Thursday, 30 August 2012

THE POSTMAN RETURNED ...

... again today... what better way to be greeted when you get up than this on the mat?


APART from the dogs being excited to see ME of-course!! lol x

Keep smiling

Diane xx

Wednesday, 29 August 2012

OOH! LOOK....

....what the post man brought me today..


it is my Christmas swap block from Cathy xx Love it xx

Keep smiling

Diane xx

Tuesday, 28 August 2012

AFTER YESTERDAY....

.... I decided I should do some housework... so... after cutting lots of small squares..


I divided them up into the piles to make blocks...


and made a block..


THEN I cleaned up a bit... and went shopping. I just happened to be passing HobyCraft and HAD to go in!! ..


...these cards will make wonderful stencils for a quilt that has been in my head for a while, and the threads will be perfect for my Block-Of-The-Month quilt xx

After a bit more cleaning I sorted fabric and began work on my September Round-Robin...(August quilts went in the post yesterday x)


come on !! I could not show it to you ... its a mystery xx

Keep smiling

Diane xx

Monday, 27 August 2012

BECAUSE TODAY IS ....

.....a Bank Holiday here in the UK the weather is doing this....


NORMAL then! I decided (reluctantly) that I would do some housework!! BUT I read a post that reminded me that the last block of the Block-Of-The-Month was out... phew! saved by the block !He-He ! So I made the block....


and looked at them all together on the wall...


and thought ... what the heck!

So.... I put them together...


and found some fabric for the back (just a bit of joining needed)..


now it is layered up and ready to quilt over the winter xx...


The housework? OH! Its too late to do that to-day.... maybe tomorrow x

Keep smiling

Diane xx


Saturday, 25 August 2012

WELL!...

... you lot had plenty of excuses why you could NOT come and help square-up my blocks!! lol x

SO... while talking to Sally (in Australia) this morning... Skype is the BEST thing since sliced bread, OR, the rotary cutter xx....  I trimmed and trimmed ... and now I have ..


a pile of trimmings!!!! AND....


96 half square triangles that can be used to make blocks xx Sally says I am MAD and have TOO MUCH patience! However I would rather do this ...then the mistakes in piecing are mine... than have blocks I am unhappy with. xx

OH! The tea and cake...


ALL GONE! However the kettle is always on... and there is ALWAYS cake... for the grandchildren you understand xx

Keep smiling

Diane xx

Friday, 24 August 2012

I HAVE ....

.... 96 half square triangles to square up....


any one want to come and join in?

....I will provide cake.... and lots of cups of tea xx

When they are squared up they will be sewn into blocks like these...


Keep smiling

Diane xx

Wednesday, 22 August 2012

ON FRIDAY...

...one of our HCA's is going to have her 60 th birthday, AND, on Saturday ..most of us..will be celebrating with her..


she has been telling us ( well... moaning!!) that she could not find a pair of shoes, or sandals, to go with her new party outfit xx THEN, yesterday she banged her foot on a bag that a patient had left partly sticking out under his bed! NOW she has a broken toe and 2 broken bones in her foot!!! What a way to NOT have to buy a new pair of shoes!!
I have made another BIG block for my quilt..(picture come out dark sorry)....


and I have ... most of ... 2 more blocks cut out and ready to work on ...

Keep smiling

Diane xx

Sunday, 19 August 2012

FAMILY...

.... you gotta love them! My brother came round and gave me these...

he wants 6 of these ...


by September 3rd..... (if possible of course!) And as many more as I can make after that! I know I like a challenge .. BUT!! lol x We will see x

I have cut out more fabric for the next block of my quilt...


just need some time now to sew them together xx Well next weekend is a Bank Holiday.... and this IS the UK. ..... so. it is bound to RAIN!! Wonder what I will be doing? lol x

Keep smiling

Diane xx



Saturday, 18 August 2012

WORKING NIGHTS.....

..... you notice the light  and how it changes, last rota we were going to work with no lights on and the morning was getting light from about 4am...... this rota I have had to have the lights on the car every night, its not dark but its that in between sort of not quite dark not quite light.... and the mornings.... well it is after 5 before we are noticing the light.... sigh just shows how the year is rushing past.... still... there is always more time to sew in the darker times because you cannot be in the garden so much xx

Talking about sewing I have managed a little the last few days...




just going out in the garden!!



Keep smiling

Diane xx

Tuesday, 14 August 2012

GOING TO WORK...

...on my nights off is not my idea of fun!! However there are so many mandatory sessions that have to be "endured" !! Today it was  medicines management..... 3 .. yes three ..hours of theory followed by a 15 min test... WITH MATHS!! Thank goodness it is done ... and over xx

Before I went the Post man brought me this...


....there may just be a few projects to keep me occupied xx

Last but by no means least I began to plan what I am going to do with the fabrics from my friend Mary (who I give a lift to quilt group in Congleton) ...


You will have to wait a while to see what I do with the blocks... but you have had a taster xx

Keep smiling

Diane xx

Monday, 13 August 2012

SO FAR TODAY....

....there has been no sewing done!!!

I have a VERY good excuse though!!

I went to Harrogate ... To Betty's Tea Rooms...(about 2 hour drive from here x)..


Mum and dad came as well...



and we had a wonderful High tea.. on china plates with silver service xx ...


