In which I make a skirt and three bags

Here at J and P towers, I've been sewing like ermmm.... a mad sewing thing.   

I've made a skirt.

Did you notice the nonchalant way I said that?   As if making a skirt is no big deal for me.  Well, let me tell you, dear readers, that it IS a very BIG deal indeed.



Front

I wanted to make a skirt without a zip (I'm a bit scared of zips) and my colleague, who makes clothes, recommended the Miette wraparound skirt from the  Tilly and the Buttons blog.  Yes, Tilly from the first series of the Great British Sewing Bee.  My colleague said that the pattern was so easy that even a fool could do it.  Well, I have to say that she was damn right.



Back

I used a vintage sheet.  Not my favourite vintage sheet.  I was going to go for yellow but I was worried that I might cock-up on my first foray into skirt making and ruin a perfectly acceptable yellow sheet.  So I went for the green so I wouldn't have been too disappointed if I'd made a mess of it.

Mad twirling action

It took me a while to do but only because I lost pieces half way through (clearing up before and after builders *heavy sigh*).

 

Close up

It's two sizes too big (don't ask.....) but fortunately, because it's a wraparound, it hides that fact quite well. 

And I'm wearing it back to front (I know, what am I like?) but I prefer it that way.

Buoyed up by my skirt success, I've also made three drawstring bags.

And they double-up as perfect pillowcases for camping purposes.

Yes, you read that correctly.  A bag- come-pillowcase.  Who knew there was such a thing?  Well, there isn't.  Until now that is.  I've actually just invented it.

Take an ugly blow up camping pillow.  A quid from the pound shop.  Too small for a normal pillowcase.

Take one drawstring bag and place the ugly pillow inside:

See what I mean?  Perfect for when we go to Canada for our hols.

Note the casual way I said that.

Canada.  For.  Our.  Hols.

Toronto.  Followed by camping out in the wilds of Ontario.  We're taking our three-man tent, sleeping bags, camping mats and our ugly blow-up pillows encased in their beautiful pillow slips come drawstring bags of course.

Here's hoping we don't meet any black bears *gulp* (grizzlies are further north I think). 

Source

See you on the other side...xx

The only campers in the field

Joy of joys.  It's actually sunny this morning and tomorrow, we've got a jumble sale to go to.  What could be better!

On our first camp of the season to Devon last weekend, heavy rain, high winds and cold temperatures were very much in evidence.  It was soooo windy one night that the tent was flapping like errrrr.... a big flapping thing and as I was trying to sleep, the sides of the tent kept bashing me in the head.  So annoying.

We were the ONLY campers in the field on the first night:

Yes, the blue speck in the distance is our tent

The second night we were joined by more campers including some youngsters who were celebrating a mate's birthday.  Good grief, their music was LOUD.  Mr J and P sidled up to them at some point and said "It's a bit loud isn't it?".  Well, that did the trick. They were at it (loudly) until at least 1.30 am.  So I'm told.  Fortunately for me, I managed to get to sleep, despite the noise.  Contemplating future patchwork projects (I kid you not).

Little Miss J and P NOT riding the waves as there was no wave action to be had

The next morning, people had obviously complained to the owner of the campsite as she had asked them to leave.  At one point, three lads came over and actually apologised for the all the rumpus that they'd caused. I looked at them rather sternly and said "Well it was a bit loud." (I like the way that both Mr J and P and me said "a bit" when what we really meant was "ear splittingly").   As they scuttled off to apologise to our neighbours, I found myself saying "Good music though".  Mr J and P did not find that very funny.  He should think calming thoughts of patchwork fancies if you ask me.

Some old biddy on a bike wearing the most hideous anorak in creation

A poor, exhausted child after miles of bike riding

Little Miss J and P up a pole

Little Miss J and P with a blue tongue

Talking of calming thoughts.  We once had a yoga teacher (German, eccentric, very touchy-feely) who used to pair us up and get us to  massage each other.  Not so calming for us *cough* shy and retiring types.  I mean.  Massaging complete strangers.  Not my thing.  Fortunately, I always paired myself up with Mr J and P.  Anyway, her brilliant catchphrase was "Sink...Sag.....Sigh."  I love it!

Where was I?  Aaah yes.   I must thank some fellow bloggers who, some time ago now, sent me parcels of sheer joy.

Look what the lovely Scarlett sent me:

The beautiful blue felted brooch was made by her own fair hands

OMG.  It's a flask to add to my ridiculously large collection:

The amazing Kylie sent me this parcel of wondrous items all the way from Australia:

I love this crocheted bag (a much deeper blue in real life) and its boomerang like handles:

 Lovely apron:

Lovely necklace:

The beautiful Amanda sent me this gorgeous purse which I love love love:

Bunting:

And look what Amanda's hubbie, Spencer, made:

The most gorgeous candles and they smell divine too.

Aren't bloggers (and their hubbies) great?

