Thursday 15 January 2015

Sliding into a new year.

 Hello my lovelies! 
Here I am trying to seamlessly slide into a new year. I shall completely ignore the recent festive season and forge ahead, tying up loose ends, as I go. The first loose end I need to tie up is finally showing you my 'Cat and the Comet' wet felted wall hanging beautifully displayed in it's new home. 
I have to tell you...my heart swells and I feel ridiculously proud when I see this piece. It's as if I didn't make it. I almost have to pinch myself. It's like the advert on the telly...'Me but on a good day!' 

I think maybe it's the shock of seeing the impact of the whole picture in one go, as when my felt pictures are being worked on at home, I'm physically very close to the work. Even when they are completed, I don't really get to see them finished and from a distance as they are usually whisked away to the picture framers almost immediately. Once back from the framers they're not even unpacked from their protective bubble wrap as they need to be sent off to a gallery or packed for a craft fair. 
So to see the WHOLE picture hanging up, not half draped over my sewing table kinda takes my breath away a bit. I think this year I need to take time to 'smell the roses' if you know what I mean. I need to get ahead so that I can enjoy my accomplishments for a couple of days before they take the next step of their journey.

And talking of getting ahead...see it's not just thrown together this blog...I've spent the last 3 weeks having a long awaited, mammoth clear out! 
YEAH IT FEELS GOOD! 
It started during the strange 'no-mans-land' few days in between Christmas and New Year. You know the ones, you're adamant that you're still on holiday but you desperately need something to keep you occupied that's not proper work. 
Well... I started to empty my side of the loft! I'll just explain... Wonderful Man and I have one side of the loft each and in between these separately accessed lofts is the attic room which at the time was being used as my sewing/work/studio/storage room and Wonderful Mans office/cardboard storage/car seat storage room. Are you keeping up? Attic room in the middle, loft space at either side, left for me, right for WM. 
Good. 
So as you can imagine, there is quite a lot of junk stuff up there. My side of the loft was not only full of the usual boxes that we'd shoved in there 7 years ago when we moved in, boxes of kids games, bags with spare curtains, old duvet covers, suitcases, my wedding dress, school art folder (I'll show you one day) baby walker (made by Grandpa, saving for future grandchildren) and two coffee tables. I also found an old TV (certainly not flat screen!) and a bag of VHS videos! VIDEOS! I ASK YOU! 
This was all stored right at the far end of the long, tunnel shaped loft, not high enough for you stand up in you understand. Crawl or crouch is the only method of getting to it all.
 Now then... in front of all this 'normal' loft junk, I had over the last 7 years carefully chucked stacked numerous large boxes of fabric, many baskets containing yarn, an assortment of boxes containing interesting things that might come in handy for a future textile project (a beaded door curtain, old leather belts and coats from charity shops, you get the idea). There was also enough feather cushion inners and bags of quilt wadding and toy stuffing to insulate the whole roof space.
PHEW!
Well girls, I sorted it ALL out! 
I repacked what was staying and successfully either re-homed, textile banked, charity shopped or binned the stuff that wasn't.
It was around this time that WM suddenly decided that it was the correct time for him to up sticks and move his office/cardboard storage/car seat storage area in its entirety down a floor into our smallest bedroom currently occupied by our absent but soon to return daughter (she's away at uni). This in turn meant dismantling all of the furniture in her room (plus teenage junk and a forests worth of posters), bringing it up a flight of stairs to the attic where all the furniture in there had to then be dismantled and taken down the same flight of stairs. Nearly forgot...there were also 2 six foot tall bookcases (full) to be moved from the bottom of said staircase before every thing else would go past.
I hope you're keeping up as there maybe questions at the end?
No problem, you may think.
Apart from the fact that all the furniture in the attic was full of my sewing/work/studio/stuff! 
As you can see in this picture, daughters bed has already arrived while I'm trying to empty and sort my wardrobe full of fabric. All the time I was trying to sort and empty; items of furniture and teenage crap belongings were being deposited all around me!
See! The white wardrobe is now a brown one. There was much to-ing and fro-ing of screwdrivers and alan keys, much huffing and puffing but we got there in the end. 
Wonderful Man is happily situated on his own in the smallest bedroom. Uni daughter came home to be re-bedroomed in the attic room and I managed to get ALL my sewing/work/studio/storage stuff repacked and into my loft space!
A round of applause pleeease!
Thaaank you. (curtsy, curtsy)

And the picture of the patchwork blanket?
Well... the very first box I took out of the loft was full of old woollen jumpers that I'd fulled (felted) in the washing machine and saved over the last few years. I couldn't bare to throw them away so I quickly cut them into squares and machine stitched them into a lovely warm woollen blankie, originally made with the dog in mind but latterly claimed by grown up son!

