How do they do it?

I purchased these two packets of beads on Ebay, one was 6p the other 32p and postage was free from Singapore! How do they do it for 38p?

The red bag

Machine embroidery flap, I love anything RED!

Billing Land Rover Show

Grabbing a quick sandwich



Green Lane Association Stand



Yesterday we went to Billing Land Rover Show, it was a very hot day and while Chris was helping on the GLASS stand I tried to stay in the shade with my iPad! [Notice the improvised umbrella for shade. Chris has gone back for the rest of the show, another two days, but I hope to get some sewing done at home.



Grandchildren plus one

While our granddaughters were staying with us for a couple of days, a friend called with her daughter, who immediately wanted to stay for the day.. so three girls were entertained with bubbles in the garden and then a game of Boules on the lawn.
Strangely granddaughter Abigail was born on the same day as visitor Abigail only 4 years apart.  Eleanor not wanting to be left out decided her name should be Abigail as well!

Bubbles in the garden

Boules on the lawn

PC for a swap

Another postcard made for a birthday swap with BQLPC yahoo group.

Hope Jan enjoys it.

School Holidays

I love the summer as my granddaughters come to stay.
They arrived yesterday and it was such a lovely day we spent most of it in the garden.
Grandad was pushed into playing Boules.. luckily we have a a flat lawn area at the side of the house perfect for the game.
An evening BBQ of chicken drumsticks and chips dipped into bowls of my home made BBQ sauce completed the day.
Where was a my camera when we were all covered in sauce!
BBQ Sauce recipe... makes loads to freeze.
Mix together over medium heat:
1 bottle soy sauce

fun in the garden

1 bottle Worcester sauce
1 jar honey
2 jars cheap seedless red jam
2 bottle cheap tomato ketchup
Juice of a lemon
Next mix 2 tbsp of dry mustard and 2 tbsp cornflour into a smooth paste
Add this to the pan and bring to the boil
Leave to cool then freeze or use.... yummy

Colour Catcher

When ever I wash a quilt I use a Colour Catcher, and the Dylon brand is my favourite.

I have used other brands but they were not as successful. If the Colour Catcher comes out clean I just reuse it.. seems to work for me.

Every now and then I find then on sale at the Pound Shop for a £1 and stock up. 

Tiny's Bag Day

Penny and I set off nice and early yesterday for the workshop in Milton Keynes, not one of my favorite places as I usually get lost! Luckily Sat Nav got us there with no problems.

Eight of us enjoyed a nice cool room [ airconditioned] to make bags and cushions and chat... lot of chat!

It was baking heat outside, so glad to be cool for a change.

I managed to finish a bright yellow/orange bag that will be ideal for our holidays.

My Summer bag

Carmen "Tiny"

Part 6 of the SToS

I am so enjoying this embroidery, Part 6 was released on Saturday and I could not put it down.

I decided to work each part in a different multi coloured DMC  thread.

The group where you can find details of this project is TheStitchSpecialists@yahoogroups.com .

What next!

Having made a load of windmill blocks while on holiday I have now added borders and trying to decide on what to add as the next border.  The blocks were made with the sew around the edges of two 5" squares and then cut both diagonals method... this produces 4 HST ready for a windmill. I hand appliqued the leaves to the next border. I have vague memories of seeing a quilt made similar to this sometime ago, wish I'd remember to make a note of it and what the borders were like.

To see more design walls, click over to Patchwork Times.

Friends in my Happy Room

A day spent sewing Windmill blocks in my Happy Room with Olivia, Jenny & Penny

Northamptonshire Byways

Dodford Ford ! Where you drive along the bumpy river bed!

Barby Byway that has not seen a vehicle for a very long time.

The gate was very overgrown and overhanging branches banged on the CB aerial

Washing Quilts #6

Another expected hot day so another quilt washed and on the line. Luckily I put a Colour Catcher in with this one !

It had not been washed before and I never pre-wash my fabrics, the Colour Catcher "caught" all the colour that ran and the quilt is fine.

Even when a quilt has been washed a few times I still always use a Colour Catcher to be on the safe side.

When is a Sari not a Sari?

I decided today to make bags from a cotton Sari my daughter in law brought me back from Thailand.

