Err - what EXACTLY have I done today then?

Let's start with last night - I managed to get that long list of chores done before I left for the WI meeting - where my poppy was given third place - good job I finished it then!  The theme for last night's meeting was "we've got rhythm" - everyone was given a musical instrument and we had to beat out different rhythms, keeping time with each other, increasing the temp and marching at the same time - we had a ball and lots of tears of laughter - it was really good for the soul!  Next month we are having a sugar craft demo - and then expected to make something and submit it for the competition - ooh eck!

After a very bad night's sleep - the pain in my leg saw me awake until 2:30am at least - I was somewhat sluggish this morning.  However there was a church planning meeting to get to at 10:30am and then straight onto Jean's.  Her car has now been officially written off and so I offered to drive her into Grimsby to do some shopping before picking the grandchildren up to sleep overnight.  She would have gone by bus but she was really good to me when I couldn't drive so its only fair that I repay the favour.

I got home around 4ish and so, after putting the shopping away and sorting the dogs out, the answer to the question in the title is "not a lot".  This evening will see some more handsewing but its been one of those sitting down days! 

Deadline Day

Today seemed to be one of those days when there were lots of jobs to be done - with an external deadline for some of them.  So, guess what, I have done most of the NON - deadline ones!  I have phoned the hospital re an appointment in November, popped to the nurse to have my leg redressed and finished, yes FINISHED, sewing the Tuesday night curved pieces!! You know - the ones that I need to finish for next Tuesday!  They just need to be ironed now.





I even unearthed the soup maker and made some lovely pea and ham soup for lunch (an several lunches in the future).







So - it is now 4:43pm and I need to leave the house for the WI around 6:30pm.  what is left to do?  Well - wrapping a fruit hamper up (including wrapping the cardboard box up), sorting the raffle tickets and float, wrapping the two birthday  gifts (there aren't supposed to be any birthdays this month so they will go on the raffle but its better to be safe than sorry), sorting a plate of food for the shared supper and , er, making up the knitted poppy for the competition - it's in 7 pieces at the moment with ends to sew in as well.  Not much then in 90 minutes or so!!

Overdosing on Vitamin D? er, no - it's October!

Given that the current trend in this area seems to be prescribing Vitamin D tablets, I took full advantage of this mornings sunny , if very chilly, day to get outside and overdose on Vitamin D from the sun.  there I was painting away - focusing first on the edge of the patio so that the summerhouse can be put up without me worrying about getting to the fence behind.  I chose Ronseal's "Willow", by the way, because it is the accent colour on the summer house so thought that it would complement.  Two hours later, and frozen to he core , I had only managed to get this far!  I would have chosen to paint spray it but the piece on the One Show the other night completely put me off!  As it is, it would seem that the sun between October and March isn't strong enough to give you any Vitamin D!!  Ah well - more painting tomorrow I guess!

Once in, I then sewed some more curved piecing that I had pinned last night, before completing a Splendid Sampler block that I had started at Scamblesby.  Next up was more pinning and sewing - get the picture? - I have now completed 138 pieces ( 80% ) and will be extremely glad when they are out of the way!






By now the post had arrived and my first Box of Delights from The Bramble Patch.  This is some form of lucky dip where you pay an amount and, every month, a box of surprises arrives.  Since everyone gets the same box, I won't reveal what is in mine - but I am very happy with the contents and the price of the individual parts is more than I paid - always good to know!











Once home from walking the dogs up at the extremely windy beach, I was greeted with some photos from Mum - who must have mastered her ipad camera to send them!  One of them, which I thought I wold share with you, was of the table runner that I made - now in situ with the strange chairs!  I think that it looks quite fetching now!

Dining with a star!

Today was the day chosen to meet up with a couple of old friends from Manchester.  We meet every six months or so and have lunch - catching up on all the gossip as we eat.  Today was no different - except, this time, we opted for a sandwich so that we could enjoy a pudding (normally we just have a starter and a main course).  The puddings were just too tempting - cherry, marzipan and almond cake with raspberry puree and ice cream - mmmmmmmmmm.  Weigh in tomorrow is not going to be pleasant anyway so why not?

Why the blog title?  Well Margaret has always loved her amateur dramatics and often works as an extra.  In fact whilst we were eating they called to see if she was free on Friday to be in Emmerdale (she was a nurse recently in Emmerdale).  Margaret was also telling me of recent filming in Liverpool of a new drama to be possibly shown next year called Little Boy Blue about the sad deathe of a  young boy - Rhys Jones - in his blue Everton shirt.  Watch out for that one!

So  - most of my day has been spent travelling or talking - but I did manage to fit a quick stop over at the nurse to have my leg redressed - she declared herself to be happy with how it is healing - go figure!!  However she has prescribed some emollient cream to rub in which may help the skin around the wounds to heal better.

Craftwise - there is nothing to report, clearly, but I have more pinned pieces to sew and a poppy to continue with - so watch this space tomorrow!

The day that I actually did what I was told!

