OOH! MY POOR BACK ACHES . . .

Got up at 7.15 - crawled to bathroom - bent over double with backache. The result of sitting at the sewing machine for long periods during past few days.

Want to finish the quilt for Popular Patchwork magazine before November 11th - but won't be able to sew today so I guess it's a case of shuffling for half and hour - sitting for half and hour - lying flat on floor for half hour for most of the day.
At least that's what I have been told to do by physio. A bloomin' nuisance.

Have already sat at computer for 15 minutes . . . . dearie me this is going to be a dull day!

Re Sparrows

I opened the kitchen curtains and there they were - waiting for breakfast, the little darlings.

Have spent the day at the sewing machine - my trusty mechanical Bernina - machine quilting The Singing Garden.
Added some trapunto which was disastrous - spent most of the evening trying to remove filling without ruining the quilt.
A lesson to be learned - don't try to be too clever and ambitious or add unnecessary embellishment to something that doesn't require it. In other words 'let well enough alone.'

Cooked liver and onions for supper - with creamed potatoes and a pile of broccoli. Lots of lovely oniony gravy. Very tasty.
Bought liver from Netto for 98p and broccoli for 39p.
A 'posh' couple at the checkout were putting their purchases (lots) into Sainsbury and M & S bags! 'nuff said.

Off to Christie Hospital at Manchester tomorrow accompanying a close friend who is having a liver biopsy. Not nice.

Got to pick Bramleys soon, before they fall. Tree is loaded. Have to dig out my jelly bag, turn my stool upside down, and get cracking making usual mint jelly - apple jelly - this and that apple jelly. Not making chutney tho' I have some green tomatoes languishing in the greenhouse. Still using remains of chutney from 2 years ago- when I had a mammoth chutney- making marathon. Can't face the smell that wafts through the house and took 6 months to shift.
Don't mind the smell of Elderflower Cordial - recipe I gave on my Blog a few months ago - which I understand some of you have made, with great success.

I shall make some of my famous Apple Sauce - containing a secret ingredient - and freeze it.
It's delicious and a far cry from the tasteless rubbish one buys in jars from the supermarkets.

Made a large Ginger Cake - strictly for company as I am on special eating regime. It is luscious if I do say so myself.
Moist, with a crunchy, gingery topping.

Ooh. Just remembered. As broccoli is so cheap at the moment I made a h u g e pan of broccoli soup. Couldn't find a recipe so made it up from usual basic vegetable soup from my stint at catering college. Served soup on Saturday to a friend who wanted seconds and thirds. Said no as I wanted to freeze the remainder for another time.
By gum it were reet tasty - made more so by adding grated stilton and a swirl of cream just before serving.

Do you think this special eating regime is leaving me hungry? All this talk of food is worrying.

By 'eck - might go and have some peanut butter on toast. That's not fattening.

Sparrows

Getting there . . my Winter Garden Blocks . . .

www.popularpatchwork.com

Do pop into the above site. It's got something for everybody - yes, even you!

I throw in my two pennyworth now and again, as do lots of other experienced and professional quilters. There are lots of pictures of lots of quilts and wallhangings. Articles of all kinds. It's a treat and well worth a visit. Do say hello to Katy (the website Editor) after you've signed in. You'll enjoy the Forum and meet/make friends. It's so easy to join - it's FREE and trouble-free.

See you there . . . . . . www.popularpatchwork.com

Babs

and here's another one . . .view I mean . . .

Sooper dooper . .

Isn't this glorious sight? Picture taken by my brother in Falmouth a couple of weeks ago. A good subject for appliqué (when the cows come home!)

Tall Ships at Falmouth

Surrounded by Marigolds . . . and Gripe of the Day

Am glad to see back of bloomin' marigolds. Now facing more Winter Garden blocks. Have finished Autumn Pot Plant, Get 'orf my Peas and Umbrella blocks but cannot reveal them until they have appeared in Popular Patchwork magazine or on the website. (www.popularpatchwork.com) Sorry.

Am working on a quilt I designed about a month ago - in two colourways. Now waiting for some fabric I ordered from the US about 3 weeks ago. Taking its time to arrive - usually delivered in 5 - 10 days - once arrived miraculously within 3 days.

I attended Edinburgh Quilt Show last weekend - some nice quilts on display. It's a cosy show - met a couple of ex-students of mine which made it more enjoyable. Only exception was the attitude of a very 'cool' young woman on the door who, when asked if we had to pay full whack 'cos we arrived about an hour before the show closed, was very dismissive and quite rude. Was equally dismissive of an elderly lady who arrived after us and made a similar query. We only asked!
Entry fees were certainly not cheap - and judging by the gleaming Porsche parked outside the door - somebody may be making a very nice profit . . . .

