Attic24

Summer Magazine Celebration

I think I mentioned t'other day about the stack of summer magazines that were sitting in a pile on my desk following my binge-read of them last month. Oh but they were good! In fact they were very, very good. The imagery between the pages of these magazines was sooooooooooo inspiring, I felt quite high and giddy on Visual Happiness after I'd been dancing through them all.

I do read my magazines you know, yes I do take time to read most of the contents. I read the editors letter, the articles, the lengthy shopping lists, the recipes. I even read the adverts. The words are interesting, but of course it's the pictures that really do it for me. I just adore that zingy feeling of being hit by wave upon wave of visual inspiration. I am quite addicted to it. So my magazines do end up with well-thumbed pages cos I tend to go back through each issue time and time again. Soaking up the visuals, drinking it all in, absorbing the feel-good.

Summer magazines are my absolute favourite. The June-September issues. There's something about the subject matter (picnics, holidays, summer gardens and breezy, colourful decorating ideas etc) that is very Me. I am most definitely a Summer Girl through and through.

So now that the summer season is over and the Autumn issues are in full swing (oh there is waaay too much brown in the Oct issues for my liking!), I thought I would share some of my most favourite, inspiring, uplifting images with you. A Celebration of Summer.

A few "Readers Home" to start then.....

This glorious home was featured in July issue of "Period Living"

A romantic retreat in June "Country Living"

A creative combination in September "Country Living"

July issue of "Country Homes & Interiors" featured the stunning home of the GreenGate owners. Oh my, that crochet BLANKET!!!!!! Swoon-tastic!

I love this jolly inspirational shopping page in "Ideal Homes" June magazine.

Now then, let me show you some of the features that I most love in this type of magazine. They mix general style inspiration with decorating ideas, then add in a humongous shopping list. In Country Living mag, these features are labeled as "decorating and design", and in Country Homes mag it's a more honest "shopping ideas" label. But whatever you want to call it, these pages sing with colour, joy, happiness and inspiration (and a dose of the Wanties)..............ENJOY!!!

Gypsy Rose inspired decorating and styling from "Ideal Home"

Matisse inspired interiors in "Country Living"

Outdoor decorating in "Country Homes"

Summer party time......

........with such lovely colours! (sorry can't remember which magazine this was, it wasn't one of my regular reads)

Country Homes made my heart race with this beautiful "vintage-style vacations" theme. I know it's all about shopping and is all very materialistic but....ooooooooo I Want It All!

Want want want want want.

I think this six-page spread in August "Country Living" is totally inspired. It combines seasonal feel-good with fashion, interior design and lifestyle. A total Aspirational Experience.......

Now tell me you don't want to Live That Life????!!!!

Bold, Bright and Beautiful, oh my GOODNESS. Prepare for your heart to soar......

WOW. Country Living totally hit my spot with these pages. Makes me think I could possibly do with more pretty florals here in the Attic, and definitely more red things. I love the red accents that pulse through these pages, don't you?

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Did you enjoy that little lot???

Yeah, me too ♥

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ps. Click on any of the above images and they should pop up in a new window and in a bigger size. Good if you want to scrutinise the detail.

pps. if you also swooned over the Greengate crochet blanket in the 6th picture, go and check out the  fabulous blanket Jules is making.  Oh, and there's also a matching sweet giveaway too. Prepare to drool.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easy Summer Days

Hellooooooo! We are back home again after a fulsome and very enjoyable jolly in Connievan last week, boy it was certainly fulsome! I'll be uploading my holiday snaps in the next day or two to share with you, I'm looking forward to doing that very much.

The past few days have been spent easing back into our lazy summer routine at home after all the activity and hectic-ness of last week. It feels rather wonderful and luxurious to wake and greet each day with a blank schedule. No timetable, no appointments, no arrangements. Just me and the three Littlies hanging out at home.

After a rather wet and dismal weekend, today has been super-duper here in my patch. Stunning blue skies, warm sunshine and a breezy breeze. Perfect for doing Easy Things and making the most of outdoors.

This morning I took my coffee and snook out to the back yard, bare foot and still in my jammies, tiptoeing quietly out the kitchen door away from the children. The morning sun was creeping into the yard through the gate, it was a wonderful, sneaky little bit of me-time. Those quiet sunny moments alone were very much appreciated I can tell you.

Once my coffee was warm in my tummy, I went about my daily chatter with my flowers. Oooooooo the glorious orange of the marigolds in my hanging basket really made me smile! Can't normally grow marigolds in the back yard as they are prime fodder for the sizable slug and snail population, but in their hanging garden they are safe.

