I'm ba-ack

Actually I've been back for a few days.

We had a fantastic holiday, with lots of these,

and lots of scenery like this,

 Waiting to do lots of this,

 and meeting up with friends like these,

So now I have to face these

 

We actually got home on Monday and then Tuesday was spent doing domestic things like shopping and washing.  Wednesday and Thursday was spent helping Mr & Mrs Nomad do this

 

Today I have spent in front of the TV watching this

To paraphrase ....

.... the song by Peter, Paul and Mary ;

"I'm leaving on a steam train
And I know when I'll be back again"

Tomorrow, Mr Fixit and I are off on holiday, we're going practically all the way round the coast of England, Scotland and Wales and I can hardly wait.  We're going with the same company we went to Scotland with last year, and are looking forward to lots of wonderful food, beautiful scenery, and luxury. 

See you when we get back, which will be on Easter Monday.

You know the saying ...

... "Spring is sprung, the grass is ris,
I wonder where the birdies is"?

Well I know exactly where they were at 4 o'clock this morning.  They were all in the trees outside my bedroom window, singing their little hearts out.

Humph, yawn, zzzzzzz ...............

Oops ....

.... You know how I said yesterday that since it was Christmas Quiltalong day, we were having salad, so I only had to boil some potatoes?

Well, I burned them.

I thought it was funny.

Mr Fixit did not.

Christmas Quiltalong post 3

Just so you don't think I'm slacking, this is a sneaky peek at what I'm doing now.

I got a late start today as I needed to take my father into town.  When I got home it was such a glorious day, with blue sky, sunshine, and temp in the mid to high 60s that I faffed around outside, had a coffee out there, etc and didn't start QAL-ing until about midday.  OK, so, having made all my excuses, I am still very happy with what I have achieved.

Now it's 8.30pm and I'm getting tired, so I'm going to say goodnight and curl up in front of the TV.  I hope everyone else is still having fun and getting everything done that you wanted to.

Christmas Quiltalong post 3

Here are my next 2 blocks for Scatty Christmas Stars.  I've never done a BOM type quilt before and I am really enjoying making a quilt in bite-sized pieces.  I am also enjoying all the different stars, and I want to thank Cathi for them. (She did all the stars, I'm doing the other bits later in the year to turn our scattered stars into a quilt. 

Now I have to stop and cook dinner (well, I have to cook the potatoes - we're having salad) and once they're cooking I'll be popping in to see the rest of you.

Christmas Quiltalong post 2

Pheww!  Only problems are,  1) I can't get everything in there! and 2)  I didn't buy enough of the fabric organisers.  (I told Mr Fixit I hadn't bought enough and his reply was "well, perhaps you should try actually using some of the fabric instead of just buying it."  Non-quilters just don't seem to get it, do they?)

Today ....

... is Christmas Quiltalong day.  Yippee.

Cathi is hosting it this month, so if you're joining in, don't forget to go and sign up on the Quiltalong page, here, then you can also see who else is quilting along and what they're up to.

I even have a plan today!

First I'm going to finish tidying up this "magic cupboard", and I may post a picture later to show how beautiful it looks when I've done it.  Then I'm going to make my blocks for the Scatty Christmas Stars quilt, then ... well, I'm not telling, but it is Christmassy.  See you all soon.

Guess what's happening ....

.... on Saturday?

It's the Christmas Quiltalong and this month Cathi is hosting it.  Cathi will be trading at a show again, but thanks to the wonders of modern science, she will still be joining in, even though she won't be able to work on her Christmas projects.  Fingers crossed she has a great day selling lots as that will help take her mind off it!  She has the 3rd set of instructions for our Scatty Christmas Stars all ready to send to anyone who signs up on the Linky-thingy, and you will get them sometime on Saturday.  Cathi has already posted a picture on her blog of this star, and it looks great.

Now I have a confession to make.  I thought the Christmas Quiltalong was a week on Saturday, and I was going to miss it as I'll be on holiday then.  What a good job Cathi knows what I should be doing!

How do you know when ....

.... it's time to stop?

When you're doing more of this

than this.

Which is why I'm now writing this post instead of making my blocks.

I had 5 blocks, to sew together to make a row.  Simple eh?  Nope, not for me today.  There are 2 different blocks alternating in a row, but it still should be simple shouldn't it?  Sew blocks 1 and 2 together, sew blocks 3 and 4 together, sew the pairs together then sew block 5 on the end of the row.  Well, that's the theory.  I sewed them together in the wrong order.  I unsewed it. I sewed them together with a couple of the blocks upside down.  I unsewed it.  I finally got the row right, sewed it to the previous row, then realised it was upside down.  I unsewed it.  I sewed it together correctly, finally.  Pressed it and walked away for today.

And the winner is ....

.... Thank you everyone who entered the giveaway.  I wish I had a copy to give each one of you.  On thinking about it, I'm glad I haven't - the cost of postage would be horrendous.

Anyway, I think you're all wishing I'd just shut up and tell you that the winner, courtesy of Random-thingy is

number 73 who is Melissa of Happy Quilting.  I have just been to visit Melissa's blog and it's great.  She has tutorials on there, and has just run a quiltalong, which I'd have joined if I'd known about it in time, and the blog just seemed to me to live up to it's name.