There ain't no cure.....

for the Summertime Blues!

Tell me does this look like an idyllic summer day to you.....

I didn't think so!  

That abandoned wheelbarrow has been there for a month.  Ever since the day it started to rain while I was doing some garden clearance.   It hasn't stopped raining since!     You know that old adage about one Swallow not making a summer...... well....

it seems that four Swallows don't make a summer either.   They're camping out under the portico over the kitchen door waiting till it's time to head off to Africa.   At least they get to go to Africa.... where the sun actually shines.  

Enough whinging about the weather although I have to say it's a national pastime in the UK and we're internationally famous for it.  On with some sewing stuff then.......

I can't show you any actual sewing because the projects I've been working on are top secret and I'm not clever enough with my camera to take any of those blurry shots that keep you guessing.  So I'm going to show you some goodies I bought recently.

Chris, Sally, Kitty and little (!) me headed off for couple of days at the Quilt Festival in Birmingham.  It was touch and go whether I'd get to go this year but my luck held.    Can't show you any photo's of the fabulous quilts we saw there I'm afraid..... I was half way down the M6 Motorway when I realised I'd left my camera behind!   Idiot!!

OK.... here's the goodies I bought there......

I love Don't Look Now patterns.   Thank goodness I had the foresight to buy some great jelly strips of Rowan fabrics for the applique.   Sound like a good reason for buying more fabric to you?   I thought so!

Now for a pattern I've had my beady eye on for a while....

It's 'The English Basket Quilt' by Corliss Searcey.    I picked up my copy at Petra Prins booth at the show.  Got those great templates there too.  They have nothing at all to do with the basket quilt.... I just liked them.  Besides as I'm getting older and my eyesight fails the luminous yellow templates will be easy to see.  Makes them an essential buy don't ya think.

You know I love applique and doing it every which way don't you.  Well... now I'm all tooled up for yet another method.....

The very first demo we watched at the show was at the Girona Artquilt booth.... about 5 minutes after we rushed in the door on day one.   Check out that link..... there's a little video on the right hand side of the page showing the tools in action.     I saw in an instant how invaluable they'd be as I get older and my little (!) fingers are not quite so deft.   Whoever tells Mac that a couple of double point knitting needles would do the same job... cheaper... is a dead woman.  Capiche!! 

Now... a book that was actually top of my shopping list for the show.....

I know a lot of you already have a copy.  I was tempted to order online but held off in case I went to Birmingham and could pick up a copy  'postage free'.   How about that for frugal then.

Then came these...

Reiko Kato's cute book has lots of tiny applique that I can try out my new tools on.  As for Aunt Millie's Garden pattern... it was on sale and it would have been silly to miss out on a reduction ... wouldn't it?  Of course it would.  Another Brownie Point for frugality to me then.

That's about it.    I did pick up a few nice fat quarters for my little basket stash and a couple more for Dear Jane and that's about it.

It could have been worse but I'm not exactly firing on all cylinders at the moment.   However... I have a plan....

I'm going to be a Cavewoman!!   Just as long as I don't have to wear a fur frock with no knickers that is.    I'm on my third day without wheat or grains of any sort.  So far.. so good.  I haven't killed anyone or chewed off my own arm..... yet!    Strangely enough.... I think I'm feeling a bit better already.

I'm going to leave you with a dire warning....... Don't Play With Puppies.... they're Dangerous!!   Chris played with the new pup on her farm and look what happened to her....

she could barely see to trace her stitcheries!   Her poor husband is having an awful time trying to persuade people that.... the dog did it!!    Be warned.

That's all for now.   Keep up all your good work..... reading your blogs is keeping me this side of sane right now.  

I'm off to nibble a few nuts before bedtime.....

Have fun

See ya soon

Josie