A box full of surprises

 

Does anyone remember the program Camblewick Green from their childhood.  It started with the saying 'Here is a box a musical box wound up and ready to play, but this box can hide a secret inside can you guess what is in it today?'

The video shows my fist attempt at creating a box known as an Etui or exploding box and I was so proud of myself and it that I wanted to share it with you. It very much reminds me of that time when I watched Camblewick Green as a child and then again whilst reliving my childhood through my own children waiting with anticipation as to what would be the secret inside.  I have seen many Etui  kits for sale where you spend the afternoon gluing all the components together but I wanted to create something with an element of machine/hand sewing to it which could evolve over time to create a versatile and useful little box, that could sit on a shelf out of the way but be to hand when needed.   And do I use it? Yes I do.  

This is one that I recently made for a friends 50th Birthday and she absolutely loved it and is the envy of her colleagues and family,  so much so that her daughter has tasked her with making her one for her birthday in July. To say there was an element of panic on her face at the thought would be an under statement but I'm sure with a little guidance she will be able to make her one. 

This one was for a friend with a camper van so limited space and it sits on a shelf in case an emergency repair is needed. 

They have evolved overtime and each one is a little different and totally unique to the person it is being made for including one in Harry Potter fabric. 

In fact I have gone on to make many more as commissions and gifts as Christmas and Birthday   One of my sewing ladies from our group tells people she has box envy and wants to learn how to make a box and  I have now been asked to run a workshop which  is equally as exciting and nerve racking in equal measure  as I have never done anything like that before, but with retirement less than 10 years away now may be I need to start and diversify and start to consider running workshops on achievable items to make.  Watch this space. 

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I have two offerings from my March reads 

The first of which is Book 6 of Ann Cleeves Shetland series.  I have read a number of the Shetland books now and although there a number of differences between the books and the TV series they are equally as good.  

A group of university friends come up to the islands to celebrate the wedding of one of their number. . Polly is not the most confident within their close knit group.  She has recently started dating Marcus who is her complete opposite. Eleanor and Ian are married and have desperately been trying for a family the last pregnancy resulted in a late miscarriage.  |After Lowrie and Caroline's wedding one of their number is reported missing and the following morning a body is found.  It soon becomes clear that this is a murder and Perez is called into investigate.  

Definitely worth a read if you are a fan of Ann Cleeves ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My second March read is the novel Too Close by Natalie Daniels.  The story tells you about the life of Constance before the accident that led to her being a  resident of a psychiatric unit. Constance is a  young mother who has no recollection of the accident that brought her here. She is accused of driving  her car off a bridge and into water with her daughter and her daughter's friend in the back.  Dr Emma Robinson  is assigned to Constance as her Forensic Psychologist who has to work with Constance to establish whether she will be fit for trial.  Emma Robinson has her own demons with the loss of her daughter in a terrible accident. The two women become very close during the time they are working together and at times Emma questions whether she has crossed the professional boundaries but at the same time she doesn't think that Constance intentionally wanted to harm the children in her care. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and it is definitely well worth reading ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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What have I been watching on the telebox of late. 

Having read the Natalie Daniels novel I went on to re-watch the drama series of the same name starring Emily Watson as Dr Robinson. Is is still available to watch on ITV hub and is equally well worth a watch and kept very close to the original story. 

Hollingford Drive is set on a modern housing estate. Two sisters live their with their respective partners and children.  When a young boy goes missing and later found dead suspicion falls on the local residents and in particular two school children who parents would do anything to protect them and themselves. 

A bit predictable in places but still worth a watch and is currently available on ITV hub ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lastly is a film I have wanted to see for a long time and finally found it by accident whilst looking for a film to watch on Netflix,

August in Osage County is set in Oklahoma. A death in the family brings Bev and Violets dysfunctional family back together.  Following the funeral dinner family secrets are revealed causing yet more pain to Violet's three daughters who in turn have their own issues that they are trying to deal with.  Starring Meryl Streep. Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor and Benedict Cumberpatch and definitively worth watching ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

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I think that brings us up to date for now.  Don't forget that the clocks go back this weekend and here in the UK we will be celebrating Mothers Day so what ever you are doing to celebrate I hope all the mum's and to be mum's have a great day.

Mx

Learning of new skills another book review and other ramblings

I would like you to meet little Nellie Sheep.  She is a bit of looker as you can see and likes nothing better than donning her new hat and handbag for all to see, she is in fact a bit of  of a fashion icon 😀

My local knit & knatter group hasn't been able to meet up as regularly as we did pre covid restrictions and the place we met before is not now really suitable.  During our covid lockdown we have all continued with our busy lives and some have learnt new skills along the way.  One of our group received a felting kit for Christmas a couple of years ago and has become quite an expert and spent a lot of lockdown perfecting her new skill.  On one of the rare occasions we have been able to meet up as a group she offered to show us how to make a felted sheep.  I had never undertaken felting before but enjoyed our session and it was quite satisfying getting all my frustrations out whilst stabbing the wool with the needle but  was also quite amazed how quickly my little Nellie came into shape.  Whilst I enjoyed our session I'm not sure felting is something I would take up as a regular hobby and as the lady from our group has found you end up with lots of projects which end up being gifted to friends and family or adorning every surface in your house 😄  Nellie now sits quite happily on my cupboard in my sewing room .

