Thursday, May 29, 2008

WOOHOO! Baby quilt is finished


I know it's not perfect, but it's the biggest patchwork/quilting project I've ever completed and I'm really chuffed with it. Kate loves it too. I finished hand stitching the hexagons at about 7am this morning, then machine stitched the border/binding. Kathy and I had a trip up to the Calico Barn this afternoon so I could buy the wadding and the backing fabric - a yellow check that is also on the front - then I basted the three layers together, quilted it, very simply, and hand stitched the binding. And now it's FINISHED!


Wednesday, May 28, 2008

27 week scan

Kate had her 28 week scan a week early. The hospital rang her up this morning and asked her if she could go in today as they didn't have any free space next week. So after we'd been to Burnopfield to spend some money on stitching stash, we trooped off to Blyth hospital. Kathy came too. LOL.


The baby is progressing well, growing according to plan. And the sonographer reckons it's A GIRL!!! Kate is well chuffed cos that's what she wanted as soon as she knew she was pregnant. This is the picture we got, of the baby's head. Looks as though she has her hand up by her ear.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Quilt for baby


Obviously it's not finished yet, but this will give you the general idea of what I've been busy working on over the last few days. All those little hexagons are only about 3 inches across and by the time I'd finished cutting them out I was losing the will to live. I've been sewing them together by hand, but will probably finish it off with the sewing machine. Kate and Craig are impressed! Thanks for looking and for any comments, they're always appreciated.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

26 Week Bump

OK, here she is at 26 weeks. She doesn't think she looks very big till she sees these photos, and she still doesn't have a bum. I hate her. LOL.
And the photo below is how I left the HAED tiger thing before it went back on the bottom of the WIP pile.

I've now started something new, called Indigo Dragon that I charted up myself a couple of years ago from a picture I got off the net. Unfortunately I don't still have the original photo so I can't show you what it looks like, and I have no idea cos it was ages ago when I charted it.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

HAED update


Here's what I've been working on all week, Spirit Of Fire by Amanda Robison, a Heaven & Earth Design. It's just the quick stitch, but it's still a fair size. Going to be working on it till I go to bed tomorrow night then move on to something else for the next week.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Needlerolls Galore

I've been taking part in a needleroll exchange over on Tranquil Stitches, and this is what I received from my partner, Diana, the other day. Isn't it gorgeous?


And this one below is the one I've just finished making up to send to my partner in the US. Don't think she reads this blog so it's safe to post the piccie. Mine is a design by Col's Creations called Nicola's Needleroll. Unfortunately I ran out of material at the bottom so it's not the full design, and I forgot to stitch the beads on too, but it still looks ok.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Bumps and things

First off, the bump. I know Laura has been waiting to see this so I thought I'd better put this photo first. This is at 24 weeks. The baby seems to be all at the front, she's got no bum, the bitch! LOL.

The most recent piccie of the HAED storykeep I'm doing. I've actually stitched a bit more since this was taken, the whole of that column has been done and I've started the next one.

And finally...we were in Asda this morning and I saw these cute little t-shirts for £1 each. Bargain! Also got some more bodysuits, sleep suits and nappies. Can't get moved in Kate's room at the moment, goodness knows where Kathy and the twins are going to sleep when they come up at the end of the month.


Freecycle is a wonderful invention. Someone was giving away a swinging cradle on there this afternoon, so we rang up and Craig went up to get it. It needs a coat of paint so it's round at my parents' house for Dad to paint for me. Will post a piccie when it comes to this house, after Kathy's been cos there's no room for it at the mo.

Kate got a tax rebate the other day too, and it was burning a hole in her pocket, so we went to Babies R Us, bought a mattress for the new cotbed, a steriliser kit and some bedding. The £200 didn't last very long I can tell you. But at least that was more things we could cross off the list.

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Look, I've been stitching!


This is my progress so far on this year's Ozark Sampler SAL. I have done a bit more of the borders than what is showing. More WIPs to come when I get to them.


Monday, May 05, 2008

SOME PEOPLE...

...ARE SO PICKY!




And yes Laura, I do mean YOU!

