertible out of the dealership and past MacDonalds. Taking off down the Trans Canada, he floored it to 120 kph, enjoying the wind blowing through what little hair he had left.

 "Amazing!" he thought as he flew down the 401, pushing the pedal to the metal even more.  Looking in his rear view mirror, he saw the RCMP behind him, red and blue lights flashing and siren blaring.

"I can get away from him - no problem!" thought the elderly nut case as he floored it to 130 kph, then 140, then 150 kph. Suddenly, he thought, "What on earth am I doing? I'm too old for this nonsense!", pulled over to the side of the road and waited for the Mountie to catch up with him.

Pulling in behind him, the officer walked up to the driver's side of the Corvette, looked at his watch and said, "Sir, my shift ends in 30 minutes. Today is Friday. If you can give me a reason why you were speeding that I've never heard before, I'll let you go."

The man, looking very seriously at the Mountie, said, "Years ago, my

wife ran off with an RCMP officer. I thought you were bringing her back."

"Have a good day, Sir," said the Mountie.

Right then, I hope you like that one.  Thanks to my little friend Kath for this one!!!

Off to join my friend Annie for the usual Friday Smiles!!

Hugs and have a great weekend.

Hettie

WOYWW 324 - Au Revoir Janet Fairythoughts

Hello

As I was about to sit down and write this post last night, I learnt from Julia that one of our WOYWW friends Janet Fairythoughts has sadly passed away.  I dedicate today's post to her memory. 

Farewell Janet.  I will miss your funny comments and kind words of encouragement.

 

Now as it is Wednesday I am taking part in the WOYWW phenomenon with my friend Julia so when you have read my post why not go HERE to see the other desks that take part.

Time to share my desk, which is actually my dining room table, where I have been making a new top for myself. 

 

A lovely new shop has opened up in Abergavenny - Black Mountain Fabrics, and I found myself wandering down to the shop in my lunch break and saw this fabric and then the pattern for the top and knew I had to have it.  Well, I need to support my local fabric shop didn't I!!

 

 

Here is one of the pockets.  I cannot believe that there were 10 tailor's tacks involved in the pockets alone and like a good girl I actually sewed the tacks instead of just cheating with pins!! You can see some of the pink thread I used at the top edges of the pocket.

 

 

And for those of you who want to know what the finished item looks like, here is the pattern.  mine is the purple one bottom left.  I will have to get the man to take a photo of me so I can share the finished top.  I am liking it very much and even got accosted in Waitrose on Sunday by a lady asking me where I got it!!  I should have offered to make it for her but I know I had the last of that fabric!!  Hee Hee.

 

Thanks for calling by.  Now please leave a comment an then off you go to Julia's blog HERE.

 

Hettie

 

WOYWW 316 - Sat at the Sewing Desk today....

Hello there!!

Now let us see if I have internet for more than five minutes today shall we?

Hello there and Welcome to One and All to my Humble desk today.  Today is Wednesday and I am joining in on WOYWW!!  Today I am viewing life from the Sewing Desk!!  

 What happened was....... I spotted a Pin on Pinterest...... I am having too many of those moments aren't you?  Well, going back to my story, I saw a Pin and Pinned it.  Then I had the opportunity to order more Sizzix dies for the quilting group I belong to and chose some that I wanted including a triangle.  Well, a week last Sunday (15th), when I had nothing better to do I decided to play with the triangle die so that I can show other members of the group a way of using the die and a quilt was born.

 Do you like my new mug?  I love it.  It was a birthday present from my buddie and it is perfect for preventing threads and pins landing in my tea!  For the eagle eyed among you, yes I am using Christmas fabrics!!

After just 9 days I have made 43 blocks!! This quilting malarky is addictive and FUN!!  Here are some of the blocks waiting to be sewn together.  I will share the finished quilt top when it is all stitched together which will hopefully be before Saturday (I want to take it to quilting).

Well that is it from my desk today except to show you a pic of the two WOYWWers I was lucky enough to meet up with on Monday....

Yes, our very own Wispo and Twiglet.  They are as lovely IRL as I hoped.  Can you believe they dragged me kicking and screaming into a fabric shop?  Yep, I really did not want to go in there!!  Thank you ladies.  

