Back home, some sewing and a catch-up

Arrived back home yesterday lunchtime from a family holiday here:-

 

We have been in Florida for the past two weeks, enjoying Disney World with our daughter, SIL and 5 year old granddaughter. We have had a magical time, fitting in SO much in such a short time. Little GD had the time of her life: theme parks, meeting Disney characters, doing so many of the rides, shows, swimming, crafts etc.

 

So now it's down to earth time!  Unpacking (all done), washing (all done), grocery shopping (all done), picking vegs from my garden ( see photo below) and, finally, a bit of sewing! 

 

We have one rhubarb plant - crown? - which was a piece taken from my MIL's garden 15 years ago.
I don't know the variety but I think Mum used to call it a Strawberry one.  It grows well in our garden but in Mum's garden it was amazing.  Very tall, thick stems of rhubarb which were very sweet and tender even though the stems measured a couple of inches in diameter. a couple of pieces were enough for a pie! Every time I pick any I think of her and remember the size of the rhubarb in her garden.

This year I have 3 tomato plants in pots: a shorter shrub like red cherry tomato, a normal red cherry variety and an orange variety.  All had done well in our absence so this morning I was able to pick a bowlful of both red and orange ones. We ate a few at lunchtime and they were delicious, full of flavour.  Then I picked the red chillies you see on the saucer.  Quite small and all from the one plant I have in a pot on the terrace.  I picked quite a few chillies just before we went on holiday and popped them into a small glass jar and put it in the freezer.  Hope that works and that I can just use the chillies when I need them.

Last night I was trying to keep awake so I could go to bed at a more normal bedtime so watched a few TV programmes I had recorded.  My fingers were itching to sew - I didn't take any sewing to Florida as I knew I wouldn't have time for stitching, but of course, I missed it.  I am hand quilting a baby boy quilt for a friend in New Zealand whose baby is due later this month. The quilt is completely made from scraps and in the centre is a Noah's Ark panel I discovered when I recently did a sort-out in my Sewing Room.  I was very unsure of how to quilt it but copied an idea I saw my friend Sarah use in one of the baby quilts she made recently.  I am using a variegated yellow/green Perle cotton, sewing parallel rows across the Noah's Ark panel at approximately 1" intervals.  I am very pleased with my choice as I think the stitching actually enhances the panel.  I will decide on how to quilt the borders when I get to them.  Very much a 'suck and see' experimental quilt but I am very happy with it so far.

A photo of the centre panel:

 

And a close up:

 

 

Then this afternoon I decided to reward myself for being such a good girl with the post-holiday chores to disappear into my Sewing Room for just over an hour to continue with the String blocks I started before our holiday.  I did another 7 blocks which pleased me.

Now  I must make our dinner: plaice (a flat white fish we get here in the UK) and fresh vegetables.