But not just pink...........

I've been acutely aware over Christmas that I was behind with my Birthday Blocks - especially naughty as I received mine in and around August - I actually did only receive nine of my promised eleven but that's no excuse for not fulfilling my obligations.

You might remember the crazy hexagon I made before Christmas in the British summer colours of sand and aqua.

Well I then had to make a New York Beauty for Margaret which should have gone out to her during November - the spikes which look like pink in this photo are in fact red so a sort of pink free zone here.

and a yellow and blue block for Terri which was a December block posted out a few days late. - no pink here either

I'm definitely not a fan of curved piecing.

The applique blue and yellow block was like falling off a log for me except I tacked a circle around the circumference of a plate to use for the guideline for my placement. This was fine until I realised that eventually, once I'd got a good amount of the pieces done, the applique would sit outside the 12" block size. A quick lesson of unstitching and re-positioning required!

The NYB was a pig - I don't do accurate curves at all, strange when I used to do a lot of dressmaking with set-in sleevesm but I've obviously lost that knack down the years - in the end after wrestling with the centre quadrant for some time I resorted to appliqueing the outer curve onto the background - cheating - but the end result turned out okay.

I do have another NYB block to do for a later month - I think I can categorically state here and now that the block I've still to do will be the very last NYB block I ever tackle :o(

Pink will have to return to the stitching table though. I have a selection of pink and green QST blocks to do to go with the pink flowers for the baby quilt.

So not out of the Pink clutches yet it seems.

There's a bit of a pink theme going on here

If you hop over to Lynda's blog you could be forgiven for thinking that there's a great deal of pink in the air

I feel a tendency towards this colour lately at Chez Bebbs

Pink's not a colour I generally gravitate towards but quilting has a funny way of pushing you in directions you least expect

First of all there was the SFRR2 quilt I finished off for Margaret

You could say there was a distinct hint of pink in this

Then one of the teachers where I work commissioned me to make a couple of placemats for a Christmas present for her mother whose kitchen is green and pink

Once they were finished I received my SFRR2 quilt which also has a definite leaning towards the pink part of the spectrum - even DD2's PJs are pink!

And finally one of Sarah's rugby team-mates from last year is expecting a baby in March. She is only 17 and sadly, although her rugby career was very promising, young love diverted her off course and much to her parents' disappointment she has given up college and her sport to set up home with her boyfriend of a similar age. They now await that great step into parenthood this spring with precious little money and the less than ideal domestic arrangements of living with his grandmother.

All babies need a quilt. I already have a 'blue' themed cot quilt completed so I thought I'd hedge my bets and make a pink one too so I have something suitable for the baby's arrival. Sorry the colour's not that good on this picture.

With rugby still in mind last summer Sarah took her Level One Rugby Coaching qualification and her Rugby Referee qualification.

Because playing the game is her first love she has not yet had the opportunity to actually referee a proper game.

Until yesterday that is............

Her thumb is healing beautifully, the pot came off on December 19th and she is almost back to full usage - she will be back to full contact rugby before the end of the month, probably another 3 weeks or so.

But yesterday as she couldn't play she reffed a triangular fixture between the Taunton Fillies U15s and their Exeter and Plymouth counterparts - she was very nervous but actually once she got into it she thoroughly enjoyed the experience even though she still says she'd prefer to be actually playing

I have it on good authority that PINK is THE colour for all the best dressed referees this season - well at least their shorts and socks although I'm not sure I can see this catching on for the Guinness Premiership :o)))

Ring out the old, ring in the new

2009 is almost upon us.

For some of my bloggy friends down-under it has already arrived.

For others across the pond you've a little longer to wait.

It only seems five minutes since we welcomed the new millenium soon it will be less than a year to 2010.

How can that be?

2008 was a busy year.

2009 will probably be busier still - at least to start off with anyway.

New Years resolutions hover in the back of my mind, I must lose weight, keep a tidier house, succeed in juggling kids, parents and work without forgetting my husband - my rock, my best friend.

But all in all tonight is just another night, a night where we're grateful to live in a prosperous, free country without having to worry too much about danger and fear.