I have a photo of someone else at my desk from recent weeks, and fear not I will share that with you again....that camera is not handy and I am losing the will to live to download the photo to my computer and blog!!

Off to join the WOYWWers minus the Leader Julia as she is of on her jolly holidays.  You would think she would invite us wouldn't you!

Catch you later!!

Hettie

WOYWW 211 - Didn't We Have a Lovely Time......

Hello there

 

What?  Wednesday again!!!  How did that week go so fast?  Time to join in the fun and frolics of WOYWW with the Lovely Julia.  If you want to know more about it, click HERE.

 

If you were here last week, you will know that I was looking forward to the WOYWW crop in Burbage on Saturday.  Well here we all are.....

 

Fergus came too and spent the day supervising me while I chatted and did a teeny amount of scrapbooking in my album.

Here is Helen in her natural habitat...

 

 

Cindy with her box of pwetty flowers...

 

 

Some serious chatting between Michaela and Debbie... Well, it has to be done...

 

 

And moving along the table.....can you see a theme going on here?

 

 

 

The Birthday Girl with her blue hair talking to Fiona....

 

 

And Jan in her natural habitat....behind the counter sorting a superb lunch out...

 

 

Morti looking so studious with her cross-stitch....

 

We really all had a fabulous day.  Short, but fabulous.  Thanks Julia and Jan for hosting this annual event again.  Looking forward to the next one.   Maybe in Autumn?  Hint Hint!!

 

And here is my desk at the moment.  I have quilting on Saturday and was asked if I would show how I do my double edged binding so I am making up some samples so I can show them how I do it.

 

 

I just dug some old snippets out of my basket to use.  The squares will be added to the bunting ready for our next Exhibition in 2017!!  Nowt like starting early ey!

 

 

I managed a sneaky hour on Sunday to work on my Album and unpack some of my kit from Saturday. This is how it looks as at 7 am this morning....

 

And a close up of the previous page which I did on Sunday...

 

 

Sorry this has been a loooong post but I wanted to share some WOYWW Crop photos with you all.  The top one I pinched from LLJ's FB page. 

 

Off to join Julia and the others HERE.  Thanks for staying here so long and please leave me a message so I know you have been.  I will call back to see you later today, once I have finished work!

 

Hettie

On the Ninth day of December....an Alteration for Bran Tub pressie!

Hello there

Is it me or is December just chomping along at a fast rate of knots?

On a previous post I mentioned that I was at our quilting Hope Lunch and that we traditionally have a Bran Tub.  Well, it has got around that I usually make something and so couldn't let them down this time.  I had bought some ribbon and some needle threader/cutters and now I just needed to "present" them some way...

 Take one tin that has been hanging around in your craft room for several years waiting for a project.

 Take some chipboard that has previously been on the back of a notepad in work.

 Take some VOS K&Company paper and cover said tin, find some Snippets and TH and Paperartsy stamps, half of a dummy torso that you had left over from a previous project, some buttons and flowers... jumble it up a bit and you get this...

 Do you like it?  I know Elaine did.  So glad she got it as she does love owls.

And the side didn't get ignored...

 Nor the base.  I was sent these stamps from a very kind blogging pal and this was their first time out.  Do you like my Handmade stamp too?  Only just received it from Etsy.  Love it!

 And here is inside the lid...

 Inside the box...

 Oh yes...I added some more ribbons.  The cards were also cut from the TH die and inked up with DI ink.  Some bells, buttons and pretty pins too.

Thanks for calling by and please let me know what you think.  Off to share this with the Pirate Cap'n Miss Di and her parrot called Parsnip as there are oodles of Snippets used in this project. ....last seen looking for another tin to make one for Mum for Christmas....

Hettie

On the Third Day of December.......WOYWW 287

Ahoy there!!

As regular visitors to my blog will know, there is a mad crazy lady called Julia who runs what must be the biggest blog hop in the world* called What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday aka WOYWW, that I occasionally join in on.  It gives bloggers a chance to legally snoop in on someone’s workdesk whether it be the shed, the dining room table, the floor or the garden (though I doubt it in this weather).  Due to working full time and teaching dancing on a Wednesday I am not as regular to this as I would like, but this week my class has been cancelled so here I am.

