Log Cabin update

Since my knee has been feeling much better I have been able to work more on my sewing machine and made quite a few more blocks for my Black and White quilt. I was hoping to get the outside log cabin blocks put together today so that I could work out the width of the sashing needed to fix the centre panel in place, but a visit to the Physio, some shopping and a little gardening mean I am too worn out to even think of sewing. Hopefully tomorrow I will have more time.

Testing out ideas

When I next have the girls for a few days we always like to work on a project in the Happy Room, so I thought a clock would be a great idea. I sent off to China via EBay for some clock mechanisms, which were cheap and cheerful but a bit on the small side for what I had planned. Really must read the description better!

My plan is to get the girls to machine embroider 3,6,9 and 12 [ they love using my EM ] and then to sew buttons on for the 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8,10 and 11. The whole thing will then be put into an embroidery frame [ordered but have not arrived yet] and the clock workings fixed to the middle.

Having come up with this bright idea I thought I better see if it would work so here is my prototype without the buttons still with the removable markings and in a temporary frame. I think it will all work OK and hope the girls enjoy making them.

Mothering Sunday

Yesterday was Mothering Sunday, but as Richard and family were busy with gym "stuff" we celebrated on Friday evening with a lovely meal cooked by Richard.
The Church service yesterday was all based around Mother's and the children [ of which we have 60+ in Primary] sang a couple of songs, always a treat.
Instead of the usual gift of a small plant we were given a poem and tube of hand cream, a very welcome gift.

Harry Potter's World

We arrived at Warner Bros Studio yesterday morning around 10.30am and started the tour with a film show telling the story of the making of Harry Potter. This was followed by going through the doors into the Great Hall. The attention to detail that would easily be missed watching the HP films was incredible. We then wandered through the film sets and half way around the tour we went outside to see the actual bus used in the movie, the Ford Anglia and Privet Drive etc. Back into the building and my favourite part was seeing the way they build Hagrid to be a giant and all the makeup and electronics.  Chris was in charge of my camera and here are a few of the many photos he took...

Chris on the night bus

Display cabinet

Some of the many costumes

In the Alley

"Diet" chocolate

Me

more costumes

The great hall

Harry's bedroom under the stairs

leaving the studio

Incredible model

Hogwarts

Hogwarts

Original paper mock up

In the great hall

25th March 1972

Today Chris and I are celebrating our 42nd Wedding Anniversary.
We met on holiday in Jersey [Channel Island] in August 1971 when I picked up a couple of male hitchhikers in my rented hire car. Not something anyone in their right mind would do these days.
We travelled around the island as a friendly group of three and corresponded when we all went home.
Chris and his friend lived 100 miles from me, but I invited Chris to a New Years party on Dec 30th and romance blossomed.
We met a few more times and in February Chris asked me to marry him by getting down on one knee in a pub surrounded by people!
The separation of 100 miles was very tiring as we tried to see each other every weekend so on Wednesday 22nd March Chris met me out of work [ when I was not expecting to see him] and produced a special marriage licence for 3 days later!  We both told our parents that evening and rushed to make some arrangements.
Saturday March 25th we were married with our family present, at The Swanspool Registry Office, Wellingborough Northamptonshire. A fish and chip supper at my parents became our reception meal and a long weekend at my Aunts house our honeymoon. Then Chris had to go back to work in Whitchurch Hampshire until he could get a transfer to the Post Office [ he was a telephone engineer] in Northampton.
Thank you Chris for 42 years wonderful years.

Quilt Shop

A really nice day today, the sun is shining, even though it is really cold. After hanging a load of washing on the line Chris took me shopping and I bought a new dress and four T shirts. I intend to machine embroidery something onto the T shirts.  The dress is the second I have bought in less than a week, which is surprising as I have not bought a dress for years and have none in my wardrobe, I usually prefer skirts and tops.

On returning home Chris bought me a new mobile phone from Amazon as an Anniversary gift, 42 years Anniversary tomorrow!

Feeling then in a sewing mood I have just machine embroidered a Quilt Store. It was completely made in the Embroidery machine, I just need to hand sew the little hole used to turn it through. It is suppose to be a Mug Rug but I think it will just hang on my wall.

Completely made in the 7 x 12 hoop

Black and White ladies

No idea what I am going to do with these lovely ladies, but just love the pattern.
Sewn on my Brother Innovis 4000D using the 12 x 7 hoop, I hooped up a layer of stitch-n-tear and a layer of cushion soft [ very thin wadding ] under the black [or white] fabric. The complete size of the lady is 10 inches high.
If you have any idea of things I could do with them please leave a comment.

Sew and Social

Yesterday was the Sew and Social meeting at Pitsford, just a couple of miles from where I live.
During the week I had decided not to go as I was going out all day on Sunday and two days "just sitting" I still find too much for my knee. BUT the Sunday trip with Chris was cancelled so at 8.30am I rang Tilly the organiser and asked if she had a space, which she had so I dashed to get ready to be there for about 9.30 complete with sewing [black and white log cabin blocks] and my trusty Singer Featherweight sewing machine.  All the food is supplied, starting with a drink and biscuit as we arrive, then lunch was macaroni cheese followed by bread and butter pudding, finally a cake mid afternoon.

The offered workshop by Fran was to make a pair of slippers, but they are more than happy for you to do your own thing. I managed to make eight log cabin blocks and do a lot of socialising!

