End of February

 I cannot believe we are now at the end of February - where does the time just fly to - I have to confess I am having a good year to date - but then I must admit I like to look at my cup and see it full to the brim - so much nicer than it being empty.

We had a wonderful, but cold afternoon with excellent friends at Anglesey Abbey on Sunday, the snowdrops as ever were wonderful.  The scones and the tea brilliant.  It was just such a shame it was soo cold - but hey ho it is still winter!   We went in the mill for the first time and it is very impressive.
Anglesey Abbey is a National Trust property and well worth a visit any time of the year the house is lovely and the grounds superb.

Well Monday - after popping to see young grandson Leo, Rob and I headed up to Stamford Lincs. to his favorite place!   Not quite as neat and tidy as Art and Stitch but as this was my first visit I was transfixed.  The selection of different woods was fantastic - I think I probably drove the owner mad asking where they all came from!   The different grains and colours - and oh the smell when you walked through the door it was gorgeous.  Rob wondered around and chose his pieces of wood - some of which are now starting to be worked in the workshop for his next set of boxes he plans to make.

 The owner was getting ready for a show and this pile of Lime was ready to be put on a van.  He sells wood all ready for turning, and working on in any way you wish.

Look at the pattern on this - drat I have forgotten the name of this particular wood

 You can ferret through this pile and find some really interesting planks - all the different types and grain.

Unfortunately I have blurred  this slightly but the grain is fabulous and this piece of wood is in the process of being worked on now for a box - show you later!!!

Right well I have been finishing off my UFO's and plan to try and continue so doing - for a little longer until the pile decreases slightly.  Let us hope that March brings us some sunshine and spring will be just around the corner.

Finishing UFO's

 I have spent the last couple of months trying to finish some of my unloved UFO's - I have started with such enthusiasm and then time has run out on me - Or I have gone on to other projects and just left them lanquishing in boxes in the sewing room.  So I made a resolution to get some finished.  The wallhanging above  is Wacky Stars, I made it under Anne Stacey's supervision and it is all leftover batiks from a bag I was making at the same time.  It is such a lovely technique I had great fun and am so pleased to have now wadded it quilted it - I made a star template and dotted stars all over it.  We have now persuaded Anne to teach this at Art and Stitch as everyone has been admiring my finished item

 Again this quilt started with such a spree of enthusiasm and I took it to me to Debden and got the top made then I backed and wadded it and inspiration failed me for quilting - anyway I have again taken myself to task and it is quilted and bound and it looks superb - just needs a nice bed to go on!  The colours of the batiks are lovely and I like the way it weaves.

 We had a workshop where I was teaching this table runner - so I made one in certain stages to show the ladies - so now it is finished wadded and quilted and I have to say the colours are great - again it requires a nice table or sideboard to reside on (oh do they have sideboard's nowadays)  - we always had sideboards and Mum kept her best treasurers in it and on it.

 This cushion top was made to demonstrate courthouse steps and again the fabrics were all left over from a bag I had made, it is so bright and lovely and cuddly.

We had some new ladies just starting on their quilting adventure and I showed them how to make crazy quilt cushions, this one again was left over fabrics from other projects and bits of lace in the stash.  They enjoyed their day and I did not put them off quilting - phew.

 Rob has been very busy in his workshop - we had a very old laundry basket which ever since we moved in together we had planned to change - but we could not find one that we liked - now that sounds very fussy of us, but we had a constraint on height and width where it is placed.  Anyway one day he disappeared into the workshop and came out with some plans neatly drawn the exact size and height we required and here it is - absolutely beautiful.  We had one hiccup the planner/thicknesser broke mid project - but now back duly serviced and working well and the new laundry basket was finished.  Of course the calico lining I have made enhances it beautifully!!!

Well I am a totally besotted Nanny - here is little Leo visiting Art and Stitch this week, he is so gorgeous he just loved the colours and the thread reels - he will be a little tike once he gets into gear and is walking or running everywhere!!

Well so far this year I have been mostly getting up to date on unfinished items, but we had Christmas Club looming up for this week and I had to get my head together and come up with a good idea for them to make - so I made the wall hanging above and have to say I thoroughly enjoyed making the scrappy Christmas trees.  Fortunately all our ladies agreed and the picture below are two of their efforts.  All of the ladies made great hangings - though one turned it into a table runner which was a good idea.

So now I am set on carrying on with the  pieces that need to be finished, though I have a sort of yearning to do something new - but I shall try and fit any new creativity in with completing all the other items that are reclining in crevices in my sewing room and at Art and Stitch waiting to be fully completed.

Leo came to visit us in the shop last week - he is becoming a real little charmer and for eight months - is such a joy - not at all biased am I.

 My Eldest son's future Mother in Law is a great cake decorator and she made this for Rob and I for Christmas, it doesn't look quite like this now as it has been tucked into quite seriously.  It is a beautiful cake  and she is so clever at decorating them.  Anne has a wedding cake to make now and Paul & Ericha are getting married in August this year - which was such great news and we are all looking forward to the big day.

 Caroline came to see me on Monday and bought little leo and here is with his friend - he loves the soft teddies - but then he just loves grabbing everything.  He is also a little poser as he knew I was taking his photo.  Cheeky monkey.

Well I am continuing with my bid to get some of my unfinished items completed - and on Sunday I shut myself in the sewing room and fished this out - I had gone wrong and put it away in disgust - so I was quite determined to get it right - here are the first two rows, I have now got the third row ready to stitch on - and just one more to go.  It is very very time consuming and well as far as I am concerned it is very easy to go wrong.  Although I hope fingers crossed that I have got the hang of it now.  I am looking forward to seeing it all put together.

