Friday 7 June 2013

They're Multiplying!

I'm really quite busy at the moment with studying as there's an assignment due later this month. Unfortunately that means I have less crafting time. However I have discovered that a good way of breaking up sections of study is sewing one or two hexagons together. I find if I try to do a huge chunk of studying I realise afterwards that, although I've read the words on the pages, I haven't actually taken them in so I try to break it up a bit.

It's great that I've discovered I can work on my hexagons while studying and I've managed to do more in the last week than I have in the past year!!!

I now have 9 flowers finished.


I'm not entirely sure what these will end up as. I love the idea of doing a huge quilt with them BUT I'm really slow at sewing them. I guess I'll just keep plodding along for now. This is my stress free, no time limit project.

Monday 3 June 2013

Gandalf

The pattern for Gandalf is available from the Fandom In Stitches site here.

It was fairly easy to make though I don't think the staff is perfectly lined up as my machine struggled with some of the bulk. I managed to finish it off this evening at sewing class much faster than I expected so got chance to sit and browse a few magazines too.

First two blocks done

Lovely Sunny Weekend

Well the LotR wall hanging has taken a backseat for the last few days because we've been away camping. We went with some friends again and luckily this year the weather was much nicer. I seem to remember being thankful for a break in the rain while we pitched our tent last year and a little sun to dry it out before taking it down. This year it was gloriously hot and we were on the bottom field which is a lot flatter.

Had it not been for camping with friends we probably wouldn't have gone back to Holme Valley campsite. The site is great but one of the benefits of having a tent is that you can go to new places every year and this campsite is fairly close to home so we have already visited a lot of the 'attractions' near by. This year we revisited Holmfirth on Saturday morning and had lunch there. In the afternoon we went to Greenhead Park in Huddersfield, which is great for the kids. There's a miniature railway (we paid £3.50 for a family to go round the track twice), plenty of play equipment for the kids, a shallow pool for paddling in and places for a drink/food (though we didn't use those).

Paddling & Ice Lollies - what could be better!?!
On Sunday we came home via Wentworth Castle. We didn't visit the gardens but we did go for a lovely walk around the parkland trail. We grabbed a bite to eat and a drink in the cafe before letting the kids loose in the children's playground. We bought them a bucket & spade (bargain at £1.20 for a set) to do some digging in the sandpits.

I took some hand sewing to do. If I remember correctly I think I took these last year and I haven't made much progress. The plan is always to sit and sew while the kids play around the campsite and then do a bit more when they're in bed. However what usually happens is I'm too busy cooking food, taking one of the kids to the loo at the other side of the campsite or providing drinks & snacks to get any done while they're awake and by the time they're in bed the light is fading and I can't see well enough to do much sewing.

4 flowers done
So there you go, still working on the UFO's while on holiday, even if I'm not making much progress :-)