First there was labyrinthitis then...

It has been quite a time since I posted regularly. It started in October when I developed labyrinthitis and kept on getting very dizzy. I didn't use my sewing machine as I found it made the dizziness worse. I am really pleased to say that I'm now over that and apart from a very annoying cold and cough that I caught from a work colleague I am fit and well.

So why no posts? Well in early November we had our heating system completely redone. A new boiler, new radiators and all new pipework. It created a lot of mess and Picasso loved disappearing under the floorboards. Fortunately Scamp wasn't into that adventure. Now the house is delightfully warm and I can also alter the heating settings from my phone such as turning up the temperature so it's all snug when I arrive home.

A couple of weeks later at the end of November we also had the house rewired. This created huge amounts of dust and mess. That work was more or less finished last week. I'm still trying to clear all the dust. No wonder my cough has been so bad. I must give Scamp a bath as the dust has got into his fur. Brushing him keeps his fur OK but a bath would make him silky and comfortable again.  Picasso has spent a lot of time out doors and visiting our neighbours houses. Cats always find somewhere comfortable to spend their days (but he is always home every night.)

In having the house rewired the biggest impact was on the kitchen. We needed the ceiling plastering as it wasn't very flat and we wanted to move a wall to make the kitchen a little bigger. We also wanted new kitchen units and appliances. So all the kitchen units had to come out except the sink and all the contents of the kitchen are camped out in our dining room.

My old cooker got damaged when the ceiling was taken down but I have a new range cooker on order for January when the new kitchen is being fitted. I also have a washer/dryer on order but don't tell the old one as I need it to keep working a little longer.

The new wall section has now had plaster board added and it has all been skimmed with plaster. 

There are pipes to be boxed in and the new boiler had to be covered to prevent it being damaged by the dust. I now have the smaller window in the kitchen as well as the bay window so it is now very light and airy. Once the ceiling plaster is fully dry I can paint it and push the ceiling lights into place. The new lighting is really clear and bright and will make cooking so much easier.

My very cluttered dining room. The big plastic boxes have all my store cupboard items in them. These are now back in the kitchen until that is fitted..roll on the 19th January!

The box underneath the piles of pans and plates is my fabric and project store. The pans will stay here until the kitchen is done. Meanwhile my sewing machine is in its case and stored away from the dust. Yesterday I took all the pans off the box and got out some supplies so I can do some sewing over Christmas.

On Saturday whilst I was out shopping I wanted to get a quilting magazine as I was suffering with withdrawal symptoms. The only one I found was this one which has some nice modern quilt designs.

It also came with a free gift. This little cat pincushion to make. It is quite small so will be a little fiddly. I put my embroidery scissors next to it to give an idea of size. So far I've sewn the head and started on the tail.

So I have finally started back to sewing and it feels good. Until all the work in the kitchen is completed I think a lot of my work will be hand stitching as everything is in the wrong place. We also have to redecorate everywhere as the rewiring meant channeling in all the walls to put in new switches and sockets. I'm not starting on that until the new year. Before the kitchen is done we need to sort out the walls and get the electricians back as I am not happy with their work in this area. Elsewhere they did a good job but in the kitchen the sockets aren't level or where I wanted them plus the heat detector has been put immediately over where the new cooker will go. When I use the grill it is going off and is a very loud alarm!

Now I must finish my shopping for Christmas and generally get a little more organised. We are having our big Christmas meal on boxing day as all the family will be with us then. I need something a little special for the three of us for Christmas Day.

I hope you Christmas preparations are going well and that you will be spending time with your family at this special time.

Lyndsey