Squirrel Roman Blind

Still feeling buoyed up by the success of my first Roman blinds, this week I decided to make another one.

We've been in our new house for almost a month now - and, believe it or not, this is the first bit of sewing I've done here. Gulp.

Making this blind was my reward to myself at the end of decorating what will be the baby's room. I'm not sure what the blue and pink paint was all about, but it made this room a prime candidate for the white paint treatment once I'd finished my own bedroom.

The fairies had to go.

And it wasn't long after taking the steamer to the vinyl border that I had a moment of oh heck what have I started, as bits of the lining paper started coming away with it.

I cannot claim to have done a perfect job on this room. Far from it. But, I am learning that decorators' caulk and sandpaper are my friends, and, given the time and other obvious physical restrictions on me at the moment, I'm happy with the result.

Even if it was not without its dramas along the way. With an almost finished room, I needed more paint for the last bit of skirting board. The clear up involved after a full tin of satin paint being dropped all over the drive and pavement outside my house, as the bag it was in promptly broke as I lifted it out of the boot of the car, honestly made me wonder whether I was about to have the baby there and then.

Ever had a moment where you just don't know where to begin in clearing up mess?! With no one around to help, and littlest girl on the loose, too, as it was just after pre school pick up that the unfortunate incident happened, I had no choice but to get on with it.

An empty cereal box, some newspapers, and a lot of cans full of water and scrubbing later, the paint is gone.

There is a certain irony that the whole decorating process until this point had gone so smoothly (despite plenty of people warning me against ladders in my condition), and that the thing that nearly tipped the balance was a simple task of unloading shopping out of the car.

After all that effort, making the blind was a joy.

On other news. Our cat has been missing for 48 hours. Even after wee-on-new-bed-gate, I must admit to lying awake worrying about her last night. She has just walked in ten minutes ago with a loud miaow as if to say `Where's my food, then?'. I am happy.

And, as of this morning, that silk polka dot dress is finished. Yes, I can hardly believe it either. But, I have created a TENT I tell you.

Pictures of me in this garment for your own amusement will follow shortly, I promise.

I plan to give my new frock its maiden (and possibly only) outing when I host my grand `Fish & Chips and Chocolate Cake' house warming party tomorrow evening. Because, as my friend Pamela commented, you can never be too over dressed for fish and chips, right?

How to cover a lamp shade in 30 minutes

Ignoring daft advice (37 weeks)

Before I get down to the business of what this post is about, I'd like to draw my readers attendion to the latest wisdom on what mothers-to-be should be aware of according to the peeps at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists last week. Just in case you need a laugh, that is.

How the RCOG suggests pregnant women can reduce exposure to chemicals

• use fresh rather than processed food
• reduce use of food and drinks in tins and plastic containers
• minimise use of moisturisers, cosmetics, shower gels and fragrances
• avoid buying new furniture, fabrics, non-stick frying pans and cars when pregnant or nursing
• avoid paint fumes
• avoid garden/household pesticides

Really? I think I have ticked most of those in the last week alone! Avoid buying new fabric???? Ha, ha, ha. Daft, I tell you. 

So, in response, here is a picture of me pausing during a painting session. 

But look - it is a nice wholesome banana I am holding (although a nice cold can of Diet Coke was next), so not all bad, eh? And upon reflection, I think I have probably minimised my use of moisturisers, cosmetics, shower gels and fragrances, but for reasons of laziness about my appearance whilst trying to crack on and get on and get jobs done around the new house than anything else.

As you can gather, I am rolling my eyes at all this, and struggle to see how this news story is helping anyone. I cannot even be bothered to break into a proper rant about it.

Moving on.

Got a spare half hour?

Here's how I covered my new lamp shades.

I found the cheapest ones I could. Admittedly, you could get something for less if you had the time and inclination to search a few charity shops - but I wanted two the same size.

Iron your fabric, wrap it round the lamp shade, and cut it out to a size that allows about 5 cm extra to the height and about the same for the diameter, paying attention to how/where you'd like the pattern to overlap.

I had this close to hand, so thought I'd give it a whirl. It worked a treat.

Slap it on!

Take your fabric, carefully press it onto the lamp shade. Make sure the edges are even at the bottom and top, and keep smoothing the fabric out as you go to avoid any wrinkles.

At the join, carefully fold the fabric under and slap on a bit of extra paste to make sure it stays put.

It looks patchy at first - fear not. It dries clear, and has well and truly stuck the fabric and shade together.

Ta-dah!

One satisfyingly easy project to make that allows you to enjoy the pleasure of some lovely fabric to look at on a daily basis.

And, in the case of my two lamp shades and metre and a half of fabric (with still enough for a couple of cushion covers if I'm careful), the cost was little over £30. Not bad.

The cat seems more settled into the new house now, and as bad as my middle girl for forcing her way into every picture she can.

They fit!

We've been in our new house for nearly a fortnight now. And the verdict? Oh I like it. I like it a lot. To the point that, if the old place had feelings, it could well be justified in being hurt at how quickly it has been forgotten.

Roman blinds, made with Sanderson Fitzroy in Apple

Best thing is the extra space. And having multiple toilets. The novelty of cleaning them has not worn off. Yet. Although the youngest member of the family does instantaneously adopt a laughable shoulders dropped and arms swinging low to the ground stance whilst whilst loudly bemoaning the fact she is "too tired!" to walk up/down a flight of stairs each time she realises one of her sisters is in the loo closest to where she happens to be at that point in time. 

Part of the reason for the quietness on the blog front is that I have wasted no time in getting started on some decorating, beginning with my bedroom. With the opportunity of an empty room (new furniture for it was being delivered a few days after moving in) and the motivation of wanting to see my beloved green blinds up, I threw myself into painting the walls white. 

Not that there is anything wrong with lilac. But, having had to wear lilac coloured blouses everyday for five years at school, along with a purple blazer on top, it would never be my colour of choice. Photos of me in this said uniform? Ha. No chance.

There have already been lots of lovely moments to have happened in the new house - family coming to help us settle in; friends and neighbours popping round to see us and say `hello' (not overlooking receiving some great presents and cards - almost worth moving just for that); the girls having fun playing with empty boxes and playing hide and seek; and, the moment I put up the blinds and realised they were a perfect fit. Hurrah. Hurrah. 

Oh how I love love love the blinds. 

Lesson from this is that it is worth buying the fabric you really love when it comes to something like a blind - especially if it is one that you are going to look at every time you sit in bed. Worth every penny, because I am so enjoying looking at something I consider to be so beautiful.

Although, not worth every penny to the extent I have felt the need to point out to my husband how much the fabric would have been had I paid full price for it (I got an end of roll bargain). 

There have been low points too. One day, I will tell you the story of the cat and this new king sized bed. The cat survived the saga - but only because she can run fast. Needless to say, our new neighbours have almost certainly heard me shout, and I am not proud of myself.

That lilac lamp shade is going to go. (In fact, there are two of them in the room, if anyone would like them.) I'll show you my new replacement shades next time, along with simple instructions on how to make your own. Actually, embarrassingly simple.

And, a final favourite green themed picture to end on. We have a little fig tree. Very exciting.