I went through the leftover hexagons from my One Block Wonder quilt and decided to add one more row of hexagons where the beach path spills out onto the border. So I've seamed the extra row together and today turned under the edges and glued it into place on the top ready for appliquing by machine. It's a bit of a bodge as I am appliqueing it right next to the previous applique rather than trying to take everything apart and seam the hexagons to the prior hexagon rows, but it will look fine once it's done. I would like to add some more hexagons to break up the 'sky' border but I don't have anything left that would suit. I might see if I can cut six repeats out of the border fabric to see what hexagons made from it would look like. I'd like to get the top done so I can move on to another project. I've pulled out some London-themed fabrics I bought several years ago (when we lived closer to London) and cut one-piece hexagons out of those in preparation for a pattern I found on the internet. It might be another quilt for DH if he likes it when it's done. I'm still handquilting on the 25 block applique quilt, I've been experimenting with various Clover thimbles for my underneath finger without really finding anything that works as well as a bare finger, but my bare finger gets all torn up if I don't have some protection. I'm not happy with some wobbly lines and badly spaced lines but I'm going to press on, on the theory that a finished not-that-great quilt on the bed is better than an unfinished top hanging in the basement for eternity. Although it may be eternity before the handquilting is done anyway. Perhaps I will win the lottery and I can pay someone to take out my dodgy handquilting then have the top beautifully quilted by someone who knows what they are doing.
This week I completed the final kits from the Japanese dollshouse so they are all made up now. I suppose technically the house is 'finished' but it needs a lot of accessorising and I need to build the garden in front of it still.
This is the ryokan sign:
and this is the 'stone' garden lantern which I finished with some homemade textured paint and various layers of paint colour:
Otherwise this week I've been knitting on several ongoing projects, including the long-hibernating Leaf Yoke Sweater which is now almost finished. I don't really like it any more and the yarn is a bit scratchy so I'm not sure it's going to get worn but perhaps it will block out a bit softer. Someone at my machine knitting club has given me a copy of a seamless teddy bear pattern so I might have a go at that as well just to see how it is done.
We visited a couple of garden centres today to see if anything was on sale at the end of the season, and scored a couple of flowering perennials. I also picked up a couple of Group 3 clematis for some late summer colour, and some vinca for the deep dry shade under the trees where nothing wants to grow. I've started picking the biggest apples from our apple tree and made my first pie. Most of the apples look pretty scabby, I forgot to spray last winter so I've made a note in my diary for this coming winter. Hopefully the apples will still be ok for pies even if they look unsightly. We successfully got through this year's pear glut: I gave some away to friends and made several pies and puddings with the remainder, unlike last year when we lost a lot to rot.
It's the in-laws Diamond wedding anniversary next week, imagine being with the same person for 60 years! We had trouble finding a good card, we looked in three different shops and there were loads of 50th Golden anniversary cards but only a couple of 60th in each shop, I guess not so many people make it that far (or live that long?). I ordered and collected an oasis bouquet for the occasion in colours that I hope m-i-l will like, it has pretty diamond sparklers in it and diamonds on the card.
1 comment:
Hi! Will try to catch up a bit. Happy Anniversary to the in laws! My folks made it to 56 years but I’ll health intervened. My best to them.
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