A Cushion and a Clarinet

I've finished a project tra la la....la la....la!! I'm so happy now that the felted pieces are off the table and have been turned into this cushion. I think I was procrastinating a bit before because I wasn't sure it would be successful, but I'm very pleased with how it's turned out. I can't imagine how I'm going to feel when I've finished a whole quilt!! I stitched all the pieces butted up together with a wide, close zig-zag onto a piece of backing fabric for stability.

It's edged and backed with a flowery curtain-weight fabric I bought from a charity shop a while ago.

I find envelope backs are the easiest to make (and to take off for washing) so long as the overlap is big enough not to gape open.

I was browsing ebay a couple of weeks ago to see what vintage bits and pieces were around and put a bid in for this little pile of goodies. The whole lot, including postage, came to just over £10. There are over 20 zips, good long lengths of braid, lovely big buttons for bag fastenings and the seller added a cute piece of fabric as a extra bonus. I like to have lots of stash available to browse through when the creative urge takes over.

I also had another (accidental) win around the same time!! How, you may ask, do you win something on ebay accidentally? Well.............you know how sometimes you have a dream that maybe one day you could learn to play a musical instrument or something similar? No!!! It can't be just me!! Anyway, after chatting to a friend who plays the saxaphone, I had a browse at the clarinets available. There were new ones and used ones and vintage ones and they were mostly selling for around £60 unless very special. I saw one that was not used, but ex-shop display, on offer starting at £40 (with an option to 'buy now' for £150). I put a bid on for the £40 thinking someone is bound to out-bid me (apparently it's worth £250 new). But no-one did!!! So here it is!!!

In all its glory!!!

I've bought a beginners book to learn how to play and have so far managed to put it together in the correct order. There's no reed with it so I can't attempt to play it yet. If I can't get a note out of it or don't get on with it, the friend who plays sax has already expressed an interest in buying it from me.

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I know!! I know!! I don't have the time to start something new but if I don't try it now, I don't think I ever will (and it was just....sort of.....meant to be!!). I'll let you know how I get on (one way or the other) :-)

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Bye for now

Teresa x

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P.S. The Shed Warming Party was postponed due to bad weather. The holiday-viewing gathering went ahead though on Sunday evening and 15 of us had loads of fun re-living 2 holidays with a break for some delicious food put on by our friend.
Bye for now
Teresa x