Losing it

I might have felt I've been losing it lately, but today I'm talking weight instead of brain cells!  I have been dieting since February and after 10 weeks have got to my 1st stone (14lbs) and exceeded that by another 1.5lbs.  Last Tuesday I lost another 0.5lb so losing it slowly and steadily.  Having had another holiday weekend I've not been keeping track as well as I should but back to the straight and narrow tomorrow.

So here's the proof - I've been certificated....

After sorting out summer clothes to wear I'm starting to wear (UK) size 14 and here I am trying on a blouse...

That's not all I've done.  I've got my collection of postcards that I've received in swaps from 2005, when I started all this, from the 3 boxes of cards that I have. I've not counted them all yet, maybe I should. Anyway I've gathered up, taken photos which I've put on my flickr page.  From albums stored on the computer's hard drive I'm going to gather up the collections that I've made and will get them on my flickr page too.  So as it's still a bank holiday (in the UK), grab a cup of tea and go and have a look. Bear in mind this is work in progress so pop back from time to time.

 Oh yes, there is a fourth box - the one on the right - that is empty at present, but with the scottie dogs on it and being only £3.00 I could not resist.  It may not be empty for long!

This weekend we've had Alex and Mary and their girls come to stay so it been a bit busy.  We visited Monkey World near Wareham on Saturday and I'll follow up with photos soon.

Happy Easter

Not much to blog about - have been busy working so I'm grateful for the next 2 weekend being extra long ones.  I'm looking forward to a visit from my sons, daughters-in-law and the little ones today but I'm hoping for a restful one for the rest of this weekend - a bit of gardening, bit of sewing and general pottering around.

Have a happy Easter holiday everyone.

Quilters Guild Conference

This last week has been very busy, so it's only until now (when I've got a day's holiday) that I've been able to update the blog.

Last Saturday I went to Exeter for the day to the Quilters' Guild AGM and conference.  It is a weekend event but I decided that it would be too much so just the day for me.  It was a 2 hour journey from home but finding my way around a university campus took up quite a bit of the good time that I made getting there.  

I briefly met up with some people that I know, including Lis, who's blog is here. She spent the weekend there and had a trip to Cowslip workshops in Cornwall had has a lovely write up about it on her blog.  There were exhibits to see, from 2 people who won the Sue Belton prize to help with their studies; quilts by Susan Denton, Wild West (West country that is, not the "cowboy" Wild West) challenge for Region 4 quilters, Young Quilters Challenge and the QG challenge Take 4. Here are my pics from the day.

One of the Sue Belton prize winner's quilts

One of the quilts by Susan Denton

Another Sue Belton prize winner quilt

After the AGM in the morning there were 2 lectures in the afternoon both from the local region - first was from Kindred Spirits - a group of four/five art quilters who will be holding their third exhibition at RHS Rosemoor in the summer, followed by a talk from one of the founder members of the Guild, Jenny Hutchinson, about how the guild started and how quilting had evolved from its start over 30 years ago. Really informative and a good day out and the sun shone on my journeying to Exeter and back.

Above and below are a selection of the Wild West Challenge quilts

Here's my friend Penny's quilt

A collection of quilts by the Young Quilters

Above and below some of the quilted panels made by Kindred Spirits

Above is a quilt by Michael James, which belongs to Jenny Hutchinson

 

 

 

 

 I could not resist buying fabric and above is some fabric that I bought from Strawberry Fayre - I could not resist those bright bold cats.

 By the way I hadn't shown the fabric that I bought at the IQD a few weeks back

 I bought this at The Home Workshop at the conference

 Just to show that I have been doing some sewing, here are some Wiggly bags that I made.

Millenium Embroideries and the Garden

I thought I would share with you some embroidery projects that I've seen lately when out and about that were done to celebrate the Millenium, which seems a long time ago now.

Where Freddie's christening party took place two weeks ago at Boldre Village Hall, near Lymington, itself a fairly modern hall having been built in 2000, there was an embroidery of the village, though the photo shows a lot of light reflected off the glass.  I can't remember what organisation made this, though.

