'Autumn' makes

I haven't gone for good - honestly, but the last two weeks have been busy and writing the blog seems to take a long time, of which there has been a shortage.

I had a wonderful family catch up with my family and though it was windy it stayed fine and my grandchildren could get out on their roller skates.

They all get on so well and love these family get togethers.  Christmas was discussed and I was told that it must be traditional;  that means a Christmas cake and proper mince pies "none of those fancy ones you make"!!  Last year I was experimenting with a new recipe for a change.

So mincemeat has been made -

6 jars in total

and the Christmas cake has been made today and is currently cooling and later today I will prick it all over before adding brandy.  My cake recipe is at least 50 years old from the 1960s and the piece of paper is yellow with age, but we all love the cake.   I will let you see a photo when it is finally finished.

I did something new the other day, with a great deal of nervousness!  As part of the Chester Farm project where I am a volunteer, I have trained to record oral histories.  The first hurdle was learning how to use the recording device which seemed very complicated but I quickly learnt the basics - on, off, record, play back and so with another volunteer we set off for Colchester.  The recording was brilliant and it meant that we didn't have to scribble answers down and I even managed to download everything to my PC so that I could type up the conversation.  Another appointment to be made with someone else who lived on the farm.  Time is of the essence here as, like our interviewee, most are into their 80's and have a great deal of information to give us.  It has made me wish that I had asked my own parents more about their lives which were both, in their own way, very interesting.

Mini Mania for October was squares

'Rainbow' squares

and I used the colours of the rainbow and was made in the first few days of the month.  Quite simple but the next one isn't and will take some thinking out!

I visited two shows - The Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace which I loved and the Autumn Quilt Show at Duxford which was awful.  I went to the latter specifically to get some fabric, but once I had bought that I left.  I thought it wasn't worth the entrance fee and it was so untidy and messy.  However the saving grace of the day was that I love aircraft and these small planes were flying

Spitfire landing

 

A Tiger Moth (I think) landing

 

Don't know what this is but it was very, very small

We had a wonderful workshop at Higham Peacemakers when we made 'hexy' bags

Love this Japanese fabric

The hexy top that closes very tight.

 I may turn it into a shoulder bag as the top is very tight when closed that suits security conscious me. Even the pocket has been sewn into two compartments, with one for my lipstick!!

Remember my Tilda Bunny from the last blog - well she has progressed a little

Standing up on her own!!

Legs have been stuffed and I have finished crocheting the body and have partially stuffed it, the head has been done and needs stuffing and joining to the body; I have started on the skirt (the grey ring in the photo) but something is wrong, so I will need to contact the powers that be to sort it out.  Don't you love her little striped socks.  I would like to complete her by Christmas but I have lots of Christmas presents to make.

Anyway onwards and upwards. I am awaiting a large parcel of fabric to make more gowns and pyjamas for Pyjama Fairies.  PF have been given a large quantity of fabric from a well known UK company's charity section  and I am expecting 40 metres of fabric that has to be used by February 2018.  There are some strict rules and I will tell you more in another blog when I have read them.  I think January will be very busy.