Online Shopping Caveat

I can spend hours shopping online, usually reading all the reviews and checking for bargains. It generally works out well and is obviously convenient but sometimes my purchases do not quite meet my expectations.

I ordered a wool gilet because I love my scruffy, old, fleece body warmer from Boden that is years old. Disappointingly, the XL size was too big in the shoulders but did not zip up. To make matters worse, all of the binding was done in brown brushed nylon! I have an absolute horror of all things nylon, including tights, so that item was quickly dispatched back to where it came from.

Weeks ago I ordered a small battery cuckoo clock for my caravan from Ebay. OK, it was cheap and it eventually arrived from China but it was even naffer than I expected. Surprisingly, it ticks very loudly so I have banished it to the loo. I had an old framed embroidery that I decided could cover up some old damp patches. I decided to cut up a vintage tablecloth and frame parts of that too to make a set. The picture frames from Amazon had very flimsy glass which just shattered when I so much as looked at them - rather than send them back, I simply framed them up without the glass. 

I am making 2 quilts for the caravan bunks and need 2 lots of backing so I ordered a kingsized tropical duvet cover. I did not notice that it was actually polycotton and even worse, I did not see the giant snakes amongst the vegetation! Never mind - it will do.

I have pretty much completed the interior revamp of the caravan, complete with black glittery worktops. The fairy lights have been cable-tied into place and I am building up a “library” of vintage Observer books, a couple of which I picked up for £1.00 at the Red Cross Shop. One of them was published in 1972 and the original price on its dust jacket was 45p. 

I managed to complete 2 customer quilts this week, including a semi-custom one. Now that my caravan project is under control (inside at least), I should crack on with some straight-forward customer quilts, unless I sneak in my caravan quilts first;)

Just Getting On

 

I received a super box of threads from Aurifil to promote with customers and pupils. The 40/3 longarm cotton is my go-to thread these days as it is reliable and looks great. I used a light green on a small custom quilt with a Celtic influence. I wanted to see if I could use the Qmatic to place borders and found that going horizontally was pretty good - although while the quilt looked accurate, it still had borders that were not entirely straight. This was more pronounced when I turned the quilt to make it easier to do the vertical borders. I was definitely being super critical when I was working on the quilt as when it was finished the results looked good. 

We had some typical February weather with a heavy snowfall at the end of the week which made it feel cosy inside. Nessie and Fizz shared a spot on the sofa as they are mostly friends - that is, Fizz does not usually succumb to being chased by an annoying dog. 

In between coats of paint on the caravan worktop I pieced together some blocks for a caravan quilt. Maybe it is because I pieced the units on different machines and only finger pressed them but accuracy was not at all evident. I should definitely have trimmed the units to match up nicely but I just decided that it did not bother me if many of the points did not meet. Hopefully once the blocks all get ironed they will fit together;) 

The Boss Said I Could...

 

I asked the Boss for time off quilting to work on the caravan and She said it was OK;)

There were times when it felt like a never ending project and I can still see wee patches where I need to touch up the paint. The shelves all got lined with sticky-back plastic and I was finally able to put stuff back into the cupboards. It was particularly fun to glue fake flowers around the bathroom mirror.  My favourite bit is the little neon sign promising cocktails from the cupboard with ridiculously cute curtains. I keep having nightmares that I will get a caravan service person to check it over and they will say it is not roadworthy. The outside is still tatty but my new skills in sticky vinyl may hide all sorts of blemishes. 

I really need to get back to actual quilting work this week and tidy up the messes that I have made but I also have fairy lights to install … and maybe I will paint the caravan worktop!

So Much Paint!

 I spent most of my week painting inside the caravan. My excuse for not working on any customer quilts was that nella had a reading week from College so it was a bit like a holiday. If I had known it would take more than 2 coats I might not have been so enthusiastic - the cupboards actually needed 6 coats and could probably stand more. I have to admit that I did get a bit bored with the job and it felt like I was tackling the old Forth Road Bridge. I had more fun in the tiny bathroom with a B&Q knock-off mix of a Farrow & Ball colour, “sulking room pink”. I still have quite a lot to do and really want to fast-forward to the fun part of adding accessories. 

While I was waiting for more paint to arrive by post, I ran up some units for a caravan quilt. 

The idea is that I will make 8” blocks until the quilt top is big enough for a caravan bunk. 

The temptation is to keep forging ahead with my caravan renovations in the coming week. Thing is - I am my own boss so I just have to ask myself permission;)

Shabby to Chic

 

It was refreshing to work on some straightforward customer quilts this week. I loved the mixture of fabrics used in the 3 “scrappy” quilts. This eclectic approach made me reconsider ordering a batch of Liberty prints for my caravan quilts and I found all sorts of floral prints already in my stash. I almost could not be bothered to start a quilt and I struggled to get going but once I had made up a test block, I decided to cut out enough for an entire quilt.

Nella had some college deadlines to fulfil, one of which was a transformation of men’s shirts into a different wearable garment. I think she did rather well, attaching a skirt of ruffles onto a halter top. 

