Not Myrtle...

I hate that particular bit of rhyming.  Not sure why, but anyway... here's a couple I made earlier...

I made this one earlier in the week, and although he was a lot less fiddly than the guys above, he lacks pizzaz, and most importantly, a shell.  So, I had a bit of a rummage around in my files, and found this:


and so I made a couple.  The smallest size is the original pattern, and I just used my printer to up the second size to 125%.  Mine tilt forward a bit alarmingly, and I don't like the way the belly drags on the ground, so I'll be doing a bit of an adjustment to the pattern to stop that from happening - I also don't like the way the legs & belly are three separate, very fiddly pieces, so I'll be making a new middle piece to fix that.  I've got it printed at 150% as well, that I hope to make today.



They don't take a lot of fabric - in fact, I made the first one from a couple of 10" squares, but the second one, being a bit bigger, needs either two identical 10" squares for the body, or a fat quarter.  The rest of it you could certainly make out of a couple of 10" squares (the shell is lined).  I used safety eyes, rather than french knots.  The instructions are pretty good though, and for an experienced sewist, maybe an hour's work - the perfect gift for a small person.  

Ciao!

PS - the original pattern for Erin's turtle came from PurlBee - here's the link:

http://www.purlbee.com/the-purl-bee/2013/9/15/mollys-sketchbook-myrtle-the-purl-turtle.html

Click *here* for new blog...

Oh, have I missed it?  Apparently there some events between 17th November and now.  Who knew?

Things shuffle along, you know, Gentle Readers, like they always have.  I have been at the new job for 2 months now and it's not brilliant, I have to say, but that could just be me.  It's quite possible, although in my life I've had rather a lot of jobs, and I've never had the problems I'm having with this one.

Mayhap I'm too old to be changing jobs?  I've had a year now for every week of a year (that's 52, in case you couldn't work it out), and yet, I feel no older.  Well, mentally.  Some part of of mentally.  A very small part of mentally feels exactly the same as it always did.  Other parts (knees, hips, feet) feel like DREN (yes, I'm shouting!) and I want them to go away, along with the 10 kilos I put on since about July last year.  That's why my feet, knees and hips feel so bad, of course, but the larger parts of mentally are not letting me get up to sort them out.

I'll get through it though, and when I think about other friends who are in a much worse state, I know I should just shut up and keep taking the blue pills.

Some pictures, for those who are still reading, and not yet sharpening the razor blades:

How good is this?  Mr Golightly did a bridge climb in late November with his mate Dr Box, and we all stayed at a swish hotel in town, and thanks to the magic of Google, I can now present this wonderful pic for your delectation... not just one, but two cruise ships, and if your eyes are very good, Mr G & Dr B up there on the Bridge.  Hah!

That's a better way to start the New Year.

Ciao!

My, how time flies...

So... Gentle Readers, last Monday was the first anniversary of my Lovely Ma's death.  Blah.

 We went to the lovely Hunter Valley last weekend, and I gave myself a frozen shoulder by sewing a mazillion lavender bags...which MGF Kaz helped me stuff - we filled half a kilo's worth...

In other news, I have finally left the August Institution after five interesting years, putting travel, managing people and all the other managerial bullshit behind me.  I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from me, and I'm really enjoying being back in town, shopping, ducking and weaving through the pedestrians, and standing in a queue for a bus.  A bus!  Did I mention I'm not driving the 40kms each way to work any more?  A bus!!

This guy doesn't get a bus either.  

In other creative news, I made a cat. I hate cats.  I made it as a favour to one of my former colleagues... first and last time ever.  The dogs were easy - four parts.  The cat - 16 parts.  A complete pain in the ass.

But... a little cute, yes?

I made some Christmas reindeer, too...

This guy has already gone off to Singapore... and this guy... was a gift for the daughter of a colleague, somebody I've known for years and years, and who I've left behind at the August Institution.

And because I'm now working back in town, I can open my Etsy shop up to the big wide world again... the post office is 100 steps from my new building... 

And we saw this amazing sight last weekend:

Weird.

That list...

1.  Pouch for Anne-Marie (18 months ago) (Anne-Marie retired before I got to this.  For SHAME!)
2.  Cushions for Mr Golightly's Big Sis (17 months ago) (Still waiting).
3.  Cushions for Lyndsey (6 months ago)   Finished (finally) & waiting to be handed over for her birthday.  Yay!
4.  Seat covers for Mrs Autrey (at least 9 months ago) Finished, just waiting for the Post Office to re-open.
5.  Dog for Effie in Canada (only Monday) Cheated just slightly & sent her nephew the one featured on the blog.  Hope she doesn't mind!
6.  Pouch for MBF's children's piano teacher (3 months ago) Let off the hook, she'd forgotten too & bought something.
7.  Pouch for MBF's children's dance teacher (ditto)
8.  Cushion for MGF Kaz (who knows, so long ago I've forgotten)  No change.
9.  Dolls for the children of people in my team (2 months ago). Finished, see previous blog post.
10.  Christmas Scarf for Clare in the UK.  Started but nowhere near ready.  No change.
11.  Christmas Gift for Gill in the UK.  Not even started.  No change, nearly two years later.  I'm sure I'll manage something this year!
12.  Welcome gift for Mrs Autrey's baby (knitted but not wrapped or posted).  Wrapped & waiting for the post office to open.
13.  Welcome gift for Clare's baby (not even started).  Baby is now 2 plus.  Oops.
14.  Kris Kringle gift for friend at lunch on Sunday*.  Lavender bags X 3.  Time?  20 minutes.  Easy.

