Land Rover days

Friday we took off for Aldershot to spend the night in a Travel Lodge. The hotel was next door to a Morrisons Grocery store, who serve the best fish and chips in their cafe, so we ate in style.

Saturday up bright and early for a breakfast again in Morrisons before heading further south to Dunsfold.

In 1968 Brian Bashall, a Land Rover enthusiast started the collection with a 1962 ex military vehicle. This later became a trust called the Dunsfold Collection of Land Rovers and to date owns 123 vehicles.

Once every two years the collection is open to the public and many private owners also bring their old and interesting Land Rovers. In fact this year was noted as being the largest collection of Land Rovers ever!

I managed to walk around some of the exhibits but then took a seat back in the car with my crochet, while watching all the strange vehicles arrive. It was a great day.
Here a few photos of my favourites..

Row upon row of Land Rovers

Patchwork idea?

Love the paint job

Chris next to the LR strong enough to hold an elephant!

Poppy Patch

Thursday was Poppy Patch sit and Sew day. I attend this meeting twice a month and it is always fun and somewhere to learn something new.  A few of us have been attending for quite a long time.

Cushions, smocking and bottle covers are some of the workshops they offer.

The new owners, Sam and Mary seem to have settled into their new roles as shop owners, having taken over from the previous owners that started the company in 2000.

Only draw back for me is the stairs to the workroom, which means I can only take my little Singer Featherweight sewing machine as I cannot manage a heavier machine. Having said that it is amazing what I can accomplish on such a small machine.

Having spent most of the week on my embroidery machine I did not have anything ready to take to Poppy Patch so grabbed a Moda Jelly Roll, that had been sitting on my shelf since last year [ or maybe even the year before that!] and decided I would find something to do with it.

I sewed sets of five  jelly roll strips together and then cut them into 10inch blocks. Next I randomly sewed the blocks together rotating every other one and managed to make two quilt tops [probably for Linus].

30 x 40 inch top

40 x 50 inch Moda 3 Sisters Lario Jelly Roll

Lily Pond update

The week has gone by in a blur of noise!  I have been using my embroidery machine from 7am to about 4pm every day for the past three days.  More photos later.
Luckily the project I am working on has a sewing period long enough for me to do something else. To add to the noise of the machine I made a couple of loaves of bread in my bread machine, which is also noisy. Also made a ginger and banana cake in my Kenwood, yet another noise!
Thank goodness today I am going to a sit and sew where the only noise will be human voices.

My evenings have been taken up with working on my Lily Pond CAL [crochet along] and I managed to complete pattern #4 and made a good start on #5, the flowers. I love working on this project and learning lots of new techniques. There are only three more patterns to collect, so I will be on the look out for another CAL, or I may start the Sophies Universe CAL.

If you know of a crochet CAL please leave me a message about it.

Lots of ends to sew in!

Brian's birthday

The morning started with a special service at Church where we had a live link to Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland, plus all around England. The two hour service, broadcast from Scotland, flew by. The speakers were so interesting and thought provoking.

The afternoon was spent celebrating our friend Brian's 74th birthday.
The sun shone and we joined some of the neighbours in Brian's pride and joy garden for a fabulous BBQ. It really was a lovely day and the food kept coming and coming until we could eat no more!
There was lots of chat and those not under some shade soon felt the need for sun cream.

Nature Reserve a new project

Anita Goodesign machine embroidery project Nature Reserve has been on my "to do" list for sometime. At last I have started it, with thoughts of making the twenty blocks of birds and butterflies together with some more traditional patchwork blocks into a quilt.
I love the fact the blocks even have their borders sewn on during the machine embroidery process.

Unlike the advice with the pattern for hooping up, which I find a bit cumbersome, I have just hooped up thin batting called Cushion Soft with white craft cotton fabric, lowered the tension on the machine to 32 and used my largest hoop. Very pleased with the result.

Two down eighteen to go...

48848 stitches using Marathon threads

46575 stitches, using dark grey for the flowers.

IAM craft group meeting

Thursday seven of the group met for the day to work on our different crafts.
As usual, when ladies of a certain age get together, the first hour was taken up with an addition of Emergency Ward 10 ! The fact we all remember the programme Emergency Ward 10 shows our age.
Once all the aches and pains and family were discussed the craft work began.
As two members are away on holiday Pauline joined us for the day. It is always fun and there are a lot of laughs when we all get together.
I struggle to remember to take photos, but here are a few of the "show and tell" items.

