May IAM in lockdown

Today should have been our IAM craft group meeting, where eight of us get together to sew, knit, crochet, make lace etc.etc..  Always a fun day full of chat and laughs.  This May IAM day is a lot different as we are all of a certain age and in lockdown unable to meet up.

Everyone takes it in turn to bring a nice dessert, so I have made a lemon drizzle cake and will have a piece with my lunch.

My project for the day is to make a banner for my new Summer House on my embroidery machine.

I started yesterday and now my Happy Room looks like a craft bomb has hit it... threads everywhere, fabric busy in the Brother embroidery machine and general mayhem everywhere.

I am making them in a long row, to save fabric, and they will be cut into banner shape and backed before attaching to a long bias binding strip.

Four triangles ready for cutting out and backing.

Some of my embroidery threads, yes I have lots more in the cupboards!

I think teddy sitting on his chair is wondering what all the noise is about. 

Banner number six being sewn out.

The new Summer House

The new Summer House fitters arrived yesterday and quickly went to work.

Other than leaving them a drink on the garden table we had no contact, as we are still self isolating.

Busy busy they soon had the panels sorted.

Just look at that lovely blue sky.

In no time at all they were finished and hardly any damage to my plants.

Chris set too later in the day and put Sadolin on the side panels, he had already painted the back and around the windows, where it would be difficult to paint once erected. He still has the front to paint and then inside.

Time to research blinds for the windows, flooring and a colour scheme. I already had a new [to me] leather chair.

My new chair for the Summer House, bought on Marketplace for £20 and delivered to my front door.

I took it in cleaned it with antibacterial wipes and washed my hands. I love it and such a bargain.

The Labyrinth

My Labyrinth top is finished, and as it measures 84 x 84 inches I have decided to have it long arm quilted.

A search of my stash and I have found enough [surprise surprise !] fabric for the backing, not sure I have enough wadding, so hopefully the longarmer [is that a word?] has some for sale.

It is really difficult to get a good photo as today although lovely and bright and sunny is very windy, plus Chris’s arms are not long enough! Maybe I can get a better photo when it has been quilted.

Standing on the new summer house base but not tall enough.

Arms not wide enough.

This is such a different colour for me, I rarely use yellow in anything, what do you think?

Please leave a comment, I love to hear from you.

Opening a bakery!

Opps I think I made a bit of a mistake. 

I could not get bread flour anywhere, so thought Amazon might be the answer and ordered a bag, it arrived yesterday all 16 kilos of it! I could hardly lift it. Maybe I was confused by the metric weight, now we have left the EU can we go back to lbs and ounces please?

Another item delivered was a labelling machine, I cannot wait to give all my Happy Room containers nice labels and do away with the sticky notes that curl at the edges.

Some of the extra coloured label cartridges were broken but Amazon refunded me the whole set overnight.

May 1st

We continue to find things to do while staying home, and in the past week I had a delivery of plug plants. Of course they arrived on the wettest day this week, so a lot of the planting was done in the kitchen!

72 tiny plug plants needing some tender loving care. The parcel had been in the post for 5 days so I am amazed there are only two casualties.

I gave them a good soak before planting them in small flower pots and putting them in my new mini greenhouse.

I am expecting great things and a garden full of colour !

My mini greenhouse is now bursting at the seams, with runner beans, courgette, ginger and my new flower plants.

Another project was to use 25 copper leaves made for me years ago by a friend. I strung them on garden twine and hung them on two black metal shepherds hooks. As I only have two of these hooks they are in pairs and tinkle in the wind. When I next place an Amazon order I’ll get two more.

I am hoping they will be a deterrent to the heron that likes to dine on my fish occasionally, plus they look so nice glistening in the sunshine.

My planters would normally be full of colour by now, but it has been impossible to buy plants until recently.

The Summer House

The Summer House has arrived from Albany Sheds, of course after weeks of glorious weather it arrived on a rainy day!

Taken from inside the house, the lorry arrived with the new summer house

Next morning a brief spell of dry weather I take a look at the ‘wood pile’

Chris paints the back panels with Sadolin, as once the building is in place he will not be able to get to it.

The men arrive next week to assemble it, I then need to decide on the colour scheme and furniture [when I can get it] for inside.

Feeling sad

Feeling sad, we were due to fly to the USA today to start the 5 week holiday of a lifetime, travelling from Chicago in an RV to LA on Route 66, then back to Chicago spending 3 days on a train... Covid 19 meant it all had to be cancelled.

The new [OLD] hobby

Today we are having much needed rain, which does not bode well for the new Summer House that is due to arrive any minute!