And my sweet peas have finally begun to flower too, I was so excited to see them there at the weekend. I am completely over my fear of cutting them, in fact I mercilessly cut them the instant they show any sign of petal. Snipetty snip and indoors they come, I am so addicted to the smell of them, I just have to have them right there under my nose.

I'm so very proud of my little ink bottle garden posies, so proud that these delightful flowers have come from My Very Own Garden!! Every year I bring in these small but precious little handfuls of flowers and love them to bits. Like really love them in a totally over the top way. I can't get enough of them. I sniff them and admire them and want to somehow eat them up. They're just sooooooo beautiful!

I screech like a Mad Thing when Little B climbs onto the table and pulls them all out and tries to drink the water from the bottle. Uh-huh, it happened. Twice. The climbing-pulling-drinking-screeching. Followed by precious re-arranging. Twice. Gosh. Calm me down. Tell me, do you think I am a nutjob?

Breakfast on these lazy, easy summer days happens as and when. As and when the Little People realise their little tummies are empty and grumbling. I've started bringing in their brekkie things on a tray when I make my morning coffee, then leaving them to help themselves as and when they are ready. It's all a bit sloppy really, but they seem to like it this way. They like pouring their own milk and seeing how much sugar they can get away with administering. They sprinkle liberally when I'm not looking, I just know they do.

I do eat breakfast with Little B though, we eat together every meal. He is pretty good at feeding himself now, just needing a little help with scooping or stabbing, depending on whether it's a spoon or fork job. Today he had mashed banana with warm ready brek, yum yum. He opens his mouth ridiculously wide to accommodate the spoon, it makes me laugh every time.

Ahhh I just LOVE being home in the hols with my Little Peeps, I really do. I love them so much. Their simple requests, their happiness when they are granted their wishes.

Little Man says Mum, can I make myself a honey sandwich?? Yeah, sure, go right ahead I say. He punches the air with a happy Yeeeessssssssssssss, delighted at the prospect of extra food between meals. Happy happy.

Little Lady says Mum, can you paint my nails like you did last holiday, with red and blue nail varnish?? Yeah, sure, why not. Lets do it. She rushes upstairs to my bedside drawer to get the little drawstring bag which contains my modest nail varnish collection. I have five bottles :: pearly white, pink, red, peacock blue and clear with glitter. Happy happy.

All three Littlies have been treated to new wheels this week. Little B has this new plastic cart that he pulls and pushes along and it's proving to be a huge hit. It only cost a few pounds from the supermarket, it had some sand toys in it with a dinky little red spade and watering can (strewn across the back yard now I think). He doesn't like to put anything in the cart mind you, he insists on keeping it empty but he appears to love it very much.

The Little Peeps both have new scooters. High excitement. Little Lady's scooter broke last week at the caravan site so we bought her a replacement which she is very happy with. Little Man has a Birthday coming up in a few weeks so we treated him to his Hearts Desire and bought him a much longed for JDBug scooter. He has not been separated from it since, and is more than happy with it.

We head to the park almost daily now, sometimes in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon. You can see the Little People scooting down the grassy slope look, fast tracking their way to the swings. We often take other children with us from the street too, whoever's about and wants to come along really. I had 5 of them with me this afternoon, and it was fun! Once I got over the heart-in-mouth nervousness of watching the boys tackle the ramps and slopes in the skate park on their scooters, I had fun! Honestly!

In between the business of mothering my brood, I am amazingly managing to carve out little snippets of me-time. The past few months I've had no time or inclination to stroll in Magazine Wonderland, for some reason I just haven't wanted to sit and read at all. But like a parched and dehydrated addict who's not had a drink in a fair while, I've been totally indulging in recent days. I think I've read about five magazines cover to cover, one after the other. Three issues of Country Living and two of Country Homes, with one still left to go. It's been wonderful!!! So much visual lovliness and sparkling inspiration, quite overwhelming at times, but oh so good for the Creative Spirit. I remain Addicted, no question about it.

It's late in the day here now you know, eleven pm. I am riding on caffeine (tut tut) and feel like I could sit and chat with you pretty  much all night, but really I do need to sign off and go to bed. It'll be a 5-6am start in the morning and although the days are easy (ish) and lazy (ish) they are still long.

But I've had such a lovely day today. Full of sunshine and breezes, kids and friends, play and chatter. Easy summer days filled with nothing in particular. Just the way I like it.

