Tuesday 27 October 2015

WOYWW - Still Stitching !


Well nothing very new to report this week as the Scandi Stitching is still taking up all my crafting time !

So my work desk this week is still in my Quilting cupboard !

And my normal work-desk is sulking quietly because I am neglecting it & haven't even sat at it in a couple of weeks !





 The blocks around the edge of my Quilt Topper took me rather longer than I had thought they would !
But it gave me a sense of achievement to get the blocks finished & stitched together !


Just the final border to add & then I can layer, quilt and add the binding !













And to give myself a break in block piecing, I got the other 23 advent stockings finished too !

Just when you thought you had had enough of red, white & taupe I have to warn you that I still have a wall hanging in the same fabrics which I haven't even started yet !
And yes, I am dreaming in Scandi colours !!

Have a great crafty week
Ali x




Tuesday 20 October 2015

WOYWW Scandi Stitching !

Back home safe & sound from working at the trade fair in Cologne ... five long, foot-weary & hectic days !
The trade show is the biggest in the world - and has visitors from all over the world - the whole city is a buzz with foodie types from every continent !

Having worked 11 days straight it was lovely to have Friday off as a lieu day & create a long weekend.


I was in tidy mode and spent a happy couple of hours being fairly ruthless in my craft room drawers ! I dumped things that were too old to ever see the light of day again, donated some better stuff to the charity shop and now actually know what I have in my stash !
Only two more sets of drawers & a huge cupboard to tidy next - that will be this winter's project !

Tidy urge satisfied, I set about making up the Scandi-style topper quilt.

I had really forgotten just quite how much maths is involved in designing a quilt !

Working out block sizes, layouts and border widths was a good workout for the little grey cells !

So my work-desk this week is my quilt cupboard - a cascade of red & white !!


Here's the progress so far !
















And just to keep the Scandi theme going here are some of the Advent Stockings in the same fabric theme ...
One down ... 23 to go !

Have a great crafty week ! Ali x 

  

Tuesday 6 October 2015

WOYWW - Busy Weekend !

Well I've had a busy few weekends so haven't been blogging - but have been having great fun !

2 weekends ago Much Beloved & I had an action packed weekend away including trips to historic Winchester & Bath, MB's nephew's 18th Birthday Party and a Vietnamese Cooking lesson !

Winchester was charming - and the weather was just a perfect Indian Summer's Day so we got to see the historic city at it's best !
History and shopping - a wonderful combination !

Rich's nephew had a family "do" to celebrate his 18th and as his Dad is 60 tomorrow they celebrated what they billed as a "78th" Birthday party !


On the Sunday we moved on down to Bath where we went to see the renovations at Dyrham Park - as well as seeing some amazing fallow Deer in full antlers !

The National Trust have erected an enormous cathedral like structure of scaffolding & plastic over the entire house and a lift took us up to a walkway round the whole of the roof so we were looking down into the roof repairs - it was amazing to see a perspective you would never imagine seeing normally !
They even facilitated wheelchair access so rich could see everything too !
You can see we had to don Hi-Vis vests to make the trip !

Bath is a lovely city which dates back to Roman times.
We enjoyed the sights & shopping by day and then enjoyed a brilliant Thai meal at one of our favourite restaurants - on the way back to the hotel we went back to see the Abbey & around the Roman Baths by moonlight as it was a Full Moon - so atmospheric & peaceful with all the tourists long gone.

The Monday was my birthday & spending it at work seemed a gloomy prospect so we took a day off & Rich had organised for us to have a lesson from a Vietnamese Chef who runs classes from her home in Bath.

We had a fun & wildly aromatic day learning about all the spices & herbs they use - and made up several recipes which we'll definitely be trying again at home !

I love a lot of South East Asian food so really enjoyed learning techniques & food pairing tricks - yummy !




This weekend we welcomed our friends Chris & Mary from Manchester to stay.

On Saturday the weather held out & we were able to show off our stunning sandy beaches then enjoy a companionable meal at our favourite local restaurant.

We aren't Welsh speaking ourselves but could resist getting them a Welsh souvenir from the ladies who run a shabby chic stall at the local market.






On Sunday after a morning walk in the Mumbles, including the Lifeboat House, the menfolk went to football.
So Mary & I got painty & gluey decorating letters to spell our her new grand-daughter's name.

As Iris means Rainbow we chose colours of the rainbow & added embellishments in the Finnabar style.

We were pretty pleased with them at the end - so we thought why not celebrated with a glass of something bubbly !




I am working in Germany at the massive Food Trade Fair from Friday to late Tuesday so won't catch you next week  - take care ! Love Ali x