Thursday 6 February 2014

Last Week

Last week, I had a pretty good week, despite the weather being dire.  As a consequence, I spent quite a bit of time at home getting on with things I've been meaning to do for a while. 

I finished sewing the strips together for the front of my double quilt/eiderdown.  Here's a picture. 

 
 
I was quite happy with the results so far.  I still need to wash the old duvet I'm using for wadding and sort out the back before I can sew it all together.  Unfortunately, I cut some strips from the vintage sheet I was going to use and it ended up not being big enough.  Silly thing to do really, but I found another sheet that was big enough in my vintage linen collection, so I'm going to use that instead.  Better to use it than it just be stored under the bed.

In addition, I started work on some lavender bags for OH's wardrobe which had a moth infestation.  It's a good way to use up some of the many fabric scraps I have and I already have some lavender to put inside, so it won't cost any more money. I'll probably make a few extra ones for my clothes drawers too, as I sorted out a whole pile of fabric to use.  I may also make some for small extra gifts next Christmas if all goes well, but I will probably do those nearer the time so that the lavender scent doesn't wear off in the mean time.

In addition to the sewing, I also had a good week sorting out my 'desk' at the kitchen table.  From time to time it gets increasingly cluttered and looks very messy, which can be a bit off putting if we have visitors.  I decided to invest, from my business funds, in a lovely little set of drawers from IKEA to hide it all away, so the kitchen feels much tidier on a day to day basis.  Here's what it used to look like before I got the drawers. 




Everything was visible, with some things piled on top of others, so it was a bit of a cluttered hotch potch.  Now, it looks like this




and is much preferable and so much more functional too.  The other good thing is that as it is on castors, I can just wheel it all into another room if we have visitors, completely out of view, so we can use the table properly.

Most of what I use on a daily basis is now tidied away out of view, but still within easy reach.  The little unit cost £45, which is quite an expense for a tiny business, but I think it was worth it.  Sometimes you do need to separate work and home as much as possible to keep the clutter down and everybody happy.

Finally, I managed to get some more free tickets to the Ideal Home Show at Earl's Court in March, via Money Saving Expert, so that will be another inexpensive day out which I'm quite looking forward to.  All in all a pretty productive week.

5 comments:

  1. I like the look of the drawers. I have a self-imposed ban when it comes to Ikea, I just can't be trusted. I can't be trusted anywhere, but there it's worse.

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    1. I know that feeling. I went with the intention of buying a set that cost £10, but when I saw these I couldn't help myself. Our local branch is a little too close, if you know what I mean.

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    2. I do. We drive past the Warrington branch every time we go to watch Widnes. There are some days where even a very busy Ikea would be better than going to the game!

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  2. Your quilt looks gorgeous - love the colours

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    1. Thanks Penny. I can't wait to finish it and get it on the bed. I just can't motivate myself to take the duvet to the launderette.

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