A trip to Eastbourne

We had friends to stay over the weekend and we decided a trip to the sea was in order on Saturday afternoon. We had a pleasant stroll along the promenade (well there was some scooting by the children) and rewarded ourselves with a trip to Fusciardis before turning back.

As expected the children opted for ice creams (show here is Child 3's choice - coffee ice cream and bubblegum and raspberry ice cream. Hmmm)

The adults opted for coffee - which was very good. It has a nice atmosphere, a little quirky and is very popular.

I did spot a shop I wasn't aware of on the way in - Cotton Coast Haberdashery. Having toyed with and discarded the idea of dragging everyone for a visit, I made a beeline for it in my lunch  break on Tuesday.

I think it is fairly new, but the owner seems lovely and although the stock range isn't massive as yet, there are some gems - I found Aurifil thread! I have wanted to try some for a while so was really pleased. They have some knitting yarn, fabric on the roll, and some quilting cottons (including a selection of fat quarters of the Birch fabrics. )and quite a lot of haberdashery and "tools" (heart pom pom makers and butterfly yo yo makers anyone?) as the name would suggest.

The shop window is nicely done and they have put together some of their own kits - for example a bunting kit, and a child's "start sewing" basket. Really well thought and very tempting. I'll definitely be back.

(Hmm - sorry for the lack of photos - I took them on my phone and have never downloaded any before - so no prizes fo guessing I haven't worked out how to...will edit and add them in once I (hopefully) have)

Presenting the Ugly Swoon Block

Ta Dah! (I've always wanted to say that - in a blog sense!)

One completed Ugly Swoon Block:

what do you think? Is it ugly enough, or should I hunt out a worse fabric combination? (I thought that the original choice was awful - not sure how I could come up with soemthing to top it out of my stash).

I leave you with a close up (er - just ignore those stray threads please? I couldn't wait to share my "masterpiece". Lol)

 

 Edited to add a photo taken in daylight:

I'm worried....

about my ugly Swoon Block. Having sewn together all the HST's and flying geese and pressed all the seams open, I laid it out. Unbelievably it isn't looking as ugly as it should given the dreadful fabric combination.

Perhaps its true - you can't make a truly ugly Swoon Block.

Workshop Day

I took a day off work, arranged for my husband to pick up the children from School and went off to a quilt workshop yesteday- it felt very decadent. (I can't remember when I last took a day off other than to look after my children - I felt almost wicked!)
I'm a member of Ouse valley Quilters, who organise regular workshops - I've not been to one before, but this really appealed to me.
So I spent the day cutting and sewing to make a Oakshott City Lights Quilt
with Jo Baddeley of Puddle Ducks quilts.

 I managed to make 44 of the 64 blocks, and although the Oakshott cottons fray a little more than ordinary cottons, they are so gorgeous, it's worth it - photos do not do them justice. Some simple quilting and a plain back are called for I think. Can't wait (once I've finished the Ugly Swoon Block of course)

It's in the Bag!

Here you have my fabric selection for the "Ugly Swoon Block" - it is going to be truly awful isn't it? I'm sure nobody else has a chance now........

Excuse me while I go off and cut my fabric - I am ridiculously excited to see how this is going to turn out (and can't wait to see my husband trying to find something nice to say about what I'm making!)

This week I have been mostly....

Knitting! (Actually it is more than the last week, but I watched too many Fast Show episodes when I was younger)

I resolve to sew and then I knit? I wish I knew how my brain works and then I could trick it into doing the things that need to be done but I just can't get the enthusiasm for( like the ironing, and decluttering). It's probably a reaction to 2 + horrible weeks. It started with me heading off on the SUnday to Manchester for 2 1/2 days for a training course - and I did not sleep well in the hotel, came back with a stinking cold, the youngest child developed a violent stomach bug, then a cold and a violent aversion to going back to school (which has continued post half term...). Meanwhile my husband developed a horrible cold which is finally going after 2 weeks (the first few days he was mostly zombie like under  Child 3's dinosaur quilt on the sofa.) So knitting was probably a good thing as apparently it produces alpha brain waves similar to those produced by meditation ( I wonder what the readings were when the knitter discovered a mistake in their knitting near the start and they've nearly finished?) as well as being portable for train journeys.

Anyway I finished:

a sock (shamefully this has been languishing for approximatley 2 years. I'm knitting them for my Dad, and as one sock isn't much use, I have cast on the second - and it is now ground to a halt - probably for another 2 years). Please excuse the photo - I haven't blocked the sock (I'll just have to do it again a few years down the line when I finally finish the other one) and I discarded the idea of asking my husband to model a single sock....

my swimming scarf (so called because I only knit on it at the children's swimming lessons - I started it in January so not too long on the needles for this one) - in King Cole Riot Chunky.

and a hat for my daughter (she loves purple and wanted stripes, and fortunately I managed to snaffle some Debbie Bliss Luxury tweed aran in the C&H sale) - that one I only started a week ago so I'm quite pleased with progress. Just needs the last two pom poms and it's done. (I also need to take a photo in daylight as it is looking very brown in this one)

And now? Now I really am going to sew something - could be that half quilted tree skirt, but more likely another swoon block

 I'm really not sure about this one (which could explain why it has sat here part sewn for several weeks) - on the bright side it could be a very good candidate for the Ugly Swoon Block contest!

1 down, 8 to go....

Well I kept going and finished swoon block 1 (er, about 3 weeks ago).

 I like it, but I am not sure it is how I want my swoon quilt to look. Can't decide whether to bring in some really different  fabrics to make sure there is a big contrast or to keep going with my original pairings.

I'm leaning towards the first option (which is making me very glad that I bought 5 metres of the background fabric "just in case I make a mistake" - I wan't anticipating it being "just in case your first block is a mistake"!).

It's snowing!!!!!!!!!

Grown up me: Oh no - chaos again
Little Girl deep inside (who is also thin) : Yippee! (and doing somersaults)