Bit of Catching Up

You would have thought that with a week's holiday I could have caught up with things, but not a chance.  Back to work today and really busy at present.

The beginning of my holiday on the Bank Holiday weekend David and I went to Seaton in Devon, only about an hour and half's drive away, but meandered and stopped in Dorchester and West Bay (famous now as the setting for Broadchurch drama series on the television recently), then onto Axminster for tea at Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's River Cottage Canteen.

While at Seaton, we visited the Seaton Tramway and Pecorama in Beer on the Sunday then onto Killerton on Bank Holiday Monday before returning home.  I'll post more about our trip later.

The rest of the week was taken up with a little spring cleaning but by the end of the week I went to the Quilters' Guild Area Day near Wimborne, where the speakers were Penny Armitage, a member of the Guild and the Contemporary Quilters and Anja Townrow, a well known Dutch born quilter. Both speakers had interesting stories about how they went into quilting.  I wasn't able to do the workshop that Anja was teaching, but I had purchased a pattern and will make time have a go at her style of foundation piecing.  A really enjoyable day, thanks to Chantal and Jenny's organising.   I made a small quilt 12.5" square for the Coast challenge

Unlike my We Are Sailing challenge of last year I managed to get a photo done and I was quite pleased how this turns out. The next time I'll see this will be in September for the Creative Crafts show in Exeter after it goes for a tour around with other challenge pieces in Devon.

On Saturday we had friends staying with us and Sarah came from Bristol and stayed too, so a house full!  David and his friend Brian went to watch diesel engines at Swanage Railway, while enjoying the beer at a beer festival at a pub in Corfe Castle village.  Briony and I meanwhile went to Kingston Lacy in Wimborne.  The acers in the Japanese garden looking absolutely fabulous.

Yesterday David and I visited Jamie, Carly and the boys and met Jamie, Leo and Freddy at the local park for a game of crazy golf in the rain while looking after their puppy, Brian.  This was while Carly was doing a photo shoot and just as she was packing up Brian sat on the backdrop so I had to take a photo while he was still (he's very scatty so doesn't stay still for long).  Sweet, isn't he.

I found I am starting to get hooked on crochet.  I've made Granny Squares before, but could not resist this magazine and tried out the free flower kit and had a go at doing a hexagon granny until the pink yarn ran out.  Then made another