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Edit to add :: for those not in the UK, the breakfast cereal the Little People are curently devouring is Weetabix. It was my fave brakfast as a child too.

 

 

 

 

Crochet Fashion

 

Following on from my last post, it was really amusing reading all your comments about the 1970's crochet fashion. But awwww you did disappoint me with the Granny Square Bikini, I was so damn sure you would be begging me for the pattern, that it would become the new trend in Blogland ;o)

Maybe not eh.

It did get me thinking about crochet garments though, and how I'd love to make something wearable one day. But it's a risky business, making crochet clothing. I'm aware that there's a veeeeeeeery fine line between stylish and naff, between nasty and nice, and I'm not sure I'm quite subtle enough to sit on the right side of that fine line.

I mean, one could go so Horribly Wrong with Granny Square garments.

Could end up a hideously expensive mistake if one was not veeeeeeeeeeery careful indeed.

However.......I think if one got the colour palette right (think muted, vintagey tones rather than garish brights), then it could work. Could work out veeeeeeeery nicely indeed.

Have a look at these pages from the latest Country Living magazine :: a fantastic new fashion series which showcases real people and the everyday clothes they choose to wear. This month it's the turn of florist Liz Wallace. 

 

There she is look, doing a spot of recreational painting......AHHHAAAA!!!!!! Did you do what I did and zoom your beady eyes straight in to that picture of her and fixate on her amazingly gorgeous crochet cardie??? Did you??? Did it give you palpitations, make your heart skip a beat? Oh, that was just me then....

 

....when I first caught sight of this image I yelped out loud with joy, it was instant love-at-first-sight. Heart flutters and palpitations for sure.

Isn't it fabulous????

I desperately searched the magazine article for more information, and there it was in the small print  :: "Patchwork Crochet Cardigan, £360, Odd Molly"

So straight to the internet went I, searching out Odd Molly.

Odd Molly is a collection of very unique clothes and accessories, you can browse through their current Spring collection by clicking here.

There are a few crocheted garments, these two are my faves and are pictured on page 2 (click here to see, they're second row from bottom)

What do you think?? I think they're absolutely beautiful, inspiring, gorgeous, amazing.

Really really.

A huuuuuuuuuge step up from the bikini, poncho, tank top and hostess apron of yesterday.

Hmmmm....me thinks I might just HAVE to make some sort of hooky garment for myself at some point in my future. You know, when I've nothing better to do.

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♥ Four Things ♥

Four things making me heart-skippy happy today.......

Thing #1 :: from the market ::

:: I visited my lovely Plant Man at the market today looking for some seasonal flowers, and ended up being seduced by this gorgeous seasonal foliage ::

:: Thing #2 :: from Ikea ::

:: I visited the big Blue and Yellow warehouse on Monday night and came home with this gorgeously desirable and  delicious tray which I am totally In Love with::

:: Thing #4 :: from WHSmiths (the magazines, not the bun) ::

:: whilst in town this morning doing my rounds of the market/butcher/baker etc, I bobbed into the newsagents and treated myself to three scrummy magazines ready for the weekend ::

:: this first one is a one-off publication called "Get Creative" and at first glance looks really wonderful...it's published by BBC Good Homes magazine, and is all about creative ideas for the home. Divided into seasonal chapters, the Christmas chapter looks especially lovely and inspirational ::

:: this one is BBC Homes and Antiques (Jan issue, which also comes with a lovely free calendar this month, yeah, I know, another one to add to my stash). I spied Teena's gorgeously beautiful home shining out of those pages and can't wait to read more ::

:: Country Homes and Interiors (Jan issue) also looks wonderfully cosy and seasonal....I've only had a quick flick through these magazines this morning and I can't wait to indulge in some snuggly blanket+tea+cake+magazine time over the weekend ::

 

:: Thing #4 :: from Up Above ::

:: the colour of the sky today is an absolutely breathtaking shade of blue, and it has made me feel ridiculously smiley-happy ::

Happy Friday to you all, hope you find some heart-skippy-happy things to enjoy today!

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Autumnal Inspiration

Hello....I'm afraid I'm feeling a little muddled today and although I have many things I'd like to say to you all (including a big thank you for your response to my Wrist-Warmers !!!!), the words just won't seem to come out properly.

I've tried, honestly I have! I've sat here at the pc for what seems like an age and tried hard to formulate my thoughts into something coherent, but it's just not been happening.

I've drunk coffee and baked white chocolate and cranberry cookies (and ooooo-eeeee they are goooooood!). I've faffed and mooched and pondered and muddled my way through the morning, but nothing is happening right. Just one of Those Days I guess.