Sunday, May 04, 2008

Chronicles of Ireland

We set off from home at about 5am on Saturday morning and arrived in Stranraer approx 3 and a half hours later. Once we were on the ferry at 10am we had a bacon butty as we hadn't had anything to eat. I then threw mine up after about 10 mins. It was a very rough sea and I hate boats at the best of times. Thankfully it was only an hour and a half crossing to Belfast. But then it took us about 5 hours to drive down to a little place called Dungarvan in County Waterford. Of course, no one told us there were two places called Dungarvan and the sat-nav had taken us to the wrong one. Luckily we were only an hour and a half away from the proper one. The owner of the cottage showed us around the place and once he'd gone we unpacked our cases quickly before driving in to the town centre to get some shopping. Once we got back to the cottage Craig lit the fire and we relaxed with a Chinese takeaway and a bottle of wine...

...and a roaring fire!
These next few photos are of Dungarvan. Below, the harbour. Dungarvan is a bustling seaside town and the administration centre for County Waterford. Its harbour lies on the River Colligan where it widens and enters the sea. The town's origins can be traced back to the 3rd century AD when a tribe called the Deise settled in the area, the surrounding region still bears this name. Dungarvan derives its name from St Garvan, who founded a monastery here in the 7th century.
and below some of the celtic crosses in the churchyard. The Augustinian Priory was founded in the 13th century. The 60 foot high square tower, was adapted as a belfry for the adjoining Catholic church. A tomb beneath the east window of the priory bears the inscription 'Donald McGrath 1490'.
On our travels we saw lots of lovely scenery.

This is the Round Tower (12th century) at Ardmore churchyard. This is one of the finest examples of this type of structure in Ireland. It rises in three steps to a hight of just over 29 metres. In the old days, if the monks were under attack, they would carry everything into the tower up a ladder to where the door was, on about the first or second level, then once all the monks and their things were inside they would draw the ladder up so no one else could get in.

Craig on Youghal Beach
We visited Blarney Castle (below) where Craig climbed to the top of the tower and kissed the Blarney Stone. It's supposed to endow you with the gift of eloquence. I told Craig I reckoned it would mean he talked more crap than usual. He wasn't too impressed. PMSL.


Below is the actual place where you lie on your back, butt hanging off the edge and bend backwards at a 45 degree angle to kiss this tiny little stone. There's a couple of handrails to hang on to and two blokes to hang on to you too, just in case. Needless to say I stayed at the bottom of the stairs - very steep and spiralling - under cover of the gift shop. We got drenched here.

Lismore Castle - built on a cliff overhanging the Blackwater River. The present castle incorporates fragments of the original castle built in 1175 by King John. The medieval cathedral has a splendid Tudor monument, Gothic vaulting and some elegant memorials.

This is the Hook Lighthouse, one of the oldest working lighthouses in the world.

Slade harbour

Tintern Abbey

On Monday evening we went to the Marine Bar at Ring (An Rinn - one of the only Gaelic speaking areas in the whole of Ireland) where they play traditional Irish music. Of course we had to go on one of Craig's magical mystery tours to get there, when in actual fact the pub is only about 10 mins drive from the cottage! Anyway, we got there nice and early so that we could get a good seat, and ended up being the only people in the pub for a good two hours. We didn't know that the music didn't start till about 10pm. We left when the music finished at midnight after a really good night. The musicians and singers, only the three of them, were brilliant and the accordian player could certainly play that thing.

Mahon Falls on the Comeragh Trail (above) and the view from the Falls car park near the top of the mountain. On the odd time that the cloud lifted there was a fantastic view. On the road to the falls there's a Fairy Tree, where if you stop and switch your car engine off, you go backwards UP the hill. It was a really weird feeling. We did it on the way back too - seeing as the road to the top of the mountain was closed for roadworks - and we went UP the hill forwards, even though the engine was off. We got up to about 10 mph that time.

Above - Rock of Cashel

Below - View from the Rock of Cashel

Above - Craig standing next to a crystal clock at Waterford Crystal

Below - Crystal coach and horses at Waterford Crystal

Honey I'm Home

Hey everyone, as you can see I'm back. I'll tell you all about our holiday later but here's something that you might like.


These Contractors are installing the steel pillars, in concrete, to stop vehicles from parking on the pavement outside a Sports Bar.
They are now in the process of cleaning up at the end of the day and anxious to go home.


How long do you think it will be before they realize where their vehicle is parked?