We're All Going On A Summer Holiday....

...No more worries for a week or two....Unless disaster strikes before you even manage to get the bags packed! I'm not entirely sure what disaster befell The Partner's favourite shorts.....nor am I particularly keen to find out....I only know that this is what was presented to me.......

....with the hopeful words "You can just put a stitch in these, can't you?".
As any of you who sew will know, there is no such thing as "just putting a stitch in"! So the shorts migrated to my "To Do" pile, while I contemplated just where, EXACTLY, I'd like to put a stitch...
However, the hols are now imminent (we leave on Monday), and the fretting was starting, as to whether the shorts would be well enough to travel....Obviously, with nothing better to do (housework, food shop for hols-we're camping- food shop for Daughters 1 &2-they're not-changing money into Euros, packing...), I jumped right to it.
Now, I'm reasonably talented with a needle and thread, but sadly, I've not QUITE mastered the art of sewing hole to hole.....or stitching over thin air....Very remiss of me, I know...I really MUST look into signing up for that particular workshop! Anyway, I decided to do what came naturally....

"Concerned" is the most polite adjective I can find, to describe The Partner's reaction, to seeing his shorts and my scrap bag, held in the same pair of hands, at the same time....
Still, I'm quite pleased with the result, and I can now safely pass the shorts as "fit to travel". Tick that box!
So, I will love you and leave you now, my friends, while I go and rub shoulders with a few French people. Rendez-vous back here in a couple of weeks... Au revoir!

Happy Birthday!!

Nineteen years ago, in a small French town, just north of Paris, Daughter No.2 made her way into my world.....and there's not been a dull moment since! Happy Birthday, my darling girl...hope you've enjoyed your special day....especially the part where I decided to share your baby photos (my GOODNESS-all that HAIR!!) with Boyfriend and Best Friend.....
Needless to say, when pressies and frivolities are to be had, there has not been much needlework to report on today. The only thing that bears any link to sewing, is the present I gave Daughter No.2......After years of nagging (her part), and years of heels being dug in (my part), I have finally given in. A cutting mat has exchanged hands. A rotary cutter given and recieved. Fat quarters have been "oohed" and "aahed" over. And finally, promises have been made......I am going to teach Birthday Girl how to patchwork and quilt....
I realise that by now, several of you have keeled over through sheer.....what's the word??.....boredom. Others are on bended knee, thanking higher deities that I'm not THEIR mother. But a very few of you will actually understand this gift, and remember back to when you were taught paper piecing, ironing seams and the value of tiny, even stitches......
Watch this space....I'm going on a Birthday Cake Hunt....See you soon!

Such A Wonderful Day.....

Today really was just that...wonderful...It started with a shopping spree, here,

all thanks to the lovely, lovely parents at my Pre-School. It was SUCH fun to visit the new store in Bournemouth, with my friend and her daughters, having left Partner and Son at home for the morning. We went round and round the store, upstairs and downstairs. Then upstairs again....just because we could!! At one point, we contemplated moving in, taking up Squatters' Rights....after all, there were pretty armchairs, a washbasin, a table or two and even a bed. All delightflorally co-ordinated. What more could a girl need??
 As much as I adore the Partner and the Son, it was a little slice of heaven, to be able to take my time...to not have to listen to endless "Are you finished yet.....can we go yet......I'm bored..." And that's just the Partner..... Thank you, THANK YOU to all my parents!
From Cath, we picked up lunch to take back to the Stay-at-Homers, and pinic-ed with them at my friend's house, before heading off to the beach for the afternoon. Here, things got a bit damp, as I got a bit carried away, helping my son gain a bit of confidence, swimming in the waves. The original plan had been to go in up to my knees. Best laid plans of mice, men and mother's.....A few large waves later and I'm completely soggy, right up to my chest. Fatal Flaw part-I was wearing my skirt and t-shirt...and nothing dry to change into, for the car journey home. Ho Hum...
Then, on arriving home, look what lovely Mr. Postman had left for me....

my order from Fabric Rehab! They sell packets of scraps for just £2.50. The photo shows 2 packs, and most of the pieces are quite large.                                                                                                           

My favourite ones are this one.....                                                                                                            

and this one.......

