tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29100367515416299192024-02-28T23:44:06.284+00:00Ditsygran quiltsA patchwork and quilting blog with occasional posts about other crafts and musings in generalCatherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17769428408767311874noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910036751541629919.post-80427825766323072902020-01-25T10:31:00.003+00:002020-01-25T10:31:16.459+00:00I’ve moved!If there is anyone still subscribed to my blog please follow the link to my new blog.<br />
<a href="http://worcestershireliving.blogspot.com/">http://worcestershireliving.blogspot.com/</a>Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17769428408767311874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910036751541629919.post-88174252946344644602015-11-22T16:13:00.001+00:002015-11-22T16:13:37.126+00:00Blog on hold until after the New Year<br />
Hi everyone,<br />
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I received an email from a bloggy friend this afternoon that made me feel very guilty. Was everything all right? Where was I?????<br />
I have been very slack on the sewing front recently and although things have been happening here I could not find the time or energy to write.<br />
We have had an offer on the house and have found a house we love in the Malvern area. Mike and I are holding our breath until we complete the sale. Life is taken up with trips to the tip, car boot sales and trips to the charity shops as well as all our family obligations.<br />
If I had my way we would be moving before Christmas but at the moment it looks like we might exchange before the holiday and complete early in January. At least I have the time to sort through our stuff and box up those things I want to keep. Who knew we had so much rubbish?<br />
In the meantime I can only apologise for not letting everyone know what was going on.<br />
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Wishing everyone a fabulous time over the holidays.<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Catherine</i></b></span><br />
<br />Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17769428408767311874noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910036751541629919.post-40824977740856129392015-09-12T19:00:00.000+01:002015-09-12T19:01:05.793+01:00Thank you<br />
Thank you to everyone for taking the time to leave me a message. It has been a great comfort to read them and the many cards I have received this week. It has been an up and down kind of week. At first I had no energy for anything- the slightest task took an age. My brother, parents and Steve's daughter and fiancé have all been planning the funeral which we hope will reflect the Steve we knew. I chose a poem from a book edited by the husband of a good friend which my husband will read on my behalf. The funeral is next Friday and I hope that we will be able to celebrate his very full life.<br />
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On Tuesday I decided that I must get out of the house so I went to the September meeting of Cutting Edge in Ystradowen. I even had, hold your breath, a finish to show; Isobel's quilt. However I did not take photos. I'll get some when the sun shines again. I do have photos taken yesterday of my second finish, the Japanese +x quilt started last year. So without further ado, drum roll please....<br />
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The quilting was done by Sue Phillips of School House Quilting near Newport. </div>
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Details of the quilt are <a href="http://ditsygranquilts.blogspot.com/2015/02/marmalade-wars.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">here</span></a>. Funnily enough that post contains marmalade references and I have been making some today. I know, it is September. I'll let you in on a secret, we have had an offer on the house. I hope I'm not tempting fate by mentioning it and it is very early days so shush..... Anyway, I have decided to try to sort out the freezers (note the plural!) We could probably eat for months out of them. The two bags of Seville oranges were frozen in early February so needed using.</div>
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The roses are from the second flush this summer on the bushes and they smell divine. I'm taking another bunch up to Jenny's tomorrow. Her new baby is expected at the end of next week and she has been early with her last two pregnancies. I can only stay for a three nights but it means she will not have to call on her neighbour if she does start between now and Wednesday.</div>
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My next post will contain photos of a new online crazy quilting course I have been following. I never meant to keep it secret but have not had the time to write about it so until next time,</div>
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Have a good week,</div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;">Catherine</span></i></b></div>
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<br />Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17769428408767311874noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910036751541629919.post-70826256391765475222015-09-04T07:26:00.000+01:002015-09-04T07:26:37.819+01:00AbsenceI am sorry that I have not posted for a while and should explain.<br />
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My brother Steve was diagnosed with colo-rectal cancer last year. He went through chemo and radiotherapy and earlier in the year was told that there was very little sign of the cancer left. However he got increasing problems and symptoms and was told last week he had secondaries in his brain and liver.<br />
Steve was transferred from hospital to a hospice on Tuesday and died early on Wednesday morning. The close family, his parents, siblings, daughter and partner and his own partner were all with him in his final hours.<br />
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He was an outgoing, loving person who lived life fully. I miss him so much.<br />
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I do not think I have the energy to reply to messages and hope you understand.<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Catherine</i></b></span>Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17769428408767311874noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910036751541629919.post-24283456093558474092015-08-07T17:41:00.000+01:002015-08-07T17:42:27.270+01:00Summer bunting and Festival of QuiltsWhoa- where did this week go? What happened to Meals on Mondays?<br />
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Life is catching up with me. We have had our house on the market for some time and to be honest I was losing interest in moving. However we had a viewing last week and have been told that the couple will be putting in an offer when the survey result on their own property comes through early next week. I know I should not count my chickens but I have a good feeling so we have been viewing properties and trying to sort our sheds out. Mike is due to have a hip replacement in 2 weeks time so if the offer is forthcoming we will need to find a property so we can go forward.<br />
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Last week I decided to cheer the conservatory up with some bunting. All the fabrics were found in my stash so I just purchased the white tape.<br />
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Mike has finished painting the outside of the conservatory and the inside looks really pretty with 2 lengths of the bunting.</div>
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Festival of Quilts is an annual extravaganza of all things quilty in the NEC in Birmingham. I stayed with my daughter in Birmingham the night before the visit to save myself the 2 hours drive and the catch up with all the family news. She is blooming and has just 7 weeks to her due date but understandable she is feeling tired as she works 4 days a week and has Jacob and Isobel (and Matt!) to look after too.</div>
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<u>Some of my photos from Festival.</u></div>
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The first is my favourite quilt and I was amazed it did not win the traditional quilt class it was shown in. The quilter is <b>Kay Bell</b>.</div>
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Much more traditional than my normal choice but just look at the quilting!!! </div>
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a detail of the amazing quilting.<br />
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This quilt was awarded a Judges Choice award by Sandi Lush which was well deserved.<br />
A peek of the back next- it was double sided!!!!<br />
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Next for a bit of whimsy are 2 quilts in the section "Adventures in Wonderland".</div>
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The first is by <b>Lyn Carr</b>.</div>
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The second by <b>Jane Verrall</b>.<br />
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A couple of collages of some of my images.<br />
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Lastly an interesting project based on hands.</div>
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Where would we be without our hands? The main photo is too small to see the printing on the images but I snapped the image that was relevant for me. Memories of my work in SCBU at Withington Hospital in the 1980s.</div>
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So many quilts were exhibited that I felt overwhelmed and quilted out by the end of the afternoon. Did I tell you that I shopped too? I'll reveal my goodies next time. </div>
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We are off house viewing tomorrow. Have a marvelous weekend,</div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;">Catherine.</span></i></b></div>
<br />Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17769428408767311874noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910036751541629919.post-48686465013136504102015-07-27T19:04:00.001+01:002015-07-27T19:04:06.111+01:00Meals on Mondays and an old fashioned tea loaf.We returned from our short break in Suffolk this weekend and now I am faced with mountains of washing (and that means ironing too) and not much in the fridge. At this point it struck me that it might be worth while writing a regular blog post on Mondays.<br />
I was born in the 1950s when the whole ethos was "make do and mend" and "waste not, want not".<br />
World war II had meant rationing of vital foodstuffs so that everyone had a small and reasonably fair share. I suppose this is what leads to me hating food waste. I love cooking and usually am a bit of a spendthrift when it comes to food but I always make a point of using up the odds and ends left from the weekend. Cold meat from a Sunday roast might become a cottage pie, curry or hash; cold roast potatoes and leftover greens become "bubble and squeak". Winter lunches mean soup to my husband and so vegetables are never wasted.<br />
The week away meant that the pickings were sparse. The fridge revealed a few eggs, some chorizo sausage, some ever so slightly over-ripe tomatoes and onions (always onions!). I googled for recipes with chorizo and found a recipe on BBC Good Food for <a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/749644/rigatoni-with-spiced-prawns-tomatoes-and-chorizo" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Rigatoni with spiced prawns, chorizo and tomatoes</span></a>. We always have a few varieties of pasta in the cupboard so I will probably use penne or farfalle instead of rigatoni. I was short of the prawns but as I was only cooking half the recipe 100g of prawns were all I needed. Mike ran the errand for me so I could continue my chores.<br />
