Visiting and a Visitor

Perhaps should be the other way around, but doesn't sound quite right.  Weekend before last we had a visit from my daughter Sarah, who was taking a break from her studies (she took an exam yesterday) to stay with us.  We went on a shopping trip to Leeds.  Not much shopping done, but nice to have time to browse around the shops and a lovely sunny day too.  On Sunday David, Sarah and I visited the National Coal Mining Museum near Wakefield and had the chance to have a tour in the mine itself which was really brilliant.  On the surface there was a lot more to see and think we may go there again sometime soon to see the bits we missed.  Anyway before going underground we had our photo taken just to prove we've been there, taken by museum's photographer.

As for the visiting, we went to stay at my brother-in-law's in Surrey last weekend as David, Peter, my son Alex and a few friends went to Farnham for Beerex on the Friday.  David and I also visited my sister, other brother-in-law and nephew on Saturday in Burnham, near Slough.  The skies were very quiet due to planes being grounded, really unusual.  We enjoyed a barbeque in the warm late afternoon sun, which was lovely.

Before heading back up north again on Sunday we all got together for Sunday lunch in Chandlers Ford to have a late celebration of my son Jamie's birthday (which was on the 16th).  Here's a pic of Jamie with his wife Carly, not liking having her photo taken as she's usually the other side of her camera. 

It was a lovely weekend but work beckoned (shame :o(( ) so had to go back. 

As for sewing, there hasn't been none of late, so must get back into practice.

A day of sewing

It's great to have a decent slice of time to sew and today, weatherwise was not supposed to be a nice day, but although cloudy it stayed dry (I was hoping for rain!).  I set to with a quilt for Freddie as the other 3 grandchildren have got quilts and I saw February's Popular Patchwork which had a quilt called "Woof", named after the Makower fabrics that the quilt was made of and here's a photo of the magazine article.

Having mislaid the magazine a while I then phoned the supplier who made up the kits and it was no surprise that they had sold out.  To buy the quantities of fabrics to make it cost so much more - so I bought the panel fabric from Hobbycraft when I went to the branch in Leeds and chose fabrics from mine and my Mum's fabric stashes that would go.  To my surprise I managed to get 12 blocks done and are now arranged on the bed before choosing the final arrangement. I'm quite pleased how they turned out so the magazine was the starting point for making my own version of this than following the actual kit.

I also made some postcards for a charity that is raising funds for a Teenage Cancer Unit in Norfolk.  Another BQL Postcard group member asked for some postcards a little while ago so here are some more to go, mostly made from the scrap bag pieces. (Not that it's made a dent in it!).

Yesterday being a better of these past two days, David and I ventured to a steam railway in Leeds, Middleton Railway in Hunslet.  There was a short line with a small terminus, just a platform, in Middleton Park a large wooded parkland.  So really it was a case it just went there and back again.  There was quite a good little museum with locally made engines, including one made in the year we were born, nice to know we're old enough to be museum pieces, even at our age!!

We then went on to Temple Newsam in Leeds, a large hall with vast grounds and a farm.  We visited the house but not allowed to take photos so here's a link to find out about it.  The house itself took over an hour and half to get round and that wasn't all of it and we didn't get to see the farm either, but that can wait for another time.

So that was it for our Easter weekend, back to the grind tomorrow.

This and that

Last weekend we went down to Dorset to stay with my parents while we caught up with friends and family.  It was great to go down south and after so long (since Christmas!).  David and I visited our sons and their families and went to a soft play centre near Chandlers Ford and 3 of the little ones enjoyed it and the youngest, Freddie slept through most of it!  We gave Isobel (who recently celebrated her 1st birthday her present which included a little rabbit with a quilt and pillow.

Above is a photo of the birthday girl with her Dad, Alex.

Carly gave me a photo frame with a collection of photos for Mothers Day.

Back home again things have been busy back at work and now that it's Easter Weekend I ought to get busy on some stuff, including a quilt for Freddie.  Got fabric now must start to get it sewn.  It seems that half this long weekend has been taken up with working :o((.  But never mind, the weather is set to be windy and rainy so I could get down to some sewing.

The past couple of weeks I've received postcards from the other four swappers in the quick mosaic theme.  A lovely colourful selection of postcards and here's a photo of them here.  I won't be taking part in another swap until June.

And finally, the chicken pincushion that I made a the recent Regional Day, but hadn't photographed until now.  Doesn't it look sweet?