Quilts I can only dream of!

Back in the land of Blogging?

I hope so!  It has been too long since I last wrote, time to get back into a routine (routine? me? that'll be a first!) and get onto the computer on a daily basis to keep in touch with the outside world.  I have been hiding away quite a lot this year but at the same time being very very busy.  Just trying to find a happy medium right now - getting there!!

I visited the Chilford Quilt show a few weeks ago and took these pictures of my favourite quilts on display.

This was probably top of the favourite list.  The fabrics had been hand dyed and painted to add even more vibrancy and depth of colur to the overall quilt.  The picture really doesn't do it justice but I had to snap it quick before more people stepped in for a closer look.

Up close this quilt had little woodland creatures secreted in the greenery around the edges, so lovely. 

And more beautiful pictures in quilts using such lovely colours.

This is the type of work I can only aspire to!  My quilts (those which I have actually finished, well the one that I have finished!!) my quilts are very rustic and user friendly!!

Well I was planning on adding some more pictures but it seems that is not possible so will have to do it tomorrow.  For today, I am heading back to the workshop to make up some more boards to be turned into signs then painting more blocks and will hope to be able to show you the pictures tomorrow!

Take care all, til tomorrow

Sarah x

All day and all of the night

Have been fully intending to get onto here and actually write a blog post for the first time in ages today, but have been caught up with listening to the Radio One longest show.  Especially hard to prise myself away as it is on the red button too so you can actually see the faces behind the oh so familiar voices!  Strange how radio feels, well sounds, totally different when you can see it at the same time!

I have been working too I hasten to add!

Anyhoo am now tired and feel a little bad that I get to go to bed whilst Chris Moyles and Comedy Dave continue on through the night but I do want to be nice and awake to be able to listen to them all day again tomorrow!!

So night all, till next time (am hoping that will be tomorrow and normal blog service resuming)
Sarah x

What a difference a plan makes

I have been so very impressed with myself these past few weeks whilst I have been working elsewhere full time because I have managed to be so much more efficient in the time that I have had at home.

It is very true that if you want something done then ask a busy person!

This weekend I have been considerably less efficient!  Having two whole days stretching out in front of me I seem to have lost the ability to achieve!

Never mind, I guess I should put it down to 'time off' and be happy that I have done some things, just not all the great long list I had planned!

I did manage to get to one of my favourite places - Second Hand Alley.  Set in a draughty old barn in the Bedfordshire countryside it is packed with furniture and things from house clearances and auctions.  I was lucky it was open as I only went past on the off chance now that they are only open every other weekend.  I was so pleased to find this watering can, it doesn't even stand up properly because the bottom is bowed outwards but I love it!  I have some bulbs that should have been planted ages ago which I shall throw in there to see if they take!

This is the bulk of my haul.  With the exception of the wooden hearts which I forgot I had put on the chair!  The little white chair will be sanded down and painted as will the two brown chairs behind.  They are rather comfy chairs too, didn't check the childs one as I didn't fancy getting stuck a la Goldilocks!

The picture, well certificate is from the Truman, Banbury and Buxton Brewery, given to a member of staff who had worked for them for 30 years back in 1956.  I was initially drawn to it because of the striking colours and the pictures of the different breweries but the more I looked at it the more I just felt that I should have it.  I didn't like to think of it being left in the damp and draughty barn just because it wasn't one of my relatives to whom it had been given to originally.

Hubby thinks I am completely mad of course, but I maintain that I like it and it is going up on the wall, regardless of who Mr Clarke was who had given the company 30 years of his working life!

Lets face it, I am never going to be getting a 30 year loyalty recognition from any company I work for so i'll enjoy this one instead!

Best get back to it, hoping to make a cushion before dinner!

Hope you have all had a lovely weekend

Take care

Sarah x

Just a note....

I am still here!

Have been working full time for a temping agency since my last post and I have taken on some Pampered Chef work so it has been full steam ahead and not a lot of time to stop and write about it!

Plus there are a few things I am organising too, no doubt I'll be back with more about that soon.

As it is right now I am just about to go in to hunt and gather in the larder to find my tea which should give me just enough time to cook, eat, read for a bit then off up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire!

Hope you are all ok out there

Take care, til the next time

Sarah x

A little trip to Devon

Aaaaaaarrrrrrrggghhhhhhhh!

Slow time down!

How can it be Janurary 26th already?

