Curlywurly weather – and a winner!

The weather continues wet.  Very wet.  It is the sort of weather that makes my hair go all curlywurly.   (I am sure many people will empathise with me about this).  There is mud everywhere, and apart from Ben’s walks I have hardly set foot outdoors this week.  We have been to the beach for most of our outings as at least he gets covered in wet sand only – which is much easier to clean from the floors and walls than mud!  But Ben is not the muddiest dog I have ever owned – that honour must go to my previous Newfie – Amy …. 

Who loved mud and thought it had been created simply for her delight!  Sadly Amy is no longer with us, but I have some very happy (and wet and muddy) memories of her.  But there is an upside to this weather … as it has been so wet I have been able to get on with some sewing without feeling guilty about the weeding that needs to be done.  A little while ago I purchased a quilt fragment that was going for a song on Ebay.  

 It was very shabby, and a bit grubby – with no backing and a very odd method of construction… it appeared that the squares of fabric had been machined directly onto the old blanket (2 layers) and then additional long strips of fabric, hemmed down both sides had been stitched over the raw edges to form a grid pattern …

 And a wide variety of fabrics had been used too – the woollen squares had been attacked by moths at some time and needed replacing, whilst the fragment, which measures about 3 ft x 4 ft 8″, had obviously been cut from a larger piece – there was no binding, just raw edges.  But I liked it because it has such a cheerful air and thought it would make a good throw for the sofa in the kitchen.  So I replaced the damaged patches and have just finished tacking a gingham backing onto it and begun quilting it in a diagonal pattern using my new sewing machine…. 

.. black and very handsome indeed (just like Ben!).  My little old Janome has expired (from too much free motion quilting I think) and I fell for the styling on the new Singer 160.  We’re still settling down together – some things are good – and some I think will take a bit of getting used to.  It is quite noisy (not so good), but I am really pleased with the stitch quality – especially on this project which is not the easiest sewing….

Lovely even, straight stitches. I don’t think that my old machine would have managed nearly so well.  But enough of my ramblings … time to announce the winner of last week’s draw.  

I loved reading all your comments and some of the places you would sail to (though like quite a few of you, I too suffer from sea sickness).  Thank you also for the lovely compliments some readers left about this month’s magazine, that’s really kind of you.  I put so much of myself  into the magazine and it’s wonderful when people take the trouble to let me know that they are enjoying it.  So, without further ado, let me announce the winner chosen by random number generator who is ….

Comment number 114 – that’s Bronwyn.  Well done Bronwyn and your prize will soon be on its way to you.  Thank you so much everyone else for entering.  I just wish I could send you all a prize. 

Off now –  time to brave the rain and take Ben for his daily shower walk!