enbellefrance

Pink Lemonade

2012-02-01T16:55:00.000+01:00

You may have noticed a new-ish button on my side bar linking to Lori at Humble Quilts, well, do pop along there today and see all the lovely versions that have been posted of her Pink Lemonade Quilt A Long which has been running thoughout January - this is my offering

Finishing at approx 19" x 25" there are LOTS of small pieces, but it was also lots of fun to make ! Thanks Lori for sharing this little quilt !

If you'd like to join in, the tutorial is still available.

Just the One!

2012-01-31T17:09:00.001+01:00

Tucked in under the wall, but a sure sign that Spring IS on its way !

Mixed Bag

2012-01-29T15:22:00.000+01:00

Don't you just love it when one of these arrives in the post box ?

A little battered after its long journey, but, thanks to La Poste who always take the trouble to patch up any 'broken bits' , everything arrived safely

Lovely aren't they ?

FMQ Challenge

2012-01-26T13:40:00.000+01:00

I decided to join in SewCalGal's Free Motion Quilting Challenge 2012 - well, anything that will help me improve has got to be worth a try ! With a lesson each month from a list of very impressive teachers, even I can't fail to learn something :-)

Rather than make the suggested sampler quilt, I thought to make up a 'sample folder', an idea suggested in Patsy Thompson's DVDs. Why am I using this idea - well, a while ago I managed to 'click' on the wrong box when ordering wadding, and when my parcel arrived instead of the natural I was expecting, I had a whole load of black !

This has been lurking in a dark corner screaming 'stupid' at me everytime I look at it, so what better way to try and reduce it than this

First sample attempt complete with a couple of wobbles,but think this might be a better one to keep

Not perfect by any means, but I am quite pleased with the uniformity of the stitches and the spacing even if some of the shapes are a bit iffy.

I have the folder

Now all I need is to dig out some fabric to cover it !

January's lesson, by Frances Moore, can be found here if you'd like to see it, and it's not too late to join in either!

'Super'market !

2012-01-15T13:32:00.000+01:00

Who says supermarkets are boring? Well, not my local one and if you don't believe me, lets go shop !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj3LLZO4TLw

First Finish

2012-01-11T13:18:00.001+01:00

I've mentioned Angelika in a previous post and my first finish for this year is another of her creations that she has generously shared with me - a tessellation table runner.

This has got to be one of the easiest patterns I have ever played with, so next step has to be to try the technique on a quilt - all agreed ?

Edit Note:

Before anyone starts thinking 'copyright' , perhaps I should explain that when I mention someone sharing a pattern with me, these are not commercially published patterns but ones that have been developed/designed by that person, and as such are not available for sale.

Birthday Blog!

2012-01-02T20:33:00.001+01:00

Well, here we are again at the start of another year and would you believe my Blog's 4th
Birthday !!

My first post was 1 January 2008 and yet looking back it seems like just the other day - where did those years go?

During this time I've learnt a great deal not only about the lovely people I've met in the blogging and quilting communities, but also about myself.

I've experienced the generosity of on-line quilters who share their knowledge and patterns with me and everyone else. I've learnt that there is always someone out there willing to help when help is asked for, someone to encourage you when you're doubting yourself, someone to laugh with you and sometimes to cry with you.

I've learnt to have confidence in myself and my work and not to worry too much if everything isn't perfect (!) but to enjoy my quilting time and not put too much pressure on myself. I've learnt not to feel too alone in this little corner of Brittany because there is so much more out there for me to learn and enjoy if I just go look for it.

I know it's usual on these occassions to offer a giveaway, but I've decided instead to send a little gift to the ones who have supported me most with comments over the years, so Suzanne , Sue and Jane, please let me have your address when you have a moment.

To all my other followers and readers a great big ' Thank You' for dropping by - its always good to know that you are out there !!

And A Happy New Year !

2011-12-31T07:27:00.000+01:00

May it be a year filled with good health, peace and happiness for each and every one !

Merry Christmas !

2011-12-24T07:35:00.001+01:00

However you choose to celebrate, may you enjoy a Peaceful & Happy
Christmas !

Feathers and Small Quilts

2011-12-22T15:01:00.000+01:00

Look !! Not only a finish, but my first quilt with free motion feathers !

From this book , it's just 39 inches square, but I am thrilled with the way it has turned out ! The feathers are from this DVD by Patsy Thompson, who's method I've found the easiest to master. I am so pleased with myself that I'll even show you the back as long as you promise not to laugh at my 'swirls' - more practice needed there me thinks :-)

Not perfect I know, but not too bad for a first attempt either (even though I says it as shouldn't !)

Moving on, some while ago I joined this Yahoo Group dedicated to making small quilts and recent I joined their first quilt swap . My partner Tricia (no blog) from Michigan said that her favourites were autumn colours and purple, this is what I made for her

Measuring 16" x 24" , finished block size 4", containing 47 different fabrics not counting the neutrals - I was gutted when I discovered I had duplicated one colour, but by then it was too late to do anything about it . This is the lovely little quilt I received in exchange which is Tricia's first swap quilt

So to finish, the same Group also issued a Red & White quilt challenge a couple of weeks ago and here's my entry , just 15 inches square.

...and look !! More feathers !

Tyntesfield

2011-12-14T20:46:00.001+01:00

Before my last visit to the UK disappears totally into Christmas preparations, I would like to show you a couple of photos taken inside the house. As no flash photography was allowed, I will apologise now for the rather dismal lighting, but I think they are still worth looking at!

One of the amazing fireplaces - can't you just see a quilt here !

And maybe another one in this section of flooring ?

With approx 100 rooms, can you imagine these all ringing at the same time ? Downton Abbey eat your heart out !

Part of the gallery landing

and its amazing ceiling !

The amount of wood panelling and carvings in this house is staggering, and all original. Most doors are embossed with flowers or animals and no two carvings are the same. One doorway had a freize of some 16 roses above it, and all different.

These are just a couple of glimpses into an era long gone, but still fascinating today!

One thing I didn't mention in my last post was the chapel

This was added after the main house was built, and because of the contours of the land, was built on the side of a slope, hence the very large crypt ! The family would enter the chapel from the first floor of the house, and if you look closely at the photo just above the tree on the left, you can see the covered bridge that was built to enable them to attend services without going outside.

I hope you've enjoyed this little visit as much as I enjoyed the real thing !

Been Naughty Again!

2011-12-12T12:09:00.000+01:00

Carpenter's Star from Mary Johnson at MaryQuilts and yet one more for you know where :-)

Not all my fault this time though as its been easier to be piecing than quilting during all the ups and downs the last couple of months, so I'm blaming DH for this one - well, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it !

Remember Me ?

2011-12-03T18:31:00.000+01:00

Yes, I'm still here ! Where have I been all this time , well, November has been a very busy month one way and another what with follow-up appointments for DH after his surgery, a trip to the UK to celebrate our wedding anniversary & DH's birthday with our chidren & grandchildren, not to mention some serious retail therapy. Then,once we were back, the dreaded decorating reared its ugly head and this time there was no ignoring it - so with all this going on, I'm afraid my Blog has been more than neglected.

We had a great time in the UK, we stayed in Bath which has always been one of our favourite cities.

Pultney Bridge

The Royal Crescent

and the Abbey

Being central to most of our extended family meant that during school and working hours we were free to wander amongst all the lovely buildings and museums that Bath has to offer, and still have enough time for visiting without offending anyone, very important and sometimes difficult. It also meant that we didn't have to change our sleeping arrangements every few days - even more important as we get older :-)

As well as all that Bath has to offer, we also managed a visit to Tyntesfield , the most amazing Victorian High House you have ever seen, and one that I've waited years to see.

The house

the surrounding parkland

The interior is equally impressive, and to say that it was worth both the wait and the visit is putting it mildly, and if you are ever in the Bristol area, please do go and see it, you'll not be disappointed !!

Lots more news and photos to share with you, but as this is turning into rather a long post, I'll keep them for another time.

Quilt A Long

2011-10-26T13:43:00.000+02:00

We all know about the wonderful Quilt A Long and free Block of the Month tutorials that are available in Blogland at the moment, so many in fact that it's difficult to decide which one, or more, to join in. The one that really caught my imagination was Julie K's Plaid QAL, so that's what I've been working on and this is the finished flimsy

A change from my usual civil war fabrics, but lots of fun to make. Bad news is that it's another for THAT drawer !

I'm still practicing on the Janome 1600 and feel more confident all the time, but still not confident enough to attack a quilt :-)

New Toy

2011-10-17T13:59:00.001+02:00

I've been have some problems with FMQ and my last couple of quilts as the quilts seem to be getting bigger and more of a struggle, which meant the arthritis in my hands played up more during & after the quilting process, so after all the stress and disruption of the last weeks, I decided to spoil myself with a new toy as a pick-me-up!

Meet my Janome 1600P-QC aka The Beast ! A bit different to the Bernina to say the least, and so far it hasn't got out of medium speed mode as I'm quite keen to keep my fingers a while longer, but what a joy it is to have the extra throat space! I opted for the 1600 rather than something with all the bells & whistles thinking that a straight stitch only machine fitted the bill, as I very rarely use the embroidery stitches on the Bernina or the Janome 6260QC these days.

It's taking a bit of time to get used to the side loading bobbin and having to change the needle plate for FMQ, but so far the benefits are far greater than the inconveniences.
There have been teething problems, aren't there always, but hopefully these are now sorted and I am ready to try a 'proper' quilt with it rather than the continue with the evergrowing mountain of practice squares - I just hope that it performs up to expectations! Who knows, maybe someday I might even be pursuaded into buying a frame :-)

I did manage a couple of totes with it during playtime which have turned out OK. I am particulary pleased with the one made from two orphan blocks which is just the right size to carry around with me for my stitchery .

Where Did It Go ??

2011-10-08T07:47:00.000+02:00

September that is - it seems to have passed by this corner of the world without a whisper, or so it seems !

