Up to the middle of November

Well, I cannot believe how time is passing so quickly.  I had decided that I would have enough time to get everything ready if I had bought all the presents by the end of September, wrapped by the end of October and cards done by the 15th November.  I am nearly there but it is a close run thing.

The best thing about this time has been making my Christmas presents and then having time to make myself a handbag I have had material and pattern for, for over a year.  Well you know about throwing spanners in the work's  don't you?  I think someone found the largest monkey wrench they could and dropped it right in the gears.  What I have found to do in this "spare time" I had remains a mystery but I have kept busy all the time and my handbag?  Oh That remains in the projects bag untouched.  I WILL get it done before the end of the year (perhaps I had better not say which one, just in case).

I have enjoyed being able to do a little hand sewing though.  I belong to the Small Quilt Group on Yahoo.  If you haven't seen it, go have a look.  They are such a marvellous group of ladies.  Anyway, each month our leader, Kathy Tracy, sets us a small quilt challenge to make.  I love these but have fallen sadly behing over the last two years.  Some have been started others have fallen on the "to do" pile and others area name on the list.  Anyway, for November. Kathy, with a nudge from Bonnie in Jounaux (not sure about the spelling there) decided that we should have a finish UFO (unfinished projects) session.  I have actually managed to finish two projects.

My first completed object was the October challenge to make a maple leaf block.  Oh what fun this little block s to make.  I only had to quilt it and put the binding on so it didn't take that long really. I decided to machine quilt this.  It is so pretty (personal opinion only) I shall use it on the telephone
table.

The second project to be finished was Grandma's Flower Garden.  The design layout was chosen after my 4 year old grandson had being playing with them and we were learning the colours.  He just picked them all up and threw them in the air.  The result was quite pleasing.  Then came my biggest shock.  I threaded my quilting needle, set my block up ready to quilt and started.  I couldn't do it!  Those familiar movements with the needle and two hands just didn't happen.  I was devastated.  My very favourite part of making a quilt and I could no longer make those stitches.  I have to admit to having a good cry through pure frustration.  A good nights' sleep helped a little because I decided all was not lost.  I just had to find another way of quilting and hope that one day I could do it properly again.  I found some sashiko thread and using a tapestry needle I did larger than normal stab stitches.  These represent the pathways around the flower beds.

My one regret is that my Grandmothers garden never did look like this,  it was a small patch of  hard ground out the back door where she grew a few potatoes and the odd buttercup and dandelion.  But I would have loved her to have a garden like this, she a lovely Grandma, known as Nain, which Welsh for Grandma.

Well, enough for memories, must  go and have coffee, I hear the cups chinking, and then to work, packing.
Will speak to you soon.
Please forgive any spelling mistakes, my computer is dyslexic this morning.