Well - I thought that I ought to mark the occasion!

Last night I woke up several times but, from around 4:20am, just could not get back to sleep due to the pain in my leg (I am going to see the nurse tomorrow so nobody panic).  I took some paracetamols when I got up but nothing was touching it.  I had planned a morning of housework-and managed to mop the kitchen floor before enough was enough!  Cue an hour or so with my foot up  doing some hand sewing -seemed very decadent around 9:30am!  However it did help a little so perhaps the nurse did know best!  Mind you the dogs weren't complaining - Daisy ended up on my knee on her back with 4 legs in the air - fast asleep!

There then followed some ironing - sitting down of course - and an early lunch before heading out to the Textile Group.  On my way I popped around to a friends house who lost her husband yesterday - renal failure (ironically he had been ill for some time but had been diagnosed with faulty heart valves).

The aim, for this afternoon's Textile Group meeting, was to complete the Lynette Anderson bag.  Mind you Sewingbuddy had scared us with her warnings of poor instructions and difficulty assembling the bag.  As it was there was some unusual words expressed, and we didn't get as far as we would have liked. 

I managed to sew the outer parts and am ready to attach the straps and the lining.





Carine has chosen a lovely colourway and just needs to start sewing the parts together,







whilst Jean is at the same point - isn't it strange how the choice of fabrics has really changed the overall effect?







Ev came to the group for the first time this time - she ahs had major surgery so it was nice to see her up and about - but she was tackling some redwork which, she says, has kept her sane through this enforced period of rest.





 Elsewhere I have done some more pinning and piecing - I have reached the 100 stage (61%) and plan to do some more pining tonight.  I am also planning to start making a poppy tonight - its the WI competition this week!  I have even planted some more bulbs in two planters - well its my effort towards next spring!!

A lovely day refreshing my soul

So - last night's food heaven and my cheesecake?  Well - it went down well - I managed to take this photo before it was completely demolished!  Next time they want a black cherry version!

Today was one of our fortnightly sewing sessions at Scamblesby.  Whilst I cant tell you what I was working on (think Christmas present - but I have also reached the halfway stage of the curved piecing's!) I will, as usual, do a round up to show you the variety on offer.  I have to say that we do have requests to join us - we are a lovely bunch of people with just the right share of skills and knowledge so that we can help each other.





So - Jenny was completing  patchwork pheasant with some hand sewing.













Lyn was completing some splendid sampler blocks,









Whilst Julie was making some fabric jewellery for their art fayre at the end of the month.






Jean was completing a patchwork fox,










whilst Terry was completing a splendid sampler block, after making some ipad cases to sell.









When I asked Pat what she was doing - I was told "making friends with my unpicker" - I think that sums up her day!

As I said  its a lovely day and one that no one wants to miss!

Each to their own / Frogs R Us!

Let me pose the question - Which skill would you find the easiest?  In my case, doing a lot of sewing as I do, when mum wanted a table runner - no problem - just run one up.  Ask me to bake a cake, or, in the case of today's effort, a cheesecake and we are talking about enough preparations to solve the world's conflicts!  Let me explain.  Tonight the church is having a "Food Heaven" fund raiser - £7.50 for soup and a roll followed by as many puddings as you wish.  Since the puddings are all donated the event tends to raise a lot of money.  I offered to bring a pudding and was asked to make a cheesecake.  No problem - says I - and, in truth, the mixture does taste delicious (it's a lemon and lime citrus no bake cheesecake) but the kitchen looks like a bomb site and I really had to gee myself up to make it!  Still, hopefully it will have set by tonight and people will like it!

Today has been a lovely autumn day so I set to tidying up the garden.  I am trying to keep out of the back garden to give the concrete time to set properly so spent some time sweeping out the side "garden", pruning the fuchsia tree back and planting some daffodil bulbs in pots.  By the time that I had moved onto painting the other side of the fence, the joiner had arrived to cast his eye over the enormity of putting the summer house together - there sure seems to be a lot of parts!  (He has gone away scratching his head over the instructions and promising to ring with a date this week.  Meanwhile the summerhouse has been wrapped up in a tarpaulin to keep it snug and dry.)  Of course Millie and Daisy tried to help - in their laid back way.  But the chief issue were frogs - in every dark place a frog jumped out - you can just make out this one trying to hide in the recess of an oil tank!  The side still needs sweeping again -some of the bags had damp soil built up underneath so I want to let it dry off - but the green bin is full (it was emptied on Thursday morning!) and then the final step will be to power wash it - ready for the winter.

Elsewhere at chez moi, it was pinning and sewing (78 / 164 now - 48%) and assembling everything for the Scamblesby sewing day tomorrow.

Oh - and I haven't forgotten - I promised pictures of the garden - well here they are.  Bare at the moment but just waiting for the summerhouse and then pots, pots and more pots!  I have set my sights on a veg trug (that will please Dad - he thought the whole patio should come up and have a veg plot there instead) but want to wait until the summer house is up so that I can see how much space I have.