Sundaysevens | Sewchet

April 19, 2015
by sewchet 43 Comments

Sunday Sevens #32 – And The Winner Is…….!

Happy Sunday folks!

1. This lovely creature woke me up this morning – what a handsome chap! Although he’s LOUD, I love to hear him crow – it never bothers me.

2. So an early breakfast was called for. Just look at the colour of our hens’ eggs:)

3. We had Sunday Lunch at the Village Hall a couple of weeks ago and I forgot to post a photo, so this one is a bit late.

It’s just your average hall, but we enjoy many a happy ‘do’ there.

4. The ceiling has been taken down recently, but this is what it looked like when we got married nearly two years ago.

5. I pulled a muscle whilst running and this is what the Physio taped it up with!

6. A trip to Nottingham to see family included a drink in the oldest pub in England (1189AD). It is built into the bedrock under Nottingham Castle which you can just see top right.

7. Yarn delivery for Christmas presents – I need to start early to get them all done!

8. And the winner of the Giveaway is……

Well done T!

Please email me your address and I’ll post all your goodies this week:)

If you’d like to join in #sundaysevens weekly blog series, hop over to Nat at Threads & Bobbins to find out all about it.

April 12, 2015
by sewchet 24 Comments

Sunday Sevens #31

A quick round up of my week – the highlight of which was a visit to Liberty’s of London! And, yes, I did spend too much….

1. We did two of the Shaun The Sheep trails around London, this one was spotted in Chinatown. They’re also in Bristol which is closer to home so maybe next week….

2. Interior of Liberty’s in Regent Street. Just stunning architecture.

3. Just to prove I was there!

4. I bought a metre and a half of three different fabrics and a ball of Kidsilk Haze to border my shawl.

I plan on making some summer tops or dresses but haven’t decided on patterns as yet.

5. My daughter’s unfinished portrait in oils from her artists weekend we bought her for her birthday. It’s going to be good when it’s finished isn’t it?

6. Cheeky shot of Mr H-L Calendar-Girl style!

7. All he did was to move a pile of earth from one part of the garden to another as far as I could tell.

The Boys claimed the spoil as their WW1 trench, erected chicken wire ‘barbed wire’, dressed in camouflage gear and spent a very happy day rolling around in mud.

If you want to join in #sundaysevens, you can find out all about it from Nat over at Threads & Bobbins.

March 22, 2015
by sewchet 25 Comments

Sunday Sevens #28

Sunday Sevens #28 – how did that come around so quickly??

This is how Nat at Threads and Bobbins describes the weekly blog series: –

“Each week, we do things that don’t necessarily warrant a full blog post. You may have made a nice meal, grabbed some bargains on a shopping trip, had a family day out, spotted some beautiful scenery or just done something you feel you want to share. A Sunday Sevens blog post is the place to share those things. You take 7 images from your week and post them every Sunday with a small description. Tag your post using #sundaysevens on your blog and social media. I also pin the posts onto the Sunday Sevens Pinterest Board.”

Without further ado, here is my selection for this week.

1. Birthday meal with my little girl – we share the same birthday.

2. My monogrammed, hand embroidered napkins have been featured in Country Child magazine – they’re bottom left on the page.

3. A trip to my favourite place, Wells Reclamation. I’m going back for a post box.

4. One of my Crafternooners sent me a photo of her finished pieces. Aren’t they great? I love the colour coordinated pins she added for the picture! You can read about the Comic Relief Crafternoon in an earlier blog post.

5. I managed to sneak into another magazine this week too! Pretty Nostalgic is about vintage values, make do and mend, waste less, make more etc. It’s a great publication with NO adverts which makes it a joy to read. You can download the latest digital copy free to see if you like it before subscribing (it’s a members only publication).

Pictured here (top photo) at a Pretty Nostalgic meet up with Jane Arnold who blogs as The Life Of An Eccentric English Booklady.

6. The partial eclipse taken, whilst out running, on my compact camera with a pair of sunglasses over the lens!

7. Decorating the boys’ bedroom. All painted and the A M A Z I N G wallpaper is up, but waiting for some fabric to make bench seat cushions before I blog about it:)

March 8, 2015
by sewchet 44 Comments

Sunday Sevens #26

Here we are again for another Sunday Sevens post – seven photos that make up part of your week but are not worthy of a dedicated blog post.