May all your days through 2009 be peaceful and pieceful..........................

Happy New Year to you all!

Thoughts for today.............

I've just read Jeanne's version of this and thought I'd share mine



I'm feeling ... relieved that my parents’ move to Taunton is underway


I'm seeing ... a cold grey bitter winter day and wishing it was brilliant sunshine like yesterday.



I'm thinking ... how nice it will be to have my parents near enough for me to drop in for five or ten minutes instead of planning a military style operation to visit them


I'm appreciating ... a wonderful husband who spent this last weekend with his son travelling up to my parents, doing a pile of preliminary packing and bringing it back down in anticipation of their move south.



I'm cooking ... a very simple evening meal of oven baked chicken breasts, potato chunkies and oven roast carrots and parsnips along with beautiful bright green frozen peas - simple fare after all that rich and complex Christmas food.



I'm planning ... to spend the next few weeks wielding a paintbrush to prepare my parents’ flat for their arrival and also to try and blog a little more regularly in the New Year as I've missed it recently



I'm reading ... ‘The Tall Pine Polka’ by Lorna Landvik about 1950s Minnesota - I borrowed it on a whim from our local library along with her other two books, ‘Angry Housewives Eating Bon-Bons’ and ‘Oh My Stars’. I’m so glad I picked them off the shelf


I'm wearing ... easy to wear black trackies and a burgundy micro-fleece top - cosy and comfortablefor relaxing around the house


I'm creating ... a yellow and blue Birthday block for Terri - a hand appliquéd circlet of hearts and flowers



I'm hearing ... ‘The Railway Children’ on the tv in the other room - I keep catching snippets of it as I chip away at the ironing pile



I'm enjoying ... the knowledge that I don’t have to return to work for another week yet.



I'm sharing ... a picture of warmer times here in freezing cold Somerset - roll on Summer :o)

Much of this post is taken up with my thoughts on my parents' move so you can tell it is featuring prominently in our lives at present. We anticipate that we will be able to move them down during February Half Term (w/c 16th) so there is a lot to do before then. The New Year will be busy but productive I feel.

Merry Christmas to you all

I can't believe I've not posted in over a fortnight

Lots of water under the bridge

Christmas preparations a plenty

Mum and Dad have been down, viewed the flat, decided they'd love to live in it and so it's all systems go, once it's finally empty between Christmas and New Year, with carpet fitting and re-decorating ready for their move during February half term. Nigel is still playing 'Super-Hero' getting everything sorted for them.

Sarah's thumb is healing beautifully and she had her cast off last Friday - it will be another few weeks until she's up to rugby playing fitness but the best news is she will still get the chance to trial for both the Regional and England Colleges squads.

Nick has finished school and football for this year and along with his little sister, who is still valiantly practising her violin, is ready for the excitement that is Christmas

As for me - I finally completed any pre-Christmas stitching needed yesterday - the shopping's all done, virtually all the presents are wrapped (most unusual for me who usually spends Christmas Eve in a muttering, grumbling heap of wrapping paper) and we're almost there

I've received a couple of lovely quilts I will show you after Christmas along with two separate Secret Santa gifts which are nestling under the tree until tomorrow - I can save things until the day! - and only have two birthday blocks still owing - Sorry Margaret and Terri, I will get them to you asap - so I'm starting to feel more on top of things

Then it just remains for me to wish all of you, whether you celebrate Christmas or not, a happy, peaceful and love-filled time.

Somebody obviously doesn't think I'm busy enough!

Life is whizzing along here at break neck speed as usual.

Lots of stitching even if I haven't got round to taking any snaps yet - hence no blogging - but my Spring Fling Round Robin 2 is almost done, one Secret Santa offering is in the post with another very soon to follow, lots of crafty for sale things have been made and some even sold and I've worked on a couple of commissions too.

Preparations for Christmas are progressing - haven't written a card yet but feeling quite smug about getting all my long distance family presents to their recipients and the rest of the present shopping is nearly complete even if I haven't wrapped everything quite yet.

School is busy as ever plus the children are needing ferrying around as much if not more than usual.

