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.