My Tidy Sitting Room

As you will all be well aware I am a really, really, really untidy person. But today I tidied! Then I took photos to prove it! (because I know how quickly it will be messy and it may be another couple of years before I get round to tidying again)

So here is my tidy sitting room:

Now my friends always laugh at me because my pictures are wonky. Last week Alison said it looked like I had shaken the wall! I replied that I never got round to straightening the pictures because the rest of the room was so awful. Today they are fairly straight - and Alison is coming round for a drink later!

Monkee Maker will like this post because she admits to being nosy and wanted us all to show where we did our knitting. I objected that this was discrimination against stitchers so she said we were included too. So here is where I sit to do my hand sewing.

These are some of my creations - except for the little Noah doll (bottom, middle) that was made by a really talented girl called Maria. (by the way, don't my Mummy and Daddy look lovely??)
I am always really impressed with other people's photos of their homes and then look at our house and think "Eurgh!" but I'm pleased that today it looks OK!

Now, back to being creative. I have been having trouble getting down to doing things even though I now have quite a few orders. I think it is because I have loads of new fabrics and different projects on the go and can never organise them clearly enough to be able to pick something up and get on with it. (Alternatively it could be because I'm just not getting on with it!) Anyway, assuming that it is because I need to be more organised I treated myself to these little suitcases to sort all my different current projects into - don't they look nice?
Have I produced anything since I bought them yesterday? No, of course not! I was too busy tidying!


When my friend Michelle asked me to make her pink elephant wallet this is what I came up with.

Fortunately she loved it, unfortunately her daughter really loved it too and there was a very real danger that Michelle might have lost it. To prevent this tragedy I made Eleanor a little elephant purse - this is the lovely Thank You present she gave me.


When I read the note inside I was really touched so I thought I would show you that too - doesn't it make creating things so worth while when you get real appreciation for it?
Finally I need to tell you how clever I am! I can make crumble!

I have never liked crumble as a pudding (no matter what fruit there was in the bottom). I didn't like the way it "clagged" to the roof of your mouth when you ate it.

But those days are long gone (and so is any hope I had of finding my waist!).

I can make crumble - and it is yummy!

So far I have made rhubarb (from the allotment) crumble and apple (from the garden) crumble. But the best to date has to be "Gran-Gran crumble".

No Monkee Maker, this doesn't mean it is made from little old grannies. In fact it is made from blackberries (from the allotment) and apples (from the garden). It is called Gran-Gran crumble after my wonderful Granny who died a few years ago, just 6 months before her 100th birthday. I always associate blackberry and apple with her - partly because she used to make the best jam and also because I can remember blackberrying with her in the woods near her home before she came to live with us when I was 7. The apples I used were special to her too as they came from the tree I planted on what would have been her 100th birthday. Granny was a truly wonderful person and I grew up with her as my best friend - how lucky we were to have her living in our garden! (she did have a cottage there, honest!) I really miss her but feel very privileged to have had her for so long.

So here is a photo of my Gran-Gran crumble - unfortunately I burnt it a bit but it still tasted delicious!