What I did at the week-end

Some time ago I saw a demo of Stepping Stone Quilt by Kitty Pippen on Alex Anderson's Simply Quilts at HGTV. This pattern has been nagging me for a long time now, so it was a relief to finally have some time to make it.

And here it is...

Art in the Garden

The quilt needs some hand quilting down the sides. The original has scalloped quilting, but I would like to have leaves, so I intend to do some sketching of lakeland flora whilst up in the Lakes. So although it is completed in the physical sence it is not finished yet...

I've never felt so popular!

Last time I looked at the visitor counter I had 2005 visitors from 48 countries - who'd have thought little old me could be so popular!

DH has taken the Darlings to the Grandparents this week-end and will return with Son tomorrow afternoon, so Son can start his theatre club on Monday. So that means I have a whole day quilting, finishing some WIPs and starting a new one which has been a mental WIP for too long - You know the ones I mean, you see a pattern, or have an idea, buy the fabric and then the idea sits in your head and the fabric goes AWOL until you finally get some time to focus on it. Well today and tomorrow is that time! Hopefully I will have something to show at close of play tomorrow night.

Off for some sleep, night!

Sewing Machine...

So you own a sewing machine, well I am fortunate to own two, BUT that does not automatically mean that all I do all day is make frocks and hem trousers! Twice this week it has been suggested that I would be good at doing such things - Well, yes, I can follow a pattern and produce an outfit, I 've made a few for the children so why does it make me cross? I have explained to people, when they ask what I do, that it is a City and Guild Stitched Textiles course - this obviously means I stitch textiles together to make frocks! NO! Sometimes there is no fabric involved, as in this current module where I am making paper.

Do any of you out there in Blog Land get the same assumptions?

And no I shall't be doing any alterations as there is a very good shop up the road where two lovely well trained seamstresses can do it much more professionally than I - and can they make paper that can be made into something interesting? Probably!!! :D

Rant over, going for a lie down in a dark room with my Janome to calm down!

Is it time to get up yet?

No, not Christmas morning, but my Son's 11th birthday. So excited was he that he woke us up at 1.30am, 3.15am and 5.10am when he decided he may as well wait for the alarm and climbed into our bed!

We finally raised ourselves at 6am for cups of tea and cards and presents opening.

We have been counting down the days for this birthday as it will be the last one at Primary school and he arrived this morning with sweets for his class mates. Tomorrow will be his last day and he may not see some of the children again as they depart to different secondary schools. Tomorrow will also be the last time we go to school together as he will be on the school bus with his sister from September. So it is a poinient time for me too, as an end of an era looms.
No more playground chats for me, although we do have our "book club" evenings where "Big School" Mums return to meet up with the playground Mums to have a catch up and a 10 minute synopsis of the book - yes there really is a book and most of us read it!!!

Tomorrow he will join some of his class mates for a ride in a stretched Hummer and an end of school party at the local Pizza Hut. Later on we will be going to the cinema to see "Wall.e" with a friend who will be sleeping over. That should be a birthday treat to remember!

Not sure how much coursework, or sewing in general, will get done over the next two days, but I'm sure I'll make up for it at the week-end. I have a week-end to myself as DH is flying with the children to see the Grandparents, leaving Daughter for a weeks holiday, whilst Son returns, (with DH), for a week of Theatre Club. Son gets his week with the Grandparents at the end of the family holiday and Daughter has fun as a Guide helper at the Brownie Pack holiday.

Everybody's happy and I have some time to continue with the coursework - which during August is usually some mean feat!

Off to get some housework done, (as dust is becoming visible!!!), before going up to school for the "Leaver's Assembly". I have the camera battery charged and a packet of tissues or two in my handbag. Not usually one for tears, but I may make an exception this afternoon!

Post Tutorial Changes

I took the fascinator to Summer School for Sian to see and evaluate it for the module 3 final piece. I was quite happy with it but I felt it needed abit of something coming out of the top to balance the wire and tassle coming out of the bottom! Sian agreed that it needed some thing and I did when I returned. I was hoping to show you a picture of the fascinator with it's "twiddle" of beads twisting out of the top. I obviously haven't downloaded a picture yet!

Just downloaded 48 picture from the camera to find there are none of the fascinator so I will have to take some later! Still have the other few things to complete for Module 3, but just couldn't help myself from starting Module 4 and have been beavering away in the garage where I have set up a "paper mill" and have a variety of papers pulped and ready to go.

I have made paper from Newspaper, Glossy Mags, white letters and envelopes, brown wrapping paper and white serviettes. These are just for practising to get the technique right.

The fabrics I ordered from Whalley's of Bradford arrived this morning so I am ready for dyeing so I can begin the drawn thread work - will need to do this soonest as I intend to take the drawn threadwork on holiday.

This should keep me busy...

Summer School Friendship Ribbons

Ribbons hanging down the staircase at Urchfont

Laid out on table

These lovely creations were made with the help of all the Distant Stitchers who attended this year's Summer School. The ribbons have a rubbing of each others name and a gift of fabric, paper, or bead from our stash.

Mine now hangs in my work room to remind me

of the lovely people I spent this years Summer School with.

Thanks for the Laughter whilst watching the film!!!

Never Go Shopping On An Empty Stomach...

Also never go shopping on a new module!

Friday morning is week-end shopping time so I head to town with Module 4 buzzing around my head and ended up purchasing 2 sets of photo-frames to make grid frames, and a storage box to hold the paper making grids, from Tescos and a bag full of lovely net /lace fabric samples for grids from the Local textile shop. Whilst walking around the supermarket I was looking at the bags holding the fruit and veg instead of what was on my list! I bought some purple garlic because the net bag had a lovely pattern! Now I need some interesting garlic recipes using the whole bulb as it is a shame to just chop them up.

HOME

Summer school as been and gone and I made it home through the rain and mini floods. I never seem too sad when leaving Urchfont in the rain - when it's glorious sunshine it's a totally different matter!

To all Distant Stitcher's who had lunch with me today you can officially stand down as character witnesses as the School Shirt Massacre will not now be taking place! Came home to find all rooms returned back to pre Parent-in-law visit, bedding washed(!) and home as tidy as I left and those shirts I lovingly ironed before leaving were found where they should be - Daughter's bedroom! Daughter made up for it by cooking dinner, leaving me time to unpack and return to being Mum.

I found an email dated 14/07/07 suggesting Bailey Curtis and Margaret Beal. Maybe Sian will consider them for next year? You've got to admit it was a brilliant Summer School and gave plenty of things to laugh about - you'll never look at vegetable oil and a certain type of paper bag in the same way again!

Too tired to do much more, will download photos tomorrow

Good night

Fascinator Revealed

Da dah...!

To all those who where unable to be at Urchfont College this week-end

here are various views of the Fascinator

You're fascinated aren't you?

I promise I will post pictures of the Fascinator in full technicolour on Wednesday evening, once I have returned from Summer School.

Now I am madly trying to finish off all the loose ends of each chapter, ready to show Sian and the Distant Stitchers. I am excited about returning to Urchfont and seeing all the new D.S's and the returnees.

Darling In Laws decend later this morning, so manically tidying the house, making sure cupboards are stocked and school uniforms are ready for Monday as well as packing my own bags.

Now off to bed to get a bit of sleep before the alarm goes off!