Now you see it, now you don’t

In a mad moment just after lunch I decided to have a haircut and the hairdresser said she could fit me straight away.

Now you see it

Feeling very light headed !

I have spent most of this week working on my new laptop [with Chris’s help] moving all my STUFF from my main computer, what a job!

One thing has led to another and the mammoth sort out has started, loads for recycling, donating and throwing out.

Just one corner of my Happy Room.

Lots of cupboards and shelves that have not seen the light of day for years. 

Big problem is I keep finding treasures and it takes a while to look through them before deciding what to do with them.

However I am being ruthless…. Wonder who is Ruth is and how does she get less!!

Homeward bound

We had a lovely time at Botany Bay Caravan site near Marsham in Norfolk.

The walks direct from the pitch were just right with either shady wooded area or open heathland.

The light through the trees was really magical.

Dog roses were everywhere

Time to hitch up and head for home

While we were away this happened

Eleanor our youngest granddaughter bought her first pair of Pointe shoes I am so proud of her.

Back home Chris has been called out to help with the 4x4 Rescue service, while I tackled a list of jobs.

The first of which was to start the bread making process, dough for two loaves is on the windowsill rising as I write this.

My garden is such a mess, looks more like a jungle, so I allotted 1/2 hour to weeding [back gives me problems if I do much more] 90 minutes later I had to force myself to stop, why is there always one more weed to pull?

I took a banana and hot chocolate out to watch the fish, still could not stop pulling the odd weed!

A knock on the door and a parcel arrived, a present to myself…

I have always wanted an Oliso iron, and after a friend visiting said she had one and how brilliant they were I bit the bullet and bought one.

Gardening has definitely stopped for the day I need to sew and iron!

Better remember I have bread rising.

Bure Valley Railway

Up early for our steam train journey, leaving Aylesham Station at 10am.

Because of Covid rules we had a carriage to ourselves with an empty carriage between us and the next passengers.

This 15 inch narrow gauge steam railway runs from Aylesham and Wroxham taking 45 minutes each way.

Originally a main line it closed in 1982 and the rails were removed.

In 1989 a group of enthusiasts decided it would be possible to re open the route as a 15 inch narrow gauge which left enough room for a footpath along side the track. 

July 10th 1990 the Bure Valley Railway opened and has gone from strength to strength carrying more passengers than when it was a main line railway.

Masks to be worn in the building and shop

Filling the train with coal

A carriage to ourselves

Pretty scenery and a footpath follows the track for 9 miles.

One of many bridges

Filling with water ready for the return journey from Wroxham

Turning the engine around on a man power turntable

Train selfie!

Waiting in a siding for another train to pass

Entering a tunnel


Cannot recommend this trip enough it was a great morning and we finished the day with fish and chips on the way home!

Enjoying Norfolk

It has been a very hot few days and we have been making the most of the caravan site and local walks.

This is the land at the side of the Caravan site, we went exploring and not sure the gun club is still used.

The style leading to the Heathlands that surround us.

 

Dinner under the canopy

Followed by a game, I lost !

A visit to Potter Heigham and the broads.

A mooch in Lathams vast warehouse store.

Different neighbours come and go all the time, some stay for just a couple of days and some are here longer, never a dull moment.

Lunch and fabric!

We decided to take a wander around the local Garden Centre at Aylesham and stop for lunch.

As it was Friday and we like to have fish and chips, we had the next best thing, Scampi and chips, it was delicious.

In the lay-by next to the garden centre a trader was selling Asparagus, Strawberries and cherries, the later two had to come home with us!

Needless to say I had looked up the local fabric shop and we found it in Marsham, Tulip fabrics, it looked to be fairly small with a tea room in the conservatory, but Wow when you got inside it was like an Aladdin's cave.  I was too busy looking at everything to take photos until I returned to the car.

I found their bargain rack and bought a couple of pieces plus an ideal background piece. Almost 9 metres in total.

I do like to help the local economy!

Visiting the wild ponies on Cawston Heath, Norfolk

It’s rather windy this morning but not at all cold, so we climbed [with difficulty!!] the style leading to Cawston Heath next to the caravan site, and went for a walk.

