Patchwork April

Hello............. I'm so far behind with everything lately but I'm determined to share my April Patchwork before we hit June tomorrow.

Despite feeling really poorly for a lot of April, I did manage some crafting, mostly granny squares and a little bit of water colour painting, in preparation for my trip to the Ceramics Cafe. I also shared a post about some Festival bunting I made in March, but I had to wait to tell you all about until April as it was a gift for a friend.

Out in the garden, it was pretty darn lovely, I love this time of year, so much colour to be found.

 talking of the festival bunting.........

Well it's been on it's first adventure....

Well that's about it, fingers crossed I'll be a bit quicker with my May Patchwork.  My energy levels have improved a little since re starting some Antivirals, so fingers crossed things are on the up again.

Happy Crafting

Clare xx

Pretty Flower Pincushion

Hello.............. Over the past few months with this current relapse of my ME/Lyme disease, I've lost my crochet mojo a little bit.

Feeling so very tired with a foggy brain, I found myself back making granny squares as they don't require much concentration, I got myself a little lost in the repetitive comfy world of the granny, which is great for the blanket I need to finish, but it's very hum drum and importantly I've been lacking Ta-Dah moments

So when a friend gave me this kit from Mollie Makes magazine, it was the perfect project, quick and easy to do and with hopefully a fab Ta-dah at the end.

I mean just look at the colours, just my cup of tea, Plus I got to use my purple hook !!!

Now with my foggy brain I'm not the best at reading patterns, I much prefer a photo tutorial

but as it turns out it wasn't to conffugling to follow

and well this make was just meant to be, lookie it even matches my top.

It was so lovely to lose myself in the pretty colours

Here's how the front turned out.

Then in was onto the back,  which was not quite so much fun, but necessary, I was sure I'd get lost in all the rounds...........

So after popping in some stuffing I was feeling a bit hesitant as to whether the two side would match up stitch for stitch, I had no need to worry though as..........

I had a perfect match, phew, no spare stitches on the back.

Ta-Dah

(not said that for a while!!)

All finished, and the good thing is I now have something to go in next years craft club exhibition as pincushions are one of themes.

Happy Crafting

Clare xx

Millions Missing

Hello.......... Just thought I'd pop in quickly to raise a bit of awareness, I'm joining in the #MillionsMissing virtual protest today, by popping my shoes outside the door.  It's a global day of protest to raise awareness about M.E which urgently needs to be taken seriously when it's come to funding and research.

I read this the other day and it's just astounding,

"Did you know that in the USA male pattern baldness receives six times the funding that ME research does? And that the amount of money that goes into MS research each year equals 23 years of ME funding? 

There are many exciting developments happening in ME research but we need more money and time given to developing a cure. Almost all of the money on ME research is raised by patients themselves. This just isn't right."

 

As you know I'm not doing too well at the moment, in fact last night my balance just went when I was downstairs, world spinning, I fell in the hall because of this and after that I the only way I could make it to bed was to slowly crawl up the stairs on my hands and knees, I'm still not right this morning still dizzy and feeling very sick, this is just one symptom of a huge list of symtoms I have to deal with each day.

Luckily I made this sign the other day, to raise awareness of todays protest on my Instagram, like many ME patients there is no way I'll be able to make it to the protest in London today, I'm in bed and protesting from there the only way I can.

So that's why I'm joining the ‪#‎millionsmissing‬ virtual protest today, please join in too we urgently need to fund research and awareness, for this debilitating illness. Pop your shoe outside and take a pic and share it on your social media, for the many ME patient who just won't be able to take part,

Today I'm ..........

I'm missing work,

 I'm missing dancing

 I'm missing travel

I've been missing since 1989
  Missing my life since I was14 years old, (just imagine what that's like, think about that happening to you're child)

 I'm Missing being a parent,

I'm Missing having a life

I'm Missing being about to walk more than a few metre

Missing just being about to go out to do the grocery shop

Missing the Sunshine.

Missing being the person I should have been!!

