A little behind....

A little behind.  Who am I kidding but more on the diet later.

Life hasn't been very interesting since I talked to you last.   Chris, Sally, Kitty and me did go off on retreat for a week.   No prizes for guessing where but you could go here for a peek if you are new to the blog and are feeling curious.

With hindsight we'd have been better booking in to a convalescent home for a week.  Chris, Sally and me had the most stinking cold virus.   Chris (aka Typhoid Mary) gave it to Sally who kindly passed it on to me.   We've been passing it between us ever since.  The darned thing is going round in circles. We'll be lucky to be shot of it before Christmas.  Heck.... did I just say a dirty word!! 

Well.... none of us made much progress on our week away.  Apart from Kitty that is who somehow managed to avoid the bug.   I reckon that girl has the constitution of an ox.    I had intended to finish up my Natures Journey before we left but the dreaded lurgy put a halt to that.   So... it was the first job on my to do list at the cottage...... 

I'm thrilled to bits with it.   Now all I have to do it quilt it....yikes!   I'm working up to hand quilting it.   Watch this space.

Chris started work on Message In A Bottle by Irene Blanck.   Here's her first block taking shape....

She actually prepared four blocks for this project.... no mean feat when you consider she's not much better at choosing fabrics than I am.    I'm afraid I didn't get photos of the other blocks.   Hard to take a decent photo when you are sneezing for Scotland.

Here's an almost good shot of Chris and Sally at the kitchen table.... would have been better if there heads were intact.... perhaps.

Sal is studying her copy of

She's combining the centre of one of Irene Blancks amazing quilts with the borders of another.  She is either inspired or totally off her trolley.  The jury is still out.    This is how the centre looked back then.....

now it has borders and lots of colourful circles around the bird.   Have to say.... it's looking great. Shame you can't see it.  You guessed.... I didn't get a photo of that either.

Kitty did a great job making this bag......

it's totally gorgeous!   The front applique is actually a zipped and gusseted pocket.  There are applique side pockets too and a magnetic clasp and ties and great tube lined handles.  Very professional looking.   Not only did she make the bag she started work on an amazing Dresden quilt.   Ooop's... no photo!

As for me.... I did sew... secret stuff!    Finally an excuse for having no photo's.   You'll all have to wait till next year to find out what I was sewing I'm afraid.    You see I signed up for Chookyblues 2015 SSCS Swap.    The girls threatened to kill me... or have me committed to an asylum if I so much as harboured a thought of signing up but I went ahead and did it anyway.    Am I scared they'll carry out their threats.... you bet!  If you don't hear from me by Christmas... call the police.

That's all the news from retreat.   Well... not quite all.   There was a bit of a drama one evening when I appeared to be loosing my eyesight.    After dinner I picked up my laptop to check mail and discovered the screen was so blurred I couldn't read anything.   Took off my specs.  Checked I had on the reading ones and not the distance.  Gave them a good clean and checked out the screen again.... couldn't make out a word!   Took off the glasses again and this time the room was blurred too.   Believe me I was petrified.   Chris and Kitty took one look at me and asked what was wrong.  Heck... I was about to burst into tears when I blurted out I was loosing my sight.   They were very concerned.... particularly about who was going to drive me to the hospital as we'd all had wine with dinner.   The situation was very tense when Sally came into the room and asked if anyone had seen her reading glasses.   You could almost hear the penny drop.   I was only wearing them wasn't I!!   Amazingly my sight was restored when I put on my own specs.    Duh!   We all had such a good laugh the profits of Tena Lady doubled.

I did make one major decision while on retreat though.  I need to seriously reduce the amount of fabric in my stash.  So I'm on a mission to make as many scrap quilts as I can as quickly as I can.   I won't tell you what the girls said when I told them my plan.  Actually they didn't say much.  They were too busy laughing.   Perhaps I should advertise for some new pals.

I have made a start.   Inspired by this gorgeous quilt I discovered at Quilting With The Past ll I've bought some drunkards path templates and started slashing my stash......

Each time I cut circle components I cut a template for a basket too. Remember those baskets?  Long time no see!    I was a bit miffed that it took longer than I thought to achieve......

a tub of both inner and outer quarter circles.   Well... I was cutting them one at a time.  Don't trust myself with a mini rotary cutter and a curved template.   I'm too fond of my fingers to try multiple cuts.     Looking at those tubs I remembered that (after watching an amazing demo at a show) I bought a Curve Master presser foot.   Of course I had to drop everything and give it a go.....

