Quilt top Ta-dah!

Greetings everyone. I hope you are enjoying the beautiful, sunny weather that we are having this week. With one daughter camping in the Lake District and another on an archaeological dig in Dorchester, I have been piecing together my first quilt top. I love quilts and had always wanted to have a go at making one, so it was a must for my Fifty List. When I started this back in March, my lack of sewing skills and a sewing machine that had been exiled to the loft for 5 years left me wondering if I'd ever get it finished. Lots of blood (I pricked my finger rather a lot!), sweat and tears later and ............

Ta-Dah!

It's a bit lumpy-bumpy in places but I'm really thrilled with it; it certainly was a steep learning curve. Now I have to cut and join the wadding and backing fabric and do the actual quilting. That might take me another 6 months!

Other things recently:

A day trip to Bournemouth with the girls:

Having fun on the beach.

Visiting the oceanarium. I just loved the reflections in this photo:

And ...Playing Crazy Golf in the gardens:
 

Cucumber, pea and mint soup for lunch. I planted 3 cucumber plants in the greenhouse and they have gone mad. Any cucumber recipes will be gratefully received! 

A visit to Oxford for the day including a trip to the Botanical Gardens.

 Actually, this wasn't a very happy trip. In the past, I have always been accompanied by L - either during the holidays before uni or, since she went to uni, going there to meet her. I get used to her being away (sort of!) during term time but being here without her was horrid. I really missed her and had to send her a text as I sat tearfully in the gardens with my flask of cucumber soup (!).

A trip to Abingdon. 

I'd never been here before but, as it was on my way home from dropping E off at her dig, I thought I'd pop in. It was very beautiful. 2 hours free parking in the centre gave me plenty of time to have a coffee and a potter round the charity shops. It cheered me up a bit following the Oxford debacle!

Anyway, I hope you are enjoying the start of the holidays. Toodle pip for now. x