French Knots

Yes, I do still make things....

A little draw string bag to hold pegs in the caravan, a few bits of recycled pillowcase and about 5 minutes sewing.

So now the swimsuits wont blow away when they are hanging on the guy ropes.

Then I had an idea to use some of my collection of beads, buttons and other bits and bobs making crocheted necklaces. Putting these together is really satisfying and I've made them long enough to wrap round your neck a couple of times or wear as a single long strand. I'm planning to dust the cobwebs off my etsy shop and list them. Once I get over my current dose of shilly shallying, put it off till another day dithering. Usually I like to get things done, tick them off my list but I've turned into a procrastinator of late. New motto - Just blummin do it!

Very addictive, I see lots of necklaces with little treasures in my future! 

The last of summer

We managed to squeeze in another trip away in the caravan over the Bank Holiday weekend before the children went back to school. We travelled up to North Yorkshire to stay on a site near Robin Hoods Bay, the moors were aglow with heather as we passed

The site we stayed on was on the edge of the moors but close to the sea, we spent a wonderful day at Saltburn by the Sea enjoying a walk along the pier, eating fish and chips for lunch in the sunshine and squidging the sand between our toes.

Such a lovely unspolit place, like stepping back in time.

We also spent a morning at Runswick Bay another picture postcard village clinging to the cliff and the most amazing thing happened. My Little Helper found an ammonite! It was just sitting there on the sand waiting for him to pick it up. Holding it in my hand and  thinking of its age and how many, many millions of years old it is gives me the collywobbles. He is so proud and excited about it, a very special treasure indeed.  

We had a little wander round Whitby but it was heaving with people and so busy that we decided to explore it properly on another visit. Mr FK took the big two into the Captain Cook Museum, which they really enjoyed whilst The Baby Brother and I sat in the museum courtyard admiring the view over Whitby harbour. I think the best view of the trip was driving down the hill from Seaton and looking out over Whitby to the abbey with the sea beyond, glowing blue through the ruined abbey windows.

We also visited a couple of agricultural shows, complete with sheep, horses, lamas, chicken, tractors, candy floss, tea tents, terrier racing, coconut shys, and amazing vegetables entered into the competitions. Perfect for mooching round, taking in the sunshine.

On second thoughts the best view of the holiday might have been the one from our bed in our cosy caravan

Blue summer skies.
 
   

Seaside memories

Whilst we were in Cornwall I persuaded the family to go to Portscatho - with an ulterior motive of course as I wanted to go to The Homespun Fair . They happily played in the children's playground and I happily explored all the goodies on offer inn the Memorial Hall!

It was lovely to meet some fellow bloggers in real life and oh and ah over their tempting wares.

Some pretty fabric from Sal's Snippets came home with me as well as this

a jaunty little boat from Sixtyone A. Kirsty's stall looked wonderful with so many boats to choose from, but this one is my favourite and sits on my mantle reminding me of sunny days and sandy toes.

What we did on our holidays

Well, it is traditional for it to rain when the FK family are on holiday and Cornwall was no exception! The second week was much better and we had some lovely lazy days on the beach rockpooling,sandcastle building,kayaking, paddling and swimming. At high tide one evening The Big Sister and Mr FK jumped off  the jetty into the freezing sea, we had an evening barbeque once the beach was peaceful and empty and really chilled out.

The Baby Brother loved the sand, ate a lot of it and squashed plenty of sandcastles.

We went to a lovely village fete in Hessenford, complete with duck race

I think our duck took a wrong turn and ended up somewhere out at sea!

The Eden Project was a brilliant day out, so much to see and explore.We made dens and got drenched making waterways, dodged the rain showers by joining every other person there in the biomes and were so envious of the allotment area. Thankfully I had used Tesco vouchers to buy the tickets so we avoided the massive queues to get in.

I had lots of inspiration for my 365 Project, making a change from trying ti find a tidy corner at home to take a picture.

We had a wander round Cardinham Woods near Bodmin and had to sample the ice creams from the picturesque cafe.

 
 Ah yes, we had a super time.
 
 
 
  

End of term feeling

And breathe.....! The pell mell rush to the end of term is over, school fete went well ( it rained on us from 8am till 3pm but people still came) leavers disco, Year 6 production, Infant production, Infant sports day, two birthday parties, two birthday teas, visiting the new secondary school.......all we need now is the sun to return so we can relax and enjoy the hols. The day they imposed a hose pipe ban it started raining and hasn't stopped in the intervening three weeks.

This little rascal is growing fast, has just moved on from open mouth style kisses to squeezed and pursed lips, happily delivering kisses left right and centre. Of course you can never have too many snuggly buggly kisses.

He is sitting on my £2 charity shop find

Random flower shot, wonderful colour and papery petals.

Pre rain I grabbed a few minutes with wine and crochet in the garden, enjoying the table that Mr FK renovated. The top was a bit warped and wonky so he replaced it with an old school bench which, cut in half, was the perfect fit.

