Rainy Tuesday

It always amazes me how much the weather can affect my mood. When it is sunny or bright I naturally feel optimistic, when it is grey and rainy I feel grey and dispirited too. I know that is pretty obvious and a fairly universal reaction to the weather but I wish there was an easy way to change it!

So today it is raining. The children are all at school and the house is very quiet but still messy and I feel flat.

But you don't really want to know that so I have decided to do a positive blog and see if it lifts my mood - you never know, I might even put some music on and make a cup of tea too!

As always I have a gazillionty projects on the go at the moment. It is my little baby Fred's 6th birthday on Saturday (I can't believe he is going to be so grown up!) so I have my usual collection of birthday presents to make for him - sorry no pictures just in case he spots them. I also have some orders for bunnies and dolls to be getting on with (and I really should get on with them!) and loads of little bits of stitching and crochet that I am playing with.

The latest quilt swap news is that Est of My Cuppa Charms over in Malaysia has been the first to receive one of my mini-quilts so I can show you what I made her


this little quilt is made up of 2 inch squares with tiny hearts appliqued on - I just love these 30s colours but don't look too closely because I'm sure my seams don't match up properly!

Hopefully Jodie, Lissa and Lina will receive theirs in the next couple of days as I sent them at the same time as Est's.

I have another 5 nearly finished for posting this week so dotted around this post are some sneaky peeks for Katy, Lesley, Annie, Michaela and Val - I hope you like them but I'm not saying whose is whose yet!


And in the last couple of days I have started two more. One for Rachel and finally one for my official swap partner Leanne (sorry for the delay!!)


This should hopefully mean that I am nearly half way through my mammoth challenge to make 22 mini quilts (I must be insane!)


I really must be insane as I have also signed up to Katy's Russian Doll Swap - can't wait to see who my partner is!


Oh and don't forget about the 11 PIF gifts I need to make and send.......................!


But I will leave you today with something I am very very proud of


Beautifully stitched by my beautiful Dorothy - this is the very first time she has tried blanket stitch, chain stitch and fly stitch - hasn't she done brilliantly?

Monday's list updated

1. Paint medium doll's shoes
2. Varnish shoes she looks a bit confused in there doesn't she?
3. Make MD's bloomers
4. Stitch MD's face
5. Make Princess and the Pea's nighty (yup she's still in progress!)
6. Stitch P&P's face
7. Paint P&P's bed just needs underneath painting and whole thing varnishing
8. Make P&P's 7 mattresses actually made 6, just need to top stitch them now with decorative stitching but machine being contrary right now
9. Make P&P's quilt and pillow
10. Make P&P's bloomers
11. Finish art bag for Evie dreadful photo I know. It's one of those art bags with spaces for pencils
12. Frame Niamh's picture
13. Start Niamh's purse
14. Make Mince Pies with Children
15. Decorate tree with children
16. Design angel birth sampler
17. Tidy kitchen okay, most people wouldn't think it was tidy but it's tidy for me! Then it got untidy again with all the cooking!
    
18. Put away clean washing - well, I folded it, does that count? and I really really love the guy who did put them away!!!
    
19. Tidy sitting room (see kitchen above!)
20. Listen to Amy McDonald CD (notice, I didn't put wine drinking on today!) - got so busy doing stuff I forgot to go out to the car to bring it in until the end of the day but listened to it while I did the children's tea
    

So nearly everything was either done or pretty much done - not bad going for me really!

These are the other things I did today:

1. Put away shopping delivery
2. Got very cold
3. Made huge bolognaise-type dish for the next 10,000 suppers with loads of secret veg that the children won't notice (onions, garlic, carrots, parsnips, celery, mushrooms and tomatoes)
4. Dried 50 million loads of washing (okay it was only 3)
   
5. FINISHED Niamh's purse - rather than just starting it!
6. Made some yummy mulled wine
7. Drank it!