Sewing times and Thrifty finds :o)

Good evening people :o)

I hope this post finds you all fine and dandy on this 4th July :o)

Happy Independence Day to my lovely bloggy American friends :o)

D'you like my lovely old Singer Sewing machine? (above)

She's a beauty isn't she?  

I've had her now for about 9 years.  And we've done quite a bit of sewing together.

I adore the gold printing on her, and the grape vine front plate..

It's so pretty isn't it?  but old things generally are aren't they?

Well, I've made a start on my daughters quilt.

Below are the first fabrics that I cut.

They were my first 6" squares.

And below is my first 'block'

 :o)

I've decided to make her a seperate Dolphin cushion.

I'm quilting the dolphin panel (for the front) by hand.

And it's so enjoyable. Trouble is it's so s...l...o...w.... too! LOL

But the actual quilting has come up even better than I imagined.

If you look at the big dolphin above, you can see it just starting to show in the 3d  around the nose that quilting does...

That part of it always amazes me.

It's so simple, yet so effective ;o)

I've been slowly sewing it when my eldest daughter isn't going to catch me.

I took it to do today when she had her first days work experience. But unfortunately her work experience didn't happen :(

We got there early, but almost as soon as we were at the hotel (she's working there for the week) she started to have a humungous seizure, so I had to give her her emergency medication and bring her home :o(

But we don't give up easily! We're going back tomorrow to try again :o)

So wish us luck!

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And look what came in the post for me!

How spoiled am I?

I've lusted after this bag for ages and ages now, and it was finally in the sale at Cath Kidston.

reduced to £35.00

Oooo, I so love it, and I know a certain Rosey bloggy friend will love it too!

Trouble is, there appears to be lots of imitation Cath Kidston about at the moment.

It makes me want to stick a big label on my bag stating that it's a real one LOL ;o)
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I finally started picking our runner beans yesterday.
Only a few, mixed with some of the french beans, but steamed over the new potates they were delicious :o)

This is our first hibiscus flower this year. isn't it gorgeous?

It was positioned there in the sun just like that.

Waiting for it's five minutes of fame on my blog ;o)

Other lovely flowers in the garden...

Above is my first courgette flower, although it does have a courgette on it too.

Our tomatoes are all reddening up.

This photo was taken last week, and I've now got 14 cherry ones going red, and about 7 big ones, and 4 plum ones.

Here's some of our blueberries this year.

last year we only had 4 berries on them:(

This year we have loads (theres another plant too not in the photo )

Yummy water melon (no, I didn't grow this :o)

And here's the little courgette growing below the flower that's now out

(sorry, i should have put these in order shouldn't I ? )

And here's my most bestest thrifty find of the year.

40 vintage sewing patterns for £10.00!

Yep, 40!

I was so excited when I saw these in the charity shop I can tell you!

Once I've finished my daughters quilt I'm gonna make a start on one of these little beauties.

I'll show it when the time comes.

Some of them I don't like/wrong size and I'm going to try them in my Etsy shop -which I have sadly neglected all through June :o(

But once this work experience is over I'm going to be listing and sorting it out.  I have to park and stay near the hotel where my daughter is in case of/when she has seizures so I can administer her emergency medication.

It's classed as an 'unlicensed' medication, so only me/dad or medical people can administer it, not her teaching assistants who are with her on her work experience and at school.

So fingers crossed she'll be having some work experience tomorrow, and I'll be doing some more sewing :o)

That's it for me tonight folks.

Oh, did anyone else have internet connection problems at the end of last week?

Half of our town and a couple of others around had no internet connection. Did that happen to any of you?

Just thought I'd ask, as you know how nosey I am, and so far no one (not even the service provider) has any answer! 

Anyway, you all take care now, and have a fabulous sunny (fingers crossed) week.

Love Donna xx