Perhaps it had something to do with DH going into hospital for his knee job at the start of the month for 10 days, followed by another 15 days filled with a parade of hyperdermic-wielding nurses twice a day. Not too bad you might think, except that the morning visit was 6.30 every single morning - but then I shouldn't really complain as it wasn't my nether regions they were playing darts with : )

Add to this mix physio for the patient 3 times a week and throw in a couple of visits from our GP for good taste , can you wonder that September is just a vague memory ? I feel exhausted just writing about it all!

Thankfully things are getting back to what passes for normal, DH is hobbling around without falling over his crutches, doctors and nurses have left to help others and only the physio is ongoing, so good job done by all!

In the middle of all this, I did manage one finish

and another UFO for that drawer!

Not too bad all things considered.

I have some more news to share on the sewing side of things, but will keep that for another post, for the moment it's just good to be back in Blogland!

Scrapbusting!

2011-08-29T10:10:00.000+02:00

or how to get rid of all those 'mistakes'!!

Another pattern from Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville and another for THAT drawer :-)

New Neighbours......

2011-08-20T15:33:00.000+02:00

.............in our garden!

A family of red squirrels - the cutest little creatures you have ever seen! They've provided us with hours of entertainment with their antics , and also frightened the daylights out of me and William when one of them took a flying leap between the apple trees, missing my head by inches!

Not the best photos ever, I know, but they were taken from the bedroom window.

So far August has been a bit of a run around month as DH goes into hospital on 7 September for a knee replacement op.

Now, DH is not the most robust person around having a long and sometimes traumatic history of a cronic cardiac condition as well as only having one kidney, so it's fair to say that for him this is not a run of the mill op. You really do not want me to list all the examinations & tests he has been put through these last few weeks :-)

Having said that, his health care ever since we arrived in France has been second to none and this has once again been underlined by the great care that has been taken to ensure he is fit to undergo surgery.

Jinxed July !

2011-07-31T11:16:00.002+02:00

July has been a strange kind of month .The weather has been the most unseasonable we've had since we arrived in Brittany, staying wet and cold for most of the time. The heating has been going just about every evening as the house has been so cold, and when it hasn't been raining, we've been plagued by those heavy grey skies that seem to be trying to push you into the ground !

On top of this there have been a number of minor domestic hiccups, like the new laptop playing up again and again, DVD recorder/player giving up the ghost and having to be replaced, moles digging up our lawn and mice eating all the roots on the runner beans - the one veggie we love and can't buy in France. The final straw was the oven door falling off in the middle of my cake bake to raise funds for the local Animal Welfare Charity !! Needless to say I 'm very glad to see August and hope its going to be a better month weatherwise and less expensive !

All is not doom and gloom however,as I have not one but two finishes for July, so I'm still on course for one finish a month during 2011.

Firstly a sofa size Triple 4 Patch quilt, which I just had to make after seeing several around and about Blogland.

My 'use it up' backing

During my holiday in June I was fortunate enough to meet up with a very talented quilter, Angelika, who doesn't have a Blog but if you're a member of BQL you'll know Angie! Not only did she have some amazing (prize winning!) quilts to show me but she very generously shared some of her own designs with me and my second finish is one of Angie's beautiful Art Deco mini quilts.

It only measures 8" x 23" but I am very pleased with it as its my first attempt at stained glass quilting- will I use it again, well, I do have a second pattern which is a bit more intricate, but maybe I'll wait a little while until the tips of my fingers have recovered from a few close encounters with the iron fixing all that black binding :-)

le Quartorze Juillet

2011-07-14T07:10:00.000+02:00

Christmas Quilt Along - Post 2

2011-07-09T18:04:00.000+02:00

On my wanders around Blogland, I came across this tutorial which I decided would make a great little cushion cover just right for my American-in-Brittany friend J (no Blog).

I started with this

and now have this ready to back & quilt

Crumbles are all cooked, 2 apple and blackberry, 1 gooseberry and one blackcurrant, and before you ask, yes only three in the photo as DH has already attacked the fourth !!

See you later !

Just in Time !

2011-07-09T11:45:00.000+02:00

I'm back again! After 3 weeks wandering around the UK on a very enjoyable holiday I'm back just in time for this month's Christmas Quilt Along

If you've not joined in previously, go along and visit Sue and she'll be delighted to see you!

I've finished my (few as possible!) daily chores, have 4 fruit crumbles ready to go into the oven, solved a problem on my very own new laptop (Hurrah! No more sharing with DH) and, as the rain is pouring down again, I think I deserve to spend the rest of the day
sewing , don't you ?

See you all later

July 4th

2011-07-04T14:57:00.000+02:00

To All My American Friends !!

Still Here!

2011-06-06T14:33:00.000+02:00

Where does the time fly to ? Maybe the reason the last couple of weeks passed in a blur had something to do with getting ready for an invasion of grandchildren followed by a great visit, followed by a not so great couple of days listening to the washing machine chuntering away getting all the extra linen washed ready for the next invasion - whew!!

These visits are very precious to us and it always takes a little while to get back into our routine again - 4 extra bodies around the place certainly calls for changes, but although peace has once again descended on Chez Nous, I am not too sure that we like it very much at the moment.

Not a great deal of time to spend stitching, as you can imagine, but I did manage 2 finishes

Scrappy Tumblers all finished and already claimed and on its way back to the UK with its new owner :-)

Soot & Ashes - at last something done with these blocks! In the end I only used 9 blocks to make my own Red & White mini !

Although you can't see them I actually quilted mini feathers in the 4 plain blocks - they turned out to be 'acceptable' in the end, but - a lot more practice needed . One day I might be brave enough to use a contrast colour instead of a blender :-)

That's it for June I'm afraid, as we are off on holiday the end of the week, so see you in July !!

Bits and Bobs

2011-05-22T15:17:00.012+02:00

We don't get may quilting related functions in this part of the world, so whenever there's news of anything interesting happening its always good for a visit.

Last week there was a sewing and patchwork 'Troc' advertised in nearby Pontivy , so off we went to have a look. In the main the items on sale were antique Breton traditional dress items and beautiful handmade lace, so lovely to look at but well out of my budget I'm afraid!

As is usual at these very infrequent events, photos were a bit difficult because of the crowds, but I managed to snap these lovely embroidered bags

these wonderful vintage head forms, which I would dearly love to own, but at 150 euros each - well!!

and what every well dressed woman should be wearing!

Ooh La La!! (wish Blogger hadn't turned the pic!)

I also managed some Moda and vintage Laura Ashley FQs from the two patchwork stalls at the sale, so the afternoon wasn't totally wasted !

I'm still trying to keep up with my own target of one UFO a month to make some kind of dent in the 'drawer', and May's finish is a small & easy, but bright and cheerful baby quilt. Made from 2 Moda Freebird charm packs plus yardage and on its way to the family's newest member, Daisy, born 22 March. A little late I know, but at least it'll get to her before she leaves for Uni :-)

Blogger's Quilt Festival : Spring 2011

2011-05-14T10:23:00.001+02:00

My entry this Spring has to be the Pineapple Quilt that was finished not so long ago

All the blocks were traditionally pieced from 1 1/2 inch strips and it seemed that I spent more time cutting and pressing that I actually did sewing!

This quilt was really a case of make a few blocks then walk away until the next urge to carry on grabbed me, so it was some time in the making. It is also the biggest quilt I've attempted to machine quilt, which again was a slow process!

But in spite of all the scorched fingers, aching shoulders and temper tantrums - I am glad that I stuck at it as I now have a lovely quilt!

Thanks to Amy for giving up her time to organise this event once again !

Back Again .....

2011-05-14T09:48:00.005+02:00

... from what must be the shortest break from blogging ever(!) , but how can I possibly take a break with two very important quiltie happenings this weekend ?

First,today is Sue's Christmas Quilt A Long , so why not come along and join in the fun ?

Secondly, its Blogger's Quilt Festival time again over at Amy's and no way should anyone miss this ! Under the rules I 'll have to blog about my entry in a seperate post, so not one, but two post today !

What's happening to the redecorating - well, that can wait another couple of days I'm sure :-)

Taking A Break

2011-05-10T17:39:00.001+02:00

Life is very boring at the moment with most of my time being spent catching up on chores. The garden is looking good now, but all this sunshine is showing up the tired paintwork so - dust covers on the Bernina and camera and time to get on with some long overdue redecorating!

Will be back when things settle back to normal I'm sure !

Been Strippin' !

2011-04-30T12:39:00.000+02:00

String Tumblers from Mary Johnson's pattern , one more for the UFO drawer :-)

Not a brilliant photo, but it's blowing a gale at the moment and it's impossible trying to keep the top flat, and the pastel colours haven't come out too well in the sunshine - but you get the idea!

Something Quilty.....

2011-04-24T20:37:00.001+02:00

At last!

Its been a very long time since I wrote about something sewing related, in fact, it's been a long time since I did any sewing (!) so its good to be able to show a finish

Disappearing 9 Patch all done and dusted at last and just in time for its first birthday! This brings my total of finishes for Myra's PhD Challenge to 4 out of 6. Don't know if I'm going to get all 6 done, as I am so far behind after the last couple of weeks' layoff, but there's still another few weeks left so who knows !

I hope you're all having as glorious an Easter holiday as we are in Brittany - the wall to wall sunshine, high temperatures and cloudless blue skies have been around for almost 2 weeks now and its just so enjoyable!

This kind of weather has meant lots of chances to spend time with friends over the Easter weekend - a picnic by the river on Friday, morning coffee under a lilac tree yesterday, BBQ in the garden today and afternoon tea planned for tomorrow - another reason my quilting is lagging behind :-)

The sunshine is bringing the garden to life at full speed now, azaleas in full bloom and peonies bowing their heads from the sheer weight of the flowers ! The clematis are full of buds and a promise of things to come and any day now we'll have delphiniums!

Don't you just love the changing of the seasons!

