Chocolate background

I am so loving making these Pies and Tarts and with the glue stick they are ultra quick and easy to prepare. Wendy brought along her hand dyed fabrics and I think I cleaned her out of this shade of chocolate brown. I have all 100 background squares cut out ready and quite a few segments. I think now I can add some creams into the mix.



The block in the bottom right corner has been finished and cut to size. The others are yet to be stitched down



It has been some time since I started The Farmer's Wife Quilt but now there are 3 more prepped ready for the off.



I have made myself a list this week of things to do.

I always seem to add more than I can manage but at least it makes me try.
On the list are:-
3 Farmer's Wife blocks
3 Pies
12 klosjes
Sew Pies to background
Plod on with the hexagons for Kaleidoscope.

Last weekend I received a package from America courtesy of Rae Ann at Cutie Pinwheel and Stash Manicure. Rae Ann and I have shared some lovely emails in recent months and I was quite touched with her thoughtfulness and kindness. Thank you Rae Ann. I do hope we get to meet one day. My mum's auntie Gwen married a GI and went to live in Texas after the war and Rae Ann has done some research into that side of our family tree. The information was sent in a very pretty folder which you can see in the background. There was also a pretty little notebook, ideal for me as I promptly put it to good use and used the graph paper at the back of the notebook to jot down a block pattern I had seen in a book. The pen is great fun. There was a very pretty fat quarter in a rose fabric and also a delicate china spoon.



Love the pom pom. I think Rae Ann knows that I like pinks.



Meet Frank. He is 8 years old and is a real cute bird. He chatters away and keeps me amused although sometimes I wonder if I am the one amusing him. He has quite a repertoire of words and voices. Mostly it is my voice that I hear but occasionally he switches to deep voice and I hear Mick speaking, usually it is to say "stop biting" with a few swear words added on the end. He must be in crisis at times as he says " cheep, cheep, cheep" and "quack quack".



This is Luey and he is still a baby. He belongs to my daughter and her partner's family and we are looking after him whilst they are away on holiday. They have eyeballed each other but are not too keen on being nice yet. Mostly they sit staring at each other on the top of their cages. Luey doesn't talk. I hope that I can get him to do something this week.



Tomorrow I am off to The Festival Of Quilts armed with a long list. I hope I find what has so far been eluding me and that is suitable fabric to start the Sarah Morrell quilt. I am excited at seeing the quilts too. Watch this space.

Happy stitching

Love Shirley.