Tuesday 9th

Today we had a sewing day [ mini IAM] with Jenny and Olivia joining us.
Abigail and Eleanor managed to make a nightdress case on the sewing machines and then using my embroidery machine put their initial and a butterfly.
Jenny and Olivia made blocks for the top of a lap quilt [ that will be finished on another mini IAM day].
It was a busy day and everyone achieved a lot of sewing.

Cutting, machining and embroidering



Me giving a helping hand



Nightdress cases



The quilt tops going together











Monday 8th

Chris collected the granddaughters to spend the week with us, while I went off to Bedford to a sewing day with Sue Sewell's group.                  

We were treated to cake and sweets as Enid was celebrating her birthday.

Sunday 7th

This has been a busy busy week, so I hope to catch up with all the news.
Sunday was Margaret Rowley's 80 th Birthday and we had a lovely afternoon tea near Luton.

No idea why I have only one photo of the beautiful cake and none of Margaret!

Margaret is my Mum's cousin by marriage.

IAM group day

Shirley, Ann, Maureen Jenny & Penny



Dorn and Clare

 After a mad clear up in my Happy Room on Wednesday the IAM group arrived on Thursday for a day of laughter, knitting and sewing.
Due to road works most had great fun getting here. Ann decided to do an impromptu workshop turning polystyrene egg shapes in hanging Christmas ornaments.. we all enjoyed the little workshop after raiding my stash for small Christmas fabrics. A quick sandwich lunch with delicious dessert [ thanks Maureen] was followed by Show and Tell and then more sewing knitting etc..

Easter Egg Hunt

Somewhere cold



Where the clothes get clean



In the play house

Grandma reads the next clue



Looking for the next clue




Won the medals




Counting the eggs!

 Sunday was a wonderful day with the family. Richard and Jacq had prepared an Easter Egg hunt, and each grandaughter had 15 clues to solve, with each clue leading to some eggs.
Abigail declared she had 52 eggs at the end!
I got to help Eleanor with reading the clues and racing all over the house.
This was followed by a wonderful dinner Richard had prepared.

Eastbourne 5 day break



Hotel from the Pier



Our room



Theatre Visit



 We are just back from a very enjoyable 5 day trip to Eastbourne. We left Northampton in deep snow and as we drove further south gradually it all disappeared and although very windy an cold it was dry and no snow when we arrived.
This was our first visit to the Claremont Hotel, part of the Daish Holiday group.
The room was nice and clean and overlooking the sea and close to the Pier. As we celebrated our 41st Wedding anniversary we took flowers given us by Richard and our cards.  The food and choices were excellent.
While there we went to see Driving Miss Daisy at the Theatre, an excellent show in a packed house.

Postcard swap

Postcards received from the "Lets go naked" BQLPC yahoo group swap.  All the postcards had to come through the post without envelopes, and all mine arrived unscathed.

Top card from Jacquie
2nd row Miriam and Heather
Bottom row Alice and Irene

Post cards

for Jane

for Miriam

I am in a birthday Postcard swap with BQLPC yahoo group, so today have been making some for the April birthdays.

I use machine embroidery for the design, then stick this to the front of very sticky Rufflette pelmet vilene, add a plain piece of fabric to the back of the vilene, machine around the edge and then use a Sharpie pen to write the message and address on. A normal 2nd or 1st class stamp is usually enough postage for those going to this country.

Is this Spring ?

Pond view

Shed view

March 23rd and this is the greeting I had this morning, the garden is covered in snow AGAIN!

Guess this calls for another sewing day.

Snow / Rain / cold wind

BirdTweet

Yesterday the weather was so horrible I cleaned the house and then started on a Christmas gift I wanted to make.

I just love this pattern intend to either frame it or put it on a hanger as a gift.

BSK BOM

BOM 4

BOM 3

Another great day at BSK Bedford, working on my BOM blocks.
Slight hiccup was I forgot my threads and USB for the pattern!
Borrowed some threads thinking they were the same colours but they are nothing like the other blocks I have made, so may do them again!