So instead of wittering at you in a rather muddled fashion, I thought I might simply show you some inspiring pictures that I took a few weeks ago.

Pages from last months Country Living magazine (UK October issue) which quite honestly make me hyperventilate with pleasure.

Don't you find these images so heart-achingly Beeeeeaaaaauuuuutiful????

Exceeeedingly, totally, Inspiringly Autumnal???

I love them, truly I do, love the whole heap load of feelings they stir up. Love that they make me LOve Autumn.

And thats coming from me...someone who outwardly mourns when the Spring/Summer issue magazines come to an end, and inwardly groans at the thought of the Autumn/Winter ones taking over.

Yet this year, I am surprising myself by LOvIng the whole style of the Autumn magazines (with the exception of some persistent Brown-ness), and feeling inspired by it.

I'm seeing some purchasing of colourful squashes and pretty cyclamen in my immediate future. The creation of an Autumnal table display. Possibly I might go forth into the great outdoors and gather some pretty Autumn foliage too, fashion myself a twiggy wreath and the such like.

Yes, I feel there's much to look forward to this season, much to be Inspired by.

However, this afternoon I'm going to proceed to drink tea, munch a cookie and crochet a Granny Square or two in celebration of Autumnal Cosiness.

The seasonal gathering, fashioning and displaying can wait till tomorrow.

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Drippy Wet

Hello....another very drippy wet day here in my patch (again), although we seem to be having what I think is known as Intermitent Short Sharp Showers interspersed with Brief Sunny Spells. It rains, then it stops. Rains then stops. And each time the rain stops and the sun comes out, Little People go outside to play, hopeful that the rain will stay away for good this time, only to find their games are cut short by yet another downpour. So it's been a rather In-out-in-out kind of morning so far. Right now they are In, although not in at Attic24 :: no, they obviously got bored of their own surroundings and decided to decamp across the road to number 21. So all is peaceful, all is quiet here right now. And I am enjoying the Intermitent Solitude.

This morning, during one of the brief Sunny Spells, I ventured out back to make my daily check on my poor, rain sodden, saturated, drippy backyard blooms.
I thought that they looked quite beautiful in the morning light, laden with drippy wet droplets of rain. My second lily has flowered, and is the most magnificent deep pink colour imaginable (top photo).
I really enjoyed taking these photographs (and yes, I was wearing my pyjamas at the time), and put together a little drippy wet mosaic for you....

Captures the weather of today perfectly :: Sunshine and Showers.

All this wet weather is proving to be heavenly for the local molluscs. Look at this beast, caught in the act of eating his delicious Marigold breakfast. Ah well, thats life :: I do try and adopt the Live and Let live approach to gardening, so refuse to get my knickers in a twist over it.

With the Little People out the house for a short while, I've been taking the opportunity to indulge in some peaceful idling this morning. And my goodness, let me tell you I am Veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery good at Idling. Could probably do it professionally if I put my mind to it.
I've been sat amongst my blankets and cushions, looking through the August issue of Country Living magazine, for the umpteenth time.

It really is delicious.

Uplifting.

Inspiring.

Beautiful.

Scrumptious.

I enjoyed my mornings Idling a great deal :: thank you Country Living UK, we are very lucky to have you.

In other Idle Moments during the past couple of days, when I've been trying to take my mind off BB, I've been using up the remainder of the Rowan pure wool to make a simple granny square cushion cover. Which also remains unfinished, cos I realised that it too needs that missing blue colour.

So in a weeny short while, I shall finish my idling and go and retrieve my Little People and set forth down the A56 to visit the yarn shop, to purchase the yarn, to finish the blanket, to set the scene, to take the photographs for the long awaited BB-Ta-dah moment. It is almost time folks.

Right-oh..all that remains for me to say today is a hhhhhuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge big thankyou to all of you who took the trouble to vote for Attic24 over at the Dorset Cereals Little Blog Awards. More than 500 of you have voted in the last 24 hours, and you have totally rocked my colourful little world.

((thank you)) with all my heart.

See you tomorrow...
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Edited to add :: 2.40pm :: The Blue Yarn Has Landed!!! BB here I come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thrifty Chic

Heeeheeee!!!!! I am smiling and laughing to myself here, pootling about in my own little world today, thinking my own little thoughts, dreaming my own little dreams, planning little projects, gathering ideas, images, inspirations and generally being sort of quietly, mentally, hugely creative, do you know? Lots going on with me inwardly right now, so very, very much I wish to do, create, achieve, make happen, I am bursting at the seams with it all. Its exciting beyond words sometimes, living life in such a creative, colourful way as I do, and with a mind and imagination as ditzy as mine.

