Laid Back Sunday

Today has been such a lovely day, warm and sunny with blue skies.  Mr HenHouse was toiling away at some D-I-Y and I had promised to take the football-mad Munchkin to the park (being a little fed up of his football connecting far too frequently with my flower beds and garden bench).  I was prepared and took along my latest project, wasting no time setting myself up on a park bench while the Munchkin tackled the zip wire.  Parks are very different from how they were in my day.

This quilt is fairly small at around 40" x 48" but that makes it super portable and ideal for hand quilting.  This is not something I do a lot of, as you know, but it seems particularly suited to this time of year when sitting down in front of the fire becomes much more of a reality.  As it is just narrower than the standard fabric width of 44", I decided to treat this quilt to a pretty backing of quilting weight cotton.  Usually, it is just too expensive to use this, at around £14 per metre now, requiring double widths.  I popped to Fabrics Galore on Friday, which I am lucky enough to have fairly local to me, and treated myself to this Liberty Lifestyle Fabric from Liberty's new quilting weight range.  Fabrics Galore carry the whole range and it is all yummy, but I particularly love this print.  (I think I will be buying more fat quarters from this range at Ally Pally next week.)

Sitting down is not a priority for the youngster!  He soon meets a boy of similar age and they start exploring and playing together like they have known each other for years.  I do so envy children that ability.

Lunch takes the unusual form of a 99.  Slummy mummy eat your heart out!

Good old Mr Whippy.  I was a little horrified to be asked if I wanted chocolate or strawberry sauce.  Since when did a 99 come with anything but red sauce?

That was soon polished off and whilst the Munchkin tackled the swings and slides, it was back to my quilt for me.  I have made a crocheted ripple cushion but one thing I haven't made is a ripple blanket, much as I adore them.  I know that would be a huge project, too huge for my arthritic wrists, so this week I thought I'd go for the fabric equivalent.  It is easy enough to execute, being made up of half square triangles.  I LOVE the fabrics and colours, some of my favourites, and I am also loving quilting it, utility style with perle cottons.  

It drew many interested glances from passers by and one young man, with his daughter in a pushchair, stopped to talk to me about it and offer some lovely compliments, even asking me if I sold quilts and could I make one for his daughter.  Obviously, I need to quilt in public places more often!

This one is a keeper.  It is going to be one of my favourites, I can tell...