I am Domestic Goddess and a PIF

Happy days everyone! Yay, tis Saturday and its a beautiful sunny day yet again here in Ireland.  I really could get used to having a proper summer! It lovely and so nice not to have to light the range or wake up cold.

Ok: Last post I stated I was going to be uber efficient: a domestic goddess, working proper hours and achieving greatness. Balancing work with home life, a challenge at the best of times, is a complete nightmare when you work from home. 

Having run a successful, large business in the Uk. attending meetings in suits whilst negotiating contracts with the Royal estates and at the same time lecturing at two colleges and one prison AND home educating my children, I'm used to juggling  many balls so to speak.  However working from home is a completely new ball game.  There are lots of blurred lines and it's hard to stay focussed.  So I needed to be organised and I spoke firmly to myself. 

How did it go?

Did I manage to sustain my channeling of Alexis Carrington?

Why thank you muchly for asking...the answer is yes.

I started work at 9.00 am and finished at 5.30 pm except on Thursday when I worked until about 9.00 pm.  I know right? This early in and I have overtime! Yay!  Now, if only I was paid accordingly!

I've seven charts finished; checked, adjusted, colours tweaked, leaving five to do.  Not bad for a weeks work.

And a plus is that because I now have proper work hours, I have time off!  And I know it sounds weird considering I'm working from home but it has led to a lot more productivity!

Last week I made this little crochet hat.  I wanted to see if I could do it and yay, turns out I could!

Then I decided to see if I could crochet in straight lines which led to this.....

My first baby cardi!  It was a very basic pattern, a freebie of the internet.  I added an edging but I'm not sure how it would fit a baby. The arm holes seem quite tight: it might look better on a doll methinks.  It was good for my confidence and I had fun making it.

Then I decided to have some more fun...and I made this!

 

A frog!  How cool is that!  I'm not sure what I'm going to do with any of these things.  The frog might end up in the prize pile.  What do you think?  I know we stitchers don't like frogs but this is kindda cute.

So actually, having 'work hours' and 'home hours' does seem to be working.  

And because I've got most of the weekend off, I can stitch some of the non-mine charts that I have waiting for me to finish or start.  Yay!!!  

 Being a super organised business woman, I decided to invest in some fabrics  (any excuse for stash right?).  I hate the fact there are no LNSs here and I can't touch or feel or see fabrics so I went for a selection in hopes of finding the ones I want to use on a regular basis.

 

I love the Wichelt hand dyed jobelans, they have a lovely feel but they are also a little pricey and if I'm honest, you could achieve just as good effects on tea dyed and coffee dyed fabrics that you dye yourself.

I think the majority of my designs will be on the top right fabric: Belfast Light Mocha.  It's nicely neutral and affordable.

So far so good and I think your going to like the new charts.  They are all ornie size but then Elaine, super-stitcher extrordinaire emailed with a suggestion to put them all in one big cross design as well.  Bless her.  That is where this morning went; re-adjusting colours, ensure they all match and the colours are all in the same family of tone and shade.  Good grief...it is a lot of work but wow..they look amazing.  

I'm hoping to get them all finished next week.

Now before I go, I was catching up on my blog reading: I have left comments on quite a few and wow; new babies, engagements, stitching and crochet galore...you have all been so busy!  I popped by Evalina's blog (This and That) and saw she is running a PIF.  It sounds really fun!

So I'm taking part and hope you will too.

The Pay It Forward Art-making Project for 2014. I am so ready for fun and playing. These are the rules:

I promise to make a small work of art for the first five people who comment on this post and say “YES, I want in”. A ‘like’ alone is not enough of a commitment, nor is a comment about thinking Pay It Forward is a great idea. You must state that you want to take part.  You must in turn post this as your status update in your blog and make something for the first five who comment on your status. The rules are simple: – It has to be your work, made by you, and the recipient must receive it before 2014 ends. – It can be anything art-based: a drawing/illustration or a conceptual work of art, a photograph, a knitted item, cross-stitch, paper maché – or anything in between. I’m paying this forward thanks to Evalina Maria

First five, GO!

PS. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t an artist, try something out, Google/ YouTube how to make stuff, step out of those boundaries.

I know what my memory is like so I will put you up in my sidebar to make sure you get your PIF !

Right, that's me done.

Keep safe and I will see you all next week, hopefully with much craftiness to show!