Last night, do you know what my dreams were filled with?

Can you guess?

Patchwork!! Lots and lots and lots of colourful, crazy, wacky patchwork!! hahaha yes, sadly it's true...my mind has turned into a big, messy piece of Patchwork.

Ahhh I was SO hyped writing yesterday's post, so hugely pleased to show you my Chair, and I thank you enormously for sharing in my enthusiasm over it. Your comments mean so much to me, most especially as my family, as lovely as they are, just do not get it. J has not really commented on the Chair :: I think he said something along the lines of "hmmmm very good", in an absent minded sort of way like you talk to a keepy-on, pestery child when you are trying to concentrate on something else and they are interrupting you with nonsense.

But somehow, the Chair has turned out to be hugely important for me personally. For one thing it has started me out on the Patchwork Highway (even in my dreams!) and I can't tell you how excited I am about that, don't know why it's taken me so long to be honest. And for another thing, it has kind of opened my mind to the whole delicious concept of breathing life into old abandoned objects, of Re-purposing, Recycling, Revamping, Restoring, whatever you like to call it. Of course this is not a new concept by any means, but in the present climate, this style sure is having a huge revival, and I for one think its Fantastic.

 

You know I am a Magazine-o-holic, right? Yeah, week after week, page after page, magazines continue to inspire me enormously. This mag I'm sharing with you today is BBC Good Homes (June issue) :: not one of my Must-haves but one that I always flick through and will buy if anything grabs my attention. And being as the words Thrifty chic were on the front cover in bright magenta letters, it caught my eye right away.

I just LOVE that phrase *Thrifty Chic* it really tickles me! 

This magazine spread is actually a decorating article and is all about livening up rooms by making and transforming things on the cheap. I find the overall style is a bit full-on, but there are some lovely ideas in amongst it all. By the way, you can click on any image on my blog and it should pop up larger and in a separate window so you can see it better.

 

I really, really like the above image, that slightly battered but oh-so-gorgeous turquoise shelf is right up my street. The idea here is to cover old boxes with gift wrap or fabric remnants to make pretty storage :: oooooooo I SO want to do that! In my cellar, accompanying my stash of empty Bonne Mamman jam jars, I have a collection of empty cardboard shoe boxes. Yes, tis true. I am a Grade A hoarder, no doubt about it.

 

The ideas on the above page are to do with revamping old furniture with bright paint and wallpaper samples (YEs, i can do that!), making slip covers for dining chairs (yes yes!) and sticking bobble trim along the bottom of a plain blind (why of course, a bobble trim makeover, how fabulous!)

 

And the above page is my favourite of the lot. ahhhhhhh yes, I am really all of a flutter now, because all on the same page there is a stripy tea towel, patchwork seat covers and those melamine tumblers which I love!! All of my favourite things! In fact I love the idea of using giftwrap to stick up behind shelves or on cupboard doors. In fact, I think I might have found a new avenue of Retail Therapy to join my paper napkin and tea towel buying addiction :: Giftwrap! Yes yes yes!!!!

 

The magazine also came with a little booklet called "Make it Yourself!" with an assortment of projects to make and do.

 

I love the painted chest of drawers...

 

...and the repurposed old enamel containers used as plant pots.

Yes, I think I could really get into Thrifty Chic style.

It really appeals to me.

I think I might need to buy this book too, you know, just to be really sure.

Then me and Chair can cosy up together, browse the pages and dream and plan and get inspired.

Have a great weekend one and all, hope it's an inspiring and dreamy one!

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Patchwork Stuff

Hello...ahhhhh glad it's Friday, are you? The weather here today is absolutely dire and the forecast for the weekend in my little patch is for continuing Heavy Rain, which to be perfectly honest, would suit me just fine. I'm envisaging some luxurious hours spent pyjama-clad and fluffy-socked, in front of the fire with Country Living magazine to the left, my crochet bag to the right, cushions and blankets to the back and tea and cake somewhere reachable in front. Yeah, that sounds mighty fine to me. I shall surround myself on all four sides with cosy, homey things. Bring it on.

Today though, I thought we might take a little diversion from the weather, and from yarn and crochet and talk fabric instead? More specifically, the business of cutting pieces of beautiful fabric into neat little squares and then attempting to stitch them together with precise, straight, unwobbly lines?