So at this present time I am able to feel quite sanctimonius as I am continuing with my resolution - how long it will last I do not know  - I am getting itchy feet to start something new but - I am going to endeavour to carry on with the UFO's

Orchids

 Mt Sister is a Volunteer at Kew Gardens and is currently up to her knees in moss and orchids.  Kew hold an annual Orchid Festival during February each year and they are currently endeavouring to get it all finished for the 9th February I think that is when it starts.  These two photos are of a previous year - the Festival is fabulous and the Orchids are so wonderful.  The Kew website has all the details www.kew.org 

I really love Kew Gardens there is something lovely about walking around in the warm glass houses looking at all the wonderful colours when it is cold and grey outside.  Yet Kew has something to offer for every season.

Well we have had this lovely printed panel come into the shop and I just had to sit and bead it - I could have carried on - but decided enough was enough - it looks great hanging in the shop.

I had planned to bring in my finished quilt today, but poppy had other ideas - I finished stitching the binding on last night and am really chuffed with myself - another UFO totally done.  The smaller one on top that poppy is sitting on is a wall hanging with fractured crazy stars and I am currently quilting that - so hopefully next week that will be finished too  yeh!!

I am really pleased with myself as at the end of last year I was struggling to see the woods for the trees and couldn't envisage getting items finished.  Julie I think you were so right in your words of wisdom and thank you for your support.

Oh Just another quick thing - daft really - I have just read The Secret Garden  (Francis Hodgson Burnett)- oh it was so magical - I had seen the film but cannot remember reading the book before and it transfixed me - I could not put it down.  Then I found there had been a sequel written by another author several years later - The Forgotten Room by Stacie Morrell - it was lovely - I sat and cried my way through it - a really good light read that had a superb feel good factor.

Well now I had better go and start the day and show willing.   I cannot promise to keep up regular blogs but I am going to try.

Unfinished items contd.

Well my New Year's Resolution is continuing and I have finished this table runner that I started so enthusiastically and then did not finish - but I am very very pleased with it.

I really like my leaves that I have quilted in the centre.

This is the next unfinished item - I started this beautiful quilt some considerable time ago, it was pieced backed and wadded and then inspiration for quilting failed me!!  Anyway I have now got it quilted and the binding on so only need to stitch the binding on.  As you can see Poppy was insisting on assisting me again by joining me on the table and insisting on sittinting on the quilt and making life very awkward.  Everytime I moved it she complained bitterly.

Well Monday's I try to spend with Caroline and Leo as much as possible - poor Caroline!!

We had a great day and took Leo to Ferry Meadows - it was chilly and windy but he loves being out in his buggy and looking around.

We took him to the swing park and this was his first adventure in a swing he soon got the hang of it and kicked his legs and squealled quite loudly. Afterwards a lovely hug for Mummy as she took him out

Well I am once again being somewhat tardy in blogging - I can try this as an excuse I could not upload photos and had to ask Angela's husband Neil to change the programmes to Google Chrome and add something called Picasso so that I could upload - abit of a pfaff but thank goodness for Neil he has done it for me.  I did sort of throw my rattle out the pram and said I couldn't be bothered but then common sense (do I have any) prevailed!!

Well as the weather has been so inclement I have turned into a hermit and stayed indoors and taken the opportunity to  keep my new year resolution.  I vowed I would try to finish some UFO's  - I have just got to finish quilting two and then that will be two items out of the way yeh.  I have actually totally completed one which is a table runner - but have not taken any photos of it - will do so.

Poppy is not enjoying this cold weather and has become abit of a hermit as well.  She seems to love me doing some sewing and manifests from absolutely nowhere to sit on whatever I have decided to do.  She loves quilts to snuggle on.  But on Sunday she had to make do with my foundation piecing - and as I was trying to lay it out to make sure it was going according to plan here she was plonking herself down with no thought for me!!

Anyway I managed to prevail and here is the top put together, it has since been wadded and is partly quilted and I have to say I am very pleased with it.  Rob and I bought the pattern and fabrics at the NEC a couple of years ago and time just ran away from me - I had traced the pattern out and cut strips and started one piece but that was as far as it had got.  So I was determined to finish it now

Having been evicted from my foundation piecing she then sought out my hexagons - they had been moved out of the sewing room whilst I was working and laid on the bed - it is a lovely comfy place to lie - polystyrene with paper and the hexagons held down with pins - makes sense to snuggle there!  Caroline popped over on Monday with young Leo who christined his new highchair that Rob and I had got for him - thought it was easiest to have one at our house rather than carting one around all over the place.   He is such great fun and then we had a great game of throwing toys off the tray for the cat to chase.

We had Christmas Club at Art and Stitch last week and I have started this folded place mat - it is looking lovely and I am determined to get it finished. 

At our Aston Quilters Group we have been making New York Beauty foundation piecing and I thought I would lay it all out to see how it was going - well guess who joined me she has an uncanny sense of interrupting me !  I am so pleased with this and have now joined all the blocks and just have to get some borders put on.  

The Star of Christmas

Our little Christmas Elf on his first Christmas - he had a lovely day although the whole experience passed over his head!  But he loved all the company, attention and most of all the new toys to feel and play with.

Look at me!!

 Caroline and Nic did us absolutely proud - their first Christmas Dinner was a total success and there were ten very replete folks.  So a big thank you goes to them and we look forward to next year!!

Poppy has found a nice resting place at home and will miss the tree when we finally take it down.

So Happy new Year to you all - let us hope the weather improves and 2013 is alot drier and all those folks that have suffered so terribly with floods this year can recoup and get their homes back in order.