Sewing retreat countdown - minus 8

Well I have now accepted that, baring a miracle, I won't lose the 11 1/2 lbs that I need to reach my self imposed target in 8 days - but I can give it a good go and see how near I can get!  To this end, this blog, for the next 8 days will be hijacked by my food intake and general efforts to lose as much as possible - in a healthy way of course!  I will share one secret with you though - the 11 1/2 lbs is based on my SW weigh in next Monday - yet I started this journey a week before at home.  If I could stand on the scale in my own bathroom a week on Wednesday and have lost the 5 stone then I would be over the moon - so that means I am looking to lose (just) 9lbs this week - still a far stretch but a little less!

Anyway, back to today.  Due to the seals being up and hundreds of people coming to see them and blocking the car pack, I have been remiss lately about taking the dogs up to the beach - walks on the lead just aren't the same (especially with Millie pulling!) so my first task was to get up and go out early up to the beach.  The car park was empty at 8:45am, the rain drizzling and it was cold - but we made it home glowing and deserving my breakfast.  As I was showering and getting dressed, I had some weetabix muffins cooking in the oven.  This recipe makes 4 / 5 muffins from the two weetabix biscuits and "costs" me 2 syns plus my Healthy Extra B.  That means that I can enjoy 2 for my breakfast and snack on the other 3 during the day.

2 weetabix (I used Apple and Raisin) crumbled into a bowl.

One pot of fat free yoghurt / 1/2 a muller light yog

2 eggs

2 tablesoons Apple Sauce

mixed spice

mix together and put into silicone muffin moulds.  Cook for 25 minutes at 180 degrees C

After turning the heating on (trust me - its that kind of day) it was then onto the cleaning and tidying.  I try to sort the craft room out on a Tuesday and Millie has tried to help me by emptying the contents of the bin across the floor - even taking some into the lounge - how helpful!!  Once sorted, my thoughts turned to my freezer.  It has become a dumping ground (how many bags of grated cheese can a girl have - and as for frozen garlic!!!!!) and I have little idea what's in there - so, every now and then, I sort it out and make a list so that I can plan meals around the contents.  That's got to help the pennies - and revealed a number of meals that I have portioned out / odds and ends like a bit of spare mash / rice n peas / quarters of lemons and limes frozen after I have just grated them etc.  I need to do the same to the store cupboard - but I will save that "treat" for another day!

Lunch was another portion of the lovely pumpkin and bacon soup that I blogged about last week - well, I have half a pumpkin to use up!  You are supposed to reserve some bacon to fry and add at the last minute before serving.  In the spirit of using things up, I had two cooked low fat sausages in the fridge so cut one of those up and added it -well, it was pork after all! Whilst I was channelling my Domestic Goddess, I also started a risotto in the slow cooker and stewed some gooseberries that I found in the freezer.  I have never done a risotto this way and am intrigued to see how it turns out - I normally stand and stir - endlessly!  Again, I am using up mushrooms from the fridge that look fine but am out of date by a couple of days.

With the freezer list completed and the fridge sorted, I could then sit down and plan a week's menus - I am planning to only buy fruit and veg.  The trouble that I have found with SW is that you get tempted to try new recipes and then go out and buy all the ingredients!  Of course, I wouldn't be me, if I didn't do anything craft related and so, naturally, I ironed the backing squares for the Scamblesby quilt blocks, sorted out everything for the sewing class tonight  and set my BFF to sew the back of a gingerbread man to send to a woman who is making bunting out of these to take into hospital at Christmas.  I even found time to do some "leaves sweeping up" before collapsing onto the sofa for an indulgent afternoon - well, I deserved it don't you think?  I came across the finale of "The Quilt Project" and wanted to see who was going to win!

As they say -"every little helps"

Today was the usual Monday routine.  The Textile group were desperately trying to finish their mini bags - but they were all at different stages which did try the patience somewhat!  Wendy, Carine and I managed to get our external zip in and are now on the final leg of hand stitching before adding the zipper tabs.  However Jean was sharing her machine with Annerly and so didn't get quite as far.  Linda, in the mean time, was just sat quietly doing her hand sewing.  Next week we move onto making some lampshades - help!


