Sunday 1st November

 November, another lock down which was inevitable!  Was it only me who noticed the spike when students went to or back to university in September.  Long distance teaching and now they are stuck when I'm sure they'd rather be at home..........  At least we may be able to visit family at Christmas but there could be another lockdown afterwards 

*(this is all my opinions and no one else's)*

What have to you been doing?  I sorted all my fabrics and have been making lap quilts as Christmas presents.  I can show you the ones I have made so far as the recipients are not on this platform.  I'm making ten in all.  Here are the first three.  The top part has already been made just needs wadding (batting) and backing and quilting.  (click on them to take a closer look)

Noticed toadstools in with my special rose, this is what happens when you use horse poo straight from the field and the recent cold very damp days!

Had lovely time with friends two weekends ago.  Oh but my poor legs feet!  I walked down from Lynton to Lynmouth, then we stopped at Tarr Steps on Exmoor, and walked all round the correct Coronavirus way, we could have snuck back the way we came but we didn't and was good!  I walked 5.3miles that day, not used to walking that distance!  Made chicken curry before they picked me up in the morning and warmed it up when we got back.  It went down really well after such a long busy day.

On Friday last a beautiful whole rainbow stayed in the sky for more than an hour

Since the update of blogger last time. anyone else had this problem?  I used to be able to line up all my photos, used the ones I wanted then go go to use the rest but only to go back and fined they have disappeared and I have to go and find them again from the file on the computer.

Sunday 23 August

Middle of August 

Are we all a bit confused as to what day it is?  I certainly am!  It didn't help when the guy who is painting my house turned up yesterday.  He couldn't paint Friday because of the weather.  

What has everyone been doing?  

I've been sorting fabrics.  I've found fabrics I knew I had but couldn't find and also found fabrics I forgot I had!  Not sure what I was thinking when I purchased the fabric but I must of liked it, liked it a lot at the the time!

I also found this.  I made it when I was doing fairs.  In fact I thought it was one of my unfinished project I could unpick........  I carefully unfolded it but found a complete top of the quilt to be backed and quilted

"Summer Holiday"
Click to Enlarge

It will be for sale very soon on my Instagram.

Sunday 6th August

This week............. 

Its been all go here at Julie's house.

I have scaffolding, a painter and a skip!  I'm having my gutters replaced and house painted, all very exciting!  More about that when it is finished

I've also had a wonderful couple of days with these wonderful people.  

I stayed at a Premier Inn for one night.

Weeks before I made the Lisa the Unicorn cushion  A lovely lady contacted me after seeing all my quilts on my instagram.  

She asked me if I would make a quilt for her future grandchild. She explained the family live in USA and gave me some clues of the family.

I emailed a few rough pencil sketches to her and between us came up with the final plan.  

The stars are machined and hand quilted in place, the rocket I created with a Christmas fabric and other fabrics also machined and hand quilted.   

I have to admit I was a bit out of my comfort zone but I thoroughly enjoyed making this quilt and it seems her son and daughter-in-law love it.

Sunday 26th July

Another week gone by.....

How has your week been?  

My days and weeks just merge into one, anyone feel the same?   I am getting lots done slowly though

Sat down to the computer and saw this........ normally unless I'm at a friend Val's house who has a wonderful view I only normally see a quarter.

Lemon Drizzle Cake

I have great friends!

They tried a cake I had never made before with the above ingredients.  

I have a  daughter-in-law trying to stave off stage 2 diabetes, a granddaughter on a doctors diet for gluten free and a granddaughter who is dairy free,

Val and Mark said the cake was lovely but then I was drinking tea and eating cake with them.  

Jane said the texture was quite close as if it was stale.  I actually felt the same........  I will try making again as sometimes if you over beat that's what happens.

I found the recipe here

I finished my granddaughter's birthday present, she will be eleven in three weeks time.
I don't know if it was me but I cut each pieces correctly and double checked measurements but there was a mistake which was easy to correct.
The pattern is called Lisa the Unicorn by Elizabeth Hartman

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A Tip:

I couldn't get a zip long enough. 

I needed 24" zip, so two 12" had to do, stitched end-to-end works very well.

Sunday 24th May

Week Nine

Well another week has passed with this lockdown.  Monday I had lunch with my friend Sue.  She brought her lunch with her and we sat together in the garden.  She lives in a flat.  Tuesday afternoon had a cuppa with Janice and Thursday elevenses with Denise all in the front garden but now avoiding the Laburnum Tree as the petals are shedding and the tree is turning green............

click on picture to enlarge

This week I have done other things as well as the usual gardening.  Decided the only way to keep the weeds at bay was to go out most days.  Yesterday morning I was out in the garden at 7am.  I even held a conversation to a friend who was going for a walk.  She wanted to see if her friend was OK.  When she got back we had coffee in the front garden.

