They look Okay......

After my Hob covers disintegrated in the (first) wash, I decided I may as well make my own replacements:

I think they look okay.....but I'm making some belated New Year Resolutions to try and stop making the same mistakes I make every time I start a new project.

1. Never, ever start a project thinking, "if I get a move on with this I should have it done by lunchtime and then I can cook the roast".
2. Never start by carefully drawing out the circle with a compass and then decide it will be much quicker to draw it freehand.
3. Never layer the wadding and two pieces of fabric together and then zig zag stitch around the edge in the hope it will hold it together - you'll have to unpick it because it will go very wrong as the fabrics revolt.
4. Never decide it will be much quicker to just machine quilt the layers rather than tack them in place first; again, you'll have to unpick it because the fabrics revolt.
5. Never quickly think, "Right, so I want the binding to be 1/2 an inch wide so that's 1/2 an inch front and back plus two 1/4 inch seams so that makes 1 and a half inches" and not remember to double it.
6. In fact, never, never think, "I'll quickly do this".

Four days later they are finally done but the work is pretty shoddy to say the least.  Best part was yesterday at Pitch and Stitch when I was huffing and puffing over it and Eileen said I'm too much of a perfectionist.  I think I know a few people who would splutter at that.

I know the sun has been shining but I have been making quite a meal of January, so I felt a bit feeble when I read my cousin's blog all about their lovely walks along the beach and work in the garden.  I decided (when it stopped raining) that I would walk around the garden and seek out colour.

The pansies are getting more established

and the Hellebore is in flower

The Winter Jasmine is the best it's ever been (probably because Jonathan forgot to cut it back)

and the Viburnum is pretty and heavily scented

and I'm so pleased with my succulents I brought back from Wales

But best of all has to be something I didn't even know existed until Pippa (well, who else?) pointed out the tiny little pin prick flowers on the hazel.

Oh, and then of course