The best laid plans and all that ...

It has continued to rain relentlessly, filling up both of my water butts and almost extending the new pond to the rest of the lawn.  I got off to a good start with my holiday crafting - finishing my Fondant Kiss boudoir swap gift, backing my other pram blanket.

These were both made with Rooster baby alpaca and merino - just lovely to work with.

I even managed to transform an old unfinished homeless pine box to a new footstool/secret wool stash hideaway with a bit of paint, some Cath Kidston fabric and a ribbon trim

ooh just look inside....

but then the plumber called.....

Now I suspect that this is a global phenomena, tradesmen being rather elusive creatures so when a plumber calls and says he'll be there tomorrow to fit your new heating boiler and shower you don't argue.  You drop the crochet hook, abandon the wool and fabric gorgeousness you were about to indulge in and leap to.  I had done a pretty good job of attending to the domestic needs so I could enjoy some guilt-free crafting but now that is all upside down and inside out.  The contents of the airing cupboard were emptied - my, what a lot of pillows and bedding sets I have.  Funny how I only seem to use the same few sets......  I've been saving the rest for when the 'boys' get their own places but of coures they don't really want any of it so it's bunting or the charity shop for most of it.  The contents of the attic were - well, I'd like to say sorted and re-stored but in all honesty I just dragged stuff from one place to another.  I had to dismantle my plate rack and empty the sink cupboard - oh what shame to have all those cleaning products that rarely see the light of day and sooo many dusters - I guess for the days when I might be bothered by such things.  And my bedroom?  Well, I didn't think the plumber would need to go in there so the entire contents of my under-the-bed storage boxes and wardrobe (closet) were heaped on my bed - along with what must be breeding-in-the-dark-and-shrinking-into-the-bargain jeans that have been lurking on the wardrobe floor since my once former not-exactly-slim-but-definitely-smaller body left home and this new one took up residence around my bones.  I just don't know what has happened but I seem to have a lot more body than I remember and something will have to be done.

Will it be the Special K diet?  The Cabbage Soup diet?  Jaw wiring?  Stomach stapling?  Complete starvation?  No, there's nothing for it, it'll have to be something much more extreme.  I will not put it off any longer.  All of those 'just-washed-so-they-must-have-shrunk-a-bit/lot' jeans will soon  ....

be converted to bags and garden quilts - then they will surely fit me! 

Here's a peek of one I made last year for my middle son which was much admired by his Uni friends (many of them doing fashion might I add!)  Here it is on the back of Michael's bike in San Francisco earlier this year.  It had to come home for some repair work as he'd used it so much it was coming undone at the seams..... sounds familiar.  It was a spur of the moment project for Michael and I when he was home last year and it wasn't very well thought out but it worked in the end and he likes it which is all I was aiming for.  We kept the front of the jeans for the inside of the bag so he has ready made pockets.

So, even though the week is not panning out quite as I had hoped or imagined there's still time for a little bit of R&R....

Let's see what tomorrow brings ....