After popping home for some light housework, it was then off out again to slimming world.  With just a week to lose 12 lbs, I was not too hopeful.  But I had had a good week, food wise and so could look forward with some hope to a decent loss - just 1/2 a stinking pound!!!!!!!  Personally I am blaming Mum - she ordered me a white bread sandwich instead of wholemeal on Friday - but, really, I should have lost more than that!  Unless I cut an arm off, I won't make my target - but, and it is a BIG BUT, I have lost over 4 stone since I started on this journey and that's not to be sneezed at!  I should also add that the target is just my first target - my second target is to lose 6 stone by Christmas.  Well, don't they say that if you shoot for the sky you may just get a star?

We drove home in the dusk - the nights are really drawing in now aren't they?  This calls for jacket potatoes, lighted fires, casseroles and handsewing in front of the tv - bliss!

"Everything I do, I do it for you ..."

Well, I don't know about you but I woke up this morning  - having slept as much as usual - just an hour earlier than I needed to!  Unless you are waking up to an alarm clock, this "extra hour's sleep" is just a myth!  The lighter mornings (for a while) will help those with early starts - but this evening it will be darker a lot sooner than last night!  Ah well!

An earlier start meant more done sooner - in fact the Christmas pudding was made and started its' 5 hours steaming at 9am so will be finished at 2pm.




Next up - apart, of course from the clean up of the kitchen (why do I make such a mess when I cook?) -was the quilting of the outside of my mini bag.  The Textile group returns tomorrow morning and so we are aiming to get this bag finished.







With the temperature dropping. and the rain falling, the next job was also Textile Group related.  We are aiming to make a handmade lampshade and so I spent time listening to the Archers cutting out packs for them all.



With another bowl of pumpkin and bacon soup for lunch (the pumpkin pud wasn't great- won't try that again!) I then set to and made another mug rug.  The young lad in our SW class is 1lb away from losing 150lbs so I used my BFF to embroider the landmark.  The Lego fabric is to commemorate a recent trip he took his young son on to Legoland.





With the fire lit, the Christmas pudding turned off, the sewing machine work completed and the bed stripped, washed and remade, it was then time to put my feet up and enjoy some afternoon tv - just what winters are made for! What's more Michael Ball and Alfie Boe are on the tv tonight for an hour - what bliss!  This is shaping up to be a brilliant day!





And the blog title? Well, I was listening to Michael Ball on the radio and he played the Bryan Adams song "Everything I do, I do it for you" which was number 1 on this week in 1991.  Family members will recall our madcap scheme (developed late one night the previous Christmas) where we all (9 adults, three children and 4 dogs) gathered together, for the weekend, in my 2 bed bungalow and played / sang this song (having learnt an instrument in the preceding months - I chose the recorder).  We then inflicted our efforts (plus a cd of us singing Christmas songs karaoke style) a video that we shot of me and Father Christmas doing a Cathy / Heathcliffe moment up at the beach and a n album of photos onto my parents.  It was a crazy, laughter filled weekend (which even included an emergency dash to the vets late Saturday night because Mum's dog had a bone embedded into her mouth after raiding the bin bag) but it's a lovely memory!

"Pumpkin Fest"

So, let's start with last night.  We had a lovely book club meal - with this SW summer pudding especially made for us, along with syn values - and then stayed for the quiz.  We managed a very respectable score of 51 with the winning team getting 54 points - not too bad eh?







Today I was up and out early to nip through to the supermarket.  I had wanted this week to be a "use it up" week - but I have to make something for the WI meeting on Thursday, make savoury scones for the WI competition and buy prizes for the WI raffle.  I also decided to make a SW Christmas pudding and, since it takes around 7 hours to steam, thought that I would get the ingredients, soak the fruit overnight tonight and then cook it tomorrow since I am in all day.  I am hoping that the smells will make the house seem all Christmassy!!

