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!

I KNEW housework was bad for you!

The other day Mr Locket bought me this book


but before you all take up arms against him in honour of Women's Rights I must point out that I did persuade him that I really really wanted it and if I am totally honest he does far more housework than me (on top of his very stressful fulltime job)

Our house is such a tip and I really don't do enough to keep it nice so I'm at the stage when any helpful advice would be very gratefully received. I also find it easier to do things if I can "read myself" into the mood - so reading about cleaning would make me want to clean (hopefully!!!)

At the start of the first chapter about decluttering there was this questionnaire thingy
Has she been here????

And what does she mean "three of these boxes"? I ticked them ALL and some of them more than once!!!

I think my house may have given up on screaming and just accepted resounding defeat!

Anyway, always up for a challenge I decided to follow Missus Turner's advice and start with the hall - the smallest mess you'd think - so why did it take me a full hour to clear the clutter and give it a quick clean?

Here's why..................


this is just the childrens' clutter (there was plenty more including a still packed suitcase of the children's clothes from our two nights away in May!)


and these are the shoes that no longer fit or are in pieces but were still in the shoe box - also note the odd ones......... I always knew this family was "hopping mad"!!!!!! (really, really bad pun, I am hanging my head in shame here)

But look how nice looks now

- flowers and herbs from my garden, unpainted patches courtesy of Mr Locket who ran out of paint (only about 8 months ago!)

and the long view

which almost shows you my lovely 1920s bannisters that were covered with panels when we moved in; and leads me to the main feature of my hall.....................

THE QUILT WALL!!!!

so here are some photos of the wall as requested - in fact there are three because it is impossible to photograph all the quilts clearly in one shot - I may have to relocate "the wall" so I can get some better photos

(view as you come in the front door)

(view from the kitchen doorway)

(as I come down the stairs each morning - how lucky am I?)

Anyway, back to the reason for my title. That hour of frenetic housework was clearly very bad for me as I woke up this morning feeling really yuk - headache, sore throat, earache, achey arms a weird hollowed out feeling inside and a total lack of interest in sewing(!) - all housewifely duties must clearly be suspended forthwith.

So I will leave you today with my first courgettes from the allotment


and if you were impressed with the productivity of my strawberry plants take a look at my friend Alison's
She had already picked 4 punnets worth and these were only the very best and ripest strawberries - her plants were still laden!

I picked about another 3lbs or more but they didn't look anything like these - more jam and scones need making I reckon.

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!
   

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!

It's sunny!

The weather here for the last couple of days has been really sunny and a little bit cold - just how I like it! Unfortuately we spent most of the weekend tidying the little monsters' bedroom. Fred and Daisy share the largest room but 99% of the time the floor is completely covered by at least a foot deep of clutter, clothes, books, toys, discarded drawings etc. It drives us completely demented and every couple of months we spend a whole weekend (at least) tidying it. We have resorted to having proper locks on the toy cupboards so they have to ask to get things out - which of course than can, on the proviso they have put away whatever else they had been playing with. Unfortunately they have been known to find the keys...........(this is a photo from halfway through the last major tidy-up! I wasn't exaggerating was I?)

A sensible, grown up mummy would be able to keep on top of the mess and never let it get to horror status but that's not me! Much as I would love to be organised and tidy and super-mummy-like it just doesn't seem to happen. I think I get distracted by all the boring things like sewing and gardening, seeing friends and blogging - and the fun stuff like housework just gets missed! What should I do?
You'd never think these little darlings could make such a mess!

So, having spent the weekend tidying upstairs, downstairs is now completely horrendous. I managed to stall tackling it by about an hour by calling in to see my lovely friend Helen for a cup of tea (and some toast!) but the chaos was still here waiting for me!

Now, a sensible, grown up mummy would probably tackle it in little bits until it was done. Have I done this? No. I have decided to completely rearrange the sitting room and dining room (all one large area) - except for my lovely sewing end which just needs tidying a little bit. So the furniture is pretty much all in the middle of the room. The floor is covered with the clean laundry that needs to be put away, the odd socks that need sorting, the children's toys that they have left lying around and the books that fell from the huge bookcase that I moved backwards and forwards between the two "rooms" before deciding where to put it - without removing any of the books first!

Well, never mind, only three hours to go before I have to pick up the children - but then again I have to the kitchen to tackle, the supper to prepare and a chocolate courgette cake and blackberry and apple crumble to make - and that is before I start on my craft orders.

Before I go, I was tagged by Leanne to do this meme:

7 honest things about myself

1. I'm really very untidy! (Had you guessed?)
2. I have a super tidy person inside me dying to get out - I can be really ultra organised (sometimes)
3. I'm the youngest of 5 children
4. I studied for a PhD in Roman politics, part-time for 5 years, but unfortunately did not manage to complete it before life, money, family etc took over - it is all still there 3/4s finished in my wardrobe upstairs :(
5. I only had 6 months of sewing lessons at school and was never taught to type but these are the skills that I now use to make money
6. My lovely husband is an archaeologist and as Agatha Christie apparently said "the good thing about being married to an archaeologist is, the older you get, the more interested in you they become!"
7. I was a newspaper-delivery-girl for two weeks when I was pregnant with Daisy and used to push the heavy weekend papers around in Dorothy's buggy!

I now have to tag 7 people so here they are
Monkee Maker - Kerry,
Lesley - Moogsmum,
Hannah - gently tiptoe,
Julia - weirdbunny,
Sarah - a stitch in time,
Jo - Frenchknots
and Anna - Thimbleanna


So I'm sorry there are no lovely fabricy-crafty-pretty photos on here - I hate it when blogs are all words and now eye-candy! When I find a clear surface I will try to do something creative and post a photo of it soon! Lucy x

Got the zips!!!!

So what do I spend my time doing?

Tidying!

Well, if I'm honest and want to be precise, I haven't been doing grown up tidying, more like playing really - rearranging my sewing area to make it even prettier! It is still overcrowded and rather messy really but it's mine and I love it!

(sorry about the dark picture - flash doesn't seem to be working)

The curtains are a particular example of Lucyism:

1. They are made out of tea-towels (except for the spotty fabric)
2. They are not even half-made yet! One curtain is wider than the other and neither are wide enough. They have no lining. No hem. No edge. And the top bit is just roughly folded over with the rings clipped on. But they are my mess and I love them. (have you heard that before somewhere?) Anyway, there is so much clobber (clutter) on the table that I couldn't close them even if I wanted to!
   

But, back to business, the zips are here (in quantity!) so I must get to work! These are the wallets I have made so far (I did manage to make two yesterday by cutting down extra long zips) Some have worked well and so will be going on my Etsy shop soon while others are less accurate so I'm not sure what I will be doing with them yet.



























I also ventured into the world of "pretty handbag" making with this attempt inspired by my Bend the Rules Sewing book but adapted on the way. It's not right yet, it needs to be deeper and I will have to change how I do the top and handle because I broke lots of needles trying to stitch through the layers! I do think the colours are pretty though.