Sitting and stitching.

I have been absent but busy for the past 2 days. Wednesday was the hospital run and it was a looong draaawn out visit, they were running late so it was late afternoon before I got back. The upside was that I knitted lots of stitches on the Miette, one sleeve is ready to cast off, the other is at the start of the ribbing.

Yesterday it was "sit and sew" at The Flying Goose quilting shop, deep joy.
Chrissie aka The One Armed Bandit was there (I need a new name as she now has both arms back in use). I took along some of the fabric stash for her to play with and she sewed 2 of the 10 minute wonder blocks. These will become a pair of cushions for her home, they are from the Spice Trail fabric range by Fabric Freedom and have been languishing for far too long.

Meanwhile I was playing with some more deep stash fabric and making some padded bowl cosies.
Apparently they have been all over the internet recently so I am on trend for once. I saw them on a Jean Truelove podcast and remembered something similar from quite a while back. Anywho I did an Alice and jumped straight down that rabbit hole.

For this pair I used 10" squares and some Seasonal fabric, they are perfect for some of the plain white bowls and will probably hold nuts and sweets.

These were suggested for use in the microwave but that just didn't sound right or practical to me, of course what ever was being heated would spit and the fabric would get marked. You would have to use special wadding, probably very expensive, and I am sewing the stash so it wasn't an option.

Then I decided that it would be good to have some larger cosies for my pasta bowls, there is the odd time when we ignore the table and settle on the sofa to watch a film while eating. Bad, I know.

Trays take up so much room and are cumbersome, and slippy, so I used my 12 1/2" ruler to cut 8 squares. 4 from some bright batik and 4 from some pale blue chambray.

Sunglasses optional.

I stitched them up and they are just the job, I used fusible wadding as I had lots of odd bits floating about. On 2 of them I used some smaller scraps just butted up together, it worked and saved waste.

I will possibly definitely make a couple for Francesca to go with her table runner and get them sent off on Monday.

Now I think that it is Tea O'clock, I am off to Swansea later on to collect the Janome after it's service, it was ready earlier in the week but I haven't had time to get there till today.

                    TTFN                                                 Pam

Wooly Weather

It is cold, wet and windy here but according to the weather forecast tomorrow should be much better.
We will see.

Knitting and crochet are the order of the day, the new Miette is coming along. I have started on the first sleeve and will be knitting them to the same length as the green one. I have left the body on the needle as I want to try it on once the sleeves are done. I want this one to be just a little longer, this yarn is knitting up slightly looser so it needs to be tried on before I can be sure.

I still have to find buttons, I did have a look in Deb,s shop this afternoon but couldn't make my mind up. I intend to make a skirt (and possibly a dress) to wear with this so finding buttons to either coordinate or contrast means that I need to take a bit of fabric in with me.

I have started on the border for the snuggly blanket, I want to make it about 6" deep to give it a bit of body.

I have about 50 grams of this yarn left but am sure that I will need quite a bit more than that. There is plenty left in the stash.

I managed to slice into the end of my thumb yesterday so the SO is doing the prep and most of the cooking. Last night we had an excellent stir fry and tonight it is pie and mash, root veg and whole grain mustard mash, with broccoli. Yum.

I am all set for Sit and Sew on Thursday, I popped into Flying Geese this afternoon and stayed for a quick chat......almost an hour later I went off to Knit and Natter. Why does time fly so fast at times and drag along at others, and WHY is it always the wrong way round?

On that thought it is time to scoop Rufus up for a walk, or maybe a paddle!

                 TTFN                                                      Pam

Back to normal.

My few days in heaven have finished, for the moment, and I am still on a high. 
I am having a fairly restful day today, some gentle knitting, maybe a little reading. 

The wind got up during the night and finally blew the rain away, many of the puddles have dried up and the miniature lakes are just muddy memories now.

2 loads of washing pegged out and another whirling round the machine, the sun is shining and I am making hay, so to speak.

Rufus has been with us for a few days, he goes back later on, and is snuggled up as close as he can. He is such an affectionate dog and every day, when I have got back, I have had to get down on my knees to allow him and Ben full access for a cwtch.

I have very little shopping to do but need to fill the tank up so a trip out is essential, W has to be at the hospital by 9.00 tomorrow morning so no time to stop then. Rush hour traffic is looming in front of me, not to worry it will only be for a short while.

