{ Mu'Mu }

Knitting Roll

Whilst it has been too hot for knitting for the last few weeks, one thing I have done is make my needles a comfy place to rest a while.

Using upholstery weight fabric (remember the box?) and batting I quilted a sturdy roll strong enough to take the weight of all the needles I have accrued over the years. I also took some plain canvas and stamped a range of sizes in millimetres to sew onto each pocket. Sewing top and bottom this left a gap for cable needles to be hung through creating a place for all sizes.

It is so so easy now to find what I want, without having to rummage. I can't wait to be able to get back to the rhythm of knitting again; I miss my yarn!

Sports Bags

Another quick whip up in an hour one evening last week - ball bags for the boys - kit bags if you prefer. Gym bags if you are under four feet tall. Whatever - just a little something to make life easier and prettier.

Easy Crafting :: Mod Podge and Wallpaper and Vintage, oh my!

Let's do some basic math, shall we?

1 vintage atomic magazine rack + 1 piece Orla Kiely wallpaper + Mod Podge = ?

Correct!

Answer = 1 kick ass addition to your sitting room

Real Simple Patchwork Blankets

We've been lucky enough recently to have had some real summer days. Hot, hot sun. Perfect summer weather with no complaints from me!

Following on from the hot days are sometimes some rather muggy nights and in an attempt to aid restful sleep I made the babes some summer weight patchwork blankets for their bed, just in case it got too hot for their duvets.

I can't sleep without  covers - the summer patchwork blanket I made for our bed last year does me very well on those nights when it's too hot for real blankets, and too cold for nothing, and with the same plan in mind I whipped these up.

4x5 12 inch patches, blanket back, sew right sides together, turn, and finish by stitching all around the edge and tying for good measure. That's it. Just real simple patchwork blankets.

And I can confirm the boys love them. And if nothing else it adds a lively splash of colour to their room

Organised Chaos

In an attempt (please understand the importance of that word 'attempt') to bring this household to order and instill some kind of method to this madness I have attempted ('attempted') to craft our way to organisation, the granny chic way. Which, I'm sure you'd agree, is the best way to go in matters such as this.

When it comes to organisation I will freely admit I'm useless, ney, pathologically resistant. I hate living my life to a timetable. I hate big clocks. I hate schedules. I hate committing to an agreed time, hate booking tickets in advance, hate having to write in a diary that three months hence I will be doing xyz in the land of abc. It's weird. It would be therapist fodder for years, I have no doubt. But I cannot live this way any longer!!

My goodness I am a homeschooling Mama winging it on a daily basis and now the babes are older we need structure, we really do. And so, like most things in my life, I have had to get a grip for the sake of the kids and try to get a handle on this mothering gig.

Enter The Board...

A doilified board isn't really a Board is it? I mean, it looks so harmless. Jazzy, but harmless.

I have it in mind to get all my brain onto flashcards and have them pinned up on The Board in the glare of full light of day to aid in this new found Mama Me; shopping lists, things that need doing, what we will be doing every day of the week in terms of learning and commitments, and best of all - meal planning and chores *falls over* yes, meal planning and chores. I think perhaps I may have over-stretched myself in this department.

But not just chores for me! Hurrah! I have also now included an organised way of including the boys in this torture too. Everyday they check The Board and get going on helping with the work of this home. And let me tell you - these boys of mine are GOOD workers masha'allah. They really are. I have been so impressed by their eagerness, commitment and quality of their work, and I can't tell you how much of a burden has been lifted off this tired mama's shoulders.

So far chores for them have included : vacuuming, dusting, monitoring the bookshelves, monitoring the toy baskets, monitoring the art and paper supplies, cleaning the kitchen cupboard doors and fridge, cleaning the bathroom sink, washing some dishes, putting dishes away, filling and emptying the washing machine, sweeping the floor, folding towels and putting their own clothes away. Have I missed anything?

So there you have it - the whole of my life in a doilified cork board. Hopefully, HOPEFULLY, I will crack this homeschooling Mama gig. Hopefully before my children leave home.

