Stairway to Heaven

I am deliriously happy to report that myself and mr pickledweasel are now sleeping in the neverending loft conversion. In a bed, and with carpet and everything!

We finished painting the woodwork on the landing on Monday, and the carpet fitters came the next day. The carpet in the hall makes such a huge difference :) We still have to decorate our old bedroom, which will become Munchkin's new bedroom, but for now we're just keeping the door closed and ignoring it.

There is just literally a bed in our new bedroom, not because we're going for the minimalist look, but because we've only bought one chest of drawers so far and we haven't put it together yet. I don't care though, I'd keep it that way if I could. It's so calming waking up in a room that's full of light and space...the rest of the house looks like some sort of slum in comparison. I'm hoping the contrast will shock me into trying to get everywhere else as clean and junk free, but I think in reality I'll just spend more time in the new room :)

In amongst all the excitement I managed to get to the Abakhan sale preview and bagged myself some bargains. The elephants and the apples are for Munchkin, but I'm undecided on the skulls yet. As it's cuddlefleece I think it's probably more suited to 'loungewear', so I'm thinking I might make a pull-on hoodie for me to wear in the mornings. I'd love to do Munchkin something with it, but I fear it's too pyjama-y to be worn outside.

Munchkin's woodland nap quilt is coming along nicely, and I'm now ready to machine quilt it before I back and bind it. Hurray for all things bed-related!

Show me the money.

This year is turning out to be pretty expensive. Along with the twenty squillion pounds we paid for the neverending loft conversion, we have had to repair the washing machine, then replace the washing machine, replace the hoover, replace the iron, and now the central heating is broken. Not broken in a major way, but it'll still cost about £150 to fix it.


Add to that the extra bill we have from our builder for changing the stair spindles in the loft (they were twirly, and they just weren't right. Now they're straight and they're lovely. Yes it was important and worth the money. Now be quiet) and using better quality wood on the cupboard doors (we're staining it rather than painting), and we're a bit strapped for cash.


I'm still finding things to put on eBay, and we're selling nearly all of our dvds on Music Magpie, but we need more moolah. So one of the obvious solutions is for me to try and sew up a bit of cash. My mum, the lovely grandma pickledweasel, has a little business making and selling glass jewellery and art. She does lots of farmer's markets, and always takes along a little selection of wooden brooches on my behalf. When I started making bags we talked about selling some on her stall, so I thought I'd finally crack on and make up some stock for her. I've been buying bits and bobs of fabric in preparation, and have quite a few patterns that can be used to make items to sell. My aim was 10 bags using this pattern in 7 days. If they sold, I would try a few more different styles out. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.


Er, no. Despite this being the fourth time I've used this pattern, the bag pictured took me around 4 hours to make and is unsellable unsaleable unsellible no-one would buy it. The outer is faux suede and the lining is a bit of vintage soft cotton I found in a charity shop. Both fabrics are quite lightweight so I thought I would use fusible interfacing on the floral cotton to give the bag a bit more structure. Only when I came to turn it through it had obviously added a bit too much structure, because it was like bloody childbirth. The stitches on the strap split, and tore the lovely old cotton. I had to unpick and re-sew the join at the tops of the straps so many times to get the two sides the right length so they would sandwich together properly that there is a whole new pattern of little holes in the faux suede. It just doesn't cut the mustard.

I have to accept that I don't have the speed or the skill to make it worthwile financially. In fact, I'd probably make more money if I stopped buying fabric and bag patterns :) I would love love love to make money out of sewing, but I just don't think it's feasible for someone who works part time and has a two and a half year old the rest of the time. Selling online is slightly easier, as you can make things as they're ordered, but you still need time to promote your business and find patterns that work for you and that you can use to make things comercially (or design your own). I've got rid of my little Coriandr shop, which was rapidly going nowhere due to a lack of promotion on my part. No matter how badly I want it, or believe it's my destiny (in an X-Factor styley), making money from stitching stuff isn't going to happen right now.

So it's back to eBaying the contents of my wardrobe and shopping in bulk at Approved Food in an effort to save money. If anyone has any 100% proven get rich quick schemes, or interesting recipes for tortillas or cous cous please comment below :)

Giveaway in a bits and bobs de-stash celebratory past halfway neverending loft conversion styley!

