FNSI (without frustrations)

That's right..... I had a calm and frustration free FNSI.   Why?  Because I did the grocery run on Thursday!    Beats me that I didn't think of doing that before.

Kitty arrived on Friday so I bullied persuaded her to join in the sew in too.   Except we didn't sew....

I had a sudden desire to play with yarn.   Not knitting.   I fancied an evening of crochet and who better to have around at a crochet-in than Kitty.   What she doesn't know about crochet you could write on the head of an applique pin.

Except for a miserable failed attempt to crochet a puppy (turned out more like a pear)  a few years ago I haven't picked up a hook for decades.   It took me the entire evening ( under the close scrutiny of Kitty) to come up with these...

If I'd been alone on Friday I'd have been very happy with 5 crocheted hexagons but as Kitty completed all of these.....

despite the fact that she was tutoring me..... I felt more than a little bit slow!   Still..... we both had a lovely tine with all you FNSI'ers on Friday.   I'm looking forward to visiting you all in the next couple of days to see just what you got up to.

Thanks Wendy for hosting another lovely evening..... I didn't sew but I did have loads of fun!

I couldn't shake the crochet bug on Saturday either.   I decided I'd practised enough to be trusted with some 'posh' cotton yarn I've been saving.......

I really think I like these.   I haven't a clue what I'm going to do with them so if you have any ideas feel free to share.   Must admit I'm feeling a bit addicted........

By the way.... when Kitty left this (Sunday) afternoon she'd made 87 hexagons!  She does everything at speed.   Oh... and I should mention that the pattern is free and available here at Crochet In Colour.

My sewing projects haven't been neglected but progress has been slow.....

I still need to outline the path on the Knot Garden with running stitch but at least it's been pieced.

Work has started on the July block of Natures Journey.....

Love...love... love it!!      Hope to get lots done on it this week.... eyes permitting.

On the subject of my eyes.... another visit to the Dr resulted in a diagnosis..... blocked tear ducts!   She prescribed some ointment which is suspiciously like axle grease only clear.   I was a bit dubious when I read the list of active ingredients and came across sheep wool!     Still... it appears to be working.   I've been doing my best to 'rest' my eyes as per Dr's orders... but it's been tough.  Hardly any screen time... hardly any e.mailing... hardly any blog visiting results in hardly any fun!

Hoping this week I'll do better.

Heck.... I've just realised I'm late for TV time.... better get a wiggle on right now....

Hope everyone reading this has an amazing week ....

See you soon
Hugs
Josie.....xxxx

FNWF and other stuff.....

I really hate to say this but I think I'd do much better if Friday Night with Friends was on a Wednesday!   

Don't know about you but my Fridays are guaranteed to be frustrating.   Grocery shopping for instance...  who doesn't hate that.   I'd give my eye teeth to live in a French or Italian hill village. One with a beautiful village square and an outdoor food market filled with scrumptious freshness.  I can smell coffee and croissants right now.... ahhhhhh.   

I wouldn't care if I never saw another supermarket in my life!   Every Friday I say 'never again'  and vow to order next weeks groceries on line and have them delivered but I never do it.   I suppose I'm just too picky to let someone else choose my chicken!

Sorry.... you came to see what I sewed with Friends on Friday not to listen to me moan.   Without further whinging here's what I got up too.....

I can't claim to have stitched all of the above on Friday evening .... I'm not that speedy.  The little lollipop trees and the cabbages (!) next to them I made earlier.    Friday night I appliqued and stitched the little blocks (bottom right) then prepped and began to applique the longer blocks on the right.

"That's not much"..... I can hear you muttering.    Well it was a lot for a woman with only one eye!

Yes... I'm still having eye trouble.  If it carries on much longer I'm changing my name to Cyclops. Took the problem to the Dr who gave me a steroid spray to stick up my nose.... very useful.  Friday morning the offending eye and cheek turned red and began swelling.  By the time I arrived home I looked like I'd taken right hook from a heavyweight boxer.   What was that all about!    I give up!

Swelling has gone down now.   Eye is still constantly wet and running and randomly making it's own decisions on whether to focus or not.    Back to normal then......

Deep breaths......

Ok.....    here's something nice (well I think it is).   The completed June blocks for my Natures Journey BOM.....

I think this is my favourite 'month' for blocks so far......

really enjoyed stitching all of them.    Was only a day and a half late for the end of the month deadline too.   I would have finished on time but just as I was taking the photo's to post to the SAL blog I realised my ladybugs were headless and legless.   I couldn't show them like that now could I... I do have some standards.....not many but some.

Now.... remember those second projects the girls were working on on retreat.... the ones I forgot to take photo's of?    Well here's Chris showing her 'second' quilt of that week......

Amazing what can be made from just one Jelly Roll isn't it.

This one is Sally's second project that she put the finishing touches too when she got home.....

It's a Hatched and Patched design.... love all those perfect little houses.

Had a lovely visit from Tina last week ....

she brought her latest EPP project to layer and baste.  This is a mat for her bathroom window sill...  lovely.

That's it for now.... I've nothing else to show you.

Time to get myself some lunch (late) and settle down to enjoy the afternoon watching the British Grand Prix and indulging in a spot of leisurely blog visiting.... bliss!

See you soon then.....
Have a great week
Hugs
Josie.....xxxxx