Out for Lunch!

It's been a really busy week lots of stitching trying to get the second baby quilt finished, photos when both are completed. Thursday evening I met Dave and Rachel in London and we went to Chris Spencer's Graduation show at a gallery in Shoreditch, a 'trendy' part of East London. The gallery was packed it was so hot, I didn't worry too much about looking at the work, I knew I'd be back the following day! The three of us then went to S&M (Spitalfield's) for dinner, it was lovely to see Rachel as I've not had a chance to catch up with her since Dave and I came back from our holiday.

By Christine Spencer

Friday it was back on the train to London, (I don't know how I did that every day) I met with the rest of the Material Girls and had a good look at all of  the work. Chris's work is lovely, but the light in the gallery didn't do it justice 'in my opinion'. As for the rest of the work, some I loved some, some I liked and one ? But that's what 'ART' is all about isn't it? Then it was out for lunch, back again to Spitalfield's with the Material Girls, Janette Bright, Lesley Turner (there are images of the show on Lesley's blog), Ingrid Lincoln the later two are from Articulation and two of Chris's co-graduates. We had a long and leisurely lunch, nice food and lots of chat. It was really lovely to meet Lesley as I've read her blog but it's nice to meet in person. Ingrid and Lesley will be graduating next year so I'm looking forward to visiting their show. The Material Girls and Articulation are joining together for an Exhibition 'Bridging Waters' in 2012 in London, the work will be traveling to Canada in 2013, really exciting!

Jill Material Girl-Janette, Lesley

Yesterday I attended a workshop in Chelmsford run by Lynda Monk, it's the second workshop of Lynda's I've attended. If I get a chance I'd attend a third, fourth........ 

Images of my work above, I have a book that's in the process of being finished too!
For more images see Sharne's blog . 

Did I get a chance to put my feet up today no! Out shopping, well a girl can never have enough shoes, lets hope these don't cause blisters!!!!!! I hope they don't I've two trips into London planned for this week!
 Oh yes! My back is so much better, going back for another session tomorrow. And the work still hasn't appeared and no reply. Thank you for your comments on that, it does help. I'll wait for the Karma!

Kiss it Goodbye?

The watering system for the garden seems to have worked well while we were away, a cucumber plant has suffered,but that's all.It's probably because they were put out a bit early.This weekend we had a salad that included lettuce and radishes from the garden. Some of the flowers suffered a bit but a few evenings of watering and they have recovered.

Wisteria

Princess Diana Rose

In March I  was really pleased to have two pieces of work in the Jersey Textile Showcase, one in an exhibit with The Textile Group that I belong to Material Girls and one with a group of Textile Artist from various parts of the country. The work was returned from the Material Girls and we'll be using it in another exhibition later in the year. I was hoping that I'd also be able to make use of the other piece of work, BUT I've emailed, spoken to the person that organised the exhibit face to face at a textile conference, she assured me it would be posted to me, another member of her group has my piece, after a few weeks STILL nothing! I emailed still nothing then sent a text message so now after two weeks no reply to that either! Is it me am I too trusting, this is a person that I thought I new. I think I'll have to mark it down to experience and this piece of work is lost, I'll never trust this person again. I feel completely let down and betrayed, if she would just reply to my emails or text, in my opinion it's bad manners not to let me know whats happened to MY work! This is the work that I've kissed goodbye!

In previous posts I've mentioned how my back has been giving me a lot of pain for 10 weeks! The day before we went away it started to really hurt again and I went to the workshop in awful pain, but thought if I couldn't attend that how could I fly on a plane for 4 hours. When I got up the next day it was so much better, during the holiday it seemed to improve, but since I've been home it has been getting worse. Today I bit the bullet and phoned for an appointment at a Physiotherapist, I went this afternoon and apparently it's nothing serious but does need sorting out. At the moment it feels quite painful which is normal..... he thinks I'll need about 3 or 4 sessions, it would have been better if the GP had referred me 8 weeks ago when I asked if I needed a Physio, I even said that I would pay! Oh well, things are looking up, apparently I should go back to the gym, so next week....

If you happened to be in Topman Oxford Circus, London on Saturday you would have heard my son and band member Andrew, they were guest DJ's for the afternoon, just thought I'd share that bit of information. Their band has released it's second album and they are played on BBC radio and even were played on Radio 2!

Holiday Holiday Part2

I've been away....... but the day before I left I attended a workshop at Lady Bugs it was Trapunto, Italian corded work, French cording and English Quilting with Sylvia Critcher. I made a Spring Flowers pin cushion it was almost completed by the time I left the class. It needed to be quilted the back sewn on and stuffed which I did today. I can never resist, I had the idea of taking a cushion to stitch on holiday so bought two kits, then the thought of the cream fabric, suntan lotion mix didn't seem such a good idea, so the kits stayed at home!

