Sunday 24 November 2013

December is nearly here Folks

Hello Everyone how are you all doing?  It has been a funny old week and a tiring one.  Sadly my loved one at home hasn't been too good and all the plans made have had to be rearranged.  Being the main carer is a responsible role and an emotionally draining one too.  The relationship you knew so well shifts and things change, not always for the best so a lot of readjustment has to take place on both sides - not easy but I still have him and love him more than ever.  I even considered leaving my blog as I didn't feel that I was doing the best I could on it.  I love blogging and the wonderful virtual friends I have made through it have all been unbelievable so I knew that it would break my heart to leave everyone behind.  I just hope you can bear with me when I don't have time to write more posts as I really don't want to give any of this up - sometimes I wish I could treble the hours in the day so I could get everything done - and done well!
Lovely Friends I have tried to keep busy and have been frantically trying to finish off some of the gifts I had promised myself I would do this year.

I managed to knit up these little lovelies for the peeps who are coming to stay next weekend - can't wait to see them all.


I am trying to get on with my banner which is so easy but really needs finishing as soon as I can.  I am trying to knit three squares at a time but have to watch that I don't get confused with the diagrams!  Could end up with a completely different message which might not be such a good idea............
 
 
I also sent off for some fabric this week from Seamstar - yes I know that I said that I wouldn't buy anymore and I have been really good but I have been pretty sad this week and this cheered me up no end. They are such lovely patterns, I just love them and will have to use them this year come what may.
 
 
You cannot see it very well but if you look below the fabric on the left hand side is flannel and is so gorgeous to touch and feel.  The one of the right is cotton and I am open to suggestions as to what I can make quickly with these, I have a few ideas in my head which, as usual, is stuffed with all manner of things.
 
I have also been trying to crack on with the bags I am making for Christmas gifts, I have stuck to my original plan of only using fabric/tea towels I already had for these and so far have kept this going.  I love this green one which doesn't use a tea towel but the fabric was a tiny bit left over from ages ago so I think this fits in with my criteria.
 
 
I just have to bead this one and sew it up properly.  As always I am struggling with the zips but Rachel from my sewing class is really helping me with this.  I don't think I will ever get them right Folks!
 
These are the other two - the pink one is two tea towels from Tesco and the other from Marks and Spencer and I  think they are both very pretty, hope you like them Folks.
 
Finally I have managed to make two cushions for us.  My husband asked me to make some after seeing the ones I had made for our gorgeous daughter-in-law.  I didn't think he was that bothered but said it would be nice to have some of our own.  They are both tea towels as well but I had to be economical with the fabric and line the backs with a different fabric.  The bird one is from Marks and you might remember me buying them a little while ago, whilst the red one is of course from Cath Kidston.   I must admit I prefer the red one myself as it reminds me of a vintage pattern.  Which one do you prefer?
 
 
The photo below shows the plain red fabric but I think it looks ok.
 
 
Finally - what I did yesterday.  My lovely Man and I had planned to go to Birmingham to see my Son (my eldest) receive his second degree.  He had worked so hard for this and I was understandably proud of his achievement.  However this last week my husband has been unwell and it would have been too much for him to go so sadly I had to go on my own.  I decided to go by train rather than drive and left around 6.45am to catch the 7.30 which got me into Birmingham for 9.30.  It was so busy with the Christmas markets starting this week.  Below is a picture of the big wheel and nearby was a skating rink - I am going again in a couple of weeks with my eldest granddaughter so will post more photographs then.
 
 
My Son's other guest had been unable to attend at the last minute due to family commitments so it was just the two of us.  What a wonderful day we had.  I was so proud of him in the Symphony Hall and very tearful when I saw him being presented.  We went out for a special meal afterwards.  My wonderful husband was so gracious about it all and paid for our meal which made it even more special to us both.  I didn't reach home until 10pm absolutely exhausted but in the best possible way.  The train journey home was a bit of a nightmare being packed and noisy with disruptions but I finally made it home safe and sound. 
 
Below is the view outside the hall near where we had our meal - it looked just like Venice with all the canals around it being lit up with lights and decorations.  There was a wonderfully Christmassy atmosphere with everyone around.  A special day. 
 
