Well here is our new basting table at Art and Stitch - how wonderful is this - it is a higher table


and 8ft square so absolutely brilliant. I had to be the first person to use it - you know me!! So I got this quilt on the table straight away. But have to get it off by Tuesday as the first lady to book the room is using on Wednesday! I think it will be a very popular room! Only £10 per day for the use of the tab le.

Now below is Barbara's version of the same quilt as I have on the table -I used metallic fabrics and Barbara went for Batik's - don't they both look so different and so striking.
Barbara is planing to get hers stitched together this week.

Right well I showed you my Cut & Come Again - work in progress - so here it is finished!! I did the workshop two weeks ago and finished this yesterday so I am very pleased with it.

I used a metallic thread and a fancy stitch on my lovely new janome Horizon which incidentally I adore.

Then having watched the ladies last weekend at Gina's workshop I decided sequins were the order of the day in the border - and I am very pleased with the effect. The photo of the stitching is not very clear and not doing it justice - probably the fault of the photographer!!

Right Angela was insistent that I blogged about the aquarium as well - in fact they are both doing exceedingly well. The Marine is getting very settled and here is a picture of them being fed last night - they go into a frenzy when the food is put in - frozen shrimps last night!

Now the three cold water fish in the other aquarium are growing so much - but unfortunately we have a fault on the tank and Rob has had to go out and buy a new power unit for the pump today. So they are going to be disturbed. Actually looking at the photo they look like one big blob - but there are two larger fish - one with onlyone eye - and a smaller fish. Though they have all grown incredibly.

Well I know I should have blogged earlier this week - but usual excuses - whinge whinge I hear you say!!!

Well last Saturday we had the most fabulous workshop with Gina Ferrarri www.ginaferrari.blogspot.com and luckily for those present it was a small group and they had a fabulous day and learnt lots and lots.
They made the most beautiful little bags out of organza and then went on to make the floral decorations in the afternoon - they are all soo good.









































I am going to apologise as I cannot exactly remember who made which little bag - but one lady has used spiral confetti rather than sequins and that looks so effective


Now Gina also bought with her the most wonderful addition to the course and she sat there so quietly watching them all

Isn't she wonderful - so we at Art and Stitch are taking names for a workshop to make a doll in this vein - so if anyone would like to join us plse contact us to put your name down. E mail to

pam@rpm.org.uk

Now Gina bought with her the most delicious cookies ever and very kindly gave me the recipe so here is the first batch of chocolate chip cookies I have ever made. wow they were gorgeous.

I subsequently made a second batch of cherry cookies as Barbara at Art and Stitch does not like Chocolate chip - they were very good too. So thank you Gina.

Gina has also been making a ring cushion for my daughter's wedding and that is pictured on her blog but oh it is superb I cannot thank her enough.

Well I have a quilt to baste a wall hanging to finish and some customers to sort so off I must go.

Last evening in the garden we had these beautiful gold finches on the seed heads of an unknown plant. When we moved in, we resolved not to take any plants out or anything this year we want to see what the garden holds and then we can plan any changes without moving some nice plants. But aren't they most beautiful little creatures - so those plants will be staying definitely if they are going to attract such lovely little visitors to our garden.

Last weekend we had Anne Stacey with us at Art and Stitch and she was showing us how to do Cut and Come Again - it was an absolutely fabulous course - Anne is such a good teacher - such patience!!

Anyway here is my wall hanging - yet to be finished but I am determined to get it finished. The technique is superb and I love my colours - it was great to see all the different versions that were being made on the day.

Now I treated myself to some fat quarters at Chilford and then added to them from Art and Stitch and here is the partly finished quilt

I am so pleased with it - the photo is not doing it justice and I have to get the borders stitched on then think about quilting!!

I do seem to have several unfinished projects at the moment so am looking for some extra hours in my day - but not very successfully I admit. Still I shall get there one day I guess!!!

Barbara loved the design and has started one in Batiks which is going to look fabulous cannot wait to see that put together.

Well best go and get some sewing done - always so much to do - but how lucky am I to be able to sew for my job - not bad eh.

Well the new acquarium is progressing so well and we have now purchased our final fish. We went and purchased a Coral Beauty on Monday and it had been our original plan to purchase one more next week - but we have been advised our tank is not large enough to support two large fish plus the two larger fish are aggressive and may well have fought and killed each other and at the cost per fish we decided to stick with the one Coral Beauty.

He is fabulous and his colours are so irridescent - so now we can sit back and enjoy the aquarium and watch the antics of the inhabitants.

The photos were taken on my phone but are still quite clear.

I had to take a photo of my clematis - my sister gave this to us as a present in our old house but it has taken to its new location like a duck to water and is really doing well. I am so pleased with it.

Our new marine aquarium is really taking shape we now have got some live corals and some beautiful fish and cleaner shrimps.

















On Sunday we got two new damsel fish that change colour they go so dark when they hide under the rocks and then this bright blue when them come out into the tank.















We have got two clown fish - they are very territorial but are so lovely - and real characters they come to the glass to look at you.

The two cleaner shrimps have bright red bodies and they swim upside down it is fascinating.

Also we have got a goby scooter and he is fascinating he sort of glides does not swim and loves to climb the rocks. it takes so long to get this established and we cannot overload the filters by putting too many fish in at once so these purchases have been over several weeks. We now have just two fish to go one next week a Coral Beauty and then the Flame Angel will be our last one as it is very territorial and if had gone in first would have attacked all the others. It is the most fascinating thing to watch - the fish dart in and out of the rocks and the hermit crabs scuttle along the substrate and then the limpet snails climb up the glass to clean it.