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Wednesday 30 December 2015

A giveaway and a gift, make that 2.

First the giveaway.

One of my presents was a copy of this book,



While I am not a total fan of Kirstie, anyone who promotes crafting as fun and accessible to all is Okay in my view, mind you glass blowing does not appeal at all my cheeks are fat enough now.
I have a copy of this book already, I did check with the giftee/giver and they offered to change it. We had a little chat and she agreed that I could put it up for grabs, it is after all the thought that counts and the rest of the present was edible and totally lush and I am keeping that.

So, the usual drill, drop a comment to the effect that you would like this. Names will go in some thing hattish to be drawn on New Years day, in the day, not at the last stroke of midnight cos I will be sleeping. fingers crossed.

Now for the suspended photo,




A glorious fat quarter and a set of bright coloured pretty buttons. I want to keep the fabric in as large a piece as possible and I have a plan.
I wear aprons all the time in the kitchen so this may well become the skirt of a waist one, I will look for toning solids in the stash for ties and a little pocket. If I do not have the right colours I will think again.
Today's 12 days of Christmas gift was this sweet little candle.





I like a scented candle burning in the evening and when my current Winter Spice is finished I will light this. 

I managed a good walk with Ben, in sunshine , yesterday we both enjoyed it immensely, he was rushing along like a puppy. I also managed a load of washing almost dry outside. It went on a horse to finish drying and is now awaiting a visit to the iron, it can wait on.

I popped into The Works in the morning and bought a calendar with a diary for £3. and a Cracker making kit for £1.50, both needs as well as wants. Francesca and I were talking about crackers while she was here. Last year I bought some posh ones, reduced because the box was damaged and they were nothing to write home about. This year I bought "luxury" ones in the January sales and they were rubbish.
Next year I will be making my own, I will keep my eyes open for little things to put in them when I am out and about.


That is the sum total of my sales shopping, I was intending a trip to Hobbycraft but it would be buying for the sake of it. I still have loads of yarn and fabric to use, not to mention ribbons and sparkly things.

Storm Frank has been howling round the houses all night, rattling the letterbox and gusting through my bedroom window. At one point the curtains billowed and set Ben barking, I am sure that he thought somebody was trying to get in. He went into full guard dog mode and put his hackles up and snarled quite viscously. I was impressed, he sounded like a much larger dog and it would have made me stop and think twice before entering.

I am more determined than ever to concentrate on using what I have before buying more. I intend to buy nothing new next year except to replace items too worn out to use or breakages. Birthday gifts will be made by me, as will Christmas gifts. 

I am off now to help Maggie move some more stuff from her house, this task has reinforced my limited spending plans for next year. I am a bit of a hoarder but the sheer volume of stuff in that house was and is frightening. The bungalow is to all intents and purposes full, I have taken several car loads away and there is still as much again, if not more, to go. I have no idea where she is planning on storing this stuff, I just hope that she does not try to cram it all in. I am sorry to say that she has been on a buying mission since moving. There are lots of new things cluttering up her space. 

                     TTFN                                                Pam



31 comments:

  1. I don't make NY resolutions (setting myself up for failure if I do that), but think next year I will really do my best to jettison a lot of 'stuff' out of this house and try hard to become more minimalist.

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    1. I do not make resolutions, just set myself an idea to live to and around. I will never be a minimalist, there are too many crafty and cooking things that I aim to hang on to for dear life. What I want to do in the next year is remove the things that I do not use or have 2 of, making more space and hopefully gain time. I do not have many ornaments on display but what there are have to be dusted and washed every now and then, I will not add more. I still intend to have some more fun and with less clutter to sort through I hope to increase that.

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  2. Hello from the other side.....of the country. We have a limited edition of storm Frank here.
    You are so right about crackers except for the 6 I bought - obviously someones leftovers- from the Cancer research sale in the village in November - The poshest crackers - albeit slightly dented - one of us got a photo frame and other useful things. I'm thinking I shall go back to homemade next year especially as I'm going to be within walking distance of 2 charity shops - yippee do!

    Waving madly as I would love to go in the draw for the KA book.

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    1. Storm Frank is much weaker here than further north, we have had far less rain than in the 2 previous ones. I will pop your name in, no probs. You will have to be careful that close to the CS, they can be very tempting.

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  3. Storm Frank is raging. I'm knitting with my feet up! The ironing can wait!

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  4. I have been knitting and now am about to tackle the ironing, Maggie decoded that it is too wet to move stuff today. Once the chores are done I have some stars to crochet, I am planning another garland.

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  5. Storm is building up here but we are on the edge so hopefully it won't be terrible. It's those folks that are flooded and may be again that I feel for. Dog walked early to avoid the rain and we don't intend to venture out again. I am in the process of cleaning and restoring my house to some sort of order after 5 adults and 4 babies for 3 nights. It was wonderful of course but very, very tiring and hard on the back. Would love to win Kirstie's book. She has some cute and some kitsch ideas.

