A Slightly Longer Weekend

The end of last week even though it was the beginning of March, Winter hadn't given into Spring just yet and despite a mild season the 'Beast From the East' combined with Storm Emma lead to bitterly cold winds, snow and ice rain. on Thursday and Friday.  I left work to go home mid afternoon on Thursday and a lot of people had the same idea as the roads became heavier with traffic. My bus ride took longer than normal and I found out that the bus company suspended their services as the buses couldn't get back into town.

With the ice rain on Thursday night there was a layer of ice over the snow, so I took the decision not to go to work and use one day's holiday.  I took photos over Thursday, Friday and Saturday when the snow very quickly disappeared and by Sunday almost disappeared altogether.

What I found surprising was that the snow was light and powdery and with the winds was blown into some funny shapes instead of an even covering- see the angle in the top photo on the greenhouse.

This gave me an extra day to do some sewing.  Recently announced on UKQU Postcard group was a swap with the subject of Japan, to make postcards inspired by things Japanese.  I made a postcard with folded flowers which I found in the Kumiko Sudo book of Fabled Flowers and added some sashiko stitching.

On Saturday I made another postcard with foundation paper piecing.  Having found a pieced pattern for a pagoda in a book by Susan Briscoe of Little Quilt Blocks I drafted out a pattern as I felt that sewing onto a foundation would be easier than piecing tiny pieces .

I cut the pattern in two so the photo above is the joining back together and it went together really well

 Before trimming

And after, with a border

Both postcards together.  I will find out who my swap partners are later this month, but there are some  really good postcards.

Next I've been sewing some blocks using black/grey fabrics with mustard/orange.  Last year I made a couple of blocks for Bee Blessed but didn't get around to posting.  These are masculine colours and I thought more of these would make a good teenage boy quilt that I would donate locally. I've made 5 so far and being just squares are easy and quick to make in the odd evening or afternoon.

However I found through Instagram that Bee Blessed are asking for assorted blocks including 'orphan' ones so I am happy to oblige and will send some soon.

On the crochet front I am continuing with the Woodland Blanket designed by Attic 24 and have just finished with 2nd group of colour changes so it is coming along and growing steadily, more crochet than un-crochet so thats good and enjoying the colour variations.

So I think I've made the most of a snowy weekend.