Posting whilst watching TV!

How sad -watching TV and typing a post at the same time. But time seems to rush by and I have to do this, it's over a week since I last posted.

So, various things.

Went to see Melody Gardot last Monday - enjoyed it - not as much as I thought I would - I was so looking forward to it so I guess that was the problem - she didn't sing the songs the same as they are on her CDs and it took me a while to adjust to that. I also enjoyed the time out with a friend - nattering about things and eating out. I'm a Mum to young boys so I don't get out that often!

My postage stamp quilt is not going as well as I hoped. We all know that sometimes when you sew strips together things go a little wonky..............

I really need to use my extension table to be able to control the strips a bit better. So I will be carrying quite alot tomorrow when I go out to my sewing class - Bag, Iron, Machine, Extension table, and Mat and stuff. I will need a BIG bag.

I only hope that as the strip sets are cut into 1 1/2 inch strips I can level things up.

Also it has been taking over the spare bedroom - that sometimes Mrs Snorey has to sleep in - it's only a small room and it's getting quite claustrophobic with pin boards with sewn strips all over the place. So tonight I have taken all the strips down off my pin boards and I'll have to pack them away after each sewing session - it looks so much tidier.

I have also been working on a block that I need to do for a group I belong to. I used a no sew fusible bond - I have actually sewn through it and it's gumming up my machine needle and breaking the thread. Not good.

On Saturday Liam went to a party - dressed as a Knight. It took lots of Thursday and Friday evenings, and some of Saturday morning to make his outfit.

I am a vegetarian, not a Vegan, but on Saturday I bought a Vegan cookery book - "Vegan with a Vengeance" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. I will let you know what I decide to cook from it. Biscuits may be first - it's bank holiday weekend coming up and the boys enjoy cooking yummy things.
Isa has a website - http://www.theppk.com/There is a recipe for Jam Cookies on her website, in fact there are lots of recipes there.

On Sunday Andrew and I went out on the Harley.

The cows didn't like it very much!

Andrew is going camping for the whole weekend - Friday to Monday. I have warned the boys that we will be going clothes shopping for me on Saturday, and they need to be good. ( No running round the shops, no whinging, no bickering, no pestering) I can hope! There is the promise that we will go somewhere nice one of the other days if they are good - perhaps Sealife at Birmingham.

No no, that's not a garage!

But it does look sort of neat doesn't it!

Postage Stamp Quilt

This is one of the single track roads I go along every day to work. Sometimes I need to parp the horn if the cows won't move, but I don't like to parp the little calves because they jump vertically upwards in fright!

Oh I have been busy - I have stitched together half of the Strip sets so I guess you could say I have done a quarter of the blocks.

Things have improved a little since this picture -

My husband and the boys have been away for a few days so I have been sewing, I have had another stupid cold so have not been able to sit up as late as I would like.

Some of the sewing is going to be fiddly - I didn't just use FQs so I have some strips less than 21" long, and I have to sew together similar length pieces and trim to size after - and then utilise any small pieces cut off. It just takes longer than production line sewing.

The trips to the chiropractor are definately working - but I do have to watch how much time I sit for - sitting at work, sitting in the car, and then sitting all evening sewing isn't really very good. I went on Thursday (having had two nights of lots of sewing).

"oh your shoulders are so tight and knotted - what have you been doing?".

- how can she tell I thought, I'd better not say I'm planning on hours more sewing tonight!

Last Saturday was our big boys 12th Birthday. We went to Waterworld in Stoke on Trent. Then we went to the Indonesian Restaurant that we like to go to. Liam was rather tired by the end of the meal.

On Saturday one of the Cats bought home a dead rabbit. We told the boys that we hoped it wan't the Easter Bunny that they'd killed. Fortunately it wasn't and the EB left a fair number of eggs spread around the garden for them to find. They still have some left, and have generously shared some with us.

This is Itchy on Sunday letting his stomach digest rabbit.

