Doiggie Dementia.

Our pet is 15 now and stone deaf which can be quite a problem especially when you add the dreaded aging dementia. She forgets where she is, where the door is, where her bed is,. Mind you, she never forgets meal times or treat times, but I suppose that is instinct.
Each evening at 10.30 ish one of us takes her up the garden and out the back gate for her late night tinkle. Well last night she disappeared into the darkness and forgot to come back. Chucking it down with rain, wind howling, me in my slippers - are you beginning to get the picture - good (I think). We have an intruder light over that gate so I have to keep waving at it to keep it on but still could not see her. Went to fetch OH and a couple of torches and back to wander over the Common in the hope that we can find her. No good calling of course. Finally the torch picked up a pair of yellow eyes, scared me half to death, thought it was a fox but no, it was a very frightened and wet Rosie wondering where the hell she was.
I wasn't exactly warm, dry and comfortable either. Not a pretty sight.

On another note, wedding cushion now complete.  Only draped over another cushion at the moment as I need a 20" pad for it.  Meant to get one today butg with this inclement weather...........?   I'm sure you will understand.

Ooops.  I forgot to link this to Handmade Monday.  Good job Wendy left a comment or it would have passed me by again.  Thats 1stUniquegifts/Handmade Monday.

Little gift for a big nephew.

One of my nephews is getting married.  He and his partner have both been married before and have children from their respective marriages.   They also have their own home as have been together for some time now.  All this makes it difficult to give a suitable gift, they already have everything they want or need, so I decided to do a memory cushion. Having made the centre panel I am looking for white curtain type fabric for the rest of the cushion.  Last time I got just what I wanted from Dunhelm's shop but they appear to have cut back on their fabrics and naturalaly mine is one of those that has disappeared from the shelves.
I only need half a metre.   I could purchase on the internet but will incur £5 plus for postage and packaging which is a bit grim on such a small amount.
I know just what you are thinking, why not buy more to make it worth while.  If I do that with the enormous stash I have in my shed someone else in our household will have a fit of appoplexy. Grrrr.

However, a few quick pics of the panel which is completely hand sewn (except the hearts) got them from my local Aladins cave of a shop.

I do regret not doing the horseshoe in silver now but it is too late.

I am going to offer this post as my contribution to Wendy's Handmade Monday.  Do pop along and have a look at all the other beautiful offerings.

Handmade Monday 9,4,12

Oh dear, I have been very lax again but do have a lovely tale to tell you.

I bought a couple of metres of fabric locally.  It was lovely to work with and the design was tiny, just fitted the bill for the job in hand.  However, I hadn't bought enough but on returning to my little fabric shop - yes, you have guessed it - all gone.
The only identifying mark on the scraps left was the word 'Belleboo' on a bit of selvage.  Not to be beaten I searched all the fabric shops on line - nothing. 
Eventually I typed in the word Belleboo to see what came up and, lo and behold, found a site called Jill's Quilt Site so very cheekily emailed Jill only to discover that she was in Thailand, she didn't sell fabric but said she would go into Sampeng and have a look in the fabric suppliers who make it..
I am forever surprised at the kindness of other people. This is an email I received back.

Dear Carol,

I saw the fabric in another color. I ran out of time. Will be going back again next week and will look again. I don't think it has a name. I might have to buy a few meters and send it to you. How many meters do you need?

Jill'

She has since been back to the manufacturers and acquired me 5 mtrs of material, some in the original beige and some in pale blue which is now winging its way to me from that magical Country of Thialand.

I will, of course now become an ardent follower of her blog and see some of the lovely work she and her friends do, mostly for charity.

This is a link to her site  http://bkkquilt.com/

I am hoping I have made a new friend, one can't have enough of those can one?

Although I have no 'makes' to show you don't let it stop you from going over to Wendys at 1stUniquegifts.co.uk/blog and see what everyone else has made.

'

An odd assortment and Handmade Monday

Friday was Open Day at the Grands school, we had not planned to go, in fact, we had planned a totally lazy day but at 9 a.m. my daughter phoned to say that one of them was getting into a state because his Granddad was not going to see him in his play.
So, with feet not touching floor we made it for 9.45 just in time for curtain up and Stella The Starfish was in full swing. How those teachers got 60 kids of 6 and 7 to remember all that and perform without too many hiccups I will never know.  Children of that age are soooo amazing.  They not only remembered words and dance routines but 8 songs too and we were told that they had only been  rehearsing for three weeks, any more than that and they get bored.  I am so glad that we didn't miss it after all.

