It's been a while....

.....but hopefully I am now back on track and will be posting regularly! April has been a busy month with two visits to UK to see family but the suitcases have now been put away until the autumn and we are busy getting the garden tidied and planted up for the summer. I have also some decorating to do before our first visitors of the year at the beginning of June.

There has been sewing time and I have a couple of things to show you. First up, quilting on my pink BOM has continued - only five more blocks to do now.

I am really loving this QAYG - each block is so quick to quilt and it does not seem so daunting as quilting a whole quilt.

I have also finally finished the Winterberry embroidery that was in my winter Craftpod - you can read my post about the Craftpod here
I usually avoid satin stitch like the plague so am really pleased that these little berries do actually look like berries!

The patchwork girls met this afternoon and here are our EPP blocks for the Mystery Quilt.

As you can see they have all done really well. Don't they look effective!

This month their new technique is curved piecing and I am interested to see what they will come up with for this. Here is my block all quilted up so I am ready to start on the next block.

Just noticed that a fly flew into my picture! How annoying.

We had a frost last night - hopefully it will be the last one now until the autumn. Just hoping that it was not hard enough to damage the blossom and our walnuts. A late frost last year did a lot of damage.

It's Friday Night with Friends this week - sign ups are here and I hope to see you there.

Happy New Year and a Craftpod!

Some of you have noticed that I have not been around for a while. Something went wrong with my computer while we were away over Christmas - the dreaded 'Windows update' I suspect. Anyway, although blog updates were coming through on email I was unable to connect to the internet so I was reading your posts but was unable to comment. But, thanks to our local computer whiz, I am back.

So I wish you all a very Happy 2018!

 

We spent three weeks in UK over Christmas and New Year visiting friends and family and had a lovely time. Not many photographs taken, I have no idea why, but we enjoyed a day out at Watchet in North Somerset and I did take a few there. It was a wet and windy day but it was lovely to be out on the beach and near the sea.

 

 

Before we went away I had read about Craftpods, a quarterly box of seasonal craft ideas in a letterbox friendly box. It sounded like a fun idea and so I ordered the winter box. I collected it in UK but did not open it until this week when I had time to appreciate it and enjoy the contents.

 

 

I opened the box to find a welcoming message from Jo, the originator of the Craftpod.

 

 

And underneath the beautifully wrapped goodies!

 

 

And oh yes, there is chocolate!

 

 

Essential nourishment for any craft project.

 

 

There are two projects in the box - one embroidery, the other a linocut stamping project. Everything that you need is included.

 

 

Three linocut blades, a piece of Mastercut which is a lino substitute and easier to cut, an ink pad and some simple designs to try out.

 

 

The embroidery project is of a pretty winter berries design and comes with a hoop for framing your finished embroidery.

 

 

Also included in the box is a sheet of winter themed stickers and a pretty postcard.

 

 

I have been planning to do more printing this year and so the lino cut project appealed straight away and so I soon made a start on my first print block using the pine cone design supplied.

 

 

In less than an hour I had unpacked my box and made my first prints. The Mastercut was really easy to work in to and the design very effective. I cleaned up my block and then used it with a gold pad to print into the sketchbook I made here

 

 

and love the effect I obtained. Am thinking about applying a wash of colour over the page now.

 

I shall definitely be ordering another Craftpod - a little box of goodies to brighten any day!

 

Friday night is the first FNSI of the year - hope to see you there!