Sarah's thumb is healing well and the Consultant tells us if all continues in the same vein her pot will be off for good on the 19th of this month - all is not lost on the rugby front.

Lou has started learning the violin so the ears are taking a little bashing too - as if life isn't noisy enough in this house!

Nick's knee is better and they won 5 - 2 on Sunday which means he's happy :o)

So lots of balls up in the air - one or two near drops - but not quite yet.

Then........................ two more are thrown into the equation in the shape of my elderly parents

Here they are back during Half-Term with five of their six grandchildren plus my niece Gemma's boyfriend Pete.

Whilst they stayed down with us we had some long and heart searching chats about where and how they would like to live out basically what amounts to the rest of their lives really

The long and short of it ended up with the decision that they should move into sheltered accommodation down here in Taunton.

I won't go into the ins and outs and merits regarding to which of their children they should live nearest - suffice to say we all felt it would be best if they came down here so we put their name on the local housing list and settled down for a probably long wait

This week a flat in a local complex has been sort of offered to them - they're second on the list.

I have been to look at it and although it is small it would suffice.

However we now have to wait until Friday to see if the first person on the list wishes to accept it

If that person doesn't we then have to arrange for them to come down, look at it and effectively be checked out by the complex manager - my word is not sufficient and rules are rules!

My lovely husband has offered to drive five hours up to Yorkshire on Sunday and return the same day with them.

I'll then take them to look round on Monday followed by Nigel taking a day's holiday on Tuesday to return them up north.

Life is certainly busy enough without this in amongst everything - but it is do-able especially with Nigel's good will. Boy do I have a tolerant and obliging man.

It will be lovely to have them down here and be able to see them regularly in bite-size manageable time spaces instead of intensive three week visits once or twice a year and I will be able to help them and be there for them in an emergency instead of mercy-dashing the length of the country.

But just one teeny weeny tiny little part of me is screaming out................

'Stop the world - I want to get off!'

PS A quick update - the first person in the queue has accepted an alternative property so it's theirs if they want it - we're on all systems go for the weekend with one small grain of sand in the oyster - they can only view it on Tuesday so I think that will be a particularly long day for Nigel :o)

OUCH!!!

Oh dear - I guess it was going to happen sooner or later

I know, I know - rugby is a dangerous sport

And I know Sarah is very, very lucky, over the past five seasons, to get away with a couple of sprains and a dislocation

But today her luck ran out

One broken thumb!

I know it doesn't sound much

But if I tell you that it looks on the x-ray that it's completely parted company, that is to say snapped clean off the rest of her hand and is held roughly in place only by ligaments, muscle and skin and now a plaster cast

And I tell you that as a result of this break she will be in plaster for a minimum of six to eight weeks

And I also tell you that as a result of this she will miss the entire County programme for this season - with the possibility of not getting through to Regional because all triallists are selected from that County programme

And finally if I tell you that she will also be unable to trial for the English Colleges Squad in two and a half weeks time

You will understand why her smile isn't its usual sunny self

It's a very, very long time since I've had to wash my baby's hair for her :o(

Nick also visited A & E this afternoon with a nasty football foul induced bump to the knee - thankfully this was only bruised ligaments - now that would have been a challenge - two out of three in plaster!

And Lou has had a tough few days at school this week - don't you just hate the bitchiness of girls

This was a picture she rustled up after one particularly upsetting day - kind of sums up her mood. Fortunately school have been brilliant and I think the worst is over - hurray!

I've not been totally idle since my last post - lots of bits and pieces - some I can't show you as the man in the red suit is stalking about waiting to whisk off a couple of Secret Santa items

But I can show you a very belated - as in should have been sent off in October, not November - birthday block - different, but fun to do. My allotted month was August and the illustration was all sunshine colours and sunflowers but I elected to represent our somewhat damp English summer with cooler blues, turquoises and sands - kind of says it all to me.

Here's a pot-free girl showing off her newly completed (by mum) crocheted scarf (and snazzy new glasses)

And finally a little 6" block I rustled up this morning for the centre of one of a pair of large table mats I've been commissioned to make by a colleague at work for her mother's Christmas gift

I was actually stitching away quite happily before being rudely interrupted by a two patient A & E visit!

