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Saturday 16 April 2016

Where did that come from?

Well last Saturday , first thing beautiful spring sunshine.  For the first time this year I took Dexter's first morning walk around the garden with him.  Coffee cup in hand ,lots is awake now and colour...
I needed a part for the car, somehow the glass thing in front of the headlight on my car has "disappeared" .  Well I have driven for over 30 years but don't ask me technical bits...not my thing!As my car is elderly we decided to go to a brokers yard and pick up this part up there as I imagine a spanking new part would be a lot plus we need a garage to fit it, it's access to replace it is "hidden " somewhere in the bowels of the engine. We rang first on Friday and they had two cars in the yard that had the part we needed.

Anyway we set off , much to the kids annoyance , this is Little Man's reaction at breakfast when we told him our plans !!!! Not impressed


they both wanted yet another duvet day. Breakers yard or iPad ? no competition when you're ten!

On the way the sat nav had a tantrum , wouldn't get a signal, I forgot the map book, and it was raining really hard . Anyway between me and the sat nav we missed the turn off, ended up in Cardigan and had to turn around with DH moaning and groaning as he does when we get "lost" on yet another adventure.  I took him because to me , sourcing car bits , calling car bits the right name , walking around car graveyards and removing said part from appropriate car is MEN's work and plus I don't like the idea of greasy yucky hands either!  and heaven forbid I got the wrong part...don't even go there!

Anyway this happened



rain, hailstones, sleet, snow













No mention on the weather forecast of this little lot

DH after much flaffing and the rest of us freezing in the car waiting for him ,finally sourced the part.
Some poor soul then had to removed it  , all for the princely sum of £6...bargain!
Then homeward bound Little Miss went into dramatics "it's snowing, we're going to crash" , setting Little man off in floods of tears ( think she has been watching too much "ice road trucker" programs ) was all we needed !

Anyway we got home safely and it snowed probably for a couple of hours.  Bacon sandwiches and hot drinks upon our return sort of restored everyone's happiness and good nature and the kids had a small snow fight, watched on by very unimpressed looking cows and one spotty dog.


Well that was our first snow in winter and spring this year....as quick as it arrived the sun came out early afternoon and within a  hour all melted and gone.

It was nice though, just wished we hadn't been in a chilly car parked up in a breakers yard when it
arrived.

During the week said part was fitted by the local garage, how much? £5 donation to their tea club!
We do take both cars to them but even still I was amazed.  So my "old girl" is back on the road..great stuff.

It's been a funny old week....kids back at school.  DH has been reviewing a book or two so the house
has been quiet...restful even.
I have after the boring chores of life have been done,    ... been sitting here and there for the odd hour  sewing.
I have dug out some English paper piecing...remember the hexagons last year, ? well I have added more hexagons to my little box and have set myself a little challenge.  Every week I hope to make a minimum of 3 "flowers" to add to my project...how hard can that be.? .have I set myself  to fail? probably ...but nothing ventured.



As usual I used both my big shot die cutter and 
2 specific dies .
One for the paper size and the other for the slighter larger 
fabric size. 
It cuts up to 6 layers of fabric at a time
more for the paper so
in no time I had a nice little bundle to be getting on with.

Whilst routing about I found some free diamond templates 
I got in a magazine 
and decided to us up some of 
my Pam Kitty fabric 
and similar fabric from the stash.



Now I usually baste the paper to the fabric 
the traditional way by sewing.

It is not very quick though and I
Wondered whether there was any quicker method?

A search on Pinterest
and a internet search revealed 
an alternative was using 
The sew line glue pen.



I have previously used this pen for applique 
it is water soluble 
and although blue dries clear
So it so easy to see where you 
Have glued. 

Well one evening , probably 2 or 3 
hours I sewed 18 diamonds.


Not bad I thought until
in just over one hour one wet afternoon
I glued.  ....38!

The pens retail for about £4.50 and with the pen you get
one refil...refils packets that contain
2 sticks then retail for between £2 - £2.20

I used a stick and a bit for 38 diamonds 
and for me the speed and convenience is worth £1.10

It may be very fiddly for small 2" squares etc 
but when I do the next "batch" of hexagons
when the refils I have ordered arrive I will let you know.

For me the time saved could be spent sewing the 
pieces properly 
and not unpicking basting thread is another plus.
I did a sample batch to see how the glue unpicked  from
the paper templates and it was fine and 
the templates are all re useable
the residue glue very fine on the fabric 
and apparently water soluble if you wanted 
to wash your project at any time.

