It's time to get the woolly hat out!

After a good night's sleep I, err, slept in this morning - turning the radio on to find that they were announcing the 9 o'clock news!  EEK!!  That late start has kind of marked the day for me today - everything seemed just that little more difficult than usual So, I thought, why fight it?  Go with the flow.  It has been a grey and chilly day (more of that later) so it seemed pertinent to focus on my sewing (he he!)





First up was to finish the Tuesday night homework and then trim the blocks to size.  Of course I couldn't resist putting the blocks together to see how they might look - I just need to sew them together and not lose the points now!







I will admit to getting a tad distracted - by the jigsaw puzzle - well, you would wouldn't you?  Oops - this is the "australian" version!








But then it was onto the Textile Group blocks and the finishing of the quilting and cutting of the sashing - again prep for Monday's class.

 Somewhere in-between all of this "activity" I took the dogs up to the beach.  I already knew how cold today felt and had put the heating but, wow, the cold took my breath away at the beach and reminded me to look out my gloves and gloriously unflattering beanie hat!



All that was really left was to make a start cutting up the fabric for the quilt that we plan to make at our sewing retreat in November.  It's a Mandy Shaw Design and involves quite a lot of intricate cutting out and prepping!  I have been putting this job off for sometime - but I guess that everyone needs to make a start somewhere!

Tonight it's our Church's Harvest Festival meal -a choice of Shepherds pie / Lamb casserole.  It will be nice to have someone else cook dinner for a change -although I will promise to avoid the puddings!

Cutting out the dead wood

As promised by the forecast (how often can you say these days?) I woke up to a lovely sunny (if a tad cold) day - one full of possibilities.  So I hoovered and tidied throughout, stripped the bed, put the dishwasher on,  put one, oops two, no three loads of washing on - before then heading outside to prune the plum tree!  Truthfully my plum tree has only delivered 7 plums the last couple of years so I am trying some pruning - it can't get much worse now can it?  Before anyone notices - I still have the middle branch to cut down!



Of course, going outside means going through the conservatory and, therefore, past the jigsaw - it would be rude not to spend time with Jane Austen now wouldn't it?

After a lovely sunny walk at the beach (where Daisy came back full of mud!) I sat down at the sewing machine and made a start on the last 4 blocks for my Tuesday night class.  Foundation paper piecing is a slow but accurate process!

In the middle of the sewing my phone rang - it was these reprobates suggesting that we might meet up centrally for lunch.  Well, never one to turn down an invitation, off I went and enjoyed a nice bacon sandwich on wholemeal bread - no butter (well, I still have to stick to SW don't I - I need an average of 3lbs weight loss over the next 5 weigh ins).

Back home, and with the four blocks now finished, I now only had time to sort some handsewing out for the evening (sewing snow on trees of all things), make the bed up and then light the fire - it is turning quite chilly again!

Buona sera!

Today was one of those errand days that, despite my best efforts, I just cannot make all that interesting!  After a night of vicious winds, I was up at 6:30am (unheard of now!) and out by 8am.  My reasoning?  If I could do the Tesco run early then it would avoid the crowds - I was right - just one checkout open and the others were all self service.  Shopping done (including WI raffle prizes (this Rose intrigued me), non alcoholic wine for tonight's Italian celebration (I thought that these bottles were appropriately named!) and quiz prize) it was then off to the garden centre.  You may recall that I bought some cast iron bird feeders earlier in the year which looked like poppies and daffodils.  Yesterday Mum mentioned that she has seen some blue cornflowers to add to my collection - well - you would wouldn't you?




From there it was a short hop to The Range to buy the missing things for my Sewing box workshop - mounting card, masking tape etc.  Whilst I was in the range I spotted a collapsible trolley bag on wheels -just the sort of bag that Mum needs when she goes to Meadowhall on the train and very reasonably priced.

By now it was heading towards 10:30am and time for the hairdressers - my excuse to sit and be pampered - whilst being brought cups of coffee and biscuits!  Someone had left some goodies for them to sell in aid of Macmillian - just right for a couple of Christmas gifts - so I bought a couple.

