It's that time of the year again

When the garden centres and plant nurserys are tempting us . I see the Chelsea show on t,v and sit as if in a daydream .  Then Bluebell leads me by the nose and I meakly follow or she says "I 'm going to Seine Lane" it's our cheapest garden centre for miles around , then I say I'm coming too .

Last year I said " thats it , no more plants but hey ho , we must have been half a dozen times already this last month . It has taken quite a while to fill my garden after having a new fence , A border had to be cleared , I think it is completed again .

I think this week  I have bought .24 red geraniums , perennial wallflower . a lilac bush ,pansies and violas, another hydrangea .4 tubs of mixed plants.I also bought a buddlia. Last year I disposed of one that every year grew like an oak tree , I think it must have been a wild self sown originaly. I'm hoping I can keep this one in check , It;s pink . I bought 2 more Lupins and 2 more Delphiniums and a tray of nicotiana .  To finish off the garden fund I bought a beautiful container .I really do quake in my shoes when I think how much my garden costs but it is an oasis to dream in .

The pump in my fish pond has given up. I did cost quite a bit when I bought it . Several people have said I didn't need the kind I had so this time I'm hoping for better advice . I do have concern in case my fish die because the water isn't being filtered. I hope to get it sorted soon .  Any suggestions welcome.

A GREAT BIG THANKYOU

To Bluebell , she spent her morning helping me get a bit of summertime into my garden today .  It was covered with forget me nots that had self seeded .  Some trees and roses that had suckers growing .

Thankyou again Jill .  She insisted she wanted her best side to the camera . Ah well ,!!  if you say so .

Just a thought

I thought perhaps you might like to see the shawl I have made for Evie's christening .
It took me a week of every spare minute during the day and every evening . I ended up with a very stiff muscle in my arm but a minor detail soon sorted .

It took just a little more than 400 grms of baby 4 ply . No pattern just keep going round . I shall wash it and block it .

TELL ME HOW]

On some blogs when I have tried touse their email a sign has come up on my screen saying
Could not perform the operation because the default mail client is not properly installed
Can anyone tell me how to correct this .

Message for CAZ**************

Yes , It is Farne Designs where I bought silk ribbon .
I made an error when I said on my yesterday blog the bags of pieces for making a 12" block were 2.50 ,    It should have read £12.50 .  Still a good buy .
Please Caz I cannot email you, it says default . Does that mean on my L/top or your system ?

OH! HAPPY DAY

Today we have been to the quilt show at Malvern .The weather was just right . .

I really bought well , only one fat quarter , the elephants on it are good for the sort of stuff I like doing .  I bought hand dyed silk ribbon . So cheap .4 mtrs ,. £2.50 . I had 4 different colours , " 2 packs @£2.50 each that contained 9 pieces of mixed fabric including silk , silk ribbon ,various fancy yarns and threads, a pkt beads , a pkt buttons , lace and braid , a sq,,of calico marked with a design . 3 sheets of paper prnted both sides with instructions for people who are beginners at crazy patchwork . This package has to be a star buy .

I also bought a pattern to make a mummy cat and 2 kittens .

We saw a beautiful quilt , we enquired did the stall holder have the pattern , No she didn't but very kindly told us which book it was in so off we went to Kaliedascope books . Now this stall has hundreds of books but the girl working there found the book immediately and we could only give her the sketchiest of description .She knew the stock so well .

I bought extra bobbins for the Bernina machine I bought recently . A pack of pretty buttons £1 . there must be 100 in the pack. A knitting pattern for a very nice cowl type scarf .and a pack of animal motifs to use on pockets when making clothes for the grandchildren .

I feel I spent well ..I shall enoy doing the crazy patchwork and will show the results when done . I'm busy crocheting a shawl for a christening but hope to finish it by Sunday . I have worked hard on this shawl and have a painful arm but it will be o/k again when I go onto something else ,I think it is an overworked muscle .

Off now for a reviving cuppa and perhaps a little pate on toast .

 nearly forgot Bluebell bought me 4 beautiful handpainted wooden buttons .

Don't ask me what I have just touched to get this sloping writing , I quite like it but it's sure to disappear when I log off  .

BRA SAGA

One of my lovely blogging friends Chris of Diet Coke Rocks suggested I could pretty up the bra I bought yesterday with lace .

Well the said bra,. comes up to my neck and it almost covers the enchanting spare tyre I carry around my midriff . If I put lace on I will most likely look like one of those old ladies pictured in lavender and lace adverts .They wear a lace ruffle around their neck , half lens specs,.and a condescending smile .

Did your mum ever say  "make sure you have clean knickers on in case you get run over"?  Well please don't let me get run over while wearing this  Doreen Bra .

Blubell and I recounted the Bra,. saga at the hairdressers yesterday . As soon as we mentioned  shopping for the said garment a loud collective groan went up .Every one told of their own horror story .

