One Thing, One week challenge - 2

Has it really been a whole week?  Oh dear, so many things to do and so little time.  I confess this week overtook events and did not achieve much at all.  Well that's not strictly true, but I have very little to show you. 

I did manage to get some blocks made for the Block Lotto.

... and that's it!  No bee blocks and no quilt along blocks. 

Hangs head in shame .... LOL

I DID get more of my City and Guilds done and have moved onto the next module!  Now THAT is progress!

So this week, you've guessed it, those Bees Knees bee blocks, catch up on the Moose in the Porch jelly roll quilt along blocks, and I have a friends quilt to load up and quilt too! 

Happy Quilting!

Busy, busy busy ....

I know I haven't blogged for nearly a week, but I have been busy, honest!

I quilted this one for a friend. This is half of it, it's folded over the ironing board. 

For those of you who I know will ask, a close up of the quilting  :)   I used Superior Rainbows thread, which is variegated, in a lovely warm browns. 

I quilted this one for another friend. 

Waves  :)

And it's been busy in the garden too! I just had to get a pic of this tiny moth on the rubeckii

I couldn't get a good enough close up of it even with the macro setting on my camera. 

And of course there is always plenty to pick down at the allotment.  But these are in the garden.

I made my first ever batch of Onion Marmalade, (delicious!) and home made tomato pasatta that I bottled.  I really need the tomatoes to ripen fast to make loads more,  So much tastier that shop bought.  I'm certainly converted to bottling!

I've been working on my city and guilds too, just so you know  :)

One Thing, One Week Cahllenge 1

OK, so I'm a day late, but it's been busy round here, I promise!  Back to the Challenge! 

So, like I said, I wanted to get my pinwheels blocks at least turned into a top.  I knew with all the other things going on here it would be too much to hope for a finished quilt.  How did I get on? 

patience....

perseverance...

and a little luck ....   thanks to the Teenage Diva being out most of the time  ...  :)

Not only did I manage to piece the top, I got it quilted too!  Phew, now that's a bonus!  AND.....

I've got the binding sewn on, I just need to sit and sew it down by hand on the back.  This is one happy bunny!   Thanks Amy!  This is 64" x 72", a reasonable sized quilt for sure.

For this week, I plan to get caught up on my Bees Knees Bee blocks (I have June and August to complete)  and I would also like to get caught up on the Moose on the Porch Jelly Roll Quilt along blocks.  I'm pretty far behind, like weeks!  I can't show you pics right now, because I haven't taken any, but I may get back to you on that score! 

So how did you get on?

Amy has a Mr Linky so you can see how everyone else has done, go take a look!  The button on the side bar should take you there. 

Happy Quilting!

I don't do bags!

Anyone that knows me knows I don't 'do' bags!  I'm definitely not a bag lady!  Don't get me wrong, I love a great hand bag, you know, Radley especially!  But sewing a bag?  Really? 

So you'll be overwhelmed when I tell you this month at my LQS we made a bag!  Yep, I made a bag!  OK, you can pick  yourself up now!  :)

If you want to make your own, search for the Honey Bun Bag at the United Notions website (sorry, it's still too early for my brain to function to add the link - it's a weekend thing!)  This bag can easily be made in an uninterrupted afternoon. 

Happy Quilting!

One Thing, One Week Challenge!

Do you know Amy of Amy's Creative Side?  Of course you do, it's the same Amy who organises the very successful Bloggers Quilt Festival.  Aaaah, now you know who I'm talking about!  She's a clever lady that's for sure, I wish I had half her energy and brains. She's had another brilliant idea.  One Thing, One Week.  Simple, and hopefully allowing a lot of us to not stress over the rest of the stuff that piles up and clutters our minds whilst we try and do it all now! 

So, I've taken the challenge, and this week I aim to complete my ORB Pinwheels quilt that I started, oh, several weeks or even months ago.  When I say complete, I'll be happy to turn it into a top that can be quilted in between the 6 others I have to do for other people. 

I'll update you on Monday and let you know how I've got on.  Deal?

So are you up for the challenge?  There's a link on the right side of blog, go on, you know it makes sense!

Happy quilting!

Hacking Headache!

If you have had strange e-mails from me, I am really sorry, I appear to have been either hacked or picked up a worm.  Though I have pretty strong protocols in place, it hasn't stopped it happening.  I have done a full system scan and did not locate any worm so I think the hacker is most likely. I have re-adjusted the security levels. 

I promise to only send you e-mails that have subject headers and I am certainly not in the habit of sending links to my friends without some sort of contact first.  Please feel free to delete any e-mail from me that does not have a subject header immediately.  I will not be offended.  If it is a legitimate contact, you can be sure I can contact you by alternative means to check you got my message. 

To all of you that may have been affected by this, I am truly sorry. 

a little detour...

Now most of you know I have an allotment, but many ask how big it is, so I thought we'd take a detour to the allotment so see how it's doing.  I took these photo's only a week ago, and with all the rain (that was so desperately need) it has changed some since!

So this is the view up the whole allotment from front to back way beyond that shed!

The garlic is looking pretty ready to come out now, and we've nearly eaten all the beetroot that is there with it.  You can see we have started on the potatoes too!

Plenty of onions that will hopefully last us through the winter this year.

The borlotti beans are all the way to the tops of the canes and some now, there is also some French beans, but they were planted late, thanks to the slugs eating the first lot.  You can just see some of the delphiniums in the background.

The pumpkins (Crown Prince) have completely filled this area and are threatening the courgettes (zucchini) too!  We are harvesting them every other day.  Got any good recipes?  I've got carrots hidden under the mesh warding off the dreaded fly.

Yep, it really is a shed!  the plot goes all the way to that big tree at the back left meeting the gardens of the houses. 

So this is the view back down towards the from from the shed.

Need I explain the sweet peas? the smell is wonderful!  They are next to the broad beans that are doing very well.

All the way up the top is the leeks and corn, more beetroot too!  The leeks have done exceptionally over the last week and the rain, sort of baby leek size if you like eating them that size. 

Oops. wrong way up! 

So this is the view back down the allotment to my car in the far distance!  Pretty long! Yep, there is fruit in that cage affair, and of course it couldn't all be immaculately planted and tended, there's always work to do!  I still have some parsnips to find under the weeds, but those that have been liberated are doing great. 

I know there's nothing quilty in there, hence the slight detour, but I hope you enjoyed the tour of my allotment, and normal quilty service will resume very shortly  :)

Happy Quilting!