My computer is dead

My poor laptop died a horrible death and doesn't look like it will be salvageable.

I'm using my husband's work machine while he's here today but after that it's back being 'puterless until either mine gets fixed or we can save enough money for a new one, which won't be happening any time soon given the state of our finances.

I'll pop on as often as I can when he's home.

Gardening

While the weather lasts there will be no blogging because there will be no sewing. I'll be out hacking back the jungle and attempting to reclaim some outdoor space. Somewhere up there is a fire-pit and a nice round picnic table which I need to find. Then I can sit and drink my wine and watch all the stuff I've cut down burning merrily.

I know that come the summer I'll be glad I did it but right now my back aches and my shoulders are agony.

I did get a chance to escape at the weekend and we went down to Wells and on the way checked out Midsomer Quilting. Nice little shop and very friendly people. It was a gorgeous day and a beautiful drive too. Highly recommended if anyone's in the area. All I bought was some rotory cutter blades, I'm very proud of my restraint.

Birthday trip

I finally finished unpicking all the triangles and we escaped to London for a couple of days.

My husband bought us tickets to Avenue Q for my birthday and we made it a proper trip, left the kids with the MIL and got to be grown-ups for a while.

Had a good old wander round the National Gallery, having been inspired by Ferret's visits. Some of the older paintings were wonderful but I was surprised to find myself distinctly underwhelmed by the exhibition of more modern masters, Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir etc. They seemed rather dull and lifeless which I wasn't expecting.

Had a nice meal in China Town and headed for the show. We had wonderful seats , slap bang in the middle and about 7 rows back which gave us a perfect view. We had a great time and giggled ourselves stupid.

The next day we visited the British Museum, somewhere I hadn't been for years and then headed home in time to collect the kids from school.

Tomorrow we're off to Crufts so no sewing for a while.

Unpicking

Having sewn all my triangles together I realised I had sewn them the wrong way and am now ripping them all apart again. 14 triangles x 80 = 1120!!!! Bugger. :(

Triangles

I have been cutting triangles, lots and lots and lots of triangles. I hadn't really anticipated just how many of the damn things this pattern took and I am so bored with them. They took forever to cut and are now taking forever to piece.

Photos later!!!

Had a nice time mooching and stroking fabric and came away with a nice selection of greens. The photo really doesn't show the colours very well, they're a bit washed out and seem to contrast more than they do in real life.




We've finally settled on a pattern. I was drawn towards Storm at Sea as I've always had a hankering to make one, there were four votes for Irish Chain and two votes for Saw Tooth Stars which I hadn't considered and immediately wanted to make. The surprise winner however is a pattern that is called London Square on Quilter's Cache. I suggested it and got a very enthusiastic response, so that's what we're going with.

This is an example from the turn of the century though happily she wants hers to be nice and scrappy.


I'm now off to run the OH to the airport. He's off to Marakesh for a week. Lucky bugger... I've got the kids on half term.

Isn't life full of coincidences. I've just been looking at Ferret's Blog and she's posted up pictures of her charity quilt which are scrappy bow ties. To be truthful I like her quilt better than mine, I wish I'd thought of alternating rows of large and small ones. It gives it a lot more depth.

In other news, I have a commission. A friend of the MIL has requested a green and white quilt in a traditional pattern to go on her Victorian iron framed bed in the spare room. She'll pay for the fabric and I get to play. I'm about to head for Hanson's Fabrics at Sturminster Newton to look at material and see if I get inspired. See you when I get back.

In the meantime if anyone has a favourite pattern that would look great in green and white on an antique bed in a very old farmhouse, let me know.