Just have to show you...

This is the quilt I made in two days this week for the latest grandson, nothing like rushing!!
The original pattern was in a Readers Digest Sewing book but I used Paula Ozier fabrics for the applique animals instead of the ones suggested, to makee it a bit funkier. Considering the rush it turned out quite well though I have to admit to machining the applique on (instead of the painstaking hand sewing for the Valentine quilt) However I did hand quilt the outlining.

Flowery weekend

This last weekend was the village flower festival at the church and it all looked gorgeous. I put my dolls houses on display for them which led to a huge effot in finding sorting and cleaning them before transporting them round the corner. As they are going to Ware museum in November it was a good boost to do it and get hem sorted. it is so long since I looked at them I had forgotten how lovely they are. So many people commented on them.
The flowers were just so stunning. Every group or society in the village had a display and the fun bit was Friday in the church while we all worked to get the displays set up. Here is a picture of the WI display - quite appropriate I though, with jam, Jerusalem music and Sunflowers for the Calendar Girls! There were over twenty displays which just shows how busy this village is.
And last week we had the Morris Men at the pub which was lovely. Morris men go back to the Middle Ages and probably earlier than that, all male dancers with bells and ribbons on their legs, they have set dances they have done for years. I have always loved watching them and it was great to do so from the comfort of our kitchen window. The photo is a bit dark (it was 9pm) but you can get some idea

Vintage Valentine is REALLY finished

At last the quilt is finished! Start with something simple the books say. What do I do? Find the hardest design ever! Hand quilted to boot! Pics here. Have to say I am inordinately pleased with myself.
Now it is back to the alphabet sampler (also pictured) I am not sure where I am going to put this when it is done but it has been mostly a joy to do

On the proverbial at a brewery

Yes, just as daft as it sounds really! We went to Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk on Monday to visit the Greene King Brewery in the company of 20 reprobates and the maddest Northern Irish guide I have ever met. She was a hoot. Green King is one of the oldest brewers in the country and has always been in Bury and as most of our locals are GK it was quite appropriate to visit the source so to speak! Naturally the guys were only interested in sampling the beer! Fun though to discover GK own the Trip to Jerusalem in Nottingham which was one of our haunts in student days, and even more fun to discover the man I sat next to at dinner afterwards came from Nottingham as I do and knew all the places I did. He even remembered the Toreador which was our favourite coffee bar!!
Bury is a beautiful old town, well worth a visit, we went into the park behind the old abbey and here are some pics of the ruins, including some that look like a bird - honest! There is also one on a house built into the old ruins.
On the home front we are really progressing, as I type our second bedroom is getting its carpet laid and then they move on to the third one. I decided to deep clean and piant the kitchen after getting a total shock when I took a couple of plates off the wall - so it now looks fab and gleaming - too clean to cook in of course but you can't have it all!