First Rose

2011-04-12T14:52:00.000+02:00

Proof indeed of our most unusually hot weather - not that I'm complaining - but we've never had roses in the garden this early in the year !

Cherry Blosom Time

2011-04-09T10:52:00.000+02:00

In the garden

and wild cherry along the roadside !

We are having the most glorious weather with clear blue skies and temperatures in the high 20s to low 30s. Long may it continue, but I just hope we don't have to pay for it later on :-)

Meet my Grandson...........

2011-04-03T14:55:00.000+02:00

who has spent most of his weekends since quite a young age doing this

in all kinds of weather

with many endings like this

and collecting lots of these along the way!

Now almost 16, he has been 'spotted' by a well known F1 team and has been offered a place in their stable of young drivers! A wonderful chance for him to follow a career in motor sports, which he is passionate about, and we are so very proud of him!

Well done , Bean, and may all your dreams come true !!

Ooops!

2011-03-22T13:20:00.000+01:00

Did you notice today's deliberate mistake? Well, I managed to post with just this photo.....

.....instead of saving it as a draft ! Sue spotted it and luckily was kind enough to leave a comment which made me realise what I had done - thank you Sue! That'll teach me to pay more attention when I am 'clicking' :-)

As you will have guessed, my Pineapple quilt is finished. I'd just put the last couple of stitches into finishing the binding before the wrist kicked in so at least I have one finish for March, but that's going to be it for the rest of the month. Getting to the end of this one has been very slow and perhaps not helped by what was building up in my wrist and maybe all the pulling and pushing during the quilting didn't help matters either, who knows! Whatever the problems though I think its been worth the struggle.

If you have a moment pop along and have a look at Sue's blog and read about the amazing new book she has written - I promise you won't be disappointed !

Still Here!

2011-03-21T19:27:00.000+01:00

Update on the wrist is that - wait for it - I have gout! Well, a form of gout in as much as the problem is a build up of crystals in the joint causing restricted movement and inflammation. Caused by a build up of uric acid in the body, these crystals can apparently attack any joint, not just the feet, and can also affect the kidneys, hence kidney stones.

The good news is that the pain is now bearable, the swelling has gone down and hopefully the crystals can be dispersed with medication. Bad news is that I can't use my hand properly without the support, and this coupled with instructions to 'rest' the joint means still no sewing, but in comparison with all the other problems happening around the world, things aren't too bad really.

Glorious Spring sunshine has meant that even though my quilting passion can't be fed at least my other favourite pastime, walking, is keeping me sane :-)

Disaster !

2011-03-11T18:32:00.002+01:00

Seems like the pains I've been complaining about in my wrists , the left one in particular, when quilting over the last couple of weeks, were something more sinister than just the usual arthritic aches and pains .

My left wrist has been getting progressively more painful over the last 2-3 days and when I woke got this morning, after a very disturbed night,my wrist was badly swollen , my hand curled up like a claw and I was unable to open it!

An early emergency appointment with the GP resulted in a very painful exam, what felt like at least a litre of blood samples, a very stinging jab in the rear end (!) to help with the pain, and my left wrist strapped up in one of these

Mine is actually quite a fetching blue, this photo is from an advert, as I just can't manage to snap one handed - typing is difficult enough :-)

I've spent most of the day in a drug-enduced fug, but the pain has improved a lot. X-rays first thing tomorrow morning if the swelling has gone down enough, then back to the GP for all the results. In the meantime, please keep everything crossed that it is a short term condition , as the last thing I want to hear is that I won't be able to use my hand for weeks!!

Weather Check

2011-03-06T16:50:00.002+01:00

We have had the most glorious weather over this last week - lovely sunny days but keeping a bit cold thanks to the North wind that's been blowing around the place. Today though the wind has dropped and this afternoon it feels almost like Summer with temperatures around 14 C, positively T-shirt weather don't you think :-)

All around us Spring is working hard - everywhere you look there are clumps of daffodils

On banks, under trees and along the verges, and nestling not too far away some shy primroses

All the hedgerows are starting to bloom

and then there's forsythia in our neighbour's garden

Isn't this such a lovely stand of trees ?

Don't know what these fellows were up to,but there were rather a lot of them - looking for lunch maybe ?

Not the clearest photo by any means, but it was a bit of a challenge trying to snap a flock of whirling birds!

So better days are definitely on the way, but before getting all excited about it and loosing the thermal undies - this is what we woke up to first thing this morning

A little reminder that Winter is still lurking there in the background after all!!

Dydd Gwyl Dewi

2011-03-01T07:59:00.000+01:00

St David's Day, 1st March, a day of celebration for all sons and daughters of Wales no matter where they have wandered!

Isn't it strange that although many have travelled the globe throughout the ages and settled far and wide, 'home' is always 'home' with a special place in ours hearts and minds, and this family is no exception!

The house is full of bunches of daffodils, we are having leek soup with fresh French bread for lunch and tonight dinner with Welsh friends with cawl and 'teisen lap' on the menu! Lots of chat, laughter and 'hiraeth' guaranteed, and who knows maybe even a little singing :-)

Whilst getting links from Google, I came across a very good site about Wales if you're interested. In case you don't have the time to visit,I thought these few facts were quite interesting. Whether they are all true or not I'll leave to better minds than mine to decide !

* The Captain of "The Mayflower" was born in Wales

* The world's first working steam locomotive ran on a nine mile stretch of track at Merthyr Tydfil, Wales in 1804. Richard Trevithick's four wheel engine hauled ten tons of iron and 70 people before the track plates broke under the weight !

* St. Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, was Welsh by birth (according to legend) !
( Patrick was born and was subsequently kidnapped from Banwen, Wales. - our own Patron is St. David )

* Mount Everest was named after a Brecon man !

*The first game of lawn tennis was played in 1873 at Nantclwyd Hall, Clwyd, North Wales !

* A Welsh mathematician, from Tenby, invented the "equals" sign =

* The first place of Christian worship in U.K. was Llantwit Major, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales and similarly the first UK Cathedral was St. David's, Pembrokeshire, Wales

* The Welsh invented the longbow - the world's first armour piercing weapon.Welsh longbow men were feared throughout Europe in the Middle Ages.

* The northern hemisphere's longest place name is located on the Isle of Anglesey, northern Wales.The town is called:

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

* Up to half the signatories to the U.S. Declaration of Independence had Welsh ancestry, including Thomas Jefferson !

One last item that isn't mentioned on the website is that Wales gave us
'Myfanwy' , the one of greatest love song ever written in my opinion, and it always brings a lump to my throat.

February Update

2011-02-26T16:49:00.049+01:00

Being away from home means not a great deal has been done on the sewing side of life.

Quilting the Pineapple top has taken a great deal longer than I thought it would, not only because of my wanderings, but it also because it has become a battle of wills between me and the quilt top!! Until now I seem to have been the loser, but finally I can see an end to it all! The sheer size of the quilt has made it almost impossible to feed through the throat of my machine as most of the quilting has been on the diagonal, and all the pulling and tugging causes the arthritis in my hands to flare up, so it's been a very slow process!

I think that perhaps 'straight lines' was not the most intellegent choice of quilting for something this size as I've ended up with quite a lot of rather wonky lines , but they are my wonky lines and.......they are all finished ! Just the borders left to do so hopefully it'll be done in next couple of days and then there'll only be a trillion or so threads to bury and the binding to get on with!

All things considered, my target of one finish a month was disappearing fast,so I took some time out and finished another UFO - small yes, but at least I have a finish for February :-)

My mini quilt version of Kelly's Flower Garden Pillow.

You can find the tutorial on Kelly's blog if you're interested.Can't remember how long this one has been hiding in the cupboard, but the date on the tute will give you some idea:-)

I'm also adding a couple more items to Myra's PhD Challenge as I need to tackle something smaller and easier to finish in March after all the push and shove lately, so, remember this post ? Well, not long after, DGD decided that the bedroom was not to her liking and it changed it to pink! D9P really did disappear into the cupboard and there it has stayed. I'm hoping to finish it in the next couple of weeks as its on a promise to Project Linus!

Next it's to do something with these - Soot & Ashes by Cheri

I did finish all 15 blocks, put them together as per the instructions, didn't like it, so I took them apart - as one does! Time they went back together again I think!!

Been A-wanderin'

2011-02-26T12:17:00.000+01:00

But I'm back now!

I'm afraid I've had a touch of February-itis and enough of the grey, dismal weather that's the main cause of it, so we've been across to the UK to annoy as many of our children as we possibly could :-)

Seeing the grandchildren is always a pleasure as is spending lots of money ,until the bank statement arrives that is, but, as always, its good to be back in our own home.

The grey dismal weather is still lurking unfortunately, but Spring is trying hard to take charge. Temperatures seem a lot milder, even the rain feels warmer (!) and look what is hapening in the garden!

Beautiful 'Lambs Tails' catkins dancing around on the Knarled Hazel bush

A few shy Camellias peeping through, and, just in time for St David's Day

Miniature daffodils nestling among the new Geranium leaves - better days must be on the way don't you think?

Mug Rug Swap

2011-02-16T15:55:00.000+01:00

Yesterday my Mug Rugs arrived from my partner Tessa Mc Ardle (no Blog) in South Australia - didn't I do well?

I have to show you the backs as well, as they are just as pretty as the fronts

Tessa sent other goodies too

A lovely sewing themed card , a notepad, bookmark and even a 'cup' of coffee - how good is that ! Thank you Tessa,I love the mug rugs - you have been very generous!

Thanks also to Michele for organising the swap!

Another PhD!

2011-02-08T10:44:00.000+01:00

One more flimsy to add to the list, and for me a complete change of colour choices :-)

Totally out of my comfort zone, but I thought it was time I tried my hand at a Black and White quilt, and this is the result. I've been piecing it quietly over the last few weeks, fitting it in as and when between other projects and now it's ready for backing and quilting.

