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.

Well I have finally got around to publishing about my giveaway - there were four comments so I put the names on a piece of paper

















Then they went into one of our little bowls















Anna Marie from Property management was co-erced into picking out one of the slips so that there was no favoritsm














Then the scrapy bit of paper was opened to reveal Sam's name.















So congratulations to Sam - obviously as you can all guess - Barbara was very put out that she did not win and claimed it was all a fix!!! Typical eh. Anyway the parcel has winged its way to Sam and I shall ignore Barbara if Ican.

Well we had a square in a square course on saturday and I found half a jelly roll at home and part of another one so put this together to show the ladies the way to do it - any excuse to make a quilt top eh.
I have to say I am pleased with it

And yesterday I got the borders on - so now it only remains to wad back and quilt!!!

It does look good and the colours are better in the flesh. The new shop is going so well and we have now got extra tables for the other workroom so it is all coming together nicely.

This weekend we are taking the shop to Moulton Mill to the Moulton & Holbeach Quilters Exhibition, and I am looking forward to seeing all the quilts there - it sounds like they have put alot of work into it so will take the camera with me.

Right I need to do some sewing - have a class on saturday for my handbag and as there is no pattern just in my head - I need to get the cobwebs out and quickly I think and put something together for them to see.

Well I hope everyone that reads this has a wonderful Easter Break - it sounds like the weather is going to be good. My sister is coming up on Sunday and it is Caroline's birthday on St George's day so we will be busy by the sound of it. So Happy Easter to one and all.

Well it is ages since I last blogged, the only excuse is that we have been exceedingly busy!!!

Anyway this is my one hundreth post - so a little further into this blog you will see the giveaway - which will be drawn on Tuesday next week - so please make some comments.







Well here is the entrance to the new shop - this will eventually be a classroom - all rooms have flower names and this is the Gerber classroom - Stephs favorite flower.

Here is the shop which is called the Rose Room

Isn't it absolutely fabulous - so much fabric - so much space - so light and airy - it is wonderful.

Look at the workshop tables - today they are full of ladies on social stitching. Everyone coming through the door on Tuesday had goodie bags which Angela had put together and they all enjoyed themselves with chocolate cakes and copious amounts of tea and coffee being drunk.

Now to the Giveaway, I made a scarf ages ago - so whoever wins will just have to put it away until the autumn.

Now I have been very good at home and finally finished some projects - a turn around nine patch baby quilt for a baby due on 21st April - it is very very pretty.

Oh poppy could not resist sneaking into the sewing room and cuddling up for a snooze on a quilt!!

Three chickens made for easter pressies - they hold a creme egg underneath - I made them and put eggs in - but one evening working hard in the sewing room I just had to eat one and then low and behold a second one disappeared the same way. I felt awful poor children chickens and no eggs - so I have bought some more and Rob and Angela have told me I must not touch them.

Now look what is finally finished my Barn Raising Quilt - yeh I am so pleased with it - it looks lovely on the bed so now we have to decorate the bedroom!!

And being the very proud Mother I just wanted to put this photo of my gorgeous daughter and fiancee on the blog - I am so proud of them and so lucky to be her mother

Now that is the end of this epic blog - I look forward to lots of comments for the giveaway.

Well we had a great workshop with a group of ladies, they came into use the Accu Go Cutter to make this block and they all did amazingly well - we had a fabulous two days - and they all went away with at least one block made. Some of them are going to make four blocks and join together to make a large quilt I cannot wait to see them all finished We are getting excited about the shop move only ten days then we will be in the new unit. The shop will open at 8 am and there are goodie bags for the first fifty customers. Barbara and I have been to the charity shop got six wigs each and six coats so we can keep going in and out!!! It is all happening along there - shelf units being assembled, cctv is installed, the electricians are doing the extra sockets for us. Well we seem to keep very busy so I once again have not managed to get much finished. My sewing room is now looking amazingly organised and I actually spent time in there sewing - a project I had started last year and had to put away is now on my design sheet and may get some more work done on it soon I hope.

Well there is lots to blog about at the moment - but the most momentous piece of news is that
on April 12th Art and Stitch will be moving into much much larger premises! Angela and Neil have secured a lease on Unit33 Aston Business Park - so same place just a different unit - yeh it is absolutely fantastic. it is so spacious and we shall have so much space for materials and everything else and workshop room and a quilting frame - oh it is so exciting!!! We cannot contain ourselves so please put in your diaries to come and see us on April 12th.

Right well general blogging - I am making a baby quilt for Rob's nephew and wife the baby is due on 21st April so here is the show so far - I adore this variation on nine patch it is so lovely. I had been wondering what to turn this fabulous fabric into then Val came into the shop with one done very similarly so i just had to copy- different colour scheme though!!!

Well Sunday Steph Angela and I went to Chilford had a fabulous day - food was good as always.

The quilts in the exhibition were lovely just a couple below.

Now at home we are busy setting up the new Marine Aquarium - this is a somewhat complicated business with the production of RO water which has all the impurities taken out and is pure, then it had to heated to the right temperature than salt added to the right salination - now yesterday we have purchased Live Rock which is somewhat expensive but I am assured absolutely wonderful - this has now been added to the aquarium and in five days when this has

settled in we can start to add cleaner shrimps and some corals - then come the fish at a later stage - so I shall blog again as it comes on.

Now I said it was going to be a long blog - here is the Aston Quilters Mystery Quilt - the centre is put together and I am so pleased with it. The Borders are going to look great as well.