On overdue return...

Hi! Would you believe it was me?

I've been gone for a while, a long while and I have missed the blogging world. I know I've missed quite in these past few months.

I was going to return earlier, but my health took a strange turn. I went into hospital mid December time and wasn't properly diagnosed with anything. My body was involuntarily twisting and turning a little like being shocked or violently shaken by someone...only thing is, is that I was conscious so they ruled it out as being seizures. They also ruled out diabetes, epilepsy and any virus or infection. Eventually I was referred to and seen by the neurologist, he asked me a few questions and I went to have and ECG done. I was finally diagnosed with having an anxiety disorder.

I get the occasional panic attack as result and it can take a while for me to calm down, its strange not being in full control anymore they can strike at any time without warning. I'm slowly getting used to it, knowing my limits and such.
I've been put on medication which I need to take every day for the next 6 months. It's supposed to help with the shaking and migraines. After that pains started in my abdomen, they ruled out any infections or appendicitis and gave me some tablets which I'm not entirely sure are helping as the pain is still there. As well as all that I discovered I had a perforated ear drum and was given ear drops, which smell so awful I don't fully use them as I should.

Work has been more stressful as business seems to be booming and it's still only us small few in the office. We've had quite a few meetings to discuss our job roles and how they may be changing in the upcoming months. There were interviews before I left to go on holiday so I guess I'll have to wait and see how things develop.

I haven't really been sewing at all. Most evenings have been spent either watching TV or going to bed early as I've been to tired to do anything else. As I've been on holiday I'm going through the process of a spring clean...though it's been snowing quite a bit here recently, we had some hail today. My sewing things will be sorted and I may start putting together some packs of scraps and sewing accessories, as I probably have far more than I'll use of threads and random materials.

I'll be back to blogging eventually, most likely the weekends. I've really missed sewing and writing away. I have a new camera too which I'll pull out of the box and start testing out. As well as a new quilt that has kept me warm through these cold 'Spring' nights.

Thank you to everyone who has emailed to find out what I've been up to. I have appreciated your concern. *Big Hugs*

Well I best be off....dinner will be here soon.

I be's Cheraldine!  =D

A Few Finishes...

So I said I would be back soon and here I am! Yes two posts in one week! I'm getting there. I would have posted yesterday, but I went to bed earlier than usual.

I did get some finishes in yesterday however.

Here's how they started

Then them finished. It's great what you can do when you put your mind to it! I think I procrastinate so much so when it comes down it I just get on with things all at once. Those snaps in the last picture belong to the HST cushions from Wednesday's post

Wednesday evening Mother made Red Velvet Cupcakes. I helped her with the piping of the icing. She took them to work Yesterday. She said everyone was saying she should make more and some for Christmas....They were fairly quick to make. I may even make some to take to work.

Today I relaxed and tried out a thrown together pattern of something I've wanted to try for a while now. I had some scrap fabric sitting around. I also rooted through the scrap draws. Those scraps became this little thing

By no means was it meant to be neat and tidy. After all they were just scraps. It sits on Mother's dressing table. She said I could make them and use them as little scent bags for wardrobes or drawers. I plan to make some more in the near future as my WIP pile is pretty much clear. I can start some new projects. I think I have enough cushion covers!!

I'll make some more pouches me thinks. I have a lot of snaps left...Velcro...I can use the drawstring method...I have zippers....

Some more pincushions as you can never have too many! Hmmm then I have to have a good old think on what else to make...

Siya'll later. =D

Finding my Sewjo

So these past weeks I have been awfully quiet, rarely blogging or even blog reading for that matter. Truth is I just lost the will to blog. I would think about it then just not bother. Even with a mound of things to be sharing I just didn't have the heart.

My camera is overflowing with pictures and yet hardly any have reached the blog. There are certain points where my mind gives up on itself and the will to do anything is lost. Things are left untouched and I find myself in front of the TV not really watching it. Well except on certain days when the Junior Apprentice comes on (The younger Giants friend is on there!) or George Clarke's Amazing Spaces (Such a great show amazing what you can build a house in/out of!) or the Heston's Fantastical Food (Supersized foods. Need I say more!!)

Work seems to be on my mind, in my dreams and attacking my thoughts. Does anyone else get that feeling? You're not awake but in a loose dream where you feel like you're at work though you know you're in bed?

I guess I should let you in on what I've actually been up to. The past week has been taking pictures of my hand made items for my Etsy shop! Father took most of them and I took some close-ups to show the use of the items. It was a battle to get the lighting right! Even with photo editing some came out looking really terrible!
I have more to edit but here are some trial and errors to show you

The first is natural light. The second is with bright/clarity and the last is with boost/bright/clarity

I wasn't all too happy so waited for a good day with some natural bright lighting. Sunday was that day! They looked brighter on the camera, but at least these were easier to edit!

I began to edit a few pictures with some simple touch ups. I used the colour/exposure/sharpen for these ones. Far better looking and more natural.,

I've also been making some more items to sell. I had a rummage through my pile of things that had been started and not finished from earlier on in the year as well as starting and finishing some new projects. The market stash has come in to play in a lot of these projects as I thought hey they're sitting there so why not make good use of them. So the following post contains a lot of pictures!

