It's curtains for me.

I am no longer in a grump, you'll be glad to know. I don't know what brought it on, but it lingered for a couple of days and was hard to shift. I am very grump-prone, as my mum and husband will testify, and I've never grown out of them, despite now being in my mid early thirties. Munchkin is currently tantrum-prone, but hasn't mastered the art of the grump. I think maybe that comes with teenage years?

Aaaaanyway. Enough of my emotional well being. I have made curtains! That hang straight and everything! The little bedroom is now liveable in, and is temporarily housing Munchkin whilst we decorate everything else so she can move into her new bedroom (our old bedroom) and we move into the attic. The little bedroom will then be vacant for the next munchkin, although me and mr pickledweasel don't currently have the energy to conduct a coherent conversation, let alone create new life. We seem to spend every waking moment stripping wallpaper or trying to fill huge cracks with polyfiller in the hope that the wall doesn't fall apart when we paint it.

But I managed to take a break from DIY duties and make these slightly boring, yet perfectly acceptable curtains. I didn't want them to be too jazzy as the wallpaper is pretty busy already, and didn't need any competition. The fabric was £1 a metre from the magic fabric shop, and is backed with a sort of rubber backing. I don't know if this is a special curtain backing, or whether it's for upholstery purposes, but it means the curtains block out most of the light. I lined them, just for appearances sake, but only bought the cheapest lining fabric as I didn't need blackout quality.

They weren't the easiest things to sew, but I've learnt a lot and I'm sure my next pair will be better. I failed miserably on mitring corners, despite it being one of the very few things I learnt on my rubbish college course, but I'll have a look on Youtube and have a go again with a few scraps of fabric.

I used a book my mum swears by, Soft Furnishings: Ideas and Fabrics by Designers Guild, which was published in 1980, but curtain construction doesn't really change much, does it? There are loads of diagrams to accompany the instructions, and the book includes cushions, lampshades, blinds, upholstery and loose covers as well. You can get it second hand on Amazon here or here.

The neverending loft conversion is nearly nearly nearly finished, and is looking like a real room. The plaster looks a bit funny because it wasn't dry when I took the picture, and yes, I know the arch is wonky :). I'm trying very hard not to get overexcited and start sewing cushions and wall hangings and duvet covers for it, as I still have a floor cushion to make for the little bedroom, and then it's on to soft furnishings for Munchkin's new room, which include two pairs of curtains and a loose cover for a 1970's child's armchair. Does anyone fancy a loose cover sew-along? No? No-one? What do you mean 'it doesn't sound very exciting'? I can feel a grump coming on...

Yeah, whatever.

I am in a foul mood today, so this post will not be genial, or courteous, or even polite. I really can't be arsed with small talk, so you'll get what you're given.

Here's a bag I made.

It's made of my favourite jeans, which I had to sacrifice because they had a big hole in the knee. The lining is made from some other fabric. I can't be bothered to tell you where it was from.

It holds things, and it was easy to make. I made another one before, but this one is better, because.... well, just because.

If you want me, I'll be on the sofa with my bottom lip stuck out and my arms folded. Now go away! >:-p

Mmmmm, stitches....*drool*

I did some sewing :) I managed to make Very Purple Person's reversible tote, which is a blinding simple and nifty pattern that everyone should download immediately if they haven't already done so. Mine isn't strictly reversible. Well, it is, but I used the same fabric inside and out :) I haven't got anything that goes with this slightly bizarre aqua monkey head fabric,* so I thought I'd better use it for outer and lining rather than trying to carry off some kind of 'it clashes so crazily it matches!!1!' combo. I love the shape of the bag and the size. Munchkin and I test drove it today, and it comfortably carried baby wipes, 4 nappies, my stupidly huge purse, my mobile, a snack bar and a beaker of water. I'm planning to make it again using denim from an old pair of jeans and lining it with something bright and flowery.

I am still planning to draft my own bag pattern, and you'll be relieved to know I've found my set square and my french curve. Now I just have to find the time to sketch it all out and go through the millions of revisions needed before I throw it in the bin and cry create the perfect bag. I'll keep you posted :)

In never-ending loft fund news, we have windows! Four of them, letting lots of lovely light in. And one of them has a very nice view, if you stick your head out far enough.

I found some non-gender specific wallpaper for Munchkin's old room. At least, I think it's non-gender specific, everyone else who's passed comment on it says it's for boys, but what do they know. It was beautifully hung by grandma pickledweasel, and I did the painting. It's not finished yet - the walls need another coat and the woodwork needs doing, but we've bought carpet, and it should be habitable in a couple of weeks. The plan is to move Munchkin back in there (she's curently sleeping in our room), and then start decorating the hall stairs and landing. And then our current bedroom. And then our new bedroom. By which time we will have no money left for food, but we will be so high on paint fumes and turps we won't care :)

* The selvedge says the design is called 'candy' so I'm guessing they were going for boiled sweets rather than monkey heads, but I prefer to see them as monkey heads.