Blues...

Our boiler has given up. Oh it could be worse- It is not snowy, and it is not as cold as it might be, and I think it has taken me four days to notice- but, our boiler has given up!

Well, I noticed on Monday, that the heated towel rail was not as warm as usual. but just assumed my DH had played with the timer on the system... I have such faith... and, we are lucky enough to have underfloor heating, so I also noticed the floor in the bathroom was chilly underfoot. And that the hall was cooler under bare feet than I am used to. I think I am soft!

But last night I was cold overnight, and this morning the whole house felt cool.So I checked the boiler. Wet. Water on the surface, water dripping slowly, s.o.....s.l.o.w.l.y....from the nethers of the boiler, and no lights.

So the repair man comes tomorrow. Meantime, thank goodness for electric showers!  And extra jumpers. We are fine.

On a more cheerful front, I have been very naughty. I have joined another swap. For the fun of it. I am yet to 'fess up to my DH. I have sewing he needs first, but my lovely machine has been on the sick again.

Sunday a week ago, Young friend came to sew. I turned her on (machine, not friend...) and she demanded oil. Oil into bobbin race, light goes off, display goes off, what is that nasty smell? and smoke from the back. And the needle jigged as it does when you first turn on. But it kept on jigging. And jigging. Display? nothing. Foot pedal? nothing. Nasty smell? yes, plenty.

So she has gone back to the dealer. AGAIN. Am I glad I paid for the extended guarantee? Yes. But they cannot find the details, so I really hope that, having had the front circuit replaced, and the back circuit replaced, she will go for years and years with no further problems. Everything crossed- I love her and cannot bear the idea of going back to my Singer, which went, trouble free for over 20 years. Of course she was much simpler, but so much louder too.

So, the swap?

Celtic Thistle  has started a swap, the Crafty Cook's Apron and Recipe swap, over on Flickr. And I have had some very kind and gentle arm twisting, to join. So I have. Looks like some lovely folk involved, many of whom I already am familiar with, from elsewhere.

Mosaic? what mosaic?

Oh this one!

So, sign ups go on for another week or so, and I am looking forward to seeing how it works out!

Why not join us?

Especially some of you Europeans and Russian contingent out there! That could be fun, with more and different recipes being shared!

To my hipbees, March block

 First of all, my amaryllis is amazing! there is a third flower spike popping up in the middle there!














Now, my March block!






I will have sent out to you some pieces of fabric, and this is what I would like you to make for me!









It is a Puss in the corner version 2, but I have upscaled it to make a 12.5" block, rather than the 9" block in Quilters Cache.

 This is what I have sent , Strips 5" wide and 4.5" wide, and some charms.

When you have cut it up, it will look something like this, and I trust I will have sent enough background to deal with!


And just simplify the corner blocks, making them out of rectangles and squares!

Thank you!

Saturday sewing

 My lovely husband is a Morris dancer. This entails 'kit' So that the men all look the same.  ( Tall short, fat thin... ) Baldrics are made from grosgrain ribbon, as are belts and rosettes. There is a looming problem, as there is a limited manufacture of grosgrain ribbon, and the shade of blue they use is no longer made. Meantime we have enough to keep going a little longer, and hope that someone will decide to make this colour again before we run out.

On the centre front of the baldric is a medallion, which has been embroidered by machine, and then a frill of gold grosgrain has to be put around it.






I have now come up with the simplest method for this, I think, and yards of frill were sewn - DH had a go, but quickly relinquished the machine back to me to carry on- not as easy as it looked, perhaps?

  And then the frill is stitched onto the centre, berfore satin stitching around in maroon.

A newish member will be dancing out with the side this season, and my sweaty DH needs a refurb on his kit, so I did two.

Several rosettes are also needed, so I put them together, but the dancer will have to put the rest together himself, as it has to be made to size.

These are the makings of the baldric, and I have stopped! the rest is not my baby!