Ahhhh yes I've been busy in the Attic these past few days! Busy doing fabricky, cutty stuff! As you know, I had this idea for my Lloyd Loom chair that I would make a patchwork seat cover for it. Now despite being absolutely Passionate about Patchwork, and despite owning this wonderful book for the best part of ten years, I have never actually attempted to make Patchwork. Never. Well thats to say that when I was a weeny scrap of a girl I did have a go at making hexagonal patchwork, the old fashioned English sort where you hand stitch all the fabric pieces onto little paper templates, you know? But never tried my hand at grown-up sewing machine type patchwork before. Even though it greatly appeals to me and I adore the whole idea of it.

I think that has partly been down to the absence of a Stash. And anyone knows that you need a half decent stash in order to make a half decent stab at Patchwork.

But over recent months, a little itty-bitty stash has been accumulating in the Attic...see those yummy scrumptious fabrics up there, don't they make your heart flutter just a little?? Well that'll be the extent of my stash, and I am very, very fond of it. Its very strokable, very inspiring. Its a mixture of Kaffee Fassett fabrics, European fabrics, and some generously gifted fabrics. I think there are only twenty five fabrics in total there, so extremely limited really in the giddy world of stash-building. But they are mine-mine-mine and I love each and every one of them.

And oh! What fun!!!! To spend an afternoon ironing and gliding my rotary cutter up and down my magical transparent Omnigrid ruler (bought a while ago and never been used before) was just delightful! Delightful. I chatted away to the fabric, enjoyed playing with it enormously.

Want to see what happened?

Want to see what I built?

Ok, look..........

.......I built a fantabulous pile of neatly cut, perfect little 4-inch squares!

A whole stack of them look!!!!

Oh my, well let me explain...what I did was to make a calico template for the chair seat I'm covering, and from the size of that I reackoned on needing 25 patchwork squares to fit it. So any noodle can work out that if you have twenty five fabrics and need twenty five squares, then that's only one square needed from each fabric, right? But where's the fun in cutting just one lonely square??? Nah, much better to cut big strips of fabric, then slice the strips into squares, two at a time! yeah, that rotary cutter was made for cutting strips, it didn't like doing single squares at all!

So anyhow, the upshot is that I think I am about to embark on my first ever patchwork quilt!!!!!! Ooooooooooooo how very totally, utterly exciting! Cos even after I put aside my 25 squares for the seat cover, I think I must still have around a hundred squares left over (yes I really did cut that many, I lost the ability to let go of the rotary cutter).

Anyhow, I will most definitely keep you posted on progression with that.

 

I think the whole Patchwork thing must be really In Fashion at the moment as I've noticed it in several magazines recently. The above image is from the May issue of Homes & Antiques, its the London home of Kate McShane. See that chair, isn't it amazing?? I love love love it. 

And these pages are from the May issue of Elle Decoration.....see the round crocheted cusions on the sofa??

Turn the page and there's a beautiful paper patchworked book shelf, and more of that amazing patchwork furniture too....take a closer look........

How fabulous are those?? Ooo makes me want to smooch that furniture and cover it in kisses, I adore it!!!! You may recognise it as the work of London based Squint Limited.

Want to see some more of their stuff??

(photo above borrowed from the Squint website)

That's the Chesterfield Sofa...

   

(photos above borrowed from the Squint website)

...and above are stools and chairs that've been given the Squint makeover.

I find this whole idea totally inspiring, fun, creative, imaginative, energetic and heart-skippy. It really inspires me to use fabrics and pattern more around the house, although not sure what husband would say.

Whilst we're still talking Patchwork Inspiration, I came across a fabulous blog yesterday with a beautiful Patchy Post to drool over......ah I do like a good browse in Blogland for inspiration, it always comes up trumps.

Well my friends...just before I log off and return to stitching myself into a squared-up Patchwork Frenzy, can i just say a huge thank you to all your responses to yesterdays post. I've been working my way though all your links and have thoroughly enjoyed my Global Hooky tour, it's been quite wonderful. If you haven't already added your crochet link to the post, then please do, I'd love to come and pay you a visit and see what you've been up to. I will also consider making a Flickr group, if you think that'd be cool??

Enjoy your weekend, whatever the weather, make sure you have yourself some fun....

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Sunday Stuff

I often wonder if there might come a point when I get bored with blogging my life. If you will get bored reading about it too. If you will one day pop in to Attic24 and groan. Think to yourself :: oh no, how boooooooring, not moooore crochet, moooooore baking, mooooooore magazines, how predicable, we've seen it all before, a dozen times or more. Isn't there anything different? Isn't there more to this persons life??