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I had noticed several almost empty packets of dried fruits in the cupboards and a half empty jar of malt extract. Malt loaf was a childhood favourite of mine so I decided to throw one together before tackling the ironing. If you have never tried making this and have only tried the commercial version I can really recommend this recipe. It is so easy and you will not need a mixer just a large bowl, a large spoon to mix the ingredients and either a greased and lined 2lb loaf tin or 2 x1lb tins. I use the paper linings from Lakeland to save on the greasing and lining.<br />
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Heat the oven to 170°c or 150° fan oven. Shelf in the middle of the oven.<br />
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<u>Ingredients for Malt Loaf</u></div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px;">sunflower oil, for greasing</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px;">150ml hot black tea (I used Assam tea for a maltier </span><span style="font-size: 17px;">flavour)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px;">175g malt extract, plus extra for glazing</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px;">85g dark muscovado sugar</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px;">300g mixed dried fruits</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px;">2 large eggs, beaten</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: inherit;">250g plain</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px;"> flour</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px;">1 tsp baking powder</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px;">½ tsp bicarbonate of soda</span><br />
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<li style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 17px; padding: 6px 10px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">note: I bought the malt extract originally in our local health food shop.</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px;">Throw the mixed dried fruit (mine was a mix of sultanas, raisins with a small amount of currants), malt extract, sugar and hot tea into the bowl and stir well until mixed.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 17px;">Mix the beaten eggs in.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 17px;">Add the plain flour, stir well then add the baking powder and bicarb. Beat again to combine.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 17px;">Quickly pour the mixture into the lined tin and place in the centre of the oven.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 17px;">Bake the small tins for approximately 50 minutes. A 2lb loaf will take about 10 minutes longer.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 17px;">Test with a skewer to check that there is no wet mixture at the bottom of the loaf.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 17px;">Leave in the tin for 5 minutes or so then remove to a rack to cool.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 17px;">Brush the top with a small amount of malt extract while the loaf is warm to glaze.</span></li>
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<li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 6px 10px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you can bear to leave the </span></span><span style="font-size: 17px;">loaf in a tin for a day or even two the texture of the loaf gets a bit stickier and more luscious. Slice and serve buttered with a cup of tea. Yum!!!!</span></li>
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<li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 6px 10px;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">Dinner turned out fine too. Mike did not manage to get raw King prawns as the recipe intended but I tossed the cooked prawns through at the last minute and they were almost as good. The pasta I used was Gigli. This is a shape I had never heard of before. I searched online and apparently Gigli can also be called Campanelle (little bells, bellflowers).</span></li>
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<span style="font-size: 17px;">It looks a bit of a dog's dinner here but it tasted good. Try the link to the original recipe for a better photo!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 17px;">I hope to get back to some crafting tomorrow. We are having a lunch party for friends in a few weeks and I would love to make some bunting to pretend we are having a summer party- when will the sun shine again, do you think?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 17px;">Meals on Mondays might become a regular feature to encourage me to blog regularly. I hope you like it. Please leave comments and let me know what you cook.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Catherine</i></b></span></div>
Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17769428408767311874noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910036751541629919.post-15380651537956891552015-07-17T19:47:00.002+01:002015-07-18T07:39:48.955+01:00Preparing for a break with a Friday finish.I finally got it together and delivered 3 quilt tops to Sue Phillips of School House Quilting. I finished <a href="http://ditsygranquilts.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/my-bear-paw-quilt-progress.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Isobel's bear paw top</span></a> and then realized I did not have enough of my chosen fabric for the backing so I made a detour to Newent to buy what was left of the bolt, another 1¾ metres. I spent a frantic hour working out the best way to piece the back.<br />
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The other quilts were the <a href="http://ditsygranquilts.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/stir-up-sunday-start-of-christmas-season.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Japanese +X quilt to</span>p<span id="goog_1490007506"></span><span id="goog_1490007507"></span></span> </a>which was finished ages ago and my <a href="http://ditsygranquilts.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/over-rainbow.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">English Country Garden</span></a> appliqué quilt. I have asked Sue to baste the appliqué quilt and I will be quilting it with perle cottons.<br />
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So on to my Friday finish. Ta dah!!!!!<br />
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This is the Vintage smock frock coat for the new baby that Jenny is expecting In September. This is the 0-6 months size knitted in Drops baby alpaca/silk in the Powder colourway. It reminded me of ballet pink tights.<br />
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This is meant to be a sport weight yarn but I found it more like a 4ply (fingering) weight. The pattern is by Sublime yarns and was written for a 4ply yarn. I did knit a tension square at the start for once and the Drops was just right as a substitute. There were a few comments on Ravelry about the yarn. I noticed I had a similar problem to other knitters in that my stitches looked uneven- or should I say more uneven than usual! The short soak and blocking seems to be sorting that though. I soaked it for a short time with Eucalan in off-cold water. The label said 30° but I wanted to err on the safe side. I gave it a gentle swish and blotted the excess moisture on an a fluffy towel. The coat is exactly the right measurements without any pulling or pushing for once. I must say I love it.<br />
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I am taking a short break next week as we head to the beach at Walberswick in Suffolk for an old-fashioned English beach holiday with Sam and Lexie. I am looking forward to enjoying my grandchildren's company, paddling, catching the crabs by the bridge over the stream, eating fish and chips and ice-cream, going on Southwold Pier and all those things that make a proper holiday. I am praying that the sun shines for a few days.<br />
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Still collecting our fruit from the garden. I have been trying to get a few pounds of raspberries into the freezer before we go.<br />
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There should be another two or three trays tomorrow and then I suppose the squirrel will eat the rest while we are away.<br />
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I am linking up to Freshly Finished Friday and Wool on Sundays with the baby coat.<br />
Also to On the Needles with Patchwork Times.<br />
Links in the right hand column.<br />
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Have a restful weekend and a great start to the school holidays here in the UK.<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Catherine.</i></b></span>Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17769428408767311874noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910036751541629919.post-85918701420308982392015-07-12T17:38:00.000+01:002015-07-12T17:38:11.578+01:00My Bear Paw quilt progressThe weather has not been too good for the last couple of days which was a great excuse to get my sewing machine out to sew and watch the tennis finals from Wimbledon. I realised I had not reported on a "quilt in two day" class I took in April with the lovely Sue Warren at Busy Bees Patchwork so I dug out the blocks and fabric and got to work.<br />
This quilt is for Isobel. She is about to go from a cot to a junior bed in preparation for the arrival of a new baby. She is only two so I wanted something pretty and soft coloured. I chose my fabric way back from the <a href="http://www.thepatchworkbasket.co.uk/index.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Patchwork Basket</span></a> in Newent. A soft rose coloured print from Moda (Pattern 46196, Collection for a Cause) and a Lecien floral in soft green with rose and yellow flowers.<br />
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Sue's design was for a bear paw quilt with setting blocks of a cross. I must have been on a go slow that weekend because I only managed to complete one row of the bear paws and one of the crosses! Mine is in the middle.<br />
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<br />
So today I got going and I am determined to finish the top in the next day or two.<br />
<br />
The claw blocks have to be squared up and trimmed to 1¾", a great excuse to sit for 20 minutes and watch a few games. Federer does not seem to be at his best!<br />
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<br />
This is the progress today- I have only 2 more rows to make, one each of bear paws and crosses. I have cut all the pieces for the remaining blocks so that I'm ready to sew either tomorrow or at the Cutting Edge group meeting on Tuesday.<br />
<br />
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<br />
The soft fruit harvest continues both for me and for the local birds and other wildlife.<br />
<br />
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<br />
I spotted this little squirrel through the kitchen window. He had squeezed into the fruit cage to liberate a raspberry or two. If the weather improves tomorrow I will be picking all the ripe fruit to freeze at least a few pounds for us.<br />
<br />
Congratulations to Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic. I really enjoyed the men's final!!!!<br />
<br />
<h3 class="_kk _Dqe" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px;">
Novak Djokovic</h3>
<div class="obselector" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">
<div class="card-section">
<div style="padding-bottom: 5px;">
<span style="font-weight: bold; padding-right: 5px;">Current tournament:</span>Wimbledon (<span style="white-space: nowrap;">Men's Singles</span>)</div>
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td colspan="9" style="overflow: hidden;"><div style="border-top-color: rgb(235, 235, 235); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px;">
</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="overflow: hidden;"><div class="_iGf" style="color: #666666; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; text-align: center; white-space: nowrap; width: 14px;">
1</div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden;"><div style="margin-top: 0px;">
