Feeling in a creative mood.

Last night's WI craft group was fun - ending with a whole line up of skiing snowmen!









This morning I woke up to what promised to be a "bitty " day.  First appointment was at the groomers with Daisy - this means taking her, coming home, going back half an hour later and then home again so it's difficult to settle down to anything.



Next up was the biweekly appointment with the nurse to redress the gammy leg. she has now ordered some honey patches to try - should be interesting!  Finally there was a hastily arranged viewing of Bridget Jones' Baby - a film that Wendy and I both wanted to see but just couldn't seem to coordinate our diaries - 5:30 this afternoon seems the only time and date!

Consequently I needed a project that could be picked up and put down  Cue my attempt at a "landscape' - the garden scene that I started several days ago.  You may recall that I have wanted to try and be more creative for some time and develop my own design.  So I now have a quilted fence, two shrubs ready to be embroidered and some quilted clouds - along with a washing line.  There are ends to sew in - plus the embroidery - but I am quite pleased with how it's going.

The Ying and Yang of life!

This morning was the funeral of our organist and the husband of a friend.  I went round to  the church early top help where possible and was delighted to see the church so full.  He had obviously touched so many lives and the address elicited both tears and laughter.  In particular I like the point made that Heaven wold be full of music - but on cake rations - he sure liked his cake!

One home, of course, normality returns.  I have had a call from the joiner saying that he can come next Wednesday (weather permitting) to put the summerhouse up so the fence painting becomes ever more pressing.  Fortunately for me the weather turned out to be sunny for a while, if a little chilly, so I spent some time painting more fencing and, hopefully, getting past the point that the summerhouse will hide.  The new patio has prove to be a sunny spot for Millie to lie out on whilst Daisy just goes berserk running around the garden!  I might also add that Daisy's apricot colouring is now tainted by a willow green streak - good job that she is at the groomers tomorrow!




 



Craft wise I spent another three hours working on a splendid sampler block.  It's a paper piecing one - and a really tricky one at that!  My attempt is truly shocking and may not make it into the final quilt - but I am not trying again either.  I can see why a lot of people just appliqued a circle onto a square!  Tonight it's the WI craft club where we are making snowmen -and where they will cast a critical eye over the poppy wreath.  Let's hope that they are gentle with me!

The "Blue Project" continues and reaches a vital stage!

Today was a day that I had planned to be the real antidote to last week's mayhem - a whole day at home - nowhere to go or be - could even be a pyjama day if I wanted.  Perhaps it was that mindset, perhaps it was the lack of sleep the night before or perhaps it was the shocking headache that I woke up with - but it was 9am before my eyes opened!!!!!  The poor dogs hadn't made a noise - but sure ran to the door fast!


 



After the usual chores, the first task was to do something with the WI wreath.  The white base bothered me and I was concerned that no matter how many more poppies we made we would always see the white coming through.  So I took the poppies all off and wrapped the wreath with some red fabric before reattaching them.  I don't know if the WI will like my efforts but I am pleased with it.






Then it was onto the "Blue Project" that I mentioned several weeks ago and which has been lain across the back of a chair trying to stare me out.  As I said before, this is a Christmas present so I have to choose my words and pictures carefully, but today is a trimming, sewing and then cutting day.  It is something that I need to focus on and therefore need a whole day to concentrate.









As light relief, I also spent some time completing a couple of Splendid Sampler blocks.  This first one was a bonus block to celebrate a million dresses being made from pillowcases for girls overseas.







The second one was block 53 ( we are currently on block 71 so that tells you how long this has been lying around waiting to be completed!).  No real reason why this is so late - but it has had to be undone several times and don't look too closely at some of the points!  I suspect that this sampler will be my Christmas holiday project - every block has to be individually quilted before the sashing is added.  Since the new bedroom upstairs has been colour coordinated with this quilt, and the blocks finish next February, I need to get a wriggle on!




Tonight is Slimming World. I know, I know I haven't been mentioning this recently and really haven't been following it so its time to face the music and get back on again.  As someone once said I am going the scenic route and enjoying the ride!

"A woman of your calibre ..."

Sorry for the blog title - this comment was made to me by my embroidery teacher on Sunday but I forgot to use it then.  Praise indeed though - eh?  She seemed to think that I knew what I was doing!

Today, being Tuesday, guess what?  Surprise, surprise Jean and I went to the Senior Screen.  The choice of films was limited so we went to see Swallows and Amazons.  It was clearly aimed at children but was filmed in the beauty of the Lake District and any film with Andrew Scott in it just has to be good.  Suffice to say I only dropped off once - Jean gives a good dig!!