Now I think that it must be tea o'clock.

                           TTFN                                            Pam

PS. What about Craig's performance on Strictly last night, do you think he is on the Happy Pills?

Happy Days.

I am having the time of my life right now. I am helping out, for a few days, at The Flying Goose Quilting shop. It makes my heart sing to be surrounded by glorious fabrics and to have a steady stream of crafters to chat to, absolute heaven.

I am still sewing and knitting at home, oh and the snuggly crochet blanket is at the border stage, I WILL take a photo when it is done.

I have cast on another Miette, photos a bit later when there is enough to see.

My sewing is going well, all the Dresden Fans are pieced and I am ready to start assembling the blocks. I still haven't though about sashing properly though.

In the meantime I spotted a tutorial for an easy and quick table runner, Jean Truelove really knows how to simplify beautiful makes.

This is complete, I have folded it to get it in shot, it measures 40" tip to tip.

This one is ready to be quilted, tonight,s job, and I have 2 more in the assembly line.

These will be going into the gift box, I already have names on them.

Now I have to love you and leave you, nearly time to go.

This evening I want to reply to your comments and have a catch up reading session.

                                       TTFN                                 Pam

Where's that soap box?

Rant time folks.

I have done the weekly hospital run with W, and once again I am amazed at the people who park where ever they can squeeze their cars in.

One week the car park that I drive through to get to the outside parking area was completely blocked by the brain dead who parked in the drive through paths.

Most weeks there are cars parked on the walkways, these are painted like zebra crossings and are for  mums with pushchairs, people with walking aids and so on.

Today I was waiting for a space to be vacated when somebody went to her car, which was parked on a lined crossing. She was not leaving, oh no she was fetching her lunch! She was a member of staff! I did ask her why she parked so inconsiderately, she was quite rude but said that it was the first place she could get in and as she was running late took it. The staff parking area is a bit further away.

I was speechless, I did go to the main reception and lodge a complaint the time the car park was blocked. Something must have been done as it has not happened again.

Then there are the drivers who are either illiterate, can not read English or Welsh or have severely impaired sight. They are the ones who ignore STOP, No Entry and No Right Turn signs. 


W could get a blue badge so I could use a disabled bay. To my mind that would be dishonest, I can drop him off and pick him up and I can walk with no problem.

I have finished, it does help to share.

Now I have had my lunch, I put a pan of soup on as soon as I got back, it was lush.

Only took 30 minutes.I used a bag of diced sweet potato and butternut squash from Tesco, 35 p RTC, there was some diced red onion in there as well. I just sweated it for 5 minutes in a drop of oil and stirred in some smoked paprika, salt and pepper, garlic granules and a little ground coriander and a tsp of dried basil, tipped in a tin of chopped tomatoes and a tin of red kidney beans (drained and rinsed), a good squirt of tomato puree and enough water to cover the ingredients. Brought it to the boil and simmered away, when I checked it for seasoning it needed a lift so I added a a dollop of tomato ketchup. Perfick!

I have sifted through a whole load of things that have been on Fran's bed, they are now in their proper places. I found my rotating cutting mat on there, it was mixed up with some paperwork, I have been hunting for it for a few days and was on the cusp of buying a new one. They Are Not Cheap. Sweet relief when it turned up.

I have one more Dresden plate to make, the middle one with 4 different prints in each of the 5 colours. I hope to get it at least well on the way if not finished today.

It is a grey, gloomy and dismal day here with sporadic rain, but it is bright in the sewing room so I am off to start my fabric selection.


                              TTFN                                     Pam.

What is it?

Is it a cook?
Is it a quilter?
Is it a knitter?
Is it a gardener (fair weather)?

The answer is YES to all of the above.
Somebody asked me yesterday what hobby I enjoy the most. The answer is which ever one is in my hands.
I could and would not attempt to say which I like the most, there is also a little bit of a crocheter in there as well.

I would hesitate if I had to choose one to do, I think that some one else would have to decide for me. It would be a forced choice, like choosing which food type you would eat for the rest of your life.

Today I am a cook and later will morph into a quilter then later still will be the knitter or perhaps the crochet will win.

I ought to let the gardener out but it is still sticky underfoot, but my word the grass needs cutting soon.

Now I am about to be a "lady who lunches" as I am feeling rather peckish, thanks in part to my longer than usual walk with Rufus this morning.

