Blocks together

So now, hanging in the kitchen is this, for thinking about. Do you know that not one person commented about this hanging over their breakfast and dinner table!! Now that could be they are so used to me whizzing out new bits and bobs... or .. well lets keep positive.
I am pretty pleased so far.

Ps.. garden excitement..

We are in anticipation in our house. For the first time in a few years and after the terribly cold cold cold (did I say it was cold?) winter.... we have apples on our little tree. Aren't they fine.

clearing out...

Well, in going to Birmingham and seeing stall after stall of wonderous quilting things it only deepened my misery of the drowning stash. At what point does an exciting and wonderful stash become a ton weight that signifies the lack of time there is in a day or week. Well, this summer I have been working on stash busting. I didn't buy too much at the Festival of Quilts and I actually enjoyed myself more for that.
Over the past few months I have completed one quilt top, one quilt, some blocks, and these...            

Some sashiko blocks that I bought about 3 or 4 years ago along with some lovely red fabric to sash between them. Some of the red fabric went onto a santa, he is very smart, but then as time passes you change your mind. I treated myself to the 

Susan Briscoe Japanese Blocks book a few months ago. 

In Birmingham I came across a pattern I liked made up several times, and it was in my book - so I made it, 

made another 

and then thought ... mmm... maybe they would sit together with these sashiko blocks. So that's the plan. Border - undecided, finished quilt - who knows, but I like the thought of it appearing before me. I do wear a bangle that says Que Sera on it... don't normally live by it... I try though.

Mondays bake day.

When asked, No.2 D was looking forward to going back to school. She missed a couple of days last week due to our Birmingham trip but that was fairly educational. We had a further conversation where I asked what it was she was looking forward to on Monday once the routine was back to normal...
...hot chocolate and something nice...
-eh?
you always make us something nice and hot chocolate when we come home.
Sweetheart X

So what can a mother do... some fruit flapjacks and then bonus time girls - cheesey flapjacks, and they WERE tasty.

Weekend away

Well we have just returned from a gorgeous weekend away at the Festival of Quilts, Birmingham, UK.
It was a first for the 2Ds, and they are already asking about next year.

We saw loads and the girls go to take part in  some workshops which was really good fun for them.... and gave me periods during the days for a wander myself, which was v pleasant. 

There was of course a trade off. 

Two days of quilts = one visit to ....

A Chocolate Factory, or rather, THE Chocolate Factory, where we enjoyed free samples. We left with a sickly swagger.

14 years ago this week.

Atrocious scanning by me, giving himself a blue face. We didn't ask anyone to take a pic of us, so we took one each and I pieced them.. ever the patchworker!!

So Above 6th August 1996

and below July 2010, on the actual Ponte Vecchio.

The girl's were disgusted at this, and No2 D switched off the video camera in protest!

What I found today...

This isn't my poor lady but this is just about what I came across today. We had a fab day (again) down at www.culzeanexperience.org . We took our picnic last week down and had a roam about the woods. A sit on the rocks by the sea. An ice-cream, well a hot coffee, since it's not exactly oozing summer here! (Do I sound bitter?) We had such fun that we went back yesterday. We took Grandma, and had her climbing down the rocky path, it did cross our minds how would the helicopter airlift her out but in the end she coped very well.

But this is what the poor dog brought back. YUK!

I did manage to get it out. Firstly I tried the "suffocation in vaseline" technique but the little creep didn't hop off as described in technique finale. Next I tried the "blown out match" technique but it still was clinging on when it should have been bouncing around the floor with a singed *rse. So finally, I went for the "tweezer" technique and so with a flick of the wrist off it came in a oner! Thank goodness. And the poor dog, one side lathered in vaseline stinking of an old fire was free of the irritating itch. 

Bath tomorrow I think.

Thought I might show the gorgeous bakers.

Sunday Afternoon Tea

When I taught No1 D to bake a cake I didn't think for one minute we would end up with this sort of thing.

No2 D had a go when her sister was off on her school trip, so this weekend we mainly ate cake!!
It was delicious.
The technique I taught the girls was... very old fashioned,
weigh three eggs IN their shell. This weight is the amount you use of butter, then of sugar, and flour. In our house the fancy electronic scales died so we use my husbands grannies old fashioned brass scales which the girls find really easy.
You can add lemon rind or orange to your mix and the butter/sugar stage. Turn it into chocolate by removing 1-2 tablespoons of the flour and replacing it with cocoa powder.
Today we are off the purchase the requirements for the "eat what you want" day.