Fabric : Fibre : Family
Button and The Boy were together in foster care for a couple of months before she came home to us.
That was 11 months ago.
Yesterday they were reunited:
Today they have been getting used to being at home together:
When we dropped The Boy at his foster carer’s tonight, Button’s parting shot was “come back”. We only have two more sleeps until he is home. It looks like we’ll all be glad when he is.
Finally, we have met our little boy. 
He is wonderful…and worth every second of the wait for him.
We are overjoyed.
Tomorrow he and Button are reunited after 11 months. As she says… “how exciting”!
I promise better pictures (not iPhone pics).
The boy’s room has been looking more than a little Spartan of late.
This week Mr S put the cot bed and chest of drawers into the room. We won’t mention the Mystery of the Missing Cot Bolts.
Today I’ve ordered the mattress and bed linen. And hung a blind:
There is a toning pair of curtains to be made (the last pair for the house…huzzah!), but until I find a pole that matches the furniture, they are on hold. I can’t say I’m sorry not to be sewing them at the moment. I’m beyond bored of making window treatments.
The fabric is from John Lewis (of course) and I love its cheerfulness. However I never cease to be amazed at the difference 1.5 m of fabric and a little stitching can make to a room.
Are you scratching your head?
Do you think maybe it’s that the sun is shining in Lancashire?
Perhaps you’re wondering what happened to the new fringe? (This photo was taken pre do!)
Still not getting it?
Ok. I’ll help you out. If you look to the right of Button…just between her and her Daddy…do you see the gap?
No?
Really…that small gap the size of …ooooh, I don’t know….say…a 13 month old little boy.
Do you see it yet?
Ah…there it is….:-)
Well, that gap is soon to be filled. The social worker meeting we had today was Panel for Button’s brother and they said yes! We’re just waiting for the ratification (and you’ll remember how long that took last time), but if all goes to plan he’ll be home in about 3 or 4 weeks.
We’d hoped to bring him home last year but there were paperwork issues that meant that couldn’t happen. But he’ll be home soon and our family will be complete.
We are overjoyed.
That squeaking noise you can hear is me.
The blinds for the hall and landing are finished.
The one in the picture is the hall…it’s twin is at the landing window.
The fabric is from John Lewis. The blinds are lined and interlined.
I only have one small blind for the small bedroom and a matching pair of curtains, then I’m done. Done, I tell you! All the windows in the house will have curtains and/or blinds. There’ll be tiny blind to do in the loft when we remodel up there, but that’s going to be later in the year so I don’t even have to think about that now.
Squeeeeeeeeak!!!!
Well, it’s been an absolute bear of a project, but finally the kitchen door curtain is finished.
The hand-made pole is nothing short of wonderful.
I’m so thrilled with it. Pete at Siddington Smithy is a craftsman and I found him a delight to do business with. Amazingly, the pole cost less than a mass-produced one would have done. It really shows that we should support independent craftsmen when we can.
So, the kitchen is all but done. We need pictures and to do something with the dining table (paint or replace…not sure which), but neither of those are urgent.
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Our next project is to clear some space in the loft. I’m planning to cull books and fabric and yarn. Anything I can’immediately assign to a project, or which has sat there for years, is going to be either sold or gifted. I don’t have the room and time has moved on, as have my requirements and taste. It’s time the be ruthless.
The reason for this determined approach is that Mr Stitch is moving up into the loft to share my space with his home office space. Hmmmmm!!! Not sure how that will work, but if he’s naughty I have lots of sharp implements to poke him with!!
And the reason Mr Stitch is invading my space moving up to the loft, is so we can revert what is now his office back into a bedroom.
More painting, blinds and curtains, then!
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And finally a knitting update. Miss Maddy is almost done. I’m on the last sleeve. I haven’t knitted a stitch on the Lucy cardigan at all this year, despite the lovely new needles. Just focusing on getting projects finished one at a time. Hopefully Miss Maddy will be done soon.
Have a great weekend. I’ll be the one hidden under a pile of rubbish yarn/fabric/books/packing boxes.
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PS…as of this morning the weight tracker is accurate again. My post Christmas/snow fever/jeepers-I-hate-this-wretched-door-curtain-so-I’m-off-to-eat-chocolate extra pounds have gone.
It’s quiet here.
Too damned quiet if you ask me.
The dog is asleep in front of the fire.
The cat is asleep behind the filing cabinet.
The baby is asleep with her arms around her favourite toy puppy.
Mr S is in a hotel room in Wimbledon, working.
I hate it when he’s away. I’m not frightened in the house without him. I’ve lived on my own for too many years to be frightened in a house on my own. And I have a big soft dog who does a great impression of Kujo and a very grumpy cat.
No. It’s just the quiet. A little too much of it.
No rubbish TV programmes. No kisses on my cheek as I cook dinner. No stupid jokes. No conversation. No hugs.
No snoring.
Ah…I knew there had to be an upside!
That, and finally getting up into the workroom and finishing the last seam on the face fabric of the kitchen door curtain!
I do miss him, but I do get stuff done! Tomorrow night it’s hems until he gets home. And he’s away 3 nights next week. So you never know. I might actually finish this sooner rather than later.
Now. Where’s that glass of wine I promised myself……..
Today is 8 months since I first held my baby girl in my arms.
Yesterday was her second birthday.
Whereas most Mums look back to the day their baby was born, I look back to the day I walked into the sitting room at the foster carer’s home and she looked up at me and stole my heart with one smile.
The little girl who proudly confirmed that yesterday was indeed her “birfday” and that she was most emphatically “two”, with accompanying fingers just in case you were in any doubt, is a world away from the timid baby I first met.
I thought I loved that baby more than it was humanly possible to love anyone. Today I know I was wrong. Each day, as my little girl leaves babyhood behind, she steals another piece of my heart. It’s a piece I’m happy to give.
Each day I love her more.
I know her daddy feels the same.
Happy birthday Button.
When there are negative temperatures outside and evil Mummy has hard floors throughout the house, what’s a girl to do to keep her toes warm?
Hand felted and embroidered slippers courtesy of the ever lovely Himmelbjerget. What more could a girl ask for?
I can hear the cheers now.
“Hurrah!!! Hurrah!!!! We don’t have to listen to her banging on about those dratted curtains any more!”
But rest assured, no one is as thrilled as I am that these are finally, finally, sewn and at the window.
These pics were taken seconds after the curtains were hung. To get a really crisp finish to the way they hang I have to inflict a little bit of Jacob Marley bondage bandage to them:
When the ties come off in a few days the pleats will be crisp all the way to the hem and will hold their shape and look lovely.
All this room needs now is the radiator cover (which is just awaiting a visit to the builders merchants for grille) and a skirt valance for the divan base, which I’m hoping to do before the New Year (subject to enthusiasm and a willingness to sew rather than sitting watching movies and eating chocolates).