                             TTFN                                   Pam

PS. I see the follower numbers are creeping up. 
Hello, good morning and welcome. I am very pleased to meet you.
                                         Pam

Stitches and Stitches.

The yarny stitching has been simmering away steadily and another pair of boot socks are off the needles.

They do have a slight halo but will be soft and warm to wear.

The snuggly blanket has grown slightly, I will post a picture in a few more days when there is a little bit more to show.

On the sewing stitches front the Plates are also doing well. I have the blades cut, stitched and pressed for 4 more plates. 2 will be blues and greys and 2 will be blues and greens, I pulled some soft pinks from the stash and will make 2 more with blues and pinks. This will give me 9 plate blocks that will finish at around 18", my current thinking is that I will make a 9th block using all the colours to become the middle block, with sashing finishing at 4", side borders  finishing at 5" and top and bottom finishing at 10" I should get a decent size.

Of course I have to think about fabric for all this, right now I haven't got a clue. It will come to me, no probs.

Francesca got her first set of cushion covers today and is pleased as punch, she has no idea that another set will be arriving before the end of the week. 

Dinner tonight is a version of cauliflower cheese, there is broccoli and edamame beans in the sauce as well. A one dish wonder with a fruit pie for pudding. Nursery food, just the job on a wild and windy night.

I have just checked the oven and it's not long now! That's good as there are serious rumblies in the tumbly.

                         TTFN                                     Pam

Accidental Precut scraps

I have cut the blades for the next 4 Dresden Plates, I inferred yesterday that I was making fans but they are definitely Plates.

10 different blues, 5 greys and 5 greens to give me 4 more blocks. If these are to become a quilt I will need to make 12 blocks in total. I will think about it, the colour palette is a bit restrictive as so far the only warm colour is the yellow for the middles. I cannot repeat the blocks as several of the blades were cut from small scraps and there is no more left.

I did get a "Brucie Bonus" though. Because of the way I placed the template I am left with these skinny blades. They will not be wasted I will save them all for a "play session" right at the end. Depending on what I decide to make they may become part of the border.

As I was walking Rufus this morning my mind was wandering willy nilly. Autumn was a favourite time of the year for my Mum, not for the weather but the colours. She revelled in the turning leaves and filled the garden with plants that had brilliant autumn colours.

With a few more steps I reflected on the way she brought us up. There was lots of support from my Gran and one or the other of them was always there.

While we were quite young the care was pretty much full on and as we grew we got more freedom. As our attention needs reduced Dad became the focus of her attention and he lapped it up.

 I should say here that as the eldest I automatically took on some of the caring duties. That's the way that most of our friends families worked, it was not a chore and "duty" is a hard word to use. I just could not think of another, it wasn't always a joy with a sister and 2 small brothers, what one didn't think of another would. 

But it taught me so much that stands me in good stead today. I can keep up with a few conversations at once, I can let Rufus and Ben off their leads and even if they rush in opposite directions I can keep tabs on them both.

I learnt how precious "me time" is and try very hard not to fritter it away.

I also learnt that if you care for another person it fills your heart with love, you may not realise the rewards at the time but they are there.

Oh My Word, I seem to have gone down a goody two shoes road. Believe me there were times when I could have cheerfully strangled them all. But tucking a small person into bed and having them fling their arms round you and snuggling in is priceless. No matter that they drew in your new book or managed to break your favourite ornament and got plastered in mud 2 minutes before tea.

Bear with me I will be back to my normal self tomorrow. 

Dinner tonight is unknown so far, there is Steak and Kidney with veg in a red wine gravy simmering away in the slow cooker but that is for tomorrow. I have some soft blue cheese to use, perhaps a pasta dish or maybe a jacket potato. Time will tell.

Now I am off to get a brew on.

                          TTFN                                        Pam

Blades and Fans

All my good intentions went South or West or somewhere, they certainly did not stay here.
Instead of getting on with my list I watched Jean Truelove making a Dresden Plate wall hanging and fell down the rabbit hole.

I now have 2 of these finished and the blades cut out for 4 more, 2 in blues and greens and 2 in blues and greys.

I new that I had lots of blue but was surprised to find that I didn't need to repeat any fabric in the other blocks. I have used each fabric twice in each of the 3 colourways and all will have the soft yellow middles.

