Blissed out

embroidered trees

I've been doing uni work all day and my head is so full I feel like my brain cells have packed their bags and are trying to sneak out of a back door somewhere!  Why did I decided to do a masters degree?  Because really can't remember right now!  I'm sure it'll be fine in the end (I'm repeating it like a mantra!)  I also went for another acupuncture session last night - again total loveliness for 30 minutes.  It's a shame that my bliss didn't carry on until throughout today.

But enough moaning!  I've been doing some embroidery over the past couple of days.  I decided to design my own patterns - I think I've absorbed lots of the Japanese type images that are so prevalent on the blogs these days (oh can I justify buying some of the gorgeous Japanese fabric?  Can I? Hmm - sound of me mentally counting pennies!) so my drawings have that kind of naive, childlike, 1970's feel to them. I was quite pleased with the trees I produced and I'm planning to use them to adorn my new sewing box which I was up until 2am on Sunday night (when the urge takes me, it really takes me!) recovering.
I'll post some pictures of it when it's complete.
Thank you to everyone who's left such lovely comments over the past few days - it sometimes feel a bit lonely in blogland - until someone leaves a comment I'm not sure if I'm just talking to myself!  Thank you for letting me know I'm not. x

Cole's Cushion

I'm so pleased with how this has turned out!  I've been wanting to do an embroidered picture of one of Cole's drawings for ages ever since seeing all the fantastic ones on the blogs (I can't even remember where I first saw the idea, possible Soule Mama?)

But after buying the iron on paper and preparing to scan my picture, I found a blank cushion cover for £2 on Monday and Cole got so excited at the prospect of having his artwork turned into something to be sat on(!) that he started drawing directly onto the cushion cover!  Not to be deterred, I thought the best thing to do would be to use that as my template.  Because he'd colored big blocks of it in, I thought felt would work for these and I'm so impressed with how it's turned out.

Cole helped me to choose the right colored felt and even did a tiny bit of sewing himself.  The whole project was a bit of an experiment to be honest and I wasn't sure if the felt would work but it look so zingy and bright that I think it rocks!

I'm really excited about Cole seeing it when he comes home from school because he's been at his Dads for the past few days so he's not seen it.

We've started a new routine around nights that he's with his Dad or me.  I've now got every other Friday off work, so once a fortnight I can collect him from school and the other Friday his Dad will.  Up until last year Cole used to alternate nights between us, mainly because his Dad lived an hours drive away and it prevented Cole from having to be in the car for hours each day.  But after his Dad moved a few months ago, he's been able to spend longer blocks of time with each of us.  With me now able to collect him on some Fridays I asked Cole if he'd like have the whole weekend with whoever collected him on Friday and he jumped at it.  As soon as I put the phone down from him I burst into tears because I realized that on the weeks when I don't collect him on the Friday,I won't see him for a 5 day stretch!  Of course, on the week when I do collect him (this week!) I'll have him for that whole 5 days which will be fantastic. 

Being a part time Mum does get to me at times (fairly often if I'm honest) so I like to make the most of the time we do have together - lots of baking and making things and cuddles and watching  silly films and taking him to the park on his scooter.  I'm really excited about seeing his reaction to the cushion because I think he'll be really excited.