Still here and working on the manor

I know, I've been gone a while. Life just sometimes seems to get in the way doesn't it? Since my brother left I seem to have been racing from one thing to another. It was the Embroiderer's Guild branch exhibition this weekend so I've been helping out there and I'll show you all my pieces in another post. It's also been a week for catching up with friends as well as my two group meetings - embroidery and miniatures. I always feel it's such a shame that they are held on two consecutive days in the same week each month - if you see what I mean. I'd rather they were spread out a little but obviously I can't do anything about that.

Anyway, enough of my rambling and on to what I've been working on. The manor house is moving along at a relatively fast pace now with the first floor rooms completed and progress on the second floor too.

The dining room - I had to try some of the furniture I've bought for size. The lights are in but not working yet.

The sitting room - I'm planning to recover that settee as I'm not at all happy with red upholstery in a green room. You can't really see on the photograph but there are two tiny cameos in the medallions on the back wall with wall lights fixed above them. They'll show up better when the lights can be turned on.

The first floor landing - I found these two tiny suits of armour in the gift shop at Shibden Hall and couldn't resist bringing them back for this room. There's a grandfather clock at the front of this room too which got missed out of the photo.

This is the bedroom and I decided to print a design onto some silk fabric for the walls in here. I've printed enough to decorate the bed with matching fabric, though that's a way off being done yet.

Two of the bookshelves for the library. There will be more shelving, a desk and a wing armchair in here too - still to be made.

I found this adorable little girl in a charity shop for £1. I think I'll make her a new dress when I have a little time to spare. And then I spotted these at the haberdashery shop. They were all pretty cheap and I couldn't resist. The little silver pram and cot will be painted and used in a nursery at some point as children's toys.

And finally a photograph of Willow relaxing on the bed in my son's room. He's just glad to have me at home and to himself at last after all the excitement of the past few weeks.