Now the holiday.... Dave and I have been to  Lanzarote for 7 days of laying by the pool of the villa we'd rented. This year we decided that we'd see a bit of the island unlike last year when we only left the villa  in the evening for a walk to the harbour for dinner. So we visited Timanfaya National Park a volcanic mountain, some wonderful formations made by the lava flow, we ate lunch in a restaurant where they cook on the heat provided by the volcano! On the way to the park there were camels giving rides to the tourists, no we didn't.... what with my back?

Volcanic Crater

Lava Flow

Lava Flow

On another day we took a ride out for lunch and sat at a beach side cafe and had Limpets (not something I'll eat again) I've told Dave that he's become very clingy ever since he ate them! The jokes wearing a bit thin now so that's the last time I'll use it. The baby sardines, canarian potatoes and mixed salad were much more to my taste.

Limpets with Green Mojo

Apart from that we sat by the pool reading books and soaking up the sun, a really relaxing holiday. We are going back again in a few weeks, next time we'll have our family with us so not so quiet I expect!

Holiday -> Holiday

It's one holiday after another, Easter was spent doing the garden and spending time with family. Diane, I did succumb to the chocolate but not lots, I was very restrained. I did buy an ice cream maker, there's been experimenting with frozen yogurts and next I'm going to try sorbets. No images the frozen delights don't  last long enough!

Friday I spent much of the day watching THE WEDDING on the tv, there's nothing about the occasion that wasn't perfect. The dress was beautiful, the lace on the dress was beautiful, the music, the service I loved it all. The Duke of Cambridge doesn't scrub up bad either does he? I'm glad they stuck to the tradition started by his parents with the kiss on the balcony. LONDON did it's self proud and shone, Dave said that a week or so ago the streets around St James' were being steam cleaned. I think we all hope that they will have a long happy marriage.

The vegetable garden is coming along, the seeds I put in are coming up after a bit of a hiccup, the first lot of seeds were eaten or thrown all over the plot by the two wood pigeons that like our garden! But you learn by your mistakes and this time I covered the seeds with a net until they started to come up!

Some plants cleared, but before raised beds moved

Raised beds in position and planted

Now just water and wait

I've persuaded Dave to invest in a watering system, last year he tried running a system from the water butts but it drained the system so quickly that it was next to useless. Water is precious so we'll use the rain water for watering by watering can, hopefully this system will use less water. Here are some images of established plants in the garden that are growing well, despite the slugs eating the pink lily of valley's leaves!

As for my creative work, I've sewn together the baby quilts that I think I've mentioned before, I've almost finished hand quilting one of them, images when it's completed. I've also decided a few things over the last couple of weeks,  I'm not going to continue going to the  quilting group that I returned to last September. The group meets in the evening, it's the group that I used to attend before I did my City and Guilds, although they are a lovely group of ladies and I'll miss them, the evening they meet on is always difficult for me, so it's time to leave. Work for the ERTF Concepts and Meanings should be put in for selection in the next few months, I've decided not to put anything forward. The reason for this is, if we are getting a puppy in September, it coincideds with the Exhibition and it wouldn't be fair to leave  a young dog alone. If I was lucky enough to get my work accepted I would need to steward the exhibition and this would involve staying away for one or two nights, Dave would be at work all day,  sometimes things have to give. This means I'll have more time to concentrate on other projects that are being planned.

This Air Ship has been flying over our house for the last month, it is flying from a small airstrip about 1 mile from here. Apparently there have been photographs taken from it in the national newspapers, views of London. Becky says she's seen it as far down the River Thames as Tilbury. Personally I think it's checking on the changes being made on my 'estate', so look out in the gardening magazines and publications for updates on my gardens progress! It does fly quite low, and it's not a quiet as you might think.

Happy Easter!

My plan for this holiday is No Chocolate!!!!
Hope you all have a lovely holiday whatever you do.

Cake with Eggs Added

As promised the recipe for the cake, it's from a book I've had since 1985. When the children were small the programme was on TV and I remember watching it and cooking lots of meals that they demonstrated.

Mincemeat Cake - Mrs Ward Warwickshire

75g margarine ( I use butter)
25g lard (I don't use this I add extra margarine or butter)
2 large eggs
125g soft brown sugar
325g mincemeat
190g self-raising flour
a little milk if necessary ( I sometimes use sherry, brandy or whatever I feel like adding)

1. grease and line a 18cm round cake tin (sometimes I use loaf tins)
2. cream fat and sugar then beat in eggs.
3. stir in mincemeat and fold in flour. Mixture should be moist (this depends on who much liquid in the mincemeat) If necessary add the liquid.
4. Bake in a moderate oven Gas mark 3, 325f, 160c for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to Gas mark 2, 300f,150c for about 1 1/4 hours until the top is firm and cake is shrinking slightly from the edge of the tin.

