It's been a hectic few weeks, and not showing much sign of slowing down any time soon. I've had very little time out in my shed doing what I love best, and yes I am starting to get rather jumpy!
I'd been promising to decorate the boys bedroom for longer than I care to admit, and when Sid asked me earlier in the summer if I was actually ever going to do it, I was suitably guilty enough to get my paint pots and brushes out.
One of the reasons I was putting it off was knowing how hard it was going to be to cover the very bright colours that were already on the walls. Eden helped me, and I'm so glad she did. The ceiling took 5 coats of paint and the walls took 3. Ernest even came and helped a little.
The whole room was finished on the tightest of budgets. We bought paint from a local discount warehouse, and used pots found in the cellar for accent colours. (I mixed two different shades together.) The curtains were made using fabric from stash (and have yet to be lined.), I scrubbed the shabby old carpet by hand, gave the orange pine bunk beds a couple of coats of egg shell, (also left over paint from the cellar), and then rubbed them down for a budget shabby chic effect, and re purposed an old sheet of chipboard by painting it with left over chalkboard paint and getting Woody to screw it to the wall.
I did buy some new bedding,but also got a lampshade from the charity shop for less than £2.
My favourite part of the room are the Fairy Tales For Hope prints above their book shelves.


You can see Angus is most impressed with the noticeboard!

I have managed to squeeze a little sewing into the spare few minutes here and there ; when your teenage daughter needs something to wear in a hurry for her friends 18th, but has no money, it's time to go stash diving and run something up in a hurry. What better pattern to use than Laurel by Colette? I'd heard great things about this pattern, but honestly never considered making it for myself, it's a style that would simply not suit my curves! I jumped at the chance though to stitch one up for India, and what a great pattern! Goes together fast and easy. India loves it!


I used a piece of green polka dot and stripe satin I'd bought last year in Abakhan, positioning the stripe at the waist. I finished the neckline and sleeves with bias cut from the same fabric.


I'm almost tempted to make myself one with sleeves, and perhaps more shaping at the waist. I particularly love this modifaction, avaiailable as a free download .

Maybe, I'll get time to try it out soon. I hope so.