YOU KNOW WHAT ITS LIKE ....

.... when you get the call of .... muuuum /grandmaaaaaa can you make me....!!!

They know the way to motivate you OR ........is that they just know how to wrap you around the finger ... and get you to do what they want!! lol x

The latest call was from Sally (daughter)... she wants a bag for her I-pad ... now she is an artist ... so her pad is .... as big as my laptop!!!!

She wants GREEN ... and there seems to be a polka dot theme going on .. her dog is green polka dots xx

SO.... a bag has been made ...

IT IS GREEN...

and of course there are polka dots xx..

the inside is flannel .. (and spotty) .. so that it wont scratch the screen ...

it has been given the seal of approval PHEW!!!... my reputation is intact xx lol x

(mind you I think it fits MY laptop rather well .... lol ..

Waiting for the next call now xx

Diane x

WE HAVE A.......

...... TV programme here in the UK about a grocer called Arkwright ... it is called Open All Hours .. and at the end of each episode he is closing the shop and reviewing what has happened. He ALWAYS says .. "its been a funny old day...." WELL I have to say ..."its been a funny old WEEK!!"

Last Saturday (Valentines Day) my dad .. 85 never ill and taking NO medication .. decided to shake us all up and had a stroke!! In one week he has had a CT scan, an MRI scan, a Doppler scan, a Cardio Echogram.... and an Ultra sound !!!! Multiple blood tests and seen just about every member of the Stroke multidisciplinary team!...

I have to say as a romantic gesture for Valentines it leaves a lot to be desired!

He is now home .. with a stick that (somehow) makes him walk in an .. almost .. straight line rather than sideways... some physical weakness and some personality changes that my mum is finding difficult to cope with .... BUT he is with us xx Taking medication for the first time in his life .. and NOT doing as he is told to!!

So the week has been a mixture of rushing around .. sorting out .. and supporting my mother .. interspersed with moments of stillness and ... TO KEEP ME SANE... occasional sewing xx

PHEW!... oh! And occasional visits from the Postman x

The postman brought me 2 more Bee blocks...

and I made 2 more of the little dogs ... one for Sally (daughter)..

and one for James (grandson)...

Quite a pack is forming ...

I have one more requested x

I also made the next 4 mini foundation pieced blocks ... (just looking at the picture I realise the heart is not finished on the upper right corner ... what WAS I thinking !!!)

in case you are wondering THIS..

is a lop eared rabbit!! It will look better with some embellishments!!... I hope xx lol x

I DO hope your Valentines day .. and week have been considerably better x

Diane x

THE POSTMAN...

... is always in a job when it comes to visiting my house xx

Yesterday he brought me ... my February Christmas swap block (well 2 actually .. I'm feeling spoilt this month )..

and the latest Brit Bee blocks ...

Remember the latest Sandbach challenge ? Having made the examples for the group I had to come up with something different for my effort .... so these..

will be my offerings x

Diane x

THIS IS ...

... one of those posts where I do lots of catching up .. and showing pictures xx SO.. if you don't have too much to do .. this is the place to be for a while ...xx lol x

For Christmas a friend gave me an amaryllis bulb ... and the last couple of days have given me ...

 

it is just stunning x... AND in the garden it is slowly going from ..

to...

hopefully there will be many more blooms in a couple of days xx... SRING is always there around the corner x

Remember Jo .. who I have passed on the swapping addiction to? She sent me this beautiful Valentine to start our swap  ..

many more to follow I am sure x She has joined in with the Sandbach challenge too... and with her 12 charm squares has made..

isn't that wonderful. It is the meeting to-night so it is going as inspiration for our ladies ... the challenge ends at the March meeting so they all have time yet to make their own stunning creations x

NOW... older readers will .. I AM SURE..remember the saga of .. BLAIRS BLOCKS .. for my younger readers .. here goes..

Sally .. my daughter lives in Australia with Blair ...HE has  moaned for ......YEARS that I made quilts for everyone BUT HIM!! In 2013 I was in a swap .. can you believe that!.. and asked for log cabin blocks ... I got enough for a top .. and a back! WELL... this last week I got it all  finished ... ALL HAND QUILTED xx.... (measures 81 ins square)

 

....NOW it so happened that AFTER I finished the top .. and the backing .. some more blocks came in .. so I made a few to go with them .... and he has a mini quilt .... ALL HAND QUILTED..

 

...THEN just when I thought it was all over with the piecing ... and I was safe ... .. 2 more blocks arrived!!.. I have had them in the bag with everything else .. and just had to do SOMETHING with them ... so he also has a cushion ... NOT QUILTED at all!!..

 

NO MORE PLEASE xx lol xx.... just let him moan now!!!!!!!

OH! and I made a cake ..

If anyone is still here xx WELL DONE XX..... sorry no cake left but I am sure you can find some ... its good for the soul you know x 

See you soon

Diane x


 

I RECIEVED...

... 2 more Brit Bee blocks ..

.....they are so wonderful! Vibrant and fun ... and 3D too x I am feeling very lucky x

Diane x

TWO...

... Block-Of-The-Month patterns does not seem to be enough for me! SO I went and found another one .. OR.. it found me .. I'm not sure which it is xx lol ...AND all 3 are paper pieced .. oh yes!

I made February's block to-day...

 

I DO NOT want to make a sample quilt .. or wall hanging .. so a place mat it has become x

Diane  x

YOU MAY REMEMBER....

.... not so very long ago I said ... I'm cutting back on swaps ... !!!! OK .. it didn't last long .. but here I go again xx lol x This time it is with just one person .. Jo , who lives in Liverpool .. and wants to get involved with swapping xx ... we are starting with a Block-A-Month for 6 months to see how she goes on x.. I made her this block..

and now she is having a go x

I made my Christmas Swap block (yes.. same block x).. it is in the post to Australia..

I ALSO made this months Quiet Play block..

....this little fella was easier than the flamingo .. but I have decided my animals will all have SQUARE eyes xx He-He xx

Before I began sewing .. I got baking ....

..... they were in the oven while I was sewing xx ... the one on the left was from an article on what to do with left over mincemeat .. the one on the right is a lemon madeira cake x ... Only half of each as my mum and dad have claimed the other half !! lol xx

WHILE I was slaving away (!) the Postman brought me 2 more Brit Bee blocks ..

the lime green is FABULOUS x This is going to be one wonderful quilt x

Hope your day has been as good as mine x

Diane x