PAY IT FORWARD 2012

I don't normally post on my blog twice in one day but I responded to Cath from Bits n Bobs, calling for PIF participants.  This means that some time in the next 12 months she must make and send me a surprise gift. I don't know when I will receive this gift, or what it will be.   Registering with her means that I have to Pay it Forward to three recipients. ( like a chain letter but a lot more fun).

So please, please, please - who wants to receive a handmade gift from me this year?

The first three to comment on this post will receive a hand made gift from me within 12 months from registration. The timing of the gift will be a surprise, as will the gift itself, but I must do this within 12 months.

All you need to do is be one of the first 3 people to comment on this post to be a recipient, but if you nominate then you must put a post on your blog to Pay It Forward. Also remember that I need to get in contact with you so ensure you are not a "no reply" blogger.

ANOTHER SATURDAY OUTING AND SOME PATCHWORK STARTED

Emily and I have begun to view Saturday mornings as an opportunity to get together for some 'quality time' and, of course, coffee and cake.  Last week we decided to go over to Denby Pottery and see if there was anything interesting in the sale.  Now I love Denby; the stuff they make and the actual Pottery itself.  Em had never been before, so she really enjoyed having a look round.  There were lots of bargains in the sale, we didn't buy much though.

I bought one of these because it's such a lovely colour and cast iron is great to cook in.

Emily loved this dinner set; we'll probably be going again before too long!

I've decided to start making some cushion covers for my living room, mainly because the rabbit has chewed the ones I have in there at the moment.  I made a start this week.

This is the fabric I chose, I love the neutral shades with a little red to give it some warmth.  The colours are a little 'quieter' than those I would normally choose.

Strips all cut ready for the first blocks.  I thought log cabin would be a good pattern to start with, so I tried a few different colourways...

 ...and finally decided on this one for the first cushion

I do love the log cabin pattern, it's so easy and looks great when you put it all together!

JUST AN ORDINARY SATURDAY MORNING

I've been a Dunelm Mill fan since we moved to Derbyshire in 1990 from the West Midlands.  I remember being taken to one of their first stores in Coalville, which was really just a factory warehouse full of seconds, ends of ranges and surplus stock from big name department stores and manufacturers.  It was a bit of a free for all and things were difficult to find among the huge piles of curtains and bedding - but that was what made it fun (for me anyway!)  It was great for quality goods at bargain prices and those little extras you didn't come across in the 'normal' shops. I can remember I fitted my entire house with super quality, chain store ready made curtains for something like £40!  There has never been anywhere more convenient for buying towels in almost any colour you could wish for.

So, when the new superstore opened just down the road a few weeks' back I thought we should go and take a look.  I have to say I was hugely disappointed.  Sadly, it is now just like any other 'superstore' in town.  Yes it has a bigger range of 'stuff', but absolutely everything is identical to the stuff you can buy everywhere else these days, and which arrives from China on container ships the size of the Isle of Wight. 

One definite improvement is the addition of a cafe, which allows shoppers to pause for a while and refresh themselves.  We took full advantage.

In the end, even a determined shopper like Emily couldn't find anything she wanted for her 'bottom drawer'.

When we arrived home, John was busy with the Kango, breaking up concrete from the base of the old shed.  In a few weeks' time I hope the area will be transformed into a nice growing patch for my veggies.  He unearthed a whole huddle of toads which he quickly moved to somewhere safer before continuing. No photo of those unfortunately!Just look at the miserable, grey day it is! 

So Em and I scuttled back indoors and decided to start on the 'wedding prep' by deciding on the invitations and making lots of lists.  The fun starts here!

NEW BLOCK OF THE MONTH - IT'S LOVELY!

Jenny of Elefantz has just posted this new Block of the Month together with a giveaway - it's gorgeous!  Click on the button on my sidebar to be directed straight to the page.

HERE I AM AGAIN

Well it took a follower to kick me into starting my blog again. I'm surprised I still have any followers as I've not posted since May 2011, thats a whole eight months without posting! Why is that, you must be asking yourselves....?

I told you before about losing my job back in October 2010, which was a huge blow and still has the power to upset me if I allow it to. There followed a temporary job with the Mental Health Trust, which I did hope would become permanent, but that wasn't to be. Then I was offered what sounded like a perfect job which would use all my skills and experience - with a warehousing and logistics firm. Oh boy was that a mistake! I have never hated a job so much as that one folks; to say it was stressful doesn't even begin to describe my experiences there, which are probably better left unshared in a public place. I prayed and prayed for a better job which would help pay the bills and give me back some self-respect. THEN, the perfect job came my way. I happened to see it on a jobs website and decided to apply through the agency they were using. They interviewed me among dozens of other people and offered ME the job! Wow, what a difference, I am so much more settled now, having been there five months and really enjoying the work and the environment, being in the city centre right in the Cathedral Quarter, which is a lovely area of Derby to be working in. The downside is that I have far less time to myself, much fewer holidays, and consequently have to be a little more careful with my spare time, of which there is not so much. So, unfortunately, blogging is one of the activities which had to take a back seat, together with craft fairs and quite a bit of my sewing.

Then there is the family of course.  Things haven't gone smoothly this year for any of us and I hope that 2012 will be a turning point in that respect. 

Christmas was a good one,  I received an iPod Touch from Hubby and Daughter which has already given me endless hours of fun - I just love gadgets!  I've found I can even download my blog onto it using any WiFi that happens to be available so maybe that will encourage me to get started again!  I also finished a quilt I had started after many months of no sewing.  It's for someone special so ssssh, don't give away the secret!  Here it is:

It was made from nearly all my scraps, surprising the amount of green I seemed to have!  I didn't have time to hand quilt so I machine quilted it, which I don't think always gives the best finish (not when I do it, anyway) but I think the intended recipient will like it...

So that's kick-started my quilting again and my next project is going to be cushions to replace all the ones in my sitting room, which have been nibbled by the rabbit...

One of the highlights of 2012, if not THE highlight, is that our daughter and her fiance are going to be married.  The dress is chosen, the Mother of the Bride outfit is chosen and the reception is organised.  We are ahead of the game, for now anyway!  For those of you who know what has gone before, you will know what it all means to us.

Other 'projects' for 2012 include:

• A new garden shed and extended vegetable patch to make better use of space and sunlight
• Rearranging the annexe so that we can rent it out when Emily leaves in August
• Changing our car, or even getting rid of it altogether.  If you know someone who wants an old Volvo 940 which runs like a dream let them know...

Well the sun is shining here and hubby has promised to take me out somewhere - so I'll leave it at that and hope that this small post will enourage you to keep following.  Happy New Year.