Manic & Announcement

All for sale from my shop!!!

Hi
I think this must have been the longest period of non blogging for 5 years & thank you for staying with me.
At last I can reveal the reasons behind the absence

I have begun a new business.  My own online (soon) & mobile FABRIC SHOP

Look at this lovely large bright room

Come and join a class

This is a decision that has been bubbling away for years.  I nearly went into partnership nearly 10 years ago, but timings were not right.
I have sold others fabrics for my classes for many years & now its my turn :-)

Fabric for Sale

hmmmm whats in the box?

Sorting out fabric, which one to choose?

Little acorns it will be to start with and wow what a steep learning curve writing a website.  Fortunately my son is a whizz at what to do & my daughter is a terrific proof reader.
I did launch the site, by mistake, whoops, I was soooo told off for that!!
Today I have been faffing with it after another long list of things to do.
Its not ready yet, so I will hold off with the name of it.  I need to sort the basics out first, to make the site easy to read and click through
My creative workshops will appear on there, as will another blog and my classes

View to the lawns, they surround the venue.  Sitting in the sunshine stitching with friends - bliss

That is another major thing that has happened, not of my doing, but I am over that now and Ive moved on.
I now have a lovely new place in which to teach.
Cransley Village Hall, Loddington Road, Cransley, Northamptonshire

Lots of room & look at the large tables & comfy chairs

Fabulous Hall, lots of room, light and bright, comfy seats, warm, and FREE parking.
My first workshop was yesterday and 10 wonderful friends and stitchers trialled it out for me, and what fun we had.  So busy was I, that my legs would not sleep last night and Ive been up since 5am, totally unheard of for me.  5.30am saw me cutting fabric for orders!

Essential - the kitchen

On top of all of this, I had a big wake up call with my diabetes levels.  I now have a meter and stick myself 7 times a day.  Wow what a revelation, I have been experimenting with eating different things at different times of day.
All my life I hated porridge.  Yep,
When I diagnosed it was out with the crunchy nut cornflakes and in  with whole oats, every morning, day after day sweetened with a fresh pear.
Following my consultation the nurse informed me not to eat more than 2 lots of carbohydrates per day
So porridge, break, potatoes, rice, pasta.  Take 2 from that (ignore cake etc...)
I love a sandwich at lunch time
Cant do without carbs for dinner
SO what had to go is the porridge
We are always being told how good it is for you...WELL its not for me.  Taking the levels for me before breakfast and then 2 hours after showed a HUGE hike up if I eat a third of the porridge that I used to eat.  If I eat bacon & eggs and veg or I eat fruit and yogurt my levels ALL DAY are dramatically lower
Then there is the exercise.  Oooh I hate exercise, I love to sew, sitting and sewing is bliss.
So one day I stuck myself then I went for a quick 10 minute fast walk to get my heart rate going
Then I stuck myself when I came back
3.5 LOWER - astonishing, totally astonishing
Its like a change of life for me.  I have lost 10 lbs in weight in three weeks, by not dieting, just watching carbs & walking.
I went to sleep a month ago when I had my operation and the world changed!! or seems to have!

I hope that telling this very personal story , MAY help someone else.  I wont have to stick myself so many times after next week but keep an eye on it.  Its fascinating to see just what raises sugar levels, I wish I had been given a meter years ago.

All made from charm squares & layer cake or Studio squares if cut by me!  A USP of mine

Select fabrics in multiples of 10 & have your own 10 inch square stack of studio squares!

My scar under my eye is still healing, it is now a large lump and I do find it quite upsetting sometimes, the worst is 20 mins twice a day with the bio oil rubbing it, I have to remove my glasses because they sit on the scar (yep ouch) so I cant see, that restricts when I can do it

Subtle and beautiful

Right that's the health report over, the pictures are off the hall and the workshop and some of the lovely work produced.  Some ladies machine stitched their first block.  We made quick stars and I will upload a pattern for FREE over the weekend so please check back again

Using up scraps! makes this lovely block

I have a different way of doing it

FREE pattern coming

The star really stands out in this lovely combination

First machine pieced block, didn't she do well

We also made other blocks........

But this one was made out of the some of the fabric that I am currently selling

Link coming soon

 

Thanks for reading, back soon with the pattern, that's if the biggest and best news this year does not happen, Im going to be a Nana.......xx