Plants, Quilts, New car and Duxford Quilt show

I seem to only find time to blog once a week these days, as I am always playing catchup with myself.

This again has been a busy week starting with planting up my new raised bed. I am really pleased with how it turned out. The lights I pushed into the ground so they would be at different levels and they look nice in the evening, talking of which doesn't it get dark early? We change the clocks tonight so it will be dark from about 5pm.

Raised bed of conifers and cyclamen 

Tuesday two friends, Christine and Judith, spent the day with me in my Happy Room.
I completely forgot to take photos and they were both making really nice quilts.
I worked on my pinwheels, quilting them with just a wavy line in rows, then adding the border.
The border was added through all the layers, so no quilting needed.
I have the binding cut out but it will probably have to wait until next week before I find time to sew it on.

Wednesday I joined a group of friends in Bedford for a sewing day.
Although my painful shoulder is feeling much better I did not want to risk carrying a machine in and out of the car.
Many many years ago I made a pile of star blocks that still need the papers removing from them, so I took them and spent the day filling a bag with removed papers... still a long way to go.

We have been having some beautiful bright sunny days and wanted to make the most of it with a walk along side Pitsford Reservoir. A number of fishermen were in boats or wading up to their waists in the water.

Beautiful scenery but I don't fancy wading up to my waist in the cold water!

I have not attended a quilt show for a couple of years but decided to go to
Duxford Quilt Show on Friday.
It is always so interesting walking past the planes to actually get into the show.

I liked the simplicity of this design

Lots of tempting stalls

Part of a challenge I think

Interesting work

Think this was my favourite

Isaac Newton

Glad we got here early as there was plenty of room see everything

By the time we left at lunch time the place was crowded with people enjoying the show.
It was hard to walk between the stalls and show quilts.

We stopped on the way home for lunch and I found a fly in my meal,
the restaurant was very apologetic and refunded us all our money.
This is the car [Range Rover] Chris bought last week, such luxury.

A busy sewing week

Tuesday evening I attended the regular Hamtune Quilters meeting with my friend Judith. Carolyn Forster was the speaker, and what a delight with her down to earth talk and tables brimming over with quilts. She is so inspirational and always willing to share her knowledge.
Wednesday I attended a workshop with Carolyn to make blocks for a ribbon quilt.
Eleven of us attended and the day was so warm we sat with windows and doors open enjoying the class and company.

Carolyn demonstrating her ribbon quilt.

Sorting out the many pieces, luckily I had cut them out before hand, as
I have a painful shoulder and doing anything with my left arm is quite painful.

Busy busy busy

Wednesday a sewing day was arranged in the Happy Room, Penny, Christine and Clare joined me for the day. I wanted to use a charm pack that had been living far too long in my cupboard! Pinwheels are an ideal easy use for them, Christine and Clare decided to join me making  piles of pinwheels while Penny was busy working on a boating theme cushion. It was a great day, and even my arm is starting to feel better... must be the Arnica Massage oil that I keep using.

Sewing in the Happy Room

42 pinwheels in the making.

Friday a change of scene when Chris and I went out visiting Garden Centres. First stop a Nursery in Finedon to buy conifers for my raised bed. I love the fact this is a family owned independent nursery.

Next stop the Seasons Garden Centre in Burton Latimer, just the opposite of the Finedon Nursery, large selling everything and a large display of Christmas decorations [ far to early to be thinking of this in my opinion!] but I did manage to buy a few more plants for my new display.

Today is Saturday and I look back on all the quilting blocks I made this week and hope to at least complete the sets before next weekend. The sun is shining [ although it's pretty cold] so time to go and plant my new raised bed.

22 pinwheels and 14 ribbon blocks

Family birthdays

We celebrated Richard and Eleanor's birthdays last night, with a meal followed by a large Costco cake.  Too much food and far too much sugar but a great evening with the family.

The Joint birthday cake

Richard had the all singing [ driving us mad until we found scissors to stop it singing!] candles.

Next it was Eleanors turn with an age 11 firework candle that lit up the room!

I made Grandad a Cereal Killer costume for Halloween, so Abigail tried it on.
I think it needs more blood!!

Time for games, fun and lots of laughter

Birthday son and granddaughter playing spoons
while Jacq deals the cards.

A day with Arne and Carlos

Sew Much to Do a quilt and wool shop in Ely Cambridgeshire held a knitting day yesterday and I was lucky enough to be able to buy a place on the three hour workshop.