This lot took a couple of hours to do. It feels like not a lot of result for the time spent. But it needed doing, and that is done!

a good day's work

I have had a friend round today. Well, truth to tell, she is my daughter's friend first. And, she has a baby. A gorgeous young man. Nearly 13 weeks old. And this young lady doesn't sew! No, make that, didn't sew!
 Look what she has accomplished today. 
Choosing fabric, and where it was going.

And then sewing and cutting, and pressing.

 Layering it up, to make that quilt sandwich, and pinning it!

 Quilting it

And trying the not quite finished item for size!

I am hoping she will come round on Sunday to trim and bind this! I think the young Sir likes his new quilty playmat!

he was sooo good. They arrived a little after 10.00, and he played and socialised until about noon. A good bottle of milk, and he was out for the count until about 4.30 this afternoon! and then he let me cuddle and chat while his Mummy got on with the sewing! With a bit of luck he will come with his Mummy on Sunday, and I can have more cuddles!

I do not know about you, but I think that is amazing for a complete- as in never touched a sewing machine before- novice!  I think she may do more.

Extravagant!

Oh dear- I have been shopping. No, sorry, not really fabric shopping- except zips.

I have seen those pretty triple zippie pouches around, and need to have a go. So I laid in a few zips. I have a very good source of zips, and as I was there anyway- I got them! The company is so helpful and although I have to buy them in bundles, they are such a good price, that it is worth having 10 of a colour- they do get used in the end. And a bundle of 10 zips goes nowhere when costumes are in the offing!

 So I treated myself to three colours!

Do not hold your breath on this one, but it will happen- when I get there.

 I have been playing with a few other things but want to keep them mostly under wraps for the moment, so not a lot of sewing to show, yet.

And another piece of extravagance?
A new teapot!
A favourite died before Christmas, as they do, and we had a choice. Too big, or really not big enough. So this medium size fellow has come in to our house- and DD1 has expressed a desire to see what it was like!

My sewing activities have included some much needed decluttering. I have been very strong, and thrown away those silly scraps which are really only big enough to make a petal for bondaweb applique, and then you couldn't stitch them!

So these are what are left of the smaller bits. 









And I have sorted all the strips of leftover, into width categories- How did I collect all those strips?

Some of these strips are barely wide enough to provide an accent for something, and any that hit the 2.5" width got stashed in a separate poly bag



















and larger scraps got put into my bonus box! a shoe box acquired with a recent footwear purchase! Well, waste not!




and so I can pretend to be tidying up.....

Hip bee block, February

This is the block Di has chosen for her month as queen bee. She sent out gorgeous fabric, and directions for the most economical cutting, and asked for this block. It went together really well, for reasons unknown to myself, and I hope Di will be pleased. I have seen the fabric she has chosen for the others, too, and I think it will be fabulous when completed.

I am also trying to decide exactly what I am asking for, as it is my month next, and having thought I knew, I am now uncertain.
So, even I will have to wait and see...

thinking cap on...

I am sure I will come up with something- oh dear- but what?

Wonky February starts

The stash bee queen for February has called for her blocks. She wanted wonky blocks, one each of a log cabin and a star. I think I am not alone in fnding wonky difficult at times. Apart from anything else, the frugal bit of me hates to cut off that seam at an angle, and screams 'you can't waste that bit! Make it straight, it is so much more economical' .

But, as you can see, I have managed a wonky star, and most of my log cabin is wonky. Ish. Sort of. It will have to do.

 Joining in the wonky theme. An amaryllis. Yes, I know, they are not called that any more. There was a name change. But that is what it was when I was little, so I shall still call it that. But an amaryllis with a wonk!

Why is it wonky?

Normally you would suppose I had it with that bud toward the window.

But just look at the other side.

 You can just about see, the bud the other side, is trying to grow wonky the other way....


I think I got a wonky amaryllis!












 Signs of spring are starting. First primroses, and the very first snowdrops are making their presence felt in the garden.





We were out for an hour today, pruning and chopping- maybe a little early, but the day was clement, and no guarantee of another such day in the next week or so, so we filled the 'green' bin, and then some. And called a halt once that was done.











And this is for my daughters. She only wants some more food! Poor half starved little Genny cat!