On Tuesday was my friend Jane's birthday.  I made her a cake and made a shopping bag.  I forgot to photo the bag because of my eager to wrap the present.  The cake part is vegan.  

Recipe

I also gave another friend one of my Lap Quilts.

click on picture to enlarge

I was inspired by Helen Philips' quilts.  

There are thirty six different coloured fabric in the quilt.

I made cheesy chips with some left-over fish and chip supper I had.   I was inspired by this recipe but I only used cheese and ground pepper but I made a small amount of the sauce mix.  The cheesy chips were quite delicious and lovely for a treat!

This picture was emailed to me by a friend.  

I thought is quite funny!

click on picture to enlarge

Sunday 25th April

Week Five

Another week of doing whatever.........

What have you been doing?

I had another walk into town to collect medication and pay my credit card.  

I've even had fish and chips home delivery which was lovely as I didn't have to prepare a meal for myself.

Home Delivery - very yummy!

Sorry going to have a moan...........

I went to take a photo of the black bin in my garden, put there by my neighbour.  He had a delivery of cement and wood and obviously just put it there temporarily - three days later it was still there, his wife walked past it twice!  I was a bit cross as he does take liberties.  I took the photo really to show my family. You see we previously had a really awful neighbour who used to swear out of the window at me and other people so I'm quite wary of what is happening.  (I had to involve the police with the previous neighbour).  As I did so a woman walked past and knew exactly what I was doing, taking photos.  The dog stopped and the woman extended her dog's lead and just kept walking.  Just see her head far left by dark car.  After she disappeared I went out to check to see what I was left, luckily the dog just watered the dandelion.  Mind you I have haven't seen her walk past since!

I finished this this week.  I do have to have to say I do feel proud of myself only because I actually finished it!

Patchwork of the Crosses

The Patchwork of the Crosses.  

Block of the month from Sew and Quilt.  This quilt got me through a lot over the last two years.

1st July 2018 I started the January box.    I cut out fabric and took the templates on the 7am bus every morning, an hour and half journey for about three months visiting my husband whilst he was in hospital.  The day he was discharged my dad went into hospital.  I finished the quilt top by Christmas 2018.

2019 a fun year..... NOT!  

My dad passed away in February followed ten weeks later by my darling husband but I kept calm and carried on..... I bought some wadding and and a king size sheet for the backing.  I carefully pinned the layers together on my friend's kitchen table November 2019 and then hand quilted around each cross.  I didn't want to rush the quilting and actually just finished it this week. 

My lovely friend Val offered to wash it for me and hung it on her line.  I was able the take a photo of the quilt in her beautiful garden.

The bright acid yellow Laburnum flowers made full appearance yesterday afternoon as it always does this time of year for two weeks.  

(Such a very pretty tree, but the whole tree is poisonous)

The Song of the Laburnum Fairy

by Cicely Mary Barker

All Laburnum's

Yellow flowers

Hanging think 

In happy showers.-

Look at them!

The reason plain

Why folks call them

"Golden Rain"!

"Golden Chains"!

They call them too.

Swinging there

Against the blue.

Sunday 29th March

Week One

................................or is it  week two.  

Week one for official lock down, how are you all doing?  

Are you all surviving?  

What have you been doing?

I listen to Radio4Extra on the i-player - currently listening to the unabridged "proper" version of Agatha Christie's The Pale Horse.  Circa-1993.

Still not concentrating properly though......

Last Saturday, and I'm still here to tell the tale..........  

I made Mac & Cheese, nothing unusual in that you would say but............

Pasta dated March 2018

The Christmas 2018 we thought my husband was recovering.  He helped me to sort the larder and and we sorted stuff in date order.  This was put onto the bottom shelf to be used first but as they say life got in the way in 2019 with one thing or another.

Cheese dated 6th February.  

Was given to me last November because my son and family were going out to New Zealand.  

The milk was fresh and I chopped a tomato to put inside (try it it's quite nice and doesn't dry out like on top) the Mac & Cheese I had fresh milk and some flour.

Doesn't look much here but it was delicious!

I have also been having this on my toast in the mornings

Robertson's Ginger Shred dated May 2018

The jar had never been opened.  I must have bought it to use in ginger cake.

I have been crafting but not going to show till I have finished.  Is there anyone else like me?  If I show a work in progress it tends to go on the "unfinished pile" or the "never to see the light of day again" pile and I have a few of both.  

I know I showed this the other day.  It is being finished slowly amongst other things but don't work on it everyday as I gave the recipients a photo of it as a Christmas present so it had been promised and so it will get finished!  I just didn't have time to finish before Christmas.

Monday 16th March

Well if we are going to be confined to home life..........  I think I'll try use all my fabric I have and make more lap quilts

Last year I made lap quilts for everyone who was there for me.