A photo-free post . . .

Having taken about 7 minutes to load the new header, I doubt very much that I will get any more photographs loaded tonight.   I always experience a pang of regret when I remove a header photo, as it is always a photo I love and am proud of.  This one of the Brecon Beacons is no exception.  I think this will linger a long time as a header.  Definitely one for the Christmas calendars I will have printed again this year, as Christmas presents.  The Brecon Beacons are so beautiful and it would be lovely to live close enough to see them from our window . . .  Along with the fabulous sandy beaches, the Beacons are definitely one of the best things about our area of Wales.

Today I went into Bobbins, the quilting and sewing shop in Brecon to look for some white print or red on white printed fabric to go with the selection of reds I have for the lap quilt I will be making at the Quilting Group I have joined.  I am going to use a Log Cabin pattern for the quilt, and felt the traditional light/dark of Log Cabin patchwork needed to be used, although the lady teaching us didn't suggest a light colourway at all.  The centres of each block will be the lovely redwork designs done by my friend Dawn for my birthday last year.  I have FINALLY gotten around to doing something with them, but in my defence I have hardly have any spare time to do anything, especially craft work, in the past year.

The weather forecast for tomorrow is not very good, so we have an unexpected day at home, and I plan to catch up with yet more decorating (in my office now) as well as doing some tidying up in the garden if it stays dry long enough, stew up the plums (for the freezer) that we picked in the week, and also I need to work on my lace.  Can't wait to get back to that. 

I have reached the point on my hand-sewn small hexis shopping bag where I need to cut out the pocket and draw the design on it, which is then embroidered, with a little bit of applique.  I have found some heavy yellow linen for the actual bag, and a navy/white striped cotton for a lining.  Looks better than it sounds, as a colour combination.  I have a deep mustardy yellow amongst the hexis and also a softer yellow, and it pulls together quite well.  I need to get Keith to make me a teensy 1/2" hexi template for the little row which edge the pocket.

I have a half-done x-stitch project to get back to as well, and need to crack on with that as it is a birthday present for a friend.

My kitchen is STILL in disarray, as I can't put away the under-the-sink stuff away because  . . . we have another leak!  This time, caused by the plumber, who inadvertently swopped over the hot and cold pipes, swopped them back, and they are not fitting tightly enough and the hot is leaking, quite a lot.  We have had to shove a shallow bowl underneath (too low down to use something sensible like a bucket) and empty it about 3 times a day, whilst waiting until he comes out to help fit the shower next week.  I am hoping that tomorrow Keith will get on with making the wooden uplift base for the shallow shower tray (which will then be tiled over to hide it).  The previous shower base was ancient and very deep (unlike the modern ones) and Keith doesn't want to have to lift floorboard to put the drainage pipe below them (which is what I would have done . . .)  Still, I am not a plumbing expert, so I can't possibly comment!