Feeling guilty

Feel Guilty. Mark has bought me a sewing machine. I sulkily said (about a month or so ago) "When are you going to buy me a Bernina". It was a throw away remark as I was in a stroppy mood - he has bought me one..... He found it on e-bay. It is reconditioned and he bargained and they are throwing in a walking foot for an extra £15.00 (it is a shop doing the selling and they have just serviced it). We are going to London next Saturday to collect. £274.

Then, to add to my guilt, it was raining this morning and the roof is leaking. Mark investigated and rather than it being a blocked gutter as we originally thought (hoped), it is the roof. Friendly roofing man Andy is coming to have a look tomorrow night but we are thinking worse case sceniro could be three grand.....

While on the subject of (lack of) money, Fred rang this morning and we went up the Dun Cow and met up with Fred, Wilma, Nan and Grandad and Fred bought us all lunch (and pudding!). Mine was very nice - I had Goat's Cheese and Nut Wellington. Eve's Pudding for afters. Then, as the sun was shining when we came out, Mark took me to Fosse Park and we went in Borders and he bought me two quilting books. Even more guilt!!!!!! Good fun though. We went in the sports clothes shop and Mark got a few casual tops for work as they had a bit of a sale on.

Book Barn and Car Boots

Went to Lutterworth yesterday - we needed to get some cat food and other bits so went to Morrisons in Lutterworth as I wanted to visit the Book Barn. I have never managed to get there before as it is only open 9am - 2pm on Thursdays and Saturdays. I was amazed at the amount of books there - well worth the trip. I got a pile of patchwork magazines, about five paperbacks and Mark got a computing book - all for £3.50 - BARGAIN!

I took a prototype of the bag I want to make for Lutterworth to show Chris in the Leukaemia shop but she was having a well deserved day off - typical!

Tried out my prototype bag at Crick car boot this morning. It was a useful exercise as it highlighted a few tweaks to make - nothing major but it means making another prototype (which will be the third). Bought some more books and some beads. It was freezing cold. Mark bought some bits and Scarlett loved it!

Piecemakers

Went to Lutterworth Piecemakers on Wed eve. Took Pat and Gaynor. Took my finished Linus quilt to hand over and Lynda made me "show and tell" it. Muriel had previously pinched it off me to show Chris and they were both amazed at how hideous it was! When I showed and telled it, Muriel kindly said it looked better from a distance! With friends like these......... It was the AGM night so not the best event of the year but there was a sales table and lots of magazines etc. I bought some fabric (but don't tell Mark). It was a good night. Spoke to Leukaemia Chris and asked about making some bags for her to sell - she was very keen on the idea as they are moving to a new, larger, shop soon which will mean higher rent. I've made a prototype but need to make it again out of slightly heavier weight fabric. I am thinking this will be a good way of getting rid of all the curtain weight fabric I've accumulated.

I have a finish!

Finished the Linus quilt I was making last night. Result! Not very often I finish anything - means I can give it to Lynda tomorrow night at Lutterworth Piecemakers.

Mark is holding it up for me - what would I do without him!

This pattern is called Endless Stars and is from the book I bought a few weekends ago at the Weeden exhibition from the Oakleaf Quilting lady.

Rocheberie Linus

Had a Rocheberie Linus day yesterday. 11 people turned up but the sun was shining and it hasn't all Summer so.... I took a top with me to quilt as I didn't want to start another UFO. Completed all but two sides of binding so very good going for me! Not the best quilt top I have ever made - bought a book a couple of weekends ago at the exhibition in Weeden (from the Oakleaf quilting lady) called Endless Stars and I wanted to try out the technique and did it with fabric I didn't especially like - made 4 lots and put them together. I like the technique a lot but my choice of fabric was a bit crap to say the least! I was happier with it once I added a border but it didn't improve it that much! Never mind - I am sure somebody somewhere will like it (perhaps). At the end of the day when we were all packing up and tidying up, Lynda gave me a bit of fabric as she thought it was similar to what I had been using today, ie, it's brown and hideous! Thanks Lynda! (I actually quite like the fabric but couldn't bring myself to say so....)

I have also had the idea (a little while ago) of making morsbag type bags from curtain fabric but rather than guerrila bagging them, giving them to the Leukaemia charity shop in Lutterworth. Chris (who runs it) once told me that the only things they buy for the shop are tea and coffee for the staff, heavy duty bags for collecting the rags (which they sell on) and carrier bags. I always find August a long month as I never go on holiday and no groups run so I suggested a "bag day" with us all making bags for Chris. Muriel and Lynda liked the idea and Lynda gave me a HUGE bit of fabric towards it! I have masses of curtain material to get rid of already but I like the idea of keeping Chris stocked in bags.

Time to go back to bed. It is 4.59am and I can't sleep. I don't know what keeps me awake - probably too much stuff running round in my head. I used to find that I would have trouble sleeping on a Sunday night before going back to work the next day but just lately, it seems to be any night. I went downstairs (after listening to Mark and Scarlett snoring for what seemed like hours), tested my sugars (no problem there) and had a glass of milk. The only problem with turning the computer on is that I am now more wide awake than ever. It is very cold though so perhaps going back to bed and getting warm under the duvet (if Scarlett will move over so I can get in....) will help.

Oakleaf Quilting

Yesterday Mark was still busy so went on a field trip to Oakleaf Quilting in Northampton. The lady was at the exhibition last Sunday and her fabric was lovely - and very soft for some reason! Had googled it for directions - what a mistake! Drove round Northampton for most of the morning, eventually backtracked on myself and pulled into the garden centre at Harleston and asked a man if I was anywhere close - NO basically! He gave me further directions which got me there eventually. What a disaster! Nice shop though but very small and basic. Managed to spend £30 - well, felt like I should make an effort after it being so difficult to get there....