Poppy, Patchwork and Pets

Thanks for all your lovely comments on my last post!

Those cheesecake brownies really are worth a try, and, if they last that long, they are even better next day after being in an airtight tin as they go STICKY!!!!

Double Yummy!!!

I hope you can read the ingredients OK, please leave a comment if you can't and I'll type them up - was such a long post I took a short cut by taking a pic of the recipe.

We were driving out and about in the countryside yesterday and could see where the dandelion "fluff" was coming from - for miles around here on every grass verge and in many a field (including the enormous fields where the car boot is on tomorrow and BH Mon - atishoo!!) all you can see is a sea of yellow dandelion heads, and of course those that have gone to seed - and there's a lot more to come judging by all the yellow heads, so its not the ones in your garden that are the problem, it's the millions in the surrounding fields and verges.

So I guess it might be mainly a countryside thing (although my sister lives in a town and is getting them too!)

Still, white dandelion fluff is better than the flying ant days which we usually get a few times in the late spring/summer!

See? Empty chair!!!

And just in case you got the wrong idea from my pics and you think I spend all day lolling around in the garden with my feet up, I can assure you that chance would be a fine thing!! ;0

 It is usually for a treasured 5 or 10 mins once or twice a day with a cuppa and the photos were spread over several days ( unless I am sewing )!

I leave the real lolling for the furry babies

As anyone in my family will tell you, I cannot sit idle for longer than a few minutes (unless I have sewing or a good book or magazine........;0  ) without having to get up and do something that's caught my eye in the house or garden, and then one thing leads to another, so don't be envious - its not as leisurely as it might look!

 (and of course I leave out mention of all the boring housework, vacuuming, washing up, cooking, hanging out washing, grass cutting, visit from the oil boiler man (the tank is leaking, eek!!! and oww!! thats going to be expensive, a new tank needed ) trips to the vet/dentist/shops etc that has gone on in between the treasured "sits" this week!!! )

Footnote - it is not my foot!!! It is not I who is lolling, it is she who studies!

But I have made time for an important project that has to be ready for tomorrow afternoon when I see my sister and her family.

My little niece Poppy is 2 1/2 years old, and cannot walk unaided yet as she has Cerebral Palsy.

 But she can race around with her walker, and as she starts nursery school for a couple of afternoons a week after Easter, she needs a little bag to hang from her frame so she can carry things.

So this is what I've made her.

She likes butterflies and wanted her name on it, so I've made the bag reversible.

There is cheerful patchwork on one side (both front and back including butterfly fabric) 

and a bright fabric for the other

and her name embroidered in turquoise chain stitch on a pocket( for small things such as crayons).

It has four separate handles that attach by velcro so you can hang the bag over the frame. I just need to stitch on the four velcro strips which is why I cant show a photo of the straps!

The good news is that even though she can't walk unaided yet, Poppy's muscle tone is improving so she should one day be able to walk without her frame.

I have also started a new project in the evenings

these are tiny hexagons which are being hand stitched together

and will form the centre of a cushion

You can see Logan's toys strewn about the hall in the background!

And am plodding on with quilting Bellas Birthday Quilt

I WILL finish this soon, but it is so large as I have made a double or nearly king size one as I knew she would be wanting a larger bed - she had a single when I started it a couple of years back, and now has a double!

I wanted to make her one that she could take away to uni and use as an adult.



It is further advanced than above, which was taken a few days before her birthday when I finally laid it all out for layering and basting, a mammoth task which took several days on and off to complete.

not yet basted and quilted

 I have now hand quilted a fair amount of it "in the ditch" but need to put in more detailed quilting along the long joining strips and bind the edges.

not yet basted and quilted

Well, I need to get outside now and get on with gardening jobs - finish mowing the lawn, plant out the sweet peas and sow more seeds amongst other things.




 We are at home today (yippeee!) although maybe out to friends for dinner tonight, but no need to go out as went out yesterday to do all the necessary food shops, and are out all day tomorrow car booting in the morning and visiting relations in the afternoon.

I do like pottering at home - can put on scruffy comfy clothes and get on with whatever jobs take my fancy!!!!

Hope you have  a wonderful Easter weekend too!!!