Our lockdown baby has turned 1

One of the saddest things about this last year for us as a family has been the lack of contact with our grandson who was born on 27 March 2020, the week after the first major lockdown.

My daughters first baby, born at just 5lb 13oz, a tiny, perfectly formed baby boy, Jasper Arthur. Our first meeting was through a patio door window and that's pretty much how it's been on and off for the year. Poor Jasper doesn't really know us, even though he only lives 3 miles away. 

He is happy to see us online, but weary if we see him in 'real life' and why wouldn't he be, in all essence we are strangers to him. But things will hopefully change sooner rather than later now, I'm hopeful anyway.

Our first meeting

My daughter loves woodland colours and the woodland theme. 

I made Jasper his birthday card. I'm really enjoying making cards like this, using different coloured papers and pencils.

I also got to make Jasper his very first birthday cake. I spent 2 days designing a cake topper, taking inspiration from different sources but also making it from paper, whilst also having to work out the logistics of how to get it to stand up. I have to say I was pretty pleased with the results.

As Jasper wouldn't be eating any of the iced cake I also made a wholewheat, refined sugar free, no fat carrot cake, with cream cheese topping, not as pretty but he enjoyed it and it tasted pretty good too.

Due to the current restrictions we were not allowed to join in any celebrations but we enjoyed our quick doorstep visit. Fortunately both my daughters with the children have joined together in a childcare bubble so Jasper, Alfie and Arlo could all have fun eating and playing.

Next year needs to be very different!

Finally a little bit of crafting

It's my grandsons first birthday next week. 

My daughter is very specific on what she likes and doesn't like, what colours things can be and definitely no plastic and quite rightly too. But it does make it quite tricky to know what to get and where to get it what with no shops being open.

She mentioned last week that her and Jasper love Belle and Boo and she's also recently been looking for a name plate for his room. Luckily for me I just happen to have the Belle and Boo craft book and was happy to see on the first page a design for a framed name letter. 

Having made button bouquets previously I hunted out the left over buttons and set to work. I had a lovely quiet afternoon organising and gluing.

Planning stage

Final design with more green

First layer stuck down

Finished piece with final layers

Framed

Although this my not be what my daughter was looking for as a name plate, I do believe she will love it, mainly because its been handmade by Nanny, the buttons have sentimental value from her sisters wedding and its Belle and Boo inspired, I do hope so anyway.

The Making of Miss Maggie Rabbit

In April this year I decided I wanted to make my mum a little present to brighten up her room in the home she now lives in. It makes me sad that there's nothing really of hers there, it still looks like a random, albeit nice, hotel room. 

For some reason dad won't take or send in any of mums personal things to make her room more comfortable and homely. Maybe somewhere in his mind he thinks that he'll be letting her go completely and that she'll really never be coming home if he does. I don't know the real reason but I do know that she needs to have some of her own lovely things or at least some new lovely things around her. 

As we all know, in April this year it was impossible to get your hands on anything, especially toilet rolls and pasta apparently, but as someone who is lucky enough to have a lot of 'stuff' cluttering up the house, I mean, a large array of fabrics and notions at my fingertips, I was in the lucky position of being able to take advantage of the wonderful free Miss Maggie Rabbit pattern that I'd had my eye on for an age, from the amazing Posy Gets Cozy. 

After gathering up everything I needed, I could sit quietly stitching on the bed listening to music, whist my husband worked from home downstairs. An added benefit was being able to shut my brain off whilst I concentrated on getting my stitches as neat as possible. She was a dream to make and the only thing I had to get my sewing machine out for was the dress. 

I was so happy to be able to pass my finished Miss Maggie Rabbit onto the reception at the home and looked forward to seeing a photo of it with my mum later. Sadly mum was having a difficult time that day and I never heard anything further. But at least as far as I am aware Miss Rabbit is sitting comfortably, keeping mum company, in her room. 

An array of brooches

I've been finally getting around to finishing just some of the projects that I've started recently. First off is some brooches to hopefully sell for Christmas, all backed and ready to go.

 

 

Rhiannon has very kindly taken on the role of my project manager, sorting out an inventory, checking up on me that I have been working, sitting down on a Saturday afternoon and helping with oh lots of things and generally making me realise how much stuff I have actually made that is currently hanging around in cupboards just sitting there waiting for me to pluck up the courage to try and make a few pennies. Even better she is going to be taking everything to school for the other teachers to have a look at and hopefully buy!