So now the summer hols stretch before us, no mad morning rush to find pe kits or a recorder, no school pick up or homework. We are off to Cornwall, near Looe, where I hope we will find some sunshine. Or at least no rain. It's about 25 years since we holidayed in Cornwall, I'm not sure why as it is such a wonderful part of the world and I'm really looking forward to it. I've made miles of bunting to decorate the caravan awning and got the picnic blanket at the ready! Happy summer!   

Pretty Nifty and Thrifty

What do you get if you mix together a pleasing but boring charity shop skirt, a length of bargainous Clothkits ribbon, (on offer last week) and about 10 minutes at the sewing machine..............

a cheery new skirt that looks jolly good with my cherry red shoes!

ps, thank you for the phone stealing sympathy, it is Infant Sports Day tomorrow and my new 'old phone from the drawer of things we think we don't need any more' will be safely tucked up my knicker leg! 

Grrgghh!

It was the Junior Sports Day today (Infants next week) and while I was cheering The Big Sister in the egg and spoon race and laughing at the interhouse tug of war some swine took my phone from my handbag. It usually lives in my pocket. Thank goodness the camera was round my neck as The Baby Brother and I enjoyed the fun. And my purse is safe. But still the thought of some tosser taking advantage e of my attention being elsewhere to take something worth very little to anyone else is infuriating. Two glasses of wine have taken the edge off my fury and hurt but I still have no numbers for any of my family and friends.

And 2 pictures from my 365 Project were still on the phone as I hadn't worked out how to download them, so day 127 (friends wedding) and day 125( The Big Sister rock climbing) will be missing. Arse! Even in my sleep deprived, 'running after three children so some days it's lucky I'm even dressed' state I have taken a picture every single day for 187 days, but I'm still going to count them as I took them and can see them in my minds eye. They just wont be in my flickr set. Ah well, it's only a phone and the lad in the call centre when I rang to block the phone was so sweet and helpful, a reminder that most people are not phone nabbing shits.

And if my friends  and family don't ring me it'll be a quiet life! 

Spots galore

July and August are busy birthday months with about a dozen friends and family having birthdays, so I thought I'd spend this week sewing during nap time and getting a start on present making. Life had other plans!

The Big Sister complained about a rash on her tummy as she went to bed, heartless mother that I am I muttered something about heat rash and a good nights sleep.Next morning she and My Little Helper were spotty, spots galore! 'A virus' was the doctors verdict ' similar to chicken pox'. Spots kept pinging out over the next day or so but luckily unlike chicken pox (which they both had years ago) they don't itch. So instead of a week of sewing I've had my nurses hat on instead. Yesterday a couple of spots appeared on The Baby Brother - so it's a full house of spotty children. The large spot appearing on my chin is,I think, unrelated to the 'notchicken' pox and more to do with a hectic week!

I squeezed a bit of sewing in, when rooting in a drawer I found an old patchwork blanket I bought years ago at a jumble sale. Maybe three years ago as I remember blogging about it. Anyway I'd patched it's tears and it just needed the duvet cover backing sewing on. It must have taken...oh at least half an hour to finish! Ready for the beach when we go away or for making dens in the garden or lolling in the park

I wonder who made it and where her patches came from, what memories they held. The higgledy piggledy random squares give it such a cosy look and the stripey duvet cover ( in the bottom left corner) backing is snuggly too.

It's really huge, just right for hanging out with my spotty darlings!

  
  

Sunny stripes

Isn't this lovely weather amazing, eating outside,playing in the pool, lollies and 99s, rubbing suntan lotion into little necks and still warm strawberries fresh from the plant. It so good to wake up to sunny skies day after day.

My stripey cushion is finished and backed with another felted jumper in a cheerful cherry red, I'm going to learn how to do a little picot edging next time to give the cushions a nice finished look.

Once the cushion was done I couldn't wait to start something else.....

fiddling about with the balls of colour is half the fun isn't it, deciding what looks right together.The colours are a bit bleached out in this picture for some reason but it's a pleasing autum collection to make one of Dottie Angel's ordinarily extraordinary blankets, squares crocheted in strips and joined with a pretty lacy effect stitch.

I think that it will take me a while to do as I'm using DK but by the time it's finished it will be autumn and the colours will be just right.

I enjoy simple crochet like this as it is so easy to pick up and put down, do a little when time allows and find a few minutes peace in a busy whirlwind day. A perfect way to soothe a frazzled Mama with a little creativity. Even better when sitting in the sunshine.  

Summer time

This was how I spent the journey home from Norfolk, using Bella Dia's Vintage Vertical Stripe Pattern

just whizzing back and forth in pinky blue hues, eventually it will be a long, narrow scarf , a project that I can pick up and put down.

Isn't the arrival of summer wonderful, life has a happier feel, people smile more and meals eaten outdoors seem more enjoyable.

 The first crop from the allotment! Luckily the slugs didn't spot the strawberries! Some goosberries and pea tops, delish! I'm struggling to get down there often enough to water but am happy to accept some losses and smaller onions than my neighbours! There are only so many hours in the day and I want to enjoy my visits there rather than it becoming a chore.

Hope your weekend takes you somewhere wonderful!