Puzzles!

 Hello!

Years and years ago, when I was a little girl, the next best thing to Mum saying "Shall we get the (sewing) machine out after tea?" was "Shall we get a puzzle out?"  Mum only had a small selection of puzzles, but goodness me, did we enjoy doing them over and over again.

I was reminded of this during these months of having so much more time at home and so I visited  some local charity shops when they reopened and bought a couple.  Then a couple more.  Then searched eBay, and a whole new obsession began.  They are what Mum referred to as  'stop-works' and the quest to find just more piece can turn into half and hour or more! What a peaceful, mindful occupation, and a nice break from sewing, quilting, knitting and crochet.  These are just a few of the ones I have done:

Skipton.  One of my favourite local places.

An aerial view of London, which actually shows the bit of London my daughter lives in. 
I stroked that bit...

This one was called 'Too Many Cooks' and reminded me of cooking with my children when they were little!

Puzzles are great to have lying on the table as they just lure people to put a piece or two in, and before long everyone in the household joins in.  

I often think back to those puzzles Mum had and the one that was my very favourite was of Piccadilly Circus. (I grew up in London).  I searched eBay for a while and eventually found, and won, the very same puzzle! I was so excited when it arrived.  The box was smaller than I remembered, but then I was very small.  This one had the price of 23 pence on, which I seem to remember was the price of the one Mum had, but perhaps I am adding my own details to the memory.  

Mum used to let me do the easier bits - the two large buses, the Woolmark logo, and the largest advertising hoarding.  I started by completing those very same sections (although Mum would have done the edges for me).

I then had to do the trickier bits myself, but how lovely to remember back to those evenings in front of the fire, with the puzzle board Dad made for Mum on the coffee table.  I can whisk myself there now.

After a few evenings in front of our own fire, the puzzle was completed, and I loved it all over again.

After only a few short months of doing puzzles, I have to admit we have more puzzles that Mum ever had in the Cupboard Under the Stairs. Yes, definitely an obsession :)

Donna x

Postcards from Wales

 Hello friends,

Well, guess where we've been?!  Keeping within all local restrictions on travel and mixing, we've actually been on holiday!  Everything we had booked this year had been cancelled so we decided to take ourselves off to the Llyn Peninsula in North Wales for a week. Oh my goodness, how good did it feel to be somewhere different, and espcially to smell the sea air and the sun on our faces.  

The Llyn Pensinsula is a lovely piece of Wales, that stretches out like a cat into the sea.  There were so many wide, sandy beaches for Daisy Dog to run around on, and for us to picnic on.  

We walked some of the Wales Coastal Path, with hidden gems around every corner.

The countryside is just idyllic, with views of Snowdonia in the distance. 

Caernarfon Castle is within easy reach and we spent a splendid afternoon there, exploring all the staircases and marvelling at the views.

The weather was kind to us, and we had mostly sunshine and mild temperatures.  Perfect September weather.

We returned home feeling restored and rejuvenated.  What a treat!

Donna x 

Catching Up

Hello again!

I don't know about you but just lately my mind has been full of nothing in particular and I have felt the need to hunker down and nest, reflect and just be. The ebbing and flowing of the Virus confused my brain, and I felt happiest doing my limited amount of going out, but otherwise, staying home felt right.

I've been in my sewing room a lot, I've sorted out my wardrobe and organised the kitchen.  That was satisfying.  

We had my husband's family here for a few days, following all current restrictions, and that was lovely.  They are my step grandchildren and I had great fun with them on a picnic, and a woodland adventure playground.  We went to a favourite place of ours called Bolton Abbey.  Nowhere near Bolton, but rather part of the wider estate of the Cavendish family of Chatsworth House fame.  We had a lovely time!

We also were treated to my darling daughter and her fiancé staying here, which was a delight! Lots of time to potter and chat and eat and walk (not at the same time!)  It was a delightful week and I loved every second.

I mentioned time in my sewing room and here are a few things I have made:

Another Miette skirt ("another??!!" I hear you exclaim) from Tilly and the Buttons, this time in a brushed cotton, just in time for autumn.

A cosy long 'Agnes' sleeved t-shirt,  again from Tilly and the Buttons, in a cotton lycra fabric.  Aren't the little anchors cute?

A short sleeved and a long sleeved Agnes in a butter soft stretch cotton. Here is the short sleeved one, but the long sleeved one is in the wash!  I love the fact you can vary this pattern in several ways to make it look different.

I've also been knitting and finished 3 pairs of socks - a 4 ply pair for my husband (he's wearing those today!) and this DK pair for myself.  I used Winwick Mum's great tutorial as a starting point, adapting them to knee high by using my own recipe here.  They are warm and cosy and will be perfect in my walking boots on chilly days. I made a semi matching pair for my husband, hence the plain cuff on mine so we could quickly tell them apart.  Clever, eh?

Hopefully we will have a wedding to celebrate next year, virus permitting, and not only do I have the enormous privilege of making my daughter's wedding dress, I am also making her fiancé's bow tie.  I made one as a prototype, and he's pleased with it, so that's good!  You'll notice a dog collar in the same photo, which I hasten to say is not for him, but for Daisy Dog!  I recently met one of my daughter's best friends, who is enjoying learning to sew, and has mastered dog collars for their new puppy. She made one for Daisy and it is fabulous!  Really soft, looks comfortable, and is completely washable.  They look so professional and neat that I asked her for instructions on how to make them, which she shared with me, and I made one for Daisy to match the bow tie, just because I could!  There are loads of tutorials as well on Pinterest, and I bought the hardware from a great online shop called Petsbits. I can see Daisy having a whole wardrobe of collars.

I promise not to leave it nearly so long next time before coming back for a bit of a chat.

Stay safe, be well, and take good care,

Donna x