Shirley shows one of the blankets she made since we last saw her.

Sophies Universe by Shirley, such a wonderful piece of work.

Penny completed her first Attic24 blanket

Ann the master card maker

Penny has gone crochet mad, love this pattern

Machine Embroidery Blocks made at BSK sometime ago
put together by Penny into a beautiful quilt

Pauline and her Owl cushion, just adorable

Attic24 wreath

I have just completed my Attic24 wreath, which I prefer to call my Happy Circle.

I loved making the flowers and may have a go at another "happy circle" as I seem to remember there was one for each season on the Attic24 web site.

This makes me smile every time I look at it.

A new toy for the Happy Room

The machine I love the most is my old Pfaff 7570 and I thought another Pfaff at some point would be great.
That "point" came on Tuesday and I purchased a Pfaff Ambition 1.0.

The integrated walking foot is just brilliant allowing the fabric whatever thickness to move smoothly through the machine. Although I have walking feet attachments for my other machines they are such a fiddle to put on and I rarely use them.

The new machine has rekindled my patchwork and quilting urge. I cannot wait to start a new project or even finish a UFO [ I have plenty of those to choose from!].

Within minutes of getting home it was installed into my Horn Cabinet

Abigail's Quilt session

As previously posted I have been working, slowly, on a quilt for my granddaughter. I decided the time was right to really get to grips with it, so arranged all the pieces to make 20 blocks and then set myself a target to get them all sewn together in a couple of days.
My knee means I have to be careful, so it's make a couple of blocks, do something else and then come back to work on the quilt, but progress is being made.

Brother machine in a Horn cabinet with 20 piles of sorted pieces
10 blocks already made and joined into strips.

Please do not open the window and let the pieces blow away!!

Debbie Shore bag

Another Sit n Sew day yesterday, this time at Poppy Patch Gt Doddington.

As I did not get on too well with my bag at Bedford I decided to make a blue one and have another go at putting in a zip. All went well this time and I now have three of these handy size little bags.
The pink one I unpicked the top and managed to get a zip in the top. I really like my bags to be secure.

I love the Debbie Shore patterns and hope to make some more of her bags. She has a very nice CD out with lots of bag patterns, complete with video instructions.

Now I am all set for the summer with my new handbags, but where is the sun? Today is cold, wet and windy !

A million Miles !

Set off at 8.15am to pick up Penny and travel to Bedford for a days workshop with Sue and Annette. It had been some time since we had attended one of their workshops, and since I travel to different events in Bedford I took the right road to a Quilt Day but the wrong road to the church where we meet! Trying to find our way back through Bedford was a nightmare but eventually we found our way to the workshop.
It was so nice seeing all the old friends there. Two workshops were on offer, a beach scene and a Baby/Beach bag. However I decided to make another little bag like the one I made last week, only exception I wanted to add a zip to the top.

Sixteen of us enjoying a workroom at St Marks Church

I think my head was somewhere else, probably going around the streets of Bedford, and I made a real mess of it. After lunch, out came the zip and the bag was soon completed.
Rather than tackle another bag I crocheted a few flowers until it was time to go home.

My pink bag [ no zip!]

There were road works on the way to Bedford and by the time we left they had closed the road back to Northampton. A very scenic journey, including a stop to put the SAT Nav on, eventually helped us find our way back home. Goodness knows how many extra miles we did on this trip.

The Crochet Diet !

I have struggled with weight since the age of 30 [ when I had a hysterectomy] and decided a couple of weeks ago that if only I could loose a little it would help my poor old knees.

SO.. the crochet diet was born..

Breakfast I'm OK, lunch I'm OK, dinner I'm OK... then TV and nibbles until bed time.

So first thing was to cut down on desserts, I still HAVE to have one but they are less calories, usually a yogurt or reduced calorie jelly with fruit. [I love rhubarb in jelly]
Next was how to stop the TV nibbles... answer Crochet, with a hook in my hand I forget about eating.
I have a target I hope to reach before our next trip to Spain the end of August and will let you know if I reach it [or not].

The result of my first manic crochet instead of nibbling effort
All joined together with crochet and the borders made.
I just love this blanket.

Sunshine in the garden

I love getting up early in the mornings, and today is no exception. 6.30 and I am creeping around my garden with my camera! The sun is shining and everywhere is quiet and peaceful. I thought you might like to see what is happening in my garden.

