Where have I been ...

... and what have I been doing there?

Well, here's two pictures that'll give you a clue:

 

The photo on the left shows some of the blocks made at the last meeting of Yorkshire Modern Quilt Group.  Some time ago we decided it would be fun to have a block of the month programme, with a different volunteer member coming up with the block each time.  I volunteered to do the first block, which I have called Tipsy Asterisk. I know I've seen a block like this on the internet, but I can not credit anyone for it as I don't know who first came up with it. (If you know who originally designed it, please let me know so I can give them credit) However, the instructions are all my own work, and I can tell you, it's not easy to explain how to angle the inner part to cut it and end up with your asterisk on the slant! Anyway, this is just some of the blocks that were made on the day.

Then we have the photo on the right. It's not me who is moving, it's my father. This has all happened very quickly. About a month ago I asked him if he would consider going to a brand new care home for a couple of weeks in October while I am on holiday and, as he was happy with idea in theory, I went to have a look at it, and was very pleasantly surprised by it. I obviously did a good job of praising it to Dad, as, the next day, he said he'd like to have a look at it, and if he liked it, he thought he'd move in permanently. So, off we went, and he was so impressed that he made the decision there and then to move in. So, moving in day was set for 1 October. He decided to sell his house, so on the market it went. By the end of the first week of it being for sale he had two offers and a third couple who wanted it but had to sell theirs first. The offer Dad accepted is from a young guy who is a cash purchaser with nothing to sell. All this means that where I thought I'd be able to empty the house, sort out paperwork, work out what was going to various members of the family and what to charity, etc, after my holiday, I have had to do most of it before, as the solicitor thought it could all go through by the end of October.  I get home from my holiday on the 25th! Dad moves out on 1 October, and I'm off to stay with Lovely Lynn again on the 10th and I can hardly wait to see her and Mr Joe again, and at some point I'll be seeing Naughty Nancy too.

So, that's where I've been, and what I've been doing.

Sneak peeks ....

.... I imagine that you (if you are still out there?) have decided that I must have given up quilting all together. Well, to be honest, I haven't at all, but what I have been doing is making secret stuff, mainly for gifts for some good friends. So, just to prove it, here is a photo of 3 gifts:

Well, come on, you didn't seriously think I'd show you the whole thing(s) before they've been given, did you?

Starting in October,the Yorkshire Modern Quilt Group is running a BOM, with various members designing a block. I volunteered to do Block 1, so I have now made it and written the instructions, so it's all ready to go, look:

In addition to all this, I've made a small wonky quilt which is just waiting for me to sew the binding down, so here's a bit of that:

And finally (yes, I know, don't start a sentence with a preposition, or a conjunction, but gimmee  a break, it's hot and humid here today, so brains don't work too well) I don't think I've ever shown you this mini quilt I finished a few weeks ago:

We sewed!

Usually when Scrappy and I get together for the day, we seem to do a lot of talking and quite a bit of eating (all healthy foods, of course) but precious little sewing.  Well today was different. Within an hour of me arriving at hers, we had both made a block for a charity quilt that Simply Solids are organising (to make quilts for the children of the MP Jo Cox who was murdered a few days ago).

Then Scrappy test drove my instructions for a block for Yorkshire Modern Quilt Group's BOM. No picture of that yet, but I'm glad she tested it cos I had managed to make a real pigs-ear of some of the cutting instructions.

As if that wasn't enough, she went on to try out a block for her next charity quilt and we discussed her idea for a block for the BOM too.

Don't worry though, despite all our hard work, we still managed to eat and chat and generally have a lovely day.