still no sewing...

I hope I'm not becoming a bit of a bore... I did say at the beginning of Blogtoberfest that there was every likelihood of this happening!  I've done a little pottering, but nothing even remotely photy worthy.  So, Dianne Quiltova suggested I do what she did and answer a few questions in a post instead.  I had actually asked if any of you had anything to ask me when Blogtoberfest started....  Nicky asked for a few pics of Shetland, so I'll try and combine the two!

First of all, for Nicky and anyone else that's interested I've put some of my photos of Shetland on flickr, click here to see them.  Please remember to take the following things into account - these were taken over a nine year period, I don't generally take my camera out if its dark, dank, windy and rainy, so obviously it looks lovely.  To be honest non of this is what I see on a daily basis, sun or no sun, as I live in town and cant drive!

Now for my answers to the questions Di recommended

From my window I really don't have all that interesting a view, despite living in a particularly scenic part of the world.  I'm in town, so my view is mostly other houses and roofs!  I have a window bird feeder which is kinda cool and keeps Ells amused too.

non rare bird that's actually rare for Shetlands, and no, that's not a tree you see, the window is at ground height out there, that's a shrub gone wild...

There is a window in the kitchen which is unit height on the inside and ground level outside.  I got totally confused one morning when I wandered into the kitchen to see what looked like my dead childhood cat on the worktop...  Okay so it was just a coincidence that this moggy was a dead ringer for an old one of mine, but the clever / greedy bugger had impressively recognised one of the many varieties of cat food sitting on the worktop and he was pawing at the glass desperately!

I am thinking bleh.  I find it best not to dwell on most of the crap that comes into my head to be honest.

Homer and the angel / devil on shoulder

The wee red one is usually far too noisy...

From my kitchen the ingredients for some cupcakes are singing to me Mermaid style...  Must not listen...

I am wearing...  oh dear lord I don't want to answer that.  Cant we pretend I'm wearing something like this?  

Doris Day in Capri pants and sweater

Pretty please?

I am creating mess...  I have so many things on the go that are no where near done!  So, if you ask my man, I'm pretty sure he'd say the only thing I'm making at the moment is MESS... everywhere... especially right now as I've been unpicking my Star Sign block from last post.

I am going to make a cup of hot chocolate cos this blogging is thirsty work and its too late for tea or coffee!

I am reading mostly blogs at the moment.  Reading fiction just makes me sleepy these days.  I do love to have an audio book on when I'm sewing, but the selection available at the local library is a little, well, elderly shall we say!  Currently on the go is an Agatha Raisin, private detective, story.  

I am hearing Ellicat snoring beside me, and Mylo xyloto on the stereo.  Its very "coldplay" but I like coldplay so that's good as far as I'm concerned!

Around the house the clock on the mantle is ticking loudly, elliecat is snoring softly, the fire has gone out, my man is in bed asleep, and I'm more awake right now than I have been all day.  Typical!  

One of my favourite things, aside from Ells, chocolate, fabric, tea...  Well, since Di gave her en suite as one of her favourite things, I have been reminded that after boring you for weeks (5 or 6 at least) about my bathroom being redone I never said any more about it once it was finished.  So, one of my favourite things is this:

my favourite bit of new bathroom - wall tiles, tap and mirror!

Freakin awesome.  My choice of tiles - who else do you know would put a rainbow over their sink and  toilet?  - waterfall style tap (pretty cool) and my mans choice, the radio / clock mirror, which is oh so cool and now one of my favourite things.  The tiles make me smile, every time I see them.  The mirror, believe it or not, is wonderfully practical.  Going to the bathroom has always been a bit of a time vacuum for me!  I fell asleep in the bath, I fall asleep in the shower, I fall asleep on the toilet...  yeah, possibly not what I intended to share but...  the radio on the mirror really helps keep me alert.  I still fall asleep, but no where near as much as I used to.  Plus, there is a sleep setting on the mirror (how ironic) which means that I can set the radio to go off after 10 or 20 minutes, and I'm now a whole lot more aware of whether or not I went into automatic behaviour etc.  Doesn't sound like much, but its great for me that now, most of the time, I leave the bathroom knowing roughly how long I've been in there and that I've been awake!  Ach its the little things... !

A photo that brings happy memories would be this one:

the 25 Tram in Lisbon, Portugal

Jardim de Estrela.

still zombified but plotting...

The one where Sarah tries more foundation paper piecing, to similar results, and goes back to the sofa to sleep again... 

So I've been trying to get Lauras bee blocks done, and after managing a couple of trees I was full of confidence - however misguided.  This is the block I designed for the first star, and I'm calling it Star Sign

Innit pretty?  Not too triangular.  This is what happened after 2 hours of sewing.

Dammit, one of the white bits isn't long enough, its missing its point!