I haven't changed my allegiance to Reproduction fabrics though , how could I after seeing what Kathie has been making! I am a great fan of Kathie's work, and she has been very kind and helpful to me in the past. It's thanks to Kathie that my Tumbler quilts (here) were made and she was also a great help when I made my Civil War Diary blocks , which are still waiting to be sashed :-)

I just love this new quilt and have watched it coming together for days, so what else to do but make a few blocks to try

I think I'll carry on with the Courthouse Steps quilt and keep the Barbara Brackman Civil War blocks for another time. The blocks are getting more complicated as the weeks go on and really need to be paper pieced for complete accuracy, and as PP and I do not get along at all, it's best to admit this now rather than end up with more orphan blocks - maybe a bit later I'll feel differently.

Another reason is that, having seen the old post about my CWD blocks, guilt has reared its ugly head so maybe I should do something about these instead of starting yet another new quilt :-)

Flying Start

2011-02-04T13:33:00.081+01:00

I'm off to a flying start for February with 3 finishes already!

Number 1 - Tessellation doll quilt quilted and binding done

In case you're wondering, the chair was made for DH when he was 2, and , like him, it's getting on a bit now :-)

Number 2 - DGD got herself a RED 'beginner's sewing machine' for her 8th birthday on Christmas Eve , and is all ready to make her dollies some new clothes.We are due to see her and her new sewing machine on Sunday, so as well as a parcel of goodies for her to play with, I made this mini Charmer tote bag (Penny Sturgess pattern) to pack them in and maybe double as a work basket too.

Number 3 is another mug rug, which I can't show you yet, but I can show you this one which is the one that stayed at home! I wasn't too happy with it in the end so decided to make an alternative to swap and keep the reject for myself :-)

Don't know why Blogger has turned the photo again!

Quilting on the Pineapples is on stop for the moment as my wrists have been aching so badly, but I have finished all the white 'stars' and 5 of the coloured ones too, so another 7 to go plus the borders. If I get the quilt totally finished by the end of the month I'll be more than happy as we've a couple of busy weeks ahead and can't see much more getting done :-)

OPAM 2011

2011-02-01T07:00:00.003+01:00

This year I'm joining in One Project A Month, hopefully to try and get a few more finishes this year! I'd really like to spend a little more time making something other than quilts, large or small, and maybe this challenge will encourage me to branch out a little. I have a whole list of small projects I'd like to tackle but keeping putting off so now is the time to get started.

I'm well on the way with Myra's PhD Challenge with the second of my listed quilts being quilted at the moment and maybe - just maybe - I can squeeze in a couple more before the deadline in June, so between both challenges, I hope to be be sewing up a storm :-)

Slow Progress

2011-01-31T13:32:00.001+01:00

Finally I've got up the courage to make a start on my Pineapple quilt! It's been backed for a couple of weeks now but I still couldn't make my mind up on how to quilt it but eventually decided that 'less is best' and just follow some of the straight lines. This turned out to be a good decision as once under my machine it seemed even larger than I originally thought !

I also decided to use the Janome as its a long time since it's seem the light of day. I just can't seem get as good results with my FMQ on this machine as with the Bernina but its OK for everything else, and for all Janome users out there- I am sure its me not the machine :-)

After two long sessions I have managed to get all the anchoring lines done and have just 2 rows to finish on the white sections, but today it's back to some gentle piecing as both my right arm and shoulder are suffering
from wrestling with this monster! I think that finishing this quilting is going to a slow process, as little and often seems to be the best way of tackling it without disabling my right arm :-)

My Mug Rugs are finished and ready to go to my partner in ...? and as its a secret swap, this is the best I can do for a sneak peek

I don't think I've given too much away do you ?

Been Playing Again

2011-01-24T13:26:00.010+01:00

I've often looked at Tessellation quilts and wondered at the way they go together and how difficult it would be, so over the weekend I decided to have a try and see if I could work it out from a photo - Voila!

Another little quilt just under 12" x 16" and in need of a good press. (it does lie flat in real life - honest!) It took me a little while to work out the angles etc but it went together OK in the end.

I must say this about quilting, tackling projects like this certainly keeps the old brain ticking over, and it looks like Lucy Doll has another quilt in the pipeline !

Bad Blogger!

2011-01-23T16:27:00.002+01:00

Yes, I'm afraid I'm turning in to a very bad blogger indeed -not only is my blog turning into a weekly event , but I also keep forgetting to tell you what's going on in Blogland.

I didn't mention this

over at Quilting Gallery , not that I think this was very serious as even without my help (!) there are 330 participants from 25 countries, now you can't get more international than that!

What A Week!

2011-01-16T13:53:00.001+01:00

It's been one of those weeks when I haven't time to catch my breathe, but I've got very little to show for it! Most of the time has been taken up with visits to the vet both planned and not planned!

First off it was time for William's annual jabs and a follow up x-ray after the scare we had following his last stay at the cattery. Don't think I blogged about it, but he was a very poorly cat having contracted a virus there which affected his lungs. This has now cleared up, but two days later my poor little cat was attacked by one of these

Coypus , which are in the stream at the bottom of the village - well, I think that's what they are and they are HUGE! The local farmers lay traps for them because they are very destructive, but there are still plenty around , I saw 2 just the other day when I was crossing the bridge.

After all the rain we've had lately the drainage ditches, which abound around the fields and roads in Brittany, are full to brimming and I think Will must have fallen into the ditch at the bottom of the garden and was very unlucky that Mr Nasty was around too! This is the only explanation we can come up with as he was very, very wet and covered in mud when he came home and there are no other cats in the vicinity that might have attacked him. Thankfully, his rabies injections are up to date, but he still had a huge abscess and nasty cuts on his rear end which have needed treatment consisting of several visits to the vet.

I do have one (small) finish to show - one of my Christmas presents was this book

and I used some of my scraps to make this little quilt

which is just right for Lucy !

There is a story about Lucy, but that'll have to wait for another time :-)

Every Cloud....

2011-01-09T20:57:00.001+01:00

...has a silver lining! Well, that's how the saying goes and it's certainly true about the last number of days when it has rained & rained and rained! Because the weather has been so dismal there has been nothing to do except sew, sew, sew and now I have my first finish for 2010!

Scrappy Sister's Choice all quilted and bound - first UFO off the list and also my first quilt without a single stipple stitch in it ! I've quilted the blocks with a kind of 'flower' motifs out from the Pajama Quilter DVD/workbook- they don't quite look like Dawn's but not too bad. Border 1 has a vine of small leaves, and border 2 is a combination of flowers, leaves and ribbons would you believe! Probably not the best quilting you've ever seen, but on reflection no worse than my stippling was when I started and that's quite reasonable now so maybe if I keep practicing...............?

Block 2 of the Civil War quilt is up if you are taking part, - here's mine

I do wish I could take 'square' photos then my blocks would look square too, maybe it's time to nag DH again about the promised portable design wall .

I got so carried away with the first block on Barbara Brackman's blog last week that I failed to register that the book she is referring to was on my bookcase

Needless to say it's not longer on the shelf but being perused with more attention than the last time around :-)

Couldn't Resist!

2011-01-03T20:33:00.006+01:00

How could I possible not join in the Civil War Quilt block a week being offered by Barbara Brackman on her new Blog ? Even if you are not a fan of Reproduction fabrics, I am sure it will make a lovely sampler quilt - me, well it's no surprise to hear that I'll be sticking with the original theme:-)

Block 1 - Catch Me If You Can

I've just realised that I didn't post a photo of my last finished for 2010

My Half Hexagons - I finally finished the binding just before Christmas! My excuse for taking so long with the hand stitching is that I did get a bit sidetracked during the build up to the holiday with bits and bobs for the grandchildren and what seemed like endless stockings to sell at my Cat Charity Christmas Fayre - but done it is now !

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T12:13:00.001+01:00

May all your dreams come true in 2011!

'Tis the Season!

2010-12-23T14:43:00.001+01:00

Time for the last minute shopping, wrapping the last few presents, worrying if everything will fit into the oven and more importantly - be cooked at the same time! Wondering who's will be the last Christmas card to arrive - always the person you missed off the list and now it's too late to do anything about it !

I wish I was one of those people who can get everything lined up in time and then forget about things, but its never going to be that way so this Christmas will be the same as all the others - stressful, tiring and totally disorganised, but great fun just the same!

Whichever category your Christmas falls into, may it be peaceful and joyful. May you keep safe, well and warm and, however you choose to celebrate, enjoy the day to the full !

Taking Up A Challenge

2010-12-12T14:19:00.001+01:00

Tucked away under my work table I have a box whose contents rarely see the light of day once they disappear under the lid. Its the kind of box that I am sure every quilter has and just in case I should forget what's inside, it has a label that says - you've guessed it - UFOs!!

Try as I might, I cannot reduce the number of items lurking inside, in fact I am convinced they multiple without any help from me , so when I came across Myra's PhD Challenge it sounded like just the push I could do with to get stuck into finishing some of these projects!

I've committed to finishing at least three items with perhaps (!) another three smaller projects thrown in, but this will depend on what life sends my way over the coming 6 months :-)

For starters though finishing these would be great

My smaller version of Bonnie Hunter's Sister's Choice pattern , a long time quilt -in- waiting !

Windham Fabrics pattern Old Virginia Calicos , with a slight colour change on the border as I messed up cutting one of the fabrics (!) This is probably my oldest UFO and it's well passed its 'should be finished' date!

Number 3 really needs to be this one as I so want to get it done, but just can't make my mind up how to quilt it - any suggestions , nothing too complicated mind !!

So, if you have any UFOs that need a little push - come on along and join in the fun!

It's Official!

2010-12-06T20:28:00.002+01:00

No doubt about it, Christmas is just around the corner and there is just no where to hide from it:-)

After all the problems with the weather and my eyes (much better now!) it's been 3 weeks since I've ventured further than a couple of kilometres from home - after all even us 'mature' ladies have no wish to be seen in public looking like the Wicked Witch from the West, which is exactly how I 've looked since this allergy started!

