Sewing in The Rain, take 2

I am remiss in not offering a welcome to some new followers. Gill,Elaine, Penny Wise, Tree Lover and Hazzy,  consider yourselves at home, consider yourselves part of the family, I love that song from Oliver so please excuse the frivolity. All those who follow via Bloglovin are welcome equally, I just do not know how to get in and find you. All those who read but do not follow are also most welcome, some of you who leave comments lead me on a journey, if you blog I pop over and have a read, I have found interesting blogs to follow that way. I also do it on blogs that I follow, one click and a couple of hours can evaporate.

It has been another mizzley, drizzley day but it is warm, the garden will be lapping it up and I have been shopping and sewing.

I went to Cross Hands to visit a shop called Isabeau, they sell fabric, wool, embroidery silks and wools and all the notions and haberdashery you could want. 
I found my zips and some waistband elastic and knew there was one more item but it had slipped my mind. Of course the minute that I walked through the door I remembered that I need hooks and eyes, hey ho I will look in Ammanford tomorrow.

If I keep up this dressmaking lark I will need to go hunting for a few things, including an overlocker. My machine does a fair job of finishing edges but an overlocker is both faster and more professional.

I made my garlic mushrooms and had them with corn on the cob and new potatoes, there were so many that I did not need any more veg.

They were very garlicky and the sauce was thick and creamy but low fat.

The second skirt, finished but for the zip and waistband.

A close up of the fabric, these colours are quite subdued on here, they are brighter in the flesh and will be teamed with a bright solid colour top.

I had picked out a darker print and pinned the pattern out, then got cold feet. I do not happily choose darker colours, I bought this to make lounge pants ages ago and it has been sitting there glaring at me. I may make it up for Francesca, she does like darker colours.

I still like the pattern but no longer think that it is for me.

This is a mid lilac and although I like it I think that it is too quiet. It will go into the quilting cupboard.

This Texas State Flower print is more like it but I do not know if I have enough for the pattern. I will press it later and see, it is time that I made something with it.

I can not decide what to have for dinner, I am not really very hungry but do not want to be starving at 8:00 and stuffing myself that late in the evening, perhaps a big veggy stirfry, I do not fancy meat or fish. I do have plenty of cheese and eggs but don't really want them either.

 Considering the fact that so many people are relying on food banks and eat what they can when they can, I feel slightly ashamed. Wales is relying on food banks much more now than they have in the past, Tesco is doing a collection over the weekend so I will be going in tomorrow to do my bit.

 It is  all to easy to whinge over what to eat when the cupboards, fridge and freezer is full and I strongly suspect that I am not alone. I do a rough meal plan but it is not set in stone, Friday just says "fridge bottom" it is my use it up day.

I have known the time when the only meat we had was game or rabbit. We raised chickens but they were for sale we also raised rabbits and sold most of them, just saving enough to eat when game was out of season.

Reasons to be grateful.

1.  Not having to worry about where the next meal is coming from.

2.  Being able to help feed those who can not do it themselves.

3.  My new machine is making light work of my sewing.

4.  I do not have to water my pots today.

5.  I have a new Simon Kernick paperback to read.

I have decided it will be a veg stir fry with some of my plum and chili jelly to pep it up and the ends of salad on the side. A pot of tea to wash it down and a peach if I have room.

On that sweet note I am off to the kitchen to slice and dice.

                  TTFN                                           Pam

Cooking and Crochet and a new Smile

A warm welcome to some new followers, thrift deluxe and annras80610, I will be clicking on you later to see if you blog, and Hettie Brown who writes a lovely blog and has an amazing way with crafty stuff oh and some awesome red boots.
I slept for 9 hours last night with Ben tucked in at my side, we both woke refreshed and hit the ground running. One quick cup of mint tea and we were off for our first walk of the day.
There was a slight hiccup at the village shop, no power. By the time we were on our way back  there were  2 men sorting it all out.

I did some sorting out, putting the last things away, changing the flowers etc I did clean the windows in and out and it didn't rain :-)

I realised that it was Shrove Tuesday and pulled some chilli out of the freezer, pancakes made, filled with chilli and rolled up, into a baking dish and smothered with chilli cheese sauce, 20 minutes in the oven and dinner for 2 greedy peeps or for 3. This was dinner for 2 with salad and leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

It was just as good as it looks and I will not be waiting a year to have it again.