<img border="0" height="13" src="https://www.google.com/images/spreadsheets/trans.gif" style="background-image: url(https://www.gstatic.com/onebox/common/flags_18x13.png); background-position: 0px -2367px; margin: 2px 3px 0px 0px;" title="" width="18" /></div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden;"><div style="font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; min-width: 150px; padding: 2px 10px;">
N. Djokovic</div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
7<span style="bottom: 0.7ex; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">7</span></div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
6<span style="bottom: 0.7ex; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">10</span></div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
6</div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
6</div>
</td><td colspan="1"></td><td style="color: #666666; font-size: 11px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 44px;"><div style="margin-top: 0px; white-space: nowrap;">
Finals</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="overflow: hidden;"><div class="_iGf" style="color: #666666; font-size: 11px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; text-align: center; white-space: nowrap; width: 14px;">
2</div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden;"><div style="margin-top: 0px;">
<img border="0" height="13" src="https://www.google.com/images/spreadsheets/trans.gif" style="background-image: url(https://www.gstatic.com/onebox/common/flags_18x13.png); background-position: 0px -1729px; margin: 2px 3px 0px 0px;" title="" width="18" /></div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden;"><div style="margin-top: 0px; min-width: 150px; padding: 2px 10px;">
R. Federer</div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
6<span style="bottom: 0.7ex; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">1</span></div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
7<span style="bottom: 0.7ex; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">12</span></div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
4</div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
3</div>
</td><td colspan="1"></td><td style="color: #666666; font-size: 11px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 44px;"><div class="fl osl" style="color: #777777; margin-top: 0px; white-space: nowrap;">
Jul 12, Completed</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="9" style="overflow: hidden;"><div style="border-top-color: rgb(241, 241, 241); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px;">
</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="overflow: hidden;"><div class="_iGf" style="color: #666666; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; text-align: center; white-space: nowrap; width: 14px;">
1</div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden;"><div style="margin-top: 0px;">
<img border="0" height="13" src="https://www.google.com/images/spreadsheets/trans.gif" style="background-image: url(https://www.gstatic.com/onebox/common/flags_18x13.png); background-position: 0px -2367px; margin: 2px 3px 0px 0px;" title="" width="18" /></div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden;"><div style="font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; min-width: 150px; padding: 2px 10px;">
N. Djokovic</div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
7<span style="bottom: 0.7ex; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">7</span></div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
6</div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
6</div>
</td><td colspan="2"></td><td style="color: #666666; font-size: 11px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 44px;"><div style="margin-top: 0px; white-space: nowrap;">
Semifinals</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="overflow: hidden;"><div class="_iGf" style="color: #666666; font-size: 11px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; text-align: center; white-space: nowrap; width: 14px;">
21</div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden;"><div style="margin-top: 0px;">
<img border="0" height="13" src="https://www.google.com/images/spreadsheets/trans.gif" style="background-image: url(https://www.gstatic.com/onebox/common/flags_18x13.png); background-position: 0px -1170px; margin: 2px 3px 0px 0px;" title="" width="18" /></div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden;"><div style="margin-top: 0px; min-width: 150px; padding: 2px 10px;">
R. Gasquet</div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
6<span style="bottom: 0.7ex; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">2</span></div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
4</div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
4</div>
</td><td colspan="2"></td><td style="color: #666666; font-size: 11px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 44px;"><div class="fl osl" style="color: #777777; margin-top: 0px; white-space: nowrap;">
Jul 10, Completed</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="9" style="overflow: hidden;"><div style="border-top-color: rgb(241, 241, 241); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px;">
</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="overflow: hidden;"><div class="_iGf" style="color: #666666; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; text-align: center; white-space: nowrap; width: 14px;">
1</div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden;"><div style="margin-top: 0px;">
<img border="0" height="13" src="https://www.google.com/images/spreadsheets/trans.gif" style="background-image: url(https://www.gstatic.com/onebox/common/flags_18x13.png); background-position: 0px -2367px; margin: 2px 3px 0px 0px;" title="" width="18" /></div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden;"><div style="font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; min-width: 150px; padding: 2px 10px;">
N. Djokovic</div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
6</div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
6</div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
6</div>
</td><td colspan="2"></td><td style="color: #666666; font-size: 11px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 44px;"><div style="margin-top: 0px; white-space: nowrap;">
Quarterfinals</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="overflow: hidden;"><div class="_iGf" style="color: #666666; font-size: 11px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; text-align: center; white-space: nowrap; width: 14px;">
9</div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden;"><div style="margin-top: 0px;">
<img border="0" height="13" src="https://www.google.com/images/spreadsheets/trans.gif" style="background-image: url(https://www.gstatic.com/onebox/common/flags_18x13.png); background-position: 0px -2237px; margin: 2px 3px 0px 0px;" title="" width="18" /></div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden;"><div style="margin-top: 0px; min-width: 150px; padding: 2px 10px;">
M. Cilic</div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
4</div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
4</div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
4</div>
</td><td colspan="2"></td><td style="color: #666666; font-size: 11px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 44px;"><div class="fl osl" style="color: #777777; margin-top: 0px; white-space: nowrap;">
Jul 8, Completed</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="9" style="overflow: hidden;"><div style="border-top-color: rgb(241, 241, 241); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px;">
</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="overflow: hidden;"><div class="_iGf" style="color: #666666; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; text-align: center; white-space: nowrap; width: 14px;">
1</div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden;"><div style="margin-top: 0px;">
<img border="0" height="13" src="https://www.google.com/images/spreadsheets/trans.gif" style="background-image: url(https://www.gstatic.com/onebox/common/flags_18x13.png); background-position: 0px -2367px; margin: 2px 3px 0px 0px;" title="" width="18" /></div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden;"><div style="font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; min-width: 150px; padding: 2px 10px;">
N. Djokovic</div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
6<span style="bottom: 0.7ex; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">6</span></div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
6<span style="bottom: 0.7ex; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">6</span></div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
6</div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
6</div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
7</div>
</td><td style="color: #666666; font-size: 11px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 44px;"><div style="margin-top: 0px; white-space: nowrap;">
4th Round</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="overflow: hidden;"><div class="_iGf" style="color: #666666; font-size: 11px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; text-align: center; white-space: nowrap; width: 14px;">
14</div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden;"><div style="margin-top: 0px;">
<img border="0" height="13" src="https://www.google.com/images/spreadsheets/trans.gif" style="background-image: url(https://www.gstatic.com/onebox/common/flags_18x13.png); background-position: 0px -624px; margin: 2px 3px 0px 0px;" title="" width="18" /></div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden;"><div style="margin-top: 0px; min-width: 150px; padding: 2px 10px;">
K. Anderson</div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
7<span style="bottom: 0.7ex; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">8</span></div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
7<span style="bottom: 0.7ex; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">8</span></div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
1</div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
4</div>
</td><td style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf" style="margin-top: 0px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
5</div>
</td><td style="color: #666666; font-size: 11px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 44px;"><div class="fl osl" style="color: #777777; margin-top: 0px; white-space: nowrap;">
Jul 6, Completed</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="9" style="overflow: hidden;"><div style="border-top-color: rgb(241, 241, 241); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px;">
</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="opacity: 0; overflow: hidden;"><div class="_iGf obsmw" style="color: #666666; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; margin-top: -9999px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; text-align: center; white-space: nowrap; width: 14px;">
</div>
</td><td style="opacity: 0; overflow: hidden;"><div class="obsmw" style="margin-top: -9999px;">
<img border="0" height="13" src="https://www.google.com/images/spreadsheets/trans.gif" style="background-image: url(https://www.gstatic.com/onebox/common/flags_18x13.png); background-position: 0px -2367px; margin: 2px 3px 0px 0px;" title="" width="18" /></div>
</td><td style="opacity: 0; overflow: hidden;"><div class="obsmw" style="font-weight: bold; margin-top: -9999px; min-width: 150px; padding: 2px 10px;">
</div>
</td><td style="opacity: 0; overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf obsmw" style="font-weight: bold; margin-top: -9999px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
</div>
</td><td style="opacity: 0; overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf obsmw" style="font-weight: bold; margin-top: -9999px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
</div>
</td><td style="opacity: 0; overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><div class="_njf obsmw" style="font-weight: bold; margin-top: -9999px; max-width: 30px; min-width: 20px; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;">
</div>
</td><td colspan="2"></td><td style="color: #666666; font-size: 11px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 44px;"><div class="obsmw" style="margin-top: -9999px; white-space: nowrap;">
