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