I have decided not to bore you with anymore Japanese holiday reminisces, but will just post a few photos when I have scanned them. I've been too busy sewing to scan! They are just photos, the best pictures are the ones still inside my head.

Today I am meeting up with Maria before she goes back to Spain. Before I meet her I need to nip round to my mums house. Yesterday a car reversed into their house demolishing the front, the car is still in the hallway and the house boarded up as it is un-inhabitable. They are fortunate to be OK - Mum had been sitting in the living room and my step dad was in the back garden, but had they been in the hallway it would have been a different story.

Last nights Postage Stamp Quilt sewing, and 6 years ago today.

Last night I managed to sew some of my Postage Stamp Quilt Strips. I stitched together 27 pairs of strips. I will continue to sew the 21"wide strips together into pairs then have a session making up the 17 strip strip sets.

Not all the fabric I had was 21" wide, so I will have to do shorter strip sets, how fiddly that will be. Might not get round to it tonight, but possibly tomorrow evening.

Yesterdays blog started me reminiscing.

6 years ago, we were in Tokyo. We had a breakfast of bits purchased in a grocery shop, including Egg Mayonnaise and Crisps!
We got a taxi to the Station and got the Train to Hakone, then a bus to Miyanoshita. We were at the back of the bus, with luggage, and no idea of where to get off. No one spoke English, so we must have been very amusing when we spotted the hotel and jumped up and rocketed down the bus to get off one stop along. We had chosen to stay in the Fujiya Hotel. http://www.fujiyahotel.jp/english/index.html
The Fujiya Hotel is very grand, but we were early so we left our bags and went for a wander. We found a small restaurant and had Spaghetti, cheese sandwiches and ice cream. I told you we were vegetarian and we had decided that we'd just manage, we wouldn't die if we ended up with strange things for our meals, the language was a barrier. Inside Japan Tours had given us a booklet which contained the phrases "I am vegetarian" and "I don't eat meat or fish". We would show this booklet to all places we went to, it would be studied and we'd eat what ever they suggested.
Our room in the Hotel was in the modern extension, built in 1960 for the 1964 Olympics. it was very roomy, ideal for a lively 5 year old.

We rested in the afternoon, jet lag still affecting us, whilst Joseph watched TV, listened to the walkman or read.
In the evening we went out to a Tempura restaurant.

The Hotel had a private and 2 Public Onsens. We hired the private onsen for about an hour. Onsen etiquette is strict. You must wash before you enter the bath. You sit on a little stool facing the wall and use the bowls filling up with water from the taps in the wall. You wash with the soap and shampoo , and rinse it all off before entering the bath. The bath was big, and hot hot hot. Joseph, being 5, wasn't supposed to go in the bath but he was more than happy to play with the bowls of water, though I think we had to tell him to stop running round on the wet floor a few times.
Andrew and I were still jet lagged and were walking up 3 - 4 am. Thankfully Joseph wasn't jet lagged at all. We planned what to do the following day.

Country fun

My 3 boys, having fun.Cloudy skies

Country bumpkins making their own entertainment on a cattle grid.

Low sun

The bees on a warmer day a few weeks ago. I can't believe how good a photo it is of the bee that's looking at the camera!

ALQS 4

I have signed up for another swap - Ann J who sent me her / my winter quilt told me about it.
It works differently to the other 2 swaps I've done before. You make a quilt - send in photos, Kate the hostess posts all the photos up on her site and you say which quilts you like. She then tries to organise who sends to who. So if anyone else wants to join in please click on the button to the right - the more the merrier.

Blog hopping.

I've been blog hopping.
Firstly I look at my blog list on the right to see what my blogging friends have been up to. I say my blogging friends - some of the ladies have so many followers that I am just one of many, I look at their blog but I'm sure they don't visit mine!
Anyway I was looking at Carols blog http://ascotintennessee.blogspot.com/ Carol found me in the first instance, I should imagine as I had signed up for the Fall Mini quilt swap and she was checking out anyone from the UK. She has a weekly plan for her blogging and Monday is "Blog of the week"
Here is this weeks - http://georgiannalane.blogspot.com/Have a look. Truly wonderful flower photos.
Then I start looking at the blogs that Georgianna likes to visit - "Places of Beauty and Inspiration"
Off I went to http://ohhellofriend.blogspot.com/
- beautiful mood photos.

