This week the weather has just been getting hotter and hotter. On Moday night there was a very long and loud thunderstorm. I heard thunder from a way off. At this point the sky was dark but very quickly the sky was bright with lightning and it continued for quite some time. That was then of sleep for the night. When the thunder and lightning eventually moved away its place was taken by the rain which was very heavy. There was a lot of flooded areas.
Today was over 36 degrees celsius and I was so happy that the a/c was working well at work. The car took time to cool down on the way home but once it did the a/c made it feel like I was in a freezer, fabulous! The high temperatures is expected to carry on into the weekend. John and I were going on a trip to a bird watching reserve in Lincolnshire on Saturday but it has been pulled. The coach journey would have taken about 3 and a half hours and thats a long time to be in a coach even with a/c and there is very little shade on the reserve. I'm happy with the day being cancelled as now I have some sewing time this weekend. I've been very short of time recently to get my sewing machine out.
Earlier in the week I made a start on the gold work sea horse. I'd read the instructions several times to make sure I'd got it right. I've done gold work before but it was over 25 years ago so I was a little nervous. The first stage if to apply Jap to make the outline. Jap or Japanese threads are round threads with a bright appearance. To make them, a metallic strip or thead is wrapped around a fibre core. The cut ends can unravel easily so at the finish of the row the threads are plunged through the fabric to be fastened securely on the back of the work. The Jap is couched onto the front of the work. It took me a while to get round to starting but once going I got into the rthymn. The first bit was to outline the head.
I then started adding the Jap to the main body. This has been a slow process and I'll show you what I've done once I've got as far as the instructions tell me.
Over the last week or it could be two weeks I've been taking my crochet to work to do at lunch time. I'm trying to use up some of my left over yarn so I decided to make another crocheted blanket for donation. This time I decided to make hexagons, edge them all with white yarn and then I will sew them together using more white yarn. I can usually make two hexagons during lunch break.
My alternative lunch break is to go for a walk round the park that is opposite the work building. I like checking in with the swans and their cygnets. Last year they raised 7 swans and this year the have 5. A walk round the lake is always good and I can check for other ducks and geese. On my last visit all 5 cygnets were doing well and to were off in the middle of the pond with their parent whilst three were still resting.
There is also a wild flower area in the park and it was looking beautiful this week.
On Saturday, as part of my sewing day I will finish the last blocks for the frog quilt. In addition to the stitched blocks and the pieced blocks there are some blocks just cut from appropriate fabric. It would be great to get the top stitched together but I'm not sure I will manage that in the day. I also need to finish the skirt I cut out.
With the heat I am very tired and I need to get to bed. Unfortunately we have no a/c in our house so we rely on fans to cool and move the air. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I get a good nights sleep.
Take care
Lyndsey
