Tuesday 14 November 2017

Its been a busy couple of weeks

 That started off with a card that melted my heart

My sisters niece Florrie who is 7 had sent her favourite Big Duck's dress for repair.

 It was actually beyond repair, but after trimming all the threadbare hemline and adding lace , making some tiny lace rosettes to cover the holes that had been rubbed into the little dress, I had made the best job that I could.

 It still was not a pretty sight,  so I selected a piece of very pretty Liberty Lawn fabric and made Big Duck a new outfit too.
  It took HOURS. Even though it was TINY!! 
But Off they went in the post back to Big Duck, and a few days later this arrived in the post.

Every minute taken was worthwhile 😊


 Poppy Pete has returned to the village for a stay
 He sits guard over the Memorial on the Market Square
We have had a little family celebration...

On Friday 13th November 1987 this Darling Girl came into our lives.

 Lucky Lucky us 💗
Happy Birthday Susannah x


The house has been invaded by the smell of onions 😖 But they are now in the jars and will be ready for the festive season
 I am about a month late making my Christmas Puddings, but the fruit has been soaking and the rest of the ingredients will be added tomorrow and then a marathon steaming session will take place. 
 Sister 2 has told me how many calories there are in a homemade Christmas Pud 😳  so now I apparently have to run 2 miles for every slice 🏃 - as if that's going to happen  😂


 I have managed to quilt my Scrappy Ladder to the Stars quilt
 Which included a pieced backing

and I think I will call this one Outlander as I watched a whole TWO seasons of the series whilst piecing this  - and then the 3rd season (so far) whilst quilting.  

I think I may be hooked 😁
Well, why not 😉😊

Wednesday 1 November 2017

And There It Was - Gone!!

Though I cannot claim to have done nothing this last month!

There have been several days out including a girls jaunt down to Alexander Palace to the Knitting and Stitching show.
 Which was soooo busy even though we went on the Wednesday, which has always been the quietest day. It looks like lots of people have heard that 😒

We were all tempted by Spellbound Beads display of twinkling goodies 

so we all met up a couple of weeks later for a beady day.

And yes - this took me ALL DAY to make this 😲 and I love it so will definitely will make more

Mr T and I went off to see (not before time) the film Dunkirk.  A great movie.  The numbers of stranded soldiers that they were talking about  is hard to comprehend. A trip over the Channel is on the cards in the spring.

After the movie we went up to Kilworth House for a gifted (Mr T's birthday last year)  afternoon tea


 It was scrumptious and well worth the wait




Far too much time (and I don't care at all)  has been spent cuddling this little treasure

who is 12 weeks old now! How did that happen!!

SIL had a Big birthday and a little celebration dinner went down very nicely.
Baby came too.


I also looked after little Miss O during half term
 and some cousin love was going on. She now wants to change her name to include her cousins - Bless her

The first request when she comes to stay is a trip to our Library.
 And dolly has to come too. It's very worrying because with the council cuts that are happening, it looks like Higham Library is under threat of closure!  Madness!

Learning to pedal a bike was also on the cards.
After walking her MILES around the streets we can tick that off as a success too.

Little Miss was delivered back to her parents, and little brother. 

Hmmm.  🤔 Whats that 😮  He was fine in the morning 😷 Chicken Pox !!

So off we go down to look after Master L whilst Mummy went to work (she had only started back a couple of weeks ago!!)
Looks poorly, doesn't he!
We are now sitting in a darkened room


On the crafting front - Well I have done a little bit

Played yarn chicken with the shawl I was making
 and won!

The yarn for this was a birthday gift and is super soft and squishy

A Flex Frame bag workshop at my local group produced this 


My Mini Mania Challenge was completed at the beginning of the month as I knew I was going to be busy
 And I have been diving into the scrap box again to make some little bits for a Brownie sales table this month
 These little purses are so easy to make and just have to have one of the little flex frames to be inserted.


I think that's it for October.

Hoping to set aside time this month to quilt two tops that i finished a while ago, and then I have a quilt waiting to be payed with.

Saturday 30 September 2017

Monthly Round Up

 Is all I seem to be managing at the minute! What is that all about?  I seem to have less time now that when I worked full time!! 

But....  I have completed the Scrappy Ladder to the Stars quilt top

 AND... I spent nearly as much time piecing the leftovers to make the backing

 Now that is ready to layer up and begin the quilting.  Soon I hope....

This months Mini Mania Challenge topic was "Circles"  I made a mad dash at the last minute to make something and that is now done and revealed over on Flickr
Lines are a bit wobbly but - hey! its done!

and in situ
 We had a lovely day in London at the beginning of the month and met up with No1 son and family at the London Aquarium. A bit of a Birthday treat for Grandson and a last outing before school commences for Granddaughter

 We certainly did our 10K steps that day !
 The folowwing week saw us back in the city and a long overdue visit to Kew Gardens



 Afternoon Tea was included in our gifted ticket

 And we finished off on the Tree Top walk (on the windiest day of the year!)

 But it was worth the fabulous views.
 And then off to Portugal for a week in the sunshine

say no more

yes - I'm in there somewhere!
 Some fabulous meals in this little village



Now we are off down "sarf" to visit the grandies so we will need another holiday when we return 😂

Well, that didn't take long did it?

Wednesday 30 August 2017

Before the End of the Month

I must get another post done on this sadly neglected Blog 😧

My August has been full of activities starting off  with my Annual stint at the Festival of Quilts, helping out my lovely friends from New Zealand
Kids Quilts Stand
I arrived by train just after 8am and headed straight to the Exhibition for a quick browse before the show actually opened .

I took many photos. There were many more quilts this year and I have to say that the standard of work was exceptional
Here are just a few of my favourites




                                    
                                            

 


My favourite
detail
A4 quilts made by Cancer survivors
A great display of the 365 Challenge quilts
    



 And the best in show - Philippa Naylor does it again



to show the scale


detail
 It was a good job that I arrived early because we were so busy on Thursday that I didn't manage to leave the stall at all!
Friday started just as busy and then ....... I got the call

Emily Fia arrived on Friday morning weighing in at 8lbs 12oz


      
 she is adorable and is already stolen our hearts
                                              

                                                     
So I left the show on Saturday afternoon and headed over to meet the newest member of our family




Proud Grandma

 I promise - no more baby photos!



I have also started an new scrappy quilt project
                                                     
This time in more Autumnal colourways
                                                 


All of the centre blocks are made and I am ready to start the border blocks

And as I had not done any sewing for .... ages and we had a good reason to pop a cork, this was my sewing refreshment!!

The southern part of the family arrived for a few days, and Little Miss O and I made her Daddy a birthday cake.  She however was more interested in this...
She also brought all of her school uniform for the labels to be sewn in.  26 items!!!  All for a 4 year old! 


We have been harvesting some of the Bramley Apples from our tree
                                                

         And there are still loads to pick so I will be busy busy busy                                         

I have finished August Mini Mania Challenge but the big reveal is not until tomorrow so you will have to wait to see.

I am now off to clear up the 5 broken glass baubles that have shattered when my Light Tree just fell over!

                                     
And I have made myself a promise that I will do more posts on here in future - where does the time go?