No idea what they're called...and obviously wouldn't use them together, but they made me smile, at the end of a very smiley day. Thank you, Sarah, Beckie and Cassy for sharing the smiles.....and special thanks to my Two Best Boys for letting me have some quiet Cath time......                                                                       

Mad Dogs And Englishmen.....

Should that be "Englishperson", to remain politically correct? Well, whatever the correctness of the situation, that's the plan for today.......Picnic packing duties will commence shortly, and then it's all off to the beach for lunch.
 When I say "all", I actually mean the partner, the boy and me. Daughters 1 and 2 will not be joining us. I'm actually still not sure when it happened, but I've become a member of a "Half-Family". Once upon a very long time ago, I used to have two daughters who hung off my every limb, if not quite my every word....And now I've been dumped! I understand that life has dealt me an interesting hand of cards, giving me an 11 year gap between having two very girlie girls, and then one very boyie boy, but it's not completely unheard of! I'm not alone in the world of "Big Gaps And Surprises"!
 Perhaps it's the gender difference? Daughters 1 and 2 would happily skip round Gap, Next, H&M and the like (I'd say Hollister too, but you can't skip in there unless you have a torch...you'd bump into something!!), whereas the bribe money needed to sedate my son in these areas, would quite possibly bankrupt me. Suggest, on the other hand, that role reversal happens, and said daughters come to kick a ball around on the rec, and they need blue-lighting in to the nearest oxygen-tent supplier. And believe me, my friends......think it's difficult trying to assert parental authority over your 8 year olds? You're a lost cause if you try it with the "Young Adults" in your life!!
So, time to sort through sandwich fillings, and various half empty bottles of factors 30, 50 and sun-block....Not entirely sure what happened to my fabulous plans of sewing my way through the holidays...

The Sun Is A-Shining To Welcome The Day....

Can you believe it? First day of the holidays (I never think the weekend counts, as I get those off anyway!) and the sun is shining!!! And, best of all best things, I turned the alarm clock setting off on my phone!! I realise that I will still wake up at EXACTLY the same time anyway (I have three children and three dogs, for goodness sake!), but it just FEELS so much better, when the alarm isn't telling you "WAKE UP NOW"!!
The only cloud on the horizon, is my dentist appointment, at lunchtime. I'm sure he is a perfectly nice chap, outside his surgery, but I REALLY don't like him, or his apparatus, during surgery hours. I try to man-up, as I obviously don't want to pass my worries onto my children, but the cold sweats start as soon as I see that chair....
On a happier note, I decided to do some of these....

......small, fleecy blankets, hand finished with a pretty binding. They're big enough to use in a buggy, or just the right size for little "mummy's" to wrap their dolls in. Anyway, I was looking for a portable project to take away camping with me, next week, and as much as I love making my quilts, "portable" isn't the adjective that readily springs to mind, when describing them. These should be just right for popping into a corner, and all I'll need to take is my thimble, thread and needle. And scissors. And glasses.
We'll see. (Well, if I remember my glasses, we will.) My views as to what creates a perfect camping holiday (sitting with copious cups of tea, a stack of glossy magazines and plenty of needlework), differs somewhat to my partner and son's views (racing around chasing a football, racing around chasing a frisbee, racing around chasing waves....obviously, this last one can only be possible if there is a beach involved). You'll have noticed that I haven't mentioned my daughters' views on camping holidays. This is because, at 21 and 19, they only have views if there is running hot water, a king sized bed, and pretty hotel surroundings.....
Still, camping is a whole, lazy, get-up-late week away yet.....Plenty of time to catch up with friends, have a few (hundred) cuppas, do some proper sewing, start packing....
And on that note, I think the kettle has boiled....thanks for dropping by....see you soon......

