Why do I do it?

One of the groups I belong to asked if I would think about running a workshop, needless to say I had forgotten all about it! A phone call from one of the committee members the night before the meeting reminded me, so I set to and made a sample badge and on the spur of the moment thought it would be nice to offer to machine embroider everyone, that wanted me to, a name tag. I hoped some people would prefer to hand embroider their badges.
24 people wanted a name badge so I spent a whole afternoon hooping up and sewing out the different names, I had offered four colour choices. What a boring way to spend the afternoon!!!

At the next meeting everyone will be given the square of fabric with their name on and a piece of foam backing to make their badge. I will take lots of sequins, beads,  ribbon and other fabric to decorate the badges.

IAM group meeting

What a great day yesterday, the sun was shining and eight of us met for a day of chat, sewing, knitting and crochet. Actually I think there was more chat than anything else !
Maureen was knitting squares for a Prem baby charity.
Clare was working on a Japanese block, look forward to seeing it finished.
Jenny had gone mini hexagon square mad, making lots into a Christmas wreath
Penny was busy quilting a small quilt for a gift
Shirley was working on a Cupcake crochet project
Pauline was putting the binding on a quilt
Ann was continuing her baby crochet shawl
and finally I was working on my crochet mandala

Clare had been busy hand sewing a beautiful cushion

Jenny's knitting needles had worked their magic and she presented me with this great knitted crochet lady.

Super Mario was crocheted, I think there were 200+ tiny squares, by Shirley
A real labour of love.

Pauline showed us her Owl Bag, such a great size.

Pauline also made a bird cushion and the top for another

A flying geese quilt again by Pauline

Using the side strips from fabrics Pauline showed us a bag she had made.
Pauline only joins the group occasionally so we were all put to shame  by the amount of show and tell she produced.

Ann had been making bobbin lace snowdrops for a friends 70th birthday.

A day in the country

Tuesday we woke to a lovely sunny day so decided to go Off Roading in the beautiful Northamptonshire countryside.  The Byways are closed during the winter to save wear and tear on them but open again on May 1st, well in theory they open on May 1st but in fact the first two we tried were still locked.
The start of our journey took us via Naseby so we paid a visit to the Naseby battle Obelisk, which is a not too easy to spot and we had missed it when passing this way previously.

Naseby Obelisk

Battle of Naseby sign

Due to people fly tipping and general miss using the Byways some have had very tight chicanes put in and make for interesting maneuvers  to drive through them.  The good point is traders trying to fly tip cannot get through with their vans.

One of the nicest things about travelling the Byways is the peace and quiet and seeing beautiful sights, like this hedge layering. Glad I don't have to weed out all these dandelions!

Near Cottesbrooke we drove through a field of sheep and suddenly they
all raced towards us, guess they thought we were the farmer with food! To get through the gate without them all following us I had to "shoo" them why Chris drove through quickly, it was a very funny sight.

Wind turbines are growing like mushrooms and look enormous when being constructed.

The rape seed is in full flower and so smelly!

End of the day I think the car needs washing !

Half an Oven Glove

Having spent the morning washing and ironing [ plus a crochet break!] I decided this afternoon to use my embroidery machine to sew out a new oven glove pattern I had bought.
The pattern is for a left hand and right hand glove so I carefully made sure as it was just a test run to only sew out one glove.
Problem is the glove is made in two halves and I landed up making the right hand thumb and the left hand base. I really should learn to read the instructions !
Guess I'll just have to make two gloves.

An interesting way to make an oven glove in the embroidery machine hoop
Started on the second glove.

I washed the crochet blanket that I took to Wales in the Land Rover, it had spent time wrapped around me and thrown [ the rough lanes meant everything went everywhere!] on the floor in the back of the vehicle. It had never been blocked as I did not own enough blocking mats when I made it, so when it came out of the washing machine looking all clean and new I set about blocking it. I think it was the first crochet blanket I made and it looks so much better now. Made with Stylecraft Special DK it has washed well.

Stretched on my foam blocking boards

love the colours in this blanket

The Granary

After a great week here at The Granary it is time to go home. The snow has started to fall again and any last shot of the hills around here is out of the question, they have disappeared!

A picture on the wall shows the barn before conversion,what a great job they did.

Chris at the breakfast bar

An interesting feature that looks really nice lit up at night

Beautiful views across the farm to the hills

A photo on the lounge wall shows the barn before conversion. I am so impressed with this place we must come again, it has everything we need or want.

Thursday's Off Road Day

The morning started so nice, the sun was shining and we made an early start to go Off Roading.
Joining the route we had been taking all week following Tulip maps taken from a 4x4 magazine we drove to the start of the tracks.
Talk about scary, the track was extremely eroded and most of the time the twist and turns had us leaning at angles I thought were impossible even for a Land Rover Defender, a brief respite and then it got even worse with the camber so bad and the drop off so frightening I got out the car.
I walked, well should I say clambered ahead, to make sure Chris was not too near the edge even though the car was lurching at 90 degrees. I really do not know how he managed it, maybe the prayer I was repeating helped.
Chris then decided to call it a day so I know it was bad.
We headed back to the comfort of the Granary and then the heavens opened and the rain came down side ways!

Rest day

As usual I was up about 5.30 am, I love this time of day and watching the sun rise. This mornings sunrise was beautiful and I hoped for a lovely day, how wrong can you be?
By 6am the snow was coming down hard, I felt sorry for the little lambs in the field outside as they huddled next to their mothers.
Chris decided we would have a rest from Off Roading and go out for lunch. About half an hour from here is a great complex of shops called Harry Tuffin. The shop sells everything from food, garden plants, pound shop, post office, newsagent, cafe etc etc.. We bought a few things in the shop and had a fish and chip lunch with hot drinks for £10.30.
Back at the house we spent the afternoon, Chris on his laptop, me crocheting or playing backgammon on my iPad. Between snow and hail showers the sun shone brightly such a strange weather day.

Sun rise and hardly a cloud in the sky

working on my Mandala

Having chosen the colours myself I am really pleased with the way it is turning out.
Choosing colours is not something I usually do, I am a pattern follower!

The hills are covered in snow

Tuesday

Awoke to a covering of fine snow! The weather report for the day is  2 degrees and snow showers so not looking good for off roading.
Guess "we" are made of sterner stuff as we then spent the day up in the hills trying to find as many sheep as we could! The route today was across great swaths of barren land plus the odd bit of excitement when the car was leaning too far to one side for my comfort. A few fords, always Chris's favourite, plus a river trip ( pity we didn't have a boat) plus about 28 gates to open and close made for a fun trip.

first gate we met a flock of sheep on the move

the views are amazing

pretty lanes

we meet the river, Chris goes to investigate, the exit is near the bridge in the distance

splish splash here we go

love this sign

crossing the causeway Lake Vernwy

side of the lake

we never pass up a toilet stop, but this one was really special

start of a bone shaking lane

lots of pretty waterfalls

narrow bridges to navigate

as we complete the route for today we are again held up [not that we mind]

Monday Off Roading Day

We continued our Off roading adventure today. The weather had turned cold and misty rain occasionally fell but we had a great time and after opening 38 gates [ yes I counted them today!] we called it a day after about 5 hours.

Sheep sheep and more sheep

the mist rolling in over the hills as we drive along

A large forst area has been cut down and is now being replanted

enough cut logs to keep a fire going for years

Narrow lanes

even narrower bridges, this was only inches wider than the car



pretty countryside

babbling brooks