the patchwork dress

expanding and contracting

I've been watching this flower through the week, as it opens out - the sunny day in the middle made such a difference.

I've been feeling a bit wordless recently when it comes to the blog - things may change and it may become a more visual one unless I've got something I really want to say.  Have been thinking this week about energy and creative energy, and feeling as if I've got more when life is simple with less 'stuff' to do and connect with.  

On this note, I also watched this interesting video about a story I've been following on the tinyhouseblog which has been made into a short film by the PBS in the US. 

Although I wouldn't go quite as sparse as this, there is something attractive about downsizing all our attachments... and I could see this would make an ideal escape.

    

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

retreating & reclaiming

The last 2 weeks have been a bit of a retreat for me - as I couldn't see us getting away for a holiday anywhere, like many will be doing in '09, I holidayed at home for a fortnight - which was great as we had the hottest weather I've known in Scotland for a long time for a consistent week last week!  I really let myself do nothing except that which appealed to me, I would resume activity again this week.

Friends popped in to visit, fitted in a dentist appointment (not quite as appealing), a friend came up from London and we had a nice drive round by Lake of Menteith (the only lake in Scotland - as we arrived it hailed, and a bagpiper strolled the shore by the church there - just an everyday occurrence in a Scottish summer!)

(detail of log cabin quilt '30 of the Best', Jamestown Parish Church, LLQS)

This week I have a 'to-do-list' spread out across an A4 like a patchwork of 'don't want to do's', and 'really must get on withs', so I snuck in a few 'what I'd really like to dos' as well!  Hopefully I can balance between them all.

At the beginning of the year I was looking for some 2 drawer filing cabinets that could hold my writing projects, as they were all stuck in a box under the desk, and not easily accessible.  A couple of weeks ago my friend Susan emailed around to ask if anyone would like 2 x 2 drawer filing cabinets that were going-a-begging.  So a day was spent yesterday tucking it all into suspended files by project - hurrah, I can tick that off my list since January!  

Consequently I unearthed old accounts  that were in storage (I'm never sure if it is 5 years or 7 years you are meant to keep) so have a pile of accounts from 1999! plus some old credit card bills that I am going to shred and make into paper logs to keep us warm this winter.  

Last week I read Karen Kingston's "Clear Your Clutter" - and although I feel as if  have already cleared a lot, it made me want to do more and really get into the nitty gritty of what I don't need and what I am holding on to, that is just sitting around consuming space and energy.  I must also admit I was quite cynical of everyone who jumps on her bandwagon, but the book is very well written - concise, inspiring and in the flow.

The spirit of reclamation is in these logcabin quilts - these last 2 from a vintage quilt that was on show at the LLQS showing the famous Turkey Red fabric that came from this area in the 1800's.

I have one more post from LLQS - the quilts of Gill Turley which were really lovely and inspiring and also using recycled scraps in a beautifully controlled way... coming soon!

moonchasing

A couple of weeks ago, I was driving home from work when I saw the most incredible full moon rising over the hills behind Balloch.  It was one of those moons that seem larger than usual, and appearing just before twilight, it had the most amazing radiance.

I'd just read on someone's blog (was it here?) about just doing one thing out of your daily routine can bring something  to your life, so decided to drive home an alternate route along the back roads, where I could pull over easily and take a photo of the moon rising over the Campsies.  Unfortunately the image doesn't really capture what I was seeing, but as I perched the camera on a fencepost a passing cyclist, who was sharing the special atmosphere of that night shouted out "You're Moonchasing!".

I was quite surprised by his observation, but also relished this term - as that was exactly what I was doing. I felt entranced by the moon, that I had to pull off my main route and focus on its emergence into our evening sky. 

This week heralds a new moon on Thursday, the clocks go forward next weekend... a time for new beginnings and light nights.  Feels as if I could do with some 'new beginnings'.  I spring cleaned and saged the house in preparation yesterday.  I've been through all my photographs and thinking of making some new cards.  What will you focus on?