However I decided I needed something new to do, I think this is part of the Virus, starting too many new projects.

In the dim distant past I was a lacemaker tutor and taught all over the USA, attended workshops in Belgium and France and organised tours for lacemakers. I also taught locally both through the Adult education system and privately.

I retired from all this 16 years ago when I had the opportunity to look after my first granddaughter two days a week, a very special time for me.

My lace pillows were put away and teaching equipment sold, making me enough money to buy a sports car, but that’s another story!

Today I dusted off one of my pillows that still has a piece of simple lace on it, it has taken some serious thinking to remember what I was doing 16 years ago, but I am loving it again.

Most of the bobbins are dated 1980-2000 and tell the story of my lace adventures.

Really pleased I kept the thread I was using with a bag of spare bobbins.

Ps. I still have drawers full of bobbins and equipment that have not seen the light of day for 16 years.

Sunday in April

Well here we are again almost at the end of another month on the Covid 19 pandemic. Most of the time I can cope with staying home thinking it will soon end, but Chris got a letter yesterday from the NHS telling him to stay home until at least the end of June! I may have to start a new project!!

My La Passion hexagons are making good progress.  I mostly pick them up and sew them in the evenings watching TV.

I need to make a total of six of the black edged design, and SIXTY SIX of the small shapes to add to my centre panel.

This is going to be a long job.

I have also managed to machine together Moda Blockheads 3 pattern 13, I still have to catch up on 14 and 15 before number 16 is released on Wednesday.

The Baldwin by Jen Kingwell as a 12 inch block.

The garden

Took a walk around the garden and Spring is definitely in the air.

I cannot believe this Geranium is still in flower, I have never know one last through the winter before.

I love Lavender and this plant is about to put on a lovely display.

The Rhododendron rescued from my Uncles house many years ago is just in bud.

The Raspberry bed given to me by my sister a few years ago was cut to the ground on Valentine’s Day and now has a lot of new growth.

I can expect a bumper crop in August/September again.

The Wisteria hanging over the raspberry bed will be a picture with a new more days of sunshine.

Tea time

Looks like we are in for a nice Tea Time.  I have been baking this morning.

Started a couple of loaves off and proved them on the sunny windowsill in my Happy Room.

This was the second prove in the tin before placing two large ice cubes in the bottom of my oven and baking them for 30 minutes.

While the bread was doing its thing I made a Mary Berry Stem ginger tray bake.

The smell of the cake and bread are almost too much to resist !

I am definitely not known for cooking as it takes away from my sewing time which I much prefer, but with the stay at home enforced on us I am starting to get a passion for cooking! Bang goes the diet!

Visit to the surgery

What I thought was a really bad attack of IBS just did not get any better after two weeks, and I could stand the pain no longer, so phoned the surgery and the doctor agreed to see me in 20 minutes! Chris drove me to the surgery car park, first time in a car for 4 weeks! I had to wait in the car until they phoned to say I could go in, where all the staff were masked and gloved. The Doctor was wearing scrubs, a mask and gloves... it all looked like a bad dream.  

After a really good but painful examination it turns out I have pulled a muscle near my hip and may take weeks to improve. Ibuleve gel was recommended as I cannot take the tablets and paracetamol for the pain. To save going into the pharmacy I ordered the gel from Amazon Prime [what would we do with out this service at this time?] and it arrived next morning.

Two days have now passed and I cannot say I really feel any better, the worse thing being I struggle to use my sewing machine pedal, and of course all I want to do is sew.  I have made a little progress on my La Passion hand sewing project.

Completed stage One.

Staying safe, staying home and concocting meals from what I have. Luckily I have managed to get a few home deliveries and a neighbour offers to get me shopping if needed when she is going herself.  We will get through this terrible pandemic.

The Labyrinth

Some time ago I cut out all the pieces for a Labyrinth quilt and eagerly waited to make a start putting it together.

Sadly the extremely painful IBS I have been suffering from for over a week has meant little sewing has been done.

I have managed to make a small start and feel very frustrated that I cannot sew for any length of time.

I managed to finish a pair of UFO socks.

Going going gone

As we continue to self isolate and unable to go on our USA holiday next week we have ordered a new summer house.

This means the old falling apart one has to go, so in between controlling for the 4x4 rescue service Chris has managed to demolish it.

Talking of the 4x4 rescue service, it has been really busy delivering food parcels to the vulnerable and medicines etc etc. In fact I am beginning to think Chris lives in his shed on his computers controlling who goes where etc.

Back to the Summer house..

Starting to remove the glass.

Doors gone and now to tackle the roof.