 
Well my lovely Friends I must leave you all again and get on with some preparation for work and hopefully some crafting as I have so much to do as you all have.  Your blogs have been fantastic this week and have kept me going so a huge thank you to you all.  I hope to speak with you very soon so do take care each and every one of you.  Big hugs to Everyone.  Lots of love, Dorothy :-)xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

16 comments:

  1. Hi Dorothy! I do hope your husband is feeling better soon. Please don't abandon your blog, I think you are doing very well with posting. I try not too feel to guilty when I don't post too often, it's my blog after all and I should really only try to keep myself happy with it. I love those tea towels and the knitting looks fab. How clever are you to knit three little panels at a time! id just end up with a tangled mess. Congratulations to your son and I hope you have a lovely week. Take care, Louise

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  2. Dearest Dorothy,

    Don't worry about not being able to blog as often as you would like to. All your friends here understand, and you shouldn't feel under any pressure. Don't give up blogging (unless you really feel is is causing a strain on you), because keeping in touch with like-minded friends is so good for the soul. :)

    Being a full-time carer is a huge strain, especially when the person you are caring for has changed a lot, and you miss the old "them". Take a deep breath, and don't try to do "everything"...be good to yourself...pause and rest awhile.

    Sending you virtual hugs and cheering you on! I hope your husband is having a better day today.

    Love, Tina xxx

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  3. PS. Forgot to say...well done to your son!! xx

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  4. My dear Dorothy, please try to continue with your Blog if you can. As you know I gave mine up, and, am now wishing I could find the energy to start another. Even a little post now and again is fine.
    Congratulations to your Son. I was so proud of my son when he did his degree in his 30's whilst still working.
    The cushions are fab, I must give them a go.
    I do hope hubby is feeling a tad better.
    Hugs

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  5. Hi Dorothy, please don't stop blogging. I love catching up with you whenever you can. It doesn't have to be lots. Just little posts here and there. You have made so much and have some lovely gifts. There are never enough hours in the day especially when you are working and caring full time but don't be too hard on yourself. Little by little will ease your soul. Hugs to you both and I totally got the proud feeling for your son. Jo x

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  6. Aw lovely Dorothy, I know you love doing your posts and I (and many others) love reading and getting into them, so I really hope you can keep doing them, even if you have to cut them down a bit - just so you have that creative outlet and enjoyment of sharing back and forth with your blogging friends.
    I am so sorry that your lovely Man is not doing so well at the moment and trust that things will pick up again to a manageable level for you both - it's such a terribly difficult time for you both; my thoughts and love to you both!
    Congrats to your lovely son on his well-deserved achievement and I'm so glad you were able to be there for him - I know how proud you are of him, and rightly so!
    I'm loving all your lovely makes dear, from the little knitted cuties for your Grandies, the bunting, and your fab fabrics, to the gorgeous cushions and bags. Your zip looks great to me Dorothy, and although they are not the easiest of things to conquer I think you are doing so well!
    I so love the birdie fabric from M&S and think it lovely that your Man wants you to make cushions for home - that's a lovely compliment!
    Your 'Venice look-alike' pic is gorgeous too; another lovely post full of goodies, apart from your lovely Man's bad health, so many thanks for it lovely, and do take care of yourself as well as your loved one!
    Much love and warm hugs my dear friend, Joy xoxo

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  7. God be with you and encourage you dearie!
    Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage

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  8. So sorry about your husband. Don't think of giving up the blog. It's something you do for yourself and that's very important. xox Jacqui

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  9. Hello lovely Dorothy, I feel a little sad as I read this post as I just want to pop on the kettle and have a chat. I really don't think there are any rules for blogging, I know some people have them, but for most of us we just do it as and when. I was just thinking this morning that I actually hardly ever blog about what I really get up to, largely because of time constraints and I so wish they weren't in the way, but that is life. The objective for you is to pop whenever, once every two weeks or even less, we will all still be here, that is a promise. You don't even need to show anything, although I can't imagine that to be the case, you always have so much to show and tell as you are always so busy. It must be really hard for you being the main carer and my heart goes out to you. You need to keep this going if it is giving a little ray of sunshine, I know you give us loads of sunshine in return. The hardest part of the blogging is really keeping up with all the other blogs and sometimes I am sure it gets to us all. Just do what you can, and don't put yourself under any pressure to do everything perfectly (pot kettle and all that :-)). I am really sorry to hear that hubby has been unwell again and it must be so hard for you both, especially when he couldn't join you for the graduation. I know just how much I struggle to miss out on things with my kids, so it must have been hard for you both. I really hope that his health will pick up and that it will give you a little respite. My thoughts are with you. Now on to your pretty makes. You have been so busy making some lovely goodies and how pleased I am that hubby asked for some cushions as those are simply wonderful. I am sure they are going to add a little Christmas cheer to your home over the festive time. Well done! I also like the look of your pretty bags and I think we all feel the same about dreaded zips, grrr! I have always found that a little retail therapy, especially in the fabric department always cheers me up no end and what pretty fabric you bought. I haven't bought anything from Seamstar for quite some time now, but they have such lovely fabrics and you did well choosing those. Congratulations to your son for achieving his degree, what an achievement, you must have been as proud as punch and what a pretty sight, it most certainly looks just like Venice. I hope that you have a better week and I am sending you a big hug and much love dearest Dorothy. I am so looking forward to us meeting up. xoxo

