Almost Gone

We are almost on the end of the old year . It doesn't seem so long ago that I was standing on a hill in Cyprus welcoming in the year 2000 . It seems like yesterday .

Tomorrow I hope to get rid of baggage that I have been harbouring as sentimental . Some stuff has to stay , the ties are still firmly knotted .

If it's a fine day the task will be easier , I always find more energy when the sun is shining . It gives me more incentive to declutter.

I WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY NEW YEAR XXXXXXXXX

Time to Wish

Time to wish everyone a wonderful , happy and healthy forthcoming New Year .

I love New Year , clearing away christmas regalia , the anticipation and hope that all will be well .

Today I have been catching up on housework after being away from home and spending time with my family . I had a lovely time seeing new places , visiting old haunts and generally celebrating christmas in a different way than I have before .

I'm sitting around the house today catching up on old newspapers .

BARB O sos

I cannot leave anything on your blog

This is my Swedish tree on the kitchen windowsill . Bluebell's husband Tony made this tree last year. It's cute , I love it

The dining end of my kitchen . The dresser arrived this morning . my christmas present to myself .

The christmas cake sitting in the middle is a present from Bluebell . Lovely

Another Tree

And this is the tree in my conservatory resplendant in Purple and Silver

The treein the Hall

This tree decorated all in red greets me with warmth and cheerfulness after I have been shopping in the cold,cold, cold

Santa Baby

So many Santa's , I think they are using my home as a depot

One of my trees

This is the tree in my sitting room , I tell it it's beautifuleach time I pass it

CROCHET

There are blogs showing crochet and lace . I love crochet and lace , in fact anything that relates to an era that seems to be slipping away .

I buy vintage bed linen from a lady that sells .

This is a pair of pillow cases I purchased about a month ago . The pillow cases are well used but the crochet has stood the test of time .

This is a pair of pillow cases I'm using at present . Never ever would you find these in a commercial shop .

Just look , at the depth of the crochet on the next pillow case

Here I'm showing the pair I,m using. Later I will show my own crochet . I really like doing Filet , but it is not so easy to get new patterns . Over the years I have let my patterns be borrowed , sadly never to have them returned .

There are magazines a little more available since shabby chic and vintage became popular but they are expensive . I do have knitted lace too .

When living in Cyprus I used to buy Lefkara lace . It is not lace in the meaning as we know it but really counted thread . Still very beautiful though .

A Hat Trick

Here in my part of the world 3 of anything is referred to as a hat trick .

I like to do big flower arrangements . I'm often on the look out for tall vases with a 3" neck space . Most times in the charity shops I don't find anything suitable but this week ,a hat trick , I got three .

The oriental pattern one cost £10 , More than I would usually pay for a vase but it is nice .
The blue and white vase £2 , it has 2 chips on the lip , no trouble , they won't be seen . The green one £2,95 . from the Heart foundation shop . Result ? one very satisfied woman

and there is more

So many mishaps this week , I'm almost afraid to get up in the morning .

Earlier in the week I dropped and broke a crystal candle stick . I was very fond of that ornament .

I also broke a tooth . scary but now mended .

Last night I decided my dinner would be a cheese omelette . The top fell off the pepper pot. All the pepper went into the eggs . I scooped it out , so that was a disaster rectified .

The week isn't over yet!!! ??

Brave lady

I'm giving myself this bunch of roses because I have been brave at the dentist .

I broke a tooth . I was very nervous . I knew that when I mentioned it to bluebell she would whisk me off to the dentist . She takes no prisoners .

She was right , get it sorted , now , immediately , chopchop, yes maam .

Thankyou Jill .xx

Beautiful day here in my part of England , cold but sunny . I have spent most of the morning sitting in my sunny conservatory reading quilting magazines, putting book marks in all that interests me . Who am I fooling, If I lived forever I would never get every thing made butwe can dream.

When I visited the Malvern quilt show in May I bought a frame to do long arm quilting . It's not a top of the range affair but it makes machine quilting so much more easy .

I also bought a Juki machine with a bigger space under the arm . The frame and the machine are a pleasure to use . I am now getting familiar with he speed of the machine and I have brainwashed myself in the order of use .

Before I had these two items I did a lot of hand quilting . A grandmother's garden quilt like the one I have completed this week would have taken me many weeks to complete .now , things are so different .

I do not begrudge one penny spent after all it is my hobby and we all know it is not cheap to have hobbies these days .

My set doesn't have a pantagraph but I'm getting adept at keeping the pattern regular enough to be pleasing .

Woe is me

I thought this afternoon I would send emails and do a little blog browsing .Well it's think again . The email page has altered , I have tried sending an email , it says , no such person or whatever .

