Thoughts for Thursday

I am a bad blogger.

I still have no computer of my own after mine decided to die on me and I can't decide between getting my car fixed or a new computer, so at the moment I have done neither!!

I am also a bad quilter (it seems).
This past weekend was the Great North Quilt Show in Harrogate and I normally try to go most years if I can, but this year I just couldn't decide what to do. I was practically crippled by my chaos! My sewing room/space has been such a mess for so long that I decided no new fabric and no more inspiration until it gets sorted. So off to Ikea I went instead. I bought some groovy tressels for my sewing room and DH cut up a door and voila! I have a new smaller table. (We are working on the principle that if you have less horizontal space you have less mess LOL)
It is still in the process of being tidied, but it feels better already (probably just to me and not to anyone else's eye!!)

So in the interests of being a good quilter again, I picked up my Carolina Lily and have decided to crack on with the borders...


The photo below shows that I am indeed English-Paper-Piecing the entire quilt including borders:
Attaching borders has meant that I have had to cellotape large amounts of paper together...


Next I will need to cut the fabric and baste it on the papers. Then stitch the borders to the main body of quilt. Then applque the leaves and vines etc.... I may be a while :-)

The garden continues to feed us despite the most amazingly diverse weather which has included stormy nights and gusty days (where both portable greenhouses were sent flying. My poor cucumber plants needed repotting after their pots got smashed in a gale, but they are still bearing fruit regardless of the elements!)
DH has declared he is bored of the marrows/squashes so forgot to check them for a few days. I was delighted when I went to have a look myself:
A bumper crop of six!


I'm not sure they are the most interesting vegetables to eat, but they are prolific! LOL

Wins, Lilies, Gifts and Gabs

I am still stitching away! And this is my favourite Lily block so far. The colours appeal to me so much. The red fabric is from Elsie and the green fabric is from Siobahn:



Thank you Ladies!!

I guess that is what this post is about. Thanks. I am so very honoured to be part of such a generous and lovely community of bloggers, quilters and friends. At times I have wanted to give up this blog, I have never wanted to give up sewing, but blogging maybe. I am not sure why I blog. At first it was to record family life for us and the SA family alongside my sewing, but then I realised that my Mother never got a chance to read my blog and the sewing probably bores my brother stiff so he doesn't read it either. So then I thought I'd just blog about my sewing, and bore off the rest of them LOL, but I sew so much. Everyday! and it's not always that interesting especially if I have the odd craft market coming up or if I'm just sewing curtains or repairs or finishing something I started years ago...

I do like to record the momentus finishes and the little stitches though,


but I worry that I am just wasting blog space with it all. So I am going to have a little think about this blog and try and decide what direction it should take. Ultimately it is for me, but through it I have met some lovely people and I have enjoyed the company so much...

I have been spoilt rotten again lately by bloggers and friends!
Reds from Elsie:



Greens from Siobahn:


(these greens are from The Carolinas! So fitting for my Carolina Lily!)

And Fran:


(A green and roses too!)

Belated birthday presents from
Sonnja,:



Josie,:


My favourite chocolates and beautiful embroidery scissors too!

And Kandy!!:


Kandy made me a beautiful Log cabin kit with 12 gorgeous little logs, borders, batting, backing fabric, bobbins, thread, needles etc. Amazing!

Thank you Kandy, Josie, Sonnja, Fran, Siobahn, Elsie...
Thank you all very much.

I drew a winner yesterday for my giveaway. Guðrún from Iceland!
Well done Guðrún! I'll send you a parcel this week.


I would have blogged the winner yesterday, but I managed to overdo it in the garden and I have been feeling a bit rubbish ever since. I am taking it easy now, but feel a little shaken. I guess I was getting used to crutching around like a maniac and forgot my limits for a minute :-(

On another note:
I like this picture. It makes me think of me....

A big fat mummy and her 2 cheeky little lambs!! :-D

Comments and confessions

Thank you for all the kind comments of late, please forgive me if I have not replied to them all (some are un-relpyable (new word - LOL) on blogger), but I have had a sick baby for 2 days and 2 very long nights! I do appreciate hearing from people out there in the land of blog. Not only have I not had a chance to email much, but I have not sewn a stitch. I have a deadline looming for my Bag O' Stuff challenge and in 2 days have only managed to cut the binding, BUT I will try my darndest as we seem to be over the worst of it now.

I have also had quite a few comments on and off my blog re that pesky cube. Seems none of you believe me when I say it was a complete pain in the you-know-what to make LOL! I have looked for the instructions to no avail, but I will ask my friend Vicky if she has more info on it, as she is the one who got me started on it(!) and will let you all know.

Yesterday my mailbox 'overfloweth' with a wonderful 'lump' of loot. I say lump because Donna sure knows how to pack a parcel LOL. Inside was a very generous gift from my friend Michelle....... Homespuns and Focus fabrics for some upcoming swaps...

Also some notions that I just had to have... And only a teensy-weensy bit of fabric....

I actually am not feeling so bad about my stash at the moment (as you can see LOL) because when I get a chance to sew, I really enjoy using what I have and I've noticed since I've started swapping again that I do have quite a few holes in my stash, but that's probably because some fabrics/colours I just prefer not to buy when given a choice... Given a choice I'd buy everything LOL