On Thursday it was the Orton Quilters Meeting and the lady their had bought with her the most gorgeous colour wheel made of fabrics & embellisments mounted in mount board, anyway we all started to put our efforts together, and here is mine - I am determined to find some more colours to match in and finish - I really enjoyed it. Everyone enjoyed the evening Biddy was so informative and helpful it was great fun.



Now I am supposed to be getting ready to go to Debden for Summer school, the bolts of fabric below are going to become a log cabin quilt. I have done log cabin blocks but never an entire quilt so when Anne suggested it I thought yes lets have a go!!!!

So hopefully when I return from Debden I shall be able to put a photo of the quilt top on here.





























Poppy will be in charge at home looking after Rob!!!! Rob has got his rail track all in pieces whilst he redesigns the layout so that will keep him well and truly busy for a few hours. Poppy will sleep get up to mischief and eat Cheerios! Oh yes, last sunday shopping we had to buy Cheerios as they are her favorite - who is soft - Rob I hasten to add!!!!! This morning she had my piece of sewing that I am doing at night on the floor and the bowl with the cotton ends rolling around the rug - make note to self you will need to vacuum the rug!!!! bother!!!

I was such a lucky lady on Saturday, Angela got Len to do her draw for her giveaway and my name came out the bowl! Barbara has given me grief over this and said it is a total fix - but I am soo chuffed look what I got - it was a super gift and all of it will be very useful.

The blackcurrant chocolate was gorgeous Rob and I sat and ate it whilst chilling in front of the television on Sunday evening.

We actually had a glorious decadent lazy weekend, coffee and hot cross buns in the garden sunday morning, tea in the garden after the Grand Prix had finished and then bombay shaphire & lime and chocolates in front of the goggle box!!!!!

Yesterday was equally lazy coffee in the garden, Caroline joined us for a leisurely lunch - then I went Line Dancing - need to do something to work off the hot cross buns!!!!

Firstly, I must thank those of you that put comments for my Giveaway - I got Vanessa to take the names out of the hat on Saturday and Julie was the winner - so that will be winging its way to her very shortly.















Now I do not know where the time seems to go - one would hope that being here in Art & Stitch all day that I could get lots done, but no that has not been the case - still I have got this front of a quilt pieced using "Wrapped in Paisley" charm packs and the corresponding material, it is looking good - yet to be finished I have decided to curve the border - so that will keep me out of mischief for a while I think!














Then I have made this table runner, oh it was such fun to make and I got very brave and did the free machine quilting which I am pleased with myself - I can hear Gina and Anne saying Confidence just go for it and I did yeh!!!!! I loved the little pieces of applique and of course we have such a lovely selection of buttons it was difficult to choose which ones to use.

Both of these projects are going to be workshops at Art & Stitch so you can check them out on our website www.artandstitch.co.uk

For my Birthday treat Rob took me on a day on the Orient Express - oh it was magical - we were greeted with coffee in the lounge at Victoria then this Steward was there to assist us all the way through the journey. The Orient Express was the inspiration of an American who scoured the country for the disused Pullman Carriages and restored them to their glory - there were ten carriages on our train yesterday all beautiful.
















Dress code was quite strict - and doesn't Rob look lovely all dapper and smart! (Mark you he always looks lovely!!!!) The carriage we were in was called Vera and was built in the 1920's and apparently carried members of the Royal Family at that time including the young Princess Elizabeth & Princess Margaret - it was damaged during the blitz and then restored and then when the Pullman carriages were no longer needed sold to become a children's playhouse in a back garden!! Purchased by the guy with the inspiration behind the Orient Express and restored to its former glory - the marquetry on the walls was fabulous

















We stopped at Whitstable for Oysters & Champagne & a band playing on the platform
As you can see the carriages are immaculate

















There were four people on the train dressed in period costume and keeping us all informed of the history of the trains and where the Pullman Carriages were rescued from and they were soo good they played their parts to the full and obviously enjoyed their jobs!!















The 'Lavatory' Oh they were so sumptious - the floor was a mosaic which was gorgeous - they knew how to live in style in those days they really did.

The food was out of this world, we were greeted with champagne & nibbles, then into the fish course with horseradish & dill sauce, then asparagus & creme fraiche soup with the most gorgeous warm rolls - ribeye steak done perfectly just bloody and soo tender with vegetables & roast potatoes. Then cheeseboard with such a selection of cheeses. We then got off the train at

Whitstable and had champagne & Oysters then returned to the train for the sweet as pictured above with a delicious vanilla sauce, followed by coffee, brandy and chocolates. The wine they served was delicious too - all spread out over the entire journey so it was not heavy at all.

All our fellow travelling companions were super and the whole day was great did not want it to end.

The fishpond is looking really great - built by Andy (Barbara's son in law) earlier this year - we have five fish and they are thriving and then the real reason for this is that, the Lilly has flowered today - I adore Lillies and Rob was adament that it may not flower this year - we are like proud parents!!!! - and below you will see our very first flower. We also have a second bud so very very soon we will have another flower how good is that.





























I adore my lilly - it is really pretty.

Now to my new toys - Rob came home last week with a shelf unit for the second bedroom/sewing room - he had been to get some units for the shed and saw this one and felt it would help me out for storage. So a trip to Hobbycrafts and fourteen boxes later from hobbcraft the shelf unit is looking good. I have made labels for each box - they are not all full yet but getting there. Then once I have organised them I hope that I shall be able to find things and have space to keep the other items organised. Note I do not say tidy!!!!!

Well thought I would let you know she has not improved at all she is still the naughiest cat in the world - the table mat is just soo comfortable!!

















I made a lemon cake and muffins for my friends at line dancing - I also made profiteroles for work but didn't get the photo of them before they were eaten up!!!
















I have been in bag mode - this little one is gorgeous - and did not take long to make - I can feel some more coming on!!

















This satchel is such beautiful colours I love it

Now last but hopefully not least - My Giveaway - I missed one at the fiftieh blog mark so am doing this very later - that is so typical of me - anyway here is a pincushion - we all love them at work so hopefully it will go to a good home! So as this is all new to me I hope I am doing it right - I shall do the draw on Saturday 17th July.




Giveaway Puncushion!!!!! just in case you hadn't realised!!!!!