I had trouble getting into my blog . I think I need a cuppa , pityI don't have any cake , I need a large slice .

Bejeweledquilts by barb: HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKGIVING~~~

We don't celebrate Thanksgiving in England but we love to read about it on the blogs .

Thank you for sharing all you do and the unstinting information you share .

A STAR *********

I have a boiler that is temperemental . First sign of cold weather it packs in . Every year . It's about 4 yrs,. old , not a great age for a boiler but then , these days , how long are things suppose to last?.

Tonight it decided winters coming . The radiators were cold . With a sigh and a heavy heart I rang the plumber and left a message on his answer machine . Half hour later he rang me back . I explained I had a red light flashing on the alarm signal . "Tell me what the thermostat looks like and the name on it ." I duly followed his instructions , "Mmmm said he, have you any AA batteries " Yes I had , he explained where I had to dismantle it to replace the batteries . Hey bingo the heating came on . This man is a star . any other plumber it would have been a call out charge , a bit of head shaking , looking puzzled and then a hefty bill . Not so with Mr Ian Marriot his white van is always in our small village looking after our needs . I didn't even know the thermostat had batteries in . Once again I'm a happy woman .

HEE, HEE !!!

I just saw this caption on PICKLEDISH . How true .

I have just found the B,O,M I want to do next . It is called Birdie Stitches and is on the blog------------- LittleMiss Shabby . If you look down the sidebar on the right you will see where you can print off 11 months blocks . Final one Dec,. 1st .

Thank you Corey Yoder .

Mellow fruitfullness

It's been a lovely weekend for me . Yesterday there was that lovely Autumn smell in the air , decaying leaves that only a week ago the leaves were still on the trees in Autumn spledour

Today, sunshine . It was warm , I decided to take advantage and do washing . Not a usual activity for Sunday , it did not dry . There were bees about , a very big one kept settling on my white duvet cover and then another bee, species unknown .

I'm now going to settle in my chair . I shall be trying to put my sewing patterns in order . I do get waylayed looking for patterns in disorganised files so often saying to myself when I find a long lost design Oh! thats where it is . Order reigns again .

Where I live the weather has been damp and cold , the sort of weather to sit and sew .

I decided to make smaller quilts , these are they . Sunbonnet Sue and Farmer Sam . Such an old pattern but still a favourite of mine and a chance to use scraps of fabric .

Bluebell and myself set off to go to the NEC today . First visit to the Crafts for Christmas .

We were so disappointed , The biggest majority of stalls were for card making . A craft neither of us do .

A few speciality food stalls.

Back home to sit in the chair and snooze.

Information needed *******

I had such lovely comments on my last blog .

Sometimes I feel I,m in a rut with my sewing , patchwork and quilting then a positive comment is made , and I feel encouraged to proceed .

The information required ? Does anyone know where I can purchase small amounts of velvet ,satin , and what I call precious fabrics .

I passed my stash to a new beginner because I felt I was using the same fabric over and over but I now need to re-stock .

If you look at these quilts you will perhaps see the kind of fabric I need . I am not asking for freebies .

This is a photo of shirts that I cut to make quilts . I usually pay approx £3 for a good shirt .

Satin and lace I have been buying from a lady called Jennifer Trollope . Her bags of fabric were called Rich Pickings and cost £4 per bag . When I went to Malvern last week Jennifer said her supply had dried up , there would be no more . Such sad news to me .

This is a picture of a previous shirt quilt that is now in my son's possesion .

If anyone has shirts they no longer need I will buy them and pay postage . I live in the UK.

If I wasn't so nosey !!

I switch my lap top on every day to see what is happening in the world .

I first check my emails . Then check on information if there is something I need to look up .

From there I look at the blogs . Usually I scroll down the blogger dashboard . It's then that I forget time . So many interesting blogs to read . Wonderful crafted items being shown with so much information on how things were made , and what materials were used .

After a time I realise I must close down and get on with my housework ,my garden or my sewing . I find I do not have time to write in my own blog or to answer snail mail letters . I have at least two friends that don't use a computer ,so I have written letters through my post box . This is lovely , much more informative and newsy but it means I have to reply using pen and paper and a trip to the post office .

When not being nosey I have been sewing .

I'm showing you a bed quilt made from men's shirts and bits of floral patchwork fabric cut into 3 1/2 " strips . I needed to practice using a quilt frame I purchased at the Malvern quilt show last May .

It isn't one of the super duper frames with a machine and set up that produces a regular pattern all over . It can have a laser attached so a regular design can be followed but I have to get used to controlling the speed of the machine . All is gradually coming o,k .

