Busy quilt making

Photo above - stormy skies started the week here.  It poured in monsoon-type showers on and off, and I put back my planned walk!!

Whilst confined to barracks, I have spent a couple of days (when I should have been doing housework really!) getting on with the Christmas quiltmaking. The top for Gabby's quilt is now pieced and I am on the borders.  It is good to not be unpicking all the faults I made into it 3 years ago!  It's not perfect but I am not looking too closely at some of the point joints on the Pinwheels!

Below is what will be the outer border.  The inner border is plain white, and I've sewn one side on this morning.  I began on the outer border on Monday afternoon and although the cutting and piecing is a fairly slow process, it's coming together.

Today was my patchwork class, and I finished the red and white cushion (which used the spare pieced top that I then hand-quilted).  It's been years since I last did any hand quilting so I need to get more practice in.  

Below is this afternoon's work (I was surprised I did so well with it).  It is a table topper in a design called "Round the Twist" and came complete with materials (the 5" squares were pre-cut, which speeded things up no end!) and instructions.  However, the instructions were somewhat confusing and I really needed the help of my patchwork teacher as I couldn't make sense of some of them!  No homework on THIS piece as the next stage involves cutting out off centre squares using a template we have transferred onto clear plastic so you can see the alignment of the main guidelines (it just doesn't work properly if you were to use the card it's printed on).  I guess if you are familiar to this design, it all makes sense, but after a night of broken sleep (again) I needed all the guidance I could get!!  I really love the colourway used anyway, and such pretty prints.  It was an indulgence at the time as it wasn't cheap, but no regrets.

Tonight I rustled up some plain mince (Keith) which will do for two meals, and for me I made what was going to be a Chilli, until I found out I had used the last of the Kidney Beans, so they have been added to my shopping list and a tin of Taco Spicy Mixed Beans bunged in instead.  That should be really tasty and filling now the cold wintery nights have arrived.

I will try and remember to put up the recipe for the Venison casserole I made for Keith's birthday celebrations last week.  It is from the stable of Antony Worrall Thompson and very rich.  No photos as we ate half and the other half is in the freezer.

Patchwork class today

Yesterday I did a little homework on my red and white lap quilt, as I have my class this afternoon (and I will miss next week's as I am away in Southampton for a couple of days).  There was one block left over, so I have made it up into a cushion front.  I need to get the back on today (just an envelope one, for speed). 

I also sewed on the last strip onto the top - here it is laid out across a bed.  I went in search of some backing material, and that resulted in a huge sort out in the Junk Room as I was fed up with my crafting stuff being not in one place (now all WIP's and recent material in one big container) and with tripping over stock in cardboard boxes, so I had a sort out of some of that too, but I need more heavyweight containers - we bought two on Monday, but need a few more, ideally, to get everything tidied away and stackable.

I woke early again today - the Tawny Owls in the paddock were calling to one another and saying where the best mice were to be found in the long grass.

On the seed feeders outside, the first of the Goldfinches has returned (to the front one in the apple tree) and the Chaffinches are back out of the woodland too.  I noticed a female Lesser Spotted Woodpecker on the Damson Tree feeder yesterday so I will try and get a photo.

Enjoy your day - I need to do some accounts now!