I have no idea as to whether they will be cushions or a quilt, I don't need either but I so needed wanted to make the blocks.

Once they are sewn together I will decide on the fabric for borders and sashing, possibly the same for both and probably blue and multi.

Oops, dinner is ready so I am offski.

                       TTFN                                             Pam

Wellies and Driza-Bone

After a decent drying day yesterday the rain came back overnight. It rained gently with a few minutes of dry scattered here and there, I managed to get Ben out and back in one of them, before sweeping down the mountain in a veil of mist and turning heavy.

Now it is sullen and far too warm, I want to fling all the doors and windows open but it is too windy.

It will be a crafting day, the housework is up to date, no ironing lurking and washing basket empty (for a few moments).

I started turning the heels on the latest pair of socks last night so they will be picked up first. Then I have some fabric panels, that I dug out yesterday, to deal with. I have the dowelling for hanging them and Francesca would like a couple for the house in Beckenham. She will be here for Christmas but still decorates at home.

I was shuffling around You Tube this morning and found a tutorial for Christmas makes. That has fired my interest so I need to scrabble under the bed and pull "Christmas" out of hiding. I don't want to buy anything, there is still lots of stuff to be used here, and it is too wet to go out anyway. I have had to drive enough this week without going out for the sake of it.

Dinner tonight will be based on sweet potatoes baked in their skins, we love them and they don't need butter at all just a scraping of black pepper and a pinch of salt. I have no idea as to what will go with them, a forage through the fridge will bring something to mind.

I went to the little charity shop in G C G (the next village) yesterday and picked up a few books. It is many months since I picked up a book and read it all, I found 3 but they are still in the bag, my reading mojo seems to have gone into hibernation. When I think that at times I would go through 4 or 5 books in a week I can not understand it. I was still knitting and sewing, so it is not a question of time but of inclination.

Now I need to get busy or nothing will be done today, once those heels are turned I will pull the backing fabric out for "Operation Panel Making"

                  TTFN                                                  Pam

The title? oh yes, I have evicted the dust from my wellies and dragged the Driza-Bone from the depths of the wardrobe. I am ready for the weather now.

After the work comes the rest.

I was up with the Lark this morning, it was the hospital run with W and I still had lots of things to do. I managed to walk Ben before we were covered with a blanket of rain and mist. Rufus said "thanks but no thanks" to his walk so I had an extra hour to use.

 Waste it on more housework? Don't be so silly. I got the coin quilt out and started sewing. I still had a little left to do when it was time to leave for Swansea.

We were quite late getting back and I had to have a quick sandwich and a cuppa before sewing again. Around 40 minutes later it was done, trimmed and borders on. Now I just have to get it layered and decide on the binding. It won't be quilted until I get the Janome back from its service.

Yes, of course I have loads of coins left but they will not be still for long, tomorrow will see the start of them being turned into another quilt top.

I decided to knit for a while, once I had cleared the decks and picked  all the bits off the carpet.

I settled down with a pair of socks, What a Surprise, and had a trip down memory lane. I watched a DVD, Ferry Cross the Mersey, starring Gerry and the Pacemakers with an appearance by Cilla Black. 
Yes it was a black and white quite awful film but at the time it was exciting. I enjoyed most of it and just ignored the worst parts.

Now the weather has brightened up so Rufus will get a walk soon.
Dinner will be something light and later than usual after such a late lunch. I may just throw a pan of soup together, it won't take long.
The bread maker is working away on a seeded wholemeal loaf, so  may cut into that or perhaps make a batch of Suffolk Rusks.

I missed knit and natter yesterday but the machine needed a service and when I rang up to book it in they asked me to bring it straight in. Result. I expected to have to wait a couple of weeks at least.

I will photograph the coin quilt once it has been basted, I have 2 to baste so tomorrow is fully booked, probably Friday as well.

Now it is time to get my walking gear on.

                      TTFN                                               Pam

Woo Hoo and more stitchy fun.

Photo's first.

The first set of cushions.

I still have just a little of the Flamingo fabric left.

I have had it so long that I can't remember where I bought it.

The second set, a little bit more subtle use of pink here.

 Once the cushions were done and dusted I picked up the coin quilt strips again. Measure, sew, press, measure again. By George I think I've got it.