I'm off out tonight to meet up with a friend that I bumped into last week after 18 years.  And do you know the odd thing is she actually lives about a mile away from me!

Have a good one. xx

Awash in more ways than one

Despite the voice of doom and gloom (me) reminding Mr J and P and our friends (repeatedly) that the weather forecast for last weekend was "persistent rain" and "strenghtening winds", the mad fools the brave little soldiers that we are went camping.

We went to Barham, south of Canterbury, Kent.  Friday was a complete wash out.  We arrived at about 7 pm and managed to put up the tent in the torrential downpour without too much swearing and bickering.  Bedrooms were fine, the living quarters, however, were just one big puddle, but luckily there was a wooden shelter on the camp site which had tables and chairs and which we comandeered for the whole weekend.  Our friends arrived at 10 pm (it was raining a bit by then but was pitch black) and took an hour and a half to put up a tent which normally takes them about 20 mins).  Needless to say, we were all a little wet and miserable that night (well, I was, for sure).



Not a pretty sight.....


Saturday was showery.  However, when you've survived putting up a tent in bucketing rain and survived a sleepless night with a tantrumming child, heavy showers?  Pah!

Visited Broadstairs on the coast where there were lots of quaintly dressed people:

That was because it was the start of the annual Dickens Festival.  Hoorah!  There was a parade with people dressed up as Dickens' characters:

No, I don't know who any of these characters are meant to be either...

There were even bric- a- brac stalls.  Didn't buy a thing from the stalls but I did buy a little something from a charity shop which I will post about another time (you know how I like to tantalise you with my purchases!).

A fascinating (er hem) fact.  Did you know that the phrase "What the Dickens...." orginates, not from Charles, but from the 16th century when it was a euphemism for "the devil"?  

Anyway, enough of our camping capers and my fascinating facts, take a look at what else I've been awash with (in a good way) thanks to some of you lovely bloggers.

First off, Lisa from Kandipandi's Pad kindly sent me this folksy teatowel which is so lovely that I can't decide whether to use it as a tea towel or fashion it into something else.

Kylie from Lucy Violet Vintage was so horrified when I told her that some clumsy oaf accidentally set fire to my favourite tea towel by placing it too close to a lit gas ring that she sent me, not a tea towel to cheer me up, dear readers, but TWO stunning groovy tablecloths to drool over.

The very sad and sorry state of  my favourite tea towel

Hoorah for Kylie:

Clever Lakota from Faith, Hope and Charity Shopping sent me this fabulous ring that she made all by herself.  Love it.  Lots.

I've won two giveaways recently.  Firstly, from Annie the Felt Fairy, get a load of this bunch of lovely stuff.

Don't you worry, I'll be showing you my stitching efforts in a future post.

Wowser, look at the Spode set of goodies that I won from Sarah at Modern Country Style.  Aren't I the luckiest blogger ever?

Measuring jug

Pudding bowl

Serving dish - only mine will be in red

I haven't yet received these goodies, but I'm so excited that I had to show them off to you all.  Best thing is that they match my red polka dot jug, mugs and door mat.  I've never been so matchy matchy!

Gluttons for punishment that we are, we're off camping this weekend too.  Your very best positive thoughts involving sun, heat and warmth, dear readers, would be very much appreciated...

Two men and a fondue

Camped again this w/end and unlike last w/end, weather was v.v. hot, in fact toooooo hot if you ask me (some people are never happy are they?). Still, we had a lovely time. Camped in a little place called Small Dole in Sussex just north of Shoreham and all for £8 per tent per night - bargain! You're in luck, dear readers, I didn't take many pics this time - so this'll be mercifully short:

Our friends had this massive balloon which the children flew on Saturday morning and named Brontosaurus (for fairly obvious reasons):





Mr J and P and brother cavorting by the sea. What a pair of ninnies oops I mean what a handsome pair they make:



Sunday - chanced upon afternoon tea and home-made yummy cakes at a local church. Very pleasant sitting in the shade of a tree sipping tea. Here's a pic of Mr J and P with his tea and an interesting local character in the background.



I thought you might be interested in some of my belated birthday pressies that I got from our friends this w/end - lucky old me.

Lovely spotted jug:



A Hornsea lidded dish to add to my ever growing collection of Hornsea stuff (yet another collection in the making):



I'm soooooooo excited about this one:



Published in 1973, it is jam-packed with instructions on how to do every single knitting and crochet stich you can imagine. It also contains the history of knitting and crochet, how to make embellishments such as tassles and pompoms and even the "correct aftercare of finished pieces of work". And as for the patterns - loads of them - with the best pictures ever:

Loving the alliteration here:



Fabulous cardies and crocheted tops:




This is Bertie Bottleguard (come on, you know you want to make one):



I'm really not sure about Trendy Trudy - she looks a little odd to me and a tad scarey:



And talking of the odd (and scarey) - I also got this tray:



It's marvellous don't you think?!!