Wow!   Why haven't I used this before!   It's amazingly simple to sew curves without any pinning at all.  Seriously.  You need to check it out if you haven't already.    It took no time at all to stitch these....

without a pin in sight and they are pretty perfect too.   Finally I can see a light at the end of my stash tunnel.   All I have to do is keep going and not get distracted.... right!   What are the chances of that I wonder.  Somewhere between slim and none.......huh!

Thought you might like to see what Mac got up to while I was away.   He revamped the post box!

The postman is not impressed.   He's started opening the kitchen door and popping the post inside.

Before I go I have to admit I'm wearing my horse hair vest again.  Seems I never get to take it off these days.    I must apologise for not responding to everyone who left  a lovely comment on my last post.   Your comments really do mean a lot to me.  Knowing that there are lovely people out there who take the time to pop in and 'talk' to me really make does make a difference.  

If I didn't have you and my pals here I'd have gone totally bonkers by now.   I'm trying hard not to make excuses for being so impolite but there are times here when things just get too much to cope with and I tune out.  I have to switch off from the outside world and concentrate on doing what needs to be done for Mac and Mum.   Times like this I wish we were a bigger family and there was someone to share but as there is only the three of us and I'm the only one who is compos mentis (and that's debatable) I have no choice but to knuckle down and get on with it.

Things are a little calmer here at the moment so I'm hoping for a lovely spell of blog reading and commenting on your blogs.   I love blog visiting.  You gals (and guys)  are so inspirational.

Keeping my fingers crossed.....

Better get going.  I'm trying to clear out the big flower bed so I can do more laying of membrane and bark before Winter arrives in earnest.     It's all dig..dig...dig right now.

Hope you are all happy and healthy and having as much fun as you can pack into your days.

See you soon..... crossing those fingers tighter!
Hugs
Josie

p.s.   The diet is going great.   I've lost 31 pounds and counting.   The only downside is my trousers are hanging at half mast and I'm too mean to buy smaller ones while I'm still loosing.   One of these days I'll be mooning in the high street!  

Flipp'in Fabulous FNSI !

Did I have a great time at FNSI or what!

Nothing went wrong!     Bet you can't believe that.  But it's as true as I'm sitting here in my wee goonie and baffies (nightdress and slippers) poking toast crumbs out of my keyboard.

Last week I did the grocery run on Thursday to leave the whole of Friday free for FNSI.  Maybe I should call it FDSI  because I really did sew the whole day.  Started stitching along with all you Southern Hemisphere gals..... picked up the European lasses at tea time then made a valiant attempt to stay up late enough to say 'Hi' to Canada and the US of A!    Wow... what a day!

Started out with some therapeutic slicing and dicing......

Cut the 200 blue squares needed for the next border of Natures Journey.  While the blade was in my hand I prepped the outer border too... optimistic eh.

Next... some chain piecing....

I don't often chain piece but I managed to make it work for me this time.    Before you all start telling me that chaining is super efficient and fast... I know all that and I agree (in principle).   My problem is brain saturation.   My little grey cells fill up very quickly and once that happens all bets are off.  I loose track of what I'm stitching to what and chaos quickly ensues.  That usually means a lot of unpicking.

No chaining the next step.  I needed to keep control and my cool for this bit....

Things went swimmingly well and pretty soon a miracle happened......

Ta Da!!    Another round of Natures Journey done and dusted.   I don't mind saying I love it to bits.  Plan is to work on joining the applique block borders today.   The girls are coming over so as long as I don't talk too much (as if) I stand a good chance of getting that bit closer to the finish line.

That was my FNSI now how about yours?    When the girls leave I'll be showing up on all your doorsteps to see what you got up to on Friday.....  provided you joined in of course.  

Thanks Wendy for hosting us all again and for the yummy cake recipe.  It's a keeper.  Click HERE to visit Wendy and all the other girls from around the world who stitched on Friday night.

HOT OFF THE PRESS.....

I did it!   I pieced and attached the applique borders this afternoon.   Am I on a roll or what!  Just two more easy peasy borders to do..... getting excited now.    

It's nice to be sewing again.  I've been working through a bit of a stitching slump the past couple of weeks.    Outdoor chores ate up lots of my time.   Jobs like.....

collecting rocks from the field next door... and hurling them over the garden wall.  Great Scottish pass time.  Shame it isn't an Olympic sport I reckon I could make the team.

My rock tossing did have a purpose......