I think I need a new list.  

It's 4.24am, Gentle Readers, and my brain is churning.  I dug out this old entry from December 2011 & I'm sorry to report that its the same colleague who's giving me grief.  Some things never change.  

I'm considering making a quilt for my nephew & his lovely wife (oh!  Did I mention there was a wedding in the midst of everything else that went on this year?  I'm sure I'll be ready to share more details later.  Really).  I just ordered this to go in the middle of the squares of the quilt - it's all made from Japanese cottons, and it needed something a bit ... lively... for the middles.  We'll see.  And here's one I made earlier:

All the quilters who read this blog (ha!) will be exclaiming about the terrible join in the border.  I know, I know.  At least I hand-stitched the binding on.  

Now.  Back to bed.

PS Why???? Blogger, Why?  Arggggg

So... what's it been like, then?

So, I took the posts down about Mum dying because I read what Jane Brocket had to say about her mother dying, and I thought, "you know what?  I don't want to dump my sadness on everybody who pops along here for a dose of sewing, cheer and grammar."  I did think that, honest.  Well, maybe not quite like that, but something along those lines.

But then I thought, maybe the Gentle Readers will enjoy hearing about what's been happening at Casa Golightly whilst I've away.  So here it is...

December:

 Sitting on the work desk of the Uncle of the lucky recipient & in the organza bag, which is why she looks a bit weird.  Apparently Miss Three went ape & is still carting it round with her, nearly a year later.

A Christmas Reindeer for MBF Deb, which I is made from Dr Seuss fabrics I found somewhere & wished I bought more of!

Christmas themed reindeer which the lovely Kerry at Rapport Beauty Therapists in Newport let me put in her shop window.  Needless to say, they sold!

And finally:

I didn't actually make the one on the right, but the one on the left was a "Hey it's a baby" gift from me to one of my team...  Not traditional baby colours, but there's a bit of Danish blood in there, so red & white was it!

February:

This is Spot The Rabbit, which is a bit of an unfortunate pun here in Oz at the minute, as we're starting to see those pesky little buggers make their presence felt on the land again - this one was meant to be the mascot for the Project I was working on, but some stuff happened & he's ended up on the desk of one of the really really nerdy people.  Oh well..  I'm sure he's loved... maybe.

Bunting for the USA - a lovely lady ordered two lots for her nephews & I had a lot of fun finding fabrics I thought small boys might like - her feedback was "it was perfect", so I guess we hit the spot...

March:

The order was for some funky fridge magnets for the friend of someone I was working with - apparently they were also a hit (would anybody tell me if they thought it was crap, do you think?)

Then MGF Kaz ordered an elephant for Miss Camilla, the latest addition to the great-nieces & nephews... very cute indeed, and that led to an order from Miss Grace for five more elephants, for various friends and relations - and did I take photos?  Like bloomin' 'eck (that means "no"...).. they were pretty cute though.

Nearly as cute as these guys - I made them for Easter - I mean really, who needs more rabbits?  Miss Kerry at Rapport was kind enough again to let me put them in the window... and they sold.  Any ideas what the collective noun for platypusses/platypi is?  Me neither...

Then, for the June long weekend, where we celebrate the Queen of Australia's Official Birthday, we went to the Hunter Valley to stay with OGF's K&A, and Kaz & I had a lot of fun making magnets...

July

Then we got word that Mr Golightly's great-nephew, IPL, had some kind of pox, and a soothing green elephant was called for...

Which led directly to a Pink Elephant (and a truly terrible photo!).

And there's been other stuff, like the dolly I made yesterday for Miss Alix's gorgeous daughter Anastasia, but completely failed to photograph, some pouches, some lavender bags, and a very poorly filled box of stuff for the market stall I was going to attempt in September or October ... this year.  Not looking very likely now.

In other truly exciting news, I found Chipotle in Adobo Sauce in my local(ish) deli & I'm thinking now would be a good time for fish tacos.  Thoughts?

Oiling the rusty gates, brushing off the cobwebs...

Yes, Gentle Readers, I'm working my way back into this blog... stay tuned for more, same bat time, same bat channel.  And here's one I prepared earlier, to help you on your way...

4.53am

So, Gentle Readers, here we are again.  4.53am, a big day in front of me and the elusiveness of sleep running round in my head like a trainwreck waiting to happen.

In happier news, the very lovely Miss Blue Lambb sent me a photo of the huge success that was the eReader cover:

Edited to add:  Found it on my tablet.  Told you it was worth waiting for, didn't I?

Yes, it's somewhere in the ether.  Either on my tablet, my phone or at work.  It looked really good though.  Honest.

What else?  The chair progresses, slowly, presumably the threat of being covered in lighter fluid and set on fire has spurred me on to being close to finishing the damn' thing:

Don't get too excited, it's only pinned.  Next week, all things being equal, I will hand stitch the top on, then staple the underneath, then cover that with calico, and then I will cover it with lighter fluid and set fire to it.  Just kidding.  I think.

In news of slightly less exciting-ness, I'm off to Perth tonight, on the good old 1750 QF587, and Mr Golightly is following on Friday.  Keep your fingers and toes crossed for me, Gentle Readers, as we deal with medical madness once more.

And now?  Breakfast, I think.  (And in case you were thinking you had it all under control, here's something to consider - 2 months today is Christmas Day.  Yeehaw.)

Ciao!