Pants.  those two orangy strips should not be the same print...

So, facing a whole heap of unpicking I went back to the sofa to sleep more...  I did a bit of thinkin too.

This album is 20 years old.  I mean, 20 years.  When this came out I was 13...  

To be honest, although I did like it at the time (still do) I was much more excited about this one which will also be 20 in November.

Possibly one that people are less likely to be familiar with, but criminal as that is I'll let it slip.  Teenage fanclub are a Scottish band, and an awesome one.  This is an album I will never tire of.  I think I spent at least a year listening to it EVERY SINGLE DAY on loop on my walkman (walkman? whats a walkman? Its a portable personal cassette player.  Cassette? Whats a cassette?  OMG)  as I rode the bus to and from school.  

What's put me in this mood?  Apart from generally being knackered and feeling 30 years older than I actually am...?  

Well, I just got to thinking about how this wee blog is now 1 year old...

Yay!  Happy birthday to my blog, happy birthday to my blog, [insert monkey references here... ] Birthdays, and blogiversaries etc usually mean giveaways.  Putting aside the fact that I'm slightly miffed I don't get a pressie for this, I have planned a little something to say thank you to you.  Yeah, you!  (well, not all of you, as much as I'd like to).

I hereby propose the crappiest giveaway in blogland.  Oh yes.  Nobody sponsors me.  I don't really have the nerve to contact a shop and ask for free stuff or whatever you do to organise such things in a proper, professional manner....  So.  I'm not telling what the "prizes" will be.  No glossy photos of the latest drool-worthy goodies.  If you've been reading more than just this post, and especially if you've commented in the past, I'm guessing you'll trust me.  I'm hoping so!  Go on...  

If you leave a comment today, let me know if you're brave enough, if you trust me, and if you're up for a mystery parcel!  You have until Friday November 4th to enter...  One entry, no hoops to jump.  No-reply bloggers must leave an email.  If I cant contact you I pick another winner.  

Mr Random Generator (or elliecat, haven't made my mind up)  will pick 5 winners.  I will contact the winners to request an address.  They will soon after receive a wee pressie from me.  I'm not saying what you'll get, and the five wont get the same,  but I will do my best to ensure that the 5 winners will get a wee parcel in the post that I hope will really make them smile.  

Because that's what you guys do for me.  You all make me smile.  A lot.  And sometimes laugh.  And sometimes collapse in a heap...  

thanks for sticking around! xxx

snooze and I've almost missed it

This is going to be a very poor post, I wish I could do better, but right now I cant.  A friend came to stay for the weekend; an occurance so rare that was the 3rd time it has happened since I moved here over 9 years ago...   seriously.  So, I'm hoping you'll forgive me for not having blogged cos the weekend was busy, and as always a bit of busy means that I am WIPED OUT.  Proper zombified.  Except vegetarian.  I dont like brains.. thats why I have so little...

However, two things to say.  First, look what I got!

A starter pack of Aurifil and colour card from Lynne!  Isnt she a superstar!  I've been so keen to try this stuff, and I'll admit right now that I'm not someone that's ever really considered the thread... well, so long as it didnt totally clash and show up bad...  But, I've read such an unbelievable amount of praise for this stuff I cant wait to give it a go.  People even say it makes stuff go thru your machine quicker and easier...  and you know how I feel about "easier"!  So, thank you very very much to lovely Lynne, and I'll let you all know what I think of it when I've tried it!

Secondly...  Most of you will know already from ms Flying Blind and her fantastic build up...  the time has come for the JAPANESE SCRAP CHALLENGE VOTING!

Photo of all challenge entries by Sarah, taken from Sarah @ Pings and Needles, (really hope she doesnt mind!)

Click Here if you need to refresh your memory a wee bit...  

Click Here  to go and vote!  (I dont mind that you dont vote for me, I just want you to vote!)

Thank you, and if you dont mind I'm going back to bed now...  

 xxx

F****ing triangles

The one where Sarah attempts more foundation paper piecing, and finds that her brain is so averse to triangles she even struggles FLIPPING them.  Here's what happened.

See number 9?  The stage where you flip over what you've sewn and press your perfect little bit that perfectly follows the proper line and covers all of its paper pattern chunk?

Number 9 has a mosaic of its very own.

And that's not every time I screwed up, that's just the flipping mistakes I made after I broke down, cried, then decided to laugh about it...

I should point out that all of the above took place in spite of all the wonderful tutorials I read, videos I watched, and advice I was kindly given by generous bloggy friends.  There really is a triangular shaped fault in my brain.  Oooh actually, I wonder.....  I do have a neurological brain disorder, a chemical deficiency in the brain - maybe its not just in charge of all things sleep related, and some things weight related, maybe its in charge of all things triangle related too!

Guess my "Forest" might take a wee while...