More recycling

Recycling just 'happened' I was really looking for something to do and found several wip and decided to finish at least one of them.  Several metres of scrap fabric later I got fed up with feeding small bits of fabric into my machine.  Then I took Buster to see my sister who has laminated floors.  Now Buster and laminated floors just don't go together.  He hates the fact that his feet just seem to slip around on them and they are hard on is old arthritic bones.  I thought this is going to be a major problem as Buster just doesn't like being left on his own since we lost Keith, he howls all the time I am out (unless I feed him treats before I go - not good for his weight!!).  I can go out for a couple of hours without him creating havoc but anything longer and he gets very distressed.  He also doesn't like sitting on the floor of my sewing room as it is covered by a thin carpet, again a strain on his old bones.  So last night as a pair of thick quilted over trousers fell out of the wardrobe for the umpteenth time a light bulb went off.  Why not turn these quilted trousers (very very large pair) into a travelling mat for Buster.  Then I saw Keith's old cardigan with a fleece lining, hmm he wouldn't mind if I cut that up too.  So armed with scissors I set too and took the garments to pieces.

Buster now has a lovely cosy travelling mat to lay on when we go to visit friends/family etc and for use in my sewing room.  He loves it.... no more howling, no more shouting at him to shut up and no more downtrodden looks from him when he encounters laminated floors to lie on.

 Buster likes the fluffy side up

but is okay with the quilted side too.

It rolls up quite small and I shall make a bag to carry it in when we go visiting.

New family addition

Welcome to my new great niece Catherine Ann born this morning at 10:30am. She's going to be a heart breaker, like her mother and sister, her brother isn't too shabby either.

Happy Creative New Year

I know its well past New Year but I've only just got my muse back in place.   For the last few weeks I've kept going into my workroom, picking stuff up, putting it back, thinking yep I'll do that then changing my mind again when the urge left me.  You know the feeling.  Well yesterday I decided I'd have a bit of a spring clean and see if anything gave me the urge to create.  Nope just ended up with an ultra clean sewing room.  I told myself to get off my butt and do something so I made a list of all the things I'd like to do, projects I wanted to complete, new techniques I wanted to try out.  I wanted to do more Gelli plate printing and would start with that.

Then I started looking for where I'd stacked my Gelli plates.  I knew I 'd put them somewhere safe over the festive period but could I find them, course I couldn't.  Now in my workroom I have an old microwave which I put there with the intention of dyeing fabric.  It gets used as a cupboard. I thought I might have put them in there.   What did I find in the cupboard but 40 odd scrap blocks. So  I thought why not sew them together while I continue to look for my Gelli plates.

So that's what I did.  I haven't bothered with sashing.  I did think about it then decided to go with the flow while I still had some flow.  After I'd sewn the 'hoard' together I made a start on depleting my stash of left over bits and bobs.  My method of sewing them together was simple, I strip pieced them then strip pieces the bits.  At times I had to trip them back to a reasonable shape, if you use odd shaped pieces such as triangles you can get some weird and wonderful blocks.

Many of these pieces are from Christmas projects.  I will continue sewing my scraps together then cut them into 6.5" blocks and add them onto the 'hoard' piece.   It's not much but at least its got me going again. 

I've since found my Gelli plates and plan to make more prints and turn them into journals.  I have an idea to make mug rugs from maps,  some fabric scrap maps and Julie Mackiner has a mug bag on her Facebook page that I want to make. 

So here's wishing you all a happy, healthy, creative 2015.