Saturday Heaven

It was hard to get up this morning. I was in heaven snuggled up with my lovely Johnny. When I finally made myself emerge from my nest I discovered that it wasn't the kind of day for riding Zanny, so I had a shower, chatted to Mumsy on the phone, made a cup of tea then headed into my workroom for some focused crafting time. Of course I had the usual company. 

 Miss Dog was there too, but she didn't settle and was moving around lots because I was in and out and up and down. I've got a bit stuck on a project, so pulled out a new one that I knew wouldn't present any challenges at all. I have been hoarding a Kaffe Fassett Design Roll for the last few months and wanted to use it to make a quilt made of long strips, then framed like a swimming pool.  As you can see, the fabrics are all blue themed. There are twenty different designs with two strips of each in the pack.

 As we all know, ironing is essential when preparing to quilt. I faithfully ironed each strip then kind of sorted them out. Each strip relates in some way to its neighbours so that your eyes flow across the strips with no jarring points.

 Before I started joining the strips I decided that it was time for me to clean my sewing machine. I removed the metal plates and the bobbin race, discovering that it was like a giant belly button filled with lint. Shocking how much builds up in there! Plus there were lots of little bits of thread stuck in the automatic thread cutter, which explained why it wasn't working consistently. I used a clean, dry paintbrush to get all of the lint out of the crevices. The sewing machine man told me never to blow the lint out because some will end up deep into the machine. You can suck it out with the vacuum cleaner if you are careful not to have it on jet engine strength.

 I am planning to quilt this in wavy lines like water on the pool, in threads toned to match the fabrics. I am thinking of it as the "Swimming Pool" quilt, even though the lanes go across the width rather than along the length of the "pool." Maybe it will get a new name as I progress. Someone threw some flowers into the pool. There have to be flowers wherever I am.

Look what I got today! My very first pair of Converse All Stars in a very pleasing tone called Greener Pastures. I am after a pair of spotty navy ones, but when I tried these ones on to try to work out my size before ordering some online, I had to keep them. They were on sale too. They feel like a pair of slippers because they are super comfy. I will wear them with socks and my jeans. Johnny said I really need to get some special innersoles for my flat feet, because they have no support. That sounds like an expensive and complicated operation. Sigh.

 Johnny was feeling pretty grim with a headache this morning. He was probably having a reaction to all of the veges I have been making him eat. He confessed that he LOVES our cauliflower cheese, which is a great way of getting brassicas into him. Our concoction contains cauli and broccoli, so I really should call it brassica cheese. Anyway, he was sleeping on and off all morning, and when he got up The Crafty Neighbour and Miss B came over for coffee and cake. Some significant purchases were made by The Crafty Neighbour at Cottonfields and Sew Pretty during the week, so we had to do show and tell. She has some delicious fabrics in duck egg blue to make a new quilt project with appliqued roses. The roses are stylized and made of layers of fabric appliqued onto a cream handkerchief linen background, with leaves appliqued as well. Plus strips between the flowers I believe. We have quite different tastes and styles of working, but appreciate each other's work. This one is going to be a beauty. I hope The Crafty Neighbour gets a chance to get started on the new project.

Anyway, Johnny needed to buy trackpants so wanted to go to Dressmart (yes, strange). He got the trackpants, plus the cutest pair of bright red Puma sneakers, and I got my All Stars and two undertops, one in black and cream stripes and the other in red and white stripes. I actually wanted navy and white so that I could wear it under my blue cardies. Nope. None anywhere.

By the time we'd finished a good look around the shops Johnny was actually feeling a lot better (miracle). We got a small lamb roast and I cooked it up with pumpkin, parsnip, yams, kumara, and yams, plus a pot of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. Yes, eight veges! The roast had garlic, thyme and rosemary studded on it. Fantastic. We don't do a roast very often, but I think we will have to change our ways. I love the idea of a family roast at the weekend, even if it is just the two of us.

Tomorrow I'm really hoping for good weather. I cancelled my lesson on Chief White Cloud because of my back, which turned out to be a good thing considering the weather. But Zanny and I will just be casually roaming with no cantering, so I shouldn't have a problem with riding her tomorrow without the energetic lesson on Chief beforehand. I've got more sewing to do, joining strips, and schoolwork to attend to. I'd better not sleep in too long tomorrow!