And there's more!

This new "dog" of mine earnt me a lovely card.............

And this is not just any card.

This is a bona-fide, custom-designed, totally original, rather wacky, Trashy Office Donkey card!

(just humour me and try to read that like the M&S food adverts ok?)

It is so fab


and it even has a picture of my new "dog" inside!

Thanks so much Trashy - it made me laugh out loud - I just wish I could take it to work with me, but I don't think I know them well enough for that!

And for those doubting Thomas' out there - I have to say that it was definitely me, Mrs Locket who tidied the sewing table - and it isn't tidy because I haven't been crafting. It is tidy SO I could craft!

Looky here - my new go-to-work-and-carry-all-my-new-files-while-still-looking-smart-with-my-new-posh-coat-bag!


made out of two of my friend's jumpers that I boiled to death. I'm not showing you any close ups because it is all rather winky-wonky - I don't think my sewing machine was very pleased with me after I made it sew through such thick materials and I made it rather quickly yesterday afternoon (after tidying the table). But I'm rather pleased with how it looks and it has some useful pockets in the lining.

But if I hadn't tidied my table I wouldn't have been able to do it - so there!

And I also started this stitchery yesterday using the free wee wonderfuls pattern. I tried using a hoop but I just can't get used to it so went back to scrunching the fabric and wadding up in my hands as I sewed.

And I'll leave you today with a photo of Dot's lucky stone necklace (that I made when I was about 13), and the lovely fabrics Lesley gave me for my birthday that I plan to use for my file cover.

Lucy x

P.S. Edited to add: you are very lucky to have seen the necklace as it has now broken! Dot is desperately trying to re-thread it on "the authentic original wool" but I don't think it will work!

Lovely post and the new "dog"

Well I seem to be coping with the new "dog" - although it was a bit of a shock when I sat down at my desk for the first time and suddenly realised that I actually had to learn a new job! Until that moment all I had thought about was the logistics of actually getting there - childcare, clothes, transport etc.

I must have written about 30 pages of notes which I am in the process of typing up - I'm going to treat myself and make a patchwork cover for a ring binder with a special pocket for my notepad so that I have something pretty to look at and nice fabrics to stroke if I get too stressed!

I've finally managed to upload the photos of some lovely post that I received a little while ago.


First of all a totally unexpected and really beautiful mini-quilt from Kitty!


complete with it's own tiny ladybird! I didn't spot it at first until Dot pointed it out.

Kitty also included some fab ladybird felt and froggy fabric for the little Lockets and a bag of chocolate eclairs but I can't photograph them coz they are ALL GONE!


Thank you so much Kitty - it was such a lovely surprise!

Another fabby piece of post was this card from Charlie.


I had commissioned it for my parents after seeing some of Charlie's sketches - isn't it just brilliant?

Which reminds me that I forgot to show you the crochet hook roll that I made for Charlie a while ago so here it is!

I used some of my most favourite fabrics and made the ties from a tape-measure - making sure I used 21 inches to match Charlie's age.

But I will leave you today with a photo of the fruits of my labours today - my sewing table!!! A massive improvement on this.

So much to tell you ...... but no time!

Thank you all so much for your lovely comments on my last post - I can't believe I got so many and I'm sorry I haven't replied to you all because I really do appreciate each and every one!

But golly this whole "new job" business is a bit stressful!

I actually start TOMORROW (and I only found out for certain yesterday afternoon!) and will be working for two hours on a Wednesday then full time on Thursday and Friday.

The job itself is fine - I'm going to be working part time as a secretary in a local college - it's just the logistics of sorting out the childcare for the three little Lockets that's making me tear my hair out as each day and each child is going to be different {:o/ (that, by the way, is meant to be a picture of me with deep frown lines and a worried looking expression!)

I have so many other lovely things to show you or tell you about - like my wonderful surprise mini-quilt parcel from Kitty and my very exciting meet up with a rather special blogger but they will have to wait until I have time to upload the photos and think up a proper post!

Hopefully I will still have time to sew and time to blog.............................!

Lucy xx

Um..................

Um...........................


Gulp.....................................


I got it!!!!!!!!


And they changed the hours too!!!!

Now, about this job interview....................

I've got my first interview in years (lots of years, more than 11 years in fact) this Friday morning and I'm really delighted to have got this far but unfortunately they've changed the job spec so the hours are now a total disaster :(

I'm going to go to the interview anyway because it will be excellent practice and you never know, they might love me SOOOOOO MUCH that they change everything in my favour (and then they'll pay me double too and pigs will start to fly!)

It just seems so hard to find a job that will fit around looking after the children - which has to stay my top priority.

Do any of you have any magical solutions for me?

Perhaps I'll win the lottery?



Would it help if I actually bought a ticket?

