Hello my lovelies. I hope you’re all enjoying some gorgeous summer weather. It’s been lovely in my little corner of the northeast of England. It’s a super time to get things done in and outdoors.
I have been progressing on different projects as well as trying to keep up with chores and other important issues. Everyday life throws up challenges which need to be dealt with.
First, I would like to reply to a comment from Bryan regarding my Quilts on the Grow which up until just this morning, was in my UFO pile. The main progress for the moment, is that I was actually able to find it quickly!!! Hooray 😊 I have quite a lot of these quilt as you go quilt blocks done right up to the hand quilting part.
I’m tempted to switch from my Patchwork of the Crosses project to my Quilts on the Grow project for a few weeks in order to make a little head way on it. All of my hand sewing projects make great evening armchair projects, especially once the prep work is done. So, watch this space Bryan, hopefully you will see my Quilts on the Grow grow and grow.
I have a little longarm quilting progress to show you today. My Burnopfield Belles colleague Lynn was struggling to quilt this quilt using her domestic sewing machine. So I took the quilt top, wadding and backing fabric away and loaded it into my longarm and did this to it …..
This is an example of what working together produces. Lynn pieced the quilt beautifully, I took it away and machine quilted and I will be returning the quilt to Lynn for binding. We both come away from this collaboration feeling like we’ve done something worthwhile. This quilt, once it’s finished, will be handed over to Quilts for Comfort. Being part of the Quilts for Comfort crew that works on these quilts gives me a sense of accomplishment. I know that every single stitch will produce something good. Belonging to the Burnopfield Belles is brilliant as well. We meet once a month to learn something. Everyone has something to offer. We have several ladies who lead sessions in teaching us new techniques and revisiting old ones. Not only do we learn from each other but we support each other as well. It’s amazing how a bunch of ladies with life experience can put the world to rights. I’m thankful for being part of something that brings comfort.
My Sarah and I stepped out today. I rarely go into Newcastle but today I had some specific business that needed taking care of. Once my appointment was over, we headed off to have a sandwich before heading home. We sat quietly people watching while eating. Lunchtime on Northumberland Street is rather busy so there were quite a lot of interesting people to look at. One thing that I looked for is men wearing nice shoes. As I understand it, you can tell quite a lot about a man by the shoes he wears. To my surprise there are a lot less men who wear socks and sandals these days; I’m not a fashion expert but I think socks and sandals do not look good at all. It was the perfect day weather wise for people watching. I’ll be heading back to Newcastle again soon to finish today’s business, and I’m going to make a point of taking the time to do some people watching again.
All in all, it’s been quite an enjoyable day in what is usually my quiet little world. I’m always up for an adventure. My next trip out to Newcastle will be nearer my birthday so perhaps we can have a better lunch than a quick sandwich but I hope to do some more people watching.
So, for this evening, this very happy and super ambitious quilt maker will be choosing between the Patchwork of the Crosses and a Quilts on the Grow project. I hope you all have a super cosy evening doing something you truly enjoy. Until you read me again,
Happy stitching ♥ ♥
Lucie The Happy Quilter's Blog 
Hi Lucie
It’s lovely to hear from you again! I’m vicariously getting my sewing fix from other people as I’ve broken my wrist and have a horrible cast on my lower left arm! It’s so frustrating as I’m not allowed to drive so can only go out on the bus or with my husband, I can’t see or knit, gardening is difficult and all in all I’m thoroughly fed up and feeling very sorry for myself! It’s only mechanical and not life threatening but I’m so used to being independent and always doing something that it’s really hard!
By the way I did this in the gym doing circuit training – a 67 year old grandma should act her age and not her shoe size!!
Keep on blogging as it was the highlight of my day today!!
Best wishes
Jackie
Oh Jackie, I do feel for you. Your injury is very inconvenient. We use our hands and arms everyday all day long. So breaking a wrist couldn’t be worse. As for doing circuit at the gym as the cause of your injury, I think you’d be better off sewing. I hope that you heal quickly and regain full use of that wrist. In the meantime, get your craft books out and make plans for new projects once you have healed. Thanks for popping in today. It’s always great to hear from you x
I love people watching! They say that if you sit long in Crossroads Cafe in Singapore, everyone you know will walk past. Well ….. I have spent a lot of time there, but no one I know has ever walked past!!
Hi Anne, I think I’ll add Crossroads Café to my To-Visit list in the future. It was really rather interesting watching people milling about. Some looked like they had the time in the world and others were in a great rush to get somewhere. It was quite relaxing for me to sit there quietly. Sitting quietly is something I rarely do. Thanks for popping in today Anne x
That should read ‘ I can’t SEW’ not see!! Thankfully I haven’t lost my sight!!
Jackie
Hi Jackie, you did make me giggle when you added this comment. I knew you meant sew not see. Predictive text and typos are the bane of my life! Thanks for popping in today and cheering me up x
Ah, your Quilts on the Grow is out again, so look forward to seeing your progress. I had a wonderful weekend too, with like minded ladies & lots of fun. Hubby & I also enjoy people watching & you sure see some unusual dress habits! Have a good weekend & take care.
Hi Susan, yes I dragged out my Quilt on the Grow again. I think it’s definitely a project worth finishing. People watching is a great pastime. I rarely sit quietly, so people watching is a great way to relax and recharge your batteries on a warm sunny day. Thanks for popping in today x
Hi Lucie,
You now have me fascinated by your quilts on the grow. I never considered finishing my large hexies individually. Large squares no problem! My hexies from my hexathon ended up being roughly 4 inches per side. I now have them all sewn together and layered with batting and backing. The problem is it’s been a bit warm to sit under my creation and do the hand quilting. Doing each individually is sounding like a pretty awesome idea at the moment! So how large are your hexies? Would it be possible to see a picture of the back when you have the quilt finished?
I have been busy with other smaller projects (knitting one of Alan Dart’s Green Men and a Dilly bag with hexies at the moment) but would love to finish the Hexathon before this fall!
People watching is such fun. I recently spent a few minutes counting trainers on the feet of shoppers at a local shopping centre because a friend from the US didn’t think she could wear her favourite walking shoes on her holiday here without looking like a tourist. Plenty of trainers. Plenty of white trainers. I came to the conclusion that trainers are really popular!
Have a great day!