Catch Up Blog Post

I've got 2 weeks of catching up on the blog and it wasn't until I uploaded my photos onto the Mac that I realised I ought to update this.

A couple of weeks ago David and I took ourselves to Lulworth Cove in the Purbecks.  Would you believe that all the years we've lived in Dorset we'd never been there?  So here are some pics, the day was a mixed bag- some cloud, some sunshine - but a relaxing day.

 These rock formations are the Stairwell Caves, where the see has worn away the rock and left this standing out at sea

 This is the Cove and we sat on the hill to have our lunch

We did try to get to Durdle Door which is a very steep climb, which beat David so we gave up on that one.  The area is so lovely I think we'll be back in there again perhaps on the Durdle Door side.

Last Saturday my friend Penny and I went to the Joseph Weld Hospice day centre in Dorchester for a small quilt exhibition, which was organised by one of the staff who works there.  She belongs to a small group of quilters in Eype, just the other side of Bridport, who made some lovely quilts.  I only took a few pics (only two, that is so unlike me!) but Penny took loads.  I did like the look of the crazy star quilts and was working out how they were made.  A few days later in the post Penny sent me some instructions, looks like I may have to have a go at them.

But I did buy some fabrics, a couple of batik quarters that took my fancy

Afterwards there was a short visit to Pauline's Patchworks at Poundbury where I bought a couple of scrapbags and a small piece of Osnaburg fabric.  I've got plenty of scraps of my own, but other peoples scraps are different, besides it would be rude not too!

 Last Sunday the family were over for barbeque and it was lovely to be outside in the sun.  The grandchildren enjoying a paddling pool, while the grown ups were playing a train trivia game.  I think a good day was had by all, albeit a bit hectic at times.


Last week I've been working on the Jelly Roll quilt which I will be able to show soon, not just yet.  Suffice to say that it is basically quilted and the binding is put on.  Just a few finishing touches and a label, so almost there.

Another thing I've been working on has been a postcard swap on the theme of "Found Object" and trying to do something a little quirky. Here's the first postcard (which I may keep as a sample)

My found objects are a pack of metal washers that were lurking in my sewing box, which are the round items on the flower petals.  I covered with perle thread using buttonhole stitch, sewed the flowers (fabric ones that are used for papercrafts) and added a small sequin in the middle.  The stem and petals were made of a piece of wire.  The card (and the vase) is pelmet vilene of which I have plenty of scraps with years of postcard making.  The vilene takes transfer paint very well, so I had a lot of fun ironing on bits of paper with transfer paint on which some interesting effects. Even the lace on the "vase" had transfer paint on.

Here are some cards I've received this week from the swap

from Jacquie, Heather and Alice.  Jacquie's was was various finds trapped under a clear plastic top.  Heather's was made from scraps left over from a workshop and Alice's had buttons that were found on a church clean up.  One can imagine the congregation of her church clasping clothes that won't do up because they don't have buttons!

Tomorrow will see us with the grandsons (and their parents of course) for a Day Out With Thomas the Tank Engine at the Watercress Line.  Really looking forward to that.  Have a lovely weekend.