I realised that I never did show you my crochet scarf, well here it is .

I love it and I want a hat now, I am going to be looking round the blogs in search of one. Attica 24 made herself a hat so I will read that post again, I think she mentioned a tutorial, I live in hope.

Reasons to be grateful.

1. Ben seems completely back to normal.

2. The weather has been absolutely glorious.

3. The daffodils in my cutting garden are starting to flower.

4. The trees around the village are full of blossom.

5. Marina, my neighbour, is looking very well.

Marina had a car accident a few days ago and wrote her car off. She drove into a water filled pothole and went into a tree. Luckily she was only bruised and shaken, in her words she felt like an olive in a martini! She has another car and is buzzing about again.

I plan a lazy evening, there is a film on the sky box, How to make an American Quilt, and I have some crochet to do. I may have a little chocolate. Tomorrow is the first day of Lent so that will be the last chocolate for 40 days. 

I may give something else up as well, I never drink alcohol during Lent so I will have to think hard before the morning.

I found a new blog to follow,  thanks to frugal in Bucks, Mandy and her smile, she has had a rough ride from some critics and could do with a vote of confidence, pop over for a visit and say hello.

The blog title is My Thrifty Homemade Challenge. I am a nit wit.

I do not understand these people who read a blog, do not like it but keep on reading and leaving nasty comments. As far as I am concerned this is my blog and I write it as I see fit. I get new followers and I lose some, it happens. You can not please all the people all the time. People change, their interests change, I have dropped some blogs and taken up others, now that I can crochet I am following some that feature crochet. Some I follow because they are quirky, some because they echo my ways, some because they are so different to my ways. 

Anyway I need a brew and to get Ben out for a quick walk first. Then it will be feet up, wool out and film on.

I hope you all enjoyed your pancakes.

            TTFN                                                      Pam

Quilt in a Day, Very Nearly.

A warm welcome to 2 new followers, Jozzie and Caryl W, I hope you find something to interest you.
An apology to those who commented yesterday, I like to reply to each but Blogger had other ideas, words were transposed and replies put in the wrong place so I threw the towel in.

Another Announcement.

Quilt top number 3 is finished. I was reading my new book from  Camille, of Bonnie and Camille, and I saw her "big block" version of Churn Dash. It has taken an old block and made it thoroughly modern, I fell in love there and then.
I slept on it and remembered that I had some Savanna Bop in my stash, I bought it ages ago at a really good price. So I made a block and used some bright Turquoise for a bold splash, then I made another with a different print, they looked so good together that I made 2 more and a quilt was born.
I have 2 more prints from the collection and a plan is fermenting for number 4. 
There is a great deal of white space in this and I am thinking of using a bold cotton for the quilting or a little applique here and there.
If I had only spent the day sewing I could have made 2 like this with no problem, I normally make quilts with lots of small pieces so this was very new to me. I would not want to make every quilt with big blocks but a fast finish gives you a feel good glow.

Reasons to be grateful.

1. One step nearer to my donated quilt total.

2. A gift of an old Randolph Scott film on DVD.

3. Sunshine this afternoon.

4. The viral video from BBC Radio 2 today is brilliant, I have only watched it 3 times.

5. I thought that I had to have an external door replaced, but the nice man who came out to look at it found that it was any easy fix and charged me £10.

I don't watch the Radio 2 things usually but was listening to Steve Wright and he played the sound track, I logged on to Facebook and watched it and watched it and watched it. Ben was watching as well but was not impressed.

An easy dinner tonight, minced beef cobbler with roast root veg. At less than 90p a serving and very tasty I am happy, and very full.

I may have a day off sewing tomorrow, I have sewed my way through 3 quilt tops and want to do some other bits and bobs before I start the 4th. I also want to vacuum all the threads up, they have trailed all over the cottage, it is also time I washed all the paintwork down. I do not like housework but equally I do not like being in a muddle.

