Where do things go when they disappear?

I've annoyed myself a great deal this morning. Two or three days ago I took delivery of a little packet of jewellery findings. I fancied making some new earrings as mine are looking a bit shabby, so I bought a packet of 50 silver coated wire hoops. I distinctly remember putting the packet on my dining table, but was it there at breakfast time when I looked for it? No. No, it wasn't... Cue a fruitless search. Either I mistakenly binned it when I was tidying up, or I'd placed it 'somewhere' for safe keeping. I've looked everywhere, even in the recycling bin. (Honestly, what must my neighbours think? I'm out there in my pyjamas rooting through the plastic and cardboard!) The silver wires have disappeared without a trace, but on the plus side I did find a bone folder I'd mislaid months ago, a cardboard template I'd hunted high & low for, and a reel of perle cotton. There's a lot to be said for 'a place for everything and everything in its place'. I've now reordered the jewellery findings from eBay, and when they come they'll go in a labelled container, all neat & tidy & easy to find!

Actually, my sitting room is looking a fraction tidier these days. I finally got fed up using the dining table for my crafty projects, & perching on a not-high-enough, uncomfortable chair when I used the sewing machine. Instead I bought myself a desk and office chair from Amazon. The desk's very compact, but big enough for my sewing machine, and the chair's not pretty but it's very comfortable.

On the crafty front, I've mainly been messing about with an increasingly bulky junk journal. But in between cutting up food packaging and making paper collages I've also been sewing this little bit of slow-stitching.

I patched together lots of fabric scraps, and added beads and a kitsch cat button. Plus a few silver coloured charms.

I've made this into a kind of book cover, with a pocket at one end and elastic in the middle to hold pages in place. Handy for writing notes or reminder messages, and it's small enough to fit into your bag.

One final thing before I go - it's been pouring down with rain today!!! I know, I know, it's just the weather and aren't we Brits obsessed with it. Yup, we are. But it's been bucketing down today, filling up the water butts and giving the garden a very much needed drenching. After weeks of dry days it's been a pleasure to see. On that note, hope you're having a good weekend. Bye for now. Oh, and I have YouTube news, but I'll tell you that next time. Bye!

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Sari scraps, PVA, a couple of books and a necklace

I'm typing this as snow's falling, and has been steadily all day. It's not settling to any great extent, though I bet by tomorrow morning the paths will be slippery with ice. Which always makes me paranoid about falling over and at the very least looking undignified, but at worst breaking a bone or twisting an ankle. Oh well, it's ideal weather to stay inside and craft, isn't it? I finally got around to listing packs of sari scraps on Etsy this morning. I only made up six bundles as I've no clue whether they'll sell or if I've set a reasonable enough price point. Time will tell. This is a link to the listing, if you're interested. This vaguely pink fabric isn't from one of my Etsy packs. It's from a bit of experimenting I was doing yesterday. I'd seen a post on Instagram showing how a DIY version of batik could be done without using hot wax. The Instagrammer used PVA instead, and I wanted to try this out....

In praise of wool

Just a quick post today. I'm offering you a short but peaceful break from the overwhelmingness (is that a word?) of Christmas. By now you've probably eaten your bodyweight in sweets//roast potatoes/pigs in blankets/cake/After Eights ... whatever your festive indulgences are. You're under-exericsed, over-stimulated, feeling broke and possibly guilty about an argument with a relative or friend you've never entirely got on with. So, here's something to take your mind off all that. I've two videos to refresh and revive, and they both concern wool. Interesting fact. Well, I found it interesting. About 1% - yup, one per cent - of the world's textiles are made of wool. Out of curiosity, I also googled how much is made of cotton. That's higher, but it's only about 24% and that's heading downward instead of up. Synthetic fibres are the bulk of all textile manufacture. Anyway, back to woolly wonders. My firs...

HOW TO MAKE: these decorative birds

I suggested yesterday that I'd run through how to make a fabric bird wall or window hanging (can't think of a snappier title for it than that!) so here goes. I'll start with the first decorative hanging I made. It's something you could make in any colour combination you want, and would look good hanging at a window with translucent beads that'd catch the light I used five birds for this, but you could make it longer if you prefer. (Incidentally, if you're wondering about what's hanging off the bottom on this, it's a metal Christmas decoration, shaped like a lantern. For some reason I thought it looked appropriate to leave it there, looped over the end.) WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO GATHER TOGETHER: Assorted scraps of fabric for the front of the birds - aim for a mix of colours and textures. Silk looks good, as does anything with embroidery or intricate patterns. You might aim for a hippy-ish boho look, or maybe you're ...

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