Have you ever been in love?

I think I may just be.

Isn't he gorgeous?

And because it really is true love, this is on the other side.

This is one of the vinyl-lined bags I have been making like a crazy hound these past two weeks.

It started with a washbag for my girl to take on her weeklong residential trip last month. This fabric was too perfect to leave in the shop and some pretty floral, lightweight vinyl from the old-fashioned haberdashers in town.

These were such a delight to make and look so blurry good (even if I do say so) that the decision was made to create more for that end-of-year scam - the teacher present. This year d/Boy has had six 'teachers' (don't get me started), and Princess C-W three so for once I am ahead of the game and have made five so far.

The first was the boat one for Mr. Headteacher and then d/Boy picked out some shapes for the rest. Gingerbread Man and initials for the really lovely teaching assistant (TA), angel for the god-loving TA, bell for the uber-music loving teacher and a Dala (swedish horse image) for the horse's arse faced evil teacher. This just leaves the knitting one, the coffe cup one and the 'gods-alone-know-what-to-make-for-her' one and there is still a month left of school.

But these need not be just wash bags. I made one on Friday for my gods-daughter's half-year birthday and told her it could be for pencils, shells, felt-tips (textas/markers) or, if her mother really insisted, a damp flannel.

And finally I am managing to post the pictures of the most recent blocks I have made for the 'Quilt Around The World ~~ Christmas Blocks' for Carroll and Sudi-Laura respectively.

I am very excited about both of these because I pieced with reasonably sharp points for a first-timer AND also did needleturn applique! Yay me!

It's too darn hot...

... generally I refrain from mentioning the (infrequent) warmer weather we get here in the UK . Given that I spend so much of my life being cold and moaning about the freezingness of the great in and outdoors it seems churlish to have issues when the sun shines in a warm and long term manner. HOWEVER... the sun has been warmy and lovely for nearly two weeks now and I am more than a little pissed off that for the first time in many years my hayfever is back. And rocking the dripping nose. I sat watching England lose their lifeline game with TWO hankies to hand and v. scritchy eyeballs.

All of this is exacerbated by CK's brilliant plan for the weekend of 'sorting out' the garden. In reality this meantSaturday was spent shifting a few pots, finally aiding the children in planting up their tomato plants, organising the dust into little piles for Pr. C-W and d/Boy to sweep up and wrestling with making Maria officially topless. Exacerbated because I swept and planted and was left with dust covering not only my clothes but up my nose and through my hair. Cue more sneezing, snotting and general scratchiness.

The Family Fun Evening was in fact fun, not least because of the warmth, and ended with CK making a surprise appearance clutching a bottle of wine and my assistant, both children being invited to share Dervish & Dynamo's tent and the most spectacular moonrise I have ever seen. A glowing, orange, full moon seemingly just feet from my outstretched finger tips. A bit weird to be sharing food and wine with Moriarty but we managed to mutually ignore each other without too much antipathy. But by midnight my hayfever was exhausted and so I dragged CK away from the firepit and went home to fight with my duvet cover.

Sadly I lost the fight so covered a snoring CK with Pr.C-W's duvet and went off to sleep in her bed under d/Boy's one. It was an interesting experience, I know now why my girl wakes so early; I need to invest in a blackout blind for that window. By 7.30 I was rushing down the hill with breakfast of bacon, pancakes and cereal to prevent the emotional destruction that can be wrought by the empty-bellied destructoBoy. Fed half the campsite, found the lost football, drove Pr.C-W and two chums around in a topless Maria, had a falling out with an officious dad, moved my car and found the missing sleeping bag cover. Retreated up the hill with fingers crossed that Maria would make it and NOT run out of fuel leaving me stranded halfway up a 1:6 hill (=v. steep). TG we made it to the top and as far as the petrol station where patient and dirty children were rewarded with bottle of cold water and a Bounty each.

Home just minutes later meant shoehorning filth and face-paint covered children into the shower before everyone collapsed in a darkened room for the day. It was at this point that someone decided to continue with the Aran-weight (10 ply) knitting of a slipover top for Godson Will's Christmas present. Due to focus being on the situation in South Africa the band was ripped back three times and the whole lot flung across the room twice. It looks awfully big but he is visiting for the day on Wednesday so I shall measure it then. Fingers crossed he may even fit it by the holiday season.

