Well I've had a Great Summer

Busy Busy Busy but things should settle down a bit now !


The renovations to our new home  are still going on

 

But when you have this sort of help we should be finished in a jiffy - right !?!?

                                   

 Some of the members of my LQG spent the day at The Manor House - The home of Lucy Boston

 we had a lovely tour and saw all of Lucy's patchwork quilts

the thickness of these walls!

Diana Boston showing Lucy's quilts

fascinated by this window

 If you know the Green Knowe books you'll recognise the attic bedroom

Despite all the work that is needed at home, we headed off to France for a little holiday 

 but we had made time to detour up to Belgium to re visit the beautiful town of Ypres

 which has to include a stop at the Menein Gate

 and a peek at the magnificent Ypres Cathedral

 Some of the carvings that survived the war

We also visited some of the CWG cemeteries

Essex Regiment cemetery

 and far from being depressing place to visit, I feel a sense of calm and love in each one we see.  Though the sense of loss still moves even the hardest of characters

Tyne Cot Cemetery

 Certainly a different feeling at the Lnagemark German cemetery

 It seemed austere and unloved.  But they were just boys too 💔

After a few days in Belgium we headed down to the house that we had rented for the week 

 and were delighted

 It is an old watermill that has been in the same family for several generations

 in beautiful gardens with water all around and the only neighbour was this 12C (now unused) church

Lots of lovely walks in the woods 

A Trip to Bayeaux to see the tapestry 

we got there well before the crowds

 And another Cathedral

 Lots of time on the beach with these monkies

 Its lovely to spend time with family

No1 son and his family

                                   

 Then off to NEC for the Festival of Quilts

 to help out with the lovely Christine and David of Kids Quilts

 Where we definitely earned one of these - It was so busy for the whole of the show, I didn't manage to see many of the quilts on display let alone take any pictures, a,d we only had time for a quick chat with grannysmithquilting     who was visiting the UK from Australia  

 Though I may have got caught up in this rabbit hole.......

 Christine and David stayed with us for a few days before heading back to New Zealand and we took them to Coombe Abbey for a bit of R & R

not too shabby

 Which was just what the doctor ordered

On the way home, we stopped at Althorp House, the family home and resting place of Princess Diana

We had a lovely tour of the house and gardens .  I can't believe that we have not visited before as it is only about 40 minutes from where we live!

Back home I have been trying to work on the garden, that has been neglected for several years.

Out came the secateurs, then the hedge trimmer and finally the chainsaw !

 So much more to do ......

But still time for a little party for No! son

with copious amounts of splendid ice cream

 And somehow this has happened!

 And so to September - season of harvest and scrumping

I really must find the box with the rolling pin 😧

Busy Busy Busy,

 But not just with crafting. 
I did have a lovely day sewing with friends

 We made a Jet Set Sewing Station , which has many many pieces to it

 But we worked through it slowly

 

And all of us completed our lovely sewing notions folder

 I have been having a sort out as we had decided (after 39 years) to move house

I had found some odd blocks left over from a project day at my local quilt group, so I sewed them together 

 And I pieced the backing

 

And finished up with quite a nice quilt, if I say so myself!

 Then I sewed dozens of Half Square Triangles that had been cut out and put to one side

 

These are ready for my next Scrappy Quilt 

There was the Easter School holiday duties with this pair of monkeys

 Such a fun day at Mini Meadows Farm

 Over on Instagram, I got caught up in the tide of the Scrappy Applique Quilt Along. I had bought a book a couple of years ago, but never actually got to use it

So I sorted out some fabrics

 picked my pattern

 and sewed

 and I am pleased with the results of this experiment and have an idea for another project using this method

 

But that will have to wait  

till after the Birthday celebrations

 And the move......

 To A LOT of work

 Not necessarily completed by me 😌

We had a sneaky weekend at the beautiful Coombe Abbey

 Not too shabby for a restful break

 This weekend we popped down to see No1 Son and family and we spent a lovely morning at Southend airport for the Vulcan Restoration Open Day

And that is all up to date.  Not much sewing being done because all my stuff is still packed away in boxes and I have so many other jobs to do before I can sit back and relax.


But it will happen


Soon I hope

It's been a busy couple of months but I don't seem to have been very productive !

I did get my Sock Club Secret Swap socks completed and gifted and they were well received. Phew!  I also received a beautifully knit pair work in some lovely yarn. I don't normally wear socks, but I have made an exception for these

Sock Swap Socks

mine are so cosy

We spent a long weekend down south - doing half term duties - the weather was glorious  and we spent a day on the beach, which has boosted Mr T's tan already 🙄

His sisters idea 🙄

 We also spent some time at Grafham Water where the children spent literally hours throwing stones into the water - which made for a very easy childcare session 😅

 I had a giggle when I saw these notices at a local butchers chop 😂

 I have been clearing out the cupboards where I have several quilt tops stored, ready for finishing when they have a new home to go to.
( a finished top takes up so much less space than a finished quilt )

  I chose these two to quilt and bind and they have now been donated to Project Linus

  Before Christmas I made a friend a  Jet Set Sewing Station  from the pattern purchased at the Festival of Quilts. I cut one for me out at the same time, carefully putting little sticky spots on all (there are MANY) cut pieces.
 A groups of friends were going to have a sewing day to make one each. 
Well time has tripped on and when the littlies came down the other week "someone" thought it would be funny to use the sticky spots to give her brother a dose of Chicken Pox😱

 So I had to quietly tackle mine whilst I knew which piece was which

 I'm really pleased with his, I think I may cut another one out for a gift for someone special 😉

Over on Instagram (which I love!)  I saw that the tutorial for this blanket had just been published and I just loved it,  so a quick order to Wool Warehouse for the yarn and less than a week later - et voilà !- its done!

 It is so soft and squishy and quite heavy as it is worked in chunky yarn, so any baby lying underneath it will certainly be staying put 😂