Mac started work on some steps from the drive to the upper part of the garden.   Can't wait to cut the ribbon at the grand opening.    No more risking life and limb slithering up and down the slippery slope to short cut the route from top garden to drive.   Lost count of how many times I've slid down there on my bum!

Been doing a bit of garden work too (weather permitting).   I'm trying to clear the undergrowth around that path with a view to laying some membrane and bark.   I'm getting too old and cranky to have to dig out the darned path every year.    Won't tell you what Mimi is up to but she seemed to think my digging was for her convenience!

A lot of death defying lopping of tree branches and the removal of an old bush from the middle of the lawn has opened up a new view from the kitchen window.....

Nice to see 'the girls' enjoying a paddle in the river.   Wonder what those two were talking about.

Maisie might know....

but she's not saying.  

Well.... that's it for now.    I'm sewing again tomorrow.   I need to finish Natures Journey before Friday..... when the girls and I head off on retreat again.    Want to come?

I'm going now,   I've a lot of lovely blog visiting to catch up on and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it.   See you soon....

Have a happy time stitching....
Hugs
Josie   xxxx

Pretending it's Saturday........

It might as well be Saturday because I haven't a clue what happened to the weekend or to Monday for that matter.    

So... in my world it's Saturday and here I am reporting in with my FNSI progress!    I do remember I was there on Friday night sewing unpicking along for all I was worth.   The unpicking didn't start right away.  In the beginning I was going great guns.

While I was leisurely contemplating what to work on for the sew in I suddenly realised I hadn't even looked at the August block for Natures Journey.   Now I won't admit to panicing but after a slap from Kitty and a cup of hot sweet tea I girded my loins and got down to the business of piecing the first border.....

And here I am in action....... attaching the border....

Sorry I didn't have time to look up and as for smiling.... hard to do with clenched teeth.

I really should have opened a bottle of wine (darned diet) and loosened up a little before I sewed that border..... it looked like a dogs back leg when I'd finished with it.   Out came the seam ripper... again and again and......

I think my shenanigans were responsible for the exasperated expression on Kittys face.... either that or she had been sucking a lemon when I wasn't looking.     Why couldn't I be more like Kitty?   Calm.. cool and in control.   She gets things done.  No messing about.   She's a real problem solver and (bless her) she solved mine....... she got out the Gin!     Hic!   Thanks Kitty.... you're a life saver.

Things got a lot better after that.

I did manage to piece and attach all four borders to the centre block therefore I am declaring my FNSI a resounding success!     I hope all you fellow FNSI'ers had a successful sew in too.  I'll be around to visit all of you to find out.

Thanks Wendy  for hosting another lovely Friday Night Sew In.   Lang may yer lum reek! (as we say in Scotland)

Click here to see what everyone else got up to on Friday.

I did do more sewing over the weekend but to be honest it was all a bit of a blur.  That had nothing to do with the gin either.... honest.

I prepared squares ready to applique to NJ.   All 46 of them.....

Then I attached the second border and pinned the squares in place ready to applique.....

This is how it looks tonight......

Eight blocks appliqued..... only 38 to go!     I won't panic.... I won't!   

That's about it for now.   I just have time to share a bit of chicken with Maisie before I'm due in the Bat Cave.

    

Tomorrow (weather permitting) Mac wants me to help him fix the Septic Tank!  Talk about a a shi nasty job.   Never mind....I'm sure it'll be fine as long as I don't inhale.

Onwards and upwards...

Have a wonderful week .... 

See you all soon

Hugs

Josie  xxx

A Fine FNWF.....

Shame that the rest of the weekend sucked!   

In a nutshell.  On Saturday morning Microsoft decided to surprise me with the 'free'  Windows 10 upgrade I reserved a while back.    I don't think they realised (I certainly didn't) that attempting to download a NASA size upgrade down a Mickey Mouse phone line in what Sky News once described as 'remote, rural South West Scotland' was ever going to cause anything but frustration on a grand scale.   I would have appreciated a tip off so I could stock up on tranquillisers.

The pitched battle download started at 7:45am on Saturday and ended in the wee small hours of Sunday morning... a little after I'd fallen into a stress induced coma an exhausted sleep. 

Blissfully unaware of the technical perils of living in the sticks Microsoft promised the download would happily run in the background allowing me to flit through cyber space at will.   Two on line activities at once!  Here!   Never going to happen.  I'm almost certain our antique telephone exchange is operated by a little old lady in twinset and pearls who doesn't know the war is over!   Maybe I should knock and see if she's OK.... 