Speaking of bloggy influences and connections - thank you to everyone who has left great comments in recent weeks, and for continuing to read my blog (despite the slow posting of entries!).  

A week or so ago I got a call from my cousin who is a production buyer for film & tv.  She was keen to get her hands on some soft toys, like a doll, that she could use in a commercial asap.  Having done allnighters of this sort in the past, I immediately felt stressed about taking this on, then the penny dropped - I know a wealth of bloggers and creative sites like Folksy where she may be able to get something that she wanted.  In the end I put her in touch with Ginny ("She's my blogfriend" I explained.  "I'm not even sure I know what a blogfriend is!" replied my cousin.)  

Well, a blogfriend, I've decided, is just that.  Someone who serendipitously recommends, gives a hint, supports your blog even when you don't post for days, or comes up with the goods... just in the nick of time.

room with a view

Yesterday the doorbell rang and a delivery man asked me to sign for a box. We were expecting a delivery of one of these, but after I signed for it, realised that it said "M&S flowers" on the box. (Snapdragon Jane, look away now!)

...far more exciting than the logmaker (or is it?...), it was a delightful surprise delivery from my friend Jill as a gift for our new home. I'd not really done anything about spring bulbs when we moved in, as with so many other things to do, it seemed like a bit of an indulgence. But I do LOVE them. So this was a very nice surprise, and a promise that Spring will arrive. Although it would probably look good by the front door, I put it in the garden just outside my sewing room window so that I can enjoy it everyday.

Speaking of which...

..still a work in progress, but I was keen to post about it now, as it will never be 'perfect' - the chances of me catching it on a tidy day with sunlight and all the pictures on the wall may be a few months off yet! So here it is Stage 1!

BEFORE... (as it was when we moved in)...

...hm, in need of some t-l-c I thought...

and for several weeks it was like this...

...war torn dumping zone...

So I much prefer it like this!

...there's the ol' sewing machine... cutting mat... ready for action.

Total cost of revamp £13.99 for the stripey Ikea rug.

We pulled up the carpet to discover the blue floorboards, which I may repaint, but quite like and will do for now.

The cream blinds had a scalloped edge and braiding that I didn't like, so cut it off and hey presto, got 2 new plain blinds! Luckily the 'weighted edge' was above the scallop, but you could always trim and rehem an old blind, as usually they are much longer than the window anyway.

The pine chest at the end of the room is holding all my secondhand fabrics. It was originally in another room and most of the drawers were stuck. With the aid of a can of Pledge and a rubber mallet (!) - oh the Boxing Day fun we had - we got the drawers out and N planed them down. If he'd taken any more off he said, they would have become trays.

The Hornsea pots on top were charity shop rescues which now hold & keeps tidy - threads, strings and things. (That's the Creative Café coffee pot there too, where we put our written intentions inbetween meetings. We then pull them out at the next meet, usually having forgotten what we put, and are surprised to discover that one if not several have come true. Mine was moving house!)

The Ikea clear fronted chest under the sewing machine was a giveaway from my friend Suzanne. Now I have a bit of a confession... I saw in a magazine a "gift wrapping table" - it looked like a huge tupperware table with legs like a wallpaper pasting table - and I exclaimed WHAT! are you MAD? - a table to store giftwrap and all your ribbons etc on extending legs. Madness I cried. Then thought, what a good idea, I'm fed up with rolls of wrapping paper stuffed behind wardrobes and squished ribbons - so they all fitted in the bottom drawer! neat and tidy. If I read this elsewhere I'd think 'anal', but actually the satisfaction of having it 'out of the way' does exceed this.

There is still the unseen end of the room which is housing some piles of magazines and some storage boxes, but it generally all is much neater and more organised and feels more efficient. Magazines come in the door, go to the cutting table, recycle bins underneath, scraps into the logmaker, cards out the other end!

Watch this space!