I know, it' such a snappy title :)

So, I've listed a tiny percentage half my fabric stash on eBay, and should you wish to get your grubby little mitts on it, you can look at it here. I was going to put it on Etsy, but I had no idea what price to put on things, so instead everything's starting at 99p and it'll all get sold. All profits go to the Pickled Weasel New Bedroom Furniture Fund.

But if you haven't got any pennies, and you want some of the loveliness that's listed, read on. You can win all the pretty things pictured in this post. The fabric is just bits and bobs, things that wouldn't really sell on eBay but that people with crafty skillz could use, and then there's a few other random things thrown in for good measure. I hope you like them :)

All you need to do is leave a comment telling me about your favourite tutorial on the interwebs, and a link to it if you can work out how to in the comments box (I often can't, being a bear of little brain, so I don't expect you to).

We're cracking on with all the painting (mr pickledweasel even has roller-related blisters), and I can see light at the end of the loft conversion tunnel, so I'm starting to think about all the craftings I can do when I no longer have a paintbrush surgically attached to my hand. I need new things to covet and drool over and stick on my never ending to-do list.

International bods are more than welcome to enter, and I will draw a winner at random on Friday the 15th of October. As an added weaselly bonus, if you enter the giveaway and happen to win one of the things listed on eBay, I'll give you first class postage for the price of second class. Not much, I know, but better than nowt. Good luck!

Spoonflower. Not really about spoons. Or flowers.

I am trying to sort out my cupboard under the stairs sewing storage room as it will shortly be moving to the...wait for it...UTILITY ROOM!!!1! Yes, I know, How lucky am I. Because of the recent neverending loft conversion project we have a bit more storage space, which means I can have an actual real room to sew in, as opposed to putting my sewing machine on the dining room table and then leaving it there for three months whilst fabric and pattern pieces gather round it in some sort of modern art installation styley, until someone comes for dinner and I have to stuff it all back under the stairs again.

Birdies Galore by cabinpressstudio

If all goes according to plan I will have a workbench, a fold up chair, shelving and drawers. I will still have to share the space with the tumble dryer and washing machine, but at least I'll have a permanent space for my machine and the accoutrement's that come with it. Happy days :)

Love Fiesta by sammyk

I'm a long way off from that yet. First we have to finish the decorating. I am on the third coat of paint in the hall. The third coat, people. Which means there will need to be three coats on the stairs, and the landing. *cries*

Medium Elephants by katharinahirsch

But I have made a start on my new sewing nest by having a little bit of a de-stash. As we have officially run out of neverending loft fund loan money, and the electrician's bill came in £700 more than expected, we are slowly putting the entire contents of our house on eBay. This way we get to pay bills and really make the most of all that new storage space, as there won't be any crap left to fill it with. I'll list some of my fabric next week, and will be running a de-stash celebratory giveaway to mark the occasion. It's nice fabric, not just manky bits that I want to throw away :)

Monsieur Wonder Kat by malien00

Which leads me to the pictures that illustrate this post. How can a girl possibly keep on top of her fabric stash when there are beauties such as these available to buy from Spoonflower? The design talent out there just blows me away. Just a shame all the monies in my paypal account will be paying for sockets and switches :(

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...

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.

Sewing is my crystal meth.

I'm getting the shakes - we're back in our building site of a house, and I haven't really been able to sew because I'm meant to be doing wallpaper stripping, polyfillering, painting and other dull, soul-destroying, non-sewing related activities.

Last night I was going to take the evening off and do a bit of stitching, just to try and slow my heart rate and stop the cramps, but I ended up spending three hours looking for children's wallpaper that was a) non-gender specific, b) didn't make me want to vomit, and c) didn't cost more than a week's wages.

I sort of classed that as 'work' even though it didn't involve paintbrushes or masking tape, and so decided to move my night off to tonight. I'm making a bag based on one I already own, and was hoping to finish drafting the pattern and actually put thread to cloth. Only my set square is still at grandma pickledweasel's. As is my french curve. And I thought I could improvise with a bog standard steel rule, but I can't find that either. The only straight thing I can find is a Transformers board game, which unfortunately isn't marked out in inches and cms :(

I'm seriously strung out - I may have to do some cross stitch just to tide me over until I can get my hands on some proper gear again. In the meantime I'm trying to keep my mind busy with plans of future projects. I've chosen colour schemes for Munchkin's new room (our old bedroom) and our new room (the shiny new loft room) based on a throw and a lamp. Sounds crazy, I know (maybe it's just the cross stitch talking), but I read an article on interior design that said it was the best way to start putting a room together, just to take an item and build everything around it.