How-much-did-I-do-list

1. wash up if I did it once does it still count? Or do I have to do it EVERY TIME there are dirty dishes????
2. put washing on - I put it in but forgot to set it going - does that count????
3. make toad-in-the-hole batter, peel spuds and find veg for the children's supper- done
4. quickly tidy sitting room (it will take DAYS to make it look decent!!! which was all going well until I had to move the sofa to show Malcolm (see No. 8) the huge hole in the wooden floor which disclosed the layers of toys and grot lurking under the furniture!
5. finish finding homes for the books displaced during the big dining room rearrangement
6. tidy sewing table - can't do that because of all the spewed out contents of the w.a.c.c.b.n.f.o.s.s cupboard
7. empty middle part of the was-a-computer-cupboard-but-now-full-of-sewing-stuff cupboard all over dining table and sewing table
8. try to fix the collapsed shelf in the aforementioned cupboard that gave way under the weight of all my lovely Australian craft magazines - okay, so I lied here - I asked Malcolm, my very clever next door neighbour, to fix it for me so he has taken away the two pieces of splintered wood and is going to bring them back when they are one again!
9. design and cut out a simple doggy softy for my friend's gorgeous little girl - couldn't find the table or fabrics - see 6,7 and 8 above
10. iron a few clothes (I know! It's amazing! Because I never, ever, ever iron clothes - but I've got some nice new ones that would look so much better ironed so I may have to break the habit of a life time!) - had you going for a bit!!!!
11. collect fabric from closing down shop got some nice black velvety fabric
12. post parcel to Jodie and Annie
13. hoover Daisy and Fred's bedroom because we can finally see the floor again!
14. tidy hall and hoover hall and stairs
15. waste hours reading all your lovely blogs instead of tidying now that one was just easy!!!!
16. compulsively check my newly updated blog for comments again losing valuable tidying timehmmmmm, easy again
17. contact the delivery office to get them to send me my parcel again
18. do a sneaky extra layer of papier mache on Dot's model because it looks like it is never going to harden nearly stuck myself to it too!
19. wish I was sewing instead oh yes!
20. work on my CV - that's this evening's job along with a very large glass of very nice red wine!
    
21. Ring up for some job application forms and maybe ring some temping agencies too well I rang them, they just weren't there to talk to today!
22. help the children make some chocolate crispie cakes after school - full of smarties and jelly tots too!
23. swear (silently) a lot because the internet won't connect so I can publish this post flipping computer!

Sorry to subject you all to my to-do-list but it really helped me get more done than I would have otherwise - I love being able to cross things off lists!

Things

I don't know if you've noticed how nice I've been to you all lately?


I haven't subjected you to a Lucy Locket to-do-list for ages!!!!!


But as the chaos in the house is building up to truly embarrassing proportions I reckon it's about time I did something about it - and how better to tackle this humungous task than with an equally humungous list?


My VERY BIG SISTER Ally always says I should break things down into manageable bits like "pick 10 things up and put them away" so I will do a 10 point list for today.

1. wash up
2. put washing on
3. make toad-in-the-hole batter, peel spuds and find veg for the children's supper
4. quickly tidy sitting room (it will take DAYS to make it look decent!!!)
5. finish finding homes for the books displaced during the big dining room rearrangement
6. tidy sewing table
7. empty middle part of the was-a-computer-cupboard-but-now-full-of-sewing-stuff cupboard
   
8. try to fix the collapsed shelf in the aforementioned cupboard that gave way under the weight of all my lovely Australian craft magazines
9. design and cut out a simple doggy softy for my friend's gorgeous little girl
10. iron a few clothes (I know! It's amazing! Because I never, ever, ever iron clothes - but I've got some nice new ones that would look so much better ironed so I may have to break the habit of a life time!)
11. collect fabric from closing down shop
12. post parcel to Jodie and Annie
13. hoover Daisy and Fred's bedroom because we can finally see the floor again!
14. tidy hall and hoover hall and stairs
15. waste hours reading all your lovely blogs instead of tidying
16. compulsively check my newly updated blog for comments again losing valuable tidying time
17. contact the delivery office to get them to send me my parcel again
18. do a sneaky extra layer of papier mache on Dot's model because it looks like it is never going to harden
    
19. wish I was sewing instead
20. work on my CV
    
21. Ring up for some job application forms and maybe ring some temping agencies too
22. help the children make some chocolate crispie cakes after school
23. swear (silently) a lot because the internet won't connect so I can publish this post

Ok, so that's slightly more than 10 - but then think how good it will look if I actually get some of it done!!!


Today's post has been illustrated by Daisy Locket - love her new style!

And before I go I need to show you two presents that arrived in the post recently:

First of all my gorgeous notetaker that I won on Nicolette's recent giveaway by guessing that she was going to make a rainbow hexagon quilt


I put it to use immediately - I just love the fabrics and the pockets are really useful!

I hope you appreciate how I colour co-ordinated the pens to match the fabric! Thanks so much Nicolette - I love it!

And then this arrived from my lovely Lesley-friend


apparently I may at times want to smack the author but there is loads of jolly good common sense in there too! So maybe I will be able to lose 3 stone before the Country Living Fair after all!!!!

But I'll leave you today with this photo of Fred enjoying some corn on the cob fresh from the allotment!


Lucy x

P.S. Wish me luck for my interview.......................!