10 things 10pm 2010 **EDIT**

1. Whoever is coming downstairs at this time of night better be bleeding from both eyeballs and suddenly limbless even if it IS Friday night. *
2. I am missing The Women's Colony. It was a place of peace and sanctuary for many; not sure it can ever be replaced. Mrs G rocks.
3. Family Fun Evening at school tomorrow night. Why am I all ready thinking 'Fun' is going to be a relative term?
4. Found out today that d/Boy has his sucky Yr.2 teacher again next term for Yr. 4. Grrrr.
5. Loving the advent of an actual Summer this year (so far). Long may it last and only ever rain on weekday nights until sometime in October.
6. Have to fill in admin forms for BIG school by Wednesday next week.
7. Want to smack Mrs Bit-Tired's whiny daughter for indulging in babyish yet proto-teen bitchy behaviour.
8. Need impetus to put great career plan into action. Has anyone invented a tablet to cure apathy yet? Oh! Really? No-one can be bothered? Huh.
9. Am currently rocking the creation of vinyl-lined wash bags. Current total 12 with more cut out. Oh lovely little Janome 419S you are clever creature to be able to sew vinyl without a teflon foot.
10. Is it wrong to be in love with a creation of your own making? Or is it just wrong when you love the skill that created it?









* Pr.C-W in pain with loose and decaying last baby tooth. Last time we had a tooth take more than a week to come out it stayed hanging around for 18 months. PG this one doesn't make it to three months.

**EDIT** I can't even remember what 10. was about. I know it was something sew-y/crafty related NOT, as it reads to me this morning, about children and sex.

that is all it takes?

I step away from the computer for four hours and next time I look the Australian government is collapsing? Does this mean I need watch a screen forever to forestall any other serious situations occurring?

Who knows but by the morning (GST +11) Australia may have its first female Prime Minister!

Gotta fly like the eagles.

(Although in this case it is actually a cockatoo but, you know, the premise is the same.)

Why you should listen to your mother.

Remember she said to always make sure you have clean knickers on when you go out?

This is why...

Unbeliveable! (in a good way)

Happy second birthday beautiful BabyWill Godson-extraordinaire.

A farming success.

Two weeks ago my assistant decided it was time to harvest the crops down in the Lower 40

There was much dirt scattered as these beauties were uncovered.

On reflection the harvesting may have been a bit premature, the largest of these was about 2.25 cm and the smallest about .5 cm

Would you mind just taking a quick look?

Have been playing loads more in Flickr recently and most of my pics are SOOC but occasionally I edit. In this instance I can't decide which I prefer. What do you think?

Sew It Together Bus Tour Team pic.

Sew It Together 2010
Originally uploaded by trashalou

Somewhat belatedly ( can we still blame jetlag?) I am posting Friday's bus tour team photie.

too weird for words

Have just spoken with Giovanna and Sylv on Skype. It is very strange. Very.

I don't think CK's lil baby computer is up to dealing with internet video calls. There was a lot of delay and pausing and jerking and volume issues.

That said it is a triffic idea and may just make it my new best friend ever.

Is it wrong to have a favourite number at bingo?

Two and six!

Girls night out at a fundraiser for the NICU* Baby Will and his big sister both spent some weeks in when they first arrived.

It is incredible how seriously some people took the loss of a chance to win a bottle of bleach and cleaning cloth. There was much sighing and shoulder-slumping each time Bingo! or House! was called. The venue was the local 'Social Club' but I reckon feeling like I needed to go home and 'Silkwood' scrub my skin was worth it for the 300 (or so) pounds raised.

(NICU - Neonatal Intensive Care Unit)

What? (said in a voice vainly trying to sound innocent).

Morning after I returned back from TGTH 2.0 and Princess C-W was in the kitchen putting her hair up for school.

Here' I said in best 'I'm home and jetlagged and wanting to re-establish mothering role' voice 'let me fix that for you.'

Once all was in place and smoothed back a slight double-take was required.

In fact, to prove myself NOT crazy photographic evidence was required.

Apparently NO scissors, teeth, saw, knife or other cutting implement has been anywhere near her hair.

Perhaps it was simply the product of a jet-lag addled mind?!?!

Follow the link.

Click here. I only watched the second one but will be smiling now for the rest of the day.