PJ's, gowns and flowboarding

My goodness how the time is flying by and we are nearly at the end of January and I feel that I have done  nothing except make pyjamas and hospital gowns for Pyjama Fairies!  In my December blog (I know only one blog in a month) I mentioned the 40 metres of fabric I had received from the Thomas Cook Children's Charity that I had washed and ironed and it was ready for use.  Well I have been cutting out and sewing ever since Christmas and have made 17, or is it 18 items with three to be sewn.  It doesn't sound much from 40 metres of fabric but I still have quite a few metres of the plain to use up and this can be put with other fabric that I have.  I prefer making teenage sizes and these use over 2 metres per item, especially the PJs.  From the offcuts I have made age 6 and upwards.  I also have a pile of scraps and I will be making Linus quilts out of these.

All different sizes ready to go

Following on from the last blog, I have taken delivery of a new dishwasher that I love and I have to admit is probably a lot more economical than my old one.  So good not to wash dishes by hand and more hygienic as well. 

My family were very generous over Christmas and the New Year and gave me cash.  So earlier this month I  loaded my bike onto the car and headed for this company who within two hours had converted my bike to electric.

The power assist is in the front wheel with a pannier on the back holding the battery.  I have bought saddle bags because the basket on the front has been taken off to allow for the LED screen.  I have 5 assist speeds according to the steepness of the hill when I go up but if I want to start quickly I have a boost button.  The boost should not be used too often as it drains the battery, but such fun to use!!  The only minus is that the bike is now very heavy (even without the battery) and I cannot lift it onto the bike carrier on my own now.  This means a different sort of carrier or a small hoist!   When I went cycling Sunday I was trying to run the battery down before it's first charge, so I used the boost button to go along my road.  I don't know what the motorists thought as this mad flying Granny shot past them at great speed!!

My youngest granddaughter, now aged 7, had her birthday earlier this month and I had made her a sundress like the others except this fabric was all hearts

 

Worked in 'Counter change' this form of smocking is so easy to do and this pattern is so simple - chest measurement and height is all that is needed and then a pattern that can be smocked.  This one had rows of hearts with an even distance between them so was easy to work in different coloured rows.

Grandson, my eldest grandchild aged 12, also had his birthday as well and for a treat he went 'Flowboarding' and had a brilliant time

 

I was given a pack of wool to make Attic24's Woodland blanket and have made about 10" of it so plenty still to do.  I am enjoying this and the colours are wonderful.  My Tilda Bunny is nearly finished but I am not showing anymore until it is which should be in the next blog post.

As I mentioned in the last post we had a Christmas challenge of a tea towel, to turn into anything we want.  My ideas are now being worked but I will write a full blog with lots of photos but not until April when it must be completed.  It is a steep learning curve as I am using techniques that are new to me and the next stage is vey nerve wracking!!  I hope it works or there will be one useless tea towel!