Busy sewing and baking

This is only my second post for March and it's already the 18th!

But I have been busy, sewing mainly and some baking and gardening too.

Most of the sewing I can't share just yet as they are gifts, three already en route via the mail system.

But I have been busy making string blocks for a quilt I want to make for a friend who is very ill.
I need to make this quickly but have already worked for two weeks to get this far:

100 individual string blocks, laid out into sets of four to make one large block. Then they are arranged into five rows of five large blocks. Here they are laid out on the floor in our Guest Room. Actually there is only enough room to lay out four rows, the fifth row was laid out on the bed!
As you can see I then pinned numbered labels to them and gathered them up ready to take to my Quilting Group today. I had over four hours of sewing time so I really thought I would make a good dent in the sewing of these blocks, and rows and even, with luck, get the top completed.

However, I was all out of luck because as soon as I sat down to sew I needed a new bobbin.  No problem, wound another, inserted it and nothing worked.  I tried a few times, found another bobbin, even changed the needle at the suggestion of the friend sitting beside me. NOTHING!
So, I packed everything up and drove 50 minutes to the repair man, the lovely Dave.  The machine is there, I have to check on Friday afternoon to see if he has been successful in repairing it and then, if so, I can collect it on Saturday morning.

I am keeping fingers and toes crossed that the machine is repairable as it was a second hand one I bought from Dave 10/11 years ago. It's only used for three months of the year when we are here in New Zealand but it has had a lot of use.  So, I am hoping all will be well.  On Sunday we fly to Sydney for a week so more time will be lost before I can finish my quilt top.  I have already decided to tie the quilt so that should make it quicker to finish but it's not what I had hoped.

So, please cross your fingers that the machine comes through for me!

We have been doing some more entertaining and I tried out a new (to me) biscuit recipe. I have a lovely recipe book called The Edmonds Classics Book. All Kiwis will be conversant with these recipes - I have a copy here and another back in the UK. Some great recipes, including this one:

 

 

I call them Walnut Brownies and they are delicious.  Went down well with visitors yesterday and another friend this afternoon.

 

So, no sewing as planned tomorrow but if the weather holds out, another gardening session beckons.