quilts again

Last week AnneOlly expressed an interest in quilting. While passing on some popular web-sites and other useful info I was faced with just how long it's been since I made a quilt - or any other sewn item for that matter!

Add to that, the guilt of walking past stacks of half-cut fabric, languishing on my craft table since January and the time was perfect for my next foray into the wonderful world of quilting.

Here it is. The top of a 36" square quilt. I wasn't crazy about it as I was piecing but once done it took my breath away. I'm considering how I'll bind it, I'd love to experiment with a new style of binding.

Pity I didn't take the time to plan this quilt properly. I have a lot of fabric strips leftover and now have to see about turning those scraps into another quilt.

In other news, I fear my computer might be on the blink. I'm fervently hoping not because I haven't the means to repair nor replace it at present.

things I do while knitting

A number of weeks ago I rode a train from London to the coast. Sometimes one gets a two to one's self thereby allowing for; sloppy sitting, space for your bags, not being squashed e.t.c. But not this time. It was a busy train and an elderly gentleman, businessman most probably, sat next to me. He had a serious air about him with his bowler hat, brolly and newspaper.

As the train pulled out of Waterloo Station, my seat-mate was putting his hat, coat and brolly away, (on the luggage rack above us) before settling down to his broadsheet. I also put my bags away (under my seat) and settled into my knitting. I was knitting decreases in the sleeve of my cardigan and so was counting audibly - but barely above a whisper - when I noticed him peering at me over his newspaper. I wondered, "Could this be yet another fellow traveller interested in my knitting?" {knitting is such a conversation starter. you see people glance surreptitiously once. Then again. Before you know it you're being told all about a favourite grandma/ aunt/ girlfriend...that knit and the lovely hat/ blanket/ scarf that they still own from that favourite grandma/ aunt/ girlfriend...}I turned to him just as he turned to his newspaper.

Had I imagined that he was looking at me? Oh, well. Now where was I? yes, back to my sleeves. Again, that glance and again (but before I could catch his eye) he had turned to his paper. Am I imagining things? Why does he keep looking at me - that way? (I could feel his displeasure and I bet he could feel mine!). His not-so-surreptitious glances were causing me to lose my place.

Eventually I turned to sit with my back against the window and so caught him the next time he looked my way.

"Can I help you?" I asked.

"No, not at all.", he answered.

"Well it's just that I was under the impression you've been wanting to say something to me." I said.

 To which he flatly replied, "I was trying to determine whether you are insane or not. You've been mumbling intermittently but stop when I turn to say something about it."

I paused. me? insane? whatever could he mean? what intermittent mumbling?

and then I got it.

"Oh, I apologise. I was counting my stitches so as so keep track of my knitting."

I'm not sure he was totally convinced but as he didn't change seats he must've felt relatively safe with his travelling companion.

finishing things

Yesterday, S and I visited the Pannier market I read of on ukhandmade. I had high expectations but was disappointed in the quantity of stalls (not many) and the quality of goods for sale (a number of stalls had the feel of a jumble sale).

Yet what I walked away with was a bar of locally milled oatmeal soap and the impression that once the word got out this would be an amazing way to spend a Saturday.

We ate lunch at the Thai place we've grown very fond of, the one with the lady that never smiles back. Afterwards, I bought a few things (including a hole punch that fits in my pencil case - this should make JennyO a happy girl) before making our way back home.

At home I moved the sewing machine to the dining table and got down to it. I whipped out and worked on two things that had been buzzing about in my head (and by now you must know how I hate loose ends). The first was easy enough, just adding a bit of colour to a couple of otherwise plain cushions

I like.

At the opposite end of the pleasure scale was the second; a project I thought I'd never see the back of. Last November I began knitting this but life kept getting in the way. So I would knit a square, then the next would follow in a fortnight and so it went. The piecing was a nightmare, my squares were not the same size! So I seamed and re-seamed over and again, trying to make it work. Then it was the border, with 2 skeins of Knit Picks Shine Sport to go. Could I make it with what yarn I had? Should I play it safe and order more? Do I even need more? Should I bother with a border? And there was the backing...

Yesterday, I sewed the sucker down and that put paid to it.

Voilà

But bloody hell, it's taken ages and I'm still not overjoyed with the finished product.

Today I'm cutting fabric for a new quilt. It's been too long since I made a quilt.

growth

it's 3:36 in the morning and I am still at work - albeit in my PJs in my bed. i have exactly 12 hours and 22 minutes to make this deadline.

and i will make it.

this i know.

i haven't always been this way. time was, i would have walked away, rolled over and gone to sleep because nothing meant so much.

i feel a little ill, i've been subpar for days. yet i find the strength to push through. not once have i panicked or doubted my ability to complete this and to a decent standard too.

and this is how i've grown, just a baby step on the grand scale of things.

but it tells of how far i've come.

april blossom

who cares about showers, with such flowers in bloom?

