Is it the weekend yet?!!?

Phew.

It's Saturday night, isn't it?

That means it's Sunday tomorrow.

God's specially designed Day of Rest.

And, this week, I am SO glad of it.

It's been a busy, hard week.

I had big plans for this week, and on the whole I have accomplished them.

I wanted to make Susie a dress.  I got the idea here.  I picked up the skirt in a charity shop last week, and I already had the t-shirt.  Here is the final product.

It's SO far from being perfect, but I MADE IT!!!

I was rescued from the disaster of a sewing machine that wasn't working, by my new friend Lindsay.  I had only ever "met" her online, but had come into contact through Sally Clarkson's Facebook page.  We realised that we lived only about 20 minutes away from each other, but had never got round to meeting. So, when I gave a cry for help on Facebook, with my sewing machine dilemma, she offered to come over and help.  It was SO lovely to meet her, but we didn't get the sewing machine sorted.  Being the kind-hearted lady that she is, she offered the use of her sewing machine, so off I toddled on Thursday evening.  It was SUCH a joy to go and see her lovely home and garden.  We chatted for ages, and eventually realised, at gone 10pm, that maybe we should get the dress made!! *grin*  It was lovely to have an unexpected time of blessing and encouragement, all because my sewing machine is cranky!!! God is good!!

 Let me just show you it from the back, too.

And, a close up.  Not TOO close up, or you will see the imperfections!!

I AM rather pleased, and once I get my machine working (sighs, and rolls eyes), I want to make other things!

My other crafty project of the week, was crocheting flowers.  When my sister-in-law, Jo, was here a couple of weeks ago, we set ourselves the challenge to make a crochet flower by next week.  For Jo, who is an excellent and expert crochet-er, that would be no problem.  But, I rose to the challenge, and had mine done the evening she left!!! What's more, I have done more since.  And, tried some other patterns.

This was the first one.  I plan to make these, along with more in different colours and sizes, into a scarf.  Not a "keep-yourself-warm" scarf - a "look-pretty" scarf!! 

This is a "rose".  

These are cute and very easy to make.  I got the pattern from Attic 24.  I plan to make LOTS of things from that website.  I LOVE it. 

Actually, Lindsay had lots of things that she had crocheted, using patterns from that website.  They were things of beauty!!!

And, I have just gone and got completely distracted from writing this post, gazing at her tutorials and creations!!! *doh*

Anyway, so where was I?  

Yes, that's right.  Making things.

So, to completely throw a spanner in the works of my creative and productive week, I got a horrid cold/throat/miserable thingy.  I still feel pretty rotten, but better than yesterday.  With my sewing machine fiasco, in which I spent a lot of time fiddling about trying to get it to work, and not doing other things I needed to do, I ended up having to do school planning whilst at the peak of my "un-wellness" yesterday.  But, plan I did!!! It probably took me about a gazillion times longer than it should have done, but it was yesterday or not at all.  

I sat, with the fan blowing my papers about, trying to make me feel better! It's also been VERY hot and humid here.  Well, hot for England.  Over 30C, which is upper 80'sF.   Did I ever mention I don't "do" hot and humid.  Blah.

I was rather excited about doing my planning, though.  It was music, and writing. More about the music in another blog post.  I am starting to use the Writeshop curriculum, for writing.  I bought book B, in a wave of enthusiasm, after hearing Kim Kautzer speak about it at an online conference.  However, I wasn't in the right place, from an organisation point of  view, to implement it.  I was still swimming about in the sea of home-schooling multiple children, and couldn't get my head around using it.  I realised this year that I needed something new for them all, to guide their writing.  So, I got Book D for the older ones as well.  Especially great, is that it is downloadable.  Did I mention that I like downloads?! 

Yes?

Moving on.....

So, I have it printed off, and the first 3 weeks of lessons all planned out!! I am so excited to get started, and just hope that the children enjoy it just as much! 

I am so thankful that the Lord has sustained me whilst feeling ill.  It would have been very easy to just sink into the sofa, and abandon all thought of productivity. But, with God all things are possible!

So, I think I hear my bed calling now. 

Nighty-night!