Patchwork, Journal, Rubbish and Storage

I have been thinking about doing some patchwork for a while but have not got round to it. Then this little kit arrived on the cover of Mollie Makes. I have never made any of the kits you get free on magazines, though they may get made one day. I am not that interested in making them I suppose. But this one has been made! The paper hexagons are small-about two centimetres across so it didn't take long. The felt is horrible-like felty cardboard but it looks ok. I cut out the mounted hexagon and used cotton more matched to the materials but other than that I followed the pattern. 

 I have some Cassein paints I bought a while ago thanks to Lynne Hoppe talking about them. They are nice to use-like gouache with a chalky finish. As you can see I have not taken a very refined approach to this painting. Just wanted to paint! The paints have the weirdest smell. A bit like dettol, so you get a kind of clean feeling when using them.

 After making the needle case I decided to start my patchwork. This is paper piecing where you cut the shape in paper, sew the fabric around it on the back, whipstitch the pieces together on the back then remove the paper. The production of accurate hexagons has been revolutionised by my die cutter. Slow but every one the same! This is going to become a small cushion. I had this fabric from the summer when Anne took me to her favourite fabric shop. I love the little playing girls.

 Below is the rubbish! The white thing I mean, not the things on it. I found this when turning my car around in the road near the school I worked at before Christmas. It was standing by the bins. There is nothing wrong with it and I knew it would be a good creative desk tidy. I couldn't at first work out how to fit it on there but I managed in the end. All the things on it are things I use quite often.

 The Aloe Vera is there because it has lost its place on the windowsill. I have had to put up a piece of fabric to preserve out privacy since the building work started.

 The best thing about this thing is the hanging spaces. Tape is catered for, scissors are stored and string is ready to unravel.

 This wire thing also holds art and craft supplies. It was also rubbish. Thrown out at my school years ago, then straight into my car, or maybe someone elses at that time. It was a P.E. storage basket.

 This last bit of storage is what is next to me when I am sitting on the settee. It is next to another piece of rubbish-an old drawer found last year when doing home visits. (currently holding books) The handle on the end holds scissors and pliers. The beautiful green jug holds yet more scissors ( I have many scissors!) and a small collection of very useful things are contained messily by a lovely old brass tray. These are all sewing and crocheting necessaries with some other homeless odds and ends thrown in.

I was going to tell you about my week but I think that is enough rambling on for now. Hope yours was a good one!