Where do I end up? - http://hellosandwich.blogspot.com/

It bought back such wonderful memories of our trip. We went to Japan 6 years ago. Joseph had his 6th birthday out there. It was a wonderful holiday - 2 weeks travelling around central Japan - Tokyo - Hakone - Nara - Kyoto - Takayama - Nagoya. 2 planes, 13 trains , 11 buses and 15 taxis.
We pulled together an itinery of where we wanted to go and Inside Japan tours http://www.insidejapantours.com/ made all the arrangements. They put together a mixture of traditional Japanese Ryokans and modern hotels. They provided us with booklets about the culture and restaurants, and booked the Rail pass for us. It was a marvellous holiday - culturally very different but we all felt totally safe. The Japanese loved our little blonde boy.
In fact I can tell you exactly what we did this day 6 years ago. It was a day in Tokyo. We slept in and had a breakfast of rolls and various odd unknown bits that we had bought the day before. Then we went shopping and we had lunch in a Tempura restaurant. We were all vegetarian and on the whole we managed quite well. In the evening although it was raining I dragged my family to the Government building where you can view Tokyo from the 45th floor. Everyone we met were so helpful, I could bore you with various tales of how people went out of their way to help.... but you are spared.
We would love to go back again, but in the meantime I will just have to look at hellosandwich.
Oh now I am restless...

A busy busy week.

Last Tuesday I had been at work about an hour when my husband rang to say he had had an accident whilst driving the youngest to school and had "written off" the car. They were OK, Liam survived with no injuries, Andrew only has bruising on his leg and arm, and on his chest - obviously from the seat-belt.

So that's a second lesson Liam learnt - the first being not to put stuff in your mouth that you don't want to swallow, the second being the importance of a seat belt and the booster seat. Because no matter how many times you till them to sit up with the seat belt on properly they always seem to want to lean sideways or forwards to pick up something they've dropped!.

We are very fortunate that they have no real injuries and no other car was involved. We live in a rural area and Andrew needs to drive Liam to and from school, a broken bone would be really inconvenient, and I won't even contemplate the worst. Obviously I went home on the Tuesday to see to him - I had to take Andrew to the local hospital to get him checked out.

He went out in the evening to a meeting - he has been chair of a local group and it was the AGM and he was keen to go to relinquish his position. He has done it for 2 years, he has contributed new ideas, and he managed to get a grant for nearly 10k for the village hall, an application that took considerable effort, and frustratingly a lot of chasing other people. I will say no more, other than he is happy not to be doing it any more. Now if this was a diary, not a blog, I would have written a lot more, my pen would be scratching holes in the paper!

Following the crash Andrew went through the range of emotions. He has had the laughing, the "it's great to be alive", the "I'm so lucky", the guilt, the fear, even a bit of the "wake ups" - the "what am I doing with my life?". He has had several sleepless nights, but is catching up now.
We are also fortunate that we had a bonus from work, it went in the bank account one day and out the next on a car that we found. So that's another weight off our minds - we hate car-hunting. We found a Saab 93 in the 3rd car dealership we went to - my last car was a Saab 93 and we loved it - so he is fortunate to have found a car he can be passionate about.

I took Friday off as we needed to finish shopping for Liams Birthday. He was 7 on Monday, and it was my birthday the day before.
I had a lazy morning sitting in bed ( breakfast in bed) reading my new Quilting books. I had visited a quilt shop the previous week, and I had looked on Amazon and come up with a list of a few books I wanted. Andrew bought me 5 - 2 of which I am disappointed with and will send back.
The 2 disappointments -
Rule-Breaking Quilts (Paperback) by Kathryn Schmidt
Modern Quilt Workshop (Paperback) by Bill Kerr (Author), Weeks Ringle.

