The Draper's Cupboard

Good afternoon girls,

Just what the Doctor ordered, day after day of brilliant sunshine especially as I've had a few days off work to sit and enjoy it while reading a good book and sipping a glass of cool Pimms!!

On Friday I spent the day in the  craft room as I got my sister's drapers cupboard, or should that be  "draper's drawers", delivered, I had to have a shuffle around to fit it in and I'm delighted with it.

It belonged to our Karen's mother in law who had a shop years ago and when she retired Karen asked if she could have it, she painted it cream and it has a sort of pearly sheen to it, behind the glass is a Laura Ashley fabric and  the drawers have little silver handles and above each handle is a place to write what's stored in the drawers.

 Two of the drawers are full of tablecloths, napkins, tray cloths and a couple of pinny's and the rest are full of sewing things so I need to sort them all out. The craft room is one of the bigger bedrooms at the back of the house and I share it with Mr Lucey, he makes his home made wine, driftwood boats  and camera equipment in his half while mine is full of crafty things, so, as you go into the room  there's the armoire, tall chest and the new drapers cupboard,

then I have my desk and chair, and the small bookcase under the table is now beside the table,

piccie's on the wall,

 and next to the window is a tall bookshelf full of all my "bit's and piece's",

I've laid all my journals down so that they look like bolts of fabric instead of books,

so, that's my craft room where you'll find me most of the time, notice I didn't show you the whole room as the floor has  piles of fabric just waiting to go into the drawers!!

I found this lovely sign in one of the drawers

now I just need to find the right  place for it.

Saturday we went to B&Q where all the plants were" BOGOF"  so we filled all the pots with lobelia and marigolds and sweet peas and lettuce,

and the hostas have come on realy well with the warmer weather and so far the slugs haven't got them.

For tea we had the "obligitory" barbecue that was delicious and a couple of drinks, just to wash it down with you understand, and then we had  a nice walk with the dogs catching the last of the sunshine.

Right I'm off to cook tea or to "prick and ding"  in the microwave as Mr Lucey calls it!!

Lucey x  ".."

The Travelling Craft Box.

I went to visit a friend last week and she lives right on the sea front with marvelous views out to sea, she has a little bit of a beach theme in the house but it's all very tasteful.

Love this driftwood Lyn has on the dining room wall with a "Dali" clock just about to slide off!!

We live just a ten minute ride from the beach so spend quite a lot of time down there either building sandcastles, crabbing or looking for driftwood that Mr Lucey turns into sailing boats so off we went with our backpack and flask a couple of Sundays ago to look for driftwood  when we come across a lovely beach hut that was for sale for just a few grains of sand!!!

Are you ready???

"Tadaa"

A beach hut all of our own it was lovely sitting with our cuppa in the sunshine.

The postman delivered "Laalaa's" travelling craft box to and it was filled with goodies, it wouldn't be fair to say what was in the box but I'll show you what I took out,

a  crochet book, some needles and a little bunch of pink roses that I've sewn around the door of "wolf cottage"  Laalaa sent me some  Belle and Boo goodies that I love

I've now posted the box  on to "Annie the felt fairy" who was next on the list, thank you  Lynda for organising such a lovely swap.

Maggie our neighbours pug gave birth to 6 little puggles last week, I can't wait to see them and when we were out walking we saw this gorgeous mummy and baby,

 I picked baby up for a cuddle and she weighed a ton!!

Before I go to the land of nod, I went on a two day refresher first aid course this week so I think that officially makes me a nurse now, or was it  a doctor!!!!

Lucey x ".."

God Save The Queen Cushions.

Good evening girls,

I've had one of those "making" afternoons and was quite happily sewing away then the phone rang and it was my nephew asking me if I wanted my sister's old draper's cabinet so quick as a flash I jumped in the car and drove round to their house with my tape measure.

I'm getting it delivered on Friday and I can't wait to show you it.

