Wednesday WIPs and Other Stuff

One of my unwritten and unspoken-about (until now that is!) resolutions  for the new year is probably one shared by many of you - to sew more, to crochet more, make more things generally, finish off the WIPs, reduce the fabric/wool stash, and tidy my sewing space.

Actually that's more than one.

But you get the idea.




I have started off quite well, firstly by having a good tidy of my space, and secondly by making four pieced cushion cover fronts last week, using fabric from my stash

The following two cushion fronts use the same fabrics but will be a different size when complete. 

Just need to join the rows in this last one, then have a production line going to finish them off by lining the patchworked fronts and doing the backs.

Otherwise I will have just negated my first few resolutions by merely adding to the WIPs.

Hmmm.


Whilst getting back into blogging mode I have been doing the rounds of my favourite blogs, catching up with your news, (although I still have more to visit as I am so behind),
 and, as you do,
have come across some lovely new (to me) blogs in my travels around blogland.


One in particular that I enjoyed that you might like to pop over and visit is Rubyted - she has a love of all things dotty and spotty which I can certainly identify with!


I also came across another creative blog, The Vintage Hobby House, where Manda blogs about the Universal Craft Blog Directory in her latest post.

I checked this out via her link to CraftyRie and have signed up - the aim is to build a Directory of Craft Blogs, listing bloggers who craft.

If you craft or "make stuff" then you might like to go and check it out for yourself.

Click on the link here to go to CraftyRie who is bravely organising all this!
(For some reason I cannot get the picture to link, useless woman that I am sometimes when it comes to IT!)

Following the admirable lead of Vivienne at Green Rabbit Designs, a favourite blog of mine, I am in pre-spring mode, which I think is a jolly good idea of Vivienne's (who is taking this very seriously and already spring cleaning - how positive is that?!)  for all you like-minded spring yearners out there - it's a state of mind, positive thinking if you like, seeing the encouraging little signs of spring and carefully ignoring the continuing signs of gloomy winter.

( "In denial of winter "doesnt sound quite so positive does it?)

Todays pre-Spring feel good signs that I spotted were

* the first early daffs out along a lane on the school run this morning, just four brave flowers
* clumps of snowdrops flowering by the roadside (mine are still in hiding)
* catkins across the lane (lots!)
* buds on my daffs
* the cheery purple pansies and scarlet primulas that I planted last week in wall baskets
* the birds sang early this morning as light was breaking (they havent done that for a while with any conviction)
* the woodpecker has started peckering and hammering away in the early morning - lovely spring/ summer sound





So those are my reasons to be cheerful today, my pre-spring signs - do you have any to share?

Or are you still happily enjoying winter?





Edited to add that all the above spring flower photos are last years, not taken this year!!! So sorry if I misled anyone! I did type a line earlier saying this but I must have taken it out!

Another edit or PS!
Have just found another new to me blog that will be of interest to those who love Swedish interiors and patchwork quilts - a visual delight, do visit Liv at    http://livsswedishhome.blogspot.com/