Both are books that have nothing really new for me, the Denise Schmidt particularly disappointed me.


The 3 books I love are -
Material Obsession Two (Paperback) by Kathy Doughty & Sarah Fielke- I loved no 1 and no 2 is just as inspirational.
Applique Outside the Lines: With Piece O' Cake Designs (Paperback) by Becky Goldsmith , I haven't done much Applique and want to do big free pieces. It was Maria from Marias patch who bought this book to my attention.
Crocheting on the Edge: Ribs and Bobbles* Ruffles* Flora* Fringes* Points and Scallops (Hardcover) by Nicky Epstein. A lovely lovely book and it's easy to crochet in the evenings or on the move. I'd like to make some scarves. I've got one on the go at the moment- I'll see if I can post up a photo soon.

Mum gave me some money, so I think that might go on fabric, at some point.

I've cut the most of the plains for the Postage stamp quilt. I need to put my machine in the sewing / spare room so I can get started sewing. I'm way behind everyone else. I would like to say that I did some sewing on my birthday, but by the time we had gone out to eat, and visit 78 Derngate, Northampton http://www.78derngate.org.uk/ - a house remodelled by Charles Rennie Mackintosh - I was tired and had a snooze.

I have 3 days at work then it is Easter. It is my eldest 12th birthday on Easter Saturday.
Please feel some pity for me with all these cakes and chocolate eggs!

I think I've swallowed something I shouldn't have..

said my 6 year old with tears streaming down his face.

"What have you swallowed ?"I asked,

"I can't remember" was the reply, ( really means "I don't want to tell you because you'll tell me off"). I sent him off to wash down whatever it was with a drink of water.

Well the daft chipmunk has swallowed "BluTack". Not alot, just a small bit.

So I sat him on my lap and told him he'd be fine, and all that would happen is that it would take a few days but would be pooed out like a bit of sweetcorn.

He was obviously scared that he'd die!

"Have you ever swallowed BluTack?"

"No Liam, I haven't"

"Do you know anyone who has swallowed BluTack"

"No Liam, I don't, but you'll be fine"

Is he one of "those" kids I wonder - trips to the hospital with things stuck up his nose. We went to the Think Tank in Birmingham a few weeks back and there was a hands on session where the kids got to handle various things, one of the things that was handed round was a turtle shell. The girl running the session told them to look inside it - I was worried that Liam would stick it on his head but she was wise enough to tell them before she handed it round that it wouldn't fit!

Think of Mr Bean with the turkey on his head.

His big brother has gone of on a school trip for the week so it's just the 3 of us until Friday afternoon. Liam is enjoying having us to himself.

On Saturday I went to one of my sewing groups and made some progress on the 4 patch I've got on the go. Had to do a bit of un-picking but I am going in the right direction now. The photo is my usual poor standard - bad lighting in a cramped room! I'll try to do better when i'm off on Friday.
The plan is for irregular blocks, edge them in cream next, then more of the acid green, with enough space to let them all "breathe".

I really enjoy going to that group, I've known them for a while now and I've had comfort from them in tough times.

I was very happy on Saturday as another friend said she would go to see Melody Gardot with me in April. I love her songs.

Last week I gave another 2 Morsbags away. This one to a Harley rider, and a pig fabric one to a pig fan.

Oh, and I've ordered plain fabric for my postage stamp quilt. The samples finally arrived and I made a quick decision. So I'll be able to start that soon.

All day, every day...

I have had a bit of a clear out today - very satisfying. There is still a load to do mind you, but it feels good to have shifted a bit more.

Kirigami.

I am a bit behind with my Kirigami calendar. I have had a few sessions of cutting a number of sheets, and I've nearly caught up. Here is the sheet to cut,
Here it is folded up,

And here is my cut work. Another that would work well for applique,One from February!
Here is one I cut out in Silk Organza, and bonded to another piece of Silk.Quite what I'll do now I don't know!

