Been further North

Just come back from a weekend away near Bishop Auckland, to celebrate his birthday, my birthday and our anniversary - they are very close together and it saves buying each other presents. Disappointingly the weather was really awful returning home today, hoped to have taken a gentle jaunt home stopping at a few places on the way, but it was chucking it with rain. By the time we returned home it stopped raining - argghhh!

No piccies taken this weekend, but will post some of a couple of weeks ago when we crossed the border to go Manchester later.

Had a thought though. I love making postcards and haven't made any lately and wonder if anyone would want to swap with a postcard with me in January as a bit of New Year cheer. I don't want to be inundated as I'll swap with up to 10 people. If you've never made a postcard then I can give you instructions. Leave a comment on this post by 10 December and I'll get in contact by e-mail.

Knitting & Stitching Show Harrogate

On Sunday I went with the Barnsley Embroiderers to the Knitting and Stitching show in Harrogate. A good place to shop and lots of things to see, but not a lot of photos as the artists there do not want photos taken, but in one of the halls there was this delightful knitted boat with knitted sea life around it. The boat was made as a project between February and September this year by the Customs House Arts Centre, South Shields and is called "Casting Off...A Coat For a Boat". (I was trying to find a link for this on the Arts Centre website, but I can't find one).
Oops! I think this photo is on its side!! You can see various sea life and a life belt.

And this one above shows a couple of lovely little seal pups with a star fish and some sea weed - all knitted.
By the time I left late afternoon it was getting dark in Harrogate and the lights on the trees were switch on. This was the view just across the road from the Conference Centre where the show was held.
And from the green looking up the main street. The Turkish Baths are to the right.

I did buy a couple of books - arty ones about sketchbooks, some magazines and threads, but no fabric or yarn (not sure what's wrong with me). I have found when I bought a new (larger) storage container with drawers in it just how much fabric I have got and I think that may have been the deciding factor in not buying any more, well, for the time being.

It was an enjoyable day out and lovely to have a wander around the exhibits and not feel rushed.

Sewing Sunday

It's nice to have some time to sew and have time clear to get on with something. This week during the evenings when the television has been rubbish I've got on with November's BQL Calendar Challenge quilt and this morning I've got it finished. As you can see it's Drunkard's Path this month. I echo quilted it with some smoky coloured metallic thread and found some fuzzy yarn to edge it instead on binding. It now has pride of place on the wall in my sewing room.

The next thing to get on with is my Secret Santa offering which has to go well before the end of the month. This is just a sneaky peak and I won't show completed pics until after Christmas. One of the items that I'm making involves some sewing and flipping.And I've also make a few other things too which has used some of my Christmas fabric.

I've also been browsing some blogs this evening and when looking at Vintage Giraffe's site found a link to a blog about selvedges (or selvages in American) here . I made some selvedge postcards about a couple of years ago, but had no idea what a following there is with people using their selvedges creatively. Looks like I'll have to get my bag of edges out and see what I can make with them.

Well travelled camera

Back from a week in Dorset and back to work as normal, I have to tell you the story about my camera. I’d taken this with me to take photos of my youngest granddaughter Isobel’s christening. I’d left it behind at my son’s house while I went off to Dorset to my parents’ house. He’d phoned ahead of my arrival to say that I’d left it behind, but never mind, he would be up north the next day and would pass this onto David.

Alex took the train to Darlington and picked up a hire car, he’d got off the train, went back for the bag which contained my camera (amongst other things) but the train doors were shut and the train continued its journey ending in Glasgow. Alex eventually had to drive to Glasgow to collect the bag, which someone had handed in. Fortunately all the contents of the bag were still in it – very fortunate indeed. So after returning to his home, we then were able to meet up at my other son’s in Southampton and be reunited with my camera. It was also good to meet up with my sons and daughters-in-law and all 3 (at the moment) grandchildren again before we (David joined me at the weekend) drove back up North again.

Here is a photo of the little lady with her lovely cream dress aahhh.

And with her sister Sophie and parents.

Just in time I finished a quilt for her. I made a Paddington Bear quilt, the kit that I saw at Bramble Patch a few months before, which I hope she’ll like. Before I went away I took the photo above (being held up by David). The blocks were not printed square so took a bit of persuasion, starch and blocking to get square, but I was pleased with the outcome.

I had an enjoyable stay, the chance to have time with my parents and to see friends - working and quilting - and family. Whilst down there we celebrated my Mum's 80th birthday too. Wish I could have stayed longer.