Thursday 27th May

 The sun is coming out at last and it feels a little bit warmer, lets hope it stays.  Went out last night for a meal in a restaurant, first time since last September, it was really enjoyable and the three of us never stopped talking. You don't realise how much you miss other peoples company until you get back together again.

Ann and Christina have been busy sewing.

This is Ann's quilt she has been doing.  It is all hand appliqued using 11 skeins of stranded cotton! She is also intending to hand quilt it but maybe not until the weather gets cooler again and it is nice to have a quilt over your knees.

Christina has made this lovely little landscape for her granddaughters birthday card.  She has used the technique we learned with Kate Slaughter.

I have been sewing and have nearly finished my leaf piece but I keep adding to it which is why it is taking so long.  Next week I am hoping to go to an exhibition in Danby so will let you know what it is like.

Thursday 20th May

 Is it just me or is this year going by faster than ever?  I think the fact that the weather has felt more like March than May makes you think it is March.  I have been back swimming this last two weeks, that's the first time since last March and did my legs and arms remind me, second visit was better than the first but it did make me realize how much I had missed it. No photos from members this week but I have been using my African fabrics to start this cushion cover.

It is just a small decorative cushion, no one will be allowed to sit on it so I have decided to add some stitch and beads to it.  Will have to order some threads first but hopefully I can make a start on it next week.

Keep stitching!

Friday 14th May

 Lovely to see the sun out at last, have been sitting in my garden instead of working in it.  I found a new walk this week starting from West Ayton up Cockrah Road and out into the countryside.  There is a small wood to one side that was full of bluebells, they are a stunning shade of blue in the wild. My calendar is begining to look busy again and I have to remember to look at it and check what is going on.  I went swimming yesterday for the first time since last March, first my legs screamed then my arms joined in.  Can't believe how much I used to do, I certainly need to get back in practice.

Had an email from Diane this week.  She did a Quilters Guild virtual conference in April and has done some work from the workshops she attended.

First was this patchwork piece on Colour and Contrast with Caroline Gibbs.

This next one is Simple Sewing/Bolo with Rosemary Muntus.  Really nice hand stitching, something I am enjoying at the moment.

I haven't done much since last week but I have got a cushion pad and some African fabrics to get started on so if the weather isn't too good next week I may get it under way.

Friday 7th May

 I was a bit late back yesterday to sit down and do the blog and it was a good job I hadn't already done it as I have a couple of photographs to show you.  What weather we are having, I can't remember it ever snowing in May before. I haven't done anything exciting this week, it's been too cold.  I have started stitching on one of the pieces of eco dyeing that we did a couple of years ago.

I'm afraid the colours are a bit dark, both the background and the stitiching. Not sure what I am going to do with it yet.

My friend makes her own pillowcases!  Plain cotton fabric from Boyes and these are the borders along the open edge.  They looked stunning.

She also received these two pieces of fabric from Africa where a friend currently lives.  Lots of inspiration there. I think the top one is cut back applique but the bottom one was on a courser fabric, maybe raffia cloth.

That's all for this week.

Thursday 29th April

 Rain at last, although not for long.  I was hoping it would be long enough to prevent me from cleaning the car but no such luck.  I haven't done much sewing this week although I have got started on a piece but it won't show up on a photograph yet.  However, others have been busy.  I promised you some photos of Ann's rabbits, so here they are.

Aren't they just beautiful.  She is still making the little ones, breeding them just like rabbits!

Another Ann has made this lovely box lid.  The box was made by her husband, think he might be getting a few orders.

Roma has continued her work with the apple theme practicing her free motion machine embroidery. I like that the coloured apple almost jumps out at you.

That's it for this week.  Eight weeks to go to our first meeting, can't wait.

Thursday 22nd April

 Have just spent a lovely day sitting in a garden with three friends eating lots of cake and drinking tea and coffee and lunch, nothing beats it.  I did make a mistake last night putting my newly planted seeds outside for a water and then forgetting to bring them in for the night.  The pots were frozen solid this morning so i think I shall have to start all over again.  I haven't done a lot of sewing this week, finishing off the fly stitch samples and making another owl for my daughter.

Owl number two.

Roma has been much busier than me, making this lovely apple from a technique she found using four different fabrics to produce light and shade into the item.

I hope the weather is like this tomorrow as I have a garden bench to finish varnishing so that I can sit at the bottom of the garden where it gets the sun for the longest.  Keep stitching everyone.

Friday 16th April

 My apologies for being a day late, I completely forgot it was Thursday yesterday.  Having my hair cut had gone completely to my head!  I looked in the mirror when I got home and thought 'I look ten years younger than I did this morning' , so Boris, no more lockdowns please and if you have to, leave the hairdressers open.

I haven't had any photos sent this week and I haven't been doing much in the way of hand sewing.  I have caught up with my fly stitch and they are now ready to go in my book. I also found among Barbara's stash, a pattern for an owl using up pieces of patchwork fabric, so my daughter asked me to make one for her which I have done and part filled him with some lavender I picked and dried last summer.