How to make your mother happy in three easy steps.

More of that later - well, mum's got to be patient now doesn't she?

This cold may (and I am whispering now) be getting better - I am certainly not sneezing and coughing as much.  However I am very tired - I woke up at 8:45am this morning and yet, by 11 am, my eye lids were dropping!  What is that all about? 



Anyway - taking it easy has its advantages - this morning I completed nearly all the borders for my "A Quilter Lives Here" hanging.  There was a lovely treat of Wendy and Nigel popping by as they were taking a  stroll around the village but, as you can see, the hanging is coming on.





The gap in the middle is the final block - the tree of life.  The pattern says that it could look like this

but it encourages you to make it more personalised to reflect your family.  So far my version looks like this and I think that the personalisation rather daunted me.  You can tell how long this has taken me - Katie is on the block from when I started - and I have just added Daisy!




I also spent some time finishing Terry's Scamblesby block by adding the borders - but look what happened!  As I gave it a final press the embroidery thread "melted".  I then ironed on the back and the thread was ok so I am going to try and oversew the damage and see what happens.  I have also wet a small patch to make sure that the thread doesn't bleed - which it doesn't - so need now to wait to make sure that the damp patch doesn't leave a stain.  Who wants to take odds on me redoing this one?








I have also started to cut down the quilted Splendid Sampler blocks ready to add some sashing at some stage.  Not too shabby then!




Back to mum then.  I have a fitted dishwasher that is rather elderly and, last night, started to make rather strange noises.  The wash takes well over two hours to get through and Mum is always suggesting that a newer one with a 30 minute programme might be better.  Whilst I agree with her I didn't want to waste a working machine.  Maybe now is the time to plunge in and order a new one? 




By the way - did you bet?  One "Terry" square copied out and ready to sew!









Whilst I had the light box out I drew the Splendid Sampler block from Christmas - you know hoe much I like having a stash of hand sewing ready to do!

What a difference 30 minutes makes.

Well, my overnight bag was packed and placed ready by the door.  A change of clothing close to hand.  Important documents up high and ready to take with me.  If the flood was coming then I was ready. So - what did I wake up this morning?  This:-

Thankful that all the preparations weren't necessary, I went about my normal ablutions.  As I was feeding the dogs - they do like a bit of breakfast in the morning - I noticed that the light was a funny orange.  Within half an hour of getting up, this was the scene!  Thankfully I wasn't due to go out today, because it looked quite bad at one point, but I have to report that, by 10:30am , the snow had all gone.  Ah well!

Of course the winter scene should have been an excuse for a nice sewing day by the fire.  What else would you expect from me after all?  Well - Millie had other ideas!  She had found a gravy stock pot, tore it open and devoured it - leaving traces all over the lounge carpet!  So time was spent cleaning that off.







Then, in the cleaning mood, I mopped the kitchen and bathroom floors.  I use lemon flash in my water and love the clean feeling it gives.  By now, however, this wretched cold was taking its strain and so a cuppa and some Tuesday night sewing was in order.  It's not due until a week on Tuesday but I wanted to get it out of the way and so worked my way through it.  Now every square has to be cut in half and the seams pressed open - but I will leave that for another day!





This afternoon, I am afraid, I was well and truly flagging so had a "duvet afternoon" on the sofa with some hand sewing and Midsummer Murders.  The latest flood news for our area is a downgraded version with the tide expected to be just 1.2 m over the sea defence.  I think that my evening will be safe - but I still have everything ready just in case!  Let's hope that everyone is safe - I really don't understand those people who complain about being warned - and then it doesn't happen.  Surely its better to be pre-warned?  It should be safer!

Still waiting!

First back to last night - I went to the cinema and boy am I glad that I did!  The RSC live showings are usually excellent but this one (The Tempest) surpassed all.  The acting / story was both funny and touching and the language seemed to flow - I always think the mark of a good Shakespeare play is when you forget it was written 400 years ago and it seems everyday language.  However this production was even more special since they had teamed up with INTEL and a company specialising in motion capture.  We are used to seeing this technique on films - think Gollum - but this was a live actor doing it every night, 8 days a week.  it was amazing!  What about my cold?  Well I sat on a row of 3 seats well away from everyone else - with tissues, cough pastilles and water to hand.  Yes I coughed and spluttered throughout but I tried not to disrupt it for everyone else.  The play must have been good - I stayed to the end!

So - onto today and, sadly, its more of the same - coughing and spluttering with feet up on the sofa.  I did pop out to the nurse in the afternoon but have cancelled my outing to the panto tonight at the local theatre.  It was one step too far!

So, my feet up has meant that I was able to finish Terry's embroidery,












and I was even able to sew a few squares from my Tuesday night class so all was not lost!  I just wish this cold would go away! I am running out of tissues!!

Mind you I did manage to spend some money on fabric and two workshops -  without leaving the house - but that was all (well, mainly) Sewingbuddy's fault so we will leave it there!





