Days Out and Crafts are Great!

My work week was a lot of admin, mostly streamlining the sewing machine inventory. During the evenings I put together 2 basic patchwork projects for Nella’s Christmas - a hot water bottle cover and laptop sleeve. They were not fancy, just rectangles with flaps and walking foot quilted with a wiggly stitch but both will do their job perfectly well.

I spent more in Lidl on chocolate, nuts and bubble bath than I usually do on my whole month’s groceries but I have pretty much finished my gift buying. I “just” have to wrap it all and stuff it into my suitcase.

I went into work on my day off to complete a dinosaur quilt for a work friend, took Nessie for another expensive hairdo and enjoyed the Tavistock Christmas tractor run from my back doorstep. I made another batch of lemon curd and some Dukkah, a spicy nutty mixture to sprinkle on salads or soup. 

Fergus celebrated his 24th birthday performing at Oran More in Glasgow’s West End. I have not heard whether his Messages bag is a success. If the handles are too long I will have to borrow a sewing machine to put them right when I travel to Glasgow at the end of next week.

On Sunday I drove to Agatha Christie’s summer house near Brixham. It took me a while to get there down some hair-raising Devon lanes and a detour reversing after the satnav took me to a village on the wrong side of the River Dart. After a ridiculously short ferry trip, I eventually reached my destination at Greenway, a National Trust property where I met up with my cousin Karen and her family. The house was full of treasures (organised junk) and in my opinion was in need of a bit of a makeover but it was fascinating. I went for fish and chips in Brixham afterwards and was amazed to see the Golden Hind, replica of the ship that survived Francis Drake’s round the world trip. 

It is so easy not to make an effort and go for a day out or do a spot of crafting but it is very satisfying to know that time has been filled well!