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  10. Dear Dorothy I'm so sorry that your husband has been unwell and things have been difficult for you. I can understand that you put a lot into your blog, as well as your job and your family and home life. Please don't feel pressured to write long posts or even to write as often.....your blog friends will still be here and happy to see you when you have time. Well done to your clever son, and how lovely that you went to his graduation and had such a special sparkly evening. Your makes are lovely, such cute little knits and pretty cushions. I hope you find things settle down soon, and that your husband feels much better too.
    Take care. Sending love.
    Helen x

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  11. Sorry your hubby hasn't been well - hope he's feeling a bit better soon. How proud you must both be of your son though.
    On a purely selfish basis I hope you don't give up your blog, but you must put your family first; hopefully you will be able to keep chatting to us all about your lovely crafts even if it isn't so often.
    I just love your cushions and the red back is just perfect. So bright and cheerful. :-) It always makes me smile that you can look at a tea towel and see so many things, when I look at a tea towel I see pots! LOL :-D
    Looking at your photograph of the canal made me giggle; I work in a visitor centre alongside a canal and on Sunday morning had a phone call from a gentleman who insisted on telling me all about the canals in the West Midlands, including the fact that Birmingham has more canals than anywhere else in the world. That was it..... he didn't want to ask anything about "our" canal. lol He talked for about 10 minutes while I had people queuing up waiting to pay for Santa trips! LOL :-D :-D I hope that has made you giggle too. It's a beautiful photograph by the way; the Birmingham canals are on my list of things to do.
    Take care of yourself. Jude.x

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  12. Hi Dorothy
    I am so sorry that things have been difficult for you recently and sorry too that your husband has been unwell. What a shame he missed your sons graduation but I am glad that you were still able to go and it sounds like you were very proud and had a lovely time.

    Please don't feel pressured by blogging, just post when you want to and when time allows of course. Your blogging friends will still be here to read your lovely posts whether it is once a week, once a month or even longer...

    Take care and thinking of you.

    Marianne x

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  13. Oh and I forgot to say...your makes are lovely! The cushions especially are great...so festive.
    Marianne x

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  14. Hello Dorothy...So sorry to hear that your dear hubby has been unwell and it has been a difficult week for you. It's hard to juggle everything at times, isn't it? Your blog is an absolute treat to visit..always so warm and welcoming and everyone will be here whenever you have time to post. It's so lovely to read that you had a magical day with your son as you so deserve...you must have been so proud!
    Your makes are gorgeous as always and all your little visitors are going to just love your festive treats!..I do love the little red robin cushion too!
    Take care,
    Susan x

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  15. Hi Dorothy - so sorry to read of your hubby's condition but happy to see that you are still creating beautiful makes. I think blogging is good for the soul sometimes, don't put pressure on yourself but I do hope you pop up every now and again when you can.
    And now for the GOOD NEWS... to let you know that you are the lucky winner in my blog giveaway :-) Woo hoo, yippee yay! Thanks for entering and I hope you love your little prize. Please will you email me with your mailing address and I'll pop it in the post to you asap. Congrats again! Hope it's a happy day for you, love Gilly xx

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  16. I am new to your blog Dorothy, so I don't feel that I can say much, other than I hope that al goes as well as it can for you whatever your difficult times are. I can say with certainty that whatever you are or are not able to blog, and however often you are able to, your readers will be there as I have found out just how wonderful bloggers are over the last few months. So, do what you want when you want and can and everyone will support you - including me. Congratulations to your son, he has obviously done great work in getting this degree. I hope that he is able to do all that he wishes. I hope that you have fun with your various crafty makes. Your cushions are very pretty and the use of the different fabric on the back is a great idea for so many reasons. Take care and I look forward to popping back as and when you have something to share. xx

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