Thursday the 15th of April twenty-10

Yesterday was one for the history books.

Firstly, the grounding of all flights in and out of the U.K. due to the eruption of the Iceland Volcano - it that must not be named. Anyone else notice there's no accompanying name to this volcano, everyone seems to refer to it as Iceland Volcano or the Volcano in Iceland (like it's the only one).

I've just had a quick look and found the following; "The ash is spewing from a volcano beneath Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull (ay-yah-FYAH'-plah-yer-kuh-duhl) glacier that began erupting Wednesday for the second time in less than a month." 

Perhaps we'll stick with Iceland Volcano after all.

Next was the first ever leaders' debate here. I didn't bother watching their well rehearsed speeches, BBC 2 was so much more interesting. Besides, I know which way my vote is going.

Last (and least) is my success at turning a heel on two circular needles! well, almost. I got much further than previous attempts. maybe next time.

In other news, last week I sent an aunt a letter attached to a parcel containing

She was deeply touched by the gesture and surprised to receive anything "especially since it isn't even my birthday!".

Bless. 

She then went on to tell me she thought it was a bomb (?!?) as she didn't recall placing any online orders.

She is a barrister. 

And lives in London. 

That's all I have to say about that.

You've gotta love random acts of kindness.

the walk

Another late one.

For some reason, S and I choose major religious holidays to go walking. This Easter we walked just under 8 miles to get home. I was 'well chuffed' with myself due to delusions of being fitter than S, whose knees were aching when we got home. This time the pace was just right for me. 

And what a beautiful day it was!

{view from Almscliffe}

with grass this green and sky this blue, all seems right with the world.

Easter

Happy Easter,

Happy Spring,

Happy, Lovely

Everything!

Southern delights

This week I finally got to visit Stourhead, one of the great estates featured in StudioCanal's version of Pride & Prejudice (the one with Keira Knightley)

Tuesday was spent in town. Lunch with the girls was followed by a quick peek at Tower Bridge

before catching the tube to the West End. (the Jubilee line makes getting across town a doddle!)

         As you can see the weather was undecided and vacillated between drizzle, rain and blue sky but that didn't bother an umbrella-less me as I trudged on to John Lewis, where I finally found fabric with which to upholster my armchair. "My armchair" is used loosely here because based on who gets more use out of it it'd have to be S's chair.

On leaving JL, I could hardly contain myself as I made my way to

I love that there's always something new and exciting going on each time I visit. This time Liberty had gone quilt crazy! There were quilts hanging all over the 3rd floor - including on bannisters surrounding the atrium. psst, there's even a quilting workshop in store this Saturday.

It's always so difficult to "be good" when there yet somehow I managed it this time walking out with  just

my favourite Liberty Tana Lawn and some buttons. The buttons are for my B-Side Cardigan - more on that later.

Finally, it was time for Fortnum and Mason; one of my happy places. 

I was naughty. 

I went over budget and convinced myself my purchases were not only practical but very necessary indeed. I was so proud of myself - buying presents for my friends' upcoming birthdays! 

But somewhere between the store and station I decided the "presents" would be better appreciated by me. 

So I'm keeping them. 

april fool's

          Here are a few funnies I found down the back of the interweb:

1. Quackmere: new yarn blended from the finest cashmere and duck down
2. The Sun (newspaper) has revealed a "revolutionary new printing technique," which has allowed the newspaper to print "the world's first flavoured page". The page uses "hyrdocolloids," which allegedly "collide with each other to spread over your tastebuds". The tabloid has invited readers to lick a blank section of the paper (page 17, if you fancy trying it out) and email in their "taste test results".
3. The Daily Telegraph newspaper has a suspicious looking story on page 3 and on its website, revealing that ferrets are to be used to deliver broadband to rural areas.(... the animals have been used by Virgin Media for more than a year to help lay cables for its broadband service, the company has disclosed. The ferrets wear jackets fitted with a microchip which is able to analyse any breaks or damage in the underground network...)
4. "Our local radio station was telling people it could take photos via sonic wireless waves - my poor little girl fell for it completely and patiently stood in front of the radio until they had set up the ‘transmitter’, with her dad telling her to stay still etc. Then we went on the website and entered her name and postcode so it could identify the correct photo - and it was a picture of a laughing donkey!"
5. Hadron Collider II planned for the circle line
6. Brian Cox to star in Coronation Street
7. Cashmere loo roll?
8. Project Apollo: AA Patrols to "Park & fly" in congested cities
9. "Our local paper warned us to look out for a species of lizard that’s making inroads into the Forest from Wales. There was a photo - it had wings - like a welsh dragon!"
10. and my favourite - the spaghetti tree

I hope today brought you lots of laughs.