So without further ado, here is my desk…

Not my usual desk I know.  This is the desk opposite to the one I normally share on which I usually do my cutting of fabric, card and die cutting (mine is usually too full and covered in schtuff for the Big Shot) and of course, sewing.  This is my lovely brand-new-shiny-hardly-a-scratch-on-it Brother sewing machine.  Meet Timmy everyone!  He is my Brother and a bit geeky.  If you are an NCIS fan you will know who he is named after!

I did not realise how poorly sick my old trusty Janome was until I started playing with this beauty.  Timmy purrs instead of chunters!!

Can you see what I am working with right now?  Yep!  Christmas fabrics.  I am making Christmas Infinity scarves right now for Christmas presents.  They are so easy to make, thanks to Pinterest!! Also, a great way to using up those pesky Snippets!

Do you like my mug?  I had it from Laura Ashley years ago and it is huge and I love it!  

Here is mine.  The first thing I made for myself on my Timmy!  The first thing I made ever on my machine is something for my Mum which I shall share with you later.  Whilst I mention my Mum, she is poorly in hospital right now, as is my Mother in Law so if you could remember them in your prayers I would be grateful.  Unfortunately they are 25 miles apart which makes visiting tricky.

Right then.  Here’s what you do now.  You leave me a kind comment below then click HERE and whizz off by the magic of Pixie dust and go to Crazy Lady’s blog and have a good snoop at some other desks.  I cannot guarantee what you will see, (but I guess mine will not be the only one with a Christmas theme) but you will have fun and you are bound to see something that you need to put on your wishlist!

Thanks for your visit.

Hettie

(legal bit here….I don’t know of a bigger blog hop carried out on a regular basis so if you do, please let me know!)

Tea on Tuesday...T Bag Anyone?

Hello there

Happy Tuesday to one and all!  I have missed sharing my tea (other beverages are available) with you and Elizabeth on a regular basis.  I must remedy this.

Today I thought I would share some tongue in cheek t-bags with you....

I was given some lavender by a friend of mine and not wanting to waste it I made some lavender t-bags that I had seen on Pinterest - gotta love Pinterest for ideas!!

I happened to have some Snippets of fabric on my desk as I was in the middle of making a quilt which I need to share with you too, now that the Challenge is finished.

I used a tag and drew round it to get the shape.  cut out fabric with some calico for the backs.  I used some paper string for the string with tiny tabs on the tops with a bow stitched on.   Those bows must be nigh on 30 years old.  I had them long before I was married!  

The T Bags smell divine.  I took them over the water to Kim as she was wanting some goodies to sell at her Mum's craft fayre next month.  

And now for the picture of my cuppa...

Fergus drinking my Snapple at Quincy's Market a couple of weeks ago.  I cannot believe that on Saturday it will be a month since we flew out there.  It still feels like last week.  

Now off to share this with Elizabeth and Bleubeard for the T on Tuesday and the Snippets Playground   Why not join in with us - just share your drink of choice for the Tea on Tuesday and your Snippets for the Playground.

Thanks for calling by.

Hettie

Been sewing again!

Hello there

Thank you all for your kind comments to my post yesterday. I was working on trying to put a few deterrents around the coop and run so hopefully the B..... will get the message and leave my Girls alone.  I can report that all the Girls came out to see me this morning, but they don't stay out if either myself or Hubby are not around.

Now to share something which I hadn't realised until the other day I hadn't posted.  I thought I better do so soon or else it will be totally out of season!

I sometimes find myself spending too long on Pinterest but sometimes I do get to do something I found there.  Like this top...

I found the pattern HERE and downloaded it and printed it out.  It was kinda like a jigsaw having to join all the dots to make the pattern.  Then I remembered this seersucker fabric I bought a looooong time ago to back a quilt, but when I ordered it I didn't realise it was "knobbly" so it wasn't going to work.  So I dug it out and made it up into a top.  I even made my own bias binding....again using a howto on Pinterest HERE!