</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="opacity: 0; overflow: hidden;"><div class="_iGf obsmw" style="color: #666666; font-size: 11px; margin-top: -9999px; overflow: hidden; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; text-align: center; white-space: nowrap; width: 14px;">
</div>
</td><td style="opacity: 0; overflow: hidden;"><div class="obsmw" style="margin-top: -9999px;">
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Enjoy the rest of your weekend.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: x-large;"><i>Catherine </i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: x-large;"><i><br /></i></span></b>
I'll be linking this post to a few of the link parties in the right hand column.Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17769428408767311874noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910036751541629919.post-3525947698844988262015-07-07T16:28:00.000+01:002015-07-07T16:28:40.282+01:00Where did June go?I seem to have got into the habit of a flurry of posts early in the month then nothing. The weather was too good for a while to spend inside with any crafting. However it is Wimbledon and so I am in front of the TV with my knitting.<br />
I promised to knit a bunny girl for my oldest granddaughter Alexandra. She is 5 now and I thought she may be a bit old. However when she saw <a href="http://ditsygranquilts.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/a-late-start-to-my-2015-blogging.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Isobel's blue bunny girl</span></a> she asked if she could have one too. Her colour preference was for silver and gold! I searched high and low for the silver yarn, I can tell you. However the bargain bin at Hobbycraft came up trumps with this variegated grey and silver thread yarn. It is Rico Creative Reflection print. Full details on my Ravelry <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/CathP53/bunny-girl-in-a-dotty-dress-3" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">project page </span></a><br />
The Bunny has been left half finished in the bottom of my knitting bag for ages but we are travelling to Wiltshire tomorrow to stay the night so I cracked on this morning and she is finished.<br />
All the bunnies I have made seem to have a different character. I suppose it depends on the shaping of the face. So tah dah..... here she is,<br />
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Here are the girls, all together.<br />
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Full details of the pattern are on my Ravelry page.<br />
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I'm making progress with my green cardigan too and have started a baby coat for Jenny's bump. More on these later in the week.<br />
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I'm hoping I am not too late to link up with Wool on Sundays (even if it is Tuesday!)<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;">Catherine</span></i></b><br />
<br />Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17769428408767311874noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910036751541629919.post-2706539688053431562015-06-15T19:32:00.001+01:002015-06-15T19:32:22.779+01:00Garden flower bouquet and a Monday finishI love this time of year. The sun is shining and the garden is looking beautiful. This is the result of of all Mike's hard work, but under my direction, of course. The best thing is that there is plenty of choice to fill a vase for the house.<br />
Today's choice is a mix of pink shrub roses, late flowering honeysuckle and Sambucus Nigra "Black Lace". The last is a version of the wild elderberry that we planted in the quarry garden years ago. I'm afraid that part of the garden is a bit of a mess but this bush is a towering display of tiers of pale pink blooms.<br />
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Last year our bees made a bee-line for our chimney for the winter. Unfortunately they died out early in the New Year. We were lucky enough to be offered a swarm of bees last week and we are thrilled to have honeybees in the garden again.<br />
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Half of the bees were tipped gently into the top of the hive and the rest were left on a sloping board to make their own way into the hive. They instinctively walk upwards to the opening.<br />
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The hive is right down at the bottom of the garden and the bees seem to have settled well. They have been drawing out the comb from the foundation and are busy bringing nectar and pollen back. Hopefully, the queen will start laying this week.<br />
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So to my finish. Ta dah!.....<br />
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It is the finished foundation pieced table runner. I have appliquéd the centre flower with whipped buttonhole stitch.<br />
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The glass bottles are all Victorian in origin. Mike rescued them when he excavated the ice house here on the farm. They are a mix of seltzer, medicine and poison bottles! We found a dozen Victorian champagne bottles too. The ice house must have become redundant and was then used a a dump. I think the bottles look just right with the colours of the table runner .<br />
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I have spent the afternoon preparing for tomorrow's masterclass by Harriet Hargrave on invisible machine appliqué. Bags now packed, machine checked and all the class requirements ticked off. I think I'll need my brain in gear tomorrow so I will be having an early night.<br />
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I will be linking to several of the link parties (see the right hand margin for the links)<br />
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Hope the sun is shining on you too today.<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Catherine</i></b></span>Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17769428408767311874noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910036751541629919.post-13817028135363330092015-06-11T21:02:00.000+01:002015-06-11T21:02:58.400+01:00MassiveI have been having a bloggy conversation with Glenda of <a href="http://www.patchworkdreams.com.au/?p=6773" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Patchwork Dreams</span></a> recently. She posted about a giant centipede that made it's way into her bedroom. She lives in what looks like a subtropical area of Australia with huge trees and a lush garden of tropical flowers. Very warm and humid.... and so you would expect giant insects. Apparently spiders eat birds there. Ugh!<br />
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I thought I was safe here in South Wales. A temperate (sometimes a bit too cold) and gentle climate. Just see what showed up this afternoon in my conservatory. I have no photos of this insect alive as I was too busy looking for the fly spray.<br />
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The wingspan was 2 inches.<br />
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I'm afraid I had to kill it and once sprayed it took over 10 minutes to finally die. I was concerned that it may be the Asian hornet but it would appear to be a European hornet. The Asian sort has yellow tipped legs. The photos do not do it justice as the hornet curled slightly once it expired.<br />
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This is so totally off topic for my blog but it provided a bit of excitement.<br />
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My table runner is now sandwiched and ready for machine quilting tomorrow.<br />
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Lets hope tomorrow holds no surprises.<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Catherine</i></b></span>Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17769428408767311874noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910036751541629919.post-87104673256509531342015-06-08T09:25:00.003+01:002015-06-10T17:51:22.005+01:00Monday morningIt is sunny outside and I've woken up feeling optimistic and happy. For some reason I started thinking about the song "<a href="http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/thebigchill/mondaymonday.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Monday, Monday</span></a>" by the Mamas and the Papas; anyone remember it? Well it was a long time ago (1966) so you are forgiven if you don't know it. I checked out the lyrics and find they are so sad- that's really weird. I'm not sure why I associate it with feeling good. I must never have paid attention to the words. Still, it is a brand new week full of possibilities.<br />
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First, the almost finished top of a table runner.<br />
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I took a class on foundation paper piecing with Jeannie Duncan-Farr at <a href="https://cuttingedgetextiles.wordpress.com/2015/06/03/foundation-piecing-made-easy/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Cutting Edge</span></a> last week. I love FPP- the way you just cover the paper and get accurate points. Jeannie had designed a colourful table runner with a flying geese border.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jeannies table runner from the Cutting Edge website</td></tr>
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I had chosen an entirely different colour palette for mine and struggled a bit as I did not have any green for the leaves. Still, here are some photos of my progress.<br />
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I have pieced the whole top now but still need to appliqué the central flower. It will be interesting to see how everyone else got on when we meet tomorrow for our monthly meeting. I plan to start a new embroidery as it will be something that is easy to do in the garden while enjoying the sunny weather.<br />
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Mike and I took a trip to the <a href="http://www.gardenofwales.org.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">National Botanic Garden of Wales</span></a> yesterday and what a treat! The main aims of the garden are conservation and research that is accessible to all. This gem of a garden is only an hour away from Cardiff and yet I only visited it once in the year it opened to my shame. The planting has matured and there is something for everyone to explore; history, sculpture, plants in medicine, bees, glorious gardens and the largest single span glasshouse in the world that was designed by Norman Foster and partners. A few photos....<br />
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It was difficult to show the scale of the glasshouse because of the way it nestles in the landscape.<br />
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If you are planning a trip to Wales try to get to visit the garden. Something here for everyone.<br />
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Have a great sewing week,<br />
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Catherine</i></b></span><br />
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I'll be linking to several link parties this week and I have the links in the sidebar on the right;<br />
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A brand new to me Monday link party <a href="http://hugabitquilts.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Monday Makers</span></a> run by Nurdan of Hug-a-bit Quilts. It would be nice if you could drop into her party and show some support.<br />
Anything Goes Mondays seems to be missing this week.<br />
<a href="http://www.conniekresin.com/p/linky-party-tuesday.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Linky Tuesday</span></a> (Freemotion by the River) and <span style="color: #b45f06;"><a href="http://www.blossomheartquilts.com/2015/06/bloggy-b-day-giveaway-sew-cute-tuesday/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">So Cute Tuesday</span></a> </span>at Blossom Heart Quilts.<br />