It was all worth it in the end.   Windows 10 is a joy compared to version 8.

Ooops... almost forgot I came here to show you what I got up to on Friday evening.  

I picked flowers.....

and as usual it took me ages to do it.    By the time I'd chosen six small pieces of fabric for the blooms and six more for the centres (I'd picked the stems earlier... thank goodness) my sewing room looked like a bomb had hit it.   

Chose fabrics for a couple more Stonefields blocks too..... the semi circle ones.   This is how they all looked on Saturday morning.... 

Managed to complete the blue semi circles but only stitched the plain yellow ones.  I'm thinking of swapping out that pink/white flower fabric.  It just doesn't look right to me.  Picky... picky.    The flowers have all been turned ready to stitch but only one on each block has been sewn down.

Oh.... and I prepared hexie blooms for the centres of two more Stonefields blocks.....

and felt very pleased with progress.

This is how Stonefields looks right now.

There are one or two blocks up there which will not be making the final cut.... I'll leave you to guess which ones.....:o)

Well.... that was my FNWF.   I had a lovely time.   Thanks Cheryll for hosting another great get together.   I'm already looking forward to the next one.....;o)  

I will be visiting everyone who joined in FNWF in the next couple of days.   That's a promise.  If life hadn't got in the way I'd have visited already.

After Saturday I didn't think the weekend could get worse. Wrong.  I woke on Sunday feeling sick as a dog and sounding like one too.   I slept most of the day which was just as well because being awake was no fun at all.

Fortunately I felt much better this morning (Monday)  and didn't have to cancel taking Mum out for the day.   Today is her 87th birthday.   She wanted  a trip to Carlisle.... fish & chips and lots of cake and caramel lattes.  Bang went the diet!  

Well.... it's that time again.  The Bat Cave beckons.   I'd better get my skates on.

To everyone who left a lovely comment on my last post..... I haven't forgotten you and I will be replying.... promise. :o)

OK.... I have to run.... I'm being summoned.   We're working through re-runs of Boston Legal.  I love that show.....  Denny Crane! <lol>

Have a fab week doing whatever takes your fancy....
See you soon...
Hugs
Josie  xxx

Sign up....Sign up!

For Friday Night With Friends!  

If you haven't signed up for a sew in before then you don't know what you're missing.  Who wouldn't like a whole evening (or day if you're lucky)  stitching along with loads of like minded gals from all over the world.   Guys are welcome too and I know there are some of you out there who love to play with fabric as much as we girls do.

Here's your big chance! It just so happens that it's  FNWF  at Cheryll's  place this coming Friday.  So... what are you waiting for......

CLICK HERE TO JOIN IN

...  

Dress is optional.... no one is looking!   Hope to see you there.....:o)

Right.... now for what I've been up too since I was last here.

First.... I worked like a demented beaver to complete this in time for the end of July deadline.....

but did I succeed......

Can't you go any faster mum!

I'm afraid not.   Despite Tiggys best efforts to speed me up I was a day late..... again!     Better late than never though so here it is.....  the centre block of my Natures Journey.

You can check out how everyone else's NJ is coming along HERE.

And there's more.....

I took a notion to work on this ......

Finished the knot garden and made the border blocks.   Then....

I stitched the flower beds and bird house and put together the complete 6th Block....

Bet you can guess what I did next......

I stitched block 6 to 4 and 5 then joined the two rows together.  Phew!   Only (!)  three more blocks to go.    I'm getting really excited now that I can almost smell the finish line. 

That's all the sewing news for now folks.   

On the home front..... the shed is almost finished...

Here it is being modelled by the not so sartorially elegant Mac.   I must say he put on a clean bib and brace for his photo shoot.   If you care to enlarge him you'll see he's got on a bow tie too.  Fortunately one that doesn't spin or he'd have insisted on a video!       Hummm.... methinks when he ordered the shed he opted for the 'Hobbit' version! 

Trust me.... it's bigger than it looks.

What else.....

My eyes are much...much better (the woolly ointment works a treat).  

I'm on a diet..... again! 

It's raining..... again!

And that's about it.    Life is so exciting here.   Just ask Maisie.....

Zzzzzzz  Zzzzzzzz

OK......I'll be back at the weekend to show you what I sewed for FNWF..... think I might work on some Stonefields blocks.   It's been a while since they saw the light of day.

Don't forget to sign up  (go on...you know you want to)  :o) 

Till we meet again

Have fun and be happy....

Hugs

Josie  xxx

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