A Soggy Sort Of Day...

I'm sitting here, blogging, feeling as though I've been dragged through my late Nan's mangle. How she used to fret, as she stood beside me, turning the handle, worrying that my fingers would get too close, and become crushed between the rollers. Well, let me tell you Nan, I feel as though the whole of me has just been given one of your laundry-day sheet treatments...Not that I look any the slimmer for it! I'd better explain....
In my normal day job, I run a Pre-School. Now, although I'm not known for my paperwork skills or my organisational ones, either, I'm quite good (bang own drum here, blow own trumpet....heck, I'm my own one-man-band) at getting on with the children, in a no-nonsense, JoyceGrenfell (see previous blogs) sort of way. And I absolutely ADORE them. However, today was Leavers' Party Day, and the end of my school year. A day where we have a few party games, some party food, yet more party food, and then the parents all return, to share in a small Presentation Ceremony, during which each Leaver is called forward, applauded and given a book, as a present to remember us by. Normally, I'm quite emotional during this part of the day. Past parents happily giggle, as they discuss my tearful farewells, perhaps comparing them to previous years.
Well, let me tell you, this one should go down in the history books, as the WORST one EVER!! The tears started flowing last night, as I finished wrapping the books. They then started again this morning, when a friend mentioned the fateful words "End Of Term", over a cuppa in M&S, before the party started. Thanks, Emma. SEVERAL tears were shed when I started to welcome the children into school....Long story, short.. I SOBBED my way through the Presentation. I SOBBED when I said bye-bye to my littlies. I SOBBED when I got home, and looked through the kind and thoughtful gifts and cards that the parents and children had given me..... And I am now, officially, a rather soggy, puffy-faced (no elegant Sophia Loren graceful tears for me, my friends!) headache-y wreck.
To jump to my defense (well, I can possibly manage a limp, and only then because I have to...no-one else will), this year was a BIGGIE. Twenty, out of thirty-four children, leaving me, and of those, half of them we've known since they were mere twinkles in their mummy's eyes....ok..a couple of the older ones were new born babies, when we first met... Anyway, that's the reason behind my soggy day.....
Moving on (and remembering why I started a blog in the first place).... I've finished the quilt.....

I'm quite pleased with the way it came together, finishing at a reasonable 35" square, making it ideal for a cot, or perhaps a playmat? I'm selling this one, so if you're interested, get in touch!

I'm going to go and lie down in a darkened room now.....clutching cucumber slices for the swelling....I hope you all have a lovely weekend. xx

Tasty finishings? Dessert anyone?

Hello. Here I am again, and STILL no finished quilt to show you. I'm SOOOOO close to finishing, I can almost taste it....which, in a rather tenuous link, is precisely why I've nothing to show you. Instead of hand finishing the binding on present WIP, I went out with the girls from work. To an all you can eat restaurant.
The place is AMAZING! I'd been before, so knew what to expect, but it was fun to watch my friends' reactions.
Two hundred and fifty dishes on offer. Chinese dishes rubbing shoulders with Indian dishes. Sushi resting happily next door to the noodle bar. Eton Mess trying not to muscle in on the profiteroles. And I've not even MENTIONED the two permanent chocolate fountains.....need I say more?? Eye popping, seam stretching heaven. You can be rest assured that I seriously tested the "All You Can Eat" philosophy. To the enthium degree. The only antidote to that Eaten-So-Much-It's-Painful-To-Breath Syndrome, is, as you all well know, get your dressing gown on, and collapse on your couch.....
Which is precisely what I've done. However. Fatal flaw to my Relieving Plan. I have to drive (an hour round trip) and collect my daughter, as she's returning from London this evening. Technically, I suppose she's returning tomorrow morning, as her coach isn't due in 'til after midnight. So, I've been forced to come to the decision that I will be collecting her in my dressing gown. It is a Cath Kidston one, so obviously it'll be okay! And like I said... I was FORCED to make this decision.....my tummy literally REFUSED point blank to be strapped back into my jeans....
It'll be ok. As long as I manage to get there, and back without a puncture, all will be well........
And so, as my fellow over-indulgers are probably lying, prone, in their respective beds (I WILL name and shame you Linda, Annabel, Romaine and Jane!), I'm about to don my shoes and head out into the night...Hmmm....Fluffy, blue polka dot and walking boots....PLEASE don't let me get a flat tyre...Please don't let me get a flat tyre...PLEASE don't let me get...... xx

So-which one is Miranda....& which one is Lu?

