House-Elf Doings 

Sorry this isn’t the promised Salmsbury Hall post -I have to share though.

Exam results came out today. This is the last year there will be an affordable uni education for English people wanting to go to an English uni. The Conservative government has allowed universities to go from charging £3K a year in fees to a whopping £9K! No warning, no gradual increase. It was incredibly important suddenly for our daughter to get good grades and go to uni this year. She wasn’t intending to take a gap year but the pressure on all kids this year has been immense.

For those who didn’t get the grades asked for by their uni choices, they face being 1 of 340,000 kids chasing a mere 40,000 available places in a system called “clearing.” This is where a uni will say what courses it still has places on and the kid has to ring them and ask if they will accept them with their grades. It is total pot luck and in the past has led to good students not having a uni place and those with lower marks getting a place.

We were just so thankful this morning after barely any sleep between us that both of Daughter’s uni choices said they would have her. We were all torn as Hull (Scarborough campus) and Portsmouth had good points. In the end she went for the one she scarcely dared hope she would get into:

They have told her where she is staying- a flat in the block which was her first choice with 6 other kids- see above. She has chatted online with 2 of them and has a lot in common. One girl is doing the same course as her, so I am hoping they will be friends. She comes from Oxfordshire near where I grew up.:-)

So in the future you will see a lot more pics like these.

She has promised to up-load a lot to share with us. It has been a huge emotional and mental battle to get to this point, and I am so proud of her.

Sums it up really. 🙂

Just to show I don’t totally go back on my word- here is a finished Vintage Spools by Stephanie of Loft Creations in action in the craft room as a dog bed.

I added a 10″ strip to the bottom edge and using the left over charms hand appliqued the word “Spools”. It was either that or “Sew Dog”, as I only had 6 left.

I had an old sheet so that is the backing when I quilted the top. The back is in 2 parts attached by velcro so I can take out the doubled over single duvet (the stuffing) when the cover needs washing. The 4 layers (top, wadding, old sheet, and backing) were then all bound around the edges like a normal quilt. I used black.

The pattern was a joy to make and each measurement very accurate. There is no waste which is even better for us frugally minded.

Ooo now before I go and get a coffee to keep me going, I haven’t shown you Lovely Husband’s birthday quilt finally hanging up on the landing. About time!