Bracelets

Last night I taught a group of ladies at Church how to make a Temple bracelet.. the one in the picture with the clip.

15 ladies turned up and all completed a bracelet in the 90 minute session. It was a fun evening and nice for everyone to go home with a finished item.

Spring is just around the corner

After a lovely sunny day yesterday this morning I awoke to frog spawn in the pond and the frogs doing what frogs do in the Spring!

Yesterday I could not settle to anything so decided to make a friend a new apron, such a simple thing but I had to use my un-picker more than I should have !

Katie teaches a cookery group at Church so I hope she likes it.

Great day

Bag front



Bag back




Easter eggs bags

 Today I have been Sit-n-sewing at Poppy Patch, and managed to completely make my Japanese bag with the lady on the front and dragons on the back.

I also made two Easter Egg bags for my granddaughters, to be filled with eggs.

Plus I hand sewed [not my favourite job!] around the Linus quilt I made earlier.

The sun shone most of the day and the company was great.. a lovely day.

March progress



Japan Machine Embroidery

  The Magic Diamond's quilt will be for Linus and only needs the binding hand sewn down [ a job I save for when in company as it is rather boring!]


Magic diamonds

 To make the design I used 4 strips of fabric sewn together and then cut into squares [I used 2 1/2 " strips]. Place one block horizontal and the next block vertical on top face together. Sew around the square and then cut on the two diagonals.. this produces 4 new blocks.  This method has been on a few blogs and I was shown the method some years ago.

The Japanese scene will probably be made into a bag, I really love the design.

March to do list

February seems to have gone by in a blur, and I have done little sewing.
Today is March 1st, St David's Day, and I need to get my Mo-Jo back.

My March to do list:
Machine embroider a Japanese scene.
Make and send 6 fabric postcards for a swap I am in.
Make a Linus quilt
Work on my bird blocks.
Work on my USA State star blocks.
Complete another BOM cushion.
Complete the hand sewing heart ring.

Watch this space to see if I can complete my To Do list.

Five days in Wales

Tow truck

View from Hotel

En-route to Anglesey



Castles everywhere



Driving round the Orme

A bridge

Welsh lesson!



Mountain goats



We decided to take a Shearings Self Drive Monday to Friday break at Llandudno, and set off early to make the most of the break. Two hours into our journey the back wheel on the Land Rover ceased and we had to wait to be towed home on a flat bed trailer. Once home after a lot of messing about we had a quick cuppa and moved everything into my car and set off again.. The 3 1/2 hour journey took us 12 1/2 hours!!

The Hotel had made us sandwiches as we missed dinner, so we crashed for the night.
The weather was really cold but the sun shone almost every day so we had some nice car trips.
Our room had a nice bay window where we could sit and watch the world go by.

The homebound journey was also eventful, we decided to stay off Motorways and take the A5, with in 20 minutes of leaving Llandudno we had to divert round tiny little lanes due to a major accident, and then we hit lots of road works, so again a long journey home but not as bad as getting there.

Chris is now taking the Land Rover to bits.. there are two wheels in the back garden so I expect we are in for some major expense!  BUT we had a great holiday.

Retirement

February 15th what a special day.

Chris officially took early  retirement from Box.
33 years ago our adopted son Richard came to live with us.

Box gave Chris a nice send off with a meal and a few gifts.

I made a special lap quilt for him, with his favourite wolves, Land Rovers, and tools for do-it-yourself. The quilt is backed with fleece and will be nice for use in the Land Rover.

School Half Term

Granddaughters are staying with us a couple of days as it's their school half term.

Yesterday they used my Brother 4000D Embroidery Machine for the first time, and each made their own name, which will be made into a hanging for the door of the bedroom they share when they stay with us.

Today while Grandad is at work we are going to be The Ladies That Lunch and going to a local restaurant for our midday meal.

BOM 2013

BOM2013

I have now finished the second BOM 2013 in my cushion series.
I am really please with the colour match.
Not sure I will make all 12 BOM's into cushions, may make a little lap quilt with some of them.