Last summer I attended my first ever sewing retreat also known as Christmas in July as they hadn't been able to hold any retreats due to covid.   To say I was nervous about going was an understatement.  One thing I don't do well is taking myself out of my comfort zone or setting myself up for failure.  At this point I had only been sewing just over a year and my understanding of all things sewing machine related was still very limited.  Although I went with my sewing guru friend we picked two separate workshops and sometimes even at my age I kind find meeting new people daunting.  I needn't have worried as the group of ladies were lovely and I now see some of them regularly at a monthly sewing group and new friendships have been formed   I must admit I wasn't sure that my skills would be up to muster to make a box from scratch and I did look at you tube before signing up to see what it would entail.  Having done so I felt a lot more relaxed about it and I have to say the tutor Sue Austin was so patient with us all especially when she went on to explain the math behind the designing of a box which probably wasn't the best idea after a belated Christmas dinner and two glasses of wine. 

Unlike felting I have become rather addicted in making these boxes and have made several since 

including this one for my friend and work colleague who is a bit of a fan of a Nelly elephant

and the thing is not only is the box a fabulous gift but the possibilities are endless as to what you can put inside.  On this occasion I think I chose handcream and a manicure set, but equally they lend themselves to candles or even chocolates and all have gone on to find a use for the box afterwards.

Having purchased my embroidery machine I've recently joined a Brother embroidery group based in Sheffield.  It was my first time attending last month and as with most things crafty I met a lovely group of ladies all at different levels of experience and it was lovely to spend the day with like minded people. The tutors were lovely and very down to earth and nothing was too much trouble, but I wouldn't expect anything else from a Yorkshire lass.  On this occasion they taught us how to make a mug rug

a  placement mat 

and how to add a name to a cubby and I have already practiced my new learnt skills on my machine at home.   

I think I will certainly learn al lot in attending this group and next time we are learning how to create a quilt block from scratch which we will then turn into a cushion. 

 

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We quite often have books in the office that one of us have read and happy to pass on.  I recently picked up  Perfect by Rachel Joyce as my February read.   Not an author I have read before but had heard great reviews

In the Summer, 1972: In the claustrophobic heat, eleven-year-old Byron and his friend begin ‘Operation Perfect’, a hapless mission to rescue Byron’s mother from impending crisis.

Winter, present day: As frost creeps across the moor, Jim cleans tables in the local café, a solitary figure struggling with OCD. His job is a relief from the rituals that govern his nights.

Little would seem to connect them except that two seconds can change everything. And if your world can be shattered in an instant, can time also put it right?

...

In a very subtle way Rachel Joyce explores the effects of OCD and mental health and how both of these things can be all consuming of a person's life.  The book is effortlessly split between the past and the present.  At times I wasn't sure what direction the story was heading in but there is a twist to the story which then puts everything else into perspective.  

It was a bit of a slow burner for me but would definitely recommend for those who like an easy paced read and I would go on to read other books by this author, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Last year I embarked on reading Ann Cleeves novels which include the series of books of Vera Stanhope and Shetland. The TV series based on her books are amongst my favourites and I like nothing better than re watching them on a cold and wet afternoon with whatever project I am working on at the time. Usually knitting or crocheting as I can watch the tv and do that without looking so I don't miss the plot, although having watched them several times you'd think I would remember the plot wouldn't you.  I haven't read all the books yet I am still steadfastly working my way through them. There are subtle differences between the books and tv series but unlike some dramatisations they haven't completely rewritten the storyline. This series of short stories popped up on my kindle deals this week.  It is a series of short stories from her novels which includes those of DI Jimmy Perez and Willow Reeves and DI Vera Stanhope and a couple from her lesser known novels.  The last story of was the first chapter of  one of the Shetland novels Thin Air which is the 6th book in the series and I have now downloaded this as my March read. 

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What have I been catching up on, on the old tele box?

Over the last week I have caught up with the Channel 5 drama series The Teacher starring Sheridan Smith.

Jenna is a teacher whose life unravels after being accused of having a drunken sexual encounter with one of her students. With no memory of the night, Jenna's only hope of redemption lies in uncovering the truth about a dark event in her past.

To be accused of inappropriate behaviour with a pupil must be every teachers nightmare and in the case of Jenna to not be able to remember anything of the event you have been accused of must be even worse. 

As ever Sheridan Smith was absolutely brilliant and I would definitely recommend a watch if you are at a loose end and looking for something to while a way a few hours ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

If there is nothing on we will quite often look at BBC iPlayer as there is quite often a documentary that we've not seen.  It was one such time that we came across Stacey Dooley's Stalker series.  It wasn't something I thought would necessarily be of interest to D but he went a long with my choice.  Stacey meets both victims of stalking, the police force who look into stalking and an ex partner of a women who stalked her for two years after their marriage failed.  The program revealed that in most cases the victim knows their stalker usually an ex partner but there is an increasing number of cases where the stalker is a complete stranger.   I don't know which is worse to know that someone you once loved is capable of stalking or to be stalked by someone you have never met.  One of the participants of the program has never met her stalker and has no idea what he looks like and wouldn't know him if she passed him in the street.  She has even moved house but they still manage to find out where she has moved to.   It was definitely an eye opener of a program for me and I would definitely recommend a watch ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Take care & stay safe everyone

Mx