I LOVE LONDON

Saturday we spent with my mum, we took her to one of her favourite places a garden centre. We decided to go to one that she wouldn't drive to herself, she really liked a hydrangea plant, it's her birthday next weekend and as we were struggling with what to buy her we snapped it up, and got it for her as part of her present. Then it as off to a farmers market, we arrived a bit late and had just enough time to buy some olives which went really well with our supper on Saturday and some of Dave’s favourite bacon, which is still in the fridge! I had a quick look around the craft centre then paid a visit to craft arena and bought a back issue of Quilting Arts, then went to the Magic Mushroom for a really lovely lunch. That’s why we later we only wanted a very light supper, feta cheese, olives and a few tomatoes picked from our greenhouse.

When we got up yesterday it was overcast so we decided to go to Columbia Road Market, just for a look! But you have to buy some plants of course! We struggled back to the car with a box of winter pansies, a couple of Elephant Garlic bulbs to plant in the veggie patch and four orchid plants for £10.00, bargain!!!

We then drove to Westminster, parked in our usual spot just off the embankment wont say where I don’t want everyone knowing about it! When we go again we may not find a space. Dave is always telling me about a small park that he walks through, Victoria Embankment Gardens, they are well worth a visit. We walked to Horse Guards Parade and there was a female on guard she's a member of the Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery and very lovely she looked too!

From there we walked across the parade and past the back of Downing Street, past the Houses of Parliament across Westminster Bridge, we stopped at Yo Sushi for a quick snack then strolled along the South Bank to Waterloo Bridge.There was so much going on! Parties by the side of the River Thames, on the Beach? The tide was out. Salsas dancing at the Royal Festival Hall, even the trees were having fun. I love London. Then we were back at the car, a film crew were packing up their stuff, being nosey I asked what they'd been doing, a new Miss Marple was being filmed on location at the Savoy, something to look forward to.

I said to Dave we must come up here more often, he looked at me strangely, ' I do every day of the week' he said. It’s not the same for me any more, I don’t have to travel to London in the rush hour. I think when you work in a place every day it looses it’s magic!

One Down

I'm making progress, the wall hanging that I started on Sunday in Annette's  class is finished! It's really bright and colourful, not quite my usual thing but I like it, not sure where it's going to hang yet, possible on the stairs.

Today I've also started to finish off the pieces for the ERTF Exhibition, that will all be finished by tomorrow. Then I'll carry on with the piece I started at the Janice Gunner workshop, I should have that done by next week. Even if I had the large quilt ready to stitch, the weathers to warm, I've spent summers before hot and bothered under a quilt, so this one I'm taking my time with. Meanwhile I'm still knitting socks, I love my socks!

Sharne dying with berries sounds really different, I may give that a go. I know I've been really lucky this summer, that's why I'm determined to get everything I've started finished!

Summer School II

This is some of my fabric drying in the sun over a lovely lavender bush, there are plastic bags drying on a rose bush too!
We had a great morning dying and drying our fabric's.
Below: The start of Julie's bright and colourful Art Quilt. Thanks Girls for making the weekend such a lovely time!





Sorry if I've left anyone out!

Summer School

I've had a lovely weekend with the Embroiderers Guild Eastern Region Summer School at Belstead House Ipswich. I was in Annette Morgan's group, there were 2 other groups tutored by James Hunting and Linda Westerman, everyone had a wonderful time and it was lovely to spend a weekend with friends and new friends. All three groups got together at meals and chatted about what was going on in their groups, we also had a wander into the other classes and the tutors were more than happy to talk about the work that was going on in their groups. It's always a shame when these events come to an end, but it's nice to get home again and sleep in my own bed!
Plus when I got home Rachel was here, she'd decided that as it was a lovely day she'd get out of London for the afternoon and she'd packed an overnight bag so she stayed the night, I really like it when the family come back for a visit. But I think Rachel probably thought her Dad was lonely spending a weekend on his own, despite the fact that he'd gone out for dinner and drinks with James on Friday night and by all accounts they'd had a great time. I'm glad about that as I'm planning to have more of these weekends!
I've now got lots of dyed fabrics and two projects to finish one from this weekend and one from Janice Gunners workshop also I've still got the quilt to finish for our bed so if I'm quiet for a while don't worry I'm busy!
In the meantime here is a selection of images from Annette's class, I'll mention all the class as I don't want to put up an image without crediting the maker. Jan Whiting, Pat Birks, Julie Chellingsworth, Sheila Frankland, Jean Clarke, Kathleen Elson and Hilda Goddard.
I don't quite understand why but I couldn't get every ones image to upload in one go. So take a look at Summer School II

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Bad Hair Do!!!!!!!!!!

It's been a hectic few weeks, not bad hectic, good hectic! I spent a week at Janice Gunner's Summer School so I've lots and lots of lovely Indigo Dyed fabrics. She was very inspiring and I came away very enthusiastic about getting back to my roots as they say and doing more quilting. As I've mentioned quilting, the quilt is progressing very well, not finished as it needs to be wider so I ordered more fabric which arrived on Monday and by a happy chance fits the colour scheme brilliantly!

Monday there was a get together at my house of a group of very lovely ladies, women, also they are all very talented ( I'm saying this as they found out about my blog and said that they will start reading it, so I thought s*d it, I'll have to start blogging more now) especially after D who new my secret said you don't actually blog often. Anyway back to Monday we met here and we are going to start a new textile group together and we are 'Aqua-8 Textile Group'. Why call ourselves that well we all live a short distance from water of some description or other, I live very close to the River Thames others are close Reservoirs or Rivers so watch this space!

Now the bad hair saga, my hairdresser is on maternity leave, so today's the first cut with her replacement, I arrive full of fear, last time she left me to someone else's scissors it wasn't that great. I ask for Gilly "she's left" I'm told, youv'e got Sara, I should have run for the hills then but I needed a cut. My hair is washed then she asks how I have it cut, I tell her, she cuts it OK, but dries it in the most bazaar way! I end up looking like Donald Trump, with a comb over from the back which is difficult as my hair is very short, I actually described how I wanted it as a bit spiked and messy. I'm so shocked when she asks "is it OK", I nod get charged £27.00 for the privilege of coming home and sticking my head under the tap. I had planned to go and do some shopping, but no I'm sitting here ranting again! I did warn you on Monday that I rant! When Sara asked how long I usually have between appointments I lied and said "8 weeks" that got her! its usually 6, but I thought it might take a while for me to get over the shock, or at least find another hair dresser!

Still I'm sure I'll be fully recovered by the time I get to Belstead House on Friday, I'm attending an Embroiderers Guild Summer School with Annette Morgan, I cant wait.