Thursday 21 July 2022

. . . There's a coach trip comin' in!

 A    P.S. at the top!  Forgot to mention that the open urinals in Builth have now been hidden behind some metal fencing with plastic "canvas" over so you can no longer see them in use!  I think there must have been a lot of complaints in the town - I don't think my blog is THAT widely read!!


I had to go to Hereford yesterday, to check out mobility scooters for Keith.  Sadly he was too tired to go, but at least now I knew what we needed, what questions to ask and what have you.  It is all chosen now, so watch this space.

I had promised myself a long slow browse in Doughty's.  I got my knickers in a twist trying to find it as although I'd downloaded the directions to my phone, the Bluetak wouldn't hold the phone in place in front of the car radio, and so I had to lay it down on the seat and couldn't really see it - by the time I got to Hereford and needed directions, the screen was black and there was nowhere I could pull over to check it.   

        I had gone there first, but gone over the  old railway bridge instead of round to the right, and gone round in a big loop, then driven past it as it's set back from the road with understated signage.  Anyway, 2nd time lucky. BUT there was a big coach with some ladies sat in it and glumly I thought, oh heck, the shop is going to be so full of customers, I'll be ages.  Then literally as I opened the car door to get out (and noticed, thankfully, that the coach load of ladies was actually coming OUT of the shop and heading back to the coach) my phone rang.  It was Keith, telling me I needed to get back soonest as a meeting with a "them" (the organizers and doers in caring help) had been brought forward to 3 - 3.30.  It was 1 p.m.  I had to dash.


Photos rather than time to browse.  Some fabulous batiks - a whole room of them in fact.


Other lovely fabrics, but not the colour way I was trying to match . . .



Somehow in moving house I have managed to lose the last pinned-up but un-quilted piece of border.  I've looked everywhere - found everything else, but not that one piece, and of course, no spare fabric other than small scraps in that stippled pattern.  I don't know how I managed that.  I had bought (from Doughtys, the shop I went to yesterday) a couple of metres of a likely-matching colour but it turned out to be slightly too green.


This was a very good match - just slightly too dark, but the linen finish makes it near enough to be used. So I need to crack on with that - it's been a work in progress too long.  I have to say, with Keith's health going downhill any urge to sew or stitch has been drained out of me.


A treat - selected in a minute FLAT! I am amazed they have any tonal link at all!!!  More for my stash at present but I need to get going again - my William Morris heirloom quilt to start with for the next big project, once the previous quilt is done.

        I will be back Doughty's, now I know where you are, and next time I will have a leisurely visit.

            I had planned to visit Abbey Dore in the Golden Valley on the way back - that of course had to be abandoned.  Ah well, such is life.

10 comments:

  1. What beautiful fabric. I recently bought myself a sewing machine - my dear old mum had left us girls a small amount of money each after she died bless her. I'm not a very good seamstress to put it mildly but am going to give quilting a go. Really sorry your energies are low at the moment, it's such a familiar thing isn't it, when problems come along things we normally love doing just go on hold, sometimes for ages, thinking of you in your difficult times
    Alison in Wales x

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  2. I have to say, I am better (and prefer!) to sew by hand than on a machine, but my family - at my request - bought me a Janome one Christmas and I've enjoyed using that. I hope you can enjoy your new s/machine and get into patchwork. I can recommend Today's Quilter as an excellent magazine. Start with a cushion cover and work up!

    You're right, when problems come along we concentrate on those and lose the energies we had for our hobbies. Much of the joy of eventually downsizing to a lovely house in a beautiful area has been destroyed by worry over K.

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  3. I went down to Doughty's last year, when they decided not to do the FOQ (don't think they're doing it this year neither) so had to smile about your experience with that last 1/2 mile to get there because my journey was exactly the same. I was amazed about the coach party as it wasn't that large a car park. It is a brilliant place and ghe fabrics you quickly picked are beautiful - Best Wishes Sandra

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    1. Hello and welcome Sandra. The coach had reversed and parked in the forecourt next to/higher than Doughtys. Didn't look but perhaps it belonged to Doughtys too - their building looked bigger than I expected inside. Glad I'm not the only one who got confused (written down directions too!)

      I'm pleased you like my fabrics. I'm about to go and iron them. Visit again.

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  4. Oh good, you had a brief but productive time in the quilting shop with a lovely choice of fabric. And progress with care and wheels for Keith - it is all moving in the right direction BB. You also make me laugh so thank you for that. Flat out on the sofa now after food shopping, cycling and gardening - I pricked out the cavolo di Toscana, purple sprouting broccoli and sweet williams, sorted out the outdoor toms which are starting to colour and cut off all the foliage from the pink fir apple potatoes. Lots of heat scorch on the leaves of the newly planted trees and shrubs, but they are all deciduous and next year they will have their feet further into the ground and better able to cope. Perennials, roses, apple trees and veg all unbothered by heat, in fact the tomatoes, squashes, french beans lapped it up. Must think about supper now - it will be something with spinach, chard and yellow courgette! Sarah x

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    1. Brief - you ain't kidding. About 6 minutes, which included paying and walking to and from the car!! Ah well, at least I wasn't led astray by all that wonderful fabric. I have been very strong willed when I began to look for a Fat Quarters book for some inspiration - I saved myself £18 (it did look a nice book though) and told myself sternly just to make up a variety of blocks using my fat quarters and then put them into a quilt.

      I have done a little out in the garden today, but have been feeling rather low (tears this morning) but then Keith has been truly walking better (2 weeks in to the add-on tablets), so let's hope they WILL work before we see the PD nurse next week. Your veg plot sounds lovely and I can tell what is growing well from what's for tea tonight! We have had a tiny bit of Broccoli, some peas were picked today and I must go and water the runner beans although we've been promised a goodly amount of rain tomorrow. Let's hope so.

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  5. Lovely fabrics, I would really have had trouble making the visit brief. You did very well.

    I am looking forward to seeing the mobility scooter you have chosen.

    God bless.

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    1. I was an hour and a quarter from home and visiting due in under two hours, so I galloped round!

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  6. What a wonderful shop. You got lovely fabrics in a minimum amount of time too. The baticks are lovely. I also like the apple green fabrics in one of your photos.And! Your hand quilting is exceptional, just so perfect and even, Your quilt will be so lovely.

    Too bad the whoevers felt like they could just randomly spoil your day.

    Hope you can go back soon, you deserve some fun.

    love lizzy

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    1. It's a lovely shop - I've only bought on-line from them in the past, or at Quilt Shows, but I don't think they're doing the biggest ones these days. Writing that has just made me check when Malvern Quilt Festival is and it's in October, so I plan to go to that.

      The apple green fabric's pretty - I seem to be into healing colours at the moment, soft turquoise and blue-greens.

      The meeting was one that was suddenly bought forward, but could help us a lot.

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