Birdwatching and Red Manor house quilt.

Yesterday we had booked to go on a birdwatching trip to Titchwell Marsh in North Norfolk. The day was cold and foggy so I was very happy that we were travelling by coach. I drive everyday to and from work and I'm always happy to have a rest from it and watch the scenery go by. Fortunately when we got there visibility was good so we were able to the birds easily, well so long as they weren't hiding. 

Titchwell Marsh has diverse habitats, with freshwater lagoons, salt water lagoons, reed beds and the beach. We spent some time by the reedbeds, saltmarsh and freshwater lagoons and enjoyed views of Avocets, Bearded Tits, Pintails, Marsh Harriers and many others. Between the group we saw 90 different species of birds. We stayed later than usual as we all wanted to see the raptors come in to roost and it was well worth it with about 20 to 25 circling overhead before finally settling. The downside was the cold, especially on the beach as it is on the North Sea and the wind was coming in from the artic. I couldn't cope with on the beach so I went back to the cafe and enjoyed a very tasty soup to warm myself up.

Over the week I have been trying to prep the blocks I need to make for the next round of the Red Manor House quilt. There are 4 pieced butterfly blocks which are at the four corners, and then two large flowers and two pot plants on each of the sides. I'm trying to use fabric from my stash as far as possible so it took some time to find all the fabric I needed. My machine will not be back until Friday 24th January so I wasn't rushing but I have an Elna that I tend to use for dressmaking so I can complete the blocks. I use plastic sleeves to keep everything together. There are separate sleeves for each type of block.  

I also use post it notes to identify the letter of the pattern piece, the size and how many are needed for the block. Before putting things away I checked carefully to make sure all the pieces were present and correct. I'm hoping to work on these blocks on Tuesday evening.

I've finished knitting the main parts of my green jumper and I've started stitching it together. At the same time I've started knitting the collar. This has been my slow stitching all week as I want this project finished. It's cold here in London and a new longer jumper will be very welcome. I've just the collar to knit and then attach it to complete the project. This should be a finish by the end of the week.

Once finished I will be working on a mattress for the master bedroom of my dolls house. The main part of the mattress is foam but I need to cut some wadding from my scraps to give it a firmer feel. I also want to crochet a blanket. I have a very small crochet hook and will be using perle cotton or embroidery thread. It will be fun to work on a smaller sized item for a while. If I can't make it work I can always buy the finished item from Etsy

When I was looking for fabrics for the Red Manor house quilt I realised that I hadn't identified all my projects. I need to update my list. I also have a couple of WIP's that I'm not sure I want to be bothered finishing which is why they have been lurking at the back of my cupboard for quite some time. I've come to the conclusion that if it's not going to get finished then it is better to move it on to someone who may want to complete it and love it or if no one wants it, then I'll put it in the fabric recycling bin. 

Tomorrow is the start of another week and then next weekend John and I are having a short break away. I'm hoping the weather warms up before then.

I'm linking this post with Kathy from Kathy's Quilts for her Slow Sunday Stitching. I need to pop over and see what everyone has been working on. It's a great source of inspiration.

Take care

Lyndsey