Isn't Summer Wonderful

I am so happy that Summer has finally arrived and I have finally been able to enjoy my garden I sat out all afternoon yesterday with my crochet enjoying the heat.  I spent the time working on a project for a lovely girl at work who is expecting and is due to go on maternity leave on the 21st June, I have managed to yet again give myself a challenge to the end as it is still not finished ... eek so I am currently spending all my spare time trying to get this done.

I have given myself a target that I am not going to start any new projects until I have finished at least one project as I am a serial starter this is going to be a challenge for me.  I have promised my sister that once I have finished this baby blanket that I will finish her blanket which is now coming along quite nicely although we have just decided that the original size I was making it to just wasn't quite long enough for her so whilst I thought that I was nearly finished this project I have a couple of extra rows to add.  It is actually a little larger than this now I just haven't took a picture recently (and trying to hide it from my two furbabies is becoming a challenge, for some reason they love it and keep pulling it out of the bag I have it stashed in, I have come in from work on a couple of occasions to find the bag tipped over and balls of wool everywhere they don't bother with my other stuff just this one very strange)

I also thought seeing that I'm in such a good mood I would share a long on going project I have been working on this for about a year now and this one is all for MEEE as I keep giving away everything that I make.  I decided since it was all mine to treat myself to Patons 100% Cotton DK with one ball of Wendy Supreme (a lemon colour which is now discontinued and was expensive to get one ball I am blaming my mum as she gave me a odd bit of the colour with an odd bit of the blue you see below also discontinued and they inspired the project) I bought a whole array of colours, with no clear idea other than colour colour colour I just to start putting colours together until a pattern formed.

First there were two...

and then there was more....

I started bringing them all together with white which I think brings out the colours beautifully

The blanket will be 160 squares all together when finished I have a set of 20 different colour squares and then the same colours reversed (as shown in the picture of the first two) making up 40 square in one full set and I have repeated them 4 times making up 160 squares.  I will say that one thing I have learnt is that if I started another one I would sew in the ends as I go, I think have spent approx. 4 weeks so far just sewing in ends and they are not finished yet really hard work but I think it will be all worth it in the end as it is a true keepsake blanket, it is very heavy and is only half finished at the minute I would be very curious to weigh it when I'm finished.  This is my second set of 80 squares with one set already completed and joined with the white.

I thought I would leave you with an update remember the messing spare bedroom with skirting hanging off and holes in the wall

Before

and Ta Da after

And my Jane Austen finally made it onto the wall in my newly decorated room it looks perfect

I have to still have to decide on covers for my cushions.  Also the curtains didn't come with any tie backs I have been struggling to come up with an idea and cannot seem to find anything I like for them so if anyone can help with ideas I would welcome them as I am super stuck