When the English Tried to Make Cassoulet

This is hysterical!

OMG!

I've created a monster.

It's got me in its clutches and it won't set me free. I need Dr Who!

This is the only part of the house big enough to hang it and even that's not big enough.

I'm cutting one last lot of bricks for another row of blocks at the top and that is enough!

More soon.

A Little Something

I finished this mini quilt way back in March as a birthday present for The Young One.

Unfortunately I messed up the binding so I have spent the last few days unpicking it.

I then cut off the excess batt and backing and started again.

This is the result.

A lot flatter and neater.

Re photos. I was wondering what on earth Blogger was up to with that Lightbox thing. I was reading Sharon's blog this morning and saw that she managed to disable it. After a lot of fiddling about I managed to find out where the settings are and it is now disabled.

So if you want to go back to the previous post and click on the photo you should be able to enlarge it.

FYI - the Lego quilt currently measures 52" x 48" and, no Sharon, I hadn't spotted that arch until you mentioned it.

More soon.

First There Were Scraps ......

.... then strings, then blocks.

Now (insert drum roll) there is a part of a top.

(Click to enlarge)

There is a lot of infilling, because, as you know, I can't sew straight. Thank goodness I'm still making those strips. I knew they would come in useful!

Now where did I put that list of Autumn chores?

More soon.

Monday Mumblings

I've been at the machine for what seems like weeks, sewing away, and I think I've created a monster.

I am seriously addicted.

I've uploaded a large version so this photo should be click able.

I've still got at least another 2 rows to do. Then its infilling so the rows are equal in length. I think I'll add, rather than cut.

There are so many different fabrics in this. Lots of, to me, uglies, lots of fun ones and bits and pieces from all over the world. Notice the distinct lack of red, well not a lot!

I deliberating over doing a border for this. I'm loathe to, but I'm also think a narrow black one would make the colours pop.  I'll see how I feel when I reach that point.

I gave myself a break on Thursday to make a miniature quilt for the Liberated Quilts Online Retreat. I decided we'd have a bit of fun and quilt along with the quilters at Gwen Marston's Beaver Island Quilters Retreat, using the same theme - Gwen's current book 37 sketches.

I asked the group to take a quilt from either Gwen, Gee's Bend or the Brown's Amish Collection, reduced it in size if it was full size, and make it theirs.  I had a mental block and couldn't decide what to do. To help the thought process I rummaged through what is left in the string box. Right at the bottom was a bit of pink plaid lying next to a piece of black.

This is what I came up with.

I love how the plaid changes colour, depending on how you cut it.

Onto family stuff.  Someone asked me (can't remember who) what The Young One is up to these days.

She started her second year at lycée last month. She is now in Premiére and studying hard for her Baccalaureate Série Littérature (scroll down the page). There has been a reform in the French education system and the upshot is she has dropped Maths, which is her weak subject. She is overjoyed! We were a bit worried about this to start with (well, The Old One was - I'm not bothered), until she said that because the last two teachers weren't prepared to help her, she's basically missed out 2 years and to sit the Bac in Maths would mean losing those precious marks.

Instead she has gone for the English and Art option. I'm really pleased with the English part as she is studying English Literature and the book list is probably what she would have read if she was doing A-Level English Literature. She's starting with A Picture of Dorian Gray and Wuthering Heights is on the list too.

The art side I'm not too sure about and even she admits she's not brilliant at it, but she's got to better at art than Maths!

Spanish is also on the curriculum and it looks as if we've got a tri-langue daughter!

She's sitting her French Bac next June and, if she passes, will do Philosophy in Terminale, her last year at lycée.

I can't believe the little 3 year old who started in the Petite Section of Maternelle (kindergarten) is now 16 1/2 and nearing the end of her school life.

If all goes to plan, in 2 year's time she'll be at Limoges University reading languages.

To round off this post. The Old One has been busy busy busy.

Those of you who have been to this pile of stones know what the big barn normally looks like. Piled high with junk. The Old One collects junk!  Even he has decided there is enough to start our own brocante and been clearing it out.

Et voila!

Yes - it really is that big!

I've got a list of Autumnal chores as long as my arm so I'm going to give the machines a bit of a rest and see if I can reduce the list by at least half by the end of the week.

More soon.

Now I Have 6 ......

and I've been told enough is enough.

Excuse the background decoration!

Some extracts from the handbook.

More soon.

Wordless Wednesday

And Then There was Space

Do you want to know something?

Finishing this top has taken a lot longer than I thought it would. I suppose it was the precise spacing between each letter and word which made it harder. Something I've never done before.

You know me. Just wing it and see what happens.

Before I show the photo, I think the bottom row has got to be unpicked and re-sewn. Somehow the machine had a yummy I'm hungry moment. I don't think she likes doing strings cos she chewed that seam up.

So here we are

and I'm not sure about the exclamation mark either. I like the top half, but the bottom is too square.

Oh Clare, do shut up! You're striving for perfection which you know you just cannot do!

On a different topic, we went shopping yesterday.

Sewing machine shopping.

She hasn't come home yet, but when she does I'll make sure you are the first to see her.

More soon.