As it was Mothers day we invited my Mum and Step-dad and my husbands mother over for tea. Here is Liam deep in conversation with Granddad. He has on a Batman hood and cape, he has pushed back the hood and I love how his hair sticks out through one of the holes.

Another not so productive day!

How annoying it is.

I took the day off as I have a few days to use up before the end of March. I had the delight of taking the little one to school, and picking him up, and in the 6 hours inbetween I had to do a few errands. But I settled down to watch some TV I had missed - I can see it on the internet on the BBC i-player. In theory. We live in a rural location, though we are only 4 miles / 15 minutes from a town. But our internet speed is soooooooooo slowwwwwww. I have told my husband to phone the provider and complain. I was trying to watch a programme but it kept saying "insufficient bandwidth". I gave up. So I was fiddling with that whilst I was sewing, and sad to say it, unpicking. So the blocks are not finished.

I have so much stuff in this little spare bedroom I have to pile things on the bed whilst I sew. So having enjoyed the clear floor space today I thought I would have to put these boxes of stuff away. In order to do that I have taken a few things out of the wardrobe and stuffed them in my husbands wardrobe!! Ha ha. He has too many clothes in there, I had to rearrange a few in order to fit the things in. I have a pile of jigsaws in my wardrobe - they may have to go under our bed. I feel in the mood for a BIG chuck out.

At some point I will have to look at my needle position. I have a fairly new machine, with a quarter inch foot, but I can assure you it does not do a quarter inch seam. I did the Fall mini Quilt using strips 1 1/4 inch cut - so in theory 3/4 inch sewn. But they are all less that that. It's not a problem for some things, but I would be best off sorting it out. Preferably before I start the Postage stamp Quilt.

It is now a week and a half since I requested samples from Doughtys. I rang last Friday so see if they had received my email, which they had, and I was told it would be a few days before they would get round to cutting them. So surely any day now....

Unless of course I am on their "black list" should they have one - about 6 years ago I had cause to email them about poor service!

Last Sunday Liam and I went to see the Lambs. It was about 4pm and the late sun threw long shadows over the Ridge and Furrow.

This was a very brave little lamb -we went into the field and it came right up to us and trod on my boot!

And this is Itchy in the box where we usually keep packets of Crisps. It is on the shelves in the Utility room. Cosy.

Winter Mini Quilt DHL'd to the States.

There - it's going to the states. That's not too much of a give away as most of the Swap participants are across the pond!
I need to wait until I know the recipient has received the Quilt before I put a link to her blog on my side bar.
Hopefully tomorrow, or Saturday.
I am missing it already - I could make one for myself but I will need to buy some more blue for the sky. I did enjoy the hand sewing of the birds.

I have to draw up and applique a Barbers shop for another group I belong to. And of course I will have my Postage Stamp Quilt on the go when I have bought a Plain.
In the mean time I may dig out the Batik I started on the January Friday night Sew-In and see how I can develope it.

The weekend is approaching.
We will have a few bits of shopping to do as my eldest is going on a school trip and a few things are needed.
We might also fit in a trip to the Cinema. My DH wants to take the 11 year old to see Avatar, so I guess I need to see what I can take the 6 year old to see.
Unfortunately Liams idea of seeing a film is based on a bag of sweets or popcorn, and then he fidgets once they are all eaten. It drives me mad!

