breakthrough

well we have spent our bank holiday weekend working on the plot. I now know that we are not really destined to do physical work - everything aches - but we have made a hole in the flint and clunch wall and managed to salvage some of the stone for more wall building later. we have taken out some of the front hedge and a bit of the brick wall - it looks an awful long way from front to back where the drive is going to be, we have managed to save some of my precious plants and heeled them in a trench for safe keeping and hopefully eventual replanting, and we have spent some time today clearing the remains of an old fence, complete with wriggly tin and wire wrapped up in ivy and brambles - yuk! thank goodness we have vehicles and dumping space at our disposal.

some images from the loch lomond show

an adventure north of the border and other things

can't believe that its almost a week since i returned from the loch lomond show, where does the time go and whatever have i been doing all week? it was a very long journey north of the border 1020 miles in all but i had a really good time and met up with some great people. i stopped off at lytham on the way to visit my cousin glynis and met up with christopher and ashleigh and was able to visit the wedding venue for september - all very lovely. i thought lytham was in the north but it is still quite a long way south of glasgow! my flying visit to dumbarton and loch lomond was very productive, i saw lots of lovely quilts - especially those of six structured, christine porter's tiles quilts (not at all like mine) linzi upton's yurt (amazing) and the lovely work of anne tuck and hanne asbey. sadly i didn't get around all the venues but i take my hat off to the organisers for pulling the show off each year. well done ruth, isabel and patricia - i hope patricia is well again now. the return journey was via lytham and then dronfield to visit auntie doreen in respite care - what a hot day that was to be in the car all day.
since getting home i seem to have been in a panic about the wedding dress and bridesmaids dresses so i have been working on them all week - i do hope they are going to look alright on the day. wedding dress just about done now but 2 bridesmaids dresses still to do and time running away - help!!!!!!!!!!! i have given up on making my outfits and have passed the fabric on to angel to make up for me - quite a relief .

news on the building front - we have now done a bit of a redesign of the house so we don't have to divert the sewage pipe, it seemed silly throwing a large amount of cash down a hole, rather sad to have to change the house but sometimes you just have to compromise. we have told the builder to make a start so he should be here next week and says its a 26 week job - will we be in for christmas? probably far too optomistic. this weekend instead of usual bank holiday jaunts we will be dismantling the old wall and taking down the front wall and hedge to make a gap for the drive to go through - watch this space. anyway it will take my mind off thinking about the boys in devon for alex's stag weekend - will everyone please look out for a group of 'super heroes' on the devon beaches. christopher is going dressed as bat woman!

so now its back to the bridesmaids dresses.

just exhausted

no pictures today just an update on life in general.

we spent the bank holiday weekend moving alex and lynette from bury st edmunds to sawston. with the help of lynette's parents we even got 3 rooms painted and most of the stuff moved and unpacked. in the middle of all this activity ashleigh finally arrived back from afghanistan which meant we were all able to go out for a well earned meal together on sunday evening in cambridge. in amongst all this chaos we managed to get 2 of the bridesmaids to sawston for dress fittings!

the saga of the building site continues. much frustration last week over the sewage pipe which has become a huge stumbling block. i can't bear to think that we have to throw so much money down a hole to have the pipe diverted so now we are going down the track of a revision to the house plans - i think it might work. just a little disappointing not to go with the original design that we really love but perhaps the revision has its own advantages. we really must get building soon.

i had a little diversion yesterday when i visited amwell quilters near hoddesdon lovely to see some familiar faces, met gladys who was with me in spain last autumn complete with one of her pieces. it seems like a really friendly group.

atw quilts have been sent off to loch lomond for the big show, i'm looking forward to seeing them when i get there. have sent off my entry form for festival of quilts but still got one quilt to start - let alone finish - when do they have to be ready??????????

better get back to work..........................

some images from belstead

just a few images from the belstead weekend lovely work well done girls

a weekend at belstead house

i had a very good weekend at belstead house with girls from romford and essex embroiderers guild it was really nice ot meet you all. lots of creative work and everyone had some fun - i hope!

i also enjoyed meeting ruth smith from southampton and was fascinated by her folded books i am going to have a go at making myself one when i get time.

talking about time i have made 2 peg bags today - yes you did read that correctly - why? well i suppose the answer is because i can - also i hope they are going to be useful at their intended destinations. is it avoidance tactics though? i seem to have so many things i need to be doing and end up doing something silly.

i'm down at quilters haven tomorrow doing a bit more 'melting and burning' and then friday we should be starting to help alex and lynette move to sawston. i've made a pot of chilli and a chocolate cake so we've got supplies! all being well ashleigh should be on her way home from afghanistan on friday as well so we may get to see her in a few days. a busy weekend ahead.

tulips and other stuff

another little experiment using sheers to make a link or insertion. i've got ideas to make a larger piece with the tulip motif so watch this space, as they say. just need a lot more time and energy.

had a good meeting today about sending our atw quilts to the loch lomond show in may, some older pieces and some lovely new ones, hope some of you will be able to get to see them. our ely quilts are in america with fiber transformed - going on tour no less.

i'm off to market harborough this week to meet some quilters and belstead house at the weekend to meet some embroiderers from essex, i hope they are ready to be creative.

weddings seems to dominate our time at the moment and house moves - alex and lynette should soon complete on their new house in sawston - just need someone to buy the house in bury now! it looks as though the havoc caused by the volcano is going to delay ashleigh coming back from afghanistan all she wants to do is come home and enjoy planning her wedding. the wedding dress for lynette just needs a little 'fine tuning' and the first bridesmaids dress is ready for a fitting. i'm playing with some other lengths of yummy fabric thinking of making my own outfits for the weddings.

what else is going on here? well just the building project that frustratingly hasn't started, we are still trying to overcome the obstacle of the sewage pipe - it looks as though we are going to have to divert it after all - a lot of money to throw down a hole. so all in all quite a few things to occupy my mind.