Reading instructions - always a good idea!

I wanted to make some new pillowcases as I have a huge stash of material and I had found an unused cotton sheet in a charity shop which I thought would work well for some of the backs. I had a nice simple pattern and got to work yesterday cutting the pieces out and then sewing them up. 

I used some vintage material and some that I had been gifted years ago in a blog swap. I managed to sew the inside flaps onto the outside a couple of times, so there was a bit of unpicking and re-sewing. I managed to finish three pillowcases, but wasn't really happy with them.  "They'll do", I thought.  I washed them today and hung them out to dry.

I decided I wanted to make a couple more today, so then read the pattern through again as I wasn't sure I had really got it right.  It turns out that I hadn't!  I had read what I thought it said, not what it actually said.  So I made two more today, following the instructions and surprise, surprise, they looked so much better.  I looked at the ones I had made yesterday...

Yes, you guessed it, I unpicked them and re-sewed them properly.  Although the unpicking was a bit of a pain, I was listening to a play on the radio, so that helped.  I re-sewed them correctly and I am so pleased I did them again.  They look much, much better and much more professional!  So yes, sometimes it's a good idea to read and then follow the instructions!

More cheerful things

 Sun at last! Blue sky and fluffy clouds, which is so uplifting after all the rainy days.

 A sugar almond pink hydrangea (Endless Summer Pink), flowering away despite being attacked by vine weevil (for which I have purchased some evil chemicals - I don't like using chemicals at all, but against this pest, it is war, as they have already killed off several of my plants in pots).  Still, there is the lovely pink to cheer me up.

 A lovely combination of roses (New Dawn and Cottage Rose), Clematis Perle D'Azur, and peeping out behind the roses at the top, Jasmine 'Clotted Cream' (mm... clotted cream, scones and raspberry jam...).

 My latest purchase of material - vintage in this case.  The shop assistant told me that the owner has bought some bolts of material from a draper's shop which closed down in the 1960s.  These bolts then sat at the owner's house, wrapped in the original paper until recently, when she decided to have a look at them.  There were some fabulous chintzy flower patterns and some cowboy prints too, but it was this one that caught my eye.  It would have been lovely to have had enough money to buy enough to make a huge 1950s skirt with loads of petticoats, but sadly my budget could only stretch to one metre.  However, having been inspired by a blog I follow, mrs thomasina tittlemouse , who has been making the most lovely rosy pillowcases, I decided I could use my material to do the same.  As my pillow is one that you don't turn over as it is specially shaped for my neck (I have had a few problems in the past and this Putnam pillow has really helped), I thought I'd use the material for the top and  calico for the bottom.  So far, I have washed the material and it is drying on the line.  I'll keep you posted on my (probably a bit slow) progress.

Finally, a rather blurry bee visiting the Jasmine 'Clotted Cream'.  I expect she/he is happy to be able to get out and about after all the rain.  She/He certainly seemed to be making the most of it - and so am I!