I'm Behind

I'm behind at posting on my blog and I'm behind at reading other blogs so I thought I'd do something about it this evening.

Something else I've been behind at is walking, I hurt my leg a couple of weeks ago when I was out walking and on my way home my leg was hurting so much I had to ring Neil to come and fetch me. My leg was very red, swollen and extremely painful. I saw the doc and although he couldn't find a bite mark he was certain I'd been bitten and reacted to it. He prescribed some antibiotics, told me to take the rest of the week off work 

(this was on a Thursday) keep the leg up, and I could go back to work on the Monday. Anyway I didn't take time off work but I did try and keep the leg up as much as possible and rest and take the antibiotics which made me feel even worse. But by the Monday it really wasn't that much better, it wasn't quite as red or swollen but it was still very painful. So I went back to see the doctor as the antibiotics obviously weren't doing any good. It turned out that I'd got a shin splint, this is when the muscle comes away from the bone and when it was red and swollen it was actually bleeding internally.Thankfully it is much better now which is a really good thing as next Tuesday I'm doing the Race for Life. I'm slowly getting back into my walking routine but I haven't been to Zumba for over two weeks, I think I'll give that a little bit more time.

I have finished Freddie's jumper. 

I've started a sleeveless tunic for Eva in pretty delicate colours, she is our little dolly unlike Ellie.

Granny squares have been on the go again. I'm teaching them next month and two methods of  joining them.

I couldn't resist making a mariners compass block. Pam is teaching this next month and It's been something I wanted to make for a long time so I thought I'd make another sample for the class. I was going to make just the one block and turn it into a cushion cover but I like it so much that I'm going to make another two and turn them into a table runner.
  

Wednesday was the last meeting of Spectrum before the summer break. I have to say it was a lovely meeting and Gina made the most gorgeous chocolate cake, thank you Gina. We had to take our finished round robin pieces with us. I was the last person to work on this piece but there really wasn't anything left to do except mount it. I had two attempts at mounting it, the first time I stitched it all the way around after carefully measuring and levelling it up. Guess what, it had moved whilst I was stitching so it had to be unpicked and done again. It is now just stitched at the four corners..

Gina has given us some homework for the summer, we are going to do another round robin as we all enjoyed the first one so much. The theme is festivals/ summer, so something else to start at least I don't have to worry about finishing it.

The weather looks promising for the weekend so I hope you all get a chance to enjoy it whatever you may be doing.

Finished and Started

Ellie's cardigan is finished. It's very girly - not at all like her, Neil said I should have made her a combat jacket.

I've started a jumper for Freddie, this is the back and it is now finished and I've started the front.

I had an afternoon in my sewing room yesterday and made these hanging hearts. I gave one to a friend today as part of a birthday present.

I'm getting on okay with stitching this fabric. I've been trying out different ways of embroidering the cow parsley; there's one I really like and some I don't but that's what it's all about and why it's necessary to make samples before doing the real thing.

We have had a lot of requests at work for a class on how to make granny squares so I'm going to be teaching this. I wanted to make another blanket and this will give me the perfect excuse to start one.

While I was washing up yesterday I looked out of the window and saw this little fella. They visit us every year but this was their first appearance in our road, I have seen them out and about elsewhere. I've also seen and heard the spotted woodpecker a lot this year, including this morning.

Getting On

Yesterday was the worst day ever - everything I did or touched went wrong from the minute I got up to the minute I went to bed.

I've finished the scarf I was knitting so I started a cardigan for Ellie. I sat down to do a few rows yesterday evening, I'd done four and then realised that one of them was wrong and had to undo three. I wasn't happy.

I've added the centres to these flowers and even making something as simple as a suffolk puff went wrong yesterday. But at least it's done ready for the next Spectrum meeting and I will have managed to stay out of trouble again.

Yesterday I managed to do some work on my Markel samples. I photocopied the page so I can work on it as much as I like without ruining my original. A couple of months ago at Spectrum Gina did a mini workshop on collages which I didn't wholly embrace at the time but thought this would be the ideal opportunity to give it a go. I'm not entirely happy with the work so far but I have more copies and I plan to go out with my camera tomorrow morning looking for more inspiration.

This Australian magazine (along with others) arrived at work yesterday and I just had to have a copy. I'm so glad I did because when I had a proper look through it there is a great article on screen printing and the lady had used poppies as an image.

Something else that caught my eye was this picture of an art quilt, it fits in perfectly with our theme of black and white for Spectrum.

I have been baking, these coconut tartlets were lovely however the brownies I made yesterday morning, well all I can say is that if you threw them at someone they would have had a black eye. Hopefully today will be much better.

Oooops!

I hadn't realised it had been more than two weeks since I last posted, I've obviously been very busy and time has flown by.

We had a real family easter this year with all the children, grandchildren and parents. Last Saturday was Neil's birthday so the children and grandchildren came over and we had a takeaway (see blog title) with homemade cake to follow. I made Millionaire's Shortbread and grown up Rice Krispie Squares.

Nicki and Ellie also made Rice Krispie squares.

Trying to get a photo of all three little people was a nightmare. Eva looks worried, Ellie has obviously had enough and Freddie is just a happy little chap.