<a href="http://estheraliu.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/wow-pink-baby-wip.html?showComment=1433879037671" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Esther Aliu's WOW</span></a> and <a href="http://www.freshlypieced.com/2015/06/wip-wednesday-dyi-ing.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">WIP Wednesday (Freshly Pieced)</span></a>Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17769428408767311874noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910036751541629919.post-69615893567784828362015-06-01T17:13:00.000+01:002015-06-01T17:15:12.969+01:00Waste not, want not.Life has been super busy and enjoyable recently. We were away in May for a few days staying near Rutland Water. Our bedroom had the most fantastic view of the water framed by a pink clematis on one side.<br />
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We had time to visit Oakham and Stamford but the main reason for visiting the area was to attend a private event at <a href="http://www.spencerofalthorp.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Althorp</span></a>, the home of the Spencer family. Charles, the 9th Earl Spencer, read Modern History at Magdalen College, Oxford. My husband studied chemistry at Magdalen in the 1960's before changing direction and reading medicine. The Magdalen Society was invited to Althorp for a reception and lecture by Earl Spencer on his new book, <span style="color: #b45f06;"><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/oct/31/charles-spencer-killeres-king-men-execute-charles-i-review" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Killers of the King- the men who dared execute Charles I.</span></a> </span>The lecture was fascinating but the best bit of the visit was being able to wander around this <span style="color: #b45f06;"><a href="http://www.spencerofalthorp.com/heritage/unique-home" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">wonderful Grade I listed house</span></a> </span>wine glass in hand. Click through for history and official photos of the house.<br />
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I spent several days preparing for a lunch party for special friends to celebrate their Golden Wedding anniversary. Mike has known Mike and Peggy for more than 30 years. I decided on a traditional summer lunch of poached salmon with new potatoes and green bean salad followed by meringues and strawberries. I also made a cake but chickened out on the icing by using fresh flowers as decoration.<br />
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So what has this got to do with the title of the post? Well the consequence of making 48 meringues were 8 leftover egg yolks. I hate wasting food so put the whole egg yolks in a container and added a small amount of cold water to cover. They keep well for a couple of days in the fridge like this. Today I felt recovered enough to do some cooking and decided that a good use of the eggs would be to make lemon curd.<br />
I found a <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/feb/22/leftover-egg-yolks-egg-whites-recipes-ruby-tandoh" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">recipe</span></a> online which just needed the yolks and not whole eggs. The only thing I changed was to increase the amount of sugar- in fact I doubled it! The curd was still fresh and lemony but not mouth puckering.<br />
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Butter, sugar, lemon zest and juice are combined in the same bowl and heated gently over boiling water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water.<br />
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The finished product- delicious!<br />
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So sorry once again for the blogging drought, I hope you understand.<br />
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We had a meeting of the Honey Bee group here last week too so I will post about that soon.<br />
Have a great week,<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Catherine</i></b></span><br />
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<br />Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17769428408767311874noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910036751541629919.post-61457892048122449792015-05-10T08:30:00.000+01:002015-05-10T21:06:20.137+01:00Casting on <br />
I'm giving my sewing machine a rest after a busy week and getting on with my new project, a Wildflower Cardigan. The <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/wildflower-cardigan" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">pattern</span></a> is by my favourite designer at the moment, Alana Dakos. You may remember that I made the child sized version, the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/CathP53/wee-wildflower" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Wee Wildflower</span></a>, for Vivi last September. The link is to my photos and projects page on Ravelry.<br />
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I had to think long and hard about the sport weight yarn for this cardigan as I have been a bit disappointed with the Debbie Bliss brand I used for the Gnarled Oak cardi and the Bergere de France for the Entangled Vines. Both pilled badly although the Debbie Bliss looks OK if I use one of those velcro type brushes that remove lint. I don't think I should have to do that though when the yarn is so expensive.<br />
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I needed a harder wearing yarn that was not quite as soft. I searched the forums on Ravelry and found that an American yarn called <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/quince-and-co-chickadee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Chickadee from Quince & Co</span> </a>was really popular. It is only stocked at one shop in London, <a href="http://www.loopknittingshop.com/category/220/Sportweight_yarns" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Loop</span></a>, and they did not have quite enough yarn in the colour I wanted so I decided to take the plunge and order it from the US. There is a good selection of subtle colours but I liked this slightly sludgy green called Bosc. There was a notable difference in the price in America and the price here but this was all due to import tax and shipping costs. In the end there was only a couple of pounds in it. Why is yarn so cheap over there? I must say that the staff at Loop took my name and called me back a couple of weeks later when they had more in stock. I would definitely order from them next time as they have a beautiful selection of yarns and seem to have great customer service too.<br />
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So, how is it knitting up? I cast on for the back and have managed about 5" so far. The yarn is slightly harder but has excellent stitch definition and no sign of going fluffy. I would love to hear your recommendations for other DK or sport weight yarns. I really would like to support British yarns more. I would like more subtle tones and better value.<br />
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The other project on my needles is Lexie's silver and gold <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/CathP53/bunny-girl-in-a-dotty-dress" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">bunny girl</span></a>. The link is to a pink and cream dressed version I did a few years back. I went into Hobbycraft in Cardiff for some odds and ends and found the ideal sparkly silver yarn in the reduced bin. It is Rico Creative Reflective print. This is a 4ply silver grey with a silver metallic thread running through it. Not my usual kind of yarn but ideal for the project. I "interpreted" the gold as a strong yellow. Hopefully she will be finished for the end of the month when Lexie and Sam are coming to stay for a few days.<br />
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Finally I need advice about storing fixed circular needles. Mine are like a rat's nest of tangled spagetti in this bag. There must be a better way.<br />
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I'm linking up to Janine's Wool on Sundays on her website <a href="http://www.rainbowhare.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Rainbow Hare Quilts</span></a>. The regulars to the party are a lovely bunch and there is always some new project on the go. The button on the right takes you to the current Wool on Sundays.<br />
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Next week is going to be really busy with visits to Malvern for the quilt show and to Althorp for a tour of the house with Mike. I may not get much time to post anything but I'll be taking lots of photos while I am out and about for when I do.<br />
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Catherine</i></b></span><br />
<br />Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17769428408767311874noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910036751541629919.post-66706948685501072512015-05-07T16:35:00.000+01:002015-05-07T17:05:06.607+01:00Over the rainbowI woke so early this morning that I was sitting up in bed drinking tea well before 7am. There had been some rain overnight but the sun came out and I spotted the most glorious rainbow. I grabbed my husband's phone quickly and took two photos; one through the bedroom window and the other through the study window to catch both ends of the rainbow. The photo does not do the colours justice but it was spectacular.<br />
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Such an uplifting start to the day.<br />
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My <span style="color: #b45f06;"><a href="http://blog.pennydog.com/2014/03/31/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-english-country-garden-bom/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">English Country Garden appliqué quilt</span></a> </span>was so near completion yesterday that I left everything in the kitchen overnight. I don't have a dedicated sewing room so use the kitchen table for my machine and the centre island for cutting fabric and assembling the blocks. The top came together fairly quickly although the pieced cornerstones and flying geese meant there were lots of points to match along the way.<br />
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I hope you will not mind a few photos. I am really pleased with the finished top.<br />
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Mike is hiding behind the last photo!<br />
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I used fabrics from my stash for the flowers on pieced blocks using Lynette Anderson's range of fabrics called Bread and Butter. Some of the flowers are hand turned appliqué, some using fusible with machine appliqué. A few flowers are embellished with very simple embroidery mainly blanket stitch, chain stitch and a few French knots. I would love to improve my embroidery skills one day.<br />
The border fabric is the new blender range called Bumbleberries from Lewis & Irene- they do a huge range of colours in this blender so I think it will become a favourite.<br />
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Thank you <a href="http://blog.pennydog.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Kerry</span></a> for giving up your time to design this lovely pattern. It has been a pleasure to work on it. Details of the pattern can be found by clicking the link in the side bar.<br />
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Also thank you to new visitors to my blog. I have really enjoyed your comments recently.<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Catherine</i></b></span><br />
