A couple of odds and ends to get me back into the swing of blogging again

It seems to have been a while since I have blogged regularly…and I have missed it. So I am trying to get back into the routine.

Last thing I wrote about was my ‘quilt’. I finished it and was happy with the result.

One of the things that really pleased me was learning how to work my way through the problems that arose. Instead of pushing through I let the solution come when t was ready. Allied to that was enjoying the process without wondering/worrying about what the product was going to be. This blog post will tell you more about my thinking in creating this work.

As it turned out, it was destined to be a wall hanging, quilt-type thing. I even added little triangles to fit a rod for hanging. I didn’t add any wadding, which I thought would make it too thick. I like the thin softness.

Over the last month I have been working on another piece, which is much more complex in stitching as well as the concept behind it. I am going to write about it in my newsletter, which I hope to send in the next few days. If you are interested in finding out more about this work, you can sign up here. In the meantime, a hint at what it looks like……

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As well as getting back to a blogging routine, I am trying to clear out those pockets of mess. You know, the things that lurk in cupboards, lie on shelves, hide on bookcases, that stuff that has overstayed its welcome.

So now is the time to make a start. And I have found a great motivating method, thanks to Mary Margaret, who blogs at the Professional Domestic. This is how she describes her method

“A deck of playing cards is 52 cards but with the jokers the deck totals 54. Each week I will draw a card from the deck and whatever the value of the card is, that will be the amount of stuff I get rid of for the week. Cards 2 through 10 will be face value but Jacks are 25, Queens are 50, Kings are 75 and Aces are 100. The Jokers? Well they are 500!“

I love this idea, and have already drawn a queen and a jack. Fortunately I have enough piles of paper to help me me meet the target of 75 things! As Mary Margaret says, the things don’t need to be physical items, but can be photos on the phone or emails that have built up ~ anything that creates clutter and makes us feel slightly overwhelmed when we think about it.

So thanks Mary Margaret ~ and I am impressed by how disciplined you are being!

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And my last odd (or is it an end?) is a shout out for another blogger. Many of us are familiar with The Snail of Happiness, and familiar with her dedication to sustainability. If you don’t know her, have a wander though her blog The Snail of Happiness, full of growing things, mending things and making things.

The reason I mention her now is that she has just opened her shop!! 🥳🎊🎉 She is selling mending supplies and pre-loved craft materials, tools and equipment, as well running courses on making and mending in the Have-a-bashery.

It is in Lampeter, 10 College Street,Wales. Unfortunately not just down the street from me, and quite possibly not from you either. I don’t know if she is doing mail orders, but I am sure if you contact her you will be able to work something out.

And to give you an idea of what is in the shop, have a look at her Facebook page

It’s a fantastic idea and I wish her all the best.

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I respectfully acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land on which I live – the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung People of the Kulin Nation, their spirits, ancestors, elders and community members past and present. Their land was never ceded ~ Always was, always will be Aboriginal land.