The Land Rover Show

Sheep block the road



Cows take to the highway!



Arriving at Eastnor Castle Show Ground

Waiting for the off!

The Land Rover queue

We're off in a convoy of ten

Muddy at the high point

Arrived at the show on Saturday to a LOT of mud, walked around the stalls and ooh'ed and ahh'ed over Land Rovers old and new.

It always amazes me what people can do to a Land Rover, we did not buy the missile launcher!

Sunday the sun shone and we found ourselves second in the convoy of Land Rovers [ and one Toyota!] to tackle the intermediate course.
After all the recent rain there was water everywhere and some deep enough to reach the top of the bonnet. Two hours of travelling over the Land Rover Experience Course was great fun if not a bit scary at times. At the start we were all issued with walkie talkies and it was fun listening to the leader and back up vehicle especially when a Defender got really stuck and had to be roped out.

Eastnor Castle Land Rover Show

Chris and I have spent a wonderful weekend at Eastnor Castle, playing in the mud!
The new [old] Land Rover performed well and we did not sink in the water!
Click on the arrow to watch the video.

Carolyn joined the Happy Room

Last week I sold one of my sewing machines on Ebay and bought a new Brother Innovis 350.

I really like the machine and as I name all my machines after the person that sold me it, Carolyn has now joined my Happy Room !

Three afternoons

The iPad

Smile please

For three afternoons this week I am looking after my granddaughters, we have such fun I love being with them. Eleanor age 4 sits quietly playing on my iPad and the next minute shes a live wire. Abigail showed off her gymnastics before we played Monopoly!

Linus Quilts

Display

Linus quilts

More Linus quilts



Yet more Linus quilts




Linus

A display of quilts made for the Linus children's charity were on display at the last Hamtune Quilters meeting. Some were made by members and some by the LDS Church group.






An evening with "The Singing Quilter"



1/2" hexagons



1/4" hexagons



Part of the largest hexagon quilt



The block story

21st August saw a packed house at our Hamtune Quilters meeting.
Cathy Miller "The Singing Quilter" and John Bunge her husband performed songs and told stories about the quilts Cathy had made.
Including one of my favourites about Elizabeth Fry and the convicts transported to Australia.
Cathy and John live in Victoria BC Canada, and we hope they will visit our group again on their next tour of England.

bird block exchange



Owl in flight

 Warning if you are in the Bird Block exchange with
"Machine Embroidery Buddies" on Quilt With Us
look away now !!

This on line group for machine embroiderers is great and I have picked up lots of really good tips and ideas.

A few months ago they hosted a flower block swap and this month a bird swap. Eleven people are taking part and the rules stated using blue fabric and 6.5" to 14.5" block size.
This is the design I chose and it is now on its way to the USA, and I cannot wait to get my blocks back from the swap.

Busy afternoon

corner close up

 Worked on putting my Beatrix Potter quilt together this afternoon, using the latest Moda spot print fabric in three colours.  Just need to find a backing and get it quilted.

close up

finished top

Help I need ideas

I have run out of ideas.. can anyone help?

I have machine embroidered 17 [ so far] Beatrix Potter blocks for a new baby quilt and I now need to think about the blocks joining it all together.

I do not know the sex of the baby so do I use plain fabric and do a simple embroidery design on it? Patterned fabric? Check fabric? or or or!

Mini IAM

Hard at work

Abigail with Elephant

Jenny with table mat

Olivia with table mat

At some point during most of the school holidays my friend Jenny brings her granddaughter Olivia to join me and my granddaughter Abigail for a sewing day. With the room set up I showed them how to make two Elephant Table Mats, and all was successfully completed in the day.
1/4" seams were used to add the borders, and then thin lined paper was attached to the main area to use as a guide for sewing straight lines of quilting after sandwiching the heat reflective wadding and backing.
Next the binding was added to the back of the mats and sewn to the front using fancy stitches on the sewing machines. Finally the Elephants were heat and bonded on to the completed mats.
It was a fun and busy day.