The jean genie lives on his back!

Yup.  We have a Jean Genie  in the house (although in my mind, it's a girl).  She is talked to each morning as we come down the stairs, makes various journeys around the house by one or both tiny tikes and settles down for the night after the cat goes out.  I was going to add eyes and a nose but she frankly doesn't need 'em!
This quick fix was to help the draft but ended up really helping to deal with the upstairs window condensation issue we always have when it gets chilly.  Thinking about it, it makes sense that the drafty door was sucking in cold air to condense upstairs so this little gem is a great help!  It's so easy to do- I got the idea from "Super Scrimpers" tv show on channel 4.

1. Cut the legs off an old pair of jeans (I needed both legs to make a super size one).
2. If using both legs, you will need to re-stitch along the seam to make the legs straight.
3. Turn inside out and stitch legs together.
4. Turn back and press.
5. Gather up some old towels and roll tightly.
6. Stuff the tube (this takes longer than the rest of the project).
7. Tie ends ribbon!

This took under an hour with the sewing machine and the ribbons mean that the towels can be reused!

"Our daughter's daughters will adore us!" Suffragette Rosette

Hello Peeps!  I'm back from a week on the Isle of Wight and have Internet again!  This holiday jolt always does me good as it reminds me of my little blog and how I have missed it!  When I started this a few years back, I was posting every spare minute.  But, as time has worn on, spare moments have become harder to find.  This year sees a little let up (I hope) as my girls start to spend longer periods playing without Mummy on her hands and knees.  Work- which is always crazy is starting to settle and with this year seeing my little blue-eyed baby starting playgroup, well, I may have a bit of time to breathe again!

As I said, back from hols and feeling pretty chilled.  Three loads of laundry..check, Hoovering..check, Easter decs up.. check and Girls playing for a spell..checkity-check-check!  By the way- Snow, hail, ice and gale winds made an out-and-about holiday a real "treat".

Okay, the next few posts will be catch up- kind of a "Crafty Spring Clean".  There's a few little lovelies to share before I allow myself to move on and start anew.  This one has been waiting patiently as I tried to save a newspaper image (these things do take me a while, you know).  Hero day was my brain child and was such a hit last year that we went for it again this year (See previous post for me dressed as Mother Teresa!).  Everything conspired against me, from the snow, school closures, Ambulance man for class visits getting lost and a child from Nursery stealing my handcuffs!  It was a week of events with speakers from H4H and all the emergency services!  We had the fire brigade, Ambulance and Police and everyone dressed up.  I knew I wouldn't have the time to make up the costumes from scratch as I did last year so, I allowed myself a little cheat.  Katie's was shop bought and was, of course, far too huge.  I had fun finally using my dressmakers pin cushion for some quick-fix alterations for her to go as a young Queen Elizabeth I.  She was picked by her class to go for the "Awards ceremony" and we were all photographed by the local newspaper (who were also, very late...)

I know it's vain but....I look fab!  In the paper and I actually like the ruddy picture!  All that practising for the wedding photos paid off as the photographer only had time to snap a couple.  My costume cost £5 after hitting the charity shops hard and adding from my wardrobe.  The hat was a real find for £2 and the hand cuffs received the usual jokes (I bought them for the day, I swear). 

But the rosette- Oh the rosette...

It really made me proud that I was able to sit down, google an image of an original and make up such a lovely copy.  The only error (which was so frustrating) was that I stuck the ribbons the wrong way round.  As usual, I was finishing it up late one night and was having an excuse to use my new glue gun!  In my haste to attach them, I put them on wrong and the sodding glue was too good- darn it!  It is beautiful though, I even traced the text from the screen and used as a guide to embroider the letters.  I love it and it is carefully nestled in my dressing table drawer to see each morning.  I wonder when I'll get to wear it again?