Diversity is good.

Last year my quilting group entered The Great Northern Quilt show, and guess what, we came second in the group quilt category!  It's the first time we're entered and we were so happy when we heard the results. The wall hanging is now on display in our meeting room and this is the first chance I've had to take a photo.


Each hanging is very different and reflects the work of each quilter.

My contribution is the wonky squares panel in the centre.  When I started to make the panel in January 2009 wonky squares were everywhere in blogland and this project was the perfect opportunity to have a go at a new block.  

I practiced free motion quilting in the shape of cinnamon rolls on my panel.  I find this pattern a lot easier than stippling but I might have found it even easier if I had lowered my sewing machine's feed dogs!  I was told at a later date I was supposed to be afraid of free motion quilting, ignorance is bliss. 


Gx

Something old

There are many options for every aspect of a wedding day and with so much choice in the last few months I have started for forget my theme.  I always knew the theme was going to be vintage, but until two days ago did not have a colour.  I was waiting to see what bridesmaid dresses the high street brought out and as I am going to at least three other weddings this year, and a bridesmaid for two of them, trying to find a different colour was becoming a bit of a concern.

Two days ago I settled on green, and it feels right. 

To keep my theme on track I have made my own wedding mood board (courtesy of Dessy).

On a different note, if you are reading this post in a reader check out my new banner, they boy did it in about 2 minutes.  He's a star.  And I have enabled my blogs comments setting, if you want to leave me a message you now can.

Yummy lentil soup

This is my all time favourite soup recipe and is really easy to make.  My mum made it all the time when my sister and I were little.


Ingredients
2 medium-large carrots
1 onion
1 cup of red split lentils
3 ham stock cubes
1800 ml (3pt) water, additional water is required for soaking and topping up
Crusty bread rolls


Makes 4 portions.


Instructions

1. Soaks the lentils in hot water for 10 minutes, then rinse.
2. While the lentils are soaking, boil the water and finely chop the carrots and onion.
3. Place the water, stock cubes, lentils, carrots and onions in a pressure cooker and bring to the boil.
4. Use the pressure cooker seal, close the lid and when the pressure is reached add the weight, lower temperature to simmer. 
5. Cook for at least 45 minutes, I usually open the pressure cooker once during this period to stir and add water as necessary.
6. When the carrots are soft the soup is ready.  The lentils thicken the soup quickly, add water to the consistency you like.
7. Serve in a bowl with crusty bread rolls on the side, now dip.

Perfect winter food.

Looking back at 2009

Most years I think about making a resolution, some years I do and most I don't.  Last New Year I  decided any resolutions had to be fun.  I know I'm never going to give up chocolate - EVER, a new year is supposed to be about hope and something to look forward to, so why make it painful. 

I achieved 5 of my 6 resolutions:

1. Try 1 new thing, anything as long as I had never done it before. Completed, I went on a dressmaking course.
2. Finish 3 new books. Completed within the first 2 months.
3. Finish 2 arts or crafts. Completed but I still have 15 UFOs, something to work on in 2010.
4. Sew an item of clothing. Made a dress for my niece.
5. Take 'us' photos. This is the most important and the one I did not achieve.
6. Go somewhere new in Britain. We went to new areas down south and to Northumberland. To the right is a photo from our weekend away to Oxford, and managed to fit in a trip to Bath, Windsor Castle, and we got see an not-so-old housemate.

This year I'm not making any new resolutions, I still have my 101 list to work through, see the sidebar to see the tasks I have completed so far.

Here's some places we visited in 2009:

Recognise this place? The location was used in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, only a couple of hundred miles north of Nottingham... Robin's ship must have got lost coming back from the Crusades.  It's actually Hadien's Wall. It was built in northern England in AD122, spans 150 miles from the west to east coast and was used as a border or customs post.

We spent a weekend with two friends (another not-so-old housemate) in the north-east of England. This sculpture is the Angel of the North by Anthony Gormley.

Ahhhh, the beach. It's not far from where we live but we do not visit enough.

The boy and I spent a weekend in London, click here to see the photos.



Until next time.

Happy New Year

I hope you had a happy holiday.


For the third year the boy and I hosted Christmas dinner in our home, there were 7 of us including 2 family members who travelled up from London, and practice must make perfect because it was the easiest Christmas dinner we have made so far.

We did the big food shop on Wednesday at midnight, it was the best time to go - the store was empty, we got everything we wanted and did not have to get up at 7am to find a parking space.


This year we decided to make a fruit platter for the starter and let our guests graze before dinner, for mains we had the traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings, we then opened our presents and finally had Christmas or chocolate cake for desert.

We still made too much food, but my gingerbread biscuits were a success, two days later this is what was left. I baked around 50 gingerbread biscuits on Christmas eve using this recipe:     http://www.waitrose.com/recipe/Gingerbread.aspx I added the extra cinnamon and ginger suggested in the comments. 


