FNSI December

 The end of another year of Friday Night Sew In's - already! This year has gone by so quickly. Many thanks to Wendy for hosting all year and organising lovely gifts for participants.

You can see who took part this month here along with some great small gift ideas which will come in handy for next year.

We were out to lunch and then stopped off for some shopping on the way home so I didn't get to sew until the evening.

First up I 'finished' quilting this block on my Red Manor House quilt, and didn't spot that I hadn't actually finished until this afternoon, when I took the steam to it to clear away my line markings! Oh well, something for this evening.

I got RMH out at the beginning of November (it keeps my legs warm in the evenings) and have been quilting these blocks. There are quite a few done now.

It's a while since this last saw the light of day at the end of Feb 2021 - last winter it got used fairly early on as packing and arrived here in UK before me.

This was how I left it and I have probably done 2 more quarters like this.

Anyway, back to last night and I picked up a new Field Journal block but had only done a few stitches when I remembered that I had intended to work on my idea for next years RSC.

When I went to the exhibition at Cowslip Workshops in the summer I saw this quilt and fell in love with the little hearts.

My plan is to make two or three of these each month and applique them to blocks. Here was my test heart which I think is probably a bit on the small side at 3.5" x 3.5"

I might try the next size up next as these won't make a great dent in my stash!

In other news I have completed four Field Journal blocks this week - here they are.

And we have had some frosty mornings over the last week so I have been experimenting with the macro on my new camera.

We have had a couple of jolly cold weeks here but are now promised much milder but wet weather for the next week. Oh well, spring is round the corner! Have a great week.

Friday Night with Friends December

 Many thanks Cheryll for hosting us last Friday and I hope you are enjoying your holiday. Thank for hosting throughout the year too.

I didn't get started until late afternoon this week as we were out to lunch. However, I did manage to start and finish this fairly simple Field Journal block.

Something a little more complicated lined up for my next block.

Earlier in the week I was working on this block

Many thanks to Fiona for passing on another large pile of these little stitchery patterns - plenty to keep me occupied for some time!

Remembered making these little pentagon stars a few years back when I needed a small hostess gift this week.

A quick and easy Christmas make - if you have not made these before then you will find the tutorial here .

Plenty of sewing time at the moment - there is a lot of football around!

Happy sewing and thank you to everyone who has sewn with me throughout the year.

RSC and a few ticks off my list!

 

And after four years I have a finished top! 

In 2019 I started by making one Dresden flower a month and continued into 2020.

Having put them all together it was obvious I needed a border and so in 2021 and 2022 I made two little hexadens a month and had them dancing round the border.

The last couple of months I have been making four rainbow Dresdens to go in the corners.

Another top for the quilting pile! Thank you to Angela for Scraphappy Saturday and all your prompts over the year. I already have a plan for 2023!

My next finish is this little Spring Mystery Pouch from Nordic Crafter and Stitching Notes. Last week I showed the inside, this week it has been gifted and so now I can show you the outside.

That last pic looks a bit wobbly but the rainbow is straight! Easy pattern to follow and even adding the zip by hand was a doddle.

And for my next finish another pair of Winwick Mum basic socks. This time I was using stash so the legs are a nice soft botany wool and the feet a more hardwearing tweedy sock wool. As you can see by the leftovers I was playing yarn chicken with these!

Another trip to the coast yesterday so I will leave you with a picture of Clevedon Pier - have a great week.

Watchet

 Watchet is one of our favourite  coastal towns to visit and being just 15 miles away is one of the closest.  The town itself is over 1000 years old with the harbour being used for trade over many centuries. Now it is a pleasure marina.

I took the opportunity to try out my new camera and had lots of fun 'zooming' around!

I have to say the zoom is pretty amazing! In the middle of this picture on the horizon there is an island - Steep Holm.

Here is Steep Holm taken from the same spot on the harbour wall with my zoom

and the Welsh coast

and the new reactor at Hinkley Point.

Note the blue sky in the above pictures - this was the view looking in to Watchet

Fortunately the rain took it's time in arriving.

The macro also works well

and you can't beat a bit of rust!

Yankee Jack (the statue lol) keeps an eye on the marina.

There are several gift shops in Watchet, all well stocked with quality local crafts and we came away with a few Christmas presents - we could be back again soon!

FNSI November

 Good to join in sewing with everyone again yesterday. Many thanks to Wendy for hosting once again.

Not a very exciting photograph. I am late to the party with my Spring Mystery Pouch by Nordic Crafter and Stitching Notes! But as you can see I am on the last lap. I spent my evening adding the first side of the zip to this pouch, herringboning the loose edge and then starting to add side two.

Happy Stitching!

FNwF's November

 It's been a showery wet week here but Friday was dry and sunny and so we headed out for the day. We drove along the north Somerset coast to Porlock a pretty little village on Exmoor. Lots of small shops to look around and the home of Miles Tea and Coffee so Philip was able to stock up on his favourite teas.

The church of St Dubricius, dating from the 13th century, was unusual and interesting to look around.

This little stairway took you to the entrance to the Chapel of the High Cross.

These stairs were a little more tricky!

But fortunately the chapel was not far away

This is the 15th century monument to John and Elizabeth Harrington. He fought with Henry Vth in France and sadly died there.

We enjoyed coffee accompanied by scones with clotted cream and wortleberry jam in the Wortleberry Tea Rooms before moving on into Exmoor. Our next stop was Robbers Bridge - narrow and approached at an angle from both directions! - and I loved the moss covered trees nearby.

Exmoor was looking beautiful with all the autumn colour.

After our day out all I felt like doing in the evening was watching TV with some mindless knitting. I finished this sock up to the toe - not sure yet which colour to knit the toe, it will depend on how much wool is left. And made a start on the next sock. Most of that rib though was done this morning while watching England beat Sri Lanka in the T20 cricket - sorry Australia!😊

Many thanks Cheryll for hosting our FNwFs - pop over here to see who else took part.

Happy stitching.