A finish 





I have  finished  off.  the bunny cross stitch too..  The pattern is long gone, this project was started years ago....I seem to remember it was in a magazine or pamphlet and I chose the colours I liked and added the lace and buttons as I thought they gave it a bit of depth.  Nice to finish off another elderly work in progress.  Not sure if it is going to be framed or made into a cushion etc yet...toying with the idea of doing a patchwork theme surround...

Beautiful blue skies here this morning.....fat little mummy birds back and forth from the bird feeder.. Hoping for a quiet weekend...maybe a stroll later to see the lambs .....  Hope you have a lovely weekend too.









31 comments:

  1. Wowsers what weather you have had but wellcdone on your perseverance for a bargain :) We have had plenty of duvet days and iPads in our household. Eldest daughter who is eight is nether off the thing so you have made me feel less guilty. English paper piecing is something on my to do list to try out one day.
    Have a great week, hope the weather improves.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you. Do try English paper piecing...I love how you can just pick it up and put it down so easy ....

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  2. Wowsers what weather you have had but wellcdone on your perseverance for a bargain :) We have had plenty of duvet days and iPads in our household. Eldest daughter who is eight is nether off the thing so you have made me feel less guilty. English paper piecing is something on my to do list to try out one day.
    Have a great week, hope the weather improves.

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  3. It really has been weird weather of late, at the moment here the temperatures have dropped and it is raining hard. You certainly seem to have got a lot done, good for you setting yourself a challenge. Love the beautiful rabbit, great work.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, bunny still waiting to be made into something, I just can't make my mind up!

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  4. Good for you getting the car repaired. Your work is looking wonderful.

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  5. What an adventure! Glad all was good in the end. Love the idea of the glue pen...will have to locate one here on this side of the pond....

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    1. Hope you find it there Gracie, I'm sure you will or something similar...I get mine either on e bay or Amazon .

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  6. We had lovely weather yesterday sunshine all day not even rain, your hexies are coming along great looking forward to seeing them all put together.

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    1. Been put them together a bit ...will show when I have some thing of a sizeable shape.

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  7. A scrap yard used to be my youngests idea of heaven - until hair discovers hair wax & girls. I swear by those glue pens, I'm using them for by EPP, couldn't live without them xx

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    Replies
    1. Those pens are fab....good old Pinterest for ideas.

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  8. SEE.. your son knew what was to come!! lol x glad you made it home safe and sound xx... and had a lovely crafty week x

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    1. Snowing here again today! This time no venturing out

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  9. Hi Maria

    Glad you got your bits for the car. Just the sort of thing that my Dad used to do when he was with us and we would end up going out en familie with much the same response as your littlies. I shall have to invest in some of the mini cutters when it is pay day. I have bought the 4 - 4 1/2 inch square the half square and the oblong cutters. Now I just need some time to play but I intend to acquire some others as I go along. Love the idea of the glue pen as well. Thanks for the pointer.

    Hope you are keeping well.

    Pattypan

    x

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    1. Thank you Tricia, those pens are saving me hours.

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  10. how did your roads get so clear with so little snow?? here in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Calif.(usa)
    We dont get one snow plow till there is about 6 inches on the ground--good for you guys !! I'm envious !!

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    1. It only lasted a couple of hours them bright sunshine so it melted. I think there was quite a few cars out and about and that stopped it settling on the roads thank goodness.

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  11. It was such funny weather on Saturday, wasn't it. It wasn't too bad here but Mick had his first cricket match of the season, only a few miles from home, and he said they had rain, hail, snow and sun. I do like your bunny cross stitch, well done for getting it finished off.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Jo, snowing, sleet and hail stones here again today , can't believe it's May next week!

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  12. Love the bunny cross stitch and the colours you chose. Always use my glue stick with applique, so useful.

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  13. I sometimes feel like your son! Glad to hear that the car was sorted out at such a great price. Spring in the UK - one of the only places where you can have all four seasons in one day! Your big shot sounds ideal for paper piecing and the glue pen sounds fab!

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    1. Big shot and glue pens are both now my must haves! Both save me so much time to concentrate on other things.xxx

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  14. Just caught up on your post. Wales often ONLY has snow in March April, just when you think it really MUST be proper Spring now! Sorry you were stuck shivering in the car at the time. I am working on hexi's too, to complete a vintage 1970s quilt I bought recently at Malvern. I have a month to finish it so need to work nights I think!

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  15. P.S. Please give me a link for the dies, as I am still laboriously cutting it all out by hand (I know . . .) and get Keith to make my templates for me (by hand).

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  16. Oh my! What an adventure. So glad everyone got home safe and sound. Like be your hexies and all the diamonds. Sounds like you scored a bargain with that pen! Love your bunny cross stitch.
    Hugs
    xxx

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  17. Take a look at my blog as I have nominated you for the Liebster blog awards.x

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