14 sets, pressed and ready for the sashing (not cut yet but next on the list)

The overflow, or reserve pile.

There are still lots of 5" strips to use up, I knew that I had cut far too many. I may cut yet more as this one will be a Christmas gift and another for a child or 2 is a possibility.

That's the sewing bit done,now for the foodie bit.

Jax asked about the topping for my veg crumble, where did it come from? From my head is the short answer.

I had the idea of  a roast veg bake, then I had some apples that were very tart. Mmmm apples and onions are a tasty mix so try them in the bake. Of course I just emptied the veg drawer and used carrots, sweet potato, butternut squash, parsnips, swede, onions and a whole head of garlic.

 Then I decided that some sort of sauce/gravy was needed, Autumn veg and Apples meant that it had to be cider. With some veg stock so the peelings were washed and boiled up with some peppercorns and a few celery seeds, oh and a couple of garlic cloves chopped up. I added some thyme leaves when I made the sauce and then added some of my crab apple and thyme jelly, just because.

The topping had to provide some protein and crunch so a thick crust of bread finely diced rather than crumbed, a scoop of oats and melted butter to bind it all together. Then I just riffled through the fridge for some grated Parmesan and a chunk of mature Orkney cheese that I diced up. 

Some pumpkin and sunflower seeds and some brown linseed for extra crunch with a good grind of pepper. I just mixed it all together and spread a thick layer over the veg and cider sauce. 30 minutes in the oven and dinner was ready, it was yummylicious and we will be having something similar again. I can not repeat it exactly as I didn't measure anything, and I may well use different ingredients next time.

Of course I made far too much so tonight we are having it again, shame.

I have a cuppa getting cold so I will slurp that and then get back to the craft room, I must get the sashing cut.

                        TTFN                                                    Pam

PS. I still have a large stock of green and blue fabric left but the pink has all but gone. I will see if I can use them with some red,it is very loud and hopefully the cool colours will tame it. 

Tearing my hair out.

In the interest of working through the fabric stash I decided to make some cushion covers today. Francesca needs some new cushions and I thought, woo hoo 2 sets of 4 covers, loads of fabric used.

The first set of 4 were made in no time, I used the 3 seam 10 minute block that looks like the Cathedral Window block. Envelope backs  and fully lined, done and dusted and in the post.

Hmm, enough time to get another set done. I should say here that she wanted blues and greens with just a touch of pink. No probs, cut, sew, press and 4 fronts finished. 

Here comes the fly in the ointment.

I can be very anal about certain things, with cushions the backs have to be pretty and they all have to match.

Guess what, apart from a solid green I do not have enough fabric to make 4 sets of backs. I can do 3 and 1 or 2 and 2.

I have shuffled these tops and fabric around about 20 times to no avail.

The solid is lovely but it just won't do it for me.

The patterned fabrics are very pretty but I can not mix them up. I know that they are only the backs and will be facing the sofa, BUT I will know. The fact that they will be miles away in Beckenham means diddly squat, I just can not bring myself to do it.

To add salt to the wound I may not be able to get to Llandeilo at all this week, and I really do not want to buy more fabric anyway, it defeats the object.

The only solution that springs to mind is to have 2 different fabrics on the back of each cushion but have all 4 the same. What do you think?

Now I have to go and knit for a while and calm down a bit.


                    TTFN                                              Pam

Apart from all that every thing is hunky dory, the sun is shining, washing is pegged out and we have leftovers for dinner.
Talking about dinner the veg crumble was great and we will be having it again, For the topping I melted some butter and stirred in oats, fine diced bread, chopped nuts and mixed seeds. Then I added a handful of grated Parmesan and a small piece of cheddar fine diced along with some thyme leaves. Mixed it together and put a good layer on, it was crunchy nutty cheesy heaven.

In Stitches.

2 sorts of stitches, knitting and sewing, are dominating my life right now. That is not a moan, quite the opposite, I almost wish that I could grow more arms and hands and do both kinds at once.

I am up to my neck with strip sets and piles of strips waiting to be sewn. I have a pair of socks that are almost ready for the toe decreases, 2 childs garments and an Aran weight jumper on the go.

I am trying hard to concentrate on just 2 knitting projects and the quilt but have had a lot of running around in the past week. Consequently I have missed out on crafting time.

I am up to date with Strictly, not enjoying it so much this year though.