Fran helping Annette and Sue

Tilly talking to some of the ladies

Jill, Penny and myself at our machines

BSK BOM

Yesterday Penny and I went to BSK Bedford for our monthly session of BOM.
It is always a great journey as we chat away it passes quickly.
Parking was a problem and we had to park at the back of the factory unit, but this meant when it was time to leave we were given a tour through the factory to the back door... wow SO many machines.
We managed to make two more blocks on the Embroidery machines.
I am really loving this pattern and the thread colours I have chosen. The blocks are 12 1/2 inch square on white fabric.

Block 5

Block 4

Heart bag workshop

Wednesday evening I taught a Heart bag workshop to 26 ladies at Church. As each one finished a little basket I gave them a small Easter Egg filled with smarties to put in it. It was a very succesful evening and everyone made a fabric bag and most ladies managed to make a felt one as well. Of the 40 Easter Eggs I took I only had 4 left at the end of the evening, which have now disappeared ha! ha!

Busy making Heart bags

Relief Society ladies

Some of my display Heart bags

Log Cabin / Star quilt

The last time I blogged about my black and white log cabin, star quilt was January 20th so I have been working on making a few more blocks and sorting out how I am going to put it together.
I think this photo will be the start of the plan. The star will be in the middle and there will be lots of log cabin blocks around the sides to make the final quilt King size for our bed.  I still have a long way to go!

Time to go home

Today was our last day in Weymouth, and we awoke to thick fog, in fact the sea which was only across the road from the hotel had disappeared in the mist!
After a final "Full English" breakfast we took to the road, stopping only for a comfort break near Newbury.

As we got nearer and nearer to home the fog lifted and the sun shone, so it was back to home jobs, washing and mowing the lawns. It's always lovely to go on holiday but it's so much nicer to come home.

Abbotsbury

It was such a nice sunny day yesterday we decided to visit the Water Gardens, but sadly it was closed until April. A couple of other places we thought would be nice to visit were also still closed for the Winter.
Eventually we saw a sign for Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens so decided to go there.  The entrance fee was very expensive, which had we known in advance would probably have meant we would not have gone! However we were in for a treat, the Camellias were in full bloom some as tall as a house, there were also Rhododendrons just coming into flower. The palms gave the whole place a real tropical feel. I managed to do a fare amount of walking, all be it slowly, and we enjoyed our visit.

Suntropical gardens

Abbotsbury

Lunch time saw us in Morrison's cafe having a very nice sandwich.





I felt I could probably cope with a little more walking so we went into town and I bought a few new clothes. Now I knew I could walk no more so we went back to the hotel for a very nice dinner.

IAM

I've been asked what IAM stands for.
About thirteen years ago a few of us got together to make lace, we were then joined by non lacemaking friends and decided to meet once a month at my house to spend the day working on different crafts. Gradually the lacemaking seemed to be taken over by patchwork, quilting, knitting, crochet, cross stitch, card making etc etc...
Constantly members were saying " I am going to do this or that, finish this or that etc" so the group name became IAM.
We are now a group of eight, which is as many as I can fit comfortably in my Happy Room.

Sunshine

Glorious day here in Weymouth today, the sun is shining and the sea glistening, not that I'm thinking of going in it!

Our room with sea view

Yesterday we spent driving along the coast to Lulworth Bay, where Chris walked all the way to the sea and I walked part way.
We had collected pack ups from the Hotel so drove to Portland Bill overlooking Chisel Bay to eat them.
The fresh sea air meant it was time for an afternoon snooze before a very nice dinner of fish for me and chicken for Chris.

Weymouth

Five days of sunshine, well that's what we are hoping for.
On the journey down we called at Chris's parents grave to pay our respects and leave some plants.

We arrived in Weymouth on the South coast yesterday in beautiful sunshine but a strong wind. The package holiday is with Daish at a cost of £94 each half board for five days, we splurged out an extra £10 each for a sea view.

Our room is on the 3rd floor above the enterance.

The room is newly furnished and the dinner last night was very good.
Time for breakfast....

March already!

Well here we are well into March and the last few days have been rather sad and upsetting. Two of the members of our little IAM group [ there are only eight of us]  husbands have had a stroke. Jenny's husband Ray is still in hospital but recovering slowly, while Clare's husband David is recovering at home. We missed them at out IAM meeting yesterday but wish their husbands a speedy recovery.

Needless to say with much talk and updates on peoples health the meeting got off to a slow start, plus both Ann and I are still recovering from our knee replacements... Oh the joy of getting old!

Finally we settled down to our sewing projects and then lunch with a delicious dessert brought by Ann.
Next came Show n Tell time, always something to look forward to.
Dorn had yet another ring of hearts, I think it's her third! Very pretty. Maureen showed her challenge from another group she belongs to, but it has to be secret for now! Penny produced a bag full of goodies, a beautiful machine embroidery and applique wall hanging, a small disappearing nine patch quilt and a wonderful cat door stop. Ann had made some wonderful greetings cards with 3D fronts. Shirley was on a 'make it small' kick and produced sets of crocheted mats, pincushions, bowls etc from a never ending bag. I showed the progress on my Life is Beautiful quilt and a Biscornu pin cushion made on a recent mini workshop.

Penny's cat

Wall hanging

Dorn's hearts

Shirley's coasters

Wall hanging

Sugar stiffened bowls

Shirley's pincushions

I also showed the heart bags I intend making with a group at Church later this month, and of course everyone wanted to make one, so my felt stash was used and an instant workshop meant everyone produced one to take home.

Ann's heart

Heart workshop