The summer house has been painted, thanks Chris, and the Rhododendron is in full bloom

The pretty pink buds of this Rhododendron are just turning into the prettiest white flowers

My Blueberry bush is full of flowers that will turn into the most delicious fruit

I just love the colours.

Waiting for the Doctor to call

While waiting for the Doctor to call me about my knee X-rays the crocheting continued...

Decided to make a few flowers for my Attic24 project. I love the designs on Attic24 check it out if you have time.  Of course once I had started I could not stop, in fact I even had a go at working without a pattern for a little yellow flower. 

Eventually 45 mins later than my phone appointment the Doctor rang and the good news there is nothing wrong with the replacement knee but he will see me next week to sort out the pain I am having. The Weleda [Anica oil] that I have been using on my hand I have now rubbed into my knee in the hope it might help.

Crochet therapy

What weather we are having, the storm raged for most of the day yesterday.

I had phoned the surgery for the result of my knee X-rays only to be told I had to see the doctor. First appointment 1st June :-(
Not knowing what is happening to my replacement knee that now hurts so much and the lousy weather really got me down.

After feeling miserable for a while I decided to pull myself together and sorted out the silver crochet project I had started earlier this year. Where is the pattern for the basic square? How did I do it? Questions I could not answer, must email a friend to see if she still has a copy.

I did find the pattern for the block with the flower and managed to make the three blocks with flowers that I need to complete the project. I also crocheted together some of the blocks.
The therapy of crochet really lifted my spirits and a friend has now sent me a copy of the missing pattern so all is well with the world. [ well except for my knees]

3 flower corners made only 6 plain blocks and the border needed.

Bag workshop

Coleman's warehouse near Rushden was the venue for the workshop I attended on Friday. On arrival we were offered a choice of fabrics for the Vintage Chic bag we were going to make. As I was fairly early I had a good choice and just thought my choice would go with anything.
The workshop, costing £17.50 including the fabrics, with Trish ran from 10am to 1pm and with 12 ladies in the class she had her hands full as some had little experience of sewing.
The bag instructions were easy to follow and with her extra tips I managed to have mine completed by 12.30.  In fact I like the bag so much I bought enough of the canvas type fabric to make two more!
Colemans offer a 20% discount on their goods while you are on a workshop.
Loved the day and love the bag.

Working on Abigail's quilt

Abigail asked for a new quilt and I had three charm packs that 'fit the bill'.
I cut 126 five inch squares in tone on tone cream fabric and made little sandwiches of a charm square and cream square sewing a 1/4 inch seam around the four edges.
Next came the cutting the squares on the two diagonals, which produces four half square triangles.

To make such it is all going to work and I can get the size I want, I used my EQ7 programme to produce a picture of my finished plan.
I still have a way to go with this quilt but I feel I am getting there, and already Abigail, who made the first block herself, likes it.

Charm/cream squares ready for sewing. My EQ7 plan and squares ready for the next step.

Linus Quilts

Thursday was Poppy Patch sit-n-sew day.
My knees were really playing me up and the thought of climbing the stairs to the workroom nearly put me off going, but I had a few things I could do without a sewing machine so I went.

I started my day with cutting a large pile of charm squares that were sewn to cream squares on the diagonals and then ironing them open. It was a bit boring but went quickly chatting to the friends around me. They are part of Abigail's quilt that I am making.

I had two Linus quilts needing the bindings sewn down, another job I'm not too keen on, but I quickly managed to get both of them done.

Sometime ago I completed another Linus quilt and now I have three ready to go to a child in hospital or distress. The Linus movement do such great work providing quilts for children not only in hospital but also in women's refuge houses, those that have lost a parent etc etc..

My target for this year was to make four but I have already made five and hope to make more as the year goes on.

Linus quilt made from a charm pack and pretty backing fabric I "found" in my stash

Another charm pack used and again backed with stash fabric

ABC fabric and jigsaw fabric backed with "vegetables"

Machine Embroidery and wool!

A number of my T shirts have seen better days, so I decided to cheer them up with some machine embroidery.
I hooped up heavy washaway and then carefully placed the T shirt in place on the top. I do not hoop up the T shirt. Making sure the excess T shirt is out of the way I carefully hold it in place while the pattern sews out. I find I get less wrinkles and puckers using this method, but I do have to be careful of my fingers!

I adore the frog design and was tempted to use it on all three T shirts.

