Tuesday 12 April 2011

Blue and Bargains!

My Tag Square Bee blue and white block for March is done and sent off.  As I said to Ali of Very Berry Handmade, when I commented on her lastest post, blue is not a colour I have much affinity with in general.  But one of my favourite flowers is/are forget-me-nots and I'd love to make a whole quilt using blue and white.  There's something about the combination that is so fresh and clean looking.  My block for April is to be 'rainbow' coloured so I'll be able to get rid off  use up some of the brighter scraps I have in my supply.


Following the lead of my DD, and since he's almost finished his college course, my DS has decided to start his own business: Gardening! We bought him a strimmer and hedge-cutter to start him off, then he got himself a second-hand mower.  He already has a chainsaw because he needed one for his course.  To solve the problem of transporting the equipment to his jobs, DS got a tow-hitch put on his car and we got him a second-hand, almost new trailer from Ebay.  After putting up 1 poster in the village Post Office and taking a few flyers around our locality, he's already completed 2 jobs that will be regulars and has another 4 in his diary. By the way - he's still working a day a week for another contract landscaper and doing part-time chefing at the local hotel.  One thing he's not afraid of is hard work!!

 DS's first job with the trailer was for me.  I found an Ikea cupboard in an antique/junk shop that is perfect for storing my supplies in my shed, so he was able to collect it for me.

 See!! It's a perfect fit and it doesn't stick out into the room more than 13" so doesn't overwhelm it. It has shelves the whole height, a couple of which you can just see, which is ideal for stacking fabrics etc.  Hopefully, I will get in there over the Easter holidays and sort it out.

My paper-cuts made it into the shed too and Pam P was correct in her comment when she suggested Rip Van Winkle for the green one.  I emailed the seller to satisfy my curiousity!
I came across this piece of farmyard fabric in a charity shop on the same trip into town as when I got the cupboard.  It's quite a large piece and cost only £1. 
Whoever owned it had cut out a few of the animals around the edge and then got rid of it.  DS, his girlfriend and I worked out which animals had been used by looking at the pattern repeat. A set of 3 little pigs and a couple of chickens we think!  I can't think off-hand what I would use it for but couldn't leave it there! 

On another crafty note, I gave a few woollen jumpers a hot wash to felt them over the weekend.  Most of them worked out fine but 2 of the jumpers shrunk to about a quarter of the original size and are as stiff as boards.  I don't know what to do with these either!!

Bye for now
Teresa x

6 comments:

Mary said...

I have a similar Ikea cupboard for storing my sewing things that I was given. It is very handy (although is a bit full now!)

If the felted jumpers are too stiff to sew into anything how about making them into pot holders? Felted wool is a very good insulator!

Leslie said...

Beautiful block! I agree, blue and white looks so fresh. It is a combo I like. With my first pregnancy my mom made me a sweet maternity dress that was blue with white ovals and little flowers in each. I loved that fabric so much.

Hardworking is a very admirable trait! I wish you son much success with his new venture. And what a GREAT trailer! And cupboard! It's perfect. I really like the natural look of it.

I'm off to the garden center. I want to pick up some flowers to fill in gaps in my flower bed.

Blessings,
Leslie

PS..your word verification for my comment is "scone"! =) Just had to tell you that. ha.

Vintage Girl/Marivel said...

Hello,my friend: wonderful farmyard fabric,I love it.Your square blue block looks fresh and clean.You are right.
Best wishes :)

Highland Monkey's said...

I do like blue and white it's a classic. Well done on your son using his initiative. Once he's got a few more jobs he wont need to advertise. (my hubs is a gardener and it's all word of mouth).

Silvia LGD (Little Green Doll) said...

I like your blue block! Fabrics are beautiful and I love how you have combined them.
Good luck to your son!! :)

Anonymous said...

Please send your DS up here to help us in our garden! My DH is laid up with a sprained ankle, so our terracing still looking more like a trench system...

I think that blue and whie block is lovely. Have you ever seen the lovely Hungarian blue and white cotton? ... it's called Kekfesto - so pretty.