While at the christening, I could not resist taking a photo of the vicar's stole, which he took off after the church service.  A lot of embroidery there, with some 3-d applique figures on it.

Oh yes, I ought to include Freddie and his proud parents, Carly (hidden by the camera) and Jamie.

The next one that I've seen was in Swanage, while waiting in the Mowlem Theatre, which was sewn by the East Purbeck region of the Women's Institute. We went there with our friends to see the almost last concert by the Yetties, who will retire after next week.  These have got postcard sized embroidered pictures on a painted background.

Now for the garden.  Spring has most definitely sprung and the weeds are growing even more!  Trying to get some weeds out, cut back plants and clear dead vegetation.  I put together a little plastic greenhouse and the plant inside is a cucumber, there will be tomatoes and peppers to come, but its a start. Meanwhile David has been putting top soil in our veggie patch and sewing some seeds and planting the rhubarb crown. 

 

Looks like we're getting there

What a transformation

In making our house our own again after 2 and a bit years of renting out, David and I (mainly David, though) decorated our bedroom with the last piece of the "jigsaw" put in place today.  The wardrobe we took apart before we moved into the house was put back together again after being in pieces and those pieces being shunted from room to room during the moving in process.  The drawers in the wardrobe had been damaged because the metal runners had broken, but with the magic of Ebay I was able to source new runners which fitted them perfectly.

So here's what our room looks like now:

Meanwhile this afternoon I attacked the front garden (no pics to show this time) digging out the weeds that have grown between the wall and the pavement beside our house and pulling back the "snow in summer" that had grown about 6" or so onto the pavement from the garden and cutting back a stray buddleia that decided to grow in the front.  The jury is out on whether we keep that or not.  Having found a vacant piece of soil under the bay window I think I will build that soil up with some compost before planting something colourful there.

Going back I bit, it was a nice surprise to receive a card from Lis, week before last, when I commented on her blog about her lovely spring like postcards.  It was gorgeous and thanks once again for sending it to me.

I'd hoped to put photos of what I made at the IQD last week, but can't find the little bag and the part made scissor case (I was too busy chatting) but when I do I'll put those on.  One thing I have made a start on was another set of Kath's Kubes that I bought in York.  The fabric pieces are now pinned on.  It may take some time to get done as I'll take this project with me for hand sewing when I go Bourne Quilters. Looks a jumble, but I can assure you everything is pinned in place!

All this activity and still have time to work too!

IQD

Just a short post to link to Pauline's Patchwork website with pics of the International Quilting Day last Saturday at Sturminster Marshall.  I'm in one of the pics, seventh one down near the front dressed in blue, next to the lady in pink - that's Val.  It was a lovely day with lots of sewing and lots of chatting.  It was all very well organised too.  They were raising money for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance.  I'll post next time with some things that we made there.

Another link, this time to Janet from "A Quilters Journal" blog about the Quilting Day she ran to raise money for Barnsley Hospice.

Enjoy!

Working again

After 8 weeks of not working I have got a temporary job until July working in Dorchester.  A fair commute (25 miles each way) but for a few months it will do for now.  I started last Wednesday so on the Tuesday (Shrove Tuesday) I decided to take myself out to see something I'd not seen before - a pancake race. Always seen on the telly on the local news but never seen one "live" and there was one taking place in Wimborne.

It was a lovely sunny, if cold, day and the races started on the sheltered side of the minster so by the time I stayed for a while I was frozen! So here are some pics :-

Wimborne Minster

The Quarterjack in the tower

The Town Crier and his deputy

One of the pancake racers crossing the finish line

Wheelchair races

Last week I received my BQL Skinny Quilt from Vicky, a lovely black and bright quilt in a Baltimore style with applique and machine embroidery.  Really eye catching coloursand lovely work and it was a lovely surprise to see that come in the post.