It has been pointed out to me (by Lu, no less!) that perhaps I should explain the names behind the blog....Hmmmm....(A moment, please, while I ponder).
Ok. I'll try to make this brief-you've probably got time to get a brew on, do a spot of ironing, clean the car. You get the picture.
A LONG while ago, while I was re-training as a Montessori teacher, it was often remarked on, that Joyce Grenfell and I had a lot in common. (For those of you too young to know, "You Tube" should help.) Admittedly, the two don't readily go hand in hand (Joyce meets Maria....hmmm), but there you have it....I am who I am, and am not very good at pretending otherwise. Leap forward a good few years, and Miranda Hart was beginning to make a name for herself.....can you see where I'm going with this? Yep! You got it!
So, one evening, a creative friend of mine, Lucy, and I were at a party, innocently minding our own business, when we were introduced to some latecomers. Lucy was immediately called "Lu" (and if you all look closely now, you'll see her skin crawl, as she reads this!), much to my amusement. "Lu" didn't have to wait long for her turn for a giggle, as not half an hour later, someone mentioned that I reminded them of someone...."Oh yes-you're just like that Miranda!" Exit party. Quickly.
And that's it, in a nutshell. Miranda & Lu was born. Lucy and I sometimes sell our creative wares together, and needed a name, so we made the obvious step. We have a Misi shop, but it's sadly rather neglected, and could probably do with a good spring clean....Another job for the "To Do" list....
Does that make it all SSSSSSOOOO much clearer now?? Thought not. Oh well...Back to what I do best...

A Moment In History...

Welcome back! Did you all have a lovely, if somwhat soggy, weekend? I had a Moment In History one. And believe you me, "Moment" was right!!
It was Lymington's turn to welcome THE FLAME. Feeling the need to be a better mother, I accepted a friend's invitation (thank you, Jane!), and off we all toddled on Saturday morning, so that my son could witness the Lymington leg of the Olympic Torch's journey through the UK. (At this point, I should make you aware that I'm still not that FABULOUS a mother, as my daughters weren't included....in my defense, they WERE both at work....and no, not at the coal face!!) The rain was coming down in stair-rods, and those of you who know me well, will already know my singular lack of enthusiasm concerning anything sporty. Said Flame included.... Please don't shoot me. Happily, Jane had done us proud, and there were all sorts of yummy nibbles to be had, which (ignoring all Weight Watcher Points!) went a LONG way to brightening my day.
So, the "Moment" drew near, and the household of various friends took my son out to the vantage point, to witness history in the making. And so, I fall from grace. Again. No, I did not accompany them. This photo, taken from my son's vantage point....

.....did not have me behind the camera. That credit goes to my friend, Sarah. I was, in fact, still on my friend's COVERED porch, with the only other sane person in my friendship group (Emma...who knew???). And in my brief "Moment", I glimpsed the Torch and an attached arm, jog past my narrow viewing gap. For all of 3 seconds....
Now, I may have been the only person in Lymington who remained completely unmoved by this event....but I was also one, (of only two!!) who remained dry....
Thanks for putting up with today's ramblings. I'm leaving you now so I can get back to my quilting. See you soon.

Quilting progress....