Forgot my handbag today. Would have to be a day when I need fuel wouldn't it?. Drove along working out how much I would have to borrow off a friend ( fortunately we have just been paid so most peoples bank accounts are looking good, and we have a cash point on site).
Consequently I go to the Chiropractor without my purse. She told me not to do much sitting - difficult, no, impossible at work. Also impossible to sit with ice pack at work. No Ice pack to hand. Also no money to buy one.
Managed to have a bump when reversing out of the car park. And that's with a reversing sensor!
Drove to work hoping there would be a space in the car park and that I wouldn't have to drive to the overflow car park and get the bus in. Lucky me, got one of the last spaces on site.
Miserable by the time I got into work. Went and wittered on to some friends who promptly hugged me and took me to the cash point and withdrew money to lend me. Phew.
They are only small little annoyances, but sometimes an accumulation of them seem to be enough to tip the balance in my brain from ( I think) easy going to totally pathetic!
Settle down to work and the boss asks how I'm doing with a certain job. It's one I've been trying to do for a while and haven't finished. How annoying, I hate "not delivering" and I feel bad.
The job in question is a biggy, not something I can suddenly finish. For one thing I need his input as he wants me to do it a certain way which he is familiar with and I am not. And even when I understand how to do it it will take a quite a bit of completing.
But I cannot even begin to think about it yet. I have another big job on that needs doing, and if I do it wrong ( like I did last time!), .....well I hate to think. So I need to switch my brain into super efficient mode and check check double check like crazy.

Mini Quilt finished.

Birds "feathered" and hanging sleeve on the back. I have just washed it to remove yellow chalk lines and will take to show and tell tomorrow. I will also take the 2 mini-Quilts that I received - the Fall one from Ann J and the Winter one from Berit.
I have enjoyed doing the swap. It has encouraged me to do something new, and I designed it myself though I found the BlueTit on the Internet - I think it was on Panache Piecing. And I have some new friends.

I have requested a few swatches of plain fabrics from Doughtys of Hereford so I can choose one for my Postage Stamp Quilt. I have cut all the printed strips that I will need.

Very tired tonight so I will turf the boy cat off my bed and try to get an early night. But first I need to put the bread ingredients into the bread machine, and round up tomorrows clothes.

I am too tired to do any Piano practice, even though I have a lesson tomorrow, but I'm a grown up now so she can't tell me off or slap my fingers with a ruler. Finally here is a picture of girl cat Scratchy, she was just meowing, but she looks evil here.

Dear Diary

My husband just read some of my blog.

"It's good you doing this isn't it."

"Yes" I said, "Not that many people will read it, it's a bit like a diary, but without the self indulgent bits like "Dear Diary, My life is c***!"

Progress

Here is my Winter Mini-Quilt , almost finished.

I need to stitch the birds feet, and I'm going to do a bit of "feathering" on their bodies.

I love the lettering, the font is Viner Hand ITC, though I did not enjoy doing the blanket stitch around them.

I also need to do a label for the back, and hope to attach a hanging sleeve.

I am taking it to a meeting on Wednesday evening for "Show and Tell" so will send to my swap partner via DHL on Thursday.

I have decided to join in with Heidis Postage stamp Quilt along. I have dug out all those fabrics that I like but haven't a project lined up for them, some of which I have had for ages. I have started cutting the strips. I've cut about 180 so far as per her instructions. I also have quite a few fabrics that are not 21" wide, and have cut some strips of those as well. May as well use them up. I need to decide if I am going to use white or cream, or another colour for inbetween the prints. We have 2 cats who spend lots of time snoozing on the beds with dirty feet, so I don't think I want to use white, even though that would be my first choice.

Wookey Hole and Scones.

What a funny name - Wookey!.
Before we went away I said that I had looked at the Wookey Hole website and I thought it was a bit commercial for us. Well I take it all back. We went on Thursday, it was £54 for a family of 4 to get in, which is quite a bit. But it was good. There was a guided tour of the caves, and then quite a lot of other stuff to look at.
I must tell you about the Circus.

There are weekly classes where young people can learn circus skills, and they perform a Circus show at weekends and during the holidays, and they were so good. Really good, supple young people. Megan was on the trapeze swing, and there were 3 girls who performed on the ribbons, amongst other acts. I felt a bit choked during the performanace - it was so good seeing young people performing at a high standard.
Joseph my 11 year old used to say that he wanted to work in a circus when he grew up, which I thought was quite funny as he would never ever have his face painted. Somewhat a pre-requisite for a clown don't you think. I think he is over it now.