Today however with a little help from some light make-up I managed to look almost human and we took off to Rennes for some Christmas shopping.

Everywhere you look is decorated with baubles and bells, trees and garlands, and it is very difficult to decide which are the best displays, but I just have to show you some photos I took in one of my favourite shops in Rennes - Cocktail Scandinave .

An Aladdin's cave at the best of times but at Christmas it really comes into its own!

Follow me in through the entrance .....

......and take a peek inside!

There are colour- themed displays with all sorts of wonderful elves and reindeer , Santas and fairies, not to mention stockings and garlands galore!

Don't forget you saw it here first!!

Yes ! That's right ! An upside-down Christmas Tree!

There are baskets and boxes for every occasion..........

...and linen.........

.and we mustn't forget the soft toys!!

You have to agree that this is a truly magical shop at the most magical time of the year!!

Oh - almost forgot, how do you like the new look Blog ?

Slow News Week

2010-12-05T14:12:00.002+01:00

There's not been a lot going on here this last week, unless you count a dash to the local hospital when my eyes flared up again! Not very nice this time and quite frightening I can tell you - but a thorough exam didn't find anything other than the allergy which has calmed down again, so all is well !

More snow arrived in the early hours of Friday morning leaving the road out of the village impassable again, but then yesterday the rain turned up and today no more snow! I guess we had about 8/9 inches all told, which is nothing compared to other parts of Europe, but more than enough for an area not accustomed to this kind of weather and with limited facilities for keeping the roads clear. In fact most of the local roads were only open thanks to the number of tractors using them.

I'm not going to bore you with more snow photos, and because of my eyes there are no quiltie photos either, but - I have found a new blog to share with you !

In my web search for all and every reference available on free motion machine quilting I have found a plethora of information and some great blogs, but the one that stands out for me is Wendy over at Ivory Spring . This blog alone is worth a visit, but wait until you read her sister blog Thread Talk!

Wendy's FMQ is awesome in my opinion and all done on her Bernina DMS so please go along and check this out - anyone interested in FMQ will not be disappointed ! I am going to show it to my Berni and let her see what can be achieved if she keeps practicing , do you think it'll do the trick :-)

The Morning After

2010-11-29T13:14:00.002+01:00

Not so deep, but certainly crisp and even this morning and - Oh So Pretty!!

A good long walk crunching snow under your boots, frozen fingertips and toes, nose glowing fit to make Rudolph jealous- don't mornings like this make it all worthwhile !!

Surprise!Surprise!!

2010-11-28T13:19:00.001+01:00

Look what we've been watching all morning.......

...........and still 2 days left in November !

Thanksgiving Day

2010-11-24T18:06:00.002+01:00

A little something for all my American blogging friends and visitors - a day early I know, but I am sure that everyone will be very busy tomorrow enjoying the holiday and not have much time left to go blog hopping !

Le Bon, La brute et Le Laid

2010-11-23T20:56:00.006+01:00

Or to use the words of that wonderful 'spaghetti' western starring Clint Eastwood.........

THE GOOD - has to be winning not only a little prize for joining in Sue's Christmas QuiltaLong, but also finding out this morning that I managed another win on Darlene's Christmas Quilt Show! Now this is really a red letter occasion as I have never won a single thing before!! Many thanks to both Sue and Darlene for taking the time to host these events!

THE BAD - was waking up Sunday morning feeling not too good and looking in the mirror discovering my eyes had turned into narrow slits and my whole face swollen ! I did make it through the day, but in a lot of discomfort I have to say, even after swallowing handfuls of antihistamine tablets. Yesterday however it was worse, couldn't stop itching or stand light at all so we called in the Doctor. Seems like I've got a very severe case of allergic conjunctivitis which, thankfully, is a lot better today thanks to the meds, although I am still not too happy with bright light.

THE UGLY: - really has to be me looking like Miss Piggy with a bad case of sunburn without the pleasure of seeing the sun!

....or if that doesn't make you smile try this one - one of my treatments is to spray my face with purified cold water and DH has suggested that I stand in the corner of the room impersonating a rubber plant to do it - don't you just love them !!

What A Week !

2010-11-17T19:22:00.004+01:00

Isn't it strange the way some weeks happen just the way you planned them, whilst others gallop away from you in a whirl of organised chaos -in other words the kind of week I'm having this week!!

Sunday - started off OK, I got through the routine chores very quickly (!) and made a good start on my Christmas Quilt a Long list, that is until a power cut caused by the foul weather brought my machine to a grinding halt for over an hour! Not too long really and I was just settling down to start again when then was a knock on the door heralding an unexpected visit from some of our neighbours in the village - no more sewing.

Monday - I'd voluteered to help make Christmas puddings for the Christmas Fair to raise funds for the local Cat Protection Society. Off I go thinking it would be just a couple of hours - do you know how long it takes 6 women to mix up enough ingredients for 50 x 1lb puddings, including chopping dried fruit, grating peel off dozens of lemons etc etc? Well, it took a lot longer than a couple of hours, mind you DH seems to think that it might have taken less time if we'd not talked so much ! By the time I got home I was so covered in treacle and other gooey stuff that all I wanted was a shower, some clean clothes and sit down for longer than 5 minutes- no sewing.

Tuesday - DH's birthday and a day that turned into a cross between manning the phone at a busy call centre and open day at the local lunatic asylum - no sewing !

Today it's been catch up day for all the chores that haven't been done this week - no sewing !

Tomorrow , as we didn't make it on Tuesday, its' out for DH's celebration birthday lunch and chuck in some Christmas shoping - no sewing!

No bets are being taken that anything will go to plan for the rest of the week,my normal sewing time has been hijacked and I am resigned to the fact that I will be lucky to switch on my machine before next Sunday.

Christmas Quilt Show

2010-11-15T18:31:00.055+01:00

Did you know that SewCalGal is hosting a Christmas Quilt Show ?

As I missed the Bloggers Fall Quilt Festival , this is a good chance to join in something new - but what to enter? Maybe the quilt on this post could pass for Christmas with reds, greens and blues it's all warm and cosy looking just as Christmas should be, but then I settled for this one.

Only measuring 20" x 18", it's certainly smaller than most I've seen on other blog entries (!), but it is a real 'Christmas' quilt and a little special one at that.

My first attempt at paper piecing, though what possessed me I'll never know as the logs are only 1/2" & 1/4" finished ! Maybe this is the reason why I've avoid PP ever since:-) No walking foot to Quilt in the Ditch, just the general purpose foot - well, I didn't know any better then, and what you don't know doesn't

worry you does it ?

Pushing 40 years old, the Starlet is still going strong, if somewhat noisey , and still keeps me company in my sewing room, although these days she just sits and watches whilst the Bernina does all the work!

Don't know what's up with Blogger tonight, but there's a right wobbly happening to the text around the photos - guess I've hit to the wrong button again or something and set it off on one - Ah Well!

Today's Plan!

2010-11-13T12:34:00.001+01:00

Right! Decision's made for today's quilt-a-long!

We're going to practice a bit more of this

on this

Now, this was supposed to be a sample block for this quilt, but after one block , no way was I ever going to achive 20 so - Voila! One mini! I think my FMQ is getting better, but a bit more practice will certainly help :-)

With the torrential rain and high winds that we have at the moment, and more forecast for the rest of the weekend, I should be able to carry on the good work tomorrow and make a start on a pinwheel baby quilt out of this

So all in all rather a full couple of days - and yes Sue, I 've given in and dug out the Christmas CD not only to set the mood but also to drown out DH's cries of agony as Wales take on the Springboks at rugby later today Little bit of a clash of loyalties here for me having lived in South Africa for 10 years, but I'm sure that the Land of my Fathers is going have the biggest pull.

Christmas Quilt A Long

2010-11-13T07:14:00.001+01:00

With all the excitement of the wedding, I managed to miss the Amy's Fall Bloggers Quilt Festival , which was a bit disappointing as I've taken part in all the other 'shows'. Not too worry though, I am sure there'll be another one come Spring, and in the meantime I've discovered Sue's Christmas Quilt A Long.

So - today I am going to spend as much time as possible joining in with everyone. Not quite sure what I'll work on yet but, dust bunnies or not, I'm having some 'me time'. Don't know if I'm ready to put on the Christmas CD to sing along too (bit early yet!), but I'm sure it'll be good fun in any case, so why not come along and join in!

I'm Back!!

2010-11-12T20:59:00.001+01:00

OK - so you're probably thinking ' where's she been??'. Well a couple of days after catching my breath from our trans- France dash to Calais en route to SE England to pick up a new laptop, DSl dropped rather a (nice) bombshell during his routine telephone check-in by saying 'Oh - by the way I'm getting married in 2 weeks'.

I can only tell you that I was speechless as he has been with the same partner for 15 years and along the way they've managed to present me with two lovely grand-daughters with no mention of marriage at any time.

'Nothing to fuss about' says he ' Just us and the girls and a couple of witnesses' - No chance! So nothing left to do but get the suitcases back out, book the ferry and leave for the UK for the second time in 10 days.

In the end I'm afraid DS didn't quite get his own way about a very quiet affair as it all ended up rather more than he expected (blame Mum) but it was a lovely day followed by a great visit which meant I got to spend unexpected time with my two grand-daughters - including helping them to dress up for Halloween!

Back home and back to reality - more mountains of washing & ironing and you'd just have to see the dust bunnies to believe the size of them :-)

It was a very special occasion,and one I would not have missed for anything, but I do hope it's going to be some while before I see one of these again!

Pressure's Off!

2010-10-27T10:21:00.000+02:00

At last a couple of pieces of good news! Firstly, it looks like the petrol stations are almost back to normal and we can get out to do some shopping at last! Like everything else we take for granted, it's only when it's taken from us that we really appreciate it and have we missed our car the last 10 days !

