April round up

~ we had a few coffees and brekkies out and also a delicious lunch of pizza at Jetty Pizza on a day out last week

after a very pleasant stroll around Sorrento, inspecting shops and The Golfer buying a new belt and gorgeous jumper

~ I’ve had a longed for scruffle through some Autumn leaves

so satisfying to hear the scrunch and shuffle of the leaves underfoot. Saw the street sweeper out today so the paths and gutters will be cleared…..for a nano-second!

~ Today (I do realise it’s May) I had what I think might be my last sunshine walk……for a while anyway. Those in the know are predicting very cold and wet conditions arriving shortly. Winter is coming.

~ “Saigon” was on our bed for April. One of my own designs and inspired by the floor tiles at our once favourite, now defunct, Vietnamese restaurant. I love the autumnal tones in this one.

~ there are flowers starting to bloom in the wheelbarrow! These are Nemisia (with a few pansies either side)

~ the evenings are drawing in quite quickly these days. There’s a chill in the air, no matter how mild the day, at about 3.30/4.00 and the sun is sinking below the horizon around the 5.30 mark. With the onset of colder weather the double pointed sticks are out and I’ve nearly finished the first sock from the 9th pattern “Imker” which has tested my skills but been most enjoyable

~ during the month I had a cutting spree for my Double Wedding Ring, sorted the pieces and filled the tin with arc sets

and as the month went on the arc sets grew into actual arcs…..still a few to do and, if my maths is right, I think there will be one last round of cutting

~ hand quilting has commenced on my QAL2022; all the applique blocks have been ditch stitched around the applique shapes and hoping to have time to go back and do “something else” in each block

and I’ve moved onto the pieced blocks and individually quilting them

you may have seen my thumb brace in the above pic; my right thumb has been giving me a bit of grief (from the tumble I took last May) and too much stitching was becoming painful. But wearing the brace helps and I’m determined to get this finished by the 31st May deadline!

~ Had a lovely day out with Maree and Helen last Saturday and we visited GJ’s. I just may have fallen in love with this bicycle fabric and co-incidentally bought the spotty fabric too which goes with it, as well as several other gorgeous pieces

my creative brain was in full flight on the way home and I added to the ones I’d purchased to fill the above box and I’m going to use my “Fossick” template

I did have it put aside as I have so much going on at the moment, but curiosity? creativity? need?? won out and on Sunday I had a play with some of the fabrics and the templates…..

just cut at the moment and waiting for some other things (DWR/QAL2022) to be finished before I start the piecing…..maybe!! The blocks will be interspersed with the bicycles and all sashed with the spot. I wanna play more! Sigh.

How was your April?

Meredithe x