I finished this quilt top at the weekend .

Today I have put it together with batting and backing . Perhaps you will be able to see all the safety pins.

Most of the pieces were a layer cake with a kind of Japanese design.  The rest of the fabric I had in my stash ,it blended in very well .

No pattern , I just added strips and cut the layer cake and made blocks to put around the sides .

I have backed it with red so it could possibly be used a Christmas on the reverse side.

I started  hand quilting it.this afternoon . What nicer way to spend a rainy afternoon .I shall be quilting in the ditch on all the seams , nothing else . I felt I had spent a pleasant afternoon hand sewing .

I started this quilt hoping my stash would thin down a little.

I doesn't seem to have made any difference .

I Know, I Know

We haven't had summer yet but it is not too early to be thinking of making fresh stuff for Christmas.

I shall be making a full size bed quilt as usual . If plans are made too late it turns into a chore .

Because of the rain I have been confined to the house instead of being in the garden .

This morning I was reading a back issue of a House Beautiful magazine dated Dec,. 2007.Of course it contained a lot of Christmas stuff . That is what made me think , confined to the house , root around in the fabric .  Plenty of red, peruse the patchwork books for inspiration .

Yesterday I was finishing a top. Today I shall put it together with it's wadding and backing before playing with ideas for the Christmas quilt .

A Freebie

What a wonderful gift last night .! The rain bucketed down . No plants broken, but the ground was thoroughly saturated .  Better than all the tap water .I am so grateful .The borders look really lush today.  Also bowls that I had left hanging around contained about 2" of water so that other plants from the house had a treat too.

 

See the nest below?  I don't know what happened there   A Blackbird sat on the nest for longer than usual / The nest had been built in my bean sticks .

When I realised she had not been back for a few days I took it down .  I don't know if it ever had eggs in there but there were never any young or egg shells on the shed floor . A Magpie had been spending more time than usual in the garden . I have my suspicions .

 

Yesterday I went into town , I had a lovely morning . I had my eyebrows done . Met someone I had not seen for a long time. We had a long gossip . She was on her way to a zumba exercise class .  She begged me to join her but I declined .I don't have enough hours in the day.

I called at a Poundland shop Such a treasure trove . I bought my usual  brand of spray starch there for £1 . I pay a lot more in the supermarket.  I spent £6 in there. I called at M/S . I bought a £10 meal deal in there. A beautiful plump chicken , salad , panna cotta and a bottle of Rose' wine, a bargain .

 

It' raining again now but I don't mind .

 

The only negative happening yesterday was I lost the tv signal. The tv is still off so perhaps I shall have to get someone to look at the aerial .  Means I cannot see Clelsea today..

I will show my temptations from the quilt show at Malvern

I bought bag patterns as usual . Two of them are kits . Expensive but they always contain fabric that suit the pattern so well .

 

I bought just 2 fat quarters of striped fabric and a pack of Donegal Tweed to add to my felt stash .I would have loved to have bought more of the tweed as yardage , but .

I bought this 24" wedge ruler .

Earlier in the year I bought another Material Obsession book .  The patterns are big ., no tiddly small bits so a big ruler is needed .

Today it is raining so it gives me a good excuse to not do my garden although there are still 2 areas that need attention

 

Hey Ho lets sew .

Thankyou

Thank you for the kind comments on my last blog .

Yes I can magnify the writing but I cannot identify the keys on the keyboard .

I am losing central vision due to macular degeneration . I have been told my spectacles cannot  be changed , it would not make any difference .

I use to whizz away on my sewing  machine now I am much more cautious ..My sewing machine is raised higher , .

When I write I cannot see my writing .The good thing is I was told I will not go blind . So I'm grateful .  Everything is just foggy .

More toothpaste goes into the wash basin than goes on to the brush .  Stupid things really.

I have to be told what is on the menu when eating out .

I get confused by colour , pink and yellow look the same also blue and green . I'm not complaining just explaining.

 

Bye for now I'm going blog browsing .

Let Me Explain

I have not been writing my blog lately . Reason being I cannot see to write properly .

Last week I had my laptop cleaned ,at the same time I bought a cable enabling me to plug the laptop into the tv. It enlarges the picture but I still cannot read the writing .

Enough said there

My eye sight has worsened rapidly of late .

Perhaps you recall me writing my neighbour gave me a large ball of yarn , this is the waistcoat I knitted using the yarn I am so pleased I bought a ball of yarn in a different shade to knit a longer waistcoat .

I have been emptying the containers of winter pansies , I could not bear to throw these in the bin so I will enjoy them a little longer

I read blogs with the aid of a hand held magnifier . I shall leave comments here and there and a blog when I am able .

Today Bluebell and myself went to the quilt show at Malvern . The weather was sunny and lovely . We had a great time as usual .Sadly we both forgot to take our camera .

I bought a large floor standing lamp that has a light and a strong magnifying lens . I have yet to assemble it . Hopefully it will be a big help .

I also bought lovely woollen scotch tweed fabric and of course bag patterns also a long wedge ruler

 

I'm off now for a welcome coffee and a sit down to browse my purchases .