Secondly, Amy is hosting another Bloggers Quilt Festival - this one for Fall 2010- so hurry on over and read all about it and get ready to join in. The Spring 2010 Festival had over 700 entries so lots & lots of eye candy for everyone!

Difficult Times

2010-10-22T12:19:00.003+02:00

Most people will know that here in France we are experiencing a period of some turmoil over reforms to the Pensions Act. Sadly it has been a bad week for the country as a whole, but even sadder is the total disruption to many ordinary lives caused by blocking the supply of motor fuels.

We, like many others, live in a small hamlet several miles from any kind of shops,there is no public transport and we depend totally on our car for shopping,the post office, visits to the doctor and so on.  This doesn't mean that we drive every day but our car is not just a luxury.

Out of the 10 families that live in the hamlet we are the 'youngest' and saying that is stretching the imagination somewhat. We chose to live 'rural' and fortunately both DH and I are able to drive.  Most of the villiage is not  in this situation. They have lived here all their adult lives; they are elderly; most are unable to drive and we have two widowed ladies here also.

Their children have grown up and moved away to find work. As they don't drive, they depend on their children visiting or mobile shops for their day to day needs - they also depend on the doctor calling or the nurse dropping in to check on them All these facilities are about to come to a halt as there is no fuel  in our area, all pumps are dry.

As neighbours we do the best we can to help and keep a weather eye on them, but like most of the elderly I have come across, they cherish their independence and sometimes feel that they are putting on you.

I have no strong political opinions and I don't pretend to understand the rights or wrongs of this current situation, but I do wonder how many other hamlets there are like ours facing the same problems - which at the moment look to go on for some time. I do think however that perhaps it is time to consider those who are already pensioners living in rural areas , and put a stop to more of this.

Back Again

2010-10-20T17:07:00.001+02:00

Well, here I am back in business again and hopefully for good this time!

The bad news is that our PC is still in 'hospital' for another couple of days, but the good news is that I am now the proud owner of a new laptop just for me - how good is that!

One problem that we have is that whilst I am reasonably happy with the French language, unfortunately DH is not, so a QWERTY keyboard and drop down English menus were a must. Obviously this configuration is a rare animal in France so off to the UK it was - not that I am really complaining as it was another chance to get into the British supermarkets and stock up on all the goodies that we ex-pats miss :-)

It's taking a bit of time to get used to the different configeration on the new toy, but I am sure it'll all be OK soon .Lots to show you, but no photos this time I'm afraid as I am still working my way through all the 'destructions' - and there are plenty of them - but hopefully I will manage a less boring post before too long.

Really Poorly!

2010-10-07T20:43:00.000+02:00

Things have gone from bad to worse, so I'm afraid it's off to the computer hospital for my PC and no internet for however long it takes to either get hold of a laptop or get this fixed.............how am I going to cope in the meantime??

Good news is that my last knee treatment was on Tuesday and from tomorrow I am at least mobile and able to go looking.

Back as soon as.........

Normal Service ....

2010-10-03T19:03:00.001+02:00

.will be resumed as soon as possible!!

Nasty little problems developing with my PC, some days it works - others it doesn't! Unfortunately, the not working days are winning at the moment so the hunt is on for a new laptop which will be for my new sewing room (!) providing we can get this one fixed for DH of course, so keep you fingers crossed for me :-)

In the meantime, no long posts with photos as it's taking all my patience to get this far after being shut down 4 times !!

I haven't been idle this week though, in fact I am sure I've got through more without the distraction of the internet. All 15 Soot & Ashes blocks are finished and now we wait for Cheri to get back from her holiday to let us into the secret of how they all go together ! Also have 2 new mini quilts to show you and my half hexagon quilt is finished too. All in all a very good week if I count the hours sent on my 'practicing'.

Be back when I can with the photos !

Confession Time!

2010-09-26T21:20:00.003+02:00

When I first caught the quilting bug, several years ago now, no one was more surprised than I as to how addicted I became in a very short time - after all I hate 'sewing' to the degree that DH has resorted to replacing all his missing shirt buttons instead of having to beg and plead with me to pick up needle and
thread ,whilst repairs and alterations to clothing can lie in neglected piles for weeks on end.

Now, my sewing machine has become my most treasured possession instead of being left to gather dust in the bottom of a cupboard and I can't wait to get all the mundane daily chores finished so that I can get into my room - but then patchwork & quilting isn't really 'sewing' is it , but rather a form of expression and enjoyment as opposed to a 'chore', well, at least that how I feel about it .

Having got to the stage where I am reasonably happy with the quality of my work and have even got over the dread of stipple quilting (let's face it I am NEVER going to hand quilt as it would mean using a needle) I really want to move onto a bigger variety of quilting patterns - so I armed myself with a whole load of books

which quite frankly scare the pants off me at first :-) I even invested in the Pajama Quilter videos which have been great fun to watch, and with the help of the workbook.....

........which Dawn was kind enough to sign for me......

.....and after hours of drawing all kinds of weird shapes on the white board - I still can't quilt!!! The 4 inch sample squares are fine, but when it comes to a whole quilt everything goes out of the window so its back to a of scrap batting & fabric and the practice..practice ..practice routine

...and maybe someday my feathers will end up on an heirloom quilt, but in the meantime I'll settle for them looking less of a mess!

Twelve blocks finished for the 'Soot & Ashes' quilt along

Number 13 is available, but rumour has it that the last 2 blocks are appliqué and as that would mean using the dreaded needle - maybe I'll be sticking at 12 :-)

On A Roll!

2010-09-19T17:16:00.037+02:00

Managed to get the borders on this one too, not trimmed up yet as you can see, then another one ready for backing!

and a finish!!

My scrappy Irish Chain, which many of you will recognise this as a Quiltville pattern and a great way to use up lots of tiny scraps!

That's the end of my sewing splurge for the next few days as it's off to the specialist for the next lot of knee treatment tomorrow and the start of another 3 days of boredom :-)

Cat Radar...

2010-09-16T20:55:00.001+02:00

...it never fails!!

Work stopped for cat nap - his nap, my work. Ah Well - I guess William thinks a having a fuss made of him is more important than trying to get a quilt backed, so who am I to argue??

Keeping Up

2010-09-12T07:00:00.001+02:00

4 more blocks from quiltsbycheri

All 8 looking good together, I think this is going to be a nice little quilt in the end .

Out of Hiding

2010-09-11T15:06:00.000+02:00

Well, we all knew those big empty walls wouldn't stay that way for long, didn't we ?

Still got the basket full by the table leg to go, but it's starting to feel more like home by the minute!

Quick Fix

2010-09-07T12:35:00.002+02:00

Part of the grand plan in my new room was to 'sink' my machine down to table level so that, hopefully, my arms and shoulders wouldn't ache so much particularly when attempting FMQ. Well, I am now the proud owner of a table with a hole in it complete with sunken machine courtesy of DH and his trusty tool box! We re-designed my extension table to cover the gaps and this is a real help with the 'slide-abillity' factor as well keeping the table in use.

I know there are all sorts of posh quilting tables available and also some super swish hydraulic systems for raising and lowering the carrying platform , but I am afraid that none of these are available locally and if they were the cost would be at least twice the price they are in the UK or USA, so this lifting device is worked by Ann Power. Having said that, now that it's in place there seems to be no need to move it at all - an instant benefit from having more room, the machine can stay put.

Before attempting the dreaded FMQ though, I thought a small project would be just the thing for a trial run, and I found just the one here on quiltsbycheri . A lovely little mystery sampler Quilt A Long called Soot & Ashes and these are the first 4 blocks

The blocks work out at 5 1/2 inches unfinished, but I have changed the colour scheme as I've been wanting to use this fabric for ages so maybe I should call this one Strawberries & Cream, what do you think?

Is the low level stitching easier ? Well, the first half hour was a bit strange as my whole perspective had changed, but I think once my mind accepts this it should be OK.

Work No Longer In Progress

2010-09-04T17:48:00.001+02:00

Well, it's actually happened!! My new sewing room is ready to move into at last! It's been a long slow process that started way back when and has had every kind of obstruction thrown at it for what feels like forever. I won't bore you with the list of problems we've gone through in the last year or so, as you'll already know if you follow the Blog :-)

This week has been spent ferrying boxes , gadgets and machines etc etc etc from one end of the house to another. Up and down 2 sets of stairs, which has been a bit awkward as the old knee is still having treatment. However, its amazing what you can accomplish using a single elbow crutch needed after being condemned to 3 days non weight bearing again and I've turned getting up and down stairs on my derriere into fine art.

Not a fraction of this would have been finished though if it hadn't been for my long -suffering DH who not only has carried most of the 'stuff' from one room to another but has also been busy with shelf fitting, floor moping and window cleaning not to mention all the usual DIY that goes with a move like this. Gotta love them haven't you !

So, its 'au revoir' to my little room (not much bigger than a large cupboard really but MINE) which has been my stitching haven for the last few years.

Going.........

.............going...........

and finally gone today, and 'hello' to my new room which is anything but small

Corner 1

Corner 2

Corner 3.

Corner 4 is the stairwell, just along from this

Lots (and lots!) of room, lots of light, lots of unpacking and one big mess to sort out - anyone at a loose end this weekend willing to lend a hand ?

Obviously, nothing is the right place yet, but I am sure it'll get sorted eventually and that I will enjoy working in it, but without sounding very ungrateful - I am going to miss my 'little' haven as I've spent many happy hours learning lots of lessons there not to mention turning out a few quilts in the process.

Did you know.....

2010-08-27T15:43:00.003+02:00

..how difficult it is to become 'Liberated'? Some months ago I treated myself to Gwen Marston's book 'Liberated Quiltmaking ll',

and out of all the woderful projects in the book, I fell in love with this

It's based on Kathy's Block and even without the lovely story behind the 'birth' of the block, this quilt speaks to me. I love the colours,the funky tulips, the layout - well, I love just all of it ! Before trying a full size quilt, I thought it would be wise to try a mini, and am I glad I did so. It was really difficult for me to forget everything that I've learn over the last few years and even though my piecing may not always be perfect, I do try to match things up. Obviously I have been well indoctrinated about accuracy, as I had to force myself to
'liberate' my points but in the end it turned out quite well..

