Afternoon girls,

I'm feeling a bit better today, thanks for all your get well wishes, mind you I had quite a fright when I looked in the mirror my hair was like Jedwoods, my nose was like Rudolphs, I had black bags under my eyes and my throat feels like I've swallowed a huge roll of barbed wire, I don't eat ice cream even on the hottest of days but I could murder some right now!!

Yesterday afternoon I made a lovely brooch

I embroidered  tea o'clock, (as it's alway's tea o'clock isn't it,) onto some of the yellow blanket then glued a lovely bracelet I had onto it, I love the brilliance of the stones and it looks realy nice on my tea dress.

I've pinned the lovely brooch Daisy sent me onto my coat and it realy brightens it up, there's two things I'd never be without, one is my lipstick and the other is a pretty brooch.

I've been reading all your lovely blogs while laying in bed this morning and I've found a few new ones that I'm now following, I loved the post Nicki wrote from "nastalgia at the stonehouse blog" it's "The history of aprons" have a read it's so true.

Talking of aprons this one is all ready to sew when I can be bothered to get the sewing machine out

it's going tp have a big pink pocket sewn on the front to hold my hankie and pretty pink checked ribbon for ties, I do like a nice pinny.

I made myself some soup for lunch and I've had a shower and got dressed and am now sitting on the settee with a big blanket round my knee it's turned chilly now the sun has gone in and as it's "tablet o'clock" I'll go and dose myself up and have a spray of that disgusting throat spray that does actually make me feel a bit better!!

Bye for now,

love Lucey x



A lovely surprise

Ohhhh yesterday I got a lovely surprise, there I was feeling ever so sorry for myself with a very sore throat and the sniffles, when the postie brought me  a parcel from my lovely friend Mandy from Daisy Moon blogspot.

Mandy sent me some  pieces of blanket in lovely ice cream colours so I can make some brooches and other things from, I have looked in the charity shops for ages but you just can't get blankets so I now have a piece in all the colours.

I also got this gorgeous hand sewn brooch that will go with just about everything in my wardrobe, I love it's blue velvet button in the middle,

and some pretty buttons and tape, the pink blanket has satin ribbon sewn round the edge and I have an idea for making a book out of it

I think I'll have a bath and put clean pj's on and get out my lovely sewing box my sister gave me and get creating this afternoon

it's a lovely "Dewhurst" set for displaying cottons in

it would have sat on the shop counter years ago ....they were the days!!

Love Lucey x



Birthday week



What a lovely birthday week I've had, it started off with tea and birthday cake with the family on Monday and a day out in Whitby, then on Wednesday it was off to Betty's for lunch with a friend, on Saturday I went shopping to spend some birthday money, and today I've been out for lunch with the girls from work, so I managed to stretch it to a whole week!!

Mr Lucey did realy well picking me this gorgeous fairisle waistcoat from CK, even the label is lovely

and a couple of books

one is a notebook and the other one is full of post it notes, I got some lovely flowers and a pot of daffs in a big tea cup,  chocs and wine, a stanley keyring, a cupcake doorstop  and "Ethel" who I'd like to introduce to you.

Ethel  is wearing a lovely tweed skirt a hand knitted jacket and a very fetching beret, and she likes nothing better than coach trips, playing bingo and scandalising with the neighbours !!

She's set her heart on this little cottage and has  asked Mr Mouse to help lift some of the heavy boxes for her, she wants to be settled in by the weekend as she's off on one of her coach trips with her fancy man, Albert!!

Lucey x



Whitby

Jack Frost had been out and about on Monday and it was just on freezing when we set off for Whitby but as we drove  over the moors the sun shone and it was a lot warmer, still not warm enough for sunbathing or donkey rides!!

It was nice walking round in the sunshine and it was so quiet with only a few tourists browsing round the shops

I always head straight to "Judith's" on Brunswick Street as she stocks so many lovely fabrics and buttons, I picked these 3 pinky fat quarters, some lovely buttons, interfacing, wadding and some calico, I'm going to attempt to make a doll!!

There's a new shop  on Flowergate opened called "Isabel May" (used to Bespoke Country)

and it was filled with lovely pieces of furniture, bunting, candes and cushions etc  I could have brought the shop home, I got a few things for birthday presents and these lovely coasters to put your cuppa on.

Across the bridge in the bookshop I got some cards and  giftwrap, it's a sheet of ladybird book covers,

and a bit further up was an indoor market with the best sewing shop I've ever seen, the fabrics were absolutely gorgeous,

feast your eyes on this little lot!!

As soon as I saw this fat quarter I thought I could make myself a new pinny out of it, it just needs the edges sewing and a metre of ribbon for along the top and ties  and it's done.

"Hello madam, can I help you"

The shop keeper told me the cat comes in and sleeps the day away on her counter and then she  slinks off home, I think she's a secret seamstress who eyes up all the lovely fabrics and wonders how she can get a bolt under her arm!!

It was nearly dark as our weary feet wandered back to the car and as I've rambled on far too much I'll show you my presents next time,

Love Lucey x

What shall we do for your birthday?

When Mr Lucey asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday I said "if you had the day off we could go to Whitby" so he did and we are!!

I'll be back later to show you my presents,

must dash,

Lucey x



I must get stitching.

I was sitting with a cuppa round the fire last night when I decided to get the needles out again and make some more "wristies"

I've had so much wear out of these grey ones

so in a couple of hours I'd knitted these

I just cast on 40 stitches, using size 4 needles, and knit 50 rows then cast off, fold in half and stitch up leaving a hole for your thumb, so easy for beginners, and all you need are scraps of wool

I made these in cream and brown to go with a lovely aran cardigan that my sister gave me for christmas

but I didn't have anything to go with the cardigan so I sneaked off to York for a couple of hours and there just waiting for me in CK was this gorgeous dress, well I couldn't not buy it could I??

I "borrowed"one of Mr Lucey's wooden coat hangers to hang it on, I just need to cover it in a pretty fabric

maybe "stanley" will be just right!!

I've also got this cute little purse to make for Alexa's pennies  it was free in Mollie Makes, problem is I'm dead messy with the glue gun going everywhere but where it should,

and last on the list is the heart wreath I started at the classes in December

the beads are so tiny you need a good light to see them and the needle is so fine

this one is half done but I'll have them all  finished for next December, I hope!

Lucey x



Croft House

Looking out across  the lock with a view of the mountains is  

"Croft House"

with it's little red roof and tall chimney pots

it's just the place I'm  looking for to retire to!!

I was jucky enough to win this lovely hand knitted house just before christmas from Julia at "hand knitted things", thanks Julia I love it.

I got a few more red spotty bits to add to my shelf this christmas, my friends know me so well,

a lovely CK pin tin, some retro spot cake cases and I can't wait for a "blowy washing day" when I can hang out my washing using these lovely spotty pegs.

These are my lovely gifts from Jess at Bibbitybob that I got in the "Advent swap" back in November

There  were 3 choccies that sort of jumped straight from the wrappers and right into my mouth before I could say "Jack Robinson"!!

This tea cosy is definetly my favourite gift

I need one of those little brown betty tea pots that hold just enough tea for a cuppa in the morning and I can cover it  with my lovely stripey tea pot cosy, thanks  Jess.

Here's Jess's parcel,

Before I go I love this idea I saw in a vintage shop

the fitting room is made up of two pairs of old wardrobe doors, brill eh!!

Lucey x