Back home, and with dogs walked and shopping put away, I decided to tackle the pumpkin that I brought home from SW this week.  For lunch I decided to make pumpkin and bacon soup   (I would add that I altered this slightly to make it SW friendly but have given you a link to the recipe in case you want to try it - it is by Tom Kerridge after all!)and then cook some more pumpkin tonight and bake in a "custard" with cinnamon and sweetener for a dessert. I would have said that I didn't like pumpkin - but the soup was wonderful - so, maybe, just maybe (on this rare occasion) I was wrong!




Being out last night meant that I had a lot of tv to catch up on.  So, this afternoon, it was catch up tv, accompanied by the sound of the sewing machine tackling the much mentioned table runner.  I am really pleased to see it get to the quilting stage so that I can put it away until Tuesday night - another job ticked off!

With a beef casserole simmering in the oven, the pumpkin pudding ready to cook and Strictly's Halloween on tonight - it's going to be a good evening!

"It only takes a minute" ..

As I have commented many times, I am a list maker by nature.  You know - the sort of person who enjoys writing a list and crosses things off SO much that she will even write things on the list that have already been completed - just so that they can be ticked off (how sad!)  This has meant that I am attracted to"Bullet Journals" and have a lovely book full of memorabilia and lists - LOTSleave one outside. of lists!  I also follow a facebook page where people are often showing their own Bullet Journal ideas - and I was reminded of one today.  This lady had timed herself doing regular housework tasks and then recorded the times - on the grounds that thinking about doing a job often takes longer than the task itself.  As I put the lawn mower away (please let it be for the last time!) I realised that the task had only taken 10 minutes or so - why did I keep putting the task off?  Perhaps recording times is not such a daft idea after all!

Today has been a simple day really - a church meeting that went on beyond the self imposed deadline (I set my phone to go off but we carried on talking for half an hour after that!) - followed by some hoovering (I REALLY need to hire the carpet cleaner - note to self, a bag of potatoes is not economical when Millie just helps herself and leaves dirt on the carpet) and some tidying of the craft room.  I have a totally free weekend lying ahead of me and so want to get the sewing class table runner top finished and then layered up - ready to quilt at the class on Tuesday.  I am out at the book club tonight and, I don't know about you, I find such days feel as if you are "waiting around" until its time to get ready.


Meanwhile a little treat landed into my lap - the latest CD from Michael Ball (swoon) and Alfie Boe.  I was in two minds as to whether to get this CD - until I saw that they were singing "Bring Me Sunshine" - so how could I resist?  In fact as I write this post, the CD has reached the last song - "White Christmas" with Bing Crosby -it's my tradition to watch "White Christmas" as I wrap presents every year - I could probably say the script off by heart - and still tear up at the moving moments - lol!!





My only other achievement is to complete the second WI Poppy Wreath - we had so many poppies made this year!  Last year we were advised not to leave the wreath out as it may get ruined / stolen.  This time, having two wreaths, we can place one in the church on the Soldier Chapel and leave one outside.

"Busy doing nothing" ....

How can a day go so fast - yet, when you look back at it, you realise that you have achieved very little?

Rosenberg's were having a fabric sale at a Town Hall around 45 minutes away today.  It's the first time that they have done such a fabric roadshow near to us so, of course, we had to go and have a look!  They had a range fabric on sale - from Cotton Lawn to heavy suiting - and so much was not suitable.  However  did succumb to a metre of a lovely blue fabric and three metres of a nice cotton lawn (it was £3 per metre and would make a nice summer top!).  I also bought a fat quarter of this fabric - not sure what I will do with it but it was too different to just pass by!





After a nice mug of coffee, and a catch up with friends, I then came home (for around an hour or so) before heading back out again.  This time I was taking Maisie back to Mum's - but we had arranged to meet up for lunch a the local garden centre.  Several hours later, plus three trollies full (well, there were vouchers you understand) it was time to come home - and write this blog - do you see what I mean?