After stopping off at Mum's to deliver her pressie - she said that I had made her morning (it was 1:30 but who's counting?) it was then back home to unload the shopping and have lunch.  I am doing the quiz tonight and therefore there was some finishing off to be done -as well as wrapping the winning prize / wrapping the birthday gifts and sorting out the raffle prizes!  This WI is becoming a full time job!!




Dogs walked, I could then, finally, chill for a little while - by colouring in!  Courtesy of Sewingbuddy, I was trying a technique where you colour in an area of fabric and then "set" it with pure Aloe Vera Gel - in my case these are the before and after pictures of the Christmas tree stumps from my Textile group block - its quite an effective technique.



By the way - I have just come across this advert for Warburton's bread -enjoy!!

Ooh mother - I am a bit posh!

I was listening to Simon Mayo on Radio 2 last night and they were discussing staircases.  Apparently most people have 13 steps in their staircase and he wondered why.  He then spoke to an historical architect who explained that the phenomena was down to the standardisation of modern houses and the heights of the rooms.  Apparently to have more than 13 steps is a sign that your ceiling is higher than the norm and therefore a sign of grandeur.  Well, of course, like most of you reading this, I ten went out and counted the steps - and I have 14!!  Woop woop - I am posh!



Anyway - onto today.  It was scheduled to be a fact finding day with Mum and Dad.  First up was a stop at a newly opened tea shop in Caistor.  We had spotted it several times and planned to stop there today.  I am glad that we did.  It turned out to be a charitable venture supporting adults with learning difficulties and boasted a tea room -along with a gift shop, sweet emporium and outdoor garden furniture - all gifts and furniture being made by said adults.  We decided to switch things around and have an early lunch of bacon / sandwich buttie with our coffee - mmm very nice and very reasonably riced as well!





Then we moved onto the gift shop (we did look at the sweet emporium but resisted the temptation).  Although I bought a few gifts that I cannot show here, I did buy myself a "bag" which consist of a series of pockets and which could be press studded together.  I will need to do a little unpicking and resew in order to fit the rulers that I want this bag for - but for £5.99 I thought that it was worth paying whilst supporting the venture.




Next up on our tour was a wood yard in Brigg where Mum and Dad bought a log store, some logs (they are having their log burner fitted within the next month or so) and some paving slabs to extend the patio ready for the "lodge" to be delivered and erected.  I stayed in the car at this point and sorted Mum's new phone (my old one).  Of course this has meant that both in the teashop and at home, Mum couldn't stop playing learning how the phone worked.




On the way home, we stopped off at Brigg Garden centre - why wouldn't you? -to look at garden planters.  We didn't buy anything but a couple more presents may just have landed in my basket.  I also treated myself to a new jigsaw in the "I love" range - this time "I love Christmas" - well, its only a few weeks away now!  We did, however, stop for a coffee and a cake - now which one do you think that I chose from this selection?




All in all, a lovely day - with The Apprentice starting tonight to look forward to!!

Now, admit it, how many of you have been and counted the steps in their stairs?  Mum has - she has 13!  Bless x

My kinda day!

It's not often that you get what you wish for is it?  However I woke up to a day full of nothing - AND the sun was shining - result! After three busy days spent predominantly out of the house, it was a day to catch up with chores that desperately needed doing.

First up was the craft room - I have a sign which says "A clean and tidy house is a sign of a broken sewing machine" - well, even I couldn't go on any longer without sorting the sewing room mess and sweeping the floor - it was full of Daisy's "trophies" - wrappers etc that she manages to find!  Sadly, the empty and clean look makes me happy - but doesn't last long!  It's also pay day today (why do i still call my pension pay?) and so time to stock up with some "weaveline" - backing for my embroideries.  I am running low and tend to buy a few metres at a time since I go through it like a dose of salts!

Next up was a general tidy around before taking advantage of the nice weather and taking the dogs for a long walk up at the beach.  Of course the car had to be emptied before we set off - the machine has spent the last three days in the car!  Lunch then followed - some left over rice (don't worry I have refrigerated it) from last night, peas and tinned salmon - sounds strange but nice and slimming world friendly - although no "speed foods" just in case the sw police are out.  Tea tonight will be mushroom risotto so that will be full of speed foods. I do, however, find that rice absorbs water in my body and therefore have it as far away from weigh in as possible!  I know, you didn't need to know that info but others may be suffering the same!  I even managed to start this lovely Jane Austen jigsaw that Julia has lent me!