I had such great plans for doing so many of my so called January Jobs and once again I seem to be paralysed by my time management!  Or have I?  When I break it down - I was poorly, that took up way too much time for my liking and we have been away on holiday for 10 days, so that doesn't seem quite so bad.

So I shall not dwell on my apparent lack of achievements so far, I am going back to my holiday!

We returned to North Devon with fingers crossed that the snow wouldn't come this time.  Last year we had the most lovely and relaxed but enforced staying in holiday due to the quantity of snow that fell.  This time we were spared the snow and instead we had some fantastic days out in the sunshine.

It just was not possible to capture this amazing sunset on my camera whilst driving (Hubby driving, not me).  The sky was golden, it was absolutely beautiful.  At the same time, the moon was rising behind us so brightly too.  At one point of the journey you could see both sun and moon and I did try to capture a panoramic video on my phone but as we were driving up and down the hills the views changed too quickly!

There was enough moonlight to go for a little walk just as the last of the sun was dipping out of sight behind the hills 

We spent everyday outside in the fresh air, most of it at the beach or along the cliffs.  Oh how much do I want to pack up and move to the coast now!!

Once we had made the final purchase of waterproof trousers (one soggy trip out was enough to remind us that these were very necessary) we were fully epuiped to picnic in all terrains.  There is most definately an art to getting dressed when you have to layer up, making sure that if you do venture into one of the very friendly, dog friendly pubs, you have put your clothes on in the correct order so that you can dismantle your attire enough to sit down with other people and still look realatively civilised!

This was the main activity of the holiday - beach and ball!

We took this picture just a few days into the holiday as it had been quite dull and raining for those few days and we did think it may be the only patch of blue sky we were going to see.  How wrong were we?  From that point onwards we had cloudless blue skies every day for the rest of our holiday.  I'd like to think that I may have even picked up a little suntan on my face - it was the only bit of skin that was not under thermals!

We came home with one very tired doggins!  Plus two very happy and relaxed us's.

Now it is back to work, back to building, back to sorting out house and generally getting declutterd and just getting things done! 

Take care all, til tomorrow

Sarah x

Space to fill

Look - its my table!

And the only things on it are the pin cushions!

This is probably the only time for the rest of 2011 this will be the case.  It has been cleared, sorted and thoroughly cleaned ready to be filled with all those projects that I am planning on finishing off.

An here are a few of those projects.  Two wall hangings/quilts and a larger quilt to be finished with binding and bits!

If I get these done then I shall have made more in this year than I managed last year in total which is either very impressive or rather poor depending upon how you wish to look at it!  I think I shall take it as a great achievement, after all, I did make a lot of other stuff last year that isn't photographed!

Well if you'll excuse me I have some more buttons to sew on that quilt so I can get an other progress picture for tomorrow!

Take care all

Sarah x

Onwards

Happy New Year to you all!

I am a little late in my greeting but then I am playing catch up due to having spent over a week fighting the flu.  I am now considerably behind in my consumption of turkey dinners and planning to rectify that throughout January (sorry Rosemary Conley but I'll do my best to make them low fat!).

Consequently I am also a little lacking in news and photos having only managed to read a book and drink lots of honey and lemon drinks!  So I had a little look back over last year whilst I was sorting out my computer files and thought I'd just share a little with you and as I am back to almost normal now I can get on with all the January Jobs I have planned!

Last January we headed off to Devon and got snowed in!  Planning to go back again this year so hopefully the weather will hold off for us this time, although it was beautiful.

Can never have enough buttons!  Spring cleaning my button jars.

Feels like a lot longer but it was only last March that Maggie and I went off to the Country Living show in London.

The first of many trips to the beach!  New frisby worked brilliantly and is the best thing to chase in the snow too!

Some my new cushions and hearts from Handmade at Home in the summertime

And plenty of villagers enjoying tea and cake in the glorious sunshine and open garden day (not my garden!)

Back at Scald End Farm this year for their summer fair and my lovely neighbours the donkeys!

The lovely Molly who had a lovely reportoire of tunes to wake us up in the morning!

All the way into October we were still having some fabulous weather, beautiful sunshine just perfect for a muddy walk!  Clearly the previous weeks had been rather wet!

Racing into November and full swing into the Christmas craft fairs, this was my lovely view from my stand at Wrest Park this year.

And full circle back to December and it snowed again, as if we can forget!

So my January Jobs are kicking off with a jolly good tidy up in the workshop so I can get back to making things for the new year.  Lots of planning to do and maybe this year I can maintain a tidy and organised workshop, hmmmmm we'll see!

Take care all

Sarah x