In my quest to learn to crochet I have bought a set of hooks from up the Amazon, I now have to get some yarn, I have a "how to" book and have found some tutorials on You tube. I will not give in, I have seen some truly gorgeous crochet on some of my blog list and I want to do that.

Oh My, it is gone 7 and the sink is full of dishes, I need to shake my tail feathers.
       TTFN                                                                  Pam

Peace out of Chaos, Thanks to Dreamer.

Welcome to 2 new gang members, Fearless Life ( I would love to know the reason behind that title) and Claire from Thriftwood who like me is rather fond of Afternoon Tea. When Fran is home we do a proper tea, Royal Albert china, scones, jam and clotted cream, little sandwiches, the full monty. I do use my china every day but if I ate tea daily I would have to be wheeled around in a barrow.

An Announcement. 
The second quilt top for donating is finished.

I used a stronger range of colour and pattern in this one, making it more suitable for a boy, although it would be fine for a girl.

2 down, 2 to go, I have masses of strips of various length and width ready cut but will use a different layout for the next 2.

I asked my butcher for a bone for stock, just look at it. That pan is 20" across, I got lots of lovely stock and Ben looked at the bone, then looked at me with a dazed expression. He did however take every scrap of meat and tissue off it and slurped just about all the marrow out, I scooped the remainder out with a long spoon handle for him.

I read Dreamer.s blog and when she first started this off I did not really take it in.




Then after reading how others had taken it up I decided to have a go. That was one of my better choices, I have drawn up a list, BTW I love me a list. The first 3 were simple carry on with decluttering,
1, The built in sitting room cupboards, DONE. 
2, My wardrobes, DONE.
3, Take at least 2 boxes of "stuff" to the CS. DONE.
This week, number 4 is to finish putting Fran's bedroom to rights, it should have been simple and done this morning.....................but I am quite clumsy and while moving things around I managed to stand on the overhead light shade. It broke and I spent 5 minutes picking up bits of coloured glass with one of those sticky roller doodads. I will be visiting said CS on Monday to look for another, possibly a material covered one that I can revamp with one of the fabrics in her quilt.
Number 5 is to empty the little conservatory and give it a birthday, it tends to get used as a "mud room" in the winter. I know that winter is not over but I have to let my eyes go out of focus when I go in there it is in such a sorry state.
I digress, drawing up the list has galvanized me into action, I knew these things needed doing and writing them down was just the shove that I needed. So far I have got 25 listed, when I am nearly there I will look again and finish the list. 
A few things that were going to require money being spent have been put on hold. 
Wonderful news, Francesca has been accepted to sit the New York Bar and it will start with a course in early March at a cost of £How Bloody Much!!!, Then in April the exam fees have to be paid, More of the same, Then she has to go to New York for 2 weeks, the exam is in 2 parts and they are 2 weeks apart.So flights, hotel etc. etc. and there's more gone.
She has her student loan and her LPC loan to pay off and is ploughing through those. I do not want her to cut back on those and another loan would be a stupid way to proceed. Her Dad and I discussed it and we will each lend her half the total. It must be a loan, albeit interest free and payment will be organised by monthly transfer from her bank.
Obviously she will need spending money and probably definitely some new clothes, she is going to New York after all. That will be covered by early Birthday and Christmas money.
We all thought that it would be next year before this happened but really the sooner the better, just think by mid August (fingers crossed) she will be fully qualified.
Reasons to be grateful.

1. A wet, wet wet day. What doesn't come down as rain could come down as snow.

2. Fran's wonderful news.

3. The fact that the money is there for her.

4. Being half way through my destash quilt project.

5. Finding enough quilting fabric in my wardrobe to back at least 3 of the quilts without joining bits together.

I have a reasonable sized piece of Minky and will use that for 1 quilt, the last time I tried it was very hard work, I have read a tutorial about this and picked up lots of tips so I feel quietly confident. The wadding is ready to use, I buy it by the box as I use so much and it gives a saving, thanks to the lovely Ladies from Button Up and Stitch. Oops that reminds me I have signed up to do a class in Foundation piecing and can not remember when it is, must pop in and check.