As for the snow - no sign but now we are being warned of a tidal surge and to listen to Radio Lincolnshire tomorrow morning at 6:30am when the surge is expected.  I think not!  However I may just pack an overnight bag in case!

So - bring on the snow

Well - its been forecast to be gale-force winds followed by snow over the next few days - looking at the sunshine outside I am not convinced - but will admit to popping out and buying milk and veg - just in case!

I woke up early this morning - around 5:30am - coughing and spluttering.  I think that I must have what is now being called "The Queen's cold" - albeit nowhere near as bad.  I am not laid up in bed, for example, but the cough has now gone to my chest so I don't feel great and am in two minds about whether to go out tonight.  Tonight is the RSC live showing of The Tempest and they are pushing the boundaries by working with INTEL technologies - the reviews are fantastic.  You may also recall that I pledged to see every production so I will see how I feel later on, after I am dosed up!!  I will let you know tomorrow!

The house is now beginning to emerge from under its cluttered appearance and I even managed some admin - posting Trisha's strictly ticket to her.  However I will admit to sandwiching work in between bouts of rest - rather than the other way around!  Mind you - it did give me time to look through Wendy's new book and add a few projects to this year's list!!

Craft wise I have now finished the Quilters Shop block and it is ready to have it's border attached.  I have also made good progress with Terry's Scamblesby block - again it just needs a border plus a little embroidery to finish.

Anything green must be good for you - right?

Today is the start of an unusual run of days with no appointments, nothing planned, no days out etc.  I am out for the next three nights - sewing, cinema and theatre - but these lovely days stretched ahead of me and, I hope, will see some structure and order back in the house (who am I kidding?)

 


First task, therefore, was an admin one - booking the dogs into the kennels for their holidays.  I am away on 4 separate occasions, starting in March, so it was a job that needed to be done before everywhere gets booked up.  I then phoned the vets to organise Daisy's booster injections - can you believe that it was a year ago that Daisy came to stay with us?  Look how much she has changed!  She still fits in the first bed that Auntie Wendy and I bought for her though.  Mind you, as I type this, Millie is curled up in it and Daisy is in Millie's - go figure!  By the way - the dirty marks on the wall are due to Daisy's jumping efforts to see the postman when he comes!





After a spell of ironing and pinning - getting ready for the sewing class tonight -  I then started some cooking.  First up was another batch of slow cooker soup which will be ready for tomorrow.  Then it was the time for the big one!  I had come across this strange recipe for "Herby Bread" and just had to try it.  I had Kale but didn't have courgette, and substituted butter for coconut butter, but boy oh boy, this is nice.  It's bright green but, apparently, is very nice toasted with a poached egg on so that's my breakfast tomorrow - if it lasts that long!

This afternoon was the vet's appointment for Daisy, followed by a dog walk in this rare sunshine.  Then it was time to pack the car ready for sewing.  Is the house sorted then?  Err no - but there are 5 more days!

Hooray for a mug rug

What's a mug rug I hear you say - well its an overgrown coaster - big enough to hold both your mug and a treat.  It was also the first project this term for the textile group.  Today we focussed on the applique - we are using the raw edge technique - but I am being nasty to them.  Next week we are tackling free motion quilting - something that most of the group haven't tried yet!





After some nice home made soup for lunch, it was then off to the surgery for the leg dressing before coming home and tackling the Tuesday night sewing project - I am sooooooo far behind but have made some inroads today.


I have nearly finished the last block from A Quilter Lives Here - I just have the shop sign to attach so that will be done this evening.  Then I want  to move onto the February block fro the Scamblesby quilt - a lovely embroidered picture designed by Terry,  picture to follow tomorrow hopefully!

Otherwise its been a quite day - if rather foul weather.  Since my car cannot now be seen beneath the dirt I think its time to get it cleaned tomorrow!

Whitework - or, rather, creamwork

Today was another sewing day - this time a workshop at Needles and Threads doing whitework.  Truthfully I could have done without going out and, at one point, considered not going but it was paid for- so tally ho!

I couldn't have asked for a more relaxing day.  We were instructed how to make a needlecase embroidered using some whitework techniques - albeit using DMC ecru perle 8 thread on cork linen.  We were aiming to make this.

but, and mine was called perfect by the teacher I would have you know, I only got this far today and have the instructions to finish it at home - so that's another UFO then!






Needless to say we were looked after with a small slice of coffee, cardomen and pistachio cake at elevenses ad smoked salmon quiche / Mediterranean vegetables frittata with a variety of fresh breads and salads for lunch.  There was also another class there in the morning - a get to know your sewing machine.  It took me back to when I started - they were so proud of their storage bags!

Tonight, after getting ready for the craft group tomorrow and finishing the pile of ironing, I am aiming to finish the latest block from "A Quilter Lives here" - wish me luck!!