Lounge Pants - Take 2

Remember the (garish) lounge pants of mine from last year? I managed to make the most comfortable pair of pants from two thrifted pillowcases. Well, here I have gone one better by making a pair of lounge pants from only one pillowcase - for the babes.

They humour me.

Easy Crafting :: I'm at that age when...

Not only do I think that peg bags are a good idea, but that I think that they should match my decor...

Is there any hope for me, do you think?

Easy Crafting :: Coasters & Placemats

Ta da! Coasters for the sitting room in a matching print to the wallpaper! How lucky am I to find them at JUST the right price??

And the right price would be? Free. And this would be because? I made them myself. Easy crafting that will bring harmony into your home. Or something like that.

YOU WILL NEED :: a coaster set (I have some that my mother collected free with teabags years ago), bits of leftover wallpaper, a cutting mat (or bread board), an exacto knife (ie. something dead dead sharp), a glue stick and a pile of heavy books. A laminator might be handy but not essential.

Pick your killer wallpaper that you have saved from ends of roll and bits too big to throw out but no idea what the hell to do with, and cut a square bigger than the coaster.

With gusto smear the coaster on right-side-up face with glue stick and quickly cover with wallpaper, pressing down dead hard. You might want to go GRRR at this point, just to show how hard you are pressing. Your call. Cover all coasters then pile a load of heavy books of top (like flower pressing) just to make sure.

After a while, once the glue is dry take your sharp blade, place the coaster on the cutting mat and cut around the edge.

You will now have a set of cool coasters and your friends will think you are dead dead clever. And cool. (Until you tell them the truth and tell them it was MY idea then they will think I'M dead clever. And cool.)

I am wondering if this would work better if you laminated the wallpaper pieces first?? It would probably be easy to clean and would avoid getting tea stained. But my laminator died a death so this is a moot point for me.

How much more amazing this would look in Orla Kiely paper?? If anyone makes a set of these let me know!

Easy Crafting :: Winter deodorisers

This time of year the house can smell a little stale - windows are hardly opened, and things can get a bit funky.

Here is a  simple project for the children to make with immediate results :: push cloves into any citrus fruit and then place in a ceramic holder - the air is naturally deodorised within minutes without any artifical gunk. Our sitting room really smells lovely and inviting. 

Try them! Will give you a good ten minutes peace as they make them!

Crafting regardless

This time of year really affects me badly. I miss the light. I miss the light so much. I lose interest in everything. I just want to hibernate. Craftwise I've slowed way down, but am forcing myself to do things - to stay creative.

Oh but how I want to go to ground and sleeeeeeeeep.

Anyone else out there feeling the winter funk? How do you cope in the winter months?

Easy Crafting :: Hoop Art

I think everyone has by now seen these hoop art things started way back when by Purl Patchwork. So easy, yet very effective, adding a personalised touch to any room or spare space.

This recent one was completed with my favourite teal fabric, a vintage doily and some French Knots embroidery. A quick and easy project to brighten up quite a dreary space.

Try them, they are addictive!

Easy Crafting :: Lap Quilt

Remember seeing these pillowcases yesterday? They were a couple of pillowcases I scored whilst out thrifting last week - I saw them bundled away at the top of a shelf as I was paying for some other things, and my heart leapt a little when I saw them there - I knew they were going to be a bit special.

Oh my. They were a lot special - beautifully huge Oxford Style pillowcases in blues and bluey-greys with that little bit of chintzy floral thing going on. And they were quilted patchwork.

They were too good to cut, so I decided simply to use them as they were - with a simple blanket stitch I closed the opening for the pillow in the back, then again with blanket stitch, I sewed the two pillowcases together to make an instant lap quilt.

An easy, yet I think effective craft easily completed in one afternoon.

Easy Crafting :: New Napkins

A little embroidery, a whizz on the machine and voila! napkins for the evening meal.

Go on - you have a go...