Finishing things and starting other things.

This is the finished book cover - front above and back below.    I zigzagged close to the edge, all round the cover and then made a 'picot' effect with the soldering iron.

I had great trouble with my spray bottle and it shot out great dollops of dark ink which I thought had ruined it completely.   However, as it dried it became lighter and I over sprayed it with a green ink and then a coppery one.   The letters and leaves were rubbed with Treasure Gold to bring up their textures.  I might apply a coat or two of acrylic wax for protection.

I love this time of year and always get a lift from sowing seeds.   These are all with bees in mind - french marigold, poached egg plant, aquilegia, nasturtium, sweet peas, cosmos, calendula and annual dahlias.   I have also planted roots of three large dahlias.   My tiny greenhouse also contains pelargonium and lavender cuttings taken last year and a bonsai oak tree grown from an acorn by my son.  These are in an awful jumble, out of shot thank goodness along with various gardening gloves and hand tools.  I must have another tidying session out there.

The greenhouse also doubles as our recycling area with bags for papers, cardboard, glass, metal and plastic, not to mention four folding chairs.  I can just about get in far enough to water everything, including the chairs if I'm not careful.   When the seedlings are out in the garden I can dismantle the old green plastic table, let the chairs out, and there will be enough room for two growbags which will hold six tomato plants.   The smell of tomato plants takes me back to my childhood and my granddad's greenhouse.   Lovely.

Wasting time and making excuses.

Having finished all the pages for my fabric book I have been amusing myself by recycyling a lot of oddments of yarn into a sort of tunic-cum-pullover.

It may only ever get worn for gardening but will be quite useful on cooler days worn over a shirt or poloneck jumper.

I'm amazed it fits as it was knitted, not with chunky yarn as the pattern stated but with all sorts of yarns, tape and ribbon and on smaller needles, but I did work out from the tension details how many extra stitches I would need.  Luckily there was no shaping involved - it is just two oblongs put together leaving an opening at the neck.  There should have been sleeves but I ran out of interesting leftovers so settled for a matching trim at the armholes.
Not terribly flattering but it will hide a few lumps and a spare tyre.

I have managed to avoid working on the cover for my book but have been thinking about it while knitting and am nearly ready to take the plunge and start work on it.

How do we manage to kid ourselves that our actions are perfectly reasonable?  For weeks now I have wanted to start drawing in a sketchbook.  I thoroughly enjoyed the course I did a couple of years back so I know I can draw - after a fashion if not to my satisfaction - but the thought of making another start makes me instantly find something else to do and make excuses for not drawing, or making my book cover, come to that.   I will do both eventually because I really want to.  It's a bit like wanting to swim but knowing the water will be cold!  I'll jump in when I'm ready.

I thought I would be wise when I was old - sadly I am just old.

A trifle damp this morning.

This is what we woke up to this morning.   What a good thing my husband fixed those bars to lift the feet of our seats free of the water level.

Poor soggy neglected garden.   I suppose I'll get out there one day.

I have been working on the pages of my fabric book using photocopies of my own photos although this one was from a card.

Most of the photos are from a holiday to the Gower Peninsula and are full of happy memories.  I have learned quite a lot during the making of these pages and am now not happy with the dimensions of some of my pieces of fabric.  What a shame I couldn't see that earlier!

Most of the fabrics are scraps left over from a dyeing course many years ago, or were painted for other projects.

Another time I shall bond each fabric scrap in place before hand stitching.  I just can't get rid of all the wrinkles.   What a good thing I like the rustic look.

I have thoroughly enjoyed making it and am still considering adding small embellishments to some of the less interesting pages.    Now I must devise the cover.

Keep safe, and dry.