Work in progress

Here's my current work in progress, Transformer gloves for Andrew's birthday. They're so quick to make up, it's a really simple pattern from Sirdar (5840 in case anyone is interested). This is the third time I've used this pattern so I'm pretty pleased, from a thrifty point of view it's really paid for itself!



Here's the front cover of the pattern, Sirdar 5840 (except I got mine from John Lewis)

More cushion covers!

While I was blogging yesterday about the adorable thrifted tapestry cushions, it occurred to me that I've never blogged about the other cushions that live in my lounge.

I bought this one off a girl on Thriftstore ages ago, it's vintage Laura Ashley and it's a bit moth eaten but still lovely. Fairisle anything has my vote.



These two again came from Thriftstore, I added buttons on the back so I could stuff them with stuffing I got from Freecycle, rather than having to buy cushion pads. Of course now I live so close to Ikea that cheap cushion pads will never be a problem again, ha ha! I ♥ toile.



I made this one from some vintage Laura Ashley material that I bought...oh dear...again from Thriftstore. Can you tell that I used to spend too much time on Livejournal?



It fastens with vintage buttons:



Here they are in their natural environment:

Adorning the ugly landlady-owned sofa along with Patchy and the wee Eiffel Tower print cushion cover (ahem, again from Thriftstore)



Gracing the pair of Pier chairs I bought off Ebay for the marvelous price of £60 for the pair, they're £120 each new and Pier has closed down now so they were a total thrifty win.





I love how the colours all compliment each other, especially the chair that has my Gran's old wool blanket over the back of it.

Thrifted tapestry cushions

These adorable little cushions came to me via my gran, they were given to her in a bag of material and clothes donated from a friend for her to make costumes from (she's the costume director for the local amateur dramatics group and every year she makes the panto costumes).





I think they're the sweetest things, they look lovely on the pier chairs in the window, with the toile and fairisle cushion covers (which I've just realised I've never blogged about so watch this space!) and I love that they're backed in green velvet, I love velvet. I think they're originally homemade, which makes me a little sad that they've been given away, but glad that they've come to me where I can give them a good home!

Hooray for the new PC!

I am now in possesion of a brand new PC! I feel like a real grown up, I know this is a bit silly but I associate laptops with being a student, always moving house, not being able to get a PC because it didn't make sense to be constantly moving a giant computer with me every 9 months. Now I have a PC I feel like I'm settled in one place and can start putting down roots. This is especially silly because I've been settled here for 18 months now and have been busy putting down roots since I arrived but ah well, the mind works in mysterious ways!

Now we can get back to the proper blogging. I've been wanting to show off my sewing box for a while now, it was given to me by Andrew's granny before she died and I love it. I know it's a style that is still around today but mine is at least 30 years old and probably older. It's still in tip-top condition and just needs the screws gently tightening every so often. It fits pretty much all of my sewing related gubbins, with room to spare and I love that it's a piece of family history as well.




Thank you Tess ♥

The blog returns...

Well, I'm back. I spent 3 days at the horse conference, which was really interesting but tiring (though the place we were staying had a boxer and a dogue du bordeaux so that was pretty amazing!) then was back to the Burgh with my Mum in tow for a week of family fun, staying with my grandparents. I got back to my flat on Sunday night, tired and filthy from helping clear Grandad's garage, to find Andrew's folks had arrived and are here until Friday. It's all go in Bruntsfield apparently!

On top of this, I'm back to uni and am still sans-computer (though it was ordered last night so should be winging it's way here even as we speak!).

I've been a bit remiss at taking photos recently but I have plant-related updates, garage finds and the finally-finished Simplicity 2656 to show you all. I've started making Christmas presents and have ordered the wool for Andrew's birthday mittens (Transformers mittens, watch this space!) and Mum and Dad's cabled aran blanket (lets see if that gets made in time!),

In the meantime though, Jessica and I recently visited New Lanark, a World Heritage Site about 45 mins outside of Edinburgh (or would be, if my Sat Nav wasn't a pile of shizah). It is beautiful, nestled in a valley beside the River Clyde. It's an 18th century cotton mill village and has been perfectly preserved, you can go into the houses and see what it was like to live there 150 years ago. The main reason we went though is because they still make their own wool and all the proceeds from wool sales go into restoring and maintaining New Lanark. You can order online here and I would definitely recommend it, the wool is really cheap and you'd be supporting a good cause ( = guilt free wool shopping!). It's all cobbled streets and gorgeous sandstone buildings, I bought enough wool to make a cardigan (which I started, realised was too small, frogged and Jessica persuaded me to knit a guage square so hopefully it's right now).



Anyway, here's a photo of me in the New Lanark school wearing a school tunic from back in the day (Jessica and I spent a fun 20 minutes drawing on the slate boards and checking out the GIANT globe). More craft photos to come, once I've got myself organised!

Blog hiatus

Apologies dear readers, but as you've probably already gathered, Second Fiddle blog is having a wee break.

Between my broken computer (I've got the new one picked out but I can't order it until I get back from down south) and heading off to the British Equine Veterinary Association conference (or 'Pony Fest 2010' as I like to think of it), I won't be back blogging until the 20th of September.

In the meantime though, enjoy this cute sleeping foal.



Awww...♥