Testosterone Free Zone

Last Sunday we managed a rarity in the Bebbington household

Sarah had no rugby

Nick had football playing his match at Frome (rhymes with Broom) right over on the other side of Somerset and Nigel was playing taxi driver - they won 8 - 4 - hurray! and both got soaked to the skin for their trouble!

So we managed a girly afternoon..........

Mum was doing a mad 'quilt in one day' construction for her ALQS2 effort

Lou was keeping herself occupied with a little stitching of her own

And Sarah was keeping her nose firmly to the Geography coursework grindstone

A veritable testosterone free zone

And the result of all this peace, perfect peace?

One 20" square present for my ALQS2 partner a long way from Taunton

p.s. I must confess I finished stitching down the binding on Monday morning so it wasn't strictly a quilt in a day - however at least I got it into the post on time :o)

Lest we forget

In Flanders Fields
John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders Fields

Ninety years ago today the signing of the armistice marked the end of the four most bloody years in recent history.

Our family were privileged to live close to this area for a short while - now the fields and hillsides show little of the horror and carnage as nature has reclaimed the battlefields into its modern green and pleasant land again.

My father has always told us that as a country we lost the cream of our timber, the cream of our horses and the cream of our men in those four short years.

Today, in London, the last remaining combatants from that terrible war paid their own tributes to their fallen comrades. Amazingly these three gentlemen, one each from the airforce, navy and army have lived to see this ninetieth anniversary. So many of their pals have not

May we and our children always remember and appreciate this ultimate sacrifice made by so many for our freedom.

The craft fair won!

Interesting comments from you all on my last post - as he knew I needed help it didn't even occur to me that he should go to the rugby - he'd obviously be a lot better off living with some of my fellow bloggers :o))

The bigger sickener is that I could've gone with him to use the other ticket - which, as I've never actually been to Twickenham, meant my loss was actually greater than his

Then sadly the fact that the craft sale was poorly attended and didn't net me anything as much as I'd have liked in my pocket meant we both rather wished we'd gone down the sports route

Never mind hindsight is always 20/20 vision

The day wasn't without gain - the lady on the next stall to mine told me of another sale at the end of November which could prove far more lucrative

So we'll see if I can book a table tomorrow - all my midnight stitching won't have been in vain.

If that doesn't come off I may well just explore the possibilities of Etsy...............

anyone for a Bebbington Original? :o)

Well what would your answer have been?

I consider myself very lucky to be happily married to a wonderful man - okay he drives me crazy sometimes but on the whole he's worth keeping.

But I ask you.............

What are men like?

The past two or three weeks I have been dashing around even more than normal - hence my blog silence.

I've had the half term week off work but also had my elderly parents to stay for two weeks

It was lovely to see them but they are quite high maintenance in the attention stakes

This is absolutely fine, it's been wonderful to have them stay.

But..........

I had also committed myself to taking a table at the local Craft Sale this coming Saturday and so in my usual 11th hour fashion I've also been manically trying to create stock.

The sale is Saturday

Yes the day after tomorrow

My dearly beloved husband will be needed for at least the start and end of the day to help with tables, put posters in the vicinity, look after our children etc etc etc and to be frank may well be roped in for even more of the day

He has willingly agreed to do this and I'm very grateful

But...............

This afternoon I received a text, and I quote:

"Nigel do you want two tickets for England v Pacific Islands Saturday Twickers. Can I go?"

Now without turning the air blue what do you suppose my response was?

Sometimes they push you just a little bit too far!

Pictures speak louder than words

I've just been so busy - work, work, work.................

And then stitch, stitch, stitch..............

I'm sneaking this in between coming home from the supermarket after work, collecting Sarah from her fitness session at college at the end of her timetabled day, tidying the house because my parents are due down tomorrow for the first time for over two years (the house bears a striking resemblance to a fabric bomb aftermath) and feeding the household - how unreasonable is that to need feeding for heaven's sake.