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I'll be linking up to Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? and TGIFF tomorrow (well, it is a finished top!) and Esther Aliu's WOW (Wips on Wednesday) next week with this post. All links are in the side bar. I know how much comments mean so please take a peek at these parties if you have the time and give some encouragement if you like what you see.<br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17769428408767311874noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910036751541629919.post-83856986498274673812015-05-04T20:49:00.000+01:002015-05-07T06:00:06.939+01:00My English Country Garden.I've been a bit behind with the blocks for Kerry's fabulous <a href="http://blog.pennydog.com/2014/03/31/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-english-country-garden-bom/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">English Country Garden appliqué BOM</span></a> on her blog <span style="color: #b45f06;"><a href="http://blog.pennydog.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Pennydog Patchwork</span></a> </span>so I decided to get my act together yesterday to finish the 12 blocks.<br />
The final blocks were the dahlia and clematis. I had left the dahlia for some time as the background was a set in circle. I really should have taken photos of the method but it was fully explained in the block instructions. I was so pleased when everything worked out.<br />
I had used the blocks to practice different appliqué methods but decided to make the last 2 blocks with fusible web. This saved time. So without further ado....<br />
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I have used <a href="http://www.picmonkey.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">PicMonkey</span></a> to make a collage of the 12 blocks in order to try and work out a layout.<br />
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This is not the final layout and due to different lighting conditions the colour of the background fabrics is not always true. I chose a Lewis & Irene blender fabric called <a href="http://www.lewisandirene.com/bumbleberries.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Bumbleberries</span></a> for the sashing from my LQS, the <a href="http://www.thepatchworkhouse.wales/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Patchwork House</span></a> in Llantrisant. This lovely blender comes in 20 beautiful colours to coordinate with all their fabric lines.<br />
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The blocks will be divided with cornerstones in the sashing. Check out Kerry's <a href="http://blog.pennydog.com/2015/04/06/english-country-garden-bom-finishing-the-quilt-top/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">here</span></a>. Kerry has used very dark background fabrics and sashing and her cornerstones really pop.<br />
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I hope you have all enjoyed the Bank Holiday weekend here in the UK. Mike and I had a wonderful time with two of the grandchildren, Jacob and Isobel, at the Moscow State Circus in Cardiff on Saturday. The acrobats, high wire and trapeze were fantastic and the whole show was so professional.<br />
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I should get the sashing finished this week if the weather is as bad as the forecast suggests.<br />
Have a good week anyway whatever the weather.<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;">Catherine</span></i></b><br />
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This week I am linking up to the fabulous Esther Aliu's <a href="http://frame.bloglovin.com/?post=4323125573&blog=1339750" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">WOW link party</span></a>. Esther designs the most marvelous appliqué and is currently running the Oma's Blues appliqué BOM. There are always interesting projects to admire so please check it out if you have time.<br />
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I'm also linking to Kelly's Needle and Thread Thursday. The link is in the sidebar on the right.<br />
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<br />Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17769428408767311874noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910036751541629919.post-40963460757332382242015-04-28T09:26:00.002+01:002015-04-29T07:59:40.411+01:00The future is bright, the future is Orange (with apologies!)April has flown in and not a post written but I could not wait to write about my weekend away for a retreat with my Honeybee group.<br />
We decided last year that we would book a retreat and I found <a href="http://www.come2quilt.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Come2Quilt </span></a>which seemed to have everything we needed; an experienced quilting host, delicious food cooked by her husband and a comfortable space for our small group. Kate and David Ranson have been running retreats from their home in Somerset for some years. The walls are adorned with examples of Kate's work and it seemed that we were still discovering things we had not noticed at the end of the stay.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kate's Orange Peel wall hanging</td></tr>
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Our task for this retreat was to conquer the fear of curves and with this in mind Kate had designed an orange peel wall hanging in two contrasting fabrics. The templates and instructions were at our workstations and we settled down quickly to cut the three shapes we needed. Although this stage was tedious it passed quickly enough as we chatted.<br />
I had originally planned to use a Japanese fabric I had bought on impulse. I'm not sure what had come over me as gold highlights are not my thing at all and as the time for the retreat came closer I fell right out of love with the colour and design. I pulled two fabrics from my stash instead. One was a muted orange and the other a modern restrained design in pale grey with a touch of the same orange tone. Orange seems to be my "go to" colour this year (it was purple in 2014).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gilly and Liz with Kate in the background.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jane hard at work. She is the industrious one!</td></tr>
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With Kate to guide us we took our first tentative steps in sewing curves. Those of you who are more experienced may have forgotten how difficult it is at the start. Eventually we <strike>mastered</strike> got the knack of easing the fabric and sewing at the same time. Curves were clipped and pressed and our blocks started to take shape. The real difficulty was in trying to get points matched when we joined the rows together. This is where my skill with a seam ripper really helped!<br />
It had been hoped that the quilt top would be finished by the end of the weekend but this was not to be. The combination of great company, food and wine with a "new to us" skill foiled our attempt. Jane had decided to use her blocks to make a bucket shaped tote bag. Her design was modified to include a curved bottom and a flap. Her bold fabric choice was a real success and I cannot wait to see the finished bag. Gilly decided that the only way to go was to do a table centre. Her Brandon Mably spotted fabric was accentuated with larger circles and will look super in her modern home. Liz and I are going with the original design idea and hope to have wall hangings to show soon.<br />
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I do have a finish this week on the knitting front. I have been following the KAL on Ravelry run by <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/2-knit-lit-chicks-podcast" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">2 Knit Lit Chicks</span></a>, Barb and Tracie. Their podcast is always worth a listen for trends, tips and good reads. This KAL was an Alana Along using the designs of Alana Dakos. Remember my <a href="http://ditsygranquilts.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/a-knitting-finish.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Entangled Vines</span></a>? This is the link for the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/2-knit-lit-chicks-podcast/3130009/76-100#83" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">finish off thread</span></a> with some beautiful knits. I just about managed to finish another cardi for myself which I have on Ravelry with all the details of yarn etc. It is my <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/CathP53/gnarled-oak-cardigan" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Gnarled Oak cardigan</span></a> designed by Alana and I just love it- everything is just right and it fits so well. The KAL finished tomorrow and I have my fingers crossed.</div>
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I told you I liked orange.</div>
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<i>Post-script. I finished the third row of the orange peels yesterday afternoon and decided to finish at that point. I have squared it up, chosen a thinnish cotton batting and I aim to hand quilt it. No photos as yet.</i></div>
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So I'm back home and sorting things out for a visit by Jenny and her family next weekend. She and her husband are celebrating their wedding anniversary by staying in a 5* hotel on Friday night and we will have Isobel and Jacob to ourselves. Bliss (I think).</div>
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Have a wonderful week. The promised downturn in the weather has not happened yet in South Wales and it is another sunny, if cool, day.</div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Catherine</i></b></span></div>
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I'm late but linking to <a href="http://www.rainbowhare.com/2015/04/wool-on-sundays-66-purely-decorative_26.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Wool on Sundays</span></a> and tomorrow to Yarn along with Ginny of <a href="http://www.gsheller.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Small Things</span></a>. Also linking to Celtic Thistle Stitche's New to Me, button on the sidebar, with my new curvy technique.</div>
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Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17769428408767311874noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910036751541629919.post-56976602482941214242015-04-05T07:47:00.000+01:002015-04-05T07:48:03.089+01:00Easter wishes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wishing you all a wonderful family Easter filled with chocolate and fun!</div>
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and wishing you a joyous Eastertide full of the true meaning of Easter.</div>
Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17769428408767311874noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910036751541629919.post-41970560768541984812015-03-24T06:46:00.000+00:002015-03-25T07:29:49.071+00:00Oma's Blues Progess; making templates and starting to sew.I set aside a couple of days for sewing this week. I fancied a quiet time to recover after the stress of my father's illness and appliqué hit the spot nicely.<br />
I had been studying <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Simply-Successful-Applique-Foolproof-Technique/dp/1607054809"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Simply Successful Applique</span></a> by Jeanne Sullivan for the best way to make templates. I decided to try a few different ones to find which suited me best. Initially I thought I would use fusible Wash-Away sheets for templates but there had been several comments on the Yahoo group that this product might not wash away completely so in the end I chose to use freezer paper. The book suggested that ironing two sheets of freezer paper together would provide a more stable template.<br />
Mike had acquired a rectangular wooden wine box and it struck me that it would be ideal as a light box. The wooden top was replaced with a perspex sheet and a 10 watt fluorescent light was fixed inside. Ridiculously easy and saved us a whole lot of money too. I look a bit studious in the photo but I was concentrating and not posing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tracing the freezer paper templates</td></tr>
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The central medallion is a basket of flowers and a bird surrounded by the triangle pieced ring with so many small elements so I needed to be organised. I labelled and numbered the various elements on the plan of the design and as I cut the templates I also labelled them and placed them in ziplock bags.<br />