I find that this cake freezes well, it will keep in a tin for a week, I can't say if it keeps longer for obvious reasons. If you do make it I'd like to know what you think, I think it's OK for an everyday cake it's easy to make.

My back has improved, thank you for your good wishes, especially Sharne, who emailed me as soon as she heard about it, she offered to help out in any way she could as she's on holiday. That was really so kind of her, Sharne is one of the busiest people I know, so it meant so much! I'm still not going to the gym, but I don't need much of an excuse not to go there! When I get the dog I'm going to give up the gym altogether, I think walking in the fresh air will be so much better for me. Beverley I think you could have been right, the idea of a pony troting around the living room made a dog seem much more appealing!

It's just as well my back improved, since Saturday I've spend an awful lot of time sitting in a car as a passenger and as driver, Saturday it was the ERTF AGM and conference, it's nice to go to these events it gives us a good chance to catch up with like minded people from the region. The venue was very impressive Girton College, Cambridge and a very interesting speaker. Then due to events at the AGM  an extraordinary committee meeting was called, everything was resolved so all crisis over and things will continue running smoothly as usual but it did involve a round trip of 141 miles. I'm no longer on the committee, but three of us were invited to the meeting as we were the founders of ERTF. I'm looking forward to seeing how the group moves on and evolves, which reminds me I must amend my profile on here.  Many things are changing at the moment the textile group I belong to The Material Girls is going through a change. A few  members have decided that now is the time for them to move on, it will be interesting to see how the group changes, there are a few interesting things in the pipeline for us, we'll be exhibiting in a new venue for us later in the year and in 2013 we'll be exhibiting in Canada, I'm really excited about that. Who knows I might even get to Canada for a holiday, we do have some air miles saved what better way to use them?

Mum's house was finally settled two weeks ago, it all went through with no glitches. So far I've resisted going to have a look at the house. My brother has driven by, not so easy as the house is in a cul-de-sac. I did drive close by yesterday on my way home from the Material Girls meeting, but resisted all temptation.

It's been so long

....... I've  looked at my calender to see what I've been up to since my last post! In fact it's been more like what I've had to cancel,  I've had a bad back for just over three weeks now. According to my GP I've been lucky, previously getting over back episodes (if that's what they are called) in a week it's likely to take 8 weeks to recover completely.  For the first week I had trouble sitting or standing for more than 5 minutes at a time and in fact I spent the first week totally uncomfortable. During these weeks I  did finish reading a book that I started last year and started reading a book that Rachel gave me a few weeks ago. Dave says that since he's seen me reading 'One Day' every one seems to be reading it on his journey to and from work.

I've also knitted another baby cardigan, when I've got the buttons sewn on I'll put photos of both up here. Rachel's scrap quilt is finished with the binding on I'm really pleased with it and next time she comes home she can take it back with her. I've also spend far to much  time watching day time tv and films. I had to cancel coffee with a friend twice and both Quilting groups I go to twice. Thankfully I can now get out and about again and life has started to look up, Thursday I went out with a friend for lunch at RHS Hyde Hall, that seemed to be a less risky option than the day out in London that we'd been planning for a time. I'm so glad we didn't book the theatre tickets that we'd talked about doing!  Friday my lovely friend Sheila came to visit, we spent a nice afternoon chatting having lunch, and she gave me  this selvage pin cushion that she'd made, how lucky am I? So it's not been all doom and gloom.

Our garden is going through a total re vamp the raised beds are now in position and some vegetable's have been planted. It's a small garden and we are trying to get the most out of it, at the moment it looks a total mess. As things always go the week my back went we had lots of things delivered for the garden, things are going slower than we planned but we will get there. Next weekend a skip is on it's way, then things should start to improve. A week or so ago the Camellia was looking fantastic! It still looks good even now. Thankfully the shrubs and plants that we moved from one side of the garden to the other seem to have taken and the clematis are starting to climb up the new trellis.

The other good news is Dave has agreed that we can get a puppy...... I'm not sure if I've blogged about this previously, but he'd said before "that if a dog moved in here he'd move out".  With very little persuasion he's given in. We'll be looking to bring the new addition into the house in September as until then we have too much going on to devote enough time to a puppy. I'm thinking of a small dog maybe a Shih-tzu, any one out there got any tips on the breed we should think about? In an ideal world I'd like a Labrador, but they are too big for our house and garden.

Sorry this post seems to be going on a bit. But another couple of things to say.... Gina sorry I've not put the recipe on yet for the mincemeat cake I'll do that later this week. Thanks for all the comments on my last  post.  Must finish this post now before I get stuck in one position, keep moving is the thing to do!