Day ten

A very pleasant walk but not if it has rained. This path tends to get very muddy. Nice for little boys who love muddy puddles but not nice for dogs (who get dirty) and adults - because it gets worse up ahead and very slippery. River Medway is on the left. A farmer's field is on the right - behind the bushes.

Day nine

This was the second set of trees that I was asked to test.

I sent the six blocks to the Wollongong Modern Quilt Guild in Australia. They were collecting tree blocks to be put into quilts for those people who lost everything and were displaced during the horrendous fires late last year - before Covid 19 struck.

Day eight

I sometimes am a pattern tester for a couple of quilt designers. Cindy of Quilt Doodle Designs approached me earlier this year to see if I could test her instructions for a couple of different tree blocks. Even though I had a lot of other things to do, I said yes and found that her instructions were very clear and the measurements accurate. 

This was one set of trees.

Day seven

Bird watching in the backyard. The whole area has these pigeons about. I call them doves because of the cooing noise they make. 

Day six

An odd lost and found.

Day five

Just one of many - before the haircut.

Day four

Pubs are still open but not for socializing.

Day three

This was taken last month - April 1st, as a matter of fact. I guess some people just needed to get out for some exercise even though you were supposed to stay in. We just saw another rower while we were out today too.

Day two

A photo a day.

The entrance to the park is just on the left, where the curve in the road begins. These trees have now lost their blooms but they were oh so pretty.

Day one

I decided to post one photo a day - for how long? I don't know. It could be 3 days or it could be 10. I might have an explanation but then again, I might not. It's my blog and I can do what I want with it.

This is one of three bunkers that my little grandson and I have found on our walk in the park.

Just more sewing and knitting

Everyone seems to be making masks and I am no exception. I apparently need one when entering Canada so I made a mask for myself. My son-in-law needed a mask so I made him one. 

Here's my daughter modelling it for me so I could take a picture of it.

The pattern is from www.craftpassion.com and the fabric is the same cotton that I used to repair the nursing pillow. It's a nice tight weave. The nose section has a little pocket for a wire so it fits well on the bridge of the nose.

This is a little blanket that I knit. The yarn was purchased from Hobbycraft before the lockdown.

It has little shiny bits that I was hoping would show up in this picture but I guess not. It's a very pretty little blanket. The pattern was free from Ravelry.

The Need to Create

I need to create. At the moment I am finishing up a little stroller blanket in white and light blue. I also have a pink blanket on the go and a little cross stitch I could work on but it needs concentration. The stroller blanket is just garter stitch - not much thinking. I have some felt that I could make into interesting things. Since I am not at home, I find myself thinking of what I could make once I get home. I need to make 3 quilts for 3 little girls who have been patiently waiting for them. One is a small size and the other two are perhaps lap quilt size. There are other quilts in the queue but these take precedence. Summer is upon us very soon and I was thinking of sewing up some cute little summer dresses and there are 6 little girls in the family. I have the patterns and I have the fabric but what I will need is the time.

While I have been here in England, I have had to do a bit of sewing (repairing). This nursing pillow had a tear in the fabric (which is flannel) and I had these little rectangles that I didn't know what to do with. I took one and repaired the cushion so it was usable once again.

My daughter chose this fabric. It's a fairly tight weave so hopefully, it will stand up to wear.

I took this piece of knitting with me and managed to finish it. It was mainly just the collar and then the finishing up (sewing the sides and the buttons on.)

This little sweater was already here.

Twin gear.

I've done lots more. This is just a snippet.

Cross stitch

Over the years I have done a bit of cross stitching but nothing that was very big. When my children were small I made a couple of bookmarks and since I have had grandchildren, I have always added a cross stitched card with a gift.

This is the little cross stitch that I made into a card to go with the quilt in the previous post. It was a lot of fun to make. I remember when I was looking for some suitable little motifs, I just happened to come across a cross stitch magazine that had about a half dozen just for that purpose. So far, I have used three of those motifs. In 2017 there were four babies born - two in May and two in October. I think the magazine was bought in the summer so the little ones born in October were the recipients of the first two designs.

I'm still knitting things - blankets right now so it's slow going. I see there are a lot of knitters who are working through their stash to make baby clothes and accessories - stockpiling the items for when the virus has been contained. They are being asked to place the items in plastic bags and not just indicate sizes but also to date them so that the recipients know when they have been made.

Walks in the park and elsewhere still continue daily, weather permitting. The little babies are growing before our eyes and now have little double chins and 'thigh rolls' as my daughter describes them. Elsewhere in the world, restrictions are beginning to ease slowly. No one wants to go back to full lockdown again.

Remember to wash your hands. We who do crafts and needlework are used to working with clean hands so it's second nature to us.

Stay safe and stay busy and Happy May Day.