Ahead of me this evening is a date with a hoover (well, you should see the black hair that Maisie drops everywhere) and a good tidy up of the craft room plus some washing.  It's been a good day but, as I said, one that seems to have achieved very little.  In fact, ironically, I met two former students who work at the garden centre and who were working much harder than me - now that's a definition of irony retirement!

Divine Intervention?

So, last night I went over to Mum and Dad's with Daisy in tow.  I had visions of my two cute great nieces playing with a cute cockerpoo - but Daisy was having none of it!  She shivered, she barked and whined - whenever the girls went near her, Daisy hid under my chair!  Oops!  The girls were fine -as I said yesterday, they have a dog of their own and so are savvy around dogs but I really embarrassed about Daisy! On the plus side, she really behaved herself when the children went to bed and my SW brownies went down well - so all was not lost!

Whilst we were there, Mum was telling a story of a sound she had heard in the house and wondered if she had a squirrel in the ceiling / gap under the upstairs floorboards.  Today, at Spindle Cottage , someone else was talking about squirrels and I recounted the story.  They then replied that their squirrel had done a lot of damage - particularly in the loft - and had chewed every single piece of the nativity set - apart from Mary and baby Jesus - is there a message there?

The workshop was my regular monthly workshop where we are making a sewing box.  Today we finished off the top tray and I have to glue the base to the box and then insert the compartments (gluing if its not as snug a fit as it should be).  Then, this afternoon, we started the major embroidery that goes around the whole box - its our homework but we do have three months before we need to have finished it!  The pictures are the teacher's example so that you can see how much is involved!





As my eyes started to close I decided to come home early - it will be nice to have an evening in "with the girls".

Meeting up with family

Today my brother, Steve, his wife, Hilary, their daughter Cadi and their grand daughters Evi and Abi are all descending on Mum's for an overnight visit.  We don't get to see them that often so the plan is to pop round to Mum's for tea - along with another brother, his wife and his sister in law who is visiting them.  Its nice to have small family meet ups now and then isn't it?  Mind you - Mum is trying to serve up a SW friendly meal - so I am helping out by making some SW friendly chocolate brownies!  It's the first time that I have made them so let's see what they taste like once they've cooled down!




This morning has therefore been a "sorting out the small jobs" kind of day.  Firstly the kitchen got a good clean, and then the lounge a tidy -all whilst the last diamond from the embroidered table topper was completed.  I then managed to piece them together, bag the front out and press - before slip stitching the opening closed.  It definitely needs the central button (if you know what I mean!) but its not too bad for a first attempt!  I am also aware that it needs a more relevant button - so will look out for a Christmas related one.




During the morning my Tesco online shopping arrived - along with a card congratulating me on my 100th shop and offering triple clubcard points for my next shop.  That was then followed up by a phone call from Tesco's thanking me for the 100 shops - I know its a marketing ploy - but its a nice touch nevertheless.







As the sun began to come out to play, the next job was to finish the plum tree pruning "chop up" to get it all into the garden bin - so that it's ready to go out tomorrow.  With my brother up with Mum and Dad, I have Maisie with me so it was nice to see them all out in the garden playing.  Mind you - I am taking Daisy with me this afternoon - I am hoping that the little girls will enjoy playing with her (they have a much larger dog that they have left at home).




Next up - I squeezed half an hour in to start a jigsaw that Trisha bought herself and lent me - who says that I am sewing all the time then?








Lastly I had to get ready for my sewing day at Spindle Cottage tomorrow.  I felt very disorganised last time so am hoping to give a better impression!  Of course that also includes getting my lunch ready -I am planning on having SW Caesar Salad so needed to cook some chicken thighs with bacon wrapped around.

You are never too old to learn a new skill

So, back to my BFF- I think that I have mastered the basics of the embroidery machine, have downloaded a few designs and have created a couple of my own.  The next step in this learning journey is to tackle embroidering "in the hoop".  Wendy alerted me to a "sew a-long" on Facebook to create a Christmas table centre - it even had a video on you tube to help you.  So that is how this morning started - trying to master the technique.  My first attempt was going well until I nudged the table - and the yellow strip landed in the wrong position.




