Busy, Busy, Busy.....

This time of year is so busy what with school finishing and the children being home for the 6 week holiday.  It almost catches you off guard and all schedules and free time seem to fly out the window.  As a result I have sewn the odd stitch but have barely taken a photo to show you anything that I have been working on....but don't worry, I will get pictures soon and get them posted.  I have some nice things in the finishing stages.  Meanwhile, I thought I better post something, just to prove I'm still here, but if I go quiet, it is only because I'm busy out there having fun!

What pictures I have taken, are somewhat random, but I hope you'll indulge me..I just couldn't resist sharing yet another flower picture.  I had a lovely bouquet of flowers given to me at work and I didn't realize that hidden in the bunch was this beauty.  It was a lovely surprise to come down one morning and smell the beautiful perfume!

In other news, we were back up in Stoke-on-Trent this past weekend to celebrate my father-in-law's birthday.  The whole family managed to come together, not only for an evening meal, but also a Sunday BBQ. 



The children had a wonderful time...and were filthy from head to toe to
prove it!



While the children played the adults sat by the patio heater as the cool evening air came in.  (I know for you folks in hotter climates this is a strange practice..but in the UK it is quite common..I couldn't quite get my head around it when I first moved over, but I'm growing to like the idea)



And just to add another strange sight, a picture taken on the way home down the M1...yep those cars are suppose to be facing that way! :o)

Until next time...

Wordless Wednesday...

Nothing is sweeter than a bouquet of flowers...

Until next time...

Looking for a new home...

Forgive me, but this post is really only going to apply to people living near and around Stoke-on-Trent and Rugby.  My mother-in-law is trying to find homes for her two sewing machines and due to the size and weight they really can't be shipped..although I know there are some of you in the USA that would love to have them!

One is a 1930's Singer treadle sewing machine which is in perfect working order and has all the feet and the wood is in excellent condition.  She would like a firm £50 for it. (Sorry - SOLD)

The second is a 1950's Singer sewing machine that again is a perfect working order.  Any offers considered...really she just wants to see it go to a good home :o)

If you are at all interested, please email me and we'll take it from there.

Until next time...

Quilting with Friends...

This past Saturday was the Rocheberie Quilters meeting and despite the warm muggy day we had a good turn out.  Just proving once again that quilters are a hearty bunch and are willing to endure the weather to get out to stroke fabric, talk "shop", and get inspired. :o)  Our speaker for the day was a lovely lady from Edinburgh called Pat Archibald.  Pat spoke passionately about her inspiration for each quilt and how she worked from photographs to create her designs and select the colours.  She recounted about how each new place she visited evoked different emotions and inspired her with different themes of colour.  If you want to see more of her quilts and our fabulous show and tell..then pop over to the post I wrote on the Rocheberie Website.

One of the things I love about a day at Rocheberie is seeing what everyone brings to work on.  I feel like a right lemon asking for pictures, but I think the members are use to me walking around with my camera in hand and know by now that I'm not interested in taking their picture...but rather a picture of their work. :o)



This quilt is so pretty with the bright fabrics and the black framing.  Wouldn't this look fab in scraps!



And I love the hand quilting on this with the variegated thread!  Simple shapes, but incredibly effective.

Until next time...

Have you heard of...

Yarnbombing?  No?  Well apparently it is a type of graffiti that involves covering objects out in public in knitting or crochet.  Imagine my surprise when walking through Longton, in Stoke-on-Trent and I came upon this!  My DD1 who loves knitting was very impressed!

And lookie lookie what has just arrived in the house....  If I go quiet you know why :o)  Happy days!!


Until next time...

Summer Fete

Last weekend when the weather was perfect, Dunchurch had their annual fete.  The whole family went down to wait for the parade to come down the road....even the "famous hat" :o)

The banners were out glinting in the sun...



And the parade came down the road...



A couple of years ago we attended the fete and I took an almost identical picture of some Alpacas from this shop...guess my eye is drawn to the same things!



The band played and it was a lovely afternoon out.

Until next time...