However I'll show you just a little of what I've managed to fit in on the stitching front

A quilt top just ready for sandwiching to make a nice big baby quilt or play mat for a girl or a boy

Some christmas tree baubles -

embroidered........

or not.......... as the fancy takes you

An 'Odd Sock Sack' for that irritating collection of mateless odd ones you're always left with after a load of washing or two - they'll happily wait in here until their mates materialise after the next wash

A Christmas napkin basket which will usefully undo and store flat until next year...............

Some door hangers - just because................

And finally a new scarf for Sarah in lovely selection of heathery marl colours - just right for the college girl - and so relaxing to sit and add to at the end of a weary day.

Some stitching at last!

I wish I was clever enough to get my point across whilst still managing to be economical with words.

If you've never visited Alice's blog you've missed a treat.

She can always say the cleverest things with a handful of pictures and precious few more sentences.

However those of you who are familiar with my blog will realise that I never use one word when I could use a dozen.

I'm the sort of person who suffers from verbal diarrhoea in life and something similar in my written output. My father has always said I must have been vaccinated with a gramophone needle :o)

That's part of the reason why my postings have been scarce this past week or three.

Not because I've been writing for my blog - I wish!

More because we decided that the rugby girls, being teenagers, are incapable of getting messages back to their parents each week.

So instead, three weeks ago, I decided it was time for a weekly newsletter

This takes up my valuable stitching time for most of Tuesday evenings.

However at least the messages are getting to the parents now and the feedback has been complimentary so the sacrifice has been worthwhile.

We've also had some major discussions going on by email with some of our coaching team (why they can't just get together face to face is beyond me but at least even if it is only by email the channels of communication are staying open - just! - I think I rather suit the particular shade of pale blue favoured by the United Nations)

And finally we've also had some heavy email conversations going on amongst the 'league' our girls play in which have also necessitated some lengthy and carefully worded emails

It is always a joke within our rugby club that people can tell at a glance who out of Nigel and I has sent any particular email - his are short, grammatically appalling and barely functional - mine are long, wordy and very carefully composed and proof-read. Because of this I'm afraid it has fallen to me to write all these various missives.

Which all in all leaves less time for the important things in life like stitching :o(

However what stitching I have been doing has involved a fair proportion of sawtooth stars.

This is a sneak preview of my second border on the Spring Fling Round Robin 2 - another sawtooth star coupled with a fair bit of celtic knotwork and a sprinkling of applique to finish the job - hope the recipient likes celtic knotwork, there was nothing in her preferences against it anyway. Just needs parcelling up and despatching on its way.

Then on a more festive note I turned three more stars into a table runner for the Craft sale in early November

There are a few more of these festive stars in the pipeline but in different fabrics that I'll try and show you next time

Where does the time go to?

How time flies when you're having fun........

...........or more like when you're just so busy :o)

I haven't forgotten everyone out there in blogland

But I have been rushed off my feet with the children, the house and work

Also we've had to change the camera which isn't quite so quick and effortless to download as the old one so I'm not able to snap and share on the spur of the moment as I was with the previous model

I have been busy creating - at the risk of frightening you all to death it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas round here

However that's only because my Monday quilting group are holding a craft stall in early November and in a fit of total madness I agreed to have a table

What does that mean? Lots of manufacturing of stock

So the Christmas fabrics are out in force and I promise I'll endeavour to show you some of the fruits of my labours over the weekend - plus I received a lovely bag from a swap that I must share too

I hate picture free posts so I thought I'd treat you to some more views of our little corner of England

Burnham on Sea - our nearest seaside, only 20 minutes away in the car

It faces Wales across the Bristol Channel and you can just see the lovely dockside buildings in Cardiff on a clear day

Bridport - on the Dorset coast, a little farther but great for fossil hunting for an afternoon

Glastonbury Tor - the views from the top are stupendous on a clear day - sadly all my photos of the views are a little hazy. Nigel is lucky enough to have his very own view of the Tor from his office window every day

And views from the Quantocks - just a stone's throw from our doorstep really

Exmoor ponies which are rather sweet

Glorious heather in full bloom at this time of year

And finally a reservoir over the other side of the Quantock hills - a lovely spot for a picnic

Just a hint of our part of the world

Wandering aimlessly in airy fairy land

I can't believe it's almost a fortnight since I posted.