Well maybe that might happen one day. In the distant future. But right now I have to say I really, really, really enjoy my life. And i enjoy that my blog follows my life, and it is therefore honest and reflects my happiness as well as  my current passions, all of which don't alter much from week to week.

I sincerely hope you don't think me too smug for saying this, for declaring my happiness? I hope not, because it is certainly not meant that way. I am not bragging about my life. I am quite simply photographing bits of it and sharing it. Honestly, simply, and exactly as it is. Although of course I do tend to miss out some of the messy bits, the tantrummy bits. And the very private bits.

Why am I saying this to you? Well....because just now I uploaded my photos from my camera to the computer to take a look at the weekend images. Pictures from the past 48 hours which were snapped here and there. And I was delighted to see them. Yes, they are quite predictable. Yes, there are images which are very similar to ones you've already seen. But then that's the nature of my weekends at this point in my life, there exists a great deal of predictability, of repetition. But OH how I LOVE it that way!!!

So today's post is all about my yesterday, the Sunday Stuff. A little morning crochet (pictured above), interspersed with baking cookies, drinking coffee, eating breakfast (a bacon sarnie, sat on the front step in the morning sunshine), some magazine browsing and some Little People supervising (they were outside, up and down the street on scooters/bikes with half a dozen other neighbourhod children).

11am or thereabouts and we decide on the spur of the moment to pack the Little People's bicycles in the boot of the car and drive to a nearby town which has a park with great cycling potential. Unlike our local park (which is beautiful but hilly), this park is flat. It has expanses of flat grass and a neat flat path which circles the perimeter. 

It turns out to be quite a momentous bicycling morning as for the first time we remove the stablisers from Little Lady's bike. It does not go smoothly. There are tears and snot, there is a lot of obstinate, rather frightened protesting. There are wobbles and there are falls. There is minor injury. There is a rather exhausted Mother running around the entire park attempting to maintain her daughter in a vertcal position whilst whizzing along with some furious pedalling. But we do on the odd occasion achieve Balance, and a Little four year old girl pedals on her own when her Mummy secretly takes her hands away. We still have a way to go, still have plenty of practice to do, but it was a great start.

 

After all that emotion and exhaustion we drive up out of the town to a favourite pub we know and love. We were in fact here last weekend too, on the Yes-day. Today we don't sit inside near blazing fires and under ancient beamed ceilings but instead sit in the pub's beer garden with cold drinks and crisps and enjoy the warmth of an early spring afternoon. You can see the pub in the above photograph look, see it's stunning location. It's high high up on Ilkley Moor, and the views are spectacular.

 

After we've had rest and refreshment at the pub we take a walk up over the moor.
 

The landscape is quite bleak in some ways, but there is beauty in the sweeping open spaces.

It's the height that I love about this place. I love that when I am up on this moor top I am so much nearer to the sky. The town of Ilkley looks so tiny and far way down there in the valley, like a model village.

 

There are spectacular rock formations up here on Ilkley Moor, providing great climbing/scrambling opportunities for Little People and heart-in-the-mouth panics for Big People. There are sheer drops all around. It is not all that pleasant at times.

 

We watch gobsmacked as climbers scale the sheer rock faces. And eventually we tire of policing the daredevil antics of Little People who are so unaware of the perils of Sheer Drops.

So we head homewards to number 24 to light the fire and settle down for the late afternoon/evening. A film for the Little People, and some crochet and magazine-strolling for me....

....I began working the reverse of my circular cushion. Round and round in ever widening circles, I am loving it.

 

I often like to multi-task when I am crocheting, and one of my favourite things to do is to browse a magazine at the same time. Well truthfully I cannot read and crochet at the same time, but what I mean is that I like to hook a row, then browse a few pages, hook another row, then browse some more. I like the visual stumulation of doing these two things together, of seeing the yarn against the pages, the stripes against the print (see here, I was doing it then look)

Yesterday I was looking through last months issue of Country Homes (the April issue I think?) as I realised there were bits of it I had missed out the time I first read it. The above page caught my eye...it was a spread about cleaning out your greenhouse. Want a closer look to see what attracted my attention?

OK...look....

That blanket!!!!! OH oh oh!!! I Love it!! I tell you, I can spot a crochet blanket in an instant, they jump out at me, leap off the pages...That colourful stripyness is just so joyful isn't it?!