View from the heath, our ‘van is in the middle of three at the moment.

Lucky enough to see a group of eight wild ponies.

Lots of honeysuckle growing in the hedge row, such a pretty sight.

Botany Bay Farm Norfolk CL

Well that was a fun journey! We could not find the CL and Chris thought he saw a sign for the farm as we drove by it !! This meant finding somewhere to turn around, not easy in a Range Rover towing a caravan in a country lane only wide enough for one car! Eventually we arrived and were greeted by Penny Lukins the owner and told to choose any of the three vacant sites.

After a sandwich and much needed hot drink we put the new canopy up for the first time, so much easier than the awning.

After rescuing the chairs from the car we sat and watched the world go by, actually we were entertained by four horses in the paddock next to the site.

Let the holiday begin….

Another sewing day with Christine

Almost spur of the moment, I asked my friend Christine if she would like to join me for another sewing day. We both felt comfortable with the distance we are able to keep and she brings her own lunch, plus we keep windows open.

Busy sewing machines working hard, well not too hard, lots of time for chats.

Notice the two new blocks on my ‘wall’. The sewing machine is a Sewcialites block, number 33 I think. I still have a couple to catch up on.

This is the first block from the new Sew Sampler box BOM, complete with its border. 

Absolutely loving this design and glad I bought the recommended fabric to go with it.

Starflower ready for quilting

I managed to get all the blocks for the Starflower quilt joined together, and decided to quilt it myself using the Masking Tape method.

I glued the backing and batting together using June Taylor basting spray. I hate using sprays, but as it was a nice day I opened all the doors and windows to take away the smell and fumes. Then spent a happy half hour sitting outside watching my fish  and drinking a cup of Barley drink to recover.

Back in the Happy Room I stuck a strip of 2 inch [well actually it has gone metric and was not quite 2 inches] masking tape at an angle across the top. Next I measured 2 1/2 inches for the gap and stuck the next strip down, continuing this way until the whole quilt was covered in masking tape.

Time to sew either side of the masking tape, and I chose to use MAGIC thread I bought probably 20 to 25 years ago in the USA for $34.99 ! 

I have treasured this set of threads for SO long, I thought it was time to use it.

 

In the house the thread is colourless

Once it hits the light it changes to these vibrant colours, I chose the yellow for the top of the quilt and green in the bobbin.

Just a bit of fun, why did I keep them so long before opening the packet?

Sewing Day with Clare

Yesterday my friend Clare joined me for a sewing day, there was far more chat than sewing after a year of not seeing each other!

I worked on my Starflower Quilt, joining the blocks and sashing.

Starflower lap size quilt using the fabric and pattern from one of my Sew Sampler boxes received from The Fat Quarter Shop in Texas.

One more border, in the background white to add. The binding will be in the pink fabric.

This will be a nice fresh looking lap quilt for the summer.

Clare worked on a couple of different projects.

I also had all the pieces ready for the Sewcialites 33 block, a sewing machine.

Loving my home made letters to keep me on track.

Just as Clare was leaving my package arrived from the USA so it was exciting to open it together.

Pat Sloan’s new Holiday Celebration book, a yummy package of Figs and Shirtings fat quarters.

A roll of Half Square triangles paper I want to try, a large piece of backing fabric and a caravan needle minder I could not resist.

June starts

Well here we are the start of June, and the weather has turned beautiful, goodness knows how long it will last after the wettest May I can remember.

My mouth seems to be recovering after the removal of my wisdom tooth, it has taken me a while to get over this removal. Good for the diet as I was struggling to eat!!

A quick trip out this morning to a couple of garden centres for clogs for Chris, and snails and oxygenates for the pond.  We seem to have lost all our snails and I think they are good for the balance of the pond.  Funny how I spend all my time getting rid of snails in the garden then spend over £10 to buy ten for the pond!

I have managed to find some time working on my Star quilt, hope to get it together tomorrow when a friend spends the day with me sewing.

My design wall, with the Star quilt in pieces and some of my machine embroidery houses.

Roland Garros Tennis tournament has started so that’s my excuse for a sit down this afternoon.