 I got to work on some zippered pouches using the market stash. These were leftover pieces from making some cushion covers (you'll see those later...)

I finished my Modern She made mini quilt and a fun pincushion. I didn't feel to make anything more as my partner didn't even leave one comment! I did throw in some scraps leftover from this...

I've also finally gotten round to using those HST's I had...I know one certain reader will recognise them....

Those earlier mentioned triangles, the larger ones and a few of the smaller have become cushion covers. I've finished one so far. The other is backed, pinned and ready to sew

I even finished off my rainbow inspired cushion covers, complete with labels!

I've got more things to show you soon as they just need finishing off ! 

So I'll be back...hopefully sooner than I have been returning, hope all is well with you all in blogland.

Siya'll later =D

Wednesday Already!?

It's funny how slow the day goes, but yet how quickly the week passes.

Never the less I've been trying to fit in as much sewing related projects this week as possible. Today was more of the, Glue, fold, press

I have the snap pouches on the bottom "shelf" and the Zakka Style sewing kits on the top "shelf". The bottom is weighted down by the top "shelf" (chest of drawers..the small wooden sets) then the top is weighted down with heavy books...

I've almost finished the Modern She Made swap item. I don't even know what my partner thinks of it as she hasn't commented even once! I just need to quilt it and add a label and it will be done and ready to post.

I came home to find this parcel on the stairs.

It contained charms from the {3x6} Bee Fabric Swap. The theme was stripe/polka dot and a matching solid. I didn't want to take them apart just yet...plus stacks of fabric are so pretty!

Then it was more label gluing and pressing ready for the stuffed cushions!

I may have to sew these ones in as I'm sure it would be near impossible to weigh down a stuffed cushion...

Siya'll later....

Picture This

A few sneaks from the sewing table!

My sewing day has been...Fold, Glue, Press. Fold, pin, sew, trim. Will the shop be ready in time for Christmas? We'll all have to wait and see...

Siya'll later...

A few Sneak Peaks

I guess you've all been wondering what I've been up to...where I've been...why I haven't been commenting on your blogs like I usually do...

Well life got in the way as it tends to. Work days although the same amount of hours always feel much longer! Maybe it's the winter season and the days getting darker before their time, so it makes it impossible to get a decent picture of anything as the lighting just isn't right!
I'm going to treat myself to a new camera! Mine is far from what it was when I first bought it....the zoom is all messed up, the picture quality is very shocking. At 14.2 mega pixels I expected better! (Then again I don't think the few times I accidentally dropped it helped...)

So I'll share a few sneak peaks and I'll be back sometime in the week to reveal all..

I think that's enough for now...

Watch this space.

Siya'll later!

Just keep Tri-ing....

In this case the Tri stands for Triangle! I had a load sitting on my to be sewn into something pile...I'm sure you all have one. You know those pieces you cut for a project...then they go to one side, you make a dozen other things then find them again?
I do that A LOT!! Around April/May time I cut all these triangles

They sat in a box until September when I took out a few with plans to make a few things....Only I forgot about those plans..

They could have become...table runners....hot pads/mug rugs.....placemats......mini quilts....a baby quilt....table toppers.....

Now it's October..well like coming up to the end of it...see how I like to procrastinate on making certain things...
Upon not even remembering about those ideas (I came across them and thought hmmm what was I using these for again..)...Some of them have become two cushion cover tops

This one I forgot how to sew the strips together so they are actually on a slant...it's not your eyes deceiving you! I do however like the style... I made this yesterday and it looked way worse before it was cut all nice and neat today....(meaning it was going to go back onto the one side pile and be forgotten until months later!)

Today I remembered the second time round how to sew the strips and this one came out a much straighter, I even managed to keep most of the points!

Making the second one helped me to cut the first one out to a usable size and shape! They should become 16" cushion covers....
I still have quite a few left over...they could possibly still become the above mentioned...maybe the mug  rugs....

I then decided to have a look through my to be sewn into something pile TBSSP...I found a random assortment of things...leftover wedges from my cushions (which could possibly become table runners...)....my 2nd MAM quilt that needs the backing made....random scraps of fabric...other cushion tops, that need to be neatened and backed......

Then there was this cushion top

I had taken out the backing to finish it only it ended up not being ironed and left to one side....I have to unpick it as I'm using a pillow case...(ah the irony!) I have since ironed it...now just to unpick it...
Then as I was still in the mood to sew something I made another one

I staggered the pattern slightly and changed the colour arrangement (Read realised after sewing it was too small and I had to add in some extra rows of colour)  These are on the larger side and should finish to roughly 19" or so...good for a 20" cushion pad or a looser 18"

I'll get around to unpicking the cases then ironing them again and cutting out panels for the back of the two rainbow covers....For the triangular ones I'll have to raid the market stash and see If I have any polka dot prints...

Mind you as those were sitting around for a while. So knowing me I might just do some more sewing and worry about backing them later...my weekends are for those jobs! I want to line the tops too and do some quilting on them so I also need to dig out some plain fabric....(funny how I can quilt those and not a full sizes quilt that has been waiting for months!)  No fancy FMQ more using my standard foot to quilt...which is surprisingly easy to make shapes with....

Anyhoo I best be off...sleep is calling to me! 

Siya'll later =D