Oh yes and speaking of joyful, I realised this morning that I had indeed promised to show you a little something today, a little itsy bitsy peek at some new yarn, remember?

Want to see?

Do you?

Really?

Really really?

Oh go on then...have a peek......

Hmmmmmmmmm yes, another bag of scrummy yarn comes home to Attic24.

I blame Lovely C entirely. It's all her fault.

On Thursday, she casually mentioned to me that she was taking a trip that afternoon to a shop in a nearby village as they were selling off Debbie Bliss yarn for £2 a ball. Do you remember me posting about a Sale last summer? Well another sale is about to happen in a few weeks time at the same place, which is very exciting indeed. But even more exciting was the fact that Lovely C decided to telephone the shop and ask if we could possibly have a sneaky private rummage through the yarn before it goes on sale. And the shop owners agreed! Yeeee-hawwwww!!!! Wild Horses wouldn't have kept us away.

 

The yarn they had this time was Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino. This is a GORGEOUS yarn, quite fine in weight (you would hook on a 3mm or 3.5mm hook) with a slight twist, and oh SOooooo soft!! It usually retails at around £4.35 for a 50g ball, so to find it at £2 a ball was an absolute bargain.

 

I'm not sure how many balls I ended up with...maybe 24 or so?? I was waaay too excited to count numbers. I simply filled a bag. And used my grocery money to pay for it. It all happened very fast, in a bit of a blur.

I got them all out and had a lovely play with them yesterday, had a good look at the colours I ended up with...13 in total, all very spring-like and oh-so-pretty aren't they?? A little more pastely than I would normally choose perhaps, but I love the way they look all together. They remind me of  sweet peas, that alluring combination of pretty softness with the odd deep shade thrown in.

Of course I don't yet have a plan for this yarn.

I am still firmly in the stroking/gazing/playing stage. Oh and sniffing. One thing I do love to do with any new yarn stash is to stick my face right in it and have a good, long snaffley sniff.

Delicious.

xxxxxxx

In Print

Oh it's been a funny old day today. On the one hand I am waaaaay beyond excited about writing this post, and on the other hand, well, I am very apprehensive.
I have almost just deleted it in fact. Almost.
I am not one who naturally likes to blow my own trumpet. I don't like to question things too much, I don't like to try too hard.
I just like to be ME. Just little old me, pottering about in the Attic, gazing out the window at the view, doing the odd bit of crochet, a  bit of baking, admiring pretty things.
It's not ground breaking stuff really is it, the stuff of Attic24?? It's just normal, everyday, domesticated, fairly mundane stuff really.
Bright and colourful, yes, it is that. Creative too? Well yes, it is I guess.
But to make it into a magazine??????????? You WhAt?????? Are you kidding me here???????

But it appears to be true.
The Attic is In Print.
Not once, but twice.

Firstly I was approached by the lovely Cara who is the creative editor of a well known scrap booking publication in the UK, called Scrapbook Inspirations.
And lo and behold, a little while later, PLOP!! The March issue comes through my letterbox and I find myself leaping off the furniture with delight.
Because there on page 10 are my crochet flowers!
And I am called an "Inspirational Woman"!!!
Oh jeez, you should have seen me when I read that.
Words cannot describe.

Secondly, day before yesterday, I start to receive one or two comments about me being "famous" and that the blog is mentioned in "Simply Knitting" magazine.
Eh?? What?? Are you sure??? Is it true????
I know nothing of this I might add, have had no forewarning.
I have to wait until today to go to the supermarket and buy a copy.
I rush outside and rip open the plastic packaging.
I stand in the middle of the supermarket car park, scanning the pages of Simply Knitting, no doubt looking slightly bonkers.
And then there it is, towards the back on page 77.
Attic24. My face. Me. It's me, my blog.
Sh*t!!! It really is true then!

A blog like a rainbow.
A blog like a rainbow.
I still can't quite take it in.
But I am chuffed, oh Lordy I certainly am.
I would be telling big fat fibs if I said this sort of thing goes over my head and means nothing.
I mean, it's not important in the big scheme of things, but just lately my friends I have been feeling a little off kilter, a little doubtful about my life, my abilities, my direction if you like.
You could say I've been having a bit of a wobble.

So between the magazine print and your generous comments left here on the blog, I am beginning to feel very much better. I am realising that it's OK to just be Me, that possessing Direction is not necessarily essential, that it's OK to muddle along, to wobble every so often.

Thank you, as always for your support, enthusiasm and friendship, it means a lot.
Thank you :: thank you :: thank you.
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