A catch-up

Sorry I've been absent for a week or so, but I can assure you all that I have been kept very busy.

Before I start boring you all with what I've been upto, let me just say a very big thank you for all your heartwarming comments regarding my previous post.  I've been doing alot of thinking about those projects and have decided that I'm going to get them all out of their carrier bag for good, and get them out on display. 

Over the past few days I've been spending rather alot of time on the computer, checking out all of the potential nursery schools for Violet - no easy task I can tell you. 

 Lots of coffee has been drunk, lots of sweet things have been consumed and lots of headache tablets have been taken. 

What a sodding nightmare this has been, and it still isn't finished.  I've whittled it down to 5 schools and have made arrangements to go and view all of them.  I was hoping that I'd be able to do this over the peroid of a couple of weeks - the other half finishes his job this Friday and has just over two weeks off before starting with his new employer - so this would have been the ideal opportunity. Things are never that simple though are they?  I've only managed to arrange one viewing for next week.  The others have had to be arranged over the coming weeks, the last one being 20th October.

Violet will be starting at a 'Two's Club' this Friday, for a couple of hours.  Even though she is a very socialable child already, I thought it would be the perfect activity to do prior to starting nursery.  I know she'll love it, and the good thing (for me, rather than for Violet) is the fact that I have to accompany her and am responsible for her whilst we're there.

On the making front, I've finished yet another Lavender Pouch.

Check this one out.

I think this is my favourite so far.

Do you remember me showing you my original design???

I then stitched this.

I didn't want the back of the Lavender Pouch to just be bare linen, but I also wanted to keep with the same sort of theme - what better thing to do, but reverse the pattern that I'd already stitched.

Then it was just a case of sewing it all together, and attaching a cute ribbon.

Hope you like it.

The flat we currently rent is all very cream and lacking in colour - we aren't allowed to put any pictures or posters on the walls, so it all feels rather impersonal - so, to add alittle bit of colour to Violet's room, I decided to make her some bed linen, and started with a pillowcase in some Amy Butler fabric.

I love, love, love it and wish it were on my bed.

It's uber bright too. 

The pillowcase was made using just under a meter of fabric (it's about £10.40 a meter), so I have plenty left to make a couple of make-up bags for Xmas presents, all I'll need to buy are two zips.

I can't wait to get started on a duvet cover to match the pillowcase.  Though rather than do the whole duvet in the same material, I'm thinking that some applique in the same material might be more suited to a little girl. You'll have to watch this space though, as you know I'm not the most skillful of person with the old sewing machine.  Nor the fastest.

I've been quite disappointed in myself over the lack of books I've managed to read this year.  I'm not the world's fastest reader, but I thought a book a month would have been achievable, even for me.  I'm ashamed to say that I've only managed to read 7 books in just over 8 months. I must try harder.

Whilst I'm on the subject of books, I've decided that I'm going to open up a Book Box on my sidebar.  This will have a list of books that I'd like to pass on to other folk.  If you want one of the books that will appear in there from time to time, then all you need do is email me which book you'd like and your address and I'll send it to you.  After you've read it, please feel free to keep it should you so wish, or pass it onto someone else, it's upto you.  The only condition will be that these books are not for resale. Does this sound like a good idea to you?

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