There has been some making going on, I spent far too long on these crocheted cupcakes. I won't be making them again as cute as they are, they are too fiddly. I have also finished the border on my crochet blanket made a bag for Steph and layered and wadded a quilt, so I have been busy.

I'm keeping up with my walking. This was the view at Ferry Meadows first thing this morning.

The sunrise was beautiful.

The swans were graceful, unfortunately I was too slow to get a picture of the heron.

Last but not least I made raspberry and white chocolate muffins for afternoon tea today.

 I'm hoping to have some time to catch up on some blog reading this weekend. Enjoy your weekend.

Time Out

I've had a blogging break for personal reasons and considered giving up my blog but have decided to carry on so here I am again.

I haven't been idle during my break, there has been some experimenting in the kitchen. My first ever gluten-free cake, a ginger cake. The kitchen smelt lovely whilst it was cooking so I was hopeful and I could see through the oven door that it had risen. It came out looking perfect, tasted lovely and was liked by everyone who had a piece.

On Thursday afternoon I looked after Ellie for a little while so I took her into the office to see Grandad. I think she was trying for employee of the month.

Her drawing skills were good. 

However her skills at eating do-nuts were excellent.

See no problem.

Freddie with mummy.

Yesterday after my early evening walk I made mushroom soup. It's one of my favourites and of course it was gluten free. The only disappointment was the gluten free bread roll, I'm glad I don't eat a lot of bread.

Wednesday was the monthly meeting of Spectrum and just for once I had been a good girl and done my homework. I'm glad Gina made me stick with my original design as I'm much happier with it now. If you remember my theme is Circles, which I have taken literally in this instance. The colours are representative of the hydrangeas in my garden. Or should I say that used to be in my garden I think I might have killed them off, time will tell.

This is just a working sample I've abandoned my sketchbook temporarily but I will have to go back to it. I painted some pages from my sketchbook (knew it would come in useful sometime)  cut out lots of circles using a punch and stitched them together using invisible thread. I was really pleased that the invisible thread worked in the bobbin it needed a little coaxing but I got there.

Then I strung them onto these frames with some help from Neil. It took almost two hours just to do the small one. I intend for the finished project to be hung in circles. So now I have lots more sampling to do starting with fabric for the circles, although I might not use fabric I spied a bag of Quality Street wrappers this morning and thought they might work.

Oh and yesterday evening I made a Mars Bar and Rice Krispie cake for the stitching ladies at the shop today.

Be Happy

Freddie + mummy = happy

Ellie + chocolate = happy 

                                     
                                              One table runner - if I could just get it quilted it would make me happy.

Freddie was quite happy playing under his activity gym and then Ellie joined him. He has every reason to look scared.

Nicki popped by the shop yesterday and Ellie put herself in charge of deliveries.

She's very good at opening things but hasn't quite got the hang of what to do with the contents, what she has  got is a good arm for throwing.

Water Water Everywhere

This was Whittlesey Wash on Boxing Day, the road  has been closed since before Xmas and is clearly not opening any time soon especially since we have had more rain and there is more forecast.

 

You can just make out the white lines under the water.

 

 

 

This view is looking back towards Whittlesey.

 

I hope you all had a great Xmas and managed to spend time with your nearest and dearest. We had a wonderful day and the lunch was cooked to perfection. Although I did forget to cook the red cabbage and make the bread sauce, but hey you can't have everything and how close to perfection can one person be?

 

Ellie enjoyed her lunch, she managed to eat five roast parsnips along with everything else. 

 

She also enjoyed opening her presents and everyone else's. I was incredibly lucky on the present front this year. The most fabulous present was from Neil, a jacket that heats up. It really is something special it's a gorgeous pink colour- unusual for me to like a jacket that colour but it is lovely and oh so warm. 

 

This was Eva after an afternoon and evening with Ellie, I know how she feels! I'm convinced that Eva is going to be the dainty feminine granddaughter where as Ellie will be a one woman demolition team. She is incredibly stubborn, she must get that from her mother's side!

Fingers Crossed

 

My fingers are crossed in the hope that this post actually works. It's the fourth attempt and I am now so fed up with blogger that I'm thinking of giving up and starting a facebook page. Just to annoy me even more while I typed those few sentences a picture has dissappeared. Does it only happen to me?

 

I have finally had to admit this week that christmas is definitely on it's way, in fact it's just around the corner. On Monday I went into town to do the dreaded  christmas shopping, oh it was horrible! I was there waiting for the shops to open and I was home by 12.00pm and I'm not going back. I'm so pleased Neil has booked an Ocado delivery for next week.

 

The picture above is one side of Freddie's stocking, the picture that has vanished was the other side. Below is the stocking I made for Eva.

 

As part of my christmas preperations I've started yet another project, it is an Xmas tree hanging and I'm hoping to have it finished in time for this year.

Here's Ellie having her first sewing lesson. Doesn't she look thoughtful, she sat there for quite a while just watching.

 

I have also started playing around with hexagons. I'm not a huge fan of hand sewing but there are times when it's not possible to be sat at the machine so I thought I'd start working with hexagons and it would be a long term project so no pressure to get it finished. 

 

I have got so many things I want to do during the christmas break but knowing my luck I will be finishing christmas presents. One thing I really must do is work on my Spectrum project.

 

You never know, next time I blog there might have even been some christmas baking. I love homemade mince pies - shop bought ones just don't do it for me.