Back to normal

Are you sitting comfortably? As you can see, I am. Celebrating the 8.30am walk up the hill to the school gates. God love him. He couldn't wait to get there, he was so excited about being in Year 1! And now, at last, I have time to blog, in peace, with no interruptions. Aaaaaah.

Firstly, I return to my kitchen project. You may remember this one from earlier in the year - I have a window seat area in the dining bit of the kitchen and it's just never been quite right. Earlier in the year I started making new cushion covers, but to be honest, I still wasn't that sure about the direction in which it was headed and only made 2 and then came to a halt. But last week I suddenly got a flash on inspiration from the fabulous programme called The Great British Bake Off. I don't know whether you've caught it (BBC, Tues evenings). It's not the baking, it's the fabulous styling on the set. They have set up a sort of Masterchef-style kitchen where every contestant has their own workspace, except it's in a marquee (in a different location each week) and yet somehow, they have made it like a country kitchen. All Smegs, union jacks, spots, pinks and reds and creams, Cath K, all that stuff. It looks brilliant. And I thought - that's it! This is the look I've been searching for! Then, I realised, that the new cookery book I'd treated myself to in Tesco last week, is in fact the book to accompany the series (doh!).

See what I mean? Then it dawned on me that there are rather a lot of Union Jacks about in soft furnishing at the moment something which, I for one, am very pleased about. I can remember going to the States years ago and being amazed at the amount of flags there were everywhere - not just on flagpoles outside every house, but inside aswell, incorporated into their lovely Shaker/New England style furnishings. I remember thinking what a shame we don't do that here. But - hurrah - at last we seem to have caught on.

And last week, in my blissful 2 solid hours in Dunelm Mill (sans child, avec purse), I came across this lovely cush. Just the job, I thought and I took it as my starting point for the windowseat makeover, part 2.

I got this lovely cherry red spot fabric and quickly got to work making a new seat cover.

I even put proper zips in the back, so that it is fully removable/washable. I also bought 2 more bolster-size cushion pads (same size as union jack cush) to cover. Am tres pleased with the result now. Despite only buying 2 metres of the spot fabic, I still have loads left over, so I'm going to use it in the designs for the new cushions. I'm thinking along the lines of applique designs - maybe even a bit of Poppy Treffry, who knows.

And then - last night, I suddenly remembered this:

This is the tapestry kit my brother got me for Christmas and which I got about 2/3rds of the way through before dropping and forgetting about. Think it could work its way into the new window seat - what do you think? Nobody ever actually sits on the seat, by the way, making it the perfect place to display cushions! I'm not quite sure how you go about making it into a cushion cover - guess I shall have to do a bit of research on that one.

Righty'o. Might as well get on with it then :)