Here is a little more of the photo with my patio in view.  That seat is a double seater and Hubby an I like to sit on there whilst we let my Girls out to roam the patio.  As a result I cannot put weedkiller on the patio as the Girls like to pick at the greenery.  Any excuse ey?

Well, as both the fabric, pattern and bias binding are all NBUS I am joining in with my mate Darnell in her NBUS Challenge.

Thanks for popping over.

Hugs

Hettie

Scrapbook Tuesday and Tea on Tuesday...Tea stands for Tardy inTerneT!

Good Evening

It is still Tuesday so I am still going to share a cuppa with you as I show you my layout I have created.  It would have been up last Tuesday but we were having issues with Internet in these parts all last week hence my lack of layout and visiting.

Anyhoo, onto this week.  The layout I am sharing with you and my friends over at Elizabeth and Bleubeard's Tea on Tuesday is quite unique for me in that it shows a layout of something I have made.  Let me show you what I mean...

So here I am on a layout which features my dress which I made earlier this year and wore to the Summer Lunch at the end of June.  Isn't that background paper by MME just wonderful!  It was too nice to cover or cut so I used it as it was and just added things to it, like the banners on the top right, two of them are made using the Snippets of fabric left over from my dress.  I also used some of the pearlised turquoise card which I only have snippets left.  I don't know what I will do when it is all gone.  The title is cut from a TH die, the stitching drawn on and stamped using my new Paperartsy stamp set which I bought recently using a voucher I received for my Birthday from a VIP.  It was THIS set I bought and I love it!  It was a difficult choice to make and I am sure I will go back for more similar themed stamps later.

The cup this morning is one of my chicken cups filled with Glengettie which I am sure I have shared with you before.  I nearly bought another one the other day, but it was the smaller sized version, no point really.  If you are going to have a cup of tea make it a large one!

 

The little bobbin card was made using a stamp bought, along with the scissor one, in a gorgeous shop called Makery in Bath.  The button was one of the stamps in the set.

 

You can see I was having fun with my sewing machine and some varigated  thread around the edge of the layout, which I had distressed using a TH distressing tool.

These little cards were made using the stamps from the set, stamped with Memento and then inked with Pumice Stone.  A little embroidery thread and some pins.

Aren't these hooks just gorgeous? I can see a lot of use of this stamp set, hence my choosing it.  

I was asked recently about journalling and how I include it on layouts.  This is a prime example of how I can rabbit on without it taking up the whole of the page.  This card is tucked behind the photo on the left hand side.  It doesn't need to be on show on the front of the page but I wanted to include it as it reminds me what make the pattern was and the fabric.

Right, I am now finally off to join Elizabeth and Bleubeard with Tea on Tuesday...it is still Tuesday...Just.  I spoke too soon about the internet.  This post has taken two restarts on the internet hub and about two hours to load up!!!  I am also taking this down to the Snippets Playground to show my Buddies.

Hettie

Well I needed a roll....

Hello there

Sorry I haven't been around much over the weekend.  Our internet has not been playing ball.  I could visit sites but when it came to leaving comments or uploading any pictures, or writing a post our bandwidth was so low it was not playing ball.  Mr Hubster spent a few happy hours on the phone to India trying to explain that just because we have a working phone line, as it is raining our internet is not good!  Grrr.

Anyhoo I am back in the land of civilisation so I can share a post which I had previously uploaded (when the weather was sunny) for you.

I was going to my friend's house with my paints and Sheena Douglass stamps for a painting day and realised I had no tin or box or suchlike to transport my paintbrushes in safely.  So I set to and made this...

And opened...

I know the pink will not stay untainted for long but it was there, as with both fabrics they were left over from previous projects and just enough for what I wanted to make now.  So I guess they class as Snippets.  That is a little of my fabric mountain reduced too!  Yippee!!

My friend's daughter liked it so much she wanted one so now I have to make another one!

Off down to the Snippets Playground with this to show all the girlies.  I wonder who else will want one now?  (Having just seen Miss Di's post today, it seems that she is in need of some company to deter her from talking to a die cut cat!)

Thanks for calling by.  Hopefully Mr BT will have sorted our broadband out now so I can visit you all later.

Hettie