August

         

 

 

         

 

 

         

 

 

         

 

Ta Dahhhh....

Well I have surpassed myself this week.  Not only have I finished cleaning the outside of my kitchen cupboards and 'spring cleaned' my bedroom but I have also managed to find time to produce this...

Started last Friday evening - a couple of hours Bank Holiday Monday and then an hour here and there and I have a fully finished a crochet cushion for the BH for when we move back in!  Several patterns can be found on Attic 24 - my favourite crochet blog... and this is just one!

Ta Dahhhh.....

                     

 

 

         

 

 

 

Creative Mojo....

I do feel that I'm finally seeing some light at the end of the 'DIY' tunnel!  My routine has come back to me this week .... with my usual visit to H's for our sewing evening made extra special last week by viewing the honey in the settlement tank - before being 'jared'.  http://www.plate-spinning-mama.blogspot.co.uk/. I was allowed a dip of the finger in the pouring tub .... and may I say it was wonderful. 

I think I have finally got my creative mojo back ....and about time!!!  Being a Bank Holiday weekend - meaning an extra day off - I had planned, last week that BH and chores were to be done on Saturday and Sunday BUT Monday was going to be ALL mine!

And apart from washing the car Monday morning that's exactly what happened!

Crochet AND Quilting.  Crochet started off with a little on Friday and Saturday night - trying out the wools I purchased back in .... January - really January..... where did that time go?!



Achieving this by Monday night..

Made the worse mistake ever by trying to wrap a new skein of wool into a ball - roughly an hour later...

On the Quilting front - I needed to progress the pink quilt I have been working on - would like to get the binding on, if I can, within the next two weeks.  I found a pattern in H's copy of British Patchwork - which I copied and then went on to sew round (using twin needles) - note to self - use water soluble paper next time to trace pattern. 

Really pleased with the results - but took forever to remove tracing paper from stitching!  had less than 12" of cotton left on reel when I had finished both side - love it when you just make it!  A very productive day and a long time coming!

During the week D and I also made, a very quick decision, over a few days we have off next week - we should have been spending the time at the BH but of course that's not going to happen - so on the spur of the moment we decided to book a couple of days in Oxford.  Cannot wait - it will be great to leave all this stuff behind us for a couple of restful days.....

As you can see from the Oxford on Foot Map and the Cycle Map - not much rest planned!!!

BH Building Work: Week Two

Well what a difference a week makes - Lots of plaster board in, a bathroom in the living room, tool's a plenty and even some walls skimmed!!!

A positive second week!

Hot, hot, hot....

Oh my goodness, it has been unbelievably hot the last two days.  The drive down to the coast yesterday was great, beautiful in fact.  So early, it was cool enough to enjoy and see the sun coining up through the trees - one of the best drives down.  However the drive home was hot, Windows open, sunroof open, fans on full blast...I was 'glowing' by the time I reached home.

After dropping off the tiles at the BH, I went round to C&L to use the facilities and to have a well earned cup of tea.  Everyone was still in bed so I sat in the garden enjoying the peace, admiring the flowers.

Such wonderful colours, first thing in the morning.  Heading home, I decided to venture into Tesco's to pick up some BBQ stuff and 'Pear Juice' for the evening (funny, around 50,000 other locals had had the same idea!!).  I decided that a little colour was needed today in my own house..

Sunday was a whole treat in itself...... a couple of dump runs with the old fence panels and the rubble from March (yes March) from when we knocked down the brick wall to dig up the drains! I have been looking forward to this day for ages (NOT).

First run..... my poor little car...

A second run was done and this is what's left to clear next week!!

I do confess to 'resting' my eyelids this afternoon...only to wake two hours later!!!!  Right no more today...I'm off to find something to hand sew in front of a good film....in fact I don't really care if it's a bad film... just so long as it involves no lifting or shifting!!



BH Building Work: Week One

Very early start Saturday, to take down a car full of tiles.  I picked up 18 packs of tiles on Thursday morning before work.....and I have never heard the car groan so much before.  In fact on the way home there was such awful noises coming from it, a decision was made to take the tiles down to the BH in two loads!

Disappointment greeted me .... no work had been started ..... nothing.  Not a good start!

A little bit of this and a little bit of that but not much Quilting!

Cannot believe we are now heading well into August.  The last few weeks have been busy busy busy .. but for all the wrong reasons.  I'm now getting a bit frustrated with myself with the whole lack of 'creativecarole' activity this year.  I may need to consider renaming my blog - DIYCarole.  I have made a decision to really write off the rest of the creative year....I may fit a few little bits in but I now have to concentrate on the BH.  And with a small amount of luck by the end of the year all will be back to normal - in fact a bit more than normal - giving me in fact a whole year, next year, of no DIY and a whole lot of creating.

Last weekend was a bit of a non event..... I spent most of the weekend cleaning the kitchen....which is covered in brick dust from the extension at WR being fixed.  Half the cupboard were emptied and cleaned and refilled.  I will finish the other half this weekend coming as a special treat!!

D worked so very hard on Friday putting the new fence panels up .... this is how I left the house on Friday....

And this is how I found it on my return....

No longer a white T-Shirt!!

The outside of the extension is fully painted..

Inside is fully painted...

In fact we are pretty much there, just need to slab over the area we dug up by the drain and we are all done here.  One down...one to go!

We spent time sorting out the tiles and bathrooms this weekend - and now all ordered and just waiting for delivery... a little sneak of tiles...

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The weekend was supposed to be a QQ Saturday but due to sourcing tiles and a back log of domestics chores I gave it a miss.....I think this is the first time I have missed a QQ meeting other than when we have gone on holiday! Shame...but they'll all still be there next month!  And I actually achieved a great deal!  Even found two minutes to steal these from next doors garden!

We did venture to the coast to order the bathroom locally....a good day... the sun was out in full force ... a BBQ was had....a fight over the sun lounger....a walk on the beach....