The caravan got a thorough clean inside then it was sugar-soaped and sanded because I decided that it would look fresher all painted white. I have realised that it has suffered from significant damp at some stage, hopefully not leaking now but there are bubbles on its inside walls. I started painting it using a chalk paint and it feels like it will take me ages! The first coat looks streaky so I hope a second covering will be an amazing transformation. I just want to get to the point where we will be able to dress it up with fake plants and a disco ball:)

Big Stuff Happening

 

What a week of Big Stuff happening… I finished the tricky customer quilt re-do after 30 hours of work. It would hardly have taken more time if I had worked on the entire thing in the first place. Considering that it had issues, I think it turned out pretty well:)

Nella was offered a place at the Norwich University of the Arts to study a BA in Fashion & Communications. She was also offered a place at Grays School of Art in Aberdeen but she has already accepted Norwich. This is monumental progress for her and she has to work hard to get anorexia under control by September. I am thrilled for her but also have concerns - in a way, a major goal is what she needs to get her life back on track. We both know and love Norwich so it is not quite as daunting as going to an unknown city. 

Freya came home for my birthday weekend and we collected the caravan. It towed home successfully and we gave it a good scrub. There are a few teething problems like not getting the gas cooker going but hopefully nothing major. We will make sure that we get it serviced and familiarise ourselves with everything before we attempt a sleepover in the garden, let alone go on a road trip! We will certainly have plenty to keep us occupied in the next few weeks.

Customer Quilt Almost Done

I have spent the week just chipping away at the customer quilt. There was a lot of time consuming ruler work and freehand swirls to scoop up the fullness. Unfortunately, the customer chose plain batiks for the back instead of a print which would have hidden any minor wobbles. The back will not look immaculate since there was a lot of back-tracking. Although I make it sound messy, it really is pretty neat and an awful lot better than it was;) It will take me a while longer to take out the basting stitches and figure out what to charge.

Nella had a really good week - she submitted her application to Uni, got a part-time job at a local cafe and applied for a passport so we can plan a trip to London (by plane). She still has a long way to go with her anorexia struggle but these milestones are amazing.

A Leisurely Start to 2022

 

The year has got off to a leisurely start - I have worked on a tricky customer quilt a little at a time. There was a hiccup when I had to rip out some FMQ that I was not happy with and replaced it with a small, traditional stipple. I am happy with the radiating lines in the red section but the next bit looks challenging as the quilt is too full in its outer areas. Ideally, I would like to finish it in the next week or so to get back to more straightforward quilts. Typically, for January, the workshop is very cold and not particularly inviting. 

I bought a new gadget on sale on a bit of a whim. I have had fun learning how to use a Circuit Joy cutting machine, making vinyl decals and labels. 

I have to remind myself that the only person putting pressure on me to get anything done is me. We are still in a Pandemic and Nella still needs much support so all I really “need” to do is just get through Life one day at a time;)

What Will 2022 Bring?

 

I have usually had enough of Christmas Festivities after Boxing Day and cannot wait to get back into  my workshop to get cracking on projects or a major spring clean. However, this year I have been utterly content and embraced doing nothing - in fact, I wonder where I will get the oomph required to restart for 2022. 

I have a tricky customer quilt to work away on a bit at a time. It is a re-do of a quilt that was unsuccessfully long-armed by someone else and its owner has removed some of its quilting. The major issue is to outline all of the Celtic knot-work invisibly. 

I helped Nella to run up a pair of elasticated trousers using leftover teddy fleece. There were only 2 pieces and no pockets so we got that done in a couple of hours. 

Having thought about it on and off for years and looked out on and off for months, Nella and I took a road trip to Forfar and viewed a well-used, small caravan. It seemed to be solid, not too grubby and modestly priced, with a remote controlled mover, so I bought it! It will remain in storage until I sort out a tow-bar for my car but it is an exciting project for us. We will tart it up a bit then aim to go off for some adventures. Maybe we will even manage to do a Festival…:)

Christmas Cheer

 

I am so glad to report that Christmas 2021 has been a far happier time here than it was a year ago. Obviously, the Covid pandemic is still prevalent and nobody has yet come up with an instant solution for climate change BUT all 3 of my children are home for Christmas. Last year Nella was on a hunger strike during a short pass home from a psychiatric unit - this year she has been battling anorexia and tried to join in as much as possible. She is so happy to be here and hopeful for the year ahead.  

Christmas Day was very casual - I had my usual cooking frenzy on Christmas Eve but kept it all simple and did not bother with a fancy table setting or crystal dishes for the sauces. We did not even watch any telly because Nella taught us how to play Dobble and Uno. There were lots of lovely parcels to open throughout the day, including several pre-loved items and I received a super home-made knitted hat from Nella. 

Boxing Day has been even more chilled out so far - we have plenty of leftovers to eat, we enjoyed a walk up to the stone circle in Durris and intend to spend the rest of the day watching a film or reading - bliss!

Christmas Lights

 

We are edging towards Christmas and have been getting into a festive spirit. I wrapped all of my gifts scruffily in brown paper. It was meant to be printed with a rubber wallpaper roller but the paint took ages to arrive so it remained naked. 

Nella has been working at Crathes Castle for the Christmas Light festival. She has been dressed as The Grinch, Olaf the snowman and an Elf in freezing conditions. The lights in the walled garden were spectacular and it was a lovely experience. 

I made Date and Apple chutney twice using my Granny’s vague recipe. She wrote down rough amounts and simply said to cook in a low oven for a couple of hours. The first batch got forgotten and turned into treacle but the second round was much better. 

Freya has arrived home for the holidays so I feel that our low-key festivities can now begin:)