Hi Everyone

As one of Birthday Gifts was a Book Voucher then Sunday was the perfect day to visit the bookshop.   I seem to be on a roll of reading books about walks and other factors when you are out and about in the countryside.  So here are the books I purchased…..

I haven’t read of these authors before – has anybody read these books?  I am sure that I saw a tiny snatch of Simon Reeve on the television but didn’t watch the programme.  They are added to my pile and I will plough my way through them.

What are you reading at the moment?  What do you do with books you have read but are not intending to keep.? I know some are cherished and will be re-read so many times that the corners become dog-eared, whilst others are discarded in some way.  Do schools want books for pleasure reading?  Do retirement homes need books – do they have libraries?  Our second hand bookshop in town has gone now so I need to find another outlet for my not so cherished books.  Any ideas?  I do not even think there is a second-hand book stall on the market.

Another question – are you a turn down corner of the page reader or do you always use a book-mark?  I confess to doing both.

Well that’s all for now – see you again at the weekend as I am at work all week.

Daisy

 

 

Hi Everybody

As you may be aware I have been off work having a staycation which has enabled me to progress with my many sewing projects.  In a previous post I showed you my Seasonal Quilt top which is finished apart from borders, but I have also been working on my Scrappy Quilt and have partially sewn the blue hexagon …..

As you can see it is sewn around the hexagons and diamonds but not the half hexagons.  It was very  tricky to get the points correct but I am quite pleased with it.  I am learning so much.  I have several hexagons ready and some squares but no idea at present how it will all come together – exciting!  I’m not even sure what background colour to use as there is so much colour in the various blocks.  Choices, choices!!!

I have also been busy with Audrey and her dress is coming along nicely so hopefully next Sunday I will have decent progress to show you .

Happy sewing everyone and bye for now

Daisy

 

Hi Everybody

Well it has been quite peaceful after the helicopter incident and I have made good progress with my Seasonal Quilt top, in fact I have completed the central piece and just have to start on the borders.

I am very pleased with how it looks but it is smaller than I thought in total.

As I have been off this week and no great plans in store I have played more with Hetty and we had a lovely snuggly time

and she enjoyed playing on the remodelled toy I put in her cage to shred.

Have a lovely rest of week and I will see you again on Sunday.

Daisy

Hi Everybody

Well you might be aware that it was my birthday on Sunday and today to celebrate we visited Gunns Bakery( which is celebrating 50 years) in Sandy, Beds where they make the Bedfordshire Clanger – a suet pastry crust filled with a meat or veg. dish at one end and your pudding in the other (I chose Gammon, Potato and Onion and Roasted Apple  – which was the traditional one – and my husband had Beef steak and Potato with Rhubarb and Custard).  They were smaller than I thought but so so tasty.  Definitely recommend a visit if you are down this way anytime.  Mr Gunn personally served us and he was so polite and attentive and we had a little chat with him only to find out that his wife originated from the village where we live.  Such a small world.

Settling down back at home, my husband was trying to have a rest and I was attempting to sew my quilt when a helicopter appeared and landed in the field at the rear of our garden.  Now it was very strange because the field had been left fallow for a few years – I mean the grass was 4ft high at least and the owner yesterday and this morning flattened it down and removed any small shrub that had took up residence.  Then this afternoon this happened – now I don’t know whether it was serious or whether it was training (must watch local news tonight).

The crew got out – took of helmets, leaving them on the ground and loaded their packs on backs and walked down the lane at the back of our property.  It all looked very official and real.  Yes it was the East Anglian Air Ambulance

A little while later the pilots got out (sadly not Prince William) and walked down the lane.

Ten minutes passed – pilots returned but not rest of crew –  started helicopter up and left amidst tremendous noise and dust/grass everywhere.

Hoping it wasn’t anything too serious.

Well that is my excitement for the day.  What have you been up to?

Daisy.

 

 

 

Hi Everybody

Today is my Birthday and what a glorious sunny day it is (well in Bedfordshire it is).

