London Calling!

I have just returned from a mini-break in London
where I stayed with good friends who spoilt me rotten: 

I was collected from the station

and then taken to a sewing shop on the way to their home!

Fantastic! My friend had spotted Raystitch

on the Essex Road and thought I might like to pop in...

Of course I wanted to pop in!!!

They have a wonderful selection of books and sewing patterns.

It's a very beautiful shop with Japanese cottons

(at £19 a metre though!)

and other lovely fabrics and sewing notions.

They also have a cafe so you could stay a while

and then be tempted to shop a lot!

We resisted temptation and had coffee

'for the girls' at a deli across the road

only because we needed space for the baby buggy,
a crutch and a bump LOL.

Although if the weather had been better 

we would have 'dined' there as they have outside tables.

Mmm... babychino!

More travels, a quiltshop and road trip ramblings...

We have just returned from 2 days and nights at the hot springs in Montagu.



It was wonderful and because DS1 gets up pretty early I took him for a pre-breakfast swim both mornings. (DS2 came along on the second morning) We were always among the first people there besides the pool cleaners. Nothing like a warm dip before the sun comes up!





It's quite a drive to Montagu from Knysna and there are 2 routes: the R62 which is much longer, but more scenic or the N2 which is quicker and not so scenic. I convinced DH that if we went the N2 as he wished we would have loads of time to visit a quilt shop I had read about on the SA Quilter's Guild website. He obliged so off we went to the 'Hilltop Quiltshop' in Swellendam (a roundabout way to Montagu, but not too much out of our way). Sorry no photo, but this is what I bought. I did remarkably well as Carool who owns it doesn't stock a lot of fabric, but she did have these fabulous African prints...


(...and a few rose prints too)

The next day we strolled around Montagu, but a lot of the shops were shut (being Saturday afternoon.) I had read about this little fabric shop called 'Lapland'. It had this gorgeous hand made sign outside...



Inside they were stocktaking, but kindly let me have a little look. It stocks mainly dressmaking fabric, but I found this cute African fabric and a few iron on badges for DS1's clothes (Just had to get the Union Jack!)



Also in Montagu... an art gallery with a Christmas tree


decorated with teapots and teacups



Security is an issue in South Africa, but here's how to do it 'Montagu-style'




I came home to discover the cleaning lady had thrown one of the boy's quilts in the machine. It washed remarkably well according to DS2's inspection LOL


This quilt was made by my friend Ria and the boys both love it.

Where did this week go?

Well, I know where tonight went...

... I baked and baked! I made DH's nephew a birthday cake for his 18th birthday, hence the one and the eight LOL. Apparently it tastes quite good as there were a few extra bits, but until it's iced, it doesn't look like much. I also made DS1 some dinosaur ginger cookies (these are gluten-free so were a bit tricky as I tried to adapt the original recipe) - tomorrow we'll get the verdict on these :-)

As for the rest of the week. Tuesday saw us taking a trip to find Empress Mills in Colne. I missed the turning and we ended up miles away near Blackburn! Wednesday, I don't know what happened to Wednesday. Thursday, we tried again. We found it. I parked the car and when we got out, I couldn't find my purse/wallet. We counted up between us and taking lunch into account, I only had enough money for a few bits. No photo as I'm sure you all know what thread, felt and pelmet vilene look like LOL. However, the shop was a quilter's paradise, really nice bits and bobs. More thread than I could've imagined, beads, buttons, felt, fabric... No money though until after lunch when I found my bl**dy wallet had fallen down the side of the seat!!!

Friday, I visited Vicky who will be finishing my Linus offering. It's always good to see a fellow quilter and we had a mini show-and-tell. Fun! Then today!! Well I didn't sew a stitch :-( but Anne brightened my day with this little parcel...

... I will be swapping her some butterfly bits for these lovely stars. Thank you Anne, you cheered me up yet again because all day I've been feeling sad that I'm missing Birgit’s Quiltfest in Germany. I hope it went well. I will have to start saving up to go next year!