The second attempt went much better and will probably be used - but I needed to trim the green bauble closer than I did.  I need to make 6 diamonds - the technique "quilts as you go" - and then sew them together to form the star.  At this stage I am wondering whether my starter kit of threads will mean that I run out before I complete all 6!

Other than taking the opportunity of no Textile Group (it's half term) to sort the house out, it was a sewing morning - well, apart from one glorious moment where I managed to book my tickets for Strictly Live 2018!  Trisha and I usually go to Sheffield but, for some reason, they are not going there this year.  So, instead, we are going to travel to Nottingham for an afternoon performance - can't wait!



Of curse, this afternoon was Slimming World.  For some strange reason I have had a bad week this week - I did wonder if the mouth ulcer was a sign of being run down.  I certainly felt a little blah!  Consequently I have therefore put some weight on (2 1/2lbs) - which makes my target seem ever so far away!  However, this is a marathon, not a sprint, so I will keep on going!  Mind you - it would have been easy to give the meeting a miss - the roadworks have started which means around a 20 mins additional travel time.  Therefore when one of Jean's neighbours mentioned a "secret" road through we thought we would give it a go.  There were signs saying that it was a private road, and it was more like a track than a road - but no one stopped us (although I did feel extremely guilty!) and we managed to get through - although Jean did have to open and close the gate!!  Whether I will feel as brave tomorrow when I pop up to Mum and Dad's on my own remains to be seen!  Jean's husband - warning her not to get herself shot - did not inspire confidence!

Low on numbers, high on laughter

Today was a Scamblesby sewing day and the first hour was dominated by a new game - "hunt the tiny screw"!.  Terry had wanted to take some tops in and Ev had brought her overlocker in to help with the process.  Ev had just had the machine serviced but felt that they had put the needle in incorrectly - cue one broken needle followed by Terry and Ev trying to sort out how to put two new needles in - which then resulted in the removal of a tiny screw - which, naturally, fell "on the floor".  I tried to help by shining my phone light on the floor and, in desperation, I suggested that we picked the machine up and tiled it forward - "just in case" it had fallen into the machine.  Cor - I was right!  I then watched as they both tried to get the machine going again - eventually giving up and resolving to take the machine back to the repair shop!  You had to be there - but it was a giggle!




Meanwhile I was putting the finishing touches well, just some handsewing to go, to a 16 piece project to inflict on someone for Christmas.








I also managed to sew together my table runner from the Tuesday night class and now need to add a border before starting to quilt it,






whilst Pat was sewing some cheeky  Christmas Pudding fairies.









Terry was completing the central square for her retreat project










and Jean was making a cute "Frozen" tote bag for a friend's grand daughter.











Ev was making a tote bag and toiletries case for a friend due to go into hospital tomorrow for an op - but, sadly, I forgot to take a photo!  Meanwhile Heather joined us after lunch and started her sewing retreat central block - promptly gunging up the iron with her efforts!!!! 



 It was fun!  Fun - that is apart from the mouth ulcer that has been plaguing me all day - eventually popping and then restarting.  Thank goodness for the co-op on the way home and some quite costly bonjela!

I missed an important moment

Whilst I was paying homage yesterday to Mum getting her passport and looking forward to her inaugural flight , I failed to notice my own little moment - I had passed the 800 miles mark!  You may recall tat its my aim to walk 1000 miles in a year and it was only when I updated the spreadsheet this morning that I noticed this small marker!!!  Yeah!  Onwards and upwards!  Truthfully, when I started out on this challenge I never thought that I would even get close to achieving this.  That first month I managed around 56 miles whereas now I am managing more like 100 miles a month.  With just over two months to go, therefore the finishing line is in sight!





Today, Wendy and I popped over to Immingham to see a quilt show put on by Phoenix Quilters.  There was a range of quilts on display - I particularly liked this Christmas one,







whereas this one used the distinctive Lynette Anderson fabric










and this one continued the seasonal theme of poppies.