I have a list of things to be started and as I do not want to put needless pressure on myself I have taken certain steps.

I made a list of all my "want to make" things and cut the list into single items. The paper slips are in a box and once a current project is finished I will take a lucky dip and pull the next one out. That way I will not have to worry about what to start first, the decision has been made. 

I had another day at The Flying Geese yesterday, it was a bit quieter but I still had a stream of lovely people to chat with.

Today has been glorious weather and several jobs have been completed in the garden. My potted Hyacinths have started to shoot, so have to come inside soon, I can't see them waiting too long before flowering.

Dinner is on the go, and smelling very good,  Roast root veg crumble with a cider sauce tonight. I will put lots of seeds in the crumble topping and some cheese with breadcrumbs to have a crunchy topping.

On that note I am off to get the sauce made and check it all out.


                         TTFN                                    Pam

Positive Progress

I went off to Llandeilo yesterday and spent a couple of happy hours in The Flying Goose fabric shop. I took a container of the 5" strips and sewed away, there was a fair bit of chatting too.

I haven't counted the strip sets that I finished but there must be well over 60.

My box of strips ready to be sewn.

A few strip sets, pressed and trimmed.

The finished strip sets in their box.

The next batch of fabrics waiting to be cut.

I am sewing them together in strips of 5 - 7 and then cutting a few different fabrics to add to the mix. This way I hope to get a very random mixture of colour and pattern.

I should tell you that I am not being anally precise in sewing these strip sets. This project is all about getting the fabrics used, I am trimming all the sets to 4 3/4" wide. It may be a bit fiddly but will give me (fingers crossed) an easy finish, with straight as a dye seams. Ooops, perhaps writing that was  a bit too cheeky and asking for trouble. Oh well, never mind.

While I was in the shop there was a delivery of Lewis and Irene fabric. Right on top were some Layer Cakes in the Botanics (?) range, something like that anyway, I pounced and one is now tucked away waiting for the strip quilt to be finished. I have a pattern in mind and a recipient, even though this was a spur of the moment decision.

I have some shopping to get done, it will happen at some point over the weekend.

I need to go undies shopping soon as well, my knickers are definitely showing their age. Just like bra's and tights I have fitting issues, I like ones that almost come to my waist with a high rise leg and no lace trim round the legs. The last lot came from Damart and were a fantastic buy in the sale.

I will have a look on their website and as I want to go to Magic and Sparkle for  a bra fitting I will have a look in there also.

Ooh a quick memory of Princess Anne telling the world that her "unmentionables" came from M&S, how many years ago was that?

Now I am off to the craft room to have a cutting session.

Enjoy the weather, it is glorious here. Here's hoping that it lasts for the weekend.

                      TTFN                                               Pam

Still Scuttling around

I have lost count of the number of times that these words have come from my mouth, " how one earth did I find the time to go to work"

Tuesday was Knit and Natter, and very busy it was, there was a good gathering with lots to talk about. I took the snuggly blanket, I can hook my way round that and not miss a beat while joining in the conversations. Debs had just returned from a small break in Holland and had lots to share. The Crafty Mandy had great news to tell, she has signed a contract with Toft and will be teaching classes soon. 

Wednesday was the hospital run with my lovely neighbour W. He is still in plaster and there was no improvement this week. It has been about 11 weeks now and there is no indication of how much longer it will carry on.

Luckily Rufus is quite happy to walk with me and then chill out on the sofa at home.

When I cook a vegetarian or vegan meal I drop one round to W, it keeps him off his foot, he enjoys a home cooked meal and I get a verdict on all new recipes. The SO just eats all my cooking with gusto and our tastes are very similar.

Last night it was a vegan soup using lentils, carrots, peppers and onions with some smoky spices and dried basil and coriander for the warm notes. I then ruined all that healthiness by making grilled cheese sandwiches using Shropshire Blue and Stilton. It was a match made in heaven.

On Tuesday I cooked Welsh Dragon pasta, I make my version of Puttanesca leaving out the Anchovies and use green olives stuffed with garlic rather than black ones. The sauce is red and I add sliced leeks, red pepper, petit pois and edamame beans and a small but fiery chilli from one of my plants.