To join in, check out Nat’s post over at Threads and Bobbins where she tells you all about it.

1. Tess presiding, as I finish the second sleeve on my jumper – just the blocking to do now!

2. The ‘Cockatoo’ fabric and wallpaper arrived for The Boys’ bedroom redecoration.

This is the mood board – units from Ikea due to arrive this week then they’ll have proper storage at last!

Will it be enough to enable them to keep their bedroom tidy? I doubt it…..

3. I bought this sewing book for No.2 Son (the one who likes GBSB more than anything!).

We are going to adapt some of the more obviously girly patterns to make them suitable for a nine year old boy which made me think – why are all sewing books aimed at girls?

His first make was this Monster Plushy.

He needs supervision but does all the sewing himself.

Funnily enough, whilst he is VERY much a boy, he chose pink fabric from my stash for both projects.

I suppose he sees Hubby wearing pink so doesn’t consider it a girl’s choice and just likes it.

His second make was this pair of Kissing Doves which he wants to hang in his bedroom.

4. He also finished off his crochet Granny Square blanket this weekend.

He chose all the colours as he went and framed it with three rows of blue to finish.

Isn’t it great?

5. Tulips – my favourite Spring flower. These were £2-00 a bunch in Morrisons so I treated myself:)

6. First Primroses spotted in the field- beautiful.

7. Hubby cooking Sunday Lunch.

Is it just me, or does food always taste much nicer when somebody else has done the cooking?

Hope you had a great week – enjoy what’s left of the weekend!

February 22, 2015
by sewchet 16 Comments

Sunday Sevens #24

For those of you that are new to this concept, this is how Nat from Threads and Bobbins describes it: –

“Sunday Sevens is a weekly blog series where you post 7 photos from your week. Sometimes things happen in our lives that aren’t worth a full blog post but are worth sharing, so here is the blog series to do just that!”

Without further ado, here is my week in summary.

1. Snowdrops, snowdrops, everywhere!

2. No.2 Son wanted to make something for his little brother, so he embroidered his name onto some felt!

3. Climbing trees – fun for boys of all ages:)

4. Trying to get a normal photograph of hubby keeping our 12 year old Yorkie warm whilst sitting outside (!) for a pub meal. Here we have the whole gamut of facial expressions. That’s why I never ask him to pose for a photograph – it takes forever!

5. A really rather dreadful photo of Stourhead.

Note to self: next time, don’t use your iPhone on full zoom just because you’re too lazy to get the camera out of your bag!

6. Some completely fabuloso porcelain mugs that I bought in Makers gallery in Bristol. The artist is Jessica Thorne, a student at Plymouth University (where my son is in his final year, incidentally). She doesn’t have a website yet but you can ogle her gorgeous collection on Tumblr.

7. Italian Chocolate Truffles – I promised someone (sorry, can’t recall who!) that I would share the recipe, so here it is: –

175g/6oz plain chocolate

2 tbsp Cointreau or Grand Marnier

40g/1 1/2oz butter

5 tbsp icing sugar

cocoa powder to dust

Melt chocolate with Cointreau in microwave (gently!), then stir in the butter until it has melted.

Stir in the icing sugar. Leave in a cool place until firm enough to roll into 24 balls.

Roll in cocoa powder and chill in the fridge.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend ‘cos it’s back to school on Monday!

February 15, 2015
by sewchet 41 Comments

Sunday Sevens #23

Nat from Threads and Bobbins organized this link up, whereby you showcase the things that aren’t quite meaty enough to dedicate an entire blog post to.

I’ve got a few things to show you this week and, whilst they only number seven, there are a few more photos than that.

1. A finished off blanket from last month.

I love the flower detail in the middle.

Such lovely, dusky colours in the softest yarn – Drops Andes.

2. I found a 1930s Grandmother clock, perfect for our house which was built in 1937! I’ve been searching for a suitable one for ages and was chuffed to bits when I spotted this in a local antique shop.

3. I picked up my knitting needles to start on the first jumper I’ve knitted since 1988!

This one’s for me and I fancied using a tweedy yarn (Stylecraft’s Aran with 20% wool) to make it a proper country jumper for when I walk the dogs. This is my first attempt at knitting cables though and I think I’ve got it right first time!

