Thank goodness for FNSI....

It was the perfect end to an imperfect week and boy did I enjoy myself.

Nothing went wrong on Friday.  Can you believe that.   I had to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming.  As it hurt I obviously wasn't.... still got the bruise to show for it though.   I wasted no time picking up my needle (Black Gold Applique #10)  just in case my luck ran out.    First off I appliqued these blocks......

and enjoyed every minute of it.   My favourite is the little star flower... actually that bubbly fabric makes it look just like a starfish...... don''t you think.

 After that I prepared the applique for the rest of the blocks that make up month 1 of Natures Journey.  I'll show you those when I stitch them....

Next I tried out something new.    Stitching is nothing new for me but using a larger hoop and a lap stand is.    I ordered the stand earlier in the week and couldn't wait to give it a test stitch....

Love it... well I did once I figured out how to use it.    Where did I get the idea that you anchor the stand under a buttock!   Obviously that doesn't work unless your preferred stitching position is to have the hoop in your armpit.    After a lot of experimentation I found my comfy position with the base under my left thigh (slid in from right to left) the stand protruding between my legs and the hoop turned to face me.   All I can say is it's a good job I don't wear skirts!

So... that's it for my FNSI sewing session.   I had a brilliant time..... hope everyone else who joined in did too.

Now for what has been going on in the garden.     A tree surgeon came by.....

and spent two days operating on some trees.   Some of his work was a bit radical to say the least.  I love trees and have a hard time coming to terms with the fact that some of them just outgrow their space.    

Still.... next winter will be a warm one.   This heap was once a 30 foot tree growing at a 45 degree angle alongside the road in here....   I carried it up to the house myself.   By rights I should have biceps like Popeye but the only muscle that I seem to be able to develop is my gluteus maximus! Life is just not fair.

We've got an awful lot of logs....

Don't blame the surgeon for this odd stump.... he was reluctantly following instructions from Mac who insisted the tree will grow again.   Only time will tell.

More logs.....   I won't bore you with more photos but there are lots more photos of lots more logs...

and huge heaps of wood chippings......

which I'm going to use to hold back the field grass that is still trying to take over what passes as a garden.  When it warms up a bit..... I'm getting soft in my old age  :o)

Last week wasn't without it's difficulties.    Mac had a nasty fall on Wednesday.  He's sporting an amazing black eye... bruised cheek... cut lip... and two front teeth that are now protruding at odd angles.  He's obviously in more pain than usual but will he visit the doctor or have the doctor visit him.... no way!     Same goes for the dentist.    This is going to sound awful but I wish he had knocked himself out.  At least then I could have called an ambulance and hope that once medical professionals got their hands on him he'd get the treatment he needs.   Better go and put my horsehair vest on for saying that.....

Well that's it for now.    I'm off to make myself tea and cake which I will enjoy while visiting my blogging buddies.  Wish I had enough to give you all a slice but there is only enough cake for little old me... sorry.   Think I've just figured out why my gluteus is so  maximus!! 

Have a great week.....

Hugs

Josie  xxxx

FNWF.... saved by the BOM

When I signed up for FNWF I had plans... BIG plans... for the most perfect, self indulgent sewing day you could ever imagine.   I was so confident of that I even commented about it when I signed up. 

Talk about tempting fate.

Friday morning was a dead loss and I was seriously worried that the whole day was going to go the same way when..... the postman arrived.....

with the first part of my new BOM.    I would have hugged him but he shot out of the gate like a scalded cat.......scaredy cat!     

Held my breath while I opened the package  Would you believe my hands were trembling with anticipation.....

 

it took me all of a second to fall in love with the contents.   Who wouldn't love them... they're gorgeous!   My face is aching from grinning every time I look at them. 

The day didn't go as planned but suddenly I was fine with that.   All the spare moments that came my way I spent happily blanket stitching circles while Tiggy  looked on....

We agreed that it was so nice to relax .....

just wish I could chill out as well as she can.

I finished stitching this too....

it's the latest free pattern from Hatched and Patched that's kicking off the 2015 SAL.  You might have noticed the button on my sidebar.   I'm chuffed to bits to be part of this stitch-a-long and determined to keep up with the rest of the girls.... no matter what.

Heck... I forgot to mention that the SAL project is the BOM that just arrived.  Honestly... if brains were dynamite I couldn't blow my  hat off!

