Sunshine, a little gentle machine quilting (I opted for very simple quilting in the ditch to start with – and once that’s done I’ll take it from there) and messing about in a boat. Oh and no housework!!

The perfect Saturday!

Helen

Not really, you understand. Although it sounds like a lovely idea!

Unfortunately my postman stalking hasn’t resulted in any nice deliveries, so the Zigzags are on the back burner for now until I can get my hands on some more Kona Snow.

So today, with some trepidation, I got out the Northcote quilt top (aka the New England Beach House)  that I finished yonks ago and that has been looking at me ever since, quietly begging to be basted and quilted. I loathe basting. I loathe basting really big things even more, but this morning after my run I knuckled down and just got down to it. Apologies for the quality of the photo – the lighting is always a bit iffy in the attic and after a big storm last night it’s been a bit cool and overcast this morning.

It’s almost done. Phew.

Now I just need to decide how to quilt it. My first reaction was to do it by hand. I haven’t done any hand quilting for ages, but I used to do loads. It would be nice in a way to spend the summer handquilting this. It sort of goes with the old fashioned feel of it. But then again, if I machine quilt it will get done and by the end of next week I could have the quilt on the bed, transforming the attic into a New England beach house. I kind of like that idea…but then how should I quilt it – my usual swirls or stipples aren’t going to pass muster here.

What would you do?

Helen

You aren’t going to believe this, you really aren’t.

I HAVE RUN OUT OF FABRIC!

I can hardly believe it myself…particularly after my confession earlier this week…

But I definitely have no more Kona Snow…

Which is a bit sad really.

To top it off, I ordered some more about three weeks ago and it seems not unlikely that it has got lost in the post.

Oh well….I’ll finish up as far as I can and then it will all have to go back into the waiting to be done pile.

Who would have thought it?

I guess this is someone upstairs’ way of telling me that I should really clean my house!

Helen

It looks like summer is finally here….we’re into the cycle of hot, sunny and often humid days interspersed with thunderstorms (it’s lashing it down as I write). I love the fact that we get storms. They clean the air and cool things down a bit – my Northern English body doesn’t deal with heat for prolonged periods very well. A bit of a downpour every couple of days is great.

I’ve noticed that I’m waking before the alarm every morning – I don’t seem to need as much sleep at the moment and I’m raring to get outside as soon as the sun is up. Does an increase in Vitamin D do that? I don’t know, but I certainly notice that my spirits are lifted when the sun shines. Up and out at 6am – that would never happen in the winter!

First stop of the day is always a cup of tea on the patio in my nightie. With Bumble Bee in attendance – two ladies of a certain age together. Enjoying the cool air and the dew on the grass.

This year I decided to try and make life a bit easier – so I’ve drastically cut down all the little itsy bits pots of things cluttering outside. No tomatoes this year. The measly number I’ve produced in the past couple of years certainly haven’t merited all the watering. Instead I’ve plumped for lavender, which doesn’t need much taking care of, a pot of herbs by the door and of course my usual pair of hanging baskets. The baskets are aways a bit of a faff to keep from drying out – but they’re pretty and girly and I like them, and with less other stuff to water I should be able to manage them. This year I’m really going to try to remember to feed them too.

I was working all day yesterday and most of this morning – so still no finish on the zigzag quilt – but it’s getting there…very slowly…but getting there….

I did manage to finish these though…

Aprons for a ballet performance. A ridiculously over the top ballet performance to boot. With costumes made to measure for each child …. for all of two performances….(she says, banging her head against a nearby wall!) The costumes would do nicely in the Royal Opera House and by the time we get to the performance in September my daughter (aged 17) will have practiced for about 10 hours a week for A YEAR! Yes, you read that correctly….for a whole year….for a measly TWO SHOWS. It is bonkers, totally bonkers… In the past I’ve sewed costumes for months for the ballet teacher, but I’ve really learned my lesson…..I told her I could help a bit, but I haven’t rushed to get it done….and I did refuse unequivocally to sew on any sequins. Been there, done that, definitely got the T-shirt. My daughter is perfecting her fending off the ballet teacher skills. I think they could come in handy in later life.

Anyway, on that happy note I’d better get on.

I hope summer has come to your house too.

Helen

This morning I had settled down to make some more triangles while listening to the end of the Today programme on Radio 4. Picture the scene…quietly minding my own business, nice cup of coffee at my elbow…you get the picture.

When I turned round to take something out of my fabric cupboard I was deluged….or well, avalanched really. I guess all that stuffing stuff into nooks and crannies finally reached the point of no return and out it came. Not all of it mind you, but a fair bit.

Hmm. Pause for reassessment.

So I added tidying the fabric cupboard to my list of things to do today that never ever actually gets done.

After a couple of hours I’d got thoroughly sick of climbing over it all and had the urge to purr over the lovely fat quarter bundles and sort things into nice colour-coordinated piles, so I pulled everything out. Gulp.

Putting it back in again proved to be a bit tricky.

Once I got to this stage I thought it was lovely and I’d like to keep it just like this…

But then there was all this lot still all over the floor….

And now I’ve discovered that there is no way in **** that I can get it all back in again – I’ve got a big bundle of apricot toweling and about 20 yards of muslin backing fabric that has now started a new life under my chair.

And I have an admission to make…

Something I’m a little ashamed of.

I’ve known there was a bit of an issue for a while, but have to now really bite the bullet and admit ….

ssshhh….I am a fabricaholic….I am a fabricaholic…..I AM A FABRICAHOLIC…

Despite my pledge not to buy any more, somehow since January I have acquired 48 metres more fabric than I’ve used up. Which is awful really. No willpower. No willpower whatsoever.

Things have to improve.

Watch out for some amazing feats of fabric usage coming up…

Hahaha…

Oh well….c’est la vie!

Helen