I managed to get eight bags with a small pocket on the front from the fabric, all look a little different from each other.

Washing Quilt #5

Looks like it is going to be another very hot day, so quilt number 5 went in the washing machine early this morning.  

This is a quilt we always use on the bed in the winter [plus 2 others!] at the moment a sheet is all we need.

The fence in the background is gradually being painted but Chris has run out of

paint, hope he can get some more of the same colour.

Postcard making

It is SO hot I have not felt like doing much, but decided I would try and get some sewing done today. I need some postcards for up and coming birthdays, so decided that would be a nice project sitting letting my embroidery machine do most of the work! I have signed up for a Christmas postcard swap, and no idea how many people will be in it so made three Christmas postcards and then ran out of Rufflette Pelmet card that I like to use for making the cards.

Washing Quilt #4



A single bed size quilt made with Judy Laquidara sew along some years ago.



The ASHBY family gathering

John Thomas ASHBY married Annie Georgina PERCIVAL on 2nd August 1909 so it was decided to have a family reunion. My cousin John PRIDMORE, the oldest remaining direct descendant of the family, organised the gathering at a restaurant in Littleover Derby. The weather was glorious hot sunshine and in the usual fashion of John's get togethers it was "dress optional, hats compulsory !" 57 members of the family arrived all wearing hats and enjoying each others company. I prepared the family tree from my records which was handed to the heads of each group. Many stories were told, one cousin even used a cooked book to make macaroons for everyone [ the cookbook having been partly written by Annie.

Add caption











John Thomas ASHBY



Annie Georgina PERCIVAL

Memory Lane

Church St, Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire

Stanley Douglas SIMONS [Dad]

The remains of 52 Church St, Burton Latimer

Home from 1945 to 1954

Debbie taking photos in the cemetery

Due to a family reunion on Saturday 13th July my sister Debbie came to stay and we went to visit the family graves and old haunts at Burton Latimer. It was a lovely sunny day and nice to spend time together.



Catherine Mary SIMONS nee ASHBY [Mum]



Annie Georgina ASHBY [nee PERCIVAL]
and the grave of John Thomas ASHBY
[my grandparents]



Washing quilts Number 2 & 3

Kings Size one of my favourites

A sampler quilt, mostly hand sewn from years ago.

Eleanor,s Sports Day Videos

Eleanor's Sports Day

This morning was spent watching Eleanor's School Sports Day. She was brilliant and amazed both of us. She was the only child in her group that could use a skipping rope, and it was hard to stop her even when the whistle blew! She was always first with her hand up to take part and looked like she was really enjoying herself.  A BIG well done Eleanor.

Skipping

Jumping

Running

Quick Stepping





5 Jumps

Enjoying the sunshine

Hello Grandma and Grandad

Wash Day

At last the weather is hot enough to wash quilts!  I thought I would start with the quilt from our bed, one of my favourites.  It is very large and I only just managed to get it into the washing machine.  Made in large strips I joined the pieces together with the Quilt-as-you-go method.

The Weekend

What a weekend!! Abigail performed Friday evening and a Matinee and evening performance on the Saturday she arrived Sunday morning in her PJ's and Onesy to crash out on the settee. Meanwhile her parents and Chris moved her other grandparents from a house to a bungalow, on the hottest day of the year. Sadly her other Grandmother fractured her hip a couple of days before the move so is in hospital for 10 days and unable to help with the packing and moving.
I prepared lots of food for when everyone arrived back early evening dirty, tired and starving hungry!

Meanwhile Andy Murray won the tennis at Wimbledon, a very exciting match.

Boogie Wonderland

Programme & tickets

Last night Grandad and Grandma [me] attended the Lighthouse Theatre at Kettering to see Abigail [9ys] performing.
We were lucky to get front row seats and applauded until our hands hurt every time Abigail was on stage [5 times]. She performed so well with amazing cartwheels and  splits.
Mention should be given to Richard [our son] as he was a stage hand and had helped to make all the props and put in hours of prep work. Jacqueline also took part behind the scenes dressing the children and keeping them safe [ not an easy job with SO many children ].


Abigail is 5th from the right holding the hoop