Everything is fine here - the two girls have taken new educational establishments pretty much in their stride and Nick just bumbles along enjoying any challenges the teachers may throw at him

Work for me is (so far) better than the summer term - it couldn't have been worse! Still keeping an eye open for something else but not worrying too much - however I do feel I'm sort of running on only three of the four cylinders at the moment, kind of like wandering in a fog. The most surprising thing is that it doesn't seem to be bothering me which is not normal for me. Maybe eventually something important I've missed will come along and bite me on the bum :o) and shock me back into my usual buzzing state.

Work for Nigel is a much less manic so he's less stressed - maybe that's contributing to this air of apathy.

I suppose things have been happening in the Bebbington household over the past couple of weeks.

Hurray!!! - we now have a completed front drive! After almost two years the job is completed - the black tarmac area is the job completed - ehat a relief after the building site it has been - ignore the borders they need a jolly good sort out. Now his Lordship has started to dig up the back lawn in readiness for my paved Italianate piazza style garden-to-be :o)

Sarah is back into her rugby, ever the clown in the front row - this means it must be autumn despite the glorious sunshine for Sunday's match - I can't say I've ever actually seen Cullompton without a howling gale and torrential rain before :o)

Plus I've managed a little stitching - the September birthday block was to be a house in warm coloured batiks - it went off in the post today.

Sadly our next door neighbours' cat passed away last weekend - we were all upset but Louise was heartbroken. We'd really got used to his little 'respite from the toddlers' visits - unfortunately Nigel is still shouting a big NO!!! on getting a cat ourselves and I do feel it has to be a unanimous yes vote so we won't be getting one in a hurry much to Louise's disgust.

So here at Chez Bebbs we bumble along and as long as nothing gets overlooked I'm quite enjoying wandering aimlessly in this waffly state

It can't possibly last!

Boy is it quiet here today

Well today's the day they're finally all back at school or college

Nick and Lou walked off together this morning - the big brother escorting his little sister on her first day at his school - no bickering either - long may it last! They did laugh at posing for this somewhat staged picture

Sarah of course, having left secondary school, has been making her own way in the grown up world of 6th Form College since Monday.

We did have a minor glitch on Monday - she went in all hyped up to start the hard work of AS levels and was allowed home at lunchtime as there was only one lesson timetabled for her because of tutor meetings, assemblies etc - a bit of an anti-climax compounded by the fact that she managed to lose her timetable from her back jeans pocket between college and meeting me in the centre of town - oh dear! Floods of tears, major panic and a quick drive back to college for her to log onto the intranet and copy it down again to rectify this - problems are seldom insurmountable.

The week has got better - she loves PE; Geography and Biology will be fine and Chemistry is going to be jolly hard work but definitely doable. The thing she's finding the most strange is calling all her lecturers by their first names.

She's made lots of new friends, signed up for any sport imaginable that fits in with her timetable and generally had a ball so far.

You can see from this picture of all three of them before they set off this morning that they're all raring to go - long may it continue.

For the first time ever going right back to when Sarah started in Reception class all those years ago this long anticipated day of peace for me feels unexpectedly very odd - I seem to be rattling round a bit like a pea in a drum. Partly I think because I can't seem to concentrate on anything meaty on the stitching front and I really do not want to go and clear out the fridge which is really the most pressing job on the household list - closely followed by tidying my sewing area as the worksurfaces are fast becoming a distant memory!

I shan't have time to think about all this tomorrow as the men arrive first thing in the morning to complete the front drive - hurray!

I have managed a little crafty stuff

I quilted and finished off this little wallhanging I started ages ago and sent it off to a friend in need of a lift

And at Lou's insistence, because she found the beautifully soft alpaca/silk yarn in a bargain bin a few weeks ago, I've been crocheting a scarf for her.

I completed the ends with crocheted scallops instead of fringing as it took up much less wool - nice and brainless in front of the television - I'd forgotten quite how relaxing crocheting can be.