4. I don’t know if those eagle-eyed amongst you have spotted the new badge in my sidebar? I’m the latest blog to be sponsored by Minerva Crafts to use and review their products.

The materials for my first three months projects have just arrived! Don’t you just love getting parcels like this in the post?

My first make will be using this good quality sweatshirt fabric with a very modern “Chic” print.

I’ve got a great project in mind for this practical quilted leatherette.

I’m really excited about this one though – a gorgeous Chinese print brocade!

All these projects will be revealed and blogged about over the next eight weeks or so.

5. A couple of new book purchases (as if I haven’t got enough!). I blame this entirely on Teresa from Navy Blue Threads🙂

6. After we finished some amazing tea that was given to us by somebody who insisted they weren’t going to drink it, we hunted down some more.

At a hefty £25.00 for a tiny tin, I think we’d better ration ourselves with this next lot!

7. Finally, I whipped up a batch of eighty scones for a little boy’s Christening. Like you do.

February 1, 2015
by sewchet 32 Comments

Sunday Sevens #21

Guests have gone home, Husband has taken No. 3 Son to play in a tennis tournament and No. 2 Son is watching Toy Story with the dogs which all means…….my Sunday Sevens post is on time!

Seven photos taken during the week to give a little insight to my life as organized by Nat over at Threads & Bobbins.

So, here we go….

1. Homemade Blackberry and Apple Pie with fruit I picked and froze in the summer.

2. A surprise gift from visiting family!

3. Thinking about hosting a Red Nose Day Crafternoon…..

4. My latest creation to be blogged about shortly.

5. Guess who has something featured in the next “Country Child” magazine…..?

6. Pretty Nostalgic members meet up in Salisbury.

7. Procrastinated right up until the last minute (well, 57 minutes actually) about filing my Tax Return!

January 26, 2015
by sewchet 16 Comments

Sunday Sevens #20

So, here are seven photos taken during the week which give you an insight into my life.

Sunday Sevens, as organized by Nat over at Threads and Bobbins, is a weekly round up of things that don’t make it to the blog.

I ought to rename it Monday Sevens really, as I rarely manage to post on a Sunday….

1. Piña Coladas with friends.

2. My Tower Poppy arrived at last! You can read about our visit in this blog post.

3. The dogs enjoying a frosty walk.

4. Mmm….Nothing beats a Full English and a pot of tea after a walk in freezing weather.

5. Demolition of the old downstairs shower room and toilet.

6. Enjoying a spot of crochet and another cup of tea in a vintage china teacup given to me at Christmas.

7. went to the Hauser & Wirth gallery in Bruton. The video installation by Pipilotti Rist is mesmerizing.

Now, back to writing this bag pattern – nearly there Lucie🙂

January 5, 2015
by sewchet 24 Comments

Sunday Sevens #17

This week, my #sundaysevens post is a day late (again) with good reason – I was at The Ritz in London having afternoon tea and didn’t get back until nine o’clock:)

Shall we start with that then?

Hubby and me quaffing champagne…

…with two of our very good friends.

Cousins-In-Law modelling the crochet headbands I made them for Christmas….

….and the cake she made for our New Year Supper! (Check out her FB page!).

Teaching a willing student to crochet.

I made Salmon en Croute for lunch one day.

A frosty walk with the dogs.

Thanks to Natalie at Threads and Bobbins for encouraging us to keep blogging!

December 15, 2014
by sewchet 14 Comments

Sunday Sevens #14

My “Sunday” Sevens are a day late again – I was in Bath Christmas shopping with my daughter yesterday, an annual event in its twentieth year! Each year we drive in before the shops open, have breakfast, lunch and dinner out and manage a bit of shopping and mulled wine in between. It was the last day of the Bath Christmas Market too, so the city was looking and feeling very festive.

We really look forward to this girly day out which only ever happens otherwise on our shared birthday – we were both born on March 13th:)

Here is a snapshot of my week: –

1. Put up the Christmas Tree

2. Yarn delivery from The Wool Warehouse!

3. Walking around the village after dark in PJs, dressing gowns and wellies leaving Candy Canes on gateposts/car windscreens as a surprise for the children in the village to wake up to:)