Marvellous time xx It was Debs birthday (remember they are my Australian visitors xx)


and her and Craig's 18 th wedding anniversary xx


I am off to do some hand work ... with a cuppa on the side of course.

Keep smiling

Diane xx

Sunday, 12 August 2012

THURSDAY....

... was quilt group in Sandbach. The meeting was advertised as... Afternoon tea... in the evening... We had to take our own china cup, saucer and plate. Refreshments were provided by the ladies of the committee... and what a feast we had! There were cakes and biscuits, and strawberries and cream, and tarts .... WONDERFUL. .. I had a taste of everything... well, it would have been rude not to!! lol x


We had a quiz... spot the star.. which was all pictures of musicians... (my team got 19 out of 20... pretty good we thought)

We had pass the parcel... before a layer of paper could be removed a music based question had to be answered, the forfeit for getting it wrong was to sing a nursery rhyme... there must be some VERY scared children out there! The "singers" were not as good at holding a tune as they are at holding a needle!!! lol x 

We also had the raffle for the blocks made with the challenge fabrics...


LUCKILY for me I did NOT win any PHEW!!!!!  just need to see what the "winners" come up with!

 As you know I am a member of Sandbach and Congleton quilt groups, Through the winter months I have been giving a lift to one of our other members as she is not happy driving in the dark. She is also a member of both groups... and .. on Thursday she gave me these fabrics as a "thank you"...


She should not have done it (I'm going anyway) .... BUT .... I'm really glad she did! NOW I have to decide what I am going to do with them.


Keep smiling

Diane xx

Saturday, 11 August 2012

3 POINTS...

....FIRST..... a BIG thank-you to you lovely ladies for cheering me up yesterday xx I was having one of "THOSE" days!! I had a block that was so tight and pointed in the middle it could have been used as a circus tent or a coolies hat (!), one that was flat but somehow only had 10 blades NOT 12 (!)... and one that is best just left !!

SO I stood back.. and answered my own questions...

NO it is not like me to give in .. BUT sometimes you just have to do it ..

NO it was not FUN...

NO-one would die if I didn't make it...

NO I did not want to have another go....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SO... I packed up some fabric, wrote a note.... and went to the Post Office x

The post from yesterday was ..... letting off steam x To-day I can laugh at my-self and my tantrum... and I know you would have enjoyed the pictures (I did not take!) of the disasters I made ! That's life for you xx

SECOND  ....... Last night mum and I went to see Pam Ayres...NO-ONE could be miserable after that x She was well on form..


The venue was Gawsworth Hall, which is a Tudor Manor House about 45 mins drive away from here x.....


The weather was kind , we laughed a lot, the company was good ....this was half time...


and after this it did get a bit cool... and dark, but it was a great evening out xx we had cushions, and lap quilts, and fleeces..so no problems x

THIRD .... We get to say HELLO .. to Doris , who joins us here as a follower at The Cheshire Quilter xx hope you stay a while xx

OH! Also when I came out this morning to take the boys for a walk this beautiful little moth was on my car...


now there is some lacey inspiration xx There is always something to smile at... sometimes we are just TOO close to notice and need that (small) step back xx

(Back to) keep smiling

Diane xx

Friday, 10 August 2012

I heard...

....that my partner has received her Halloween-Round-Robin block, so I can show you the borders I added (the flying geese)....


I have worked on mine and will be posting it off towards the end of the month.

To-day I decided to work on the Hive #3 block (that I thought I had made yesterday!!)...

I read the instruction, I chose the fabric, I cut , I sewed... I ripped and resewed....REPEAT ALL of above  and ... REPEAT ONCE MORE ....now ....this...


is what is going in the post...

As you know I love Dresden plate blocks and quilts... I just could NOT do it! I tried 2 different rulers... I tried making the blocks as directed  NO it is not going to happen! So I admitted defeat... and have moved on.... the blocks?


they are in a deep dark place from which they will NEVER appear

Trying to keep smiling

Diane xx

Thursday, 9 August 2012

BACK ON TRACK...

... oh yes! I got some sewing done today... of course I could still be sewing... BUT ... I am watching the FABULOUS horses and riders in the dressage to music.. THEY ARE JUST AWESOME! Did I mention I LOVE watching the Olympic games? lol xx

UPDATE; the one at the moment is DANCING to the music of The Last Mohecan (? sp)... bringing tears !! next; The British girl just did a lifetime best to go into first place!! NOW  its !I vow to thee my country"!! Tears are flowing here!!  

I made my JULY (!) block for the Block-Of-The-Month... really enjoyed making this one...



one to go x Then I made the August block for Amber, this is the Stash Hive #4 group... for some reason I thought I was on the #3 block!!  Good job I checked before taking it to the Post Office (tomorrow it will be winging its way to Maine)...


I will work on block for group #3 later today... or tomorrow x

We had a great time last night , there were 4 birthdays ... but one of the girls was poorly so these are the 3 that were there...


because of this they did not have a cake each... but we took these..


THIS is the pudding I was talked into having! Didn't take much talking! lol ...


I am off to Sandbach tonight for quilt group... we are having afternoon tea... in the evening! Will report back!

I have to find time to catch up with all the blog reading as well!!!

keep smiling

Diane xx