There were, of course, one or two stalls with one of them being "Daisy Crafts" from Bridlington (we always have to stop over there when we travel up to Scarborough).  Of course we couldn't resist buying something and this Anni Downs panel caught our eye.  It makes a Christmas wall hanging, some Christmas bunting and the sides of a Christmas sweetie dish - value for money then!!

Back home, some quick housekeeping and then it was down to sorting out the projects for tomorrow's sewing day at Scamblesby.  I have been feeling chilly all day so, once sorted and then dogs walked, it was an indulgent afternoon in front of the tv ( a snooze here and there) and hand sewing - how lazy!!

An auspicious day!

Today should go down in history - it's a momentous occasion that should be marked with champagne (or perhaps shloer in our case!).  What am I talking about?  well, today Mum and Dad went to the Post Office and had their passport applications checked and sent off.  Now I know that they have both had one before -but Mum never used hers in its 10 year life and Dad barely used his.  This time they have a family wedding in Italy to look forward to - Mum has never flown before so I thought that I would mark this baby step towards her first flight.




After we had done the deed, I then took them into Grimsby to pop into Marks and Spencers.  I was impressed as to the decor inside the shopping centre - very respectful at this time of year!


Once back at theirs, Mum and Dad continued to load greenery from their decimated garden into rubbish bags (Dad practically lives at the tip these days) whilst I sorted out his new printer.  Am I the only one who years for a printer that you just connect a lead to and it works?  Why do they need to make everything so difficult - grrrrr!!!  Th printer was on the screen but it kept saying that it was offline.  Over an hour later I managed to get it to work but ..............

Back home and it was time to pop to the doctors to collect my prescription.  Hardly newsworthy I know - but we are facing 4 weeks of road closures in our village from Monday and so I wanted to get things like this sorted before a 5 minute drive becomes a 20 minute one!  I understand one closure - the road is subsiding on one side and they have scheduled this for half term to avoid problems with school buses.  However the other end of the village is closed for 4 weeks and the road looks absolutely fine to me! Ah well - this grumpy old woman is getting off her soap box now!

It's a rainy day Thursday!

With no appointments - other than WI craft group tonight - today stretched out in front of me - which actually means that it takes ages to get going!  I must also admit that several activities will go unphotographed for reasons that, hopefully, become obvious!

First up, after the inevitable housework, bed stripping, washing machine loading etc, was to prepare the raw materials for the book club Christmas presents and pack them - ready for the sewing retreat.  With 15 gifts to prepare, this took some time!

The next job - well, I was in the craft room at the sewing table -was to do with the Scamblesby Quilt.  The final block (apart from a lovely surprise block from Jenny ) is Jean's and she has given me the block so that I can do the computer part and print off some copies for the others on Sunday.  Of course, whilst I had the block, it would have been rude not to do it myself now wouldn't it?  As I may have said, it is one of my aims for the retreat to finish this Scamblesby Quilt so it doesn't hurt to"get ahead" of myself with the blocks (although  still have three to do!!)

Withe rain still misting down, and the fog rolling in,I put my winter coat on for the first time (boy is it getting big!) and braved the beach.  I live in an area where seals come and give birth at this time of year - which has become a visitor attraction over the years - sometimes it is nigh on impossible to get out of my own road for the continuous stream of cars!  Normally the seals come in November but it has just been advertised that the first pups have been born so, with half term next week, Today could be our last walk at the beach for a month or so.  I have tried to park up there and walk in the opposite direction - but the car park is so full it is an absolute nightmare - at any time of the day!!  Let's just say that it's easier to avoid the area!


After a lunch of home made Kale soup (the curly kale from the SW raffle win!) it was time to concentrate on the WI craft club.  We had planned to continue with the knitted poppies for our wreath - but I had sorted out a craft just in case - these EPP Christmas ornaments.







 I also spent some time this afternoon with my glue gun - assembling the afore mentioned poppy wreath!