As you will see... one is becoming a little braver on the old blog front! Trying a bit of this and a bit of that. And feeling more than a bit pleased with oneself at being able to get the blooming thing to work.
Was going to put a bit of music on too, and I am half way there, lets say watch this space. Enjoy a few of the holiday snaps though... can you guess where we were? The pic missing is Mickey Mouse standing on my foot which was pretty painful, his shoes are enormous.
So can't help but notice that typepad has changed a bit so I am flirting with it here... if my delete button is a little slowere than me and so I end up deleting more than I wanted to. I am sure I have linked this before but it looks easier for a numpty like me so - lied I have been so enjoying this BOM by Lynette. So much "sew" that mine are printed out and sewn the same night she blogs... http://lynetteandersondesigns.typepad.com/
I have not added any borders yet because I dont know what I am wanting to do yet, which adds to the enjoyment for me.
Oh and here is Smartie No1 Hope's hamster...
Well I am just going to pass over the time lapse to come back to entering a blog... no comment! and I know that as we are off En Vacances next week there will be a time lapse again. So here is a picture of what has been keeping me busy... this is a raised bed that took 4 years for us to get around to doing. And if it wasn't for my brothers skills (he is not a brickie by trade only a dabbler for DIY) we not have this lovely lovely corner to the garden. And if it wasn't for a trusty friend moving to Turkey and so allowing me to raid her garden (thankyou Dawn) I would have considerably less plants!
So I am happy at the moment pottering . Not much sewing happening.
The four tall funerial looking crosses arent a morbid pet cemetery right in the focal point of it all... they are in fact Giant American Sunflowers. And we are running a competition which is currently being won by the cat at 62cm. What he is watering his with only he knows! Must check my tomatoes....
I'd like to be able say I have been holidaying on the other side of the world and here I am just returned. But... well that wouldn't be true. I have just thought "I'll do it tomorrow" and tomorrow becomes, well everyone does it. So..
Today I have been mainly working in the shop. Surprise. We had a lovely weekend up in the north east where I did a bit of research. Which basically meant tortuously touring as many quilting shops as possible. I know it's a hard life! Visited quite a few and found it really interesting. Also learnt that telling shop owners that you have a shop is a bit like letting off a bad smell. Doesn't always go down well. But I did find it really helpful and to those who were cheery and chatty I thank you.
It has been very exciting these last few weeks as fabric has been arriving. I wish I was a better photographer, or maybe had more than minutes to snap but what the hack, took some pics of some loveliness that has arrived...
The dinosaurs are really good, not too cartoony and not to scarey realistic. There has also been a bit of moving and shifting and the shop is gradually becoming ordered so that I know where things are. 
Then last saturday we (small people and myself) attended the Scottish regional day for the Quilters Guild. It was in Livingston and although I did not see the Singing Quilter or the afternoon talk I heard they were very good. We (Young Quilters) were locked away in a sweat shop... no no, we were in a different part of the building. Which if I am honest did feel a bit shut away, but everyone seemed to enjoy the day. My small hopes both entered the "Tradition with a Twist" competiton and both received a lovely rossette.
Tear to a mothers glass eye when they got them!
Well after a lovely day, a day I hung out 2 loads from the washing machine... and they came in dry!!! I thought I would show a quilt I haven't really shown. I made it two years ago for my brother when he finally "retired" from the army (he's older). He had a very succesful career and what do you give someone when they come out of the army? So logically since all his decorations were pretty smart I took some inspiration from them and made this quilt. Haven't really showed it off, as once it was complete it was presented to him, so it hangs in his home.
Look at this gorgeous fabric! it is on order and hopefully it will be the shop May/June. It's based on the Eric Carle book "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and has a lovely co-ordinating stripe amde up of all the foods the caterpillar eats. Very very difficult to choose fabrics when you get shown so many lovely ones, but hey getting used to it now! Just hope it walks out the door. x
I have long been a fan of Lynette ANderson designs and have made a few little stitcheries. i find her blog so interesting and can lose an evening nosing around blogs that she likes, then blogs that they like, then blogs that thye in their turn like... you know where I am going with this. We've all been nosing around then before you know it times passed. Anyway, she is doing a gorgeous BOM with tiny stitchery patterns on free download so go and nose at it. http://lynetteandersondesigns.typepad.com/
I will maybe show my one. At the moment I have just won a bag on EBay so I am v excited. It is this lovely Radley. 
Yawn yawn, they are ten a penny but not this one! A lady came into the shop and plonked her bag on the counter and I said "OOOOOH Likey Likey" So all being well there will be a parcel coming my way and I shall soon be skipping along the pavements bashing people over the head saying "Look at it - it's GORGEOUS!"... I've taken that too far haven't I. (that was rhetorical)
Just a shortie because its sunday, we have had breakfast at Ikea - obviously by the crowds, the new place to worship on the sabbath!! Came home, cleaned out the hamster because no one can sit in the front room for the stench (dont be phoning the Animal Rescue he's the best fed and most luxuriously housed creature). Watched the end of Sense and Sensibility and still cried at the end.
The roast lamb is in the oven and I have an hour or so to sit at my machine. Hopefully I will complete the bag I am trying to make for displaying in the shop. For once Mr Hope is off on a sunday, which is highly unusual, but he has happily shut himself away reading the papers whilst four girls run and scream around the house!! Oh well they are happy. Here are some lovely batik jelly rolls that I had delivered to the shop, they are very juicey.
These are the beginnings of the bag. It's a fabric range called Flirtations, and although not my choice really, lovely together. x
It's amazing how time passes.. cant claim laziness, I have been mainly crotcheting these past few weeks. Almost to embarrased to display my efforts but may do by the end. I should say that it has taken me many years of many enthusiastic teachers (youngest being 8!!) and I have never been able to grasp this skill but after a eureka moment I have stopped crotcheting fruit bowl shaped objects and succeeded in making FLAT SQUARES!!! WEY HEY!! okay I will have to show you, and please note the crotcheted edge to the scarf I have been knitting whilst smallest Hope attends Drama classes (not that she needs them).
And so the lesson of the week was... dont make plans on your only day to yourself because something will happen like it snowing a blizzard down from the skies and then you cant go anywhere. Here is the Wee George wondering how in the name of heavens he is supposed to go out and do the do's in cat waist deep snow.
Not wanting to lower the tone... I dont think he did a wee all day, litter trays are not for him, much prefers a flower bed. The veg plot is fenced off as it has recently been beautifully tidied.
The little excitement I had today was finally getting my hands on "Dear Jane", so I have made two blocks because everything else gets pushed off the work table, and cut out three more in prep. That will be me this weekend, glass of wine and tiniest of pieces (4 1/2" fin. squares) not a recipe for accuracy maybe.. Cant decide whether to keep to reds solely or have in reds and blues. off to ponder in a warm bath.. goodnight x