Chris decided to come with me and spend the day 'playing' with his new car... more about that in another post. We set off early and two and half hours later arrived in Ely with its famous Cathedral.
Due to the large number taking part in the workshop it was help in The Conference Centre.

Arne and Carlos, from Norway, famous in the world of fashion and knitting were the tutors. I have followed their Facebook  and YouTube travels for a long time, so it was great to meet in person.

Arne and Carlos explaining a technique

I sat with three other ladies and enjoyed chatting with Arne

Carlos, Me and Arne

Included in the kit, two balls of Rowan wool, a set of DPNs and a crochet hook.

Treated myself to their latest book.

It was a wonderful day and I enjoyed the company of Proby, Cathy and her daughter as we chatted and knitted while attending the workshop.

Just addicted!

Last month I subscribed to Debra Garner's Ezine magazine... Addicted to Sock Knitting click the link for more information. It is a brilliant on line magazine showcasing Indie dyers, interviews and some great patterns. I highly recommend it. If your tempted take a look I think she offers a free sample copy.

Trying something new... Knit Pro Cubics which are a set of square DPNs and reported to be good for hands with arthritis.
Also using Pairperfect yarn designed by Arne and Carlos

WOW WOW WOW I love them both, and cannot stop waiting for the next colour to show,
plus the needles although feeling a little strange to start with are really helping my hands.

This was the result of my holiday knitting and as I like to learn new things to keep the little brain I have left working
I am attempting After thought heels. The red Christmas pair are still not finished!

Having knitted to the heel a row of red yarn was knitted and then continued to the toe in the normal manner.
To work to the heel pick up the stitches either side of the red thread, remove the red thread and work the heel the same as the toe.

Such a clever idea and worked a treat.
Yarn by Dina's Home of Crafts, colour Butterscotch bought on Ebay.

Watch this space as on Wednesday I am going on a Arne and Carlos workshop... cannot wait.

October IAM

Can it really by October already? Have to make the most of every day as they seem to slip by so quickly. The IAM meetings are always a joy, and seven of us enjoyed a day of chatting showing our craft items and enjoying each others company.

Dorn completed her pretty Attic24 crochet project

Shirley had made a crochet baby blanket

Maureen had found a use for a Christmas pack of fabric
and completed a table runner.

Olivia had been busy making a silk blouse

Ann had kept her knitting needles busy making a soft cuddly baby blanket

Ann was also in the Christmas mood with a row of stockings pegged to a ribbon.

Jenny is busy moving house and I showed pictures of my grandaughters dancing performances, plus my latest knitted socks.

An autumn walk around Delapre Abbey

Earlier in the week we visited Delapre Abbey which is undergoing a large restoration project. 

The grounds and walled garden make for a pleasant walk. There is also a cafe but we did not stop there on this visit. The house and some of the buildings are now also open to the public.

Photo from the Delapre Abbey website

Delapre Abbey [Abbey of St Mary de la Pre] is a neo-classical mansion incorporating a former monastery. 

Simon de Senlis an Anglo-Norman Earl founded the Abbey during the reign of King Stephen.

In 1145 a nunnery was founded devoted to the congregation of the great Abbey of Cluny, in Burgundy France. The Cluniac congregation  was initially a reform movement of the Benedictine life. A dozen to twenty nuns lived there at any one time. The Abbey closed in 1538 with the dissolution of the monasteries.

The Abbey has gone through a number of changes, from a private residence to being the Northamptonshire Record Office and used during World War 2.

Part of the walled gardens

Interesting carved wooden statues

Standing guard

Must go again and visit the lake.

Birthday season

September and we start the birthday season... Chris on the 22nd and Abigail on the 30th

We had a joint party on Saturday and enjoyed a meal of duck wraps and spicy chicken and curly chips, thanks Costco!
This was followed by a very large cake, that we thought too big to divide into six!
I had managed to buy fancy flashing light candles while in Spain with the numbers 1 & 5. Abigail loved them Chris got a single candle, 68 were just 67 too many!

Blowing out the candles

I had planned a couple of easy sit at the table games, so we started with a birthday version of the right / left game with six small gifts I had wrapped, there seemed to be a lot of cheating going on and much laughter.

Then we played a game I saw posted on Facebook by a friend, I was not sure of the rules, but I strongly recommend it for fun and laughter, and does not cost very much.
I drew 12 squares on a piece of paper, then taking it in turns 1 sweet was placed into each square while one player went out the room. One sweet was named PETE and the missing player returned to eat as many sweets as possible [ mostly smarties, jellybabies and chocolate raisins] before we all shouted DON'T EAT PETE as soon as they went to touch the named sweet. Huge fun.