August already!

I am so behind reading blogs and keeping up this one. It's just horrible not having my own computer. And the school holidays mean that I don't actually have any spare time to speak of. My MIL took the boys on a train trip last week and although that meant I was kid-free I had to drive several miles to another hospital for a CT scan of my leg.

Just as I was leaving, the postman pulled up in his little red van and brought me reading material for the waiting room from Anne - fantastic timing!

Anne included some roses and boy fabric too - thanks Anne for a very pleasant surprise.

Andrea led me astray with a fabric warehouse some time ago and as it's near the hospital which is very far, I couldn't not pop in. It sells quilting fabric by the kilo. I treated myself to 2 kilos...



And a piece of red spotty pvc fabric for the new kitchen (and the messy kids!) And some spotty fleece which I have in mind for someone who visits and is always cold ;-)

So I was doing rather well for fabric, but things just got better. A wonderful lady called Barb (who has no blog) contacted me recently wanting to know if I still wanted rose fabric. Why yes!! So we arranged to swap some fabric.

Thanks Barb!

They are already over papers with Anne's fabrics.

The kitchen is coming along nicely and the worktop guy is in today so there will be major changes soon.

Friday the plasterer came in to do the old kitchen ceiling so everything had to be moved onto our bed for the day :-((( Not a pretty sight!

Saturday, was the local village show. I got a First in the Abstract Painting section (only 2 entries LOL)
and a First in the Needlework section (lots of entries) with Rosie's bag.

On the way home from the Village Show, I saw this down the small road I take to get home...

(...not something you see everyday. Not sure where they were going as they were walking in the direction of the bunkhouses and the roadside greasy spoon LOL)

Sunday, we had a day out at the Dog's Trust in Leeds. So many dogs and lots of fun.

And now, my computer time must be well and truly up, so until next time, keep on keeping on :-)

Double Double Delight

Here's what I would like...

I would like to finish my 'Double Delight' Quiltville.com mystery quilt this year.

I would like to piece a backing for the above quilt. (I like pieced backings and this will make it a double-sided quilt - a double double delight!!)

I would like to use the fabrics that I won in a raffle at Birgit's Quiltfest in Schönaich, Germany at least 2 year's ago.

Last year, I cut the fabrics I won and some that complimented them into 3.5" strips (don't ask me why!!) I would like to use the 3.5" strips that I cut as they are, and not cut the strips down, but I would like to use the 'Jared Takes A Wife' pattern from Quiltville.com which uses 2" strips...

I would like to show my block of the aforementioned pattern in 3.5" strips :-)

(Another double: these blocks are now double the size of Bonnie's blocks due to making them with 3.5" strips!!)

Now, I would like to make 11 more!!

ps I would also like to go to Germany to Birgit's Quiltfest this year in September!! I therefore would like to win the lottery LOL

When a man loves a woman

My dad made these metal templates for my mother when she made her hexagon quilt many many moons ago. The larger one is to measure the fabric and the smaller one is for the papers. Even though I am making my hexagons the same size, I don't use them as I download my hexagon papers from the internet and then use the photocopier (thoroughly modern of me LOL), but I do love them very much.

A day in the Lakes

We visited some friends who were holidaying in the Lake District. It's only just over an hour to get there and what a difference an hour makes!! The weather was lovely and the scenery so beautiful.
We all went for a riverside walk to feed the ducks...

I hereby promise to take anyone who visits us to the Lakes!

Pink dinosaurs

I was running low on dinosaurs and fairies so did another screenprint session with my designs.

As I was painting them I found myself getting silly and painting dinosaurs orange and blue...




And pink!!!



I love printing my designs on already printed fabric...

And I love that our kitchen is slowly coming together.

Since taking this photo more progress has been made and my dream of a usable kitchen is becoming a reality!!!

Odd peaches & gifts for Teachers

It's that time of year again. Time for a gift for the teachers...

This year I made covered notebooks with pencils.



(This one went early as one teacher won't be in tomorrow... )

On Tuesday (market day locally) my youngest and I went to buy fruit. We saw these funny very flat peaches:

The fruit seller claimed they were called: Donut Peaches. Personally I thought they looked like cakes that hadn't risen, but they tasted delicious!

Crafting

Last week I had playgroup 'duty' (i.e. it was my turn to bring the snack, make the parent's drinks, put on an activity for the children, wash the kid's snack bowls and cups, tidy away... You can imagine how much I 'like playgroup duty!!!) I drew some dinosaurs on card and got the children to stick coloured paper on them. Some children carefully stuck on scales and other children...

Well other children stuck coloured paper to their hands!


