maybe there's hope for me yet

Some may know that I've rarely enjoyed making softies, they're small and fiddly and I can never get the stuffing right - always lumpy.

However I think I may be passing a corner.
This bear was actually a tad enjoyable. It's a Wee Wonderfuls pattern I bought a while ago and is a present for a friend who had a baby boy on Saturday night. I had made the kitty for their first-born so it seemed only fitting that I make something else from the same pattern kit.
I've also made some new blinds for the kitchen, which were looooong overdue. These windows face almost due north so they cop a lot of sun in summer and I also needed to keep the warmth in in winter.

I suppose you call them 'reverse' blinds, in that they have a thick piece of dowel in the bottom and roll them up by hand, fastening them with the ties. They're attached to the window frame with velcro and the dowel can be slipped out so they can be easily washed. This was the only type of blind that I could do that with, other than making curtains. They're also backed with blockout, which I don't know if it will wash easily. Has anyone washed blockout?