This is the mirror maze.
The Glastonbury trip was good - quite a way to go and the B&B was a bit basic. We stayed 3 nights. I can honestly say that it's the only B&B we've ever stayed in where the bed wasn't made whilst we were out. Don't you think that that's lazy? Not recommended.

This is the Abbey ruins.

The day before we came back a friend in our village texted us to say that the snow had descended and even her 4 by 4 had got stuck. Thankfully the roads had cleared by the time we got back on Friday, but more snow is forecasted. My new rear wheel drive car is rubbish in the snow so I'm not looking forward to it. But I have made the most of it by doing some snow dyeing. As blogged by Joan on moosestashquilting.blogspot.com.
The dyed snow ( and fabric) is in the kitchen now - I need to go and check on it. Not enough melted yet.
The boys are back at school tomorrow - last week was half term so it's now back to normality - what ever that is.
My mum and step dad came round for tea toninght, just a bread and butter tea, with Cheese and Courgette scones, and pancakes for pudding. We missed out on pancakes on shrove Tuesday.

I've done a little more to my Mini Quilt - here I am stitching the feeder. I've quilted it all over. I'm not overly impressed with my stippling on the sky, but I am happy with stiching on the snow. I need to bind it and applique the words on. I can start that on Tuesday evening.
One boy in bed, the other is in the shower. I need to check on socks and clean shoes for the little one, then I need to log on to work to do a few things tonight. Hopefully that can coincide with an hour of trashy telly viewing ( Being Human) before bed. I need to go in early tomorrow. I get in early every Monday but tomorrow ideally I need to get in 7.30 ish as I have reports to produce for a meeting that has been bought forward from 2pm to 10.30 am. I am a little concerned that I won't be able to spring out of bed at 6 - 6.15 as my back has been troublesome for a few months and much worse last week. I will have to see a physiotherapist asap. In fact I ought to dig out my health care paperwork tonight.

Winter Mini Quilt received.

I am the proud owner of this lovely Winter mini-Quilt from Berit in Norway.
It's a lovely comical deign, Berit has used variegated thread which adds to it's charm.
She has also sent me a Calendar and some tea. Thankyou very much Berit, I love it.
I haven't really ventured into applique quilts - I hope to do so if I can think freely enough .

My work is more controlled, and I would like to do more free spontaneous work. I don't give myself time to play. My quilting time is limited so I feel it all has to count. I get very disapointed if I feel it has been wasted. The last Friday night sew in is a case in point. I steamed ahead, yet it has come to a halt as the initial design wasn't working. So I need to spend more time re-thinking.

Just been to the door...

Neighbour has handed me a parcel from Norway that he had taken in whilst I was away ...... just making a cup of tea then I will open it - soooo exciting !!!! it'll be my swap winter mini Quilt. ...will report back with photos soon..

Friday night sew - in

Just got back from the trip away. I may manage to sew tonight - my husband is busy getting stuff together for a workshop that he is teaching tomorrow, so may have some time to myself.

Winter Mini Quilt

Yesterday we went to the Think Tank in Birmingham. It had lots of hands on experiments to do. Here is a picture of the boys concentrating. Quietly. Oh Bliss. Mini- Quilt - I spent two evenings handsewing the Great Tit whilst watching TV. Here he is.

I drew up a plan on paper so I could carefully cut up my remaining blue fabric.

and here is the Blue Tit pinned in it's place.

Some of the seams done, Great tit on it's branch.

Company. This is the sleek handsome boy cat - Itchy.

Pieced.

Now I need to sandwich it, quilt it and add a few details by hand - feet for instance.

But we are going away tomorrow so now I need to sort out the car and do a few other jobs. I am unlikely to be able to participate in Friday night Sew-in as we come back Friday night. But at the weekend I'll be able to carry on.

I have enjoyed piecing these birds - I'll do one to keep.