Selecting the fabrics was the most difficult part for me. I was trying the base the tones on the colours in our <a href="http://ditsygranquilts.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/getting-ready-for-omas-blues-applique.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Chinese plate</span></a> with a good range of dark, medium and light blue tones. I had found the ideal fabric to fussy cut for the bird's wing but trying to get a good range of blues with similar tones was hard. Some were too green, others too lilac.<br />
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Once the fabrics were chosen I ironed the freezer paper templates on the <b>right</b> side of the fabric. These were cut with a scant ¼" border for the majority of the shapes and ⅛" for the tiny pieces. The freezer paper templates were then detached, the material turned to the <b>wrong</b> side and the templates laid down with the <b>shiny</b> side up.<br />
<span style="text-align: center;">Concave curves were snipped to a couple of threads from the template. </span>I turned the border over and 'tacked' the straight sides with a touch of the Clover iron. The edges adhere to the freezer paper to stabilize the piece. Using the Apliquick tools I turned the curves over and used spray starch liquid applied with a paintbrush and the Clover iron to set small gathers to make a smooth curve. I hope I have described that adequately and I highly recommend the book for lots of information and great photos of all the techniques.<br />
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The background fabric was marked with lines of running stitch from corner to corner diagonally and from top to bottom and side to side to find the central point. These lines are to help with the placing of the templates. I also traced a vinyl overlay as in the photo below so that I could slip pieces under to the correct positions. Another easy way to place the pieces is to use the master pattern on the light box and place the block on top. The pattern is seen easily through the fabric. The stems, bird and leaf were stitched first then the basket and large flower.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">appliqué with vinyl overlay</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;">So, my progress so far is slow but very satisfying. I really feel I am getting to grips with some new techniques.</span></div>
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If you fancy having a go at this there is a link to the Oma's Blues group in the side bar on the right. If you join the group there is access to the pattern for free plus some great Easter projects.</div>
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Enjoy your week,</div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Catherine</i></b></span></div>
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I'll be linking with Esther Aliu's WOW party on Wednesday. If you have any WIP's you are working on why not add your link as well? Click the image for WOW in the right hand column to go to Esther's blog.</div>
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I'm also linking to <a href="http://celticthistlestitches.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Celtic Thistle</span></a>'s New to Me in 2015 (see the link button on the right). I thought I had nothing new until Fiona suggested the lightbox and the matter of a few new to me appliqué techniques!</div>
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<br />Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17769428408767311874noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910036751541629919.post-36889326181414934072015-03-12T15:00:00.000+00:002015-03-12T15:00:56.520+00:00A knitting finishThank you to everyone who sent messages or posted comments after my last post. It has been a stressful time for the family and all your thoughts and prayers helped a lot. Dad had an angiogram and 2 stents inserted yesterday and has been discharged to my Mum and brother's care at home. Thank goodness for the NHS. Wonderful care and treatment from dedicated staff. I could not speak more highly of the unit my father was treated in.<br />
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I managed to finish my Entangled Vines cardigan as well. I am pleased with the result now and it is certainly cosy. Next time though I would knit the size down. There is quite a bit of positive ease and I think maybe slightly too long.<br />
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Never one to sit idle, I have cast on another of <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/designers/alana-dakos"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Alana Dakos</span></a>' designs. This time it is the <span style="color: #b45f06;"><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/gnarled-oak-cardigan"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Gnarled Oak</span></a> </span>cardigan.<br />
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I'm using Debbie Bliss Rialto (DK) in coral.<br />
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I'll be linking up on Sunday to Wool on Sundays.<br />
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Right now I am getting down to cooking for the weekend at my parents house. I've made a Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato soup and will also be baking Mary Berry's <a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2973693/mary-berrys-orange-layer-cake"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Orange layer cake</span></a>. I thought I would take a lasagne for the freezer and roast a chicken too. Busy busy!!!!<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;">Catherine</span></i></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D2910036751541629919%23editor%2Fsrc%3Dheader&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F3.bp.blogspot.com%252F-Tp-m4YDi3rM%252FVQGmbDah-kI%252FAAAAAAAABy0%252FcJMylF-ip9Q%252Fs1600%252FIMG_3455.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 203px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 198px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D2910036751541629919%23editor%2Fsrc%3Dheader&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F3.bp.blogspot.com%252F-Tp-m4YDi3rM%252FVQGmbDah-kI%252FAAAAAAAABy0%252FcJMylF-ip9Q%252Fs1600%252FIMG_3455.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 203px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 198px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17769428408767311874noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910036751541629919.post-34603079803402626242015-03-08T06:47:00.000+00:002015-03-24T19:42:53.680+00:00Blog temporarily on hold<br />
This is just a post to let you know that I will be unable to write regularly for the next week or two. To be honest, sewing is the last thing on my mind.<br />
My father has suffered a heart attack and I have had to travel to stay with my Mum and help out with hospital visiting and organizing things for her and Dad.<br />
Could you please keep us in your thoughts over the next few days? I am feeling a bit stressed and anxious as Dad will be having an angiogram and possibly further procedures on Tuesday. I will not be able to respond to any comments individually and hope you will not mind too much.<br />
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I hope to be back with the blog soon.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Catherine</i></b></span>Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17769428408767311874noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910036751541629919.post-58668355448653036932015-03-03T09:11:00.000+00:002015-03-03T09:11:27.448+00:00Oma's Blues- I've started!A new sewing week and hardly anything else in the diary this week at all. All my fabrics are washed and pressed, I have all the notions I need, so, no more excuses, I'll start Oma's Blues.<br />
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I traced all the elements of the centre straight onto the Wash-Away appliqué sheets. These are cut out now and put into separate plastic bags. Some of them are so tiny that I'm afraid of losing them.<br />
My first real sewing is the round border for the medallion. This is pieced from alternating light and blue triangles. I traced the ring onto the sheets which I had joined together, numbering the triangles. I separated the sheets and cut the arcs of the circle with a rough ¼" border. The fabrics I chose are a pale blue and a dark blue and white flower print from the Oriental Blue fabric range from Makower. If you are sharp you will notice I have reversed the placement of the dark and light fabric. I would like to say this is a design element but truthfully I got them the wrong way round and there is no way I am doing the circle again!<br />
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I will finish the circle today and trim the fabrics to ¼" from the triangle points. I am undecided about the technique I will choose to turn the seam allowance under. Leah Day has a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN-Q1CqG-oM"><span style="color: #b45f06;">You Tube video</span></a> where she makes a template from bonded sheets of freezer paper. The strengthened template is inserted behind the fabric and then the edges are turned with starch and pressing before the template is removed. The turned edges are then sprayed and pressed again. The alternative is to snip the inside circle, apply glue stick to the back of the Wash-Away sheet and turn the edge to stick down which is a technique used by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHMi6DrPGRQ"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Lynette Anderson</span></a>. Advice has been offered on the Esther Aliu Yahoo group for both methods but I may go for the more time-consuming template method as it is said to give a smoother curve.<br />
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The weekend passed so quickly. My granddaughter Isobel turned 2 and came to stay with my daughter and the rest of the family. Aunties, Uncles and cousins arrived along with the other grandparents and we had an old fashioned birthday tea with cake and jelly and then a couple of party games. The adults all stayed for supper too so it was a very full day.<br />
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So by my next post I hope to have finished the ring, prepped the white fabric square and started on making a few of the elements for the centre.Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17769428408767311874noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910036751541629919.post-54548869368399872222015-02-26T17:32:00.002+00:002015-02-27T07:29:28.379+00:00Getting ready for the Oma's Blues Applique BOM<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I seem to be getting ready for so many projects and I will be glad when I can get started on a few.<br />
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If you have not seen<span style="color: #b45f06;"> <a href="http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.com.es/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Esther's Blog</span></a></span> yet you really should check it out. <a href="http://www.estheraliu.com/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Esther Aliu</span></a> is a textile artist and quilt designer. She established a private Yahoo group to link quilters world wide and regularly releases free patterns for the group. Membership is by application to Esther by email and comes through quite quickly. How do you all find Yahoo groups? I admit to being slightly ambivalent. I find the set-up a bit clunky but once you are in there are forums, advice, patterns and so much more. The BOM runs from January-November 2015.<br />
The newly released pattern is called <a href="http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.com.es/2015/01/introducing-omas-blues-my-free-new-bom.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Oma's Blues</b></span></a> which is a reference to her German grandmother's plates. I think blue and white quilts are quite beautiful and the design for this one is stunning.<br />
There will be a central medallion plate with bird, flowers and foliage, surrounded by borders with other motifs.<br />
