Post summer review

Hi everyone. I have been missing in Blogland all summer, as life simply took over. I have spent three separate weeks in Cumbria, slap bang in the hills, where there is no wifi or 3G. My hubby might be desperate enough to go and buy a coffee and get free wifi in the local cafe, but I really couldn't be bothered. We had warmth and sunshine on all the weeks that we were there, which is no mean feat for Cumbria!

So what have I been up to…. 

At New Wine I escaped the misery of sleeping in a tent by being able to go home each night to sleep in my own comfy bed. I did get a place on one of the craft workshops and tried my hand at Art Journalling. I am definitely going to do some more of this as it was great fun and the results were impressive, considering that I cannot do art!

Art journalling at New Wine 2013

I carried on with the EPP that was started at the Fat Quarterly Retreat under the watchful tuition of the entertaining Katy Jones. My Triangle City cushion came together really quickly.

Triangle City cushion

I completed the EPPing of the Spring Carnival cushion whilst bathing in the Cumbrian sunshine.

Spring Carnival EPP finished

I also decided that EPP was not the worst thing to do whilst away from home, so I started another Triangle City cushion.

EPPing with a Pimms

I met up with other bloggers and dear friends, both in Cumbria and at the Festival of Quilts.

Pimms again!!!

Saw this amazing sign on the side of a shop in Penrith...

On the First of September, my hubby and I went to a wedding. It is the first one that we have ever been to where we were there as friends of the parents! My friend took the wedding ceremony and it was really special to see her join her son and his beloved in marriage. The wedding reception was definitely the best that I have ever been to and the cocktails were delicious!!!! I was wise enough to make sure that it wasn't my turn to drive once we got off the train!!!

A late summer London wedding

The only sewing that I felt should be done over the summer, were my bee block commitments.

First up, in the Bee a Brit Stingy bee I made these LV crosses for Nicky, our August Queen Bee.

I love how these have turned out and Nicky is going to have a great quilt when they are all put together.

Our September Queen Bee is Karen and again what a great block to choose. Karen wanted muted tones and a 1930's feel. I hope that these fit the brief. I don't have a lot of 1930's type of fabric in my stash.

The hipBee August Queen is Fiona. She sent us some Amy Butler fabric with a solid. I was a little behind on my bee blocks but thought that I could pull this one off quickly but for the reason below, I haven't quite got this one together. It is definitely a work in progress as there is not quite enough fabric so I am being inventive! 

The hipBees finished their first year last month and we are saying goodbye to Lynz, Karen, Judith and Jan. It is always sad to see people go and we will miss them. It has been a pleasure getting to know them and sharing our sewing, over the past year. Life never stands still though, and as things change there are new opportunities too. The hipBees have new bees in the hive…. Helen, Sarah C, Jill and Amy. We look forward to seeing what challenges we are set this year!!! 

And finally (are you still with me?) the reason that my sewing has ground to a halt is this… a nasty accident with a potato peeler!

The Willowbeck family are travelling to Manchester tomorrow to take Elder Son to university. We knew that this day would come (that is what 14 yrs of schooling often leads to) but I am not looking forward to it. I think that I will need a lot of tissues!!!!

Di x