The Elves are Exhausted

It's been a challenging run up to Christmas, with the chief facilitator of festivities on and off her feet with a knee injury - which has also put progress with the curtain business on hold for a while.

My Labradorable is in the dog house - as she crashed into my knee about a month ago now and did some ligament damage. Several trips to the physio and a few weeks of frustration have passed as I've tried to get back to some kind of productivity (hurray for online shopping - or there really would be some disappointed faces round the tree on Sunday!). What is it with physiotherapists (now referred to as "the physiopath" which is a bit unfair as she's very nice) as I always seem to feel worse after I've been for "therapy" than I did before?? Still, it was hopefully my last visit this morning so things are looking up.

On the bright side, it has given me time out to finish some knitting projects like the cushion above and my jumper. Jonathan's also feeling particularly smug having lost a few pounds by being on the "housewife diet" - it's amazing what helping out with more of the chores can do! (As a disclaimer I ought to just point out that he doesn't particularly need to loose any weight - but can now feel free to massively over-indulge at Christmas).

 I am really pleased with this one - its a pattern called "Valiant" by Kim Hargreaves and its knitted in Rowan Cocoon, a real luxury item.

This is cheating a bit as I made this quite a few years ago, but it still comes out every year! I really should paint that mirror frame - it's looking particularly orange in this photo.

 I did manage to make this cake, although Jonathan has had to heroically step in and make the Christmas cake this year.  The proof will be in the eating...

 The only snow dusted trees we are likely to see this Christmas!

It's amazing what I can get up to when I'm not getting out much - like these homemade gift tags from bits and pieces around the house. I really enjoyed machining the felt ones onto the card - instant satisfaction. If you get a crochet one then you are really privileged - I'm still waiting to feel the love for crochet.....

One of the highlights of the last couple of weeks (apart from a lovely meal out at the White Hart last night) was a trip to Polesden Lacey to see the house dressed for Christmas. It was stunning, even our teenage son was awed by being allowed to take a shot on the billiards table in the saloon where the gentlemen would have escaped to for a quiet drink after dinner.

Here's our tree, not quite a big as the one at Polesden, but it's just as beautiful to us.


Merry Christmas!

Linen Roman Blind

I recently made this Roman Blind for my kitchen in a linen fabric from Linen Me.
http://www.linenme.com/linen-fabrics/




Its quite a rustic weave linen, which reminds me of the current trend for up-cycling vintage grain sacks into aprons, cushions, etc. Like this, for example: http://www.ohsovintage.co.uk/cushion-hungarian-grain-sack-2291-p.asp

Of course, my linen was made in a factory, whereas vintage fabrics would have more character as a result of the hand weaving process and the gentle patina of age.

Even so, the linen fabric is really beautiful and it smells wonderful - a bit like freshly mown grass in the summertime. The photos here can't convey the slight variation in the weave and the sheen it seems to have when it catches the light.

The looseness of the weave and the heavy drape of the fabric did give it a bit of a mind of its own, which made taming it into crisp folds a bit of a challenge.

If you look carefully you can see the leaves still on the wisteria that grows in abundance around our front door as these photos were taken a few weeks ago now. There have been some unfortunate events that have held up blogging, getting my curtain business moving and festive preparations - but that's a whole other story.