Just the back two panels left to go, but just look at the beautiful weather we are having.

Opps, the back fence panel has fallen in pieces and exposing us to the neighbours garden.

Photo taken from the bridge over the pond.

No means of getting a new panel so Chris makes one from the old building to fit the space.

This will not be seen once the new Summer House arrives, and it is brown on the neighbours side.

Happy Easter

Made this on my Embroidery Machine to celebrate this unusual Easter.

Missing egg hunts with the family, Church services and outdoor life in general.

Stay safe everyone

Excited

At last something exciting happened around here... well I was excited..

Big swishy box left on the doorstep

20 Red Goldfish being gently lowered into my pond to get use to the temperature and meet the 6 inmates already in there.

Since opening the bag they have been swimming around happy in their new environment, meeting the many frogs, toads and newts.

I could spend all day sitting watching them.

Catching up

How often do I say I am catching up? Even though we are staying home in quarantine time seems to run away from me.

However I have had a bad IBS attack and it has laid me low for a few days, anyone who suffers with this will know the terrible pain it causes.

Enough of my woes, I am at least able to enjoy my garden and Happy Room today.

This package arrived a few days ago

I managed to put it together with a little brute force from Chris.

Now all I need are some plants to put in it.

My sister gave me a pot of Lilac Wonder crocus some time ago and the first flower has appeared.

Such a pretty flower, isn’t nature wonderful.

Another UFO pair of socks completed.

The Rainbow

The rainbow is a sign of hope, and a lot of people around here have them in their windows.

I made a pathetic attempt and googled a rainbow to print and put in my window, but yesterday made amends. 

I sorted through my stash of Stylecraft DK yarn and a size 4.5 crochet hook, I wanted it to look a bit lacey.  Orange was not a colour I had obviously used in the past and had to substitute with a sort of brownish orange. We just have to make do in these times of quarantine.

Now to keep its shape, I found a red wire coat hanger, cut the hook off and threaded it through the holes in the design.

It turned out a lot bigger than I thought but the thought is there, lets hope this Virus that is affecting the world soon disappears.
Stay home, stay safe.

Day 20 busy in the kitchen

April 1st  the start of a new month, and hopefully getting closer to the Corona virus being a thing of the past.

Having started more new projects I will not be able to leave the house even when we can, I have too much to do... got to keep busy.

I have had a busy morning in the kitchen cooking, and lucky me Chris did all the washing up!

4 cottage pies [ two eaten today for dinner]

4 tubs of Bolognaise each one containing 4 helpings.

Plus a bread and butter pudding [ also started for dessert and yummy it was too!]

Time for a rest and visit to the garden.

The best gift

After 19 days in quarantine/ lockdown it doesn’t take much to put a smile on my face.

Tesco delivered my order, he puts the bags of food in the hall, while we stay indoors, as soon as he goes it’s time to see what items I’ve managed to get, a lot of things are unavailable. I am however grateful for the delivery

A bag of bread flour is the reason for my smile, this has been impossible to get until today.

I also sent for a new dough hook for my ancient Kenwood and it arrived today.. so no excuse now to make bread.

Busy cutting out more 1/2 inch hexagons

Before stating the La Passion 1/2 inch hexagon quilt I researched methods of making the shapes and decided to use the freezer paper method.

Cutting out over 17000 hexagons seemed a little daunting so I bought a Fiskars stamp, I already had a box of freezer paper.

I cut two 2” strips of freezer paper and then punched out the shapes, even Chris picked it up and cut some for me, it was so easy.

These shapes are then ironed onto my fabric and I tack around the edge before sewing them together with silk thread.

Spring has sprung

The clocks went forward an hour on Sunday, so guess it’s now officially Spring, not that it feels like it, the weather has a real chill in the air, we even had a few flakes of snow yesterday.

Thought I’d update you all on what I have been doing...

I spent some time sorting out photos and found one of my Mum on her wedding day,

Mum, Catherine Mary Ashby lived opposite the St Mary’s Parish Church in Burton Latimer at 65 Church St.

Her father, the Church warden escorted her across the road on March 25th 1940 to be married, she always had a love for Arum Lilies and carried them in her bouquet.

While still in lockdown at home I have been busy working on my 1/2 inch hexagon La Passion quilt, still a loooong way to go but I am enjoying the journey.

The central papers have been removed.

A new project is in the pipe line and today the postman delivered a lovely parcel of fabric, ordered from Doughty’s  on line, one of the many company’s still operating while keeping their staff safe.

Dimples fabric, one of my favourite, easy to mix and match fabrics.

Finally just a little funny

Love to hear from you, please leave me a comment.