Ending up 17.5 x 20.5 inches, a nice size mini ready for the new wall. I managed to catch another of my 'plays' taking the original uncropped photo, which shows my little Union Jack cushion that I made from this tutorial on Lily's Quilts.

Really fun to make, the only problem is that I now have orders for 3 more from DGDs!!

But, not matter how hard I found liberated quilting to start with, I must be a quick learner as I managed to loose points on this 16 inch Selvage mini without even trying :-)

Return to Blogland

2010-08-21T14:24:00.008+02:00

Well, yet another month has passed by in a flash - where does the time go to? The last weeks have been filled with all sorts of comings and goings and lots time spent in the pool during the extremely hot weather we had at the end of July and the beginning of August. Lots of pool time also means lots of BBQs and sitting around in the garden - but what it also means is just a little time spent sewing and none left for blogging :-)

Unfortunately, it hasn't all been good all the time as I managed to slip and twist my right knee very badly at the beginning of August and wasn't able to walk on it for over a week! As if that wasn't bad enough, x-rays showed that my kneecap isn't where is should be, which explains the constant discomfort I've had in the knee for some time now. I have to start a round of appointments next week to see what can be done about it and being a big coward about surgery, I am just hoping that it doesn't come to that ! Ah bliss - the pleasures of growing old! I've decided that, having tried this 'getting older' business , I don't like it and want to stop - anyone know how??

On the quilty side of life , I have now managed to build up a stock of 5 tops ready for quilting, but to be honest it's just been to hot to try wrestling a quilt through the Bernina, so anything finished has been small scale.I had hoped to post a couple of photos, but the camera has gone off with DH to a steam rally, so they'll have to wait for another day.

Have you seen Christina's new Quilt A Long with a difference? Worth checking out if like me you are really fed up with stippling , and if you really want to see some eye candy and pick up a tip or two at the same time, have a look at Wendy's blog, she does amazing quilting with her DSM .

A second newcomer in the side bar , I was thrilled to have been featured on Karen's Selvage Blog some weeks ago, but have only recently got around to downloading the button.

As I don't really like blogging without any photos , here's a couple taken on our one of our recent jaunts. Interesting as they show several different headdresses from around the Province, and don't the youngsters look so cute !

Hopefully life will settle down into a more normal routine for the next couple of months, and then I can get down to some serious sewing & blogging !!

Short of Time

2010-07-16T20:58:00.002+02:00

It's open season here at 'Hotel Chez Nous', that time of the year when the whole world and its wife decide it's time to visit France and take up lodgings in the spare bedrooms! This is great in many ways and it's lovely to see all our friends and families but - Oh!! does it run away with time!

Lots of time to sit and chat and spoil the little ones but no time for sewing and precious little for blogging, so I've decided to let you see the rest of the holiday photos in D.I.Y mode and if you're interested these are the links

Bodnant Gardens - firstly the beautiful National Trust property in the Conwy Valley. Unfortunately we just missed the wonderful Laburnum Arch in full bloom, but you can still see the remains of the blossom in the photo, but this is how it looks in full glory

Snowdon & Snowdonia - Well, what can I say about the lovely scenery in this area and the magnificent views from the summit of Snowdon herself . Even though this was 'home' to me I will never cease to be amazed by the ever changing views of this part of Wales.

Finally, a bit of everything in this link including proof of a visit to THAT village on Anglesey !

Quatorze Juillet

2010-07-14T12:38:00.001+02:00

It's Been How Long !!

2010-07-04T15:53:00.004+02:00

I can't believe that it's almost a moth since my last post - where does the time fly to ? Having said that, I have to admit that we've been on holiday again for 3 weeks, so that will explain a lot.

DH has been saying for ages that he would like a trip to North Wales and a ride on the new Welsh Highlands Steam Preservation Railway, so deciding that there's no time like the present - that's where we've been.

We stayed just outside Conwy at this cottage....

.......surrounded by these gardens...

.........with lots of secret corners....

(DH posing as usual!)

.........full of wonderful colours.......

.....and views to die for practically on the doorstep!

Lots more to report as you might imagine, but the sun is shining on this lovely Sunday afternoon so I'm away now to enjoy my own garden, but before I go - Happy 4th July to all my American visitors, I hope you all have a great day !

Trompe-l'Oeil

2010-06-06T17:56:00.001+02:00

Found in Calpe Old Town....

.........Gotta admit they beat a plain wall any day of the week !

Sun, Sea and Sangria

2010-06-02T18:24:00.003+02:00

It's all starting to feel like a long time ago now, but our holiday in Calpe has left us with lots of lovely memories

The promenade around the bay leading to the majestic penon de Ifach jutting out into the sea like a mini Gibraltar.

Home mainly to all kinds of birds but also open to the more daring visitors who might feel like a little climbing adventure - me , I like to keep my feet on more level surfaces ! All along the prom was the 'tourist' area and filled with the inevitable souvenir shops together with bars & cafes serving meals of every description, they made choosing where to eat each day very difficult.

The other side of the rock sheltered the fishing port and was a little down market compared to the tourist-y area, but even more dramatic I think

Here the sea was more alive - don't you just love 'white horses'?

Inland was equally as beautiful in its own way with houses clinging to the mountainsides in a way that made you wonder if they were defying gravity

But maybe they are all linked up with steps like these !!

Aren't they delightful - found in the 'old' town, but we'll keep that for another day.

Another picture heavy post, but I can't go until I show you these (sand) Castles in Spain

Cheers All!!!

Spanish Experience

2010-05-30T15:39:00.003+02:00

At long last, five minutes to sit down and show you some of the photos taken on our trip to Spain, but I suppose better late than never!

Our journey took us down French Atlantic coast as far as Bordeaux , a beautiful city which deserves its World Heritage site status and which is also the centre of one of France's main wine producing areas. Strange to think that if you go back in history this area one was part of the British Isles (together with Brittany itself!). A quick dash inland towards Toulouse and a glimpse of the walled city of Carcassone put us well on our way to the Mediterranean coastal highway.

Our overnight stop was at Coulioure , a very pretty town practically on the Spanish border and one we visited a couple of years ago. Unfortunately by this time the light wasn't too grand and the photos area bit dark

See the fortress on the hill top ?

We were luck enough to stay at the Madeloc Hotel as we did on our last visit, and this was the view from our balcony - not the sea unfortunately, but a lovely jumble of rooftops caught in the early morning sunlight ( just pretend the wires aren't there!!)

A quick breakfast then off to the border and into the land of olive trees and orange groves....

.......dried hams....

............ colourful rugs.....

....not to mention churches!

I don't usually take photos inside churches, but in this little one I was practically ordered to do so by the caretaker! He was obviously very proud of it and quite rightly so, and so's not to cause any offence, I took his photo too!

As this is turning into a picture heavy, long post, perhaps I should stop now and come back another day with the rest of the photos - oh yes! there are lots more :-)

From Beauties to Basics.......

2010-05-26T09:29:00.003+02:00

.... and it doesn't get much more basic than 9s & 4s does it?

This latest finish couldn't be more different to yesterday's quilt, but in its own way just as pleasing. The pattern was one I found on the Web some time ago, but can't remember exactly where, so I'm not able to give credit to the original . I think it might have been one of the major fabric companies, possibly Windham , all I do know is that it is very pink in the download pattern but unfortunately no sign of a name anywhere!

Finishing at 58" x 68" it's a reasonable size lap quilt and used up quite a lot of my scrap bag pieces, which is always good :-) Would you believe that I took it to Spain to finish the binding - maybe not such a brilliant idea to have a quilt draped all over you given that the daytime temperatures were in the mid 30s, but it certainly came in handy later in the evening when it cooled down !!

Late Entry!

2010-05-25T17:17:00.003+02:00

Almost missed getting my entry in for the Bloggers Quilt Festival Spring 2010 thanks to a flying visit from DD and DGD! We had a lovely long weekend with them filled with glorious sunshine, but as usual the house is VERY empty now that they've returned to the UK.

I think this time I have to choose the Vintage New York Beauties quilt I made a little while ago from Valori Wells book 'Radiant New York Beauties' .

Why this one - well, because it was a number of 'firsts' for me!

My first (and probably last) paper pieced quilt.
My first attempt at applique using the freezer paper method - something I will try again as I did enjoy it
My first attempt at free motion quilting that wasn't stippling - came out not too bad in the end luckily

So, all in all, even though it took me ages to finish and at times drove me almost mental - it is a quilt that I am proud of now .

AWOL ...

2010-05-13T18:13:00.003+02:00

....and a change!

Way back when at the end of last year, I booked us a break in a milder part of Europe during February to break up the winter months.Unfortunately, things went a little off course when DH's health took a turn for the worse, but luckily I managed to change our booking without loosing any money, which is always a bonus, and this time we actually made it to Spain!Almost 3 weeks in glorious sunshine with nothing to do but relax, read and a do little stitching !

.
A sea front apartment complete with balcony where we could watch the world go by when we felt too lazy to walk the 50 yards or so to the beach, and with good restaurants also within a couple of hundred metres - what else could you ask for ?

Naturally there are lots of photos, but just for the moment the washing machine seems to be taking up all my time, but not to post without a single one, just a little taster :-)

View from our balcony - not bad, eh ?

The change - well, it must be a reaction to the lovely Spanish sunshine, but I thought that I would brighten up the Blog with a new template, do you like it ?

Before I forget, Amy is hosting another Blogger's Quilt Festival next week, it really is good fun with lots of eye candy and prizes too so why not join in !