I have nothing to show you for Handmade Monday except a bit more work to one of the panels as I have been doing alterations. A client bought a set of five long sleeved blouses and wanted all of them turned into short sleeved ones.  Although the blouses are identical apart from the colour she wanted all the sleeves different.  I was so fed up with them by the time I had finished I could have binned them for two pins.  Common sense prevailed and they are now packed up ready for collection tomorrow. lol.

How about a ditty to make up for my lack of work~

The light, so bright,
So clear and crisp,
Glistening dew
In the sun through the mist.

The early hour

Of the first Spring day,
The Herald cries
Summers on its way.

I love these mornings

When the world looks so new,
When the grass looks so fresh
And the weeds still few.

But before much longer

Sunday peace will be gone,
With the hum of mowers
As the grass gets too long.

I have gossipped enough for one day so I will suggest you all pop over to Wendys at 1stUniquegifts/blog for Handmade Monday and have a look at all the lovely goodies

A Doggy Tale and Handmade Monday.

I have been unwell now for several weeks, a virol infection I am told.  Lost my voice for three of those weeks and am just getting it back although still a bit husky. As it hurt to try talking it has improved my sign language no end.

Talking about sign language, I will relate a small situation I found myself in this morning.
As  I am sure most of you are aware, I am the grateful owner of an elderly mutt, I refer to her thus as the Vet claims her Grandmother was raped by a fox.  I don't know if that is possible but it is certainly feasible as she came from a New Age Travellers site and she certainly was mistaken for one on several occasions in her youth.

She is fifteen now and as deaf as a post.

Picture this if you can. 

This 70 year old Gran in her dressing gown and slippers at 7 ish in the morning standing in her back gateway which leads out onto the large common at the rear of her property doing frantic hand signals which rather resemble a rain dance to this deaf mutt who, in her own silent little world has wondered from one delicious smell to another and ended up 3oo yards away.  Unfortunately she has, by now, done more than her usual tinkle and this stupid old woman has the added problem of finding and picking up whilst hoping against hope that no other dog walker is about to appear through the woods and catch her at it.

Rosie has always been a very obedient dog, never any trouble at all, I could walk through the busiest town without a lead and she never moves from your side, step for step she is with you but I am absolutely certain she has twigged that if she does not look at me she does not have to do as she is told. Grrr.

Back gate is just off bottom left corner.

Now I only have a small offering for Hand Made Monday, just another three panels for the twins quilts.

 

These are 12" square, or will be by the time they are inserted. 10 completed, 2 to go.  It seems to be taking forever.

Now is the time to pop along to 1stUniquegifts.co.uk and have a look at all the other well deserved offerings.

Hopefully it won't be so long between blogs now I am on the mend.  Have a wonderful week everyone.

Update on the Aged Aunt problem

We managed to get her to the Doctors but she is not letting on what was discussed so I suppose we are no nearer a solution other than the Doctor is now aware - hopefully - that there is a problem. Its gone very quiet  there so they must be on speaking terms again. No more threats about throwing herself under the local bus or in the canal, which is quite funny in its own way as she can't walk that far, someone would have to push her in a wheelchair. I am beginning to relax about it once more. Phew.  Catastrophe averted for now.

The end of another weekend.

Sunday evening always makes me feel as if I should summarise the week, what I have made, what I failed to complete and what I could have achieved if I had made that little extra effort.  I try not to dwell on the last one because it is a waste of time, it happened, or I should say failed to.
OK so I have had quite a severe cold during the week, still coughing, I think I am hooked on linctus by now but at least it appears to have subsided somewhat, keeping fingers crossed it doesn't come back and hit me again like they often do.
I have managed a couple more panels for the quilt -

Also a friends small boy has a birthday coming up and she asked me to make him a cushion for his bed, had to be red and white and squashy so this is what I came up with.   I have made it into a pyjama case and it is padded with thick foam wadding and lined with white cotton  sheeting so very  washable.

It is Handmade Monday so can I suggest you pop along to www.1stuniquegifts.co.uk/blog and have a look at some lovely crafted articles.

One way and another I am having a traumatic weekend. Lots of phone calls and crying.  I have two aunts, one 87 and the other 93 in a couple of months.  Both live in their own homes, the older one with her partner who is 92.

The 93 year old has fallen out with her partner, The problem is not what they have argued over but their age,  They should have help in but will not admit that they need it and I get shot down in flames if I even hint at them not managing.  I should add that these Aunts never had children so guess who has to pick up the slack.  They all live about 35 miles from me so not so easily accessible.  The younger Aunt is also crying because the older one is upset.

I am about to get shot down in flames yet again because I am contacting their Doctor tomorrow to get them to go in and insist they have some help.  They will listen to him because, in their eyes he has the voice of authority. 

Wish me luck.