Giraffe Houlier

My lovely friend Emma came round the other day for a much overdue craft afternoon. It always makes a nice change making things with someone else as you get to have a good chat as well as discuss ideas and ask advice. I think we both had a good afternoon and I made a start on some appliqué curtains.

But Emma also brought along this wonderful Cloth Kits Giraffe that she has made for the baby. He is fantastic and is now sitting in our living room, as it doesn't seem right to banish him upstairs. We have named him Giraffe Houlier.

Darkness

As you may have noticed I am really struggling with this blogging lark at the moment, hence the lack of posts. I haven't been very productive lately, but its not even that, I just never seem to get round to taking photo's at the weekend and then its too dark the rest of the week. I know I prefer looking at blogs with loads of images and always try to include lots of photo's, but its just so hard over the winter months. I do actually have a list of things I want to blog about.

I perhaps need to make myself take some photo's every Saturday morning, rather than doing it Sunday afternoon and leaving it too late.

Anyway here is a birthday card I made for a friend. I really like making these and its nice to do something a bit more special for a big birthday. (Sorry about the photo, taken in the dark!)

Nesting

Is it too early to start nesting? I am sure these feelings have more to do with our damp and mouldy house and impending chaos that is going to be caused by the weeks of repair work and wanting to live somewhere nice. But I certainly have a bit of nesting going on (not that I can do much about it yet).

(I got this beautiful Hannah Nunn lamp for Christmas, I love it and brightens up my rather sparse living room)

I have spent any spare time over the last few weeks having a good sort out, this started from having to clear, clean sort and dry lots of damp cupboards, but I have now moved onto to other areas of the house. It does feel great to have a good clear out and was certainly much needed.

I am like many of you a bit of hoarder. I don't like throwing things away as it might be useful or I may be able to make something with it one day, but in reality I very rarely use these things. So I have been harsh with myself and only kept things I know I will use. I may regret this in a few months, but right not it feels good to have less stuff.

Once I have finished sorting through everything I am going to start making some things for our newly decorated house. I have quite a long list of things I would like to make, but I am sure it will be fun and will hopefully help me save some money. I made this cushion last year and I think I might make some more.

Although I do have my eye on this for the baby's room.

We are very lucky, as we have left starting a family quite late, most of our friends and family have already done it, so we seem to be getting lots offers of baby things, so I am hoping that initially won't need to buy too much, so maybe I can justify the beautiful rocking chair. We'll see!

Very exciting news

I have some very exiting news, it also explains my lack of activity and constantly being 'under the weather' for the last few months. I'm pregnant!!!!! Baby is due in the middle of May. We had our 21 week scan yesterday and everything seemed normal, which is such a relief. I have been a little worried and cautious about everything, so it was nice to feel really excited for the first time yesterday, but I am still crossing my fingers.

I think its going to be an interesting few months leading up to May, with various challenges, including repairing the house following our burst pipe before Christmas. Apparently building work will take between 4 - 6 weeks and that's after it has dried out! My partner works in the voluntary sector, so he may facing redundancy as there doesn't seem to be much funding available and I'll be going on maternity leave in the middle of the busiest period in my job. So I think its going to be a busy and interesting few months, but I am determined to remain relaxed and calm about everything.

I'm not quite such what all of this will mean for Petal Textiles, I think I will try and let things tick along, but don't think I will be moving things forward too much as I don't want to add to my work load or stresses. So I think maybe I might try and have more of a relaxed approach over the next few months and just enjoy making things and not worry too much about sales and dvelopment. I am currently in the process of knitting a baby blanket, I am not the best knitter, so something simple like a blanket suits be down to the ground, but I must say I am enjoying it and finding it very relaxing. I am also planning to make the baby some curtains and perhaps do some new pictures for our living room once it has been decorated.

So all in all its going to be exciting if a little scary year for us, roll on May!!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone, hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and 2011 is a great year for you. Sorry about the Christmas Photo's, but never quite got round to doing a Christmas post! Firstly I would like to thank everyone for their support during 2010, people's lovely comments and encouragement means a lot!

I wouldn't say 2010 was a terrible year, some wonderful things have happened. But it was certainly one of the more challenging years, so I think I can say I am quite glad to leave it behind.

This time last year I wrote a list of things I wanted to achieve throughout the year, I haven't dared looked back at the list as I have a feeling a haven't done anything I said I would, but I am not going to beat myself up about it too much. It was just one of those years were Petal Textiles had to take a back seat. But having said that although I didn't really achieve any of the goals set, I am really pleased with the way my work has developed and think what I am producing has improved alot over the year.

So 2011! Seeing as I didn't achieve any of the goals set last year, I think its best I don't set any this year and just see what happens. I have some very exciting things planned, which I hope to tell you all about soon, this will probably mean its not a very productive year, but that's fine. I think right now I just want to enjoy making things.

Where's my festive feeling?

I'm normally a big fan of Christmas, I love the lights, the food, the decorations, seeing family and friends, having time to do some cooking, eating and drinking too much and the list could go on and on. But this year I just want to curl up on my sofa and sleep and not have any contact with the world for a least a week!! So I suppose I am still looking forward to it, but in my own way.

I started off the month feeling very festive and had some big festive plans. But then we had the burst pipe and then last week I was ill up with some kind of stomach bug and only had my first proper meal in 6 days last night. Its all kind of killed my festive feeling. I am sure when I finish work tomorrow I will rediscover some of my missing festive feeling, and I think I need to plan some things to get me in the mood. But at the moment its well and truly gone.

Pipes

I had big plans for last week. I was hoping to take lots of product shots and list them on Folksy (better late then never), I was going to do a Christmas Giveaway and was generally going to get myself sorted and organised.

Unfortunately things went pear shaped again on Wednesday. We got a call from our lovely neighbour saying there was water pouring out of our roof. We got home to find some of the kitchen ceiling on the floor, water pouring into the living room and general the house in very wet chaos.

After contacting about 8 plumbers we managed to get hold of someone who could come round. It turned out to be a bust pipe. The plumber was really puzzled why it had happened as our pipes are lagged and the heating had been on a lot and nothing else seemed to be frozen.

So then the clean up began. Every room bar one was effected to various degree's so we called in back up in the form of my wonderful mum and dad.

The spare room got the worst of it, we had to pull up the carpet as it was completely soaking and the fitted wardrobe got a good soaking, all the wood has split or swollen and none of the doors will close. Unfortunately the wardrobe contained our entire selection of clothes, shoes, towels bedding etc... and almost everything got a good soaking. So I am currently working through about 20 bin bags of washing and my mum took several back with her too (bless her). All my shoes were full of water and I currently only have one dry pair. They are so wet I can't see them ever drying.

Some of the ceiling came down in the kitchen and water got into every kitchen cupboard and draw so everything has to be cleaned.

We were quite lucky in the living room as we have varnished hard wood floors and leather sofa's so have been able to cleaning up most of the mess, things are still drying out, but it doesn't seem too bad considering.

After a few days of hard work cleaning up, things aren't looking too bad (especially considering the amount of water we had pouring into the house). We are both trying to look on the positive side and things could have been much worse. I am still working my way through a massive pile of washing and things are a bit damp. We still have some things to sort, but we are getting there. I think most of the house will need redecorating, carpets and rugs replacing etc... so it will be a while before we are back to normal, but it just one of those of things.

Now I have the fun task of sorting out insurance, which is already proving very stressful and so far I am very disappointed with the service I am getting from the building insurance and I think it may be a hard slog to get anything sorted. Having said that the contents people seem much better.

I am just hoping to next cold spell doesn't last too long as I am so scared of it happening again!