A wet Monday

The start of a new week, a journey into work and Lockdown 2.5. I hope you don't mind me counting the days of lockdown. Oddly it keeps it all in perspective. Several of my friends found the spring lockdown but it didn't really cause us many problems. There were difficulties getting flour and one or two other items early on but once that was resolved life went on pretty much as normal but without the commute and with teaching on line. One person told me it wasn't normal to enjoy your own company and that of your family but I disagree. I spent some time thinking back to when we were children and life was much calmer. My parents enjoyed going out but that didn't happen every week, it was something they looked forward to and really enjoyed when it happened but otherwise they enjoyed the simpler things of life such as reading, gardening, playing with their children, DIY and their hobbies. My mother liked to stitch in the evening and I remember winter evenings with my father sitting in his armchair by the fire reading me and my brother a story such as Alice in Wonderland or Black Beauty whilst mom sat and stitched or did some knitting. My mother taught me to sew, knit, crochet and cook and we enjoyed our time together doing them. I find my days are filled with lots of things and not being able to go to a restaurant or out shopping when I want isn't a big deal. I'm lucky that two of our grown up children live with us but we keep in contact with older daughter and her partner by phone and video calls. So day 2.5 of lockdown and the world is still spinning, I'm still stitching my millennium sampler and trying to fit too many things into the available time and more importantly enjoying life and feeling happy. My advice to anyone is to try and create your own happy place, be in the moment, be mindful, enjoy the bird song, the smell of rain, the feel of sun on your skin. Do simple things that give you pleasure such as making bread, sliding down the bannister, cuddling a cat, kicking up the leaves, jumping in puddles or when it snows making a snow angel.  

I went into work today for the morning but didn't get much work done. I really am more productive working at home. When we got home I decided I was going to take some time out and do some sewing. I still have some blocks to make for the Austen family album quilt so I set about cutting the pieces. In the end I managed to get two blocks made. The first block was a lot of fun to make and it went together very quickly

I always forget the fun you can have with half square triangles. By stitching them together in different ways you can create a huge variety of patterns. I love the deep red batik I used on this block, it's such a rich colour and so in your face.

The second block was much trickier to make. It had more pieces in it for starters and I also kept on getting the triangles in the wrong configuration with the squares. I had all the pieces laid out on my cutting board but it still took me a little time to get them the right way round.

I now have 3 blocks left to make. All of the blocks will need trimming before I can stitch them into a quilt top. Tomorrow I have a mountain of work I need to get done so I'm not sure there will be any sewing, but I'll try and make space. I also want to get the lavender bags made. I need to hunt in my sewing box for lace to use as embellishment. I'm sure I have some but it may be too wide.

This evening I've been doing some more stitching on the millennium sampler. I'm not posting a photo as i haven't got the much further . I'll show you when I get to the corner.  Tomorrow I hope to have more to share with you.

Take care

Lyndsey