With the weather holding out, and you may need to sit down for this piece of info, I then went outside and continued with the fence painting.  Although some people have complimented me on the colour of the fence, I do sense that they are fed up of coming around the bend and finding the fence not finished.  With the weather starting to draw in, I really need to complete this task before the temperature drops below that recommended on the tin (10 degrees).  Mind you - I have now got to the bit still covered in Ivy so there's some gardening to do before I can continue.

Feeling as if I had accomplished something today, I was then tempted to sit back and start some sewing - but the long jungle called a lawn called to me - so the lawn was mowed within an inch of its life!  When will it stop growing - please?

So now we are back on familiar territory and I started to sew some more blocks for my Tuesday night class -  I am 12 down, with 4 left to go before next Tuesday so am on track.  Phew - now that's some tasks ticked off my ipad's "Wunderlist".!!  Thank goodness that I can relax in front of Bake Off tonight - and then get stressed out again by Dr Foster!

Out of date chocolate - but how long would it have to be to NOT eat it?

Today, apart from being a tad cold and blustery (I will admit to turning the heating on - brrrr!), started with the usual Monday Morning Textile Group.  The focus was on starting the quilting of our Christmas wall hanging blocks - there are just four largish blocks and I free machined quilted two of them -along with one of my Scamblesby blocks (whilst the machine was set up - it would have been rude not to - surely?)  I was quite pleased with the way that the blocks turned out and can't wait to see this project finished - next week, hopefully.


Back home, and a two hour waiting window before heading out again, it was housework and general sorting out.  Keeping yourself busy helps with the "Not picking before weigh in" rule!  Of course I couldn't put Slimming World off any more and so headed out again - desperately hoping to see that my herculean efforts this week - particularly over the weekend- have paid off!  I needn't have worried - 3lbs off!  I will admit that I would have liked 5 but that might be being just a tad greedy!  So that now leaves me with 16lbs to lose in 5 weeks - focus, focus, focus!!

And the blog title?  Well, one member told a tale of clearing out her kitchen cupboards after her husband had passed away.  She said that she came across 4 bars of Lindt chocolate - all out of date with one f them being 4 years out of date.  She admitted that she unwrapped them all and then ate a square from them all - and enjoyed the lovely taste - before throwing the bars in the bin  Now THAT is will power!!  Mind you someone else said that they were so desperate that she had tried dog chocolate!  Help!!!!

Tonight should be a nice peaceful one - knitting a poppy for the WI competition this Thursday - well, someone has to do it!

I have survived the sewing endurance trial!

Well folks, I am now safely back at home after a 2 day sewing retreat.  Terry had worked hard to set the room up and to provide us with all sorts of tempting goodies (I resisted you may like to hear!) such as sticky ginger cake, crisps, cheese and biscuits. clotted cream scones and a tub of roses!











Although we all could choose what we were doing, Terry , Ev and I were under the tutelage of Louise who showed us how to sew (and, in my case, unpick!)a Saddle Bag.  We all managed to complete the bag by the end of day 2 - so that was an achievement!







Everyone went out for lunch on day 1 (I stayed in - it's easier from a  SW point of view and I had presents to sew - managed to complete 4 whilst they had lunch!) and then again on Day 2.  This time I joined them - it was a carvery at a local pub and I made sure that I stuck to veg with no butter on or low fat options.





Whilst we were in the pub, we spied this wall hanging - which made us all chuckle.







Back at base, Pat was creating a self designed bag,






Ev was sewing her bag,






Louise was feeling like a real sewer - with her own travel iron! (which she managed to drop onto the table whilst it was plugged in - oops!)









And Chris encapsulated the whole weekend with her joy for sewing!








Me? Well I managed the bag, 4 presents and half of my blocks for my Tuesday night class - not too shabby eh?  I think that I need to go and lie down in a darkened room now!  Will we do it again- I would be surprised if we didn't!  It was good fun and we achieved a lot.





Tonight its back to reality as I get ready for the Textile group tomorrow and, if my eyes stay open, risk a little hand sewing.