Tonight is yet to be decided, maybe pie and mash, although I quite fancy Cheese and Potato pie with the addition of some leeks cooked in butter and black pepper, with some homemade baked beans. No, I  will have to save that for Friday, I am off to Llandeilo for the sewing group today, pie and mash it is. I have a stash of homemade pies in the freezer, they cook from frozen in 40 minutes which is plenty of time to get the mash and veg done.

I need to do a shop in Ponty at some point, there is a list of things that I buy from Home Bargains and Poundstretcher, while I am there I slip into Farm Foods and see what they have as well. Then pop over the road into Lidl to finish up, I can get just about everything I need from that little area and be home within the hour. My sort of shopping.

I spent some time yesterday slicing  through my fabric scrap bin. Even after the crumb quilt there is still a substantial amount in there.
 I have cut 5" wide strips and then sub cut them into various lengths from 1 1/2" to 5" long. I already had some cut and sewn together into short strip sets. I aim to make a variation of the Coin Quilt, I think that 8 strips with 1 1/2" sashing will make a decent size quilt and hopefully empty my scraps and most of the fat quarters that have been lurking for far too long. 
There will still be smaller bits but a few crumb cushion covers should sort those out. It is a long time since I attempted a total scrap busting mission and I am quite excited.

Just think of the shopping session that I can have. mmmmmmmm.

Now it is time that I got another brew on, it may be early but I have been busy for the past hour or so, it is thirsty work tidying my craft room.

               TTFN                                                      Pam

AWOL in Llandeilo, Such Fun.

I have had a few lovely days and been completely away from all things "techy".

On Friday I went to one of my favourite places, Llandeilo. A small market town that is really full of tourist destination places. I don't live there so I am a tourist.
lots of places to enjoy a lush snack and tea or coffee, as many for a really good meal and some fast food places. A few charity shops and a couple of banks and a post office. There are none of the "high street shops" there is a small Co op and a local small supermarket style shop..
There is a wide  range of sole trader shops with lots of lovely things to encourage the money out of your purse. 

There is an ice cream and chocolate shop that sells the most amazing rose Turkish Delight. Guess how I know that.

Best Of All there is Deb's Wool Shop and the Flying Goose fabric shop, and that is where I was headed for on Friday and Saturday.

Sue and Rob, of the Flying Goose, hosted a Macmillan Coffee morning and I went and did my bit. Two bits of cake (with an hour or so breather in between) some raffle tickets ( a box of Celebrations brazenly stolen by the SO) and lots of chatter. Oh and I found a panel to make some wall hangings from.

I also had a little tuition on the till as on Saturday I manned the fort while Sue was at an event. Oh My Goodness it was FUN. I did have a blooper moment when my mind went blank on the till but I made a full recovery.

As long as Sue and Rob are happy with my performance I will repeat the exercise again. It was wonderful being surrounded by colour, I did quite a lot of stroking, and I may have planned another quilt or three.
Two customers came in together, both buying for projects, and selected lots of browns. Now I am not a big fan of brown, but seeing these bolts piled on a table, I may have to admit that I was drawn quite strongly to the richness. There were some lighter neutrals in the mix and I think that if I added some gold into the recipe.......... or maybe red. Watch this space.

I did make time to take photos, I just had to make myself put the fabric down.

Books, freezer paper and lots of notions.

Do you hear that? It's my heart racing.

Precuts, yummilicious layer cakes, jelly rolls and charms.

Threads in all colours and weights.

A slice of heaven round every corner.

Soft Snuggle fabrics.

The next 3 are on their sides, I can't get them to rotate.

Fat Quarters mmmmmmm.

 Before I forget, the shop goes back much further and there is a sewing group here on Thursday afternoons. I will be going this week and starting a new project (not yet decided upon). Maybe I will see some of you there one of these weeks.

Sunday was a stitchy day, I finished off the crumb quilt binding, I just have a little extra fancy sewing for the front to do. I made a cover for my little sewing machine and did the quilting on 2 wall hangings, and sewed the binding to the fronts ready for hand stitching down. I did get one done while watching Electric Dreams "The Commuter" with Timothy Spall ( goodness he has lost a lot of weight), I stuck with it to the end but can not say that it was a comfortable watch. Very thought provoking,it made me understand that doing what you consider to be the best thing may well be the very opposite.

Now it is coffee and cake o'clock.

See you later.

                             TTFN                                        Pam

PS. I didn't get round to making the lemon cake with the chickpea juice, but I will. Pam