The throw is single bed sized, and I love the colours in it, although I'm struggling to find other fabrics to complement it. It has a slightly 70's feel floral pattern on one side, and stripes on the other. The lamp is from Next, and although they do a whole range to match (bedding, curtains, rug etc.) I think I'll just stick to a couple of lamps and a light shade, rather than go overboard. I've found a deep red quilted bedspread that matches perfectly, and I think the rest of the room will be fawns and greys with touches of red. It's all sounding very grown up :)

Hopefully by my next post I'll have managed to sew something. If you don't hear from me for a couple of weeks, it'll be one of two things. I'll either have got desperate and be trying to complete my mother's heirloom hexagonal patchwork quilt, which was started circa 1971, or mr pickledweasel will have arranged some sort of intervention, and I'll have had all my copies of Sew Hip confiscated and have been sent away to rehab.

*pops in*

Helloooo! Still at my mum's, still have no ceilings or bathroom at our house. Never mind, we're making the most of the sunny weather and enjoying grandma pickledweasel's garden.

I have spent a pitiful amount of time crafting since we moved in, even pitifullier considering my mum has a craft room in her attic and a fancy computery sewing machine. However, I have managed to whip up a tunic from Kitschy Coo's tunic pattern, and a yard of fabric that I bought in her 'I'm going to America and need more room in my fabric cupboard so I can bring back yards and yards of textile loveliness with me' sale.

It took hardly any time at all, and I'd have finished it in a couple of evenings, had there not been an elastic shortage in the grandma pickledweasel household. It's a little bit too big for Munchkin, but she seems to be growing at an alarming rate so it should fit nicely in a couple of months.

In other news, the pickledweasels had a lovely time at mr pickledweasel's brother's wedding a couple of weeks ago. Munchkin was a flower girl, and was on her very best behaviour all day. Admittedly she had very few duties, namely a) walk down the aisle holding her aunty Jade's hand and b) look cute for the rest of the day. Mission accomplished :)

Work In Progress

We have stairs!

But they only lead to the top of our semi-demolished wardrobes :(

Hopefully in three weeks we should have some ceilings for our existing bedrooms and a floor for our new attic bedroom.

Oh, and a bathroom :)

We are having fun at grandma pickledweasel's, although a week's holiday to Shropshire was a welcome break for us (and her. and her washing machine, which has been on none-stop since we arrived), and we have another week away planned in bonnie Scotland at the start of July. Which is very fortunate, as the builder has just told us it's going to take about three weeks longer than he thought before we can move back in again :(

Taxes and Treats

Not only have I sold a couple of brooches and made a weeny profit, I aslo got a nice tax rebate this week - hurrah! It would appear I overpaid the lovely people at HMRC by three hundred odd quid last year, and they've very kindly given it me back. What riches!

So, how to spend it? For starters I've bought this beautiful print from Sally Elford:

It's called 'Approaching Storm' and it's kind of what I was trying to achieve with the etching I did a while ago, although Sally's is proper art, and mine looks like a small child's attempt :) You can find more of Sally's work over at Boxbird, a cool little online gallery.
I'm also going to buy a shiny new mp3 player, and one of those doughnut speaker docking thingies (that's the actual technical term for them). Family pickledweasel has just 2 small stereo systems, one of which doesn't work, and another which lives on top of the fridge and has quite specific taste in music. It won't play some cds at all, and others it will play about half a song, get bored, and skip to the next one. It doesn't like Bjork very much, although I have no idea why. Anyhoo, the idea is to buy a big mp3 player, put all of our cds on to our laptop, and then sell the cds on Music Magpie. Therefore freeing up a huuge amount of space in the living room, and making a bit of moolah in the process.
The final wodge of tax money will be divided between 2 benefactors - British Gas (for we have just recieved a mahousive bill) and The Neverending Loft Fund, which is our savings account to get our loft converted into a 3rd bedroom. So everyone's a winner! Happy days :)