But he did have a nice time ;-)

Raining cats and dogs

I can't remember, it has been so long in the works, but I think I started this quilt (or at least the cutting thereof) for my eldest son's first or second birthday. He will be five this year and I have only this last week managed to get this quilt to 'flimsie-ish' stage.

No borders yet as I still have my youngest son's quilt to do and I need to keep an eye on my yardage...

I cut so many dog and cat squares for the first quilt (no planning as usual LOL) so I have more than enough for a second quilt, only this time I'm thinking of doing simple snowball blocks...

This week saw us at DS1's first Sport's Day.

(We were clearly Sport's Day novices as we neglected to bring folding chairs, umbrellas, picnic rugs and a taste for watery tea LOL...)

My eldest is still only in Nursery, so there weren't many races for him, but I think he had a great time in the rain and in the scattered sunshine :-)

On your marks... get set... (err... whenever you're ready)... go ;-)


First sack race...

all good fun.

Oh my hat!

I had a go at another hat.

I followed the pattern a little more closely this time, but still made a few changes (can't seem to help myself LOL).



I made it reversible again and in a softer colour scheme.

Think I'd like to make my own pattern now and a smaller style for the boys.

Watch this space ;-)

Raindrops on roses

We had a gorgeous day today (of course it's raining again now!), however I did manage to:

1) wear my new hat (while the sun was shining)

and

2) finish Rosalie's sewing caddy while the Ladies Final was on at Wimbledon...

Not sure I'll get any sewing done during the Men's tennis final tomorrow!

Lucky lucky

I have never done a stitchery before, but I was delighted to be a winner on Rosalie Quinlan's blog of this gorgeous stitchery pattern...

It arrived yesterday in the mail, and I wanted to get started immediately (great handwork while watching the tennis...)

I didn't have natural-coloured linen or red thread (as in the pattern) so I did it my way...

Thanks Rosalie, I could get addicted to this ;-)

Printing pics

There's a new computer in this house, hence being able to blog the hat. (Of course since making the sunhat, it's rained! I should have made an umbrella instead!!)

So now I can blog the screenprinting I did the other weekend...

Please note, it's a new computer, NOT a new camera hence the yukky photos, but this was some of what was printed:






Which became this:



And this:

And these prints:

Became these:

More to come, I'm sure.

Happy Dance

I am very fortunate to have met some great friends through blogging. I was completely taken by surprise when one of these friends sent me a 'Just because'.

Just because... I am African (ok, South African, but I'm still African)...

Just because... Andrea saw this pattern of African Ladies doing a happy dance...

Just because... Andrea thought of me...

Thank you Andrea. I love it, it gives me a very happy feeling when I look at it and I think it's just stunning!

ps Andrea is also known as Welsh Quilter and when the card said 'to remind you of your other home' I wondered if she meant Wales (as my Dad was born there), this was obviously before I'd opened the parcel LOL

Rudolph's hat

We had a BBQ (braai) yesterday and I managed to sunburn my nose! Unheard of, if you know me, but I have a cold so I guess I must have blown all my sunblock off! SO I decided last night to make myself a sunhat from one of my great sewing books (I won't say which one just yet, because I will not do it justice as I adapted the pattern. Note to self: Do not adapt the pattern until you have tried the pattern as is!!!)

Anyway, it's a bit big, but I like it...

It's also reversible...

Big enough to keep the sun off my nose... (and everyone else's... )

And DH likes it... (not neccessarily on him though LOL)

So it's not all bad :-D

*Sniff*

My computer is broken! I have to borrow DH's old and very yukky one to check email.
*sniff sniff* I liked my dear old computer. I guess I shall just have to sew instead :-)

On Sunday, I was feeling full of cold so decided to stay home (while DH and the boys went to visit Grandma) and screenprinted some fabric using the silkscreens my brother made up for me while I was in Cape Town. I really enjoyed the instant gratification you get from making a print. Then I painted the printed fabric and when I figure out how to load photos onto this horrible pc I'll show my efforts.

In the meantime, I found a photo from simply ages ago on this computer, of when DH and I used to first come here:



Gordale Scar if memory serves (taken on a gimmicky mini-mini digital camera)... And today is another beautiful sunny day in Yorkshire so I'm off to lie on the sofa and watch Wimbledon LOL.

The week that whizzed

(Blocks in this quilt are from various Blockbuddy swaps as well as many kindly donated by Kate)

Where did this week go? I know I managed to finish my two Linus quilts, but I can't remember when...



I know the boys got taken on a tractor ride on Tuesday which they loved.



I know on Wednesday I went on a farm trip with the boys and DS2's playgroup.



I know it was wet.



I know it was cute.






I know it's almost the weekend. and I know I am ready.
Have a good weekend everyone!!