Well... that was my FNWF... hope you had a good one.   I will be checking out what everyone else got up too.... better late than never eh!     Thanks again Cheryll for another fabulous Friday and thanks a million too for the lovely pressies my name came out of the hat for last month.   I love them all but have to admit I have a real soft spot for this cutie....

It has a special place dangling on my sewing machine right over the needle plate.... prettied up the Pfaff no end don't ya think   :o)

In case you're interested in why I've been an absentee blogger lately here's a clue....

First off....my laptop croaked!   When I switched it on it sounded like a demented squirrel chittering at me.   Kitty says that noise means the hard drive was 'stitching'.... how about that.  That's the term systems gurus use for the clicking noise that tells them the hard drive died... trust her she was married to one of those geeks.

I tried everything to revive it.  Even considered the kiss of life but decided I didn't want to risk electrocuting my lips.... anything that might stop me talking is a no go in my book.   I'm not one to give up easily hence I wasted way too many days looking for a fix.    Finally.... I caved in and ordered a new laptop.  It came last week.. loaded with Windows 8.1....arrrrggggghhhhh.  

Wish I could say I was getting to grips with the new software but the fact that...so far...it's taken me since Saturday afternoon to write this speaks volumes.  My brain is as fried as the dead hard drive.   The keyboard on the new machine is much more sensitive than the old one too.... for every word I type it deletes two.  I could cry.... hang on... I did!  Sniff!!

What's next.....   a rundown on retreat I think.   It won't take long to show you what we were all up too.  That's not to say we didn't do much because we were all busy but I just didn't get enough interesting photos of the proceedings.     How come I get friends who are all camera shy.  Other bloggers retreat posts are full of photos of girls having fun... eating ... drinking and doing a bit of stitching too.    I tried creeping up on my pals but either I'm just not stealthy enough or they have some inbuilt radar that can pick up a camera coming from a mile off.

Without further ado....here's what I worked on....

recognise it?    Of course you do.. it's the Economy Blue quilt from Kaffe Fassett's book Country Garden Quilts that I did all that triangle cutting for before our fated September retreat.

That's not a glass of water on my table..... it's soluble headache meds!  

Progress was slow but steady.......

Just got an outer row of small square in squares to attach  (squares are made just not joined together)
and the top is done.     How about this for a bowl of triangle trimmings....

I like to cut big and trim down to size wherever possible.   Clever or just chicken?

I did get one photo with a real person in it......

Chris... displaying her quilt of the week.   Apart from the borders and setting triangles I don't think there was one piece bigger than a two and a half inch square.   It was almost finished... just one more red border to add.  She purpose made it for her D/H for those odd moments when the cows stop phoning him (no kidding) and he gets to nap.  

She added the prairie points to this too.....

It's a cot bumper to match the quilt she made on an earlier retreat.   You can see it here.... lovely Bunny Hill fabrics.

Sally pieced this one.  It's two layer cakes of Moda Persimmon simply sewn together.  Love those fabrics... which is just as well because I have two layer cakes of it too!   Guess who got sucked into the Craftsy sale.... all four of us!

She went on to piece this one too..... totally from scrap

Love how she used all the remaining bits and pieces to cobble together a border... looks great.

Kitty almost drove herself to distraction peicing this,,,,,,

it's one of those designs that messes with your brain.  The pattern is Surfside by Camille Roskelly.  It's one of those patterns that makes you feel dizzy if you stare at it too long.   That's  the top of Kittys head above the quilt.... she did survive the making after all.

Suffice it to say we all had a fabulous time at the cottage.   So much so we've booked a week at the beginning of June and another at the end of September.    We haven't won the lottery.... we've all decided not to go to the Quilt Festival in Birmingham this year.    We worked out for the cost of our accommodation/travel/food  for that trip we can afford two weeks in the cottage.... bit of a no brainer eh!

I'm going to shut up now.     Combining FNWF with a retreat update and computer woes  might not have been such a good idea.  

If you are still awake and reading this..... thank you!   I much appreciate your stamina and dogged determination to make it through to the end.    If you were here I'd pour you a glass of vino but as you're not I'll raise my glass to you..... cheers!  :o)

I've set aside the whole of tomorrow for blog visiting.... can't wait.    I'm so out of touch with what you've all been up too it's going to be fabulous catching up.

Have fun and stitch loads.....
Hugs
Josie  xxx