Happy Holidays

It has been a little quiet over here of late because we have been on holiday with all the preparation that entails. Our week in Aberdyfi in Wales was the most relaxing, well earned break. We missed our holiday to Switzerland last year and I decided way back in October, when I looked into my crystal ball, that we should book somewhere in the UK for a holiday. I kind of surmised that the whole of the UK holidaying population could not fit into the UK holiday destinations available in one summer season. I was right and in the end we went in school time because so many places were already booked up. 

Our other back up was to buy a camper van and an awning just in case we were able to get out for a few nights away later in the summer. We went in the van which was perfect as a modest wet suit changing cubicle, mobile coffee and sandwich shop and an all round mahoosive suitcase for taking fun things to do on holiday.

Holidays are a huge part of our family life. Bloke is a Key worker and so was I last year when I was teaching which has been very stressful so we just wanted to stop, take stock and look at ourselves for a moment. Big girl is thirteen and little one is 11, they still enjoy holidays with us but I know that won't last forever.

Anyway, less of the personal musings. We are all fit and healthy, happy and afloat so lets crack on with the photos!...

I know you will be disappointed to hear that that the photo of me in my wet suit was out of focus - that is my story and I am sticking to it. It was possible to get it on but the process was not pretty!

Little one and me spent a happy hour collecting and sorting stones.

Two van mugs were a very pleasurable purchase for someone who hyperventilates when spending any amount of money. I love them. 

There are bags and bags of shells...

There was a jellyfish sting from one of these compass jellyfish. Heidi informed me it was like lots of very hot nettle stings. For your information: you need to put the area in a hot bath, as hot as you can stand and it stops the pain which she said worked.

Crabbing was unsuccessful in terms of numbers caught but we just liked dangling the lines and watching fish eating all the bait - it seemed kinder somehow.

I may have over-egged the joy to be had at the Portmerion village to our children. Little one was so unimpressed for the first half an hour when she found out you couldn't just wander around inside people's houses and she was similarly unimpressed that looking at the view was actually the entertainment. Big girl loved it but she then she loves design, architecture and miniature things.

She warmed up a bit on a woodland walk and when we reached the centre of the village. It wasn't helped by my eternal optimism about the day's weather. I promised it would warm up, convinced her to wear sandals and her feet were cold. The again, so were mine but you don't go on holiday in Wales for the weather so I ate humble pie and apologised.

All in all the cooked breakfasts at the hotel just couldn't go on. It was time for a slow drive home. We had a fabulous holiday but we were all missing Beano our dog.

Thanks for dropping in. I will be calling in to see you folks this week. Jo xxxx

Monday Moments

I have enjoyed a week off work alongside being at home with the girls for a half term holiday so there has been a mix of crafty action and getting out of the house. I made a whole host of things in between being very much needed and very much told to go away by my girlies.

Needed for threading a loom, but told to go away once it was up and running.

Needed to find out how oil paints work, but told to go away once painting had started.

We enjoyed some lovely mild weather at the beginning of the week but then had to change our horse riding plans on the day of storm Doris.

  

There was playing with friends outside ,

with sorting and organising inside.

I made this notions case to sort out my knotted up knitting bag.

I also cracked on with a bit of stripy knitting with my latest stash busting project.

I hope you all have a fruitful week. 

What is seasonally happening by you?

Jo xx

Looking Ahead to a #Belle View

I visited the Flojo stand at the trade show on Monday and it is heartening to see how UK craft business' have developed in just one year. They used to have one line - a vintage knicker kit - but now they have many patterns and kits for sale. 

There was much excitement on Monday as their new pattern had just arrived from the printers, the Belle swimsuit. I was more than happy to accept a gratuit copy of the pattern in view of the fact I had just booked a holiday to the South of France and I knew I had swimwear fabric languishing in my stash cupboard. 

The pattern has gathered sides for a flattering tummy, with a front skirt that is not too long. There is a gather at the bust centre. The straps are perfectly angled which are comfortable.

The back is not too low so the front does not pull down. The bust is lined and elasticated for support. The pattern is graded in double sizes from 6-20 and printed clearly on tracing paper. 

You can make the whole thing on a regular sewing machine following the instructions in the pattern pack but I did use my overlocker for the legs and skirt front because ... well... I could but it would have been fine with a zig zag or twin needle sewing.

When I make it again I will make the bust band a little bigger because the seam sat a little high across my bust rather than under it but all breasts are different so I guess each and every maker will have their own mods to make. I would also add a couple of foam pads to help the bust shaping. I was going to do it then realised I couldn't get inside once it was complete Doh!

Just carpet pictures today, February in the UK is not a time to be modelling swimwear!

Thanks Flojo, I love your new pattern. Jo xxx

Holiday Creativity

Our summer holidays always consist of the children catching up on some crafty projects they have started and not finished or the making of kits that have been gifted for Christmas or Birthdays. 

These cushions are for the mini sofa in the playroom. We have just revamped the cubby hole of a room because the table and chairs were too small and low for them to use and their detritus had started to spill out over three floors of the house so we all talked about what should be in there, what should be given away and what they would like to do when they are in there. Mainly they like to draw, craft or watch TV so we made it so with a few purchases and a lots of sorting out.

The fabric was gifted to me last year by my friend Christina from Colourful life. It is bright and colourful with doodle areas for coloring in. I hunted out some IKEA fabric pens and off they went for an hour or so - I joined in too. 