And this weekend was taken up David decorating our bedroom.  After years of it being 2 shades of purple with a border at dado level it was high time for a change so this time a soothing cream colour and a chance to hang the wallpaper that we bought it the Laura Ashley sale back in January. We've just put this on one wall as a feature (perhaps I should have a taken a close up as the feathered swirls look like wiggly worms!)

This coming Saturday (19th) is International Quilting Day and I will be at Sturminster Marshall Village Hall, near Wimborne with the Bourne Quilters along with other quilters in the area after a two year absence.  My friends in Yorkshire will be holding their event in Barnsley, so if I don't blog before I hope that wherever you are that you will take some time on Saturday to enjoy your quilting along with others around the world.

Daffodils and Sunday Sewing

Yesterday I bought some daffodils whilst doing the weekly shop in the supermarket, for just £1 a bunch.  Believe it or not they were all in bud, but as soon as they were placed in water the daffodils decided to flower, you could almost watch them.  This morning they looked like this

 then later in the day

I just love them for the first signs of spring.

Towards the end of last year on one of our trips from Yorkshire to Dorset I bought a pack of fabric and instructions to make placemats from a fabric design called "Le Poulet" from the Bramble Patch and this week made up the placemats with plenty of strips of fabrics left over for some matching coasters and today I was trying to get the binding around them when I ran out of black thread.  I never realised that I used so much black thread!  Before I made the placemats I used one of the cockerals in the fabric to make a postcard for Carole for her birthday this coming week.

Carole\s birthday postcard

One of the Le Poulet placemats

Not being able to finish what I've been doing I had a play around with a couple of things I've wanted to try.  First of all I used some scraps to make 4 patch blocks taking 2 sets of 2 fabric squares and sewing opposite sides before cutting in half and after taking one of each of the 2 sets joining those by sewing the other 2 opposite sides and cutting those in half, et voila 4 sets of 4 patch squares! Not sure where I got this from I just have the notes scribbled down on a piece of paper!

One of the blogs that I read, though I don't participate in is the Block Lotto.  There's some lovely red and white 4 patch square that when put together and re-cut an sewn together, which you can see here
called "D4P" or Disappearing 4 Patch.  Having a play and trying out this is mine below.

Quite impressed with that!

Gardening and Bits & Bobs

It's always amazing where the time goes, March already and only 19 days before the first day of Spring.  Out and about, there seem to be daffodils everywhere and it's nice to see them.

One bit of the garden weeded and cheered up with primroses

One brave daffodil in a weedy flower bed

Buddleia after its drastic haircut!

Getting carried away with the warm weather of last week I've been out in the garden to make a start on the work that badly needs doing after 2 and a bit years of renting out.  Of course the tenants are expected to cut the grass but everything else has been left so the garden is very weedy and though some plants are doing well some have died or look very sick so it will be a long job to get it back into shape. To make a start I have bought a couple of packs of primroses and cleared one flower bed to put them in and that at least looks cheerier. Just the week before I cut back the Buddleia to half it size and David finished off the job for my by sawing off the thicker branches and I think looks a lot better for its (somewhat severe) trim.

At the beginning of this week I received my Quilters Guild magazine and just loved the colours of the front cover - the quilt is called "Pickles" by Frances Cakebread - just my colours! Gorgeous purples and greens. 

Another lovely this week was a postcard from Janet of Jan's Musing.  I liked her postcards on her blog from last year and I said I would swap with her, which I promptly forgot when the move came and went.  I think it was worth waiting for, thanks Jan.

Yesterday I caught up with washing some fabric (some of which I bought at the back end of last year) and until then hadn't realised just how much I'd bought so more to all to the stash.  The fabrics on the left are from Cherry Tree Fabrics in Boscombe and the rest are from visits to Bramble Patch which was halfway point on our trips between Dorset and Yorkshire.

And to keep me busy I'm also doing some knitting.  I bought some yarn when visiting Whitby back in January.  Found a pattern the other day and made a start.  It has grown since the photo was taken.  The yarn is called Riot, made by King Cole, and found this Sirdar pattern.  Starting on the back which is just plain knitting with shaping for the arm and shoulders it'll be something to do while watching the television.