A Bit Of Party Planning!!!

Those grey clouds can just go away if they don't mind. They are spoiling the look of what is otherwise a lovely blue sky.

I have a long day on my own today.
DD is at work.
Andy was out early to the hospital for the second round of his blood tests after his operation and he's not sure if he will be back or have to go straight to work from there.
DD has invited me out for tea tonight so I don't have to think about cooking which means once everywhere is tidy I can sew up the two dresses for Marlowe.

Somehow I have found that I am having a birthday party on Easter Sunday.....well more of an afternoon tea really......so I have a notepad permanently by my side making plans for the food. Ruby is very excited that Ganma is having a party and really wants to help so she is coming to stay for the weekend from Good Friday and we will spend Saturday doing some baking and preparation.
I am really looking forward to it.......although if we go with all of Ruby's ideas we may have to invite everyone from here to the little town to help us eat it all....lol.

Sounds like my neighbour has done with his sawing and log splitting for this week so I am off to throw the windows open and do my bit of housework.
I hope it's a glorious day where you are.
Sheila-x-

There She Goes Again....Getting Sidetracked!!!

The apron/dress didn't get cut out yesterday but I do have a good excuse....honest....lol.
I was trying to find somewhere to squeeze the recently purchased fabric stash and found the only way I was going to fit any more in the storage was to take some out and use it so I cut out two dresses for Marlowe and they are now waiting to be sewn up.
I need to make some chicken pies before I can get to doing that though else I shall be in trouble with Miss Doodle.
The filling is ready and I just need to make the pastry and assemble them....one for us and one for her Mummy and Daddy to have for tea tomorrow.

It's cold and grey today but dry with a breeze so I think the sofa quilts can have their freshen up today and then I'll do all the cushion covers tomorrow.

So I am off into the kitchen to get all the tea prepared so that I can snatch a couple of hours on the sewing machine before Ruby arrives.

Have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

A New Week Full Of Possibilties!!!

The second week of April looks to be off to a good start with some  bright sunshine and in honour of this lovely day I have swapped my usual uniform of trousers and top for a skirt and a bright pink tee shirt. 
Hardly a whiff of breeze but I will hang out the laundry this morning....it may pick up a bit.

Early morning hugs and kisses from my beautiful Ruby have set me up for the day and I am good to go now on all the jobs I have on my list for today.
Ruby has requested her favourite chicken and leek pie for tea tomorrow so the filling will be made today.
Laundry, hoovering up after the dog....again and a bit more tidying away of stuff on the landing which is still there from the bedroom move.
Hopefully once that is all done I will have time to get this............

......cut and pinned ready to sew.
I made ten metres of the binding yesterday which should be plenty but I have more fabric prepared to make extra if needed.
I used a new method of making binding which I had seen on You Tube and now I have the hang of it I will be using it all the time. It takes just one fat quarter of fabric to make 4-5 metres of binding and you only have to sew two seams.
Here are the links to the videos

Part One
Part Two

I found it a bit tricksy at first but once I got the hang of it I had ten metres made in next to no time.

Just waiting for Andy to get back from town so that we can have our coffee together before I do anything else.

Hope the sun is shining on your corner of the world.
Sheila-x- 

A Bit Of A Bind!!!

Andy is making up for last Sunday by cooking lunch today and doing my favourite roast chicken.
DD is out in the garden as it is lovely and sunny at the moment although it looks like it will rain before the day is out.
We have just got back from the garden centre where we have been to use a 50% off any pot coupon and a 20% off in the craft shop coupon. DD got her pot but they didn't have what I wanted in the craft shop. I did get a couple of things though so we both came back happy.

I am going to spend the afternoon making bias binding ready for my apron/dress as I need quite a few metres of it and then I shall have a look through the Sew Pretty Homestyle Tilda book I have just purchased and decide which of the delicious things in it that I would like to make.

It feels like we haven't had one of these slow and lazy Sundays in forever so I think we are all going to enjoy this one.
Hope you are all having a smashing Sunday too.
Sheila-x-

The Rag Quilt!!!

I did it. I sewed all afternoon and finished at about 8pm. It went straight into the washer and then the dryer to fluff up the rag effect.
The snipping of the seams took almost as long as sewing it together and my hands ached like hell by the time I had done but I am very happy with it and can't wait now to gift it to DS and DDIL.
I hope they like it.

No gardening for DD today....it is raining so she is doing some sorting out upstairs as she still has all her New York pictures to move from her old room to the attic.
Andy has gone to The Doodle House for a bath to ease his aching muscles. We are both looking forward to getting the bathroom sorted out in June and having our own bath put back in and then he won't have to go off with his towel and Radox.
One of my jobs today will be hoovering the dining room floor to try and get rid of all the little bits that the quilt shed after it had been washed and dried.......millions of them...lol.

Andy is in the mood for a Chinese tonight. No cooking for me today then so I might make a start on my apron/dress if there are no other house jobs that want doing.
Saturday night is usually a dvd night but gawd knows what we will watch. We'll probably end up with something off the shelf that we have seen a hundred times before but at least it will be time spent together.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend....whatever you are doing.
Sheila-x-