CLOSE ENCOUNTER

While out shopping yesterday I decided to buy Bra's .After browsing the racks , rails and shelves with half a dozen boxes in my arms I sought out an assistant who insisted I should really be fitted and measured . I hate fitting rooms and getting undressed in fitting rooms but I complied with the girl , I went into the fitting room , bared my body to a girl who was just about out of school .I must admit she was very kind and helpful . She decided that one bra,.that was more like a straight jacket was perfect .  Well !! it might have been perfect in her eyes but to me it was hidious . Yes, it was comfortable but ugly .

I decided that having got the thing on it could stay on , I'll take it I said . Please put the bra I was wearing when I came in into the bag , I wanted to pay and get out .

I am the owner of a bra,. that will be o'k if I want to go in business as a dominatrix . I just need thigh high boots and a whip  .

Next week I shall try John Lewis

SCUSE ME WHILE I SNEEZE

Such a beautiful sunny day so I decided to go to town to buy Knitting wool and also buy a pattern for babies booties . I was able to get both . I had coffee and an iced bun in M/S . Did  a little more shopping for flowers .

I had such a lovely day but it wasn't to last . When I got off the bus coming home someone had been cutting grass .  Since then I have hardly stopped sneezing and blowing . I don't usually have hay fever but I have a strong attack of it now.I have tried to cure it with a dish of strawberries and creme fraiche but it hasn't worked . I am now waiting for George Clooney to come and dab my eyes and nose with a silk hankie . If he doesn't come soon I will have to take 2 paracetamol .

I'm off to settle down with my crochet and a cuppa tea .

P/S these are last years roses called Masquerade

Yesterday bluebell and myself took the bus into town . We were only going to browse , have a coffee and generally meander around the stores . I ended buying t,shirts and a birthday present .
At last we have a fine day ,we are told by the weather man we will be having warm weather this weekend , something good to look forward to but no gain without pain , it means gardening.

TAKE A LOOK

Take a look at the blog of Jenny of Elefantz . She is showing  a quick and pretty idea using a toilet roll cardboard a fat qu,. of fabric and a length of ribbon .

This morning I threw away a t/r card now I have to wait for another one .

This nifty idea can be made and kept ready for when needed

I had a knee lift fitted to the Bernina machine I recently bought .So useful to be hands free when placing fabric under the foot . The machine was bought back to me this afternoon so I have another work horse back in my stable .

May day May day

Is May day the s,o,s call for trouble at sea . I'm just practising , if it rains for much longer I might have to put out a s,o,s .

I'm showing you a pic,. of a tulip in my garden , I'm wonderng is it hoping to come back as an Iris next time .

I had a lovely day yesterday . A friend who lived in Cyprus the same time as myself came to spend the day with me . She came armed with a big bag of M/S goodies . Food goodies, so my fridge and freezer are well stocked .  Bluebell had bought round to me the previous day one of her super moist Victoria sandwich cakes with raspberry jam and buttercream filling . I do have such wonderful friends .  Who cares about the rain .

I'm doing crochet round the edges of the baby blankets . They do look pretty .  I'd like to sew but my workspaces have been clear for a couple of weeks and because everywhere looks so tidy I'm loathe to get clutter out again . I have been hand sewing but not machining . Ah! well , the bug will bite again soon I'm sure .

Shoes to dance in

Shoes to dance in?  I don't think so , but crtainly the most comfortable shoes to walk in .

This morning Bluebell and myself decided we just couldn't sit watching the rain any longer so decided we would do a little light shopping .We called in M/S for lunch , a jacket potato with cheese and salad and coffee . All tanked up with energy we browsed the rails , tried on some per una sale stuff . Absolutely nothing fit right , where do they get this stuff from . The skirts I tried on ! lovely fabric but size 16 had size 12 waistbands . bluebell fared no better . We moved on the regular merchadise .I bought a polka dot T/shirt and 2 pair of shoes .

We also called in Smiths books and made a purchase in there

Just in case the weather doesn't improve I have plenty to read . I shall now browse the blogs .

THE NEW WORKHORSE

A few weeks ago a sewing machine was in the ad,. window of my local post office . I didn't really need another sewing machine but thought I'd enquire about itanyway . The machine advertised wasn't any use to me . It was a grand quilter useful for quilting big quilts but the lady said `I have a Bernina for sale too` .  My ears pricked up .It is a 240 patchwork addition .  I didn't need that either but  went to have a look .  Tried it out , bought it .

The seller said `I have a Janome Mylock overlocker for sale as well . O.K I'll have a look at that . Bought that too .  I'm sure these machines had been bought on a whim.  I can say I bought as new .

This afternoon I decided to use some fleece fabric from my stash to make blankets for the twins that are booked to arrive in my family in the Autumn . A speedy overlock around the edges . I shall be stting doing blanket stitch on the edges too .

I had change from £500. I am well satisfied.