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<a href="http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.com.es/2015/01/introducing-omas-blues-my-free-new-bom.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCIxIlLBf8tunzHWnhK9m3cTk3SfhDsoKEMi01D8lnBekPFqa5_vmQ1wPCODt0qugUeXkoUIU4qp-QnBXGrKjEqg6ibcvxt9Ni3d5pV8LJxUg_htV32P9LyePjjIalxdOpYKuBGr6XYMGA/s1600/Picture1.png" height="320" width="255" /></a></div>
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I took a Chinese plate that we have to our LQS and came back with just the three fabrics you see above with the plate. The light blue and the darker fabric are just right but the fabric with hexagons will be kept in reserve. Not sure it has the right feel. I may have to make a detour on the way to London to get some more. I have very few blue fabrics in my stash and none with these kinds of tones.......<br />
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......a few days later and after our visit to London....<br />
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Mike and I spent last weekend staying with friends. On the way there a little detour was in order to a fab shop called <a href="http://www.creativequilting.co.uk/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Creative Quilting</span></a> in Hampton Court Village. This shop had everything I needed, fabrics, notions and a whole lot more including the most helpful staff.<br />
I bought a selection of fabrics with mid and light tones. These have now been washed and pressed. The photo below shows the color catchers from these fabrics at the top and from blue batiks at the bottom.<br />
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I ordered Mettler 60/2 threads online for the appliqué. I thought these would be the range of colours to blend with the blue fabrics. The background is Kona Solid White, a good white white, if you know what I mean. </div>
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I'll be trying a couple of new products for my turned edge appliqué. The wash away sheets can be used in the photocopier to copy the pattern then to stabilize the pieces. It will also be used for the foundation piecing of the pieced triangle (see above around the central medallion of the Oma's Blues). Those teeny, tiny triangles have to be pieced in a circle!</div>
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The central medallion pattern pieces have now been printed and traced and next week I should have prepared the background square and have some actual progress to show.<br />
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A few tools I ordered online to help with the appliqué. I'll be reviewing them when they have been used.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">close-up of the tips</td></tr>
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Just a small finish to show you this week. I knitted a <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/CathP53/perennial-hat"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Perennial hat</span></a>, pattern by Alana Dakos, from the Sweet Georgia yarn I used for the Oak Trail hat. All the details are on my <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/CathP53/perennial-hat"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Ravelry project page</span></a><br />
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I'm linking up to Freshly Finished Friday (link in the right side bar). Click through on the little blue frog to see the links to posts.<br />
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Have a super weekend. It is my granddaughter Isobel's 2nd birthday today and we are hosting a tea party here on Saturday for grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and cousins. Should be fun!<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Catherine</i></b></span>Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17769428408767311874noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910036751541629919.post-46951415747501006802015-02-22T18:00:00.000+00:002015-02-22T19:17:48.012+00:00Entangled Vines update- hate the yarn!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Do you ever start knitting with a yarn and really liking the feel and texture of it and then change your mind? I'm using Bergere Magic+ for my<span style="color: #b45f06;"> <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/entangled-vines"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Entangled Vines</span></a>.</span> I loved the slightly soft feel and the colour when I started. As I have progressed with the sleeves, which are knitted on DPNS, I have had problems with splitting and pulling of the fibres with the ends of the needles. The whole cardi is knitted top down on a long circular needle so that there is a lot of weight and the yarn is probably handled more than if it were knitted in separate pieces. The photo with the book is taken with flash and this has made the stitches look neater but if you compare it to the photo below which was taken without flash you can see how uneven and slightly felted it looks. It may help to enlarge the photo on your browser. I'm seriously falling out of love with it and only hope that trying to even the stitches out with blocking will help.</div>
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I'll have to finish it now as it has cost me too much but I hate the lack of stitch definition. On the up side; as it is knit in one piece there will be no seaming and I have been able to try it on. It fits!</div>
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My book this week was lent to me by my friend Celia. It is The Forgotten Seamstress by Liz Trenow. Celia knows all about my quilting and thought this might suit me. It is about a woman who finds a quilt in her mother's attic and sets out to discover the secrets behind it. Asylums, royalty and love. If only my quilts had such a back story!An easy read and maybe not the best written book by a long way but enjoyable all the same. </div>
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I will be linking up with Yarn along and Wool on Sundays, the links are in the right hand side bar.</div>
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<br />Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17769428408767311874noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910036751541629919.post-32256067661374146502015-02-19T09:59:00.000+00:002015-02-19T14:22:34.311+00:00Busy week<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week is flying by so I am taking a few minutes this morning to jot a few things down that I have been doing.<br />
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On Tuesday I hosted a sewing bee for the Honey Bee group I belong to. We are all ladies "d'un certain âge" who met at a beginners quilt course. There are about 6 or 7 of us who decided to keep meeting up as we enjoy each other's company so much. We have a laugh, share ideas and generally get along. Liz was feeling not so good so could not join us this week so there were only 5 of us; Gilly, Jan, Kathy, Jane and me.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Concentrating on getting down to work</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gilly with her new fabrics</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jan starting to bind her quilt</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jane and her Bargello quilt and Kathy with her embroidery sampler</td></tr>
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I worked on some hand stitching of another flower block for the English Country Garden BOM so that I could organize drinks and lunch. I cooked 2 soups for lunch; Nigel Slater's <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/smokedhaddockchowder_92492"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Smoked Haddock Chowder</span></a> and Jamie Oliver's <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/creamy-mushroom-soup/#9AGDAM2pCadEtLKC.97"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Creamy Mushroom soup</span></a>. Mike made some bread to go with the soups, Gilly brought her delicious chocolate brownies and some cheese and I made an apple and cinnamon tray bake.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-rO_7epNjwIJuNPSaNrhc8eXFjzOGBBp7tojwKRJ1dWk_o7EH2ZEsrwYDOwPlaLYSyZ8i6WU4oiez_mmgnjsMR4fDS2yge2xrjIXQaAfErW_-rFWMNep5h1COA8TKgXtdAtQa1QurS9C/s1600/IMG_3388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-rO_7epNjwIJuNPSaNrhc8eXFjzOGBBp7tojwKRJ1dWk_o7EH2ZEsrwYDOwPlaLYSyZ8i6WU4oiez_mmgnjsMR4fDS2yge2xrjIXQaAfErW_-rFWMNep5h1COA8TKgXtdAtQa1QurS9C/s1600/IMG_3388.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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As well as the usual show and tell we decided to do a small fabric swap and Jane had brought a pattern for foundation paper pieced stars. We will be using the swapped fabrics and some from our own stash to make the stars. The idea had been to try to use fabrics that would not be our normal choices but that was easier said than done as we were all drawn to the colours we like the best!<br />
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Jan brought along her subscription copy of <a href="http://www.quiltmania.com/english/navigation-colonne-gauche/rubriques/la-fee-pirouettes-mystery-quilt-2015-gb.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Quiltmania</span>,</a> a French magazine that is also published in English. One of the projects featured was a Mystery Quilt BOM called Colmar by La Fée Pirouette (Nathalie Mèance) and only available in the UK though <a href="http://therunningchicken.co.uk/page/684892-quiltmania-mystery-quilt-2015.aspx"><span style="color: #b45f06;">The Running Chicken Quilting Co.</span></a> We all liked the project so much we rang and booked our places there and then. We want to work on a project together, building on our fledgling quilting skills by learning the new techniques. The photo of the first block is taken from the magazine.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyiHVwnzycZvpq93eiOUVojfXDCizCAzKpwH0hHLLZeNH00pGjFyMh933k1ITH9WOCVUXKMjiUHX3ssvnfRIJwwZsRZev_RCKmcHQ4G59bCQlYuV2QGs3u9kgSIGTmj0_SX2vYzjOtk0QC/s1600/imagegbdef.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyiHVwnzycZvpq93eiOUVojfXDCizCAzKpwH0hHLLZeNH00pGjFyMh933k1ITH9WOCVUXKMjiUHX3ssvnfRIJwwZsRZev_RCKmcHQ4G59bCQlYuV2QGs3u9kgSIGTmj0_SX2vYzjOtk0QC/s1600/imagegbdef.jpg" height="400" width="397" /></a></div>
The kits can be ordered mainly in Europe but with one outlet in Australia and one in the USA but places are filling up very fast. The written instructions are backed up by online videos so I think we should be able to cope. I am looking forward to improving my appliqué and embroidery skills.<br />
New skills sometimes require new kit too- I ordered a set of Apliquick tools. I had seen them being used by <span style="color: #b45f06;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O9BbdDf4Jc"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Lynette Anderson on Youtube</span></a> </span>and I hope they will make it easier to turn fiddly edges on small pieces of appliqué. I also ordered a book on appliqué technique; "<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Simply-Successful-Applique-Foolproof-Technique/dp/1607054809/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Simple Successful Applique</span></a>" by Jeanne Sullivan. It arrived yesterday and I have only had a quick flick through it but it looks comprehensive with great photos, a video and patterns for 9 projects.<br />
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My cardigan is progressing well and I hope to have more photos next week.<br />
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Mike and I are off to stay with friends near London for a few days. A theatre visit is planned so I might include a review next week too.<br />
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Whatever you are doing, stay warm, stay dry and stay well.<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Catherine</i></b></span><br />
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<br />Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17769428408767311874noreply@blogger.com4