Three T shirts given a new lease of life

Yummy colours

Deremores offered me a 15% off coupon as I had not ordered from them in a while... who can resist a tempting offer... not me!  So I ordered 13 balls of different coloured Stylecraft DK Special which meant I got free delivery plus the 15% off. I only ordered them on Saturday and they arrived Monday, if only everyone offered such a good service.  I have a project in mind for these lovely colours, but must complete my silver project and keep upto date with my Lily Pond CAL before I start anything else.

A Land Rover meeting

Some time ago Chris was asked by the GLASS rep for Wales, who lives in Nuneaton [?] if we would like to join him and another couple for a day Off Roading. Chris is the rep for Northamptonshire and likes to meet with other reps so the day was arranged for yesterday.

Young bullocks surround us

Normally we never go Green Laning at the weekends, one because I like to go to Church on Sunday and secondly because everyone else goes at the weekend and being retired we prefer the quieter times during the week.
Sandwiches packed we met up with Matt [ the rep] and Heidi and John in their Land Rovers near Rugby Warwickshire.
The weather did not look too good, but the rain stayed away and Matt had worked out a route taking us from Warwickshire to nearer home. Many of the lanes we had travelled before but usually in the opposite direction.



At one point a Red Discovery, also driven by a Matt, joined us for a couple of the lanes and we became a convoy of four.

A LR Discovery joins the party.

Lots of farmers are making a big effort for our countryside, which we all respect.

Everywhere there are fields and fields of smelly yellow rape seed.

A lunch time stop near an ice cream vendor [bang goes the diet again!] was nice for a get together chat. Talk of a trip to Italy in convoy next year was banded about, hope it comes off.

How many people does it take to read a map?

The final obstacle, and Matt just makes it

More headroom for John and Heidi

Until we meet again

Who bought these?

Saturday evening Richard and the girls came for dinner.
I cooked a large gammon joint and we had all the trimmings.
Jacqueline is still in Thailand so Richard accepts any offer of a meal while she is away.
After the meal we played Yahtzee, which seems to be the game of the moment, and then the girls disappeared into their bedroom here and came down with ....

The noise and dancing and singing was enough to drive the neighbours away!
Whenever they stay here for a few days one of their favourite places to go is Emmaus Charity village and for a couple of pounds they seem to find the noisiest items to bring back. Usually they are banned from the house to play in the summer house. I did ask Richard if he would like to take the  pianos home but for some reason he refused!
It's a good job I love them to pieces. A quiet evening of TV was lovely when they went.

Towel experiment

Where oh! where has the week gone? Even my husband was checking up on me, asking why I had not blogged for a week. Here's a quick recap of my week.
Saturday we visited friends for a meal and played a new [to us] game of Rummy 10 card game. The meal was excellent as usual and the card game was also very good, once we had the hang of it.
Sunday was church in the morning, where we had some very interesting testimony's and talks.
Monday was a financial scare, Chris's Land Rover was making a terrible noise and everything looked like it being the petrol pump, which is very hard to remove in an old LR. I suggested taking it to a garage and they confirmed Chris's diagnoses and it looked like a bill for £450 +. However someone on a forum Chris follows said it might be the filter, as he had one he changed it and like magic it sorted the problem out. In my book this means we have just saved £450+ to spend on another holiday, sadly Chris does not have the same opinion.
Tuesday our daughter-in-law went to Thailand for work so I collected the girls from school, as Richard was in a meeting. We had a lovely time playing Yahtzee and eating hot dogs.
It was Hamtune Quilters 10th Anniversary in the evening and the speaker was Shirley Bloomfield, I had attended one of her workshops ten years ago. She was a great speaker with lots of  beautiful Baltimore quilts to show the group.
Wednesday... no idea what happened ! Think I was working on my Stylecraft Lily Pond CAL as the third part of the series was downloadable on Tuesday. I have managed to get up to date and even have all the ends sewn in. I will block it at the end.

Thursday our monthly IAM group met for the day. Two members were missing as they were on holiday. There was some wonderful show and tell... why did I not take photos?
Friday I had a Doctor's appointment as I have been having such a problem with my knees. She sent me for xrays and I will get the result in a weeks time. My replacement knee is painful and the doc was surprised such a new knee was making clicking noises! My old knee is swollen. Oh! the joys of getting old.

Today, Saturday I am experimenting with machine embroidering six cheap small white hand towels.

left to right my progress. 1st one looks too wimpy, 2nd one the applique is too small, 3rd one not too bad on blue silk.

Think I've cracked it! Used patterned satin with heavy washaway in the hoop.
One each for Abigail, me, and Eleanor. Spells AGE I think its a sign ;-)