A Finish

2010-04-19T17:04:00.005+02:00

The beautiful weather continues in this part of Brittany - cloudless blue skies and at last no more high winds, in fact there has been barely a breeze over the last few days, so it must be that Spring has arrived this time!

Most of the last week has been spent trying to get some kind of order back into our very unruly garden after the weeks of neglect . The very cold frosty weather we had in March hasn't helped either as its ruined all the camellia and azalea blooms, so at the moment there's not a great deal of colour around, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the very new buds that are just peeping out on the clematis!

One thing that did bring a little colour to brighten the days was my Stacked Coins quilt. You might remember this post when I talked about joining in the No Strings Attached challenge, well two things happened to make me decide to drop out. Firstly, life got in the way and time became very precious, and secondly having chopped up all my fabric, I was mortified to learn that 'coins' didn't count as 'strings' - another lesson in quilting terms!!

Not really wanting to start anything else and create yet another UFO(!) I carried on with the Coins quilt and I am so glad I did as it finished up so bright & cheerful!

It's being donated to the local Sainte Croix Animal Welfare Group to be raffled to help raise funds, and I am sure the animals that benefit won't worry if it's technically not a 'string' quilt - but lets hope it the 'coins' multiple to great numbers!!

Special Treat!

2010-04-09T19:23:00.003+02:00

Its been such an age since I've managed to get away from home to do anything other than visit supermarkets, sit in doctors waiting rooms or hospitals that I promised myself that when the first warm Spring day arrived it would be used for a special treat .Well, today was that day and our treat was a trip to the coast and a favourite spot of ours, the beach at Landrezac and its neighbour le Gree Penvin.

The weather was made to order, up to 19 degrees C in the shelter of the dunes and the sea was calm and looked very inviting, but neither of us was brave enough to try it out.

I've tried to get a sense of the actual length of the bay, but my camera doesn't really do it justice. I guess it must be some 10-12 kms long from point to point, but however long it is - it is beautiful. In the lovely sunshine we had all day it looked just like an exotic tropical shore somewhere far away. I really need one of those 'take everything' cameras that are being advertised on TV at the moment - as I've a birthday coming up soon do you think its worth dropping some heavy hints :-)

We started out with a walk along the bay from Penvin towards Landrezac and after about half an hour, made our way back and out onto the point

past the lovely little church perched on the very edge of the beach

with the Virgin & Child looking out over the bay - maybe to keep watch over the generations of Breton fishermen who have worked these waters for centuries.

and past evidence of another Breton delicacy - oysters !

After a very high tide its open season on oysters along the Brittany coast and you can see people digging them and scallops (coquillies St Jaques) out of the sands.

DH didn't quite make it all the way as he hasn't quite got his 'legs' back yet, so he opted to wait whilst I went on out and he's the little dot tucked under the wall on the right of the photo - bless!

The headland opposite the end of the Point is the mouth of the Golfe du Morbihan ( mor - bihan meaning little sea ) a natural harbour or inland sea that is filled with around 40 islands and a boat trip around the Golfe is highly recommended !!

As you can see the beach was practically empty, but there were one or two strange customers around chasing what I can only imagine to be 'bugs' in the seaweed being washed ashore - lunchtime snacks maybe ?

Another reason for going to this lovely bay is that it it home to the chateau shown on my header - Suscinio.

I love this little castle nestling in the dunes and often wonder what it would have been like to live here in the Middle Ages. Today it is used as an exhibition centre and its surrounding land and salt marshes have become havens for a plethora of wading birds, but the only one I managed to catch today was this fellow

Home again at last , tired and worn out from all the walking whilst DH snoozed (!!) but certainly a day well worth waiting for!

Cure for the Blues

2010-04-06T15:27:00.002+02:00

Wandering around Blogland I keep coming across the saying ' when life throws you scraps, make a quilt' which is indeed very sound advice. However, one of my best cures when I feel down in the dumps is a good read, so here's a few of the books that kept me company and helped keep my spirits up over the last couple of months

Now these books have some lovely quilts that are 'do-able' projects for me and I've already started bookmarking pages ........

........most of these though fall into to 'maybe someday' category, but then a girl can dream of something beyond stippling can't she ??

Picking Up the Threads

2010-03-31T14:03:00.006+02:00

There's no denying that the last couple of months have been a difficult time but thankfully we are now starting to see our way out of gloom and into some sunlight in many ways.

DH has been getting better bit by bit over the last 2-3 weeks and seems to have stablised and is almost back to his usual self, thanks to lots & lots of rest and his new medication.

The very scary days seem to be ages away now, but I still have bad dreams about being in the Emergency Dept when DH stopped breathing and had no pulse for a few very, very long minutes - not an experience I want to repeat!

But enough of that - Spring has arrived, the daffodils have bloomed at last and the banks are starting to come alive with cushions of primroses - today I even spotted some violets and a couple of forget-me-knots peeping out from under a bush.

I only wish our weather was as cheerful as these little flowers as the year so far has been nothing but days on end of extreme weather conditions. We started with the snow falls and then sub zero temperatures albeit that it was actually dry. Then the rain arrived and stayed and stayed bringing flooding to many areas and not content with that, we were then hit by by high winds registering over 120 miles an hour in some parts of France. Brittany only caught the edge of the storm this time and that was bad enough but further south more than 50 lives were lost and the devastation to property runs into millions. At the moment it is fairly calm, wind speeds are only 30-40 mph this week, but it is dry again!!

Got some quiltie bits to talk about that I'll keep for another post as I don't want to bore you too much,and so's not to have a photo-less post, I'll leave you with a couple taken when we visited Monet's garden at Giverney a while ago. Springtime indeed !

Just one more thing and that's to say 'Thank You' once again to everyone for the continued messages of
concern and support throughout these weeks and I can't tell you how good it feels to be back again!!!

'Inter'National Quilt Day

2010-03-20T20:39:00.001+01:00

This* is is how I spent my afternoon

What did you do ?

* Moda Bake Shop Recipe

Dydd Gwyl Dewi

2010-03-01T07:58:00.001+01:00

St David's Day

A quick message to say 'Thank You' for all the messages of support after my last post, each and every one of them was a great comfort to me. DH is thankfully on the mend but we still have a way to go before he is over it all.

Time Out

2010-02-04T20:35:00.000+01:00

Taking some indefinite time off .. DH suffered a heart attack 10 days ago, and whilst he is now out of intensive care and hopefully on the road to recovery, I don't know when I'll feeling like blogging again.

Stripping!

2010-01-22T11:58:00.004+01:00

No - not quite what is sounds like, and if it was it would certainly be something you wouldn't want to look at unless you'd like a good
laugh !!

What I have done is joined Stephanie's No Strings Attached challenge

....... and have been busy stripping these 1930s fabrics, which have been lurking in the stash for ages...

...... and turning them into strings of these....

......which hopefully will eventually become something like this ! Well, that's the theory, so watch this space!!

Last I heard there are over 150 'strippers' loose in Blogland at the moment thanks to Stephanie, so check out the link in the side bar and have a look at some of the creations already on show.

What A Difference .....

2010-01-17T18:07:00.001+01:00

... a few days make ! From sub-zero temperatures to 13 degrees C in 4 days - confirmation indeed that the weather is getting more and more erratic! No complaints here though as we've not only managed to get some food in house at last, but also a good walk along the canal today in glorious sunshine

Don't things seem so much better when the sun shines ??

Global Warming - Part 2

2010-01-12T15:46:00.005+01:00

Our snow is still with us, and is really wearing out its welcome now. All the Ooohs! & Aaahs! are giving way to the inconveniences like running out of bread,potatoes and other little 'luxuries' necessary to everyday life.

One of the downsides of living in the country is that, whilst all major roads are clear for traffic, our little country lanes remain blocked, so there was great excitement this morning when it started raining!

I never, ever thought that I would be glad to see rain after the deluge we suffered in November and early December, but at least I thought it would clear our lane and we could escape for a couple of hours- no chance. As well as the rain we have bitingly cold east winds and instead of thawing the snow, the rain is freezing on top of it and the whole surface is now like a big ice rink.

This is the glass on the porch door, and you can see where the rain has frozen before it's had a chance to run down.

Ah Well -at least we've still got some rice left , and I guess I'll just have to keep busy with some more sewing :-)

Global Warming ??

2010-01-07T17:09:00.008+01:00

Yes, the white stuff is back again!! Not that much in comparison with a lot of places, but for an area that sees snow every 10 years or so, twice in a month is a big event!!

Not A Good Start!

2010-01-05T12:41:00.003+01:00

Well, the old year ended miserably and the New Year arrived in the same way, as, like many in Blogland , Boxing Day saw me coming down with the dreaded 'flu ! Don't really know what kind of bug I managed to pick up but I can tell you I certainly do not want it again!! Today is the first time that I have managed to stay upright for any length of time, and to be honest I still feel very wobbly, but maybe that's because I've not be able to eat anything for days.

DH has been taking really good care of me, sometimes too good as often all you want to do is curl up in a corner and be left alone! However - I am feeling a lot better so I guess it's time to stop feeling sorry for myself and get 2010 started, and what better way to start the year than with a finished quilt!

I've long been a fan of Mary Johnson 's scrappy quilts, so thought it was time to try one of her patterns and decided on this one.

Maybe not the prettiest of quilts, but so easy & quick to make and it certainly got rid of a lot more of those 'why did I buy that!' fabrics.

The quilt finished at 4 ' 6" x 6' O", not a bad size for a soon to be teenage granddaughter who tells me her toes stick out of the last one I made her!!! Thank you Mary for a great tutorial!!

I even went mad and tried the 'Loop de Loop' quilting as a change from stippling. I'm no sure if that was the right thing to do as I ended up quilting on the diagonals to keep the threads 'colour controlled' which wasn't too easy ! I also think I need a lot more practice with this designs :-)

Happy New Year !

2009-12-31T15:22:00.001+01:00

WISHING YOU A HAPPY, HEALTHY & PEACEFUL NEW YEAR !!