Back from Blackpool

Blackpool was looking lovely in the sunshine this morning, as you can see.


I've been there for a couple of days, judging the entries in the British Legion Womens Section Purse Competition. Some good ones too, and as always, very hard to find a winner. Trouble is, there are those which don't exactly conform to the rules. Usually they're too big, which is such a shame, because there were some really lovely ones in that bunch.

Sorry, no pictures, since I didn't ask permission to photograph them. I'll send the organisers a CD with all of them on it shortly.

Tomorrow we're off to New York for a few days; shopping, time with friends, going to a Raff concert and no doubt having fun. Will report back on our return and promise to confess all that I bring back. I have quite a list.

Monday evening

Spent last night at a recording of this radio perennial - interesting to see what goes into the making of a programme such as this. Two programmes were recorded, one will air on the 7th May, the other on the 25th June. My question was answered by Bob F in the warm up, so I had the best of all worlds - an answer without having the embarrassment of having to speak! 

Country House weekend

I've been lucky enough to spend the weekend in the glorious surroundings of an Oxfordshire country house. There was some wonderful artwork on the walls, including this fantastic quilt done by my friend Pat Lumsdale on my bedroom wall.

This superb quilt hangs on the wall next door and is hand painted with many varieties of apple, each named in stitch.

Although you might think that I normally inhabit such grand surroundings, I can tell you that Chez Nous isn't quite furnished like this, and I am not used to having a crystal chandelier in my bedroom!

And though we enjoy fine views at home, our garden isn't quite like this one, and our pond is a little smaller than the lake you can see in the distance.

So, playing the Lady of the Manor for the weekend has been fun, even if it did take an hour or so to lock up every night - dear me, those full length drawing room curtains are so tiresome!

What a good job I took a few friends along to lend a hand!

Caterpillar Bracelet warning

Put my Caterpillar Bracelet on this morning, since I'm off later to be host at Denman College, where 70 ladies from Gloucestershire are going to spend the weekend learning all kinds of new skills. Thought I'd show off my new found beading skills to some of the far more expert beaders who will be there.

Have just washed my hands however and discover a green wrist. Bright green. Colour coming strongly off something - the thread I suspect. I am not going to change my top, which has a small green spot on it too. I shall blame the b****y caterpillar.

Responding Creatively - at last

I'm taking part in a project involving "To Kill a Mockingbird" and some form of creative response was required. Well, my instinctive response when being creative is to get out the fabric, which is what I did this afternoon.

Fabrics are bonded, not pieced, and there is a garden of sorts in the lower left hand corner, free machine embroidered mimosa, camellia and wisteria, which doesn't really show in the photograph.


Quite satisfying to get the machine out and play, though no-one is going to see the back!