I bought 2 fat quarters of fabric from a fabric stall at the show. Ordered a further two and half yards on returning home.
I was charged £5 postage but the actual postage was £1.94 and I can buy 7 yards of fabric from the US for £5.50 postage.
It cost me the equivalent of over £13 per metre whereas had I ordered from the States it would have cost approx £4.50 per yard including postage. I needed the fabric immediately so had no alternative but to buy from the UK. A sorry state of affairs, isn't it?

That's my gripe of the day . . .

Winter Marigolds Block for www.popularpatchwork.com

Feelin' my l'il old self again - not the same, is it!

Feel much better this week - more like my l'il old self after trip to Edinburgh to visit loved ones, tho' sense of humour a little frayed.
Nothing interesting to report - bored existence since my return - catching up with quilting the SG BOM - and watching the dust grow. Even my little Roomba has been neglected.

However, the sun is shining . . . . . aroma of coffee and warm bread fills the air . . . .wot more could an old bird want on a Monday morning!

Is this where I caught it? Les Sampler Gels . . . .

A Proper Northern Cold . . .

Have succumbed to a reet proper northern cold. None of that ladylike dabbing of lacy hanky under one's nose.
Oh, no! This is Gale Force 10 stuff! Roll of Aldi loo paper to hand - Beechams Powders - Friar's Balsam - and a final whisky and hot water toddy with a squeeze of lemon before bed.
I'll not tire you with intimate details - suffice to say I feel bloomin' miserable.

Original Proper Pink Marigolds.

Pink (!) Marigolds . . .

Latest Blocks of the Month

Here's my latest blocks - Winter Flower Basket and Autumn Pink Marigolds which are based on 'The Singing Garden' quilt published monthly in Popular Patchwork Magazine.

I used a pretty pink and green colour scheme for the original quilt but decided to make two other quilts - one in warm Autumn colours and t'other in cool Winter colours for the BOM website [www.popularpatchwork.com].

I hope to finish all three quilts in time for the GPQ exhibition in April 2009.

Winter Flower Basket as seen on www.popularpatchwork.com

The Choir . . . . . .

Beethoven's Ninth

Have you ever sung Beethoven? I have the feeling he hated sopranos judging by the screeching we endured this evening at choir practice. Loads of Top C's. It was no joke and I'm frankly knackered - tho' log lifting might have some bearing on my exhaustion.
Either that or eating too much stuffed duck - which I cooked yesterday - finished the remainder this evening - and ooh la la - le canard is tres naughty and probably lying low - heavily - on my tum. Together with the Mars Bar I ate whilst writing this Blog.

Nearly finished the Singing Garden Quilt. Machine quilting the borders at the moment and I'm very pleased with the result.
Will have its first outing on November 11th when I give a talk to a local group.

Which reminds me. I received latest (November) issue of Popular Patchwork Magazine this afternoon - with a very pretty pink cover.
Magazine contains my latest BOM (block of the month to the unitiated) - "Pink Marigolds" - which doesn't make sense as marigolds are usually orange. Indulge me. I have my reasons.
Will post my autumn marigold block after I've uploaded my winter basket block (almost finished) to the www.popularpatchwork.com website.

The current 'Basic Instructions' thread on-line contains a series of step-by-step pictures showing my quick method of layering and basting a quilt on a table using a micro-tek gun.
This method does away with painful kneeling on floor - tacking a quilt using needle and thread or hundreds of safety pins.
Makes me tired just thinking about it.

On that happy note will away to my bed and Courtney Bryce. Now WHO is he I hear you cry and wot is he doing in my bed ? Aaaaah . . . Lucky 'ol me!

All is safely gathered in . . . .

Preparing for the winter onslaught and high fuel bills!

Last of the Lilies.

Autumn Leaves

Flattened the Quilt top - but not the tummy. . . .

Weekend Chores . . . pure happiness . . .

Received a call at 8 o clock this morning to tell me a lorry load of logs (£110) will arrive in 2 hours time - dumped on the drive -and take me 2 days to hump around to the back of the house.

I guess that takes care of my weekend folks!

Had promised to layer a 13 years old and very ugly quilt (on dining table, using micro-tek gadget) with step-by-step photographs this weekend for www.popularpatchwork.com of which I'm "Resident Expert" or "Ask Aunty Babs" - better known by kind friends as "Mrs Know-it- All." Hmm . . . Have ironed the quilt top up to now . . . .Rest will have to wait. . . .

Neither log humping nor layering a quilt are favourite weekend past-times - but needs must . . . .

Will keep you posted . . .