Recently I have been suffering from TT&T's malady - forgetfulness.  Back in June I bought something to make for my 4th Great niece / nephew - due in November - and promptly put away safely until nearer the time.  Well, now we are staring November in the eyes I went looking for it - only to find that it wasn't there.  Despite this I revisited the place that I KNEW where I had put it many times before looking elsewhere.  When I got in at lunchtime I went straight to the airing cupboard (don't ask) and it was there!  Phew!  However I wasn't off the hook quite yet.  I then sat down to start messing around with a small "landscape" quilt - something that I have been wanting to do for some time and which involves creating your own design.  I wanted to start simple - just a back garden scene - complete with fence panelling and a washing line.  Could I find the fence panelling and tree fabric?  Again it wasn't where it was supposed to be - despite the millions of plastic boxes to organise me!  However I found it eventually and, as you can see, I have made a simple start.  My next job will be to quilt the fence panel with simple lines and then create some bushes before completing the scene with two trees to hold the washing line up.  After that I will decide if it's a keeper and perhaps embellish it with some embroidery.  If not then I will simply start again.  As someone once said - it's only fabric!





The next job - apart from continually phoning the lily man again! - was the WI wreath.  You may recall that we had decided to make our own wreath this year and give a donation to the British Legion.  Somehow I've got the job of gluing the poppies to the wreath so that I can take it on Thursday to the craft group and see how many more poppies we need.  As you can see from the picture - quite a few more!!





After tea, it will be a repeat of yesterday - feet up, Daisy on my knees and some hand sewing.  I know how to live!

The benefits of a good nights sleep

Well, after a very busy and sleep deprived week I eventually got up at 8:30am - so late that I had to turn the hot water on again for an hour so that I could shower etc!  Mind you I felt better for it - there's nothing like the power of a good nights sleep!

I had an appointment with the nurse to redress my leg (she isn't happy with how quick its healing or not and is asking for a second opinion before making a referral).  Whilst I was in there she sneaked a dodgy flu injection in!  I have never had one but I have heard that those with kidney problems (I have no problem - just born with only one kidney) should have them so didn't object too much.  I then picked Jean up - I had dropped her off to take a couple of cars on a test run.  I am happy to report that she took my advice and bought the slightly larger one - apparently it ran and felt better.

Once home - this time for only an hour or so - it was a quick tidy around and getting ready for the textiles group.  Again we were doing lots of different projects:-





Ev was doing the mystery project that she missed the first time around,








Jean was making some wonky house brooches to post to Terry and sell at the Scamblesby Art Fayre,






Carine was making some more "Sweet sixteen" bags for Christmas presents whilst I carried on with the mystery Christmas presents that have been like a millstone around my neck for over a month!






Home again meant walking the dogs - this time an "on the lead" walk ending up going around a nearby field which just happened to have sheep in the next field.  Let's just say that Daisy was so confused that she forgot to bark!  By now it was nearly 4pm so I tried the "lilyman" for the sixth time, again without luck, (we have a lily service on Sunday and I have been asked to order the lillies) before heading outside to take advantage of the only sunny day forecasted this week to paint some more fence.  I am planning on trying to pin the joiner down tomorrow for a date to put the summerhouse up but at least the fence will be painted -well, the bit covered by the summerhouse at least!  Well - that was the plan - two half planks in and the heavens opened - oops!

Tonight?  Well, guess what I am doing?  Yep, feet up on the sofa, with Daisy asleep on my knee doing some hand sewing - what bliss!

The end of a very long and very tiring self inflicted week!

Last night  bumped into an old acquaintance who retired 5 years ago.  As we swapped stories about our experiences I couldn't help but feel blessed.  She felt isolated, unappreciated by her family and as if this was it for the rest of her life  cooking and cleaning all day long.  This week may have been ,ore mad than usual but, with my friends and my hobbies, there's never time to be bored!




Today's excursion was to an embroidery workshop in Lincoln.  The aim was to learn about stumpwork and to create this three dimensional flower.  The reality was that, buy lunchtime, I created one petal (the 10p piece is so that you can see how tiny it was!).  By the end of the day we had created the greenery but still had three petals to complete!  Hey ho - another project to finish then! 

Sewingbuddy seemed to enjoy herself though.

Tonight is, of course, the Strictly results show (didn't some of them dance out of their skins last night?) and Poldark.  However I am also intrigued by the new ITV series - Tutankhamen - given that it is linked to Highclere Castle and the exhibition that we saw this summer.  Then it will be time to collapse  into bed and turn the alarm off for the first time this week.

oops - nearly forgot to blog!

Today started with a grey, over cast misty feeling - which couldn't dampen our spirits!  oday was one of our sewing days at Scamblesby.  True we were depleted - there were only four of us.  But it was a chance to get our heads down and forge ahead with our different projects.




Pat, for example, was nearing completion of her beautiful quillow.







Ev was busy making aprons and coasters to sell at the forthcoming art fayre,







and Terry was winding her way through some outstanding Splendid Sampler blocks.  Modesty prevents me from saying how much help I gave her!








It was my turn to make the cake - so I used Nigella Lawson's recipe for an easy almond cake (uses marizipan - mmm).

Tonight I am out again - this time serving ice creams etc at the local theatre - so it is a quick turn around - hence the title of the block.  However I have some hand sewing to take with me to do during the first half!