Excuses, excuses...

The trouble with deciding to keep a blog and to update it once a week is that there is no hiding any lack of sewing! So this week's excuses are:

1) outside drain blocked; had to stay in Bath on Thursday rather than run off to Dorset with my fabric and sewing machine for a couple of days;

2) Mark was home from work early on Friday so whisked me off to Midsomer Quilting http://www.midsomerq.com/ (yes, the man is a treasure - I could have driven myself, but he offered, and also bought me a late lunch);

3) today is Fathers' Day (it gets to me a bit actually, even though it's 10 years since my dad died). Anyway, somehow Mark's gift to his dad this year turned out to be Sunday lunch (that I cooked) and chocolate tiffin (that I cooked) - combined with cleaning and tidying and choir practice, there really was n't very much sewing time; and

4) my first photobook arrived and I am chuffed to bits with it (you can see it here,
http://www.photobox.co.uk/creation/1299064905 but please don't consider buying it, despite the blurb on the page the link takes you to, full price is more than I would pay for any book - I only did this at all because I had an offer that worked out at almost 75% off). So when they then offered me a 40% discount on a subsequent purchase I put together a shorter version for my godmother's birthday, and when they sent me a 50% off voucher to be used by midnight tonight, I decided to make another short version for my mum's birthday (it's not until November so I hope I don't forget about it by then). It's really time-consuming choosing photos and putting them in the order you want them to appear; but very satisfying when you hit the 'create book' button.

However, I am trying to focus on the positive - I did finish stripping wall paper off the dining room wall where I want to hang the brilliant painting by my friend and talented up and coming artist, Helen Campbell. If you see that her work is being exhibited anywhere...go and see it! On a good day I am not bad at painting or drawing what I see, but Helen is much much more - she can paint what she feels, and that is simply awesome!

I did manage one small bit of sewing and finished a quilt square. I am a bit addicted to printable fabric. I used to use printable iron-on transfers, but they make the fabric feel hard and inflexible, whereas this stuff still feels like fabric:

The photo itself was a bit of an accident. It was the first time I took Mark to West Bay and I tried to record the moment with one of those arm's length shots and forgot that my (pre digital SLR) camera was on zoom! I rather like it. I am not 100% sure about the square though... not sure whether the additional flowers make it just that bit too sickly sweet. What do you think?

Before I go I have a gardening fact to share: I have always been told that it is slugs and snails that eat hostas...it's not true!!