Feeling Chuffed!

(lifted from my old blog, layout and links maybe wierd)

Yep, chuffed.  Boarderline smug.  Not that it's good to admit that but I am pleased with myself.  I finished two things last week.  My GRANNY blanket (I will stop squealing about it soon) and some coasters.  Two things that have been on my ever lengthening to do list.  I'd love to show off my blanket this second but I haven't taken any good photo's due to the crazy snow we have had.  Besides it needs a post devoted it.
This is my view, to be precise my Sunday night view.  Pretty much most evenings this is what I see, except for the cheese. That's how I know this photograph was taken on a Sunday evening.  We eat cheese for supper.  Oh it's so lush!  I rarely have a plate of cheese and crackers when I'm not pregnant as I try hard to eat well.  Gosh it's embarrassing how vain I am.  It's my worst trait.  Don't get me wrong I'll happily do the school run in my wellies and pajama's (it has been known) with bonkers hair.  But I hate being over weight ever since I successfully got to my ideal weight a few years ago, so cheese is usually off limits.

I think my husband is glued to that iPad thingy.  I bet he was looking at cars, he is a petrol head.  But then I'm crochet head these day's so I can't point the finger.

There's a bit of my blanket.  Isn't it lovely? It's currently in a heap on the kitchen floor where Big Cuckoo abandoned it earlier today but I'm not being precious about it.  I have a....can't think of the word...rule? Philosophy?  I will not keep anything for best.  I use things as and when the need or desire arises.  This comes from my Nanny Dot, the original Cuckoo, who wanted an eternity ring her whole life. Grandad didn't live long enough to get her one, so she bought one after she'd sold their house.  Nothing elaborate or fancy, just a very pretty ring.  She wore it for a week and then put it away for best.  She died four years later and hadn't really enjoyed her long awaited ring.  No, I wont do that.  I'll wear my favourite perfume on a Monday morning, I'll write lists on decent stationary, I'll burn Jo Malone candles (when I've been given one) and my boys can play with the Granny blanket, maybe not in the muddy garden but they can frollock around the house to their hearts content.
I've got to show off this little thing.  It's a life transformer and I'm so pleased to have found this invention. A battery powered tea light! Yes it has changed my life, I don't fret over burning the house down now.  No more having to drive home from a far or getting out of bed after retiring to check I blew the candles out. Bet you thought I was going to mention something astounding not a tea light!!

They last a good 9 hours too, so although not as cheap to run as a real tea light they give me peace of mind.  Also they don't make this adorable heart go all smokey and grubby.  I saw this heart on Carols blogand loved it.  Couldn't believe my eyes when I stumbled across one in a lovely shop called Chattels in Salcombe.  I could live in that shop, funnily enough I think Carol could too.  It's right up her decor street.

Look!  Lush in it? As we say down yer near Brizzol.

Coasters, thought I'd forgotten to come to them after mentioning them right at the start?  No, too pleased with myself to forget to mention them.

They're for the Seaside House, I made them out of some left over curtain material and sprayed them with fabric protector in the hope they'll last a season at least.  I followed the intructions in this fab book, Last Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts, which I was introduced to by Hen's blog.

The coasters were so quick and easy to make.  You cut out the fabric and the wadding. Takes no time at all.

You then fold the fabric in half and sew down the two sides and turn right side out.  Then comes the tricky part, you've got to get the wadding in. It's such a fiddle.  I found it easiest to place the wadding on top of the fabric before turning it rightside out.

See?

I puggled the wadding about a bit to get it lie flat.

I used this large stuffing fork which I bought from the Heather Bailey's website, great blog with lots of free patterns and tutorials.  Just noticed that I haven't finished doing my blog list over there on the left, Heather should be there, she really should, along with a few others.

I used my walking foot for the first time, what a joy that foot is. I wonder if I could leave it on and sew everything with it.  Course I can't, I need to test out the free motion embroidery foot before too long...though I do still have some tension issues (did I write about my machine being broken over the summer?) so I think another trip to the shop I got it from is in order.


Yes, very happy with how they turned out.  We tested them at the weekend.  "We" being my girls.  We had a weekend sans men, sans kids in Salcombe.  It was great and hot on the heels of a weekend of a similar type with Bee.  I was spoilt having two weekends in quick succession.  I shall blog about them soon.  The photo's are waiting patiently.
Thought I'd include a gratuitous shot of the Cuckoos.  It was world book day and Big Cuckoo had to go dressed as his favourite book character.  Since he isn't very interested in books or stories and I hadn't realised till too late that the day was upon us, he went in his cowboy outfit and I told him he was Woody from ToyStory in the hope that would be acceptable, well, there are lots of story books about ToyStory. Of course Little Cuckoo wanted to join in so he went as Fireman Sam.

 I'll be going now, I shall leave you with these glorious roses I treated myself to.  They lasted ages and were so beautiful.