30 Day PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGE and Photo Fun- June 6

We had more electric storms yesterday which meant that we lost internet connection from about 5pm - hence no posting yesterday - but here are yesterday's photos for the June challenges.

Photo from a low angle

The good thing about loosing the internet is that I got two of the Sobretto tops I had started the other day finished and a summer dress. I will do a separate post boring you with more details of the tops and dress but for now here is a sneak view (from a low angle!).

Two Sobrettos and a dress

from a lower angle...

and from the lowest angle!

For the Photo Fun challenge the theme was books. As I spent a good part of yesterday sewing I snapped first my sewing books.

But then I got on a roll so I snapped

the pile of books in the sitting room waiting to be put away once the never-ending building work is done

the shelf of cookery books that I haven't been able to use for the last two and a half months as the builders destroyed our kitchen

the niche of little boy's books 

and, finally, the books that I would like to read this summer.

30 Day PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGE - June 5

A photo from a high angle

The photography challenge today was to take a photo from a high angle (tomorrow it is from a low angle). I have to admit that I took various photos before I got one that I was more or less happy with. The aim was obviously to challenge people to think about changing their angle when taking photos to try and get something different or more interesting. My biggest problem was that I had an idea in my head of what I wanted but it proved somewhat difficult to get that picture myself. This is therefore a variation on the theme - my view when I look down!

A baby bump

30 Day Photo Fun June 5

Breakfast today

This, obviously, meant taking a photo before eating my breakfast which, given it is a struggle for me to even say hello before downing at least one cup of tea in the morning and burying my head for a couple of minutes in a bowl of cereal, was an accomplishment in of itself.

It also goes without saying that it is more than a little disappointing that it wasn't breakfast in bed I was trying to capture - fresh coffee, freshly squeezed orange juice, warm croissant - all on a tray with a white napkin and a little vase of flowers...........maybe one day.

Breakfast June 5

Me-Made-June Days 3 and 4

So the rain kept falling, only livened up today by some spectacular thunder and lightening. Rather than harping on again about how annoying it is that I can't display my new collection of spring and summer dresses I thought I would make the most of the fact that this weather makes it infinitely preferable to stay  indoors.

Yesterday I spent most of the day cleaning and sorting. Our new kitchen is nearing completion and the builders have finally vacated the space that is to become our new utility room. Very exciting I hear you say. Believe me if you have not had access to your washing machine for two months and you have three small-ish children you are excited when you get your utility room back!

Only in order to use the said machine I had to unearth it and everything else stored in, around and on top of it from two months worth of builders dust and grime. I was tempted to fling on an old t-shirt and jeans but decided that, even for cleaning, I should wear at least one me-made garment. So out came a blue small dot jersey top that I actually made a couple of months ago but haven't yet worn. 

I was, I will admit, pleasantly surprised. It, I thought, looked better on than I had remembered and brightened up an otherwise fairly dull day. That is until my husband saw me, J-cloth in hand, knee deep in dust, and said "Good job matching your top to the J-cloth".

Enough said.

the J-cloth top

One day of cleaning is more than enough for me so today I made the most of the rain by catching up on some sewing projects. The me-made garment worn today is a blue fine knit top made with the same pattern as the dusty pink top seen the other day. This blue top is slightly longer than the pink one which makes it ideal for wearing with leggings for a comfy, staying at home day.

Navy fine knit top

Having flittered across the blogs of a couple of the other people participating in the Me-Made-June challenge I have noticed that a fair few did a kind of inventory of their me-made clothes at the start of the month. 

Now if I had done this I would have no doubt realised, as I am sure you are starting to, that I have quite a lot of me-made tops. I also have, although for now you will have to take my word for it, a fair few me-made dresses. 

Sadly lacking though are me-made trousers or skirts. That's not to say I don't have any - remember this post? Well they did get finished and you will see them soon enough and I have one other pair of me-made trousers too but that's not very many to see me through a whole month is it? I have several me-made skirts but most of them are wintry and not for now (even given the weather!).

Luckily I only signed up to wear at least one me-made garment a day (and not just me-made garments) so the lack of trousers and skirts doesn't curtail my ability to continue with the challenge but I thought it interesting enough to share with you the reflection that, even after only 4 days, I should in future concentrate my sewing on a wider spectrum of garments.

Tree reflection in a muddy puddle

(Good job I spent at least half the day sewing a whole range of Sobretto tops then isn't it????!)

30 Day PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGE - June 4

Something green......

Something green

30 Day Photo Fun - June 4

As you know, if you read yesterday's post, I was hoping for a bit of blue sky to contrast against my cloud shot today.

When I woke up to thunder and lightening I knew it would be a long shot. What I hadn't realised was that we were going to spend most of the day IN cloud. So anyway, here it is, my cloud shot - if you compare it to yesterday's cloud shot you will see what I mean!

(For those photo techies out there you would be right in thinking that I used a high ISO for this picture as it has been dark, dark here all day. However, the grey graininess you can see on the picture is actually the rain beating down!)

in the clouds...and the rain!

30 Day PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGE - June 3

As you will know if you have already seen my last post today's photo is to be of clouds. When I originally signed up for this challenge we had searing hot temperatures and bright blue skies and sunshine with barely a cloud to be seen. Hmmm, I thought, I might have to be creative.

Never fear. Not a ray of sun to be seen today and plenty of clouds!

View from my bedroom this morning

I would have taken the photo when I first got up but the whole valley was filled with cloud which was impressive, but only really if you already knew that there were mountains behind!

Tomorrow I shall be photographing something green..........if you would like to see some of the other pictures uploaded to the flikr album have a look here.