What a lovely way to end the holidays

Well I can't think of a nicer way of spending the last weekday of the summer break. Sitting stitching and chatting at a good friend's house.

When we moved here to Taunton almost a year ago it struck me just how friendly Somerset folk are. The local people in Gloucester, where we'd moved from, are very reserved and I found, being a chatty Northerner, them awfully difficult to get to know. Breaking down their reserve to become really friendly was nigh on impossible.

The mum of one of the boys in my son's class invited up for a cup of tea after school almost immediately after we'd moved here. Subsequently we've become very firm friends.

Both of us have been very busy (in different ways, thankfully for her) over the holidays so yesterday was only the second time we'd managed to get together. She and her two boys came for lunch to us during the first week and so she returned the favour yesterday. She also works in a school as a Science Technician in a local senior school so we were relishing our last day of freedom before we all return next week.

She knew Louise had been sewing playmobil sleeping bags and so suggested that I bring some hand stitching and she'd dig out some old cross-stitch bits and pieces for Lou and Sarah if they wished. She's one of these very inspired mum's who can always find something craft/games wise to keep kids of any age entertained.

We arrived at around 10.45 and didn't leave til 5.30 - we can both natter for England!

Lunch was pizzas, salad and jacket potatoes and was a real treat having it cooked for me.

We spent the day on the sofa chatting and stitching and I got lots of the hand applique on my ostrich done. (This is the UK ostrich that Kim got the idea for hers from so I knew I had to get August's round finished a day or so late)

As you can see from the photos the August round of 'squares' is part completed - they look a bit like naval flags to me. I should get the other two sides on sometime this weekend or early next week.

The final round for September is 'Flying'.

Hearing this I gulped as I really didn't fancy doing a round of flying geese. However having laid in bed this morning pondering the subject I've decided to reintroduce those little brown butterflies from the earlier applique round as butterflies fly too.

The photos show my work in progress - I have to add the rest of those cream stars to the wiggly lines. In addition on the round before in grey and cream with QST's on the corners I think I shall lift it with some opposite coloured little pennies (probably 5p piece sized - sorry not sure what coin that equates to elsewhere but they're pretty small) wiggling in lines along each side.

Where I have left a cream space between the squares on my latest round I intend to reintroduce the hexagon flowers from the earlier 'paper' round so my final butterflies will fly around them into the last round probably on a turquoise background.

Around the squares I've had to scrap patch the cream as I just couldn't find anything like enough of one fabric but I kind of like the slightly scrappy feel to it.

My 'cream' fabric box is almost empty - the only fabrics being cream background with stronger colours on them so that's it I shall have to do some fabric purchasing - either that or stitch dark colours for a while. It's a dirty job but somebody has to do it :o)