Heidi has enjoyed her amazing Birthday present from her Uncle (I was so jealous!)She did this to make us all laugh, she wore a shower cap on her head too but we were laughing too much to get a picture.

There has also been impromptu sewing on the machine. I can leave Big Sis on there now aged nine and she squirrels away making little things from her own creative mind and my bin. (yes yarntangler, that is an off-cut from your mum's dress!) She wore the tape measure around her neck the whole time even though she didn't use it. Cute.

We have been playing creatively outside at the cabin too with a sleepover, picnics and play days.

Big Sis received an Indian Tiffin from the aforementioned 'yarntangler' for her birthday, the other girls looked on quizzically as her face lit up in delight. We had seen the gifting family with one and were very jealous but they came up trumps and bought her one for her birthday. The very next week my friend came across another in a house clearance, she did not know what it was, so I explained and bought it for £2. Now we have two. Not seen one before? Look...

Little metal bowls of snacks and salads all perfectly transported with the clip and strap, ready in serving dishes when you arrive. Sweet can be separate from savoury, hot or cold, endless possibilities. Just genius! I love functionality in design, I get a bit awestruck by it sometimes.

My own crafting has been happening in short bursts here and there; at the park, in the garden, in my lunch break on work days, watching the Olympics or a snatched hour on the sewing machine.

Happy Holidays or Happy Crafting. Jo xx

Fi Fi swimwear style

I made this top just before I went away last week, in the final hour, when I shouldn't have really been sewing. I wanted an alternative to my handmade vintage bikini top and bottoms and I had just the right amount of matching fabric left over. I thought the Tilly and the Buttons Fi Fi PJ top could be a good style for a  swimwear top.

Pattern modifications:

cut two sizes smaller than I normally would.

cut the four way stretch fabric on the grain not on the bias.

cut swimwear lining for the cups and front panel.

crossed the straps over on the back for more support.

straightened the hem to remove the curve.

Fitting:

I just kept trying it on and taking new seam lines down all seams until it was snug, trimmed the excess, then over locked the seams but pinking would have worked too.

 

I wore it so much on holiday along with the bikini top. It was great to have a mix and match option.

Thanks for popping over. Back to work tomorrow! Jo x

Happy Holiday Knitting

We are back from our holidays after a restful, sunny time in Portugal. It was our first holiday abroad with the children. At aged eight and six it was a good time to take them away. They could carry their own bags, listen to instructions at the airport, play happily with each other in the swimming pool and deal with 30 degree plus heat. I have had some very happy times this week.

Knitting + Beach = Happy

Knitting + Poolside = Happy

Knitting + Shade = Happy

Knitting + Wine = Happy

Knitting + Airport = Happy

Holiday + Family = Happy

Happy times indeed. Jo xxx

Ps: More pattern and yarn details to follow as this is one of my Minerva makes for Autumn

More Savoring Needed

The girls and I have had two weeks at home with our Bloke mixed in with family weekends and I felt a bit guilty (not like me at all) that we had not used our time wisely but then I looked on the memory card in my camera which changed my outlook.

We all went on an egg hunt with old friends and their families followed by drinks and chip butties in the pub - a really great catch up with cliches like, "I can't believe they are growing up so fast!" "Are you still teaching Jo?" "Did you make that?" etc.

I have found an unlikely new pastime, burning brash. We have spent two days at the farm clearing woodland areas to allow new spring growth. We also put the smashed up bits of the old cabin to burn and took the rest of the good bits down in preparation for the new.

The areas we cleared last year are thriving and you have to sort of look past the carnage and dream the green of the following year.

Little M and I wondered down to the pond in search of frogspawn and were not disappointed.

I even spotted some toad spawn which I had never seen before.

We visited Berrington Hall National Trust to learn about the Georgians. I was intrigued by these paper sculptures and admired the artists knowledge of pattern cutting. They represented people who had lived in the house.

There was a phenomenal local embroiderers exhibition in the rooms on the top floor which were a delight. 

We also visited Sunnycroft National Trust on another day which similarly has a stitching link as the spinster who finally lived there was one of the embroiderers for Queen Elizabeth II coronation robes.

We had family maintenance duties; both children needed new PE footwear, there were gift book tokens to spend and hair cuts needed. I only succeeded with one there, I have a strong willed little girl who will not have her hair cut. Big Sis loved her first ever proper pair of chosen trainers so much she made a little drawstring bag for them on the sewing machine to keep them clean. Little M made a purse for storing her still gargantuan stash of chocolate mini eggs which she is eating eight at a time!

We welcomed two new chickens into our family and received our first beautiful egg from them.

We had friends to play, my girls went to others to play, we bickered a bit, we baked cakes, we dug the allotment, I snatched many moments of knitting, sewing and crochet on April shower days, I gave up on tidying the house and we watched more TV than we normally do. 

I read a book! Us by David Nicholls,I hardly ever read anymore, it was fantastic. Bloke reads every night (The road Home) and reading with the girls has been a joy for everybody over the last two weeks.

So I think I should just chill out and stop berating myself, we have been having a wonderful time all along, maybe I just need to savor these moments a little more. We might round off the holidays with Sunday Lunch out tomorrow - that sounds good.

What have you been up to?

Love Jo x