On New Years eve the boy and I celebrated our 10th anniversary. We got together on the eve of the millennium and so to celebrate we went to the same city we were in 10 years ago, had a fantastic meal and at midnight we went back to the waterfront. We brought in the New Year in front of the clock with the horns sounding from the ships and watching the fireworks from the peninsula.  I loved it.

Here's a stitchery I made for my quilting groups 2008 challenge, we all had to pick a Christmas card we received for Christmas 2007 and make something using the design, but we were not allowed to talk about it. I chose this little soldier and came up with the border myself. 

- - - - - 101 in 1001 - - - - -

104. Choose wedding rings.

Cup cosies and coats

I'm finally back in the sewing groove. I had some time off sewing when I was really busy at work and decided after sharing so many non-crafty posts the next one had to show something I had made. But then I'd had such a long break from blogging that I thought I had to show you something really good, because taking in tops and repairing clothes is just not interesting enough, right?


Two of my friends (Michelle and Nikki) have started sewing (yay) and they got my itching to make something.  But again, I wanted to share something great, and have fantastic photos... Unfortunately in the rainy north west the light is not great in the winter, or even good.  


So, I thought just get on with it and finally stopped waiting for daylight, so without further ado... du du dur... 


Any idea what this is?

It's the lining from my winter coat.  


It's a good quality coat but the the lining fell apart.  In my pre-sewing days I went to a few repair shops and they said it would cost about £70 to have it relined!  So the coat patiently in my wardrobe for a few years until I would attempt to do it.  With some encouragement and the fact it's freezing cold (always a good motivator, and I gave my only other winter coat to a charity shop), I used what was left of the lining and made a new lining using some colourful fabric from Ikea.  Here's it finished:

I have also been making brew cosies:

I made them for some friends at work and when I told them, the conversation went something like this:

Me: I'm making a little present for you.

Them: Awww, really, what are you making?

Me: (silence... and turning bright red with embarrassment).

Them: OMG, you're going red, what are you making?

Me: Brew cosies....

Them: Brew cosies... (howls of laughter) what are they?

Me: It's like a tea pot cosy but for your mug, the little quilt will keep your cup of tea warm.

Them: Can't we just drink our tea quicker???

Me: !  

They really do like them.  I showed them to my quilt group and they loved them too, again there was a lot of laughing. 

- - - - - 101 in 1001 - - - - -

My time away has meant I have made some good progress with my 101 list:

13. All of the little people in my life are to have something handmade By Gillian.
25. Go to a comedy show.
26. Visit the ballet.
49. Do 5 things in the Britain Lonely Planet Guide. (5/5)

37. Go away for a weekend with the boy. (2/2)
63. 3 of the above books must be classics. (3/3)
66. Write a list of 25 things I like about myself.

79. Link my 101 list to my present list.
89. Decorate the office.
90. New carpets. (3/3)
111. Choose caterer.

London baby

At the being of June we went for a long weekend in London. We jumped on the train after work on Thursday and 2 and a half hours later we were in the capital.

Considering I found the apartment I thought we were staying north of the river, but we stayed a couple of minutes walk away from the beautiful Tower Bridge.

It was nice to have a little home away from home for a few days even if the design was a bit strange. The building has offices on the first 3 floors and accommodation on the rest but that's not the strange bit. Look at the 2nd photo blow, the bedrooms face the inside of the building and have floor to ceiling windows, outside the windows there's glass on the walkway floors, the window blinds did not hang properly and with the walkway lights shine through, lets just say if someone wanted to he/she could watch the inhabitants!

The next day we visited the Tower of London, did you know that people still live there? I didn't. The crown jewels are amazing (sorry no photos), the guide said they belonged to the country's citizens, that includes me then, and I want to borrow them - even if it's only for a day.

Front of a house at the Tower of London, I want my house to look like this

In the evening we watched Blur in concert in Hyde Park.

On Saturday we walked through London, past the Houses of Parliament, by Westminster Abbey, through Regents Park to Buckingham Palace to watch the change of guards and finally headed to the Victoria & Albert museum. Did you know the museum have a collection of quilts? Unfortunately they were in storage, but next year from the 20 March to 4 July they are exhibiting quilts dating from 1700-2010. Anyone want to go?

In the evening we watched Wicked. The singing was amazing and the show was funny, I would definitely watch it again. Photos are not allowed during the show so this is the only one I could get.

On Sunday we met the boy's brother and his girlfriend and headed to the second-hand markets and shops around Brick Lane.

I searched the shops for a pre-loved tablecloth to make into a blind but this time I was not in luck. Instead I found this cat in a suitcase and a stall selling tops with pieced hexagons.

We had a great time.

- - - - - - - - - -

One last thing, the designer behind Don't Look Now! is giving away a beautiful quilt to celebrate her 100th post. I love it. You will have to be quick, the giveaway closes on the 2nd September.