The quilt I'm showing has all kinds of swirls and wiggles as a practice piece but hey! no one is giving out awards so it doesn't matter . It has been admired and I'm happy as a novice user . It is the second quilt I have quilted on the frame . I know my next attempt will be a big improvement

This picture shows the back of the quilt with it's catalouge of squiggles and swirls

This reverse side could even pass for a quirky wholecloth

The best holiday ever

Anyone reading my blog will perhaps remember I had a holiday this year with my son David.

This is not David but a bar manager where we had our pre dinner aperitif . What a charmer, from Brazil .

If I have the chance I shall be on the high seas again . Just floating along without a care in the world away from whatever is happing in the world outside .

This was my home for 12 days . The Costa Pacifica . We did leave the ship to visit several biblical and historical countries .

Sadly we were ushered along . you need time to think and soak in the atmosphere , importance and meaning of what you are seeing . A tourist guide is very good at explaining what you see but I think you need to stand back and feel more deeply. I think the only way to appreciate historical biblical places like Jerusalem and Bethlehem and

Rome is to wander freely amongst the people who live there .

I was quite happy to make my home here for my stay

This was my first glimpse approaching the ship for my cruise of the Med,.

A very nice gentleman I met in Athens ,Bless him . may the pompoms on his shoes never go floppy

Can you see the resemblence ?

Where did that extra chin come from on my neck?

It is a beautiful day here in England . Today I have been for a walk . Also had my flu jab , done some gardening , a little machining .

If tomorrow is fine there will be more of the same .

My new fish bowl

I was asked what a fish orb is ! Years ago we would call it a fish bowl but like everything else changes happen .

The fish bowl as we had as children is not allowed anymore . You see fish at the aquatic shop and you decide I'll have some of them . The assistant says " What size and capacity is your tank" It's a fish bowl , shock and horror !! you need a bowl that filters the water and if you want those fish it will need to have a heater . There are several other criteria but I parted with my hard earned cash , chose my orb .

I had to fill with water and the ceramics ( stones to me and you ) and leave it for a week with the water . light and heater switched on to prepare and condition it for the fish . The orb can accomadate 15 fish but only 4 each week because anymore and the water will be too acidic much too quickly . So the man said .

I now have 12 fish . I could have had beautiful colours but it is diddy little silver xray tetra's that took my fancy . They are like teeny weeny sardines . Anything bigger and I would have felt uneasy being stared at . Mine are lovely , I hope they live long .

In my garden pond I have 8 goldfish . They come to the side 9 o/clock in the morning to be fed , I love to see them gobble .

I'm really a cat person but neighbours don't take kindly to cats .

For Sandie and Judith

Watch this space tomorrow , a pic,. of the biorb fish bowl.

Sunday, Sunday

I really do seem to take it literally , Sunday the day of rest but always with the nagging feeling I should be doing something .

This morning I have sat looking at my fish . I recently bought a biorb fish bowl and I,m gradually introducing 4 fish a week . When I first had it the fish did laps around the bowl in a shoal . Now I,m lucky if I see two swimming together . They seem to spend a lot of time in the stones at the bottom .

I have my sewing machine up and ready to do a little piecing . I much prefer quilting to piecing . To me thats when life comes into the quilt . I have wonderful fabric lined up and waiting but must finish a couple of other projects that are waiting .

The weather isn't very inspirational , dull and nothing at all ish . Plenty to do in the garden but I'm not looking . As soon as the frost comes and hits the plants I'll have a good clear up.

Phew!!!

I have been to see my doctor about the memory lapse of losing a day .
I'm quite normal although some might dispute that .
As soon as I explained he said " Oh , it's called Transient Global Amnesia " well! thats alright then . On with the day , now !!! what day is it .

It's on the internet, if you have a lapse yourself

FOOL THAT I AM

As you will know if you read my post yesterday , I honestly completely lost Sunday . This was no minor error , I truly thought Sunday was Monday and today Tuesday .

So much so I made a special point of looking out for my milkman this morning . I have 1 pint of milk Monday , same on Wed,. 2 on Friday . So, thinking this morning was Tuesday I told him he didn't leave me any milk on Monday . Me confused . he looking very confused . tells me today is Monday Oct,. 3rd . After much explaining on his part and embarrassment on mine he said "don't worry I'll keep my eye on you !!!

When relating the saga to bluebell she said " I thought it was a funny conversation we had on Sunday over the phone .

The outcome is , I am off to see the doctor 8.30 in the morning , am I worried ? you bet I am .

Yesterdays world

I,m living in a surreal enviroment today . My t,v has been useless since the change over . It is not an old t,v but it keeps saying Locked!!

Today I'm getting yesterdays programmes . Just been watching Songs of Praise , O,k , but on a Monday .?

Well !! soon be christmas

At least I'm able to leave comment on blogs today