This  is part of my present from my husband, as seen in a previous post he bought me some boots and one day this week, as I am not at work, we are visiting Gunns Bakery to sample a Bedfordshire Clanger.  For those who do not know what I mean it is basically a pie with a meat or vegetable filling in one end and your pudding in the other.  Traditionally a food that farm workers would have and very similar to a Cornish Pasty.

On the sewing front, I have half sewn the white border between the Autumn and Winter Seasonal Quilt (no picture) and have been sewing Audrey in the evenings.

This is where I was …….

and this is where I am now ……

Well that is all my news so far this week – I’m sure that I will proceed with vigour and determination in my time off work.  Hopefully will also have more time to read and drink tea.

Bye for now

Daisy

Hello Everyone

It has been a little warm for concentrating, but I have managed to finish the Pirate Quilt top which I am quite chuffed about as I kept forgetting about various seam allowances with the various shapes involved in this quilt.  It is not perfect but I am happy with it in general.  Now all I have to do is sandwich it all together and quilt it.  I will be quilting it through ditching as I am new to this and that seemed easiest.

Here are some closer images

the centre piece

top corner.

It needs an iron.  What do you think? and any tips on pinning or laying out?

Daisy

Hi Everyone

I do not whether you remember, but I stated that my mother had given me an aubergine plant to keep and look after.  It got off to a really bad start due to snails eating the leaves and it being the most cold and windy week.  Against all odds that plant has survived and now has it’s first flower.  Because of the above – mum gave me a second plant and that has faired much better – it has had three flowers that dropped off but it has now produced the first aubergine ……..

I’m really pleased it has produced because I thought it maybe wasn’t warm enough for them to grow outside of a cloche or greenhouse.

That’s all on the garden front.

Daisy

 

Hi

Hope everyone in the UK is enjoying this sunny bank holiday and that everyone else is happy sewing whatever the weather.

Well it is too hot to sit and sew a quilt but I managed during the preceding week to complete a border for the Autumn Section and attach it, and also prepared the Winter Section ready for a border.  When they are attached it will be sewing the black hexagons for the final border and then the delicate art of piecing the backing, the middle and top layers all together – another new for me.

I have also been sewing Audrey at evening time and this is the progress I have made to date …….

This is where I had got to on 18th August …..

This is where I am now.

I also have to confess that I relented and purchased some more goodies which I have had to wait for as they were not in stock at the time but worth the wait.  The first is another cross stitch of a fawn …. bambi!

Is it not cute!!!!

Secondly, I purchased some long stitch kits which will become part of a quilt which I have been slowly building in my mind.

I am going to have a busy winter when it arrives – but not just yet.

Fair thy well for now

Daisy

Hi my friendly bloggers

Just some sunny flower pictures …….. couldn’t resist these in the supermarket, so cheering in the morning when you come down

Bye

Hi Everyone

This is quite a picture heavy post but none the less interesting with several subjects.

The doves have made a nest in the cherry tree …. Juliet on her nest.

and whilst I was in her area and not wanting to scare her off I quickly took a photo of the gorgeous yellow begonias and managed to capture a sunbeam

me thinks the only gold is the colour of the flower.

Next I took pictures of the maple tree and pieris which keep on producing flowers and more leaves in a beautiful burnished orange/burgundy colour (Maple tree) and loads of flowers ready  for over wintering on the Pieris Forest flame.

Finally I took some pictures of the oak tree in its new pot.  Cutting its roots off when we replanted doesn’t seem to have harmed the tree and it has acorns in abundance.

then I took some pictures of flowers mingled in with the fern fronds – it almost looks like a jungle in miniature …….

lobelia, rhododendron, and fern fronds

white fuchsia and ferns.

Last but not least more fuchsia, pink and purple variety.  Is it me! or does this not remind anyone else of the Little Swans dance in Swan Lake. (I know there are normally four dancers but just use your imagination as they dance delicately across the stage.)

Final picture for this post

Gorgeous!!!!

Bye for now

Daisy