Sausage casserole Ding for dinner with some cabbage I think.
My pills seem to have done the job, no more pain and running up stairs every 10 minutes, phew. 1 more to take today and that is it.
I only took 2 books from the library Friday, because I have some from Christmas to read, and found that I had read 1 and could not get into the second. More time for sewing then.

Ben is huffing and puffing around my feet so I better find our coats and go take the air.
         TTFN                                                          Pam

Splashing back to Tydd

I want to begin by welcoming Kim, Bridget and Brenda to the "gang" I hope you find something of interest.
 Have any of you popped over to see Sue Baxter Wells yet? She has been leaving interesting comments on lots of blogs recently,  she  blogs at Brown Calico Curtains and hails from the top most Eastern Corner of the US. I have a question for you Sue. There have been a few comments floating around about "circles" what they are and how they work. Would you like to enlighten us?

What a wet few days/weeks, there have been a few dry bits but nowhere near enough. I feel that I have been paddling forever, even on the dry sunny days I squelch with every step.

The funeral went as well as these things do, it was a simple service as planned ages ago. A few unwelcome people turned up but were ignored and left to stew in their own juice.
Jeannie was supported well by her sons, David and Carl, Peter's Grandchildren Francesca and James and their dad, Michael. There was one moment when I had to hold Fran close but she held up well. She adored her Grandfather and was adored right back.
Jeannie wrote a couple of pages for the eulogy but asked Michael to read it out.

Fran stayed here until Saturday and we did lots of chatting and remembering, we also sorted out a car load of her possessions to go back to Beckenham. We were up early and on our way by 8.00am. The journey, thanks to Tom Tom, was straightforward and 2 1/2 hours long.
Ben snuggled next to, on and around Fran the whole way. We had a quick brew and then walked the High Street, I could not resist popping in one shop and they kindly allowed me to take these.

I was very good, thinking of my waistline, and only bought some chocolate covered coffee beans as a gift for someone. There were many of my childhood memories in the shop but the prices!

After all that walking our tummies were thinking that our throats had been cut so we popped into the local bakery and bought some bread and, shame on me, pasties. Not too huge and absolutely delicious, washed down with another brew they gave us energy to walk in the park.

 Just 3 minutes gentle stroll from the house is a lovely park. Lots of walks, some were marked as NO DOGS but the majority is dog friendly. Although there were loads of dogs running free I did not let Ben off his lead.  There was a lot of open water and many of the paths had run off water flowing across them ( lots of mud). We had to make a detour as one path was under about 6" water for a 20 yard stretch and the surrounding ground was completely water logged. There were several little weirs and I got close to this one.

A few steps and there was a plethora of bird life to watch, there are swans in the background who stayed well away from the hoi polloi. Too far for a worthwhile photo with my little camera.
After well over an hour we left the park and went back to the high street to visit the Sausage Shop, they make an amazing array of sausages from Plum and Ginger to Toulouse Garlic with 5 varieties of Lamb, in Lamb casings, and 9 Chicken types. There are also gluten free, beef, kangeroo and vegetarian. I bought 2 each of 4 varieties and will tell you about them later.

We had yet more tea and I left at 4.00, it was a good decision as the traffic was very light. I was home, indoors drinking tea before 7.00.
Leftovers for a quick dinner, a wedge of chicken and Leek pie with half a tin of baked beans that were left from Fran's lunch on Friday.

I had a knock on the door this morning, the Postie left this with a neighbour yesterday.

It was absolutely stuffed to the gills, and I will share it tomorrow, at the moment I want to lust over it in private. mmmmmmmmmmmm.

Reasons to be grateful.

1. An easy and rewarding trip to London.

2. A drool worthy parcel from the US.

3. Ben tired and cuddly after his busy day yesterday.

4. Seeing Michael dry and looking better for it.

5. James asking me to make a cake for his wedding to Cerys.

The date has not been set for the wedding yet, hopefully later this year. I have offered to share the cost and the work of the catering with Cerys,s Mum. It is as good a reason for a long trip to Wales as I could want.

That will be another quilt then, do I feel up to making a Double Wedding Ring?

Now I have a thank you to write and send off for my lovely parcel.

Stay dry and well.          TTFN                             Pam