So to sum up...it's been a busy start to the year.
Maybe next time I'll have some new art work to show you.

Pip-pip for now.
love Fi x

Oh...and if your wondering why WM stores car seats... We take all three rear seats out of our car to make room for my pictures when we're doing craft fairs. The attic is the only place we have to store them. Don't worry, uni daughter hasn't got them at the bottom of her bed. No...WM managed to squeeze them into his side of the loft! Now there's another story...

17 comments:

Susan Smith said...

Lovely to hear from you Fiona and that wall hanging is to die for. Congrats on such a beautiful piece. Yes, you should take a well-earned rest, but I really don't think clearing the attic was what I was thinking when I said that. Well done you and so many blogs I follow have been having clearouts and challenging themselves to finish up UFO's. Must be the year for it. Look forward to seeing what else you get up to and some more of your beautiful Yorkshire countryside. Take care.

KC'sCourt! said...

Love the blanket. I started the garden that week between Christmas and New Year, but since the weather has change been clearing inside! Your picture is absolutely glorious
Julie xxxxxxxx

French Nanny said...

Oh yes, know how this feels. I'm just trying to do the same thing myself!

Penny
x

vix said...

You put me to shame!!
I WAS half way through tidying my tiny workshop /storeroom/ rubbish room and somehow it has all come to a halt! :)

Winwick Mum said...

Your wall hanging is quite, quite beautiful. What a lucky person to have it in their home! I'm sure it will be much admired xx

The House with the Blue Door said...

Well done! You have been really busy! The wall hanging is stunning, and your clear out sounds very productive. When we reorganise I always feel rather overwhelmed in the middle of the chaos, but have a great sense of achievement when it's all finished :)
Cathy x

Highland Monkey's said...

It's so nice to see your picture up in all it's glory (but then I like all your felty things) My DH takes the seats out of the car so he can get his stuff in, it is awkward to store them tho. I do like your blanket very much.

Twiglet said...

Phew! I am exhausted just reading what you have been up to!! Well done on the clear out - we are doing the same ready for a house move. That balnket is so cosy - I am sure it will have found a good home. x Jo

Anonymous said...

I was thinking about your this morning and then you simply turn up like magic! I am exhausted reading your antics in the attics...

... Bimbi said...

What a task! The only thing bothering me is that your stuff is all boxed up and not easily accessible. Or maybe I missed something in this exhausting rearrangement??
The wall hanging - well, words fail me. Just stunning!

Bimbi x

Elderberry-Rob said...

I love your wall hanging - maybe this year you could make and keep one for yourself! you definitely deserve one! I think you have been so busy you definitely need to stand back and admire your work - you have a fabulous talent and I wish you lots of success with it in 2015. Betty

Cheryl said...

The wall hanging is beautiful. Looks perfect in its new home. I need to sort out my area too. Hang on to too many things, just in case I need them to make something. Madness. Must let go!

Linda Metcalf said...

The wall hanging is beautiful! and good use of the wooly fabric. Today is the day I try to clean and clear my craft shed as it is to be warm here...we'll see how it goes. I always procrastinate but it feels so much better when the task is accomplished!

Carol B said...

Erm....what have you done to my bedroom?? I know it's a while since I stayed, but, still!!

Carol B said...

And, did you know that when I was younger, I thought the days between Christmas and New Year didn't have any names. I say 'when I was younger'. I mean now. xxx

Unknown said...

Beautiful work! I have nominated you for the Premio Dardos Award :)

Janice Kay Schaub said...

You have an attic, oh you lucky person you. I always wanted an attic..........oh yes, your stuff, well I can relate. Unfortunately I do NOT have an attic. I am going to follow your blog, your work is fantastic. How DO you get so much done? I am in awe
Janice