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    1. We are fortunate here so far, there has been no flooding, only 50 miles away the roads have been closed due to land slips and trees washed out.

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  6. The image of Ben barking at the curtains really made me giggle! We can really hear storm Frank as we live in such an exposed place there are no houses to block it at all,our back garden is practically a wind tunnel!
    our village is on a hill mind so with any luck we won't get flooded
    I'm looking forward to seeing the fat quarter as an apron, I love the fabric :)
    I would love to pop my name in your hat to win the book,pretty please :)

    I must do a giveaway of my own at some point, Im just not sure what haha :)

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    1. Our village is build on the side of the valley, all the little streams are now torrents and I bet the low ground is pure bog. My garden is fairly water logged but is draining a bit.

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  7. I would love to go into the draw. If I was lucky enough to win this I would happily pay the postage costs.

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  8. Hi Pam you have had some lovely gifts in the swap, I love going to the works, there is some good crafting deals online as well.
    Please could you kindly enter me into the giveaway, I have this book in my Amazon wishlist, thankyou x

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    1. I need to sort my Amazon wish list I have just about everything on it now.

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  9. That fabric is glorious. Can't wait to see what you make with it.
    Just got back from the garden centre. I am only buying neccessary things at the moment so I am collecting different kinds of tiny fastenings for the dolls clothes. Surprisingly all the Hemline products are considerably cheaper at the GC than at Hobbycraft so I don't feel too bad about the spend this morning-x-

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    1. I find Hobbycraft expensive but sometimes it is the only place to get what you want. I shop around on line.

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  10. I have decided to make my own crackers next year too. The ones I bought this year were not cheap but the contents were fit only for the bin.
    I love your fabric! It will make a lovely cheerful apron.
    Please can I be entered in your giveaway? I would love to win a copy of this book.

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    1. We used to make our own crackers when I was a child, my mother worked at a cracker factory and when they closed down she was allowed to keep all her tools. I have no idea what happened to them.

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  11. Not sure what our river is like yet but it was lowish yesterday so hopefully not at spillage levels or anything like. T is off home up north today, so we are hoping no damage on the line (landslips or flooding).

    I'm sorry your friend is still buying stuff - it sounds a real problem for her.

    Looking forward to seeing what you make next.

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    1. The rivers that I have seen were spread out very wide, The Avon had broken its banks on Monday. I just do not know what to say to Maggie, there is still masses of stuff in her house. At the moment I am merrily crocheting stars.

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  12. I would like to give up on crackers altogether but L is not upfor that yet.
    would love it if you would include mr in the draw,
    Carolx

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    1. Crackers are fun if they are decent but so many are just rubbish, I am looking forward to making mine.

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  13. The wind is howling here too and we got soaked taking FiL out to buy a new armchair. His old one is falling to bits! Please may I go into the draw for Kirsty's book too? I love her enthusiasm for all things homely :)

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    1. It is hard to stay dry when the wind blows the rain down your neck and up under your coat at the same time.

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  14. Lovely things, especially the fabric! Don't enter me as I already have the book - great isn't it! xx

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    1. I have made a few things from the book but never thought to open it this year.

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  15. Pam can I ask a question please? I'm new to patchwork and have been making some mug rugs and a small table runner today - I got the fat quarters off ebay but they're so thin that even though they've pieced up well (I used my sizzix) they don't look that good - they're polycotton - which do you prefer cotton or polycotton and do you prefer cotton for certain items and polycotton for others - I'm not sure whether I should be buying cotton fat quarters and not polycotton - I would appreciate any advice - can I be counted in the draw please thank you xxx

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    1. I almost always use quilting cotton, it is thicker and sturdier than other 100% cottons. I do sometimes use 100% dressmaking cotton because I want the specific colours, then I use starch and press well to stiffen the fabric. I also use vintage bedding, usually for baby quilts as it is so soft, then again I use starch. I never mix my fabrics for patchwork quilts but wall hangings can take lots of different textures and I will use velvet with lace and net if I fancy. Original patchwork is made from the best bits of worn out clothes so in theory anything goes. Just enjoy and don't worry.

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  16. Thanks Pam that's really helpful - I will look for some quilting cotton fabric and I certainly won't be buying any more from eBay and I'll also try some starch on them tomorrow too thank you xxx

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  17. The fabric is lovely and bright. I'm not organised enough to make presents in time for birthdays etc. I might make more effort this year, though, because it would mean I could use all the lovely copywrited patterns that I can't use when selling.
    Please enter me in the draw. I have one of Kirstie's other books that I got from a charity shop.
    Teresa x

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  18. Your fabric would make a lovely apron, please let us see it when it is finished. I would love to go in your draw for the Kirstie Allsopp book, - a friend of mine would love it.

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