Anyway back to the "making", do you remember the cloth bag I bought in Oxfam a few weeks ago? It had the national anthem printed on both sides

so I unpicked the seams and made two cushions out of it,

adding a strip of  "soldier" ribbon to the corner

and bobble trim down the sides

I'm realy pleased with them and all for £1.99 as I had everything else in my stash.

As soon as I saw this old OXO tin in a junk shop I thought I'd make a "scene" in it but I'd just got everything together when my nephew phoned so I'll have to finish it next weekend as I'm going on a first aid refresher course this week

and I'll tell you all about the beach hut I bought for a few grains of sand!!!

Lucey x ".."

Bags, Brooches and Bunting.

Morning girls,

 Do you remember the tea towel I bought?  well it's now my favourite summer bag!!!

 I've been sitting in the warm sunshine doing a bit of sewing

I just cut a slice off down the side to make the strap and folded the rest over, then stitched along the bottom and down the seam, then was the fun part, choosing  buttons and ribbon and a lovely old clock face to pretty it all up,

I quite like the red and white strap with "glass" and "cloth" on it.

Another bag I made was a craft bag for a friend "pins and needles"

it's big enough to take all her crafty things along to the knitting group, and I lined it with some lovely red flowery fabric she gave me.

Last week I bought two  brooches (yes more brooches!!!) from a lovely shop in Easingwold, I'm making the most of going to the knitting group there because as from next week I'm swapping Wednesdays off for Fridays so I won't be able to go which is a shame but then it will be nice to have Friday's off, anyway getting back to the brooches I saw these a while ago but they were a tad expensive at £20 but I saw them in a sale for £6 so I snapped them both up!!

Here they are displayed on a wooly vest I made to go on the childs hanger Rachel gave me and when I showed her what I had done she said "I've got another one at home that you can have" "ohhh yes please!"

and finally the bunting bit!!

I bought loads of this bunting from good old M&S  to go outside in the summer some of it might just find it's way round the top the snug as it will go with the new picture and door mat from Mataland (as my friend calls it) they were a real bargain at only a fiver each.

I love it!!

and a first class doormat!

Right I'm going to make the most of the sunshine and hang my washing out on the line to dry and hopfully get it all ironed later on,

Lucey x  ".."

Quilt Exhibition



We have a lovely church in the centre of Town with the most beautiful stained glass windows that was converted into the tourist information centre some years ago and they sometimes hold  exhibitions in there and this month it's quilts.

I called in last week for a little look and ended up staying for a couple of hours as there were some ladies sitting quilting away and they told me they all meet up once a week, some of their work  was exhibited and it was  absolutely gorgeous,  well worth a visit.

"Grandad's hideaway" is my favourite quilt and the card next to it read's,

"I responded to a chalenge made by Judith's sewing shop in Whitby - to make a quilt for the man in your life- my husbands first love is rock music and his second is his allotment so I decided to dwell on that."

It reminds me of Mr McGreggors garden in the Beatrix Potter books,

a lovely scarecrow blows in the wind,

through the gate and into the garden

this one is just like a catherine wheel swizzling round on bonfire night, such beautiful colours have been used,

Someone had made a few cushions

and there were lots of old quilts all beautifully sewn probrably by ladies long ago sitting by the fire with only candlelight and yet not a stitch out of place,

one of the ladies was telling me how years ago the patterns were made up by placing old pennies ans ha'pennies onto the fabric and swirling round them, there was a cafe in the corner where we sat and drank cup after cup of tea and it was fascinating to hear the stories.

Changing the subject has anyone got their copy of "pretty nostalgic" magazine yet???

(pic borrowed from pretty nostalgic)
I'm a bit miffed because I went on line to order a copy last week and it said buy now for delivery on Tuesday May 1st and here's  the 3rd and still no magazine I'm tempted to buy a copy from the shop and when it arrives send their copy back as I'm that mad!!!

(Sorry rant over!!!)

Right I'm off to Matalan to buy a new door mat I've seen,

Lucey xx