Soggy Solstice

Midsummer was damp and cool again this year and I was secretly glad not to be camping at a Festival, even though Glastonbury looked great on TV. I hope that my new pop-up Liberty flowery tent gets a nice warm and dry first outing. I got soaked to the skin every day as I walked the dogs through the wheat field and tall bracken. The elderflower fizz that started off so well looks a little flat and cloudy. It probably needs to be tasted soon and possibly dumped. I still have a batch of frozen flower heads that I will use to brew up some cordial. I watched a BBC documentary about weeds and decided that I was doing my bit for the environment if I just let the garden get completely overgrown. I can at least use the nettles for pesto – I made a tasty variation that substituted all of the original Italian ingredients apart from garlic for cheddar cheese, toasted breadcrumbs, rapeseed oil and garden herbs and it was delicious! Saturday was dry almost all day then there was a brief but fabulous sunset at around 10.30pm

It may have been grey and dull outside but my workshop was full of colour. I worked on a customer UFO that has been waiting 10 years to be quilted. It is really bright and I am sure that its new owner will be thrilled.

I used my coffee breaks to micro-stipple part of the second Celtic Knot but it is still a long way from being completed. I think this one will probably get some crystals to brighten it up. I managed to find a couple of hours to make a wonky triangle bottom border for the African fabric thistle coloured panel. I will quilt it in chevrons then add some circles to the sides later. There is only one worryingly short week left until the school holidays. Apart from continuing to work on the Yurt while keeping the children busy and fed, I have several pieces still very much under construction for Festival of Quilts. I hope it rains all week so I can spend all of my time quilting.