Just to mention a few of the things I've miss out on in the last 27 years

 ‪#‎autoimmune‬ ‪#‎posturalorthostatictachycardiasyndrome‬ ‪#‎ME‬ ‪#‎myalgicencephalomyelitis‬ ‪#‎cfs‬ ‪#‎lymedisease‬ ‪#‎spoonie‬ #Millionsmissing ‪#‎putyourshoesout‬ ‪#‎protestfeommybed‬

Thanks for reading, it took a lot of today precious energy for me to write this.

Clare xx 

Here's  a link to the protest website if you want to read a bit more 

The Blues

Hello............ I hope you'll indulge me but it wouldn't be Spring time at the Summerhouse without a trip to the Bluebells

Things have be difficult here health wise to say the least, so I wasn't sure we'd make it before they were all gone for another year, but we did last weekend, just in the nick of time I think.

The woods are at Kings Wood in Kent and are just about doable with a wheelchair, as long as there has not been too much rain, the bluebells can be seen from the road and accessed from the car park, so they are worth travelling to if you are less able. A huge thank you to my friend 'J' who had the task of pushing me.

I love them so much.

and hope one day I'll be well enough to go for a long walk in them.

I'm going to shut up now and

just

let you

enjoy

the blues

It's just so magical

the trees aren't bad either

Bye Bye Bluebells until next year.

Even the crocheted inspired by the blues.

A very Happy but exhausted

Clare xx

Ceramic Painting Ta-Dah

Hello........... I'm back with part two of my Birthday yarn bowl adventure. I can't tell how excited we were to see how our makes turned out.

We went here for our ceramic painting afternoon and it was so much fun, the lady who runs the place was sooo helpful.

So are you ready for a closer look, I love how the sky blue came out and the little blossoms

The Butterflies look OK too, I was a little worried they might not have turned out so well, so I'm  happy with them, I've not go the steadiest of hands.

The inside of bowl is the perfect Spring time mix of blue skies and clouds and I love the little blossom flowers around the inside of the bowl.

Around the outside of the bowl there are three set of cherry blossom Sprigs

Ta-Dah

It's coming in so handy as balls of yarn were forever falling off the bed before.

Here's some of the other makes, I think they all turned out just fabulous, plus we all tried a new craft.

As for me I'm very happy with my new yarn bowl and I'm putting it to good use. I'm also looking forward to going back to the Cermaics Cafe again.

Happy Crafting

Clare xx

Ceramic Painting : part one

Hello............. How have you been, sorry long time, no post, just struggling with my health lately, but today I have a very exciting birthday post to share with you, yes back in April some friends and I went off to a local Ceramics Cafe for a afternoon of craft,cake and tea.

After a bit of tuition about the paints and pottery from the lady who runs the cafe, we all set to work.  

You know me I just couldn't resist having a go at decorating a yarn bowl, probably not the easiest option for my first visit to the cafe, but hey ho

 I was thinking blue skies, cherry blossom and butterflies, for my design, and painted a little watercolour at home a few days before we went.

Now I did find it a bit tricky drawing my design onto the bowl, I really should have gone with a flat surface, but luckily you can use pencil and do some rubbing out on the pre fired bisque, once I had drawn my design on and before getting painty it was time for..........

some yummy cake and a cuppa

Here we all are, getting arty, I can tell you it was pretty quiet with all that concentrating, as we were all new to this pottery painting malarkey.

 I did find the paints a little confuggling at first with my foggy brain as they come out a different colours when fired but I soon got the hang of it.  First up I sponged sky blue over my bowl before painting in the cherry blossom and butterflies

You have to give each bit three coats of paint and in the excitment of it all I was a little worried I might have missed some bits.

Fingers crossed it comes out OK when it's been glazed and fired eek.

Here's what my lovely friends created, we all really want to go back again, although I did find it really tiring it was just so much fun.

 I promise I won't make you wait too long for the ta- dah post, we had to wait just under a week with the bank holiday but it was so exciting waiting to see how everything would turn out.

Happy Crafting 

Clare xx