Only one more week to go, before I shall be a lady of  leisure!! Well....relatively..... and only for six weeks....I suppose, if I'm really honest, I won't be a lady of leisure at all, as the family will still require me to see to their various individual needs (you know: feeding them, cleaning for them...I should have paid better attention to the small print while I was on the maternity ward!!). HOWEVER, I will be able to do it all in my Jimmy-Jams, if I so choose, so I will FEEL like a lady of leisure!! And that will give me more time to sew. Hooray!
Of course, there will be quite a few (hundred) work related chores, that will need sorting out before I go back to the new term, in September. And the strange thing that I've discovered about work chores in adulthood, is that they're pretty much like homework chores in childhood. Next Friday will see me BRIMMING over with good intentions about getting things done STRAIGHT AWAY. Reality will be watching me go into meltdown on 31st August, frantically trying to remember where I've put my pile of chores "to keep them safe"....Oh well..Old dog..New tricks..I rest my case...
So before I sign off for the weekend, I thought I'd give you just a glimpse of my quilting progress....

Hope you all have a lovely weekend. See you soon......

Quack.....

Hands up, those of you who are COMPLETELY fed up with the rain.... Seriously! Enough already! Although it has lead me to the career change decision, that I'm going to re-train as a weather girl! What other job could you have where you are professionally styled (hair and make-up), have a dress allowance and still have a job the next day, even when you got it wrong??? In fact, you could forecast rain every day and it just wouldn't matter....most times you'd get it right (novel thought), and when you didn't, nobody would mind, as they'd all be out in the sun ( hot, ball like object, generally to be found in blue skies).
So, as I haven't got any quilt photos to show you yet - quilting is in progress- I thought I'd leave you with some bunting, that I made earlier, as nobody can be truly glum when there's a bit of bunting to be had....

Thank you for popping by, and remember.....there are some very happy ducks out there!!

Halfway there.....

So, after showing you the fabric, and a few evenings scrunched up in my kitchen....ermmmm...workshop, a quilt top is born. I chose a block called "Pinwheel", designed by Amy Sinibaldi, from the book "Modern Blocks" which is compiled by Susanne Woods. I don't know either lady, but that's no reason not to thank them...Thank you, ladies-I'm enjoying the book and the designs, and would happily recommend it/them, to anyone who sat still long enough.

The quilt back has also emerged from the kitchen, and I'm now about to pin the sandwich together (technical term....nothing to do with jam). I thought I'd wait and not post a photo of the back yet, so as to keep you all in suspense (How do you keep a blog reader in suspense?..... I'll tell you tomorrow....). It's not very exciting, so please don't hold your collective breaths. It's just that it'll give me more practise at putting more photos in different posts. As it is, I'm still amazed that the above 2 photos are actually just that. Above. Possibly fluke. And to test this theory I'm now going to try and put a photo below....

Oh goodness!! I think I've cracked it! I'm going to have to go and lie down in a darkened room, before I get too full of myself.... Hope you like the quilt top. Thanks for stopping by.

Oooo.....the possibilities.....

To those of you who quilt, you'll know EXACTLY what I mean. To those of you who don't quilt, you'll probably all take a collective step backwards ("step away from the mad person").... But, to me, this new stash of material is oh, so exciting! As the title says "Oooo... the possibilities..." And for me, this is one of the best reasons as to why I quilt...the not knowing what I'm going to do with the fabric....the playing around with various ideas....the wondering what it'll look like as a finished quilt. Actually, those who know me well, will realise that I'll spend A LOT of time doing the wondering bit, as life is never quite what I thought it was going to be ("Followed a mud cart, THOUGHT it was a wedding" springs to mind!!). I like to believe I'm capable of organised, thought through projects.....and on other days I like to believe I'm a princess....
Anyway, much as I'd love to stay and chat, my fingers are literally itching to get to work with a rotary cutter. So watch this space, and together we'll see where this path takes us. See you soon!

Promised pics....

