Challenges

January has brought quite a few challenges for me both healthwise and textilewise. Mum's on the mend now and doesn't need one of us to be there three times a day for her. We are all quite willing to do this but boy it does take it out of you, especially when you aren't feeling up to scratch yourself. Finally beginning to feel human again. I was challenged to buy a wheelchair, new fridgefreezer and find a cleaner for Mum. Not sure what the problem was with the fridge but boy did it smell. Mum had become used to it and didn't smell it any more. All the food was in date and nothing was mouldy, everything was spotlessly clean but the smell was horrid. Finally asked mum how long she'd had it and it transpired it was getting on for twenty years. End result was buy her a new one. That comes tomorrow so challenge one out of the way. Wheelchairs - anyone tried to buy a wheelchair for a very small old lady? Mum's about 4'9" and weighs just over 7st. It's becoming increasingly difficult for her to walk to the car and on trips out she has to wait in the car while we all enjoy the countryside. Finally tracked one down that she could sit in comfortably without half a dozen cushions and didn't cost the earth, challenge two out of the way. Still got challenge three to do, never had to find someone to do the housework (wish I could afford it!!) so that's for next week.

Textile challenges though, completed BQL bag challenge, TIF Challenge, Fibre&Stitch Scrap Challenge but not posted picture yet (can't find where I've stored it!!) and now the Recipe Challenge has been finished. The last one is for Fibre&Stitch. It's a recipe for "Lavender Heart Cookies" I first saw a recipe for Lavender Biscuits when I was shopping for lavender bushes in Lavender World just outside of Pickering, North Yorks. Think they may have changed their name now. The flavour is wonderful, well I think so dh isn't so keen but then he doesn't like lavender.

I tried something new to me for this challenge. I'd transfer paint some papers earlier in the month and when I was in town came across a large paper punch with a swirl pattern. I thought I would cut swirls out of the painted papers and use them on fabric, then I would also have a negative image to use some other time. It worked very well. I made lavender hearts out of paper clay and coloured it with Brusho and added lavender, they smelled wonderful. I made a tassel from them. Lavender flowers were made by tying floss round a frame and using dark violet thread and buttonhole stitch for the flower heads. The whole thing was painted with pva and water mixed. Once they were dry I cut the flowers up and using some of the darker thread tied them into a bunch.

Lavender Heart Cookie - Fibre&Stitch Recipe Challenge Journal Page.

This journal page is from Charmion Stephens and is her swap to me for the Surface Design Colour Composition - Favourite Artist colour analysis swap. It's based on Kandinsky and I just love the bright vibrant primary colours in it. I was very pleased to get it. Charmion also sent me some beautiful threads in tea rose colours I have great plans for them.

Well February tomorrow and my youngest son Simon's birthday on Saturday. He's going with his girlfriend and another couple for a long weekend at Oasis near Penrith. The barometer is dropping, the wind is rising and I don't envy him his weekend in the forest I am going to curl up with some sewing.