Well, the ever faithful Jane has emailed me the promised pics, and I THINK I may have managed to download them, somewhere onto this machine. However, Computer Genius Daughter is not in the house at the moment, and even He-Who-Thinks-He-Should-Be-Obeyed-And-Is-Quite-Handy-With-Computers-So-I'll-Let-Him-Stick-Around is out practising ball skills, with our boy......Not sure if today involves football shaped ones, or tennis shaped ones, but as it involved balls, I'm afraid I glazed over before we'd got to the crucial part of the conversation....
Anyway, let's see if I can pretend to be a grown up for 5 minutes, and see if I can find those photos....

Ta-Da!!! Oh look!! Not rocket science after all! (I don't have to confess to them appearing in COMPLETELY the wrong place, and me having to re-write round them, now do I??)
And so, all flushed with success, I'm off to make tea...Thanks for visiting!

So, what to do for the best.....

I'm in a quandry. And since looking at my favourite blog, "Posie gets Cozy", I'm feeling quite despondent too. Hmmm, a despondent quandry...a novel place to find myself in the middle of the week...
The quandry has been brought on by not having any photos. I've finished the quilt I was working on (remember me driving to Scotland in a tractor?? Or perhaps that should be "on"??), and let me tell you, it was a joy to finish that particular journey in an Audi A6. So, I was looking forward to showing you some posh pics, thanks to Jane, my Resident Photographer. However, it would appear that Resident Photographers also have a life (who knew??) and I won't get them until tomorrow. Or possibly the day after......So.....here comes the quandry bit.....should I wait for the pics and maintain radio silence, or post a blog and make promises that pics will appear in the not too distant? As you've probably all worked out by now, I appear to have gone with the second option.
And now to the despondent part....just go and Google "Posie gets Cozy", and take a look at her blog from a couple of days ago (I would "link" you in, but that's up there with rocket science and brain surgery). That's her workroom/office/storage space!!!! That's NOT a workroom/office/storage space....it' a DREAM!! Of the very best chocolate coated variety. MY workspace is the ironing board, set on the medium-low position, in my kitchen, with my iron up one end, and sewing machine up the other. I kid you not. And my kitchen is SSSOOOO small, that the back of my chair is pushed against the sink unit, and my knees are wedged under the ironing board. Thank goodness my knees are not of the chubby type, as that would be the end of any creativity.....As for storage (yet more confessions from the World's Worst Mother), I've commandeered my son's toy cupboards, and now yards and yards of fabric squeeze together, where once Buzz Lightyear jostled with Spiderman.
To finish me off completely, I've put myself on Report Writing Duty, with a strict No Needlework policy, until they're finished......Two hopes there......One of them being Bob.....

An Audi A6.....

I'm SSSSSOOOOO excited! I have a Fairy Godmother! Her name is Sue (yes-you know who you are!) and she has waved her magic wand!! Let me explain.... Up until now, most of the patchwork that I've done has been the old faithful, paper-pieceing type, as taught to me by a fabulous French lady (Madam Bellagamba) in a tiny little village, north of Paris. Her method was very exact and very strict-several raps on the knuckles with an old metal ruler were necessary, before I could remember to use my thimble finger properly!! Anyway, long story short, meant that I needed a faster method to make bigger quilts-Mme B and I took 18 months to hand sew EVERY stitch of my first double-bed sized quilt!!-and so I progressed to a sewing machine for the patching, although to this day, I still hand quilt all my work.
Now, I'm as poor as the preverbial church mouse, so my machine of necessity has been an Argos own brand value model. To be be fair to her, she has worked like a trooper, and at less than £40, absolutely doesn't owe me a penny! However, imagine driving to Scotland in a tractor.....and I'm not talking a modern deluxe model. The time had come to bite the bullet and try to save for a better model. Enter my Fairy Godmother, with a flourish of her wand, and ta-da.....I'm now about to use a Brother Special Edition. TONIGHT! It'll be like driving an Audi A6. Turbo boosted. With all the mod cons.....
So, my friends, I'm going to love you, and leave you, as I have hungry mouths to feed and get to bed, before I can get into the driving seat.........