New Season Mavis and Gladys

If you click on the Mavis and Gladys tab you will see the plan of the next few classes.  We're really looking forward to continuing the journey with the 'bees'.  No surprise that the first block of the month will be a Tumbling Block.  It's always better to have a made up sample of a block - even better if it can be in a quilt.  Pictures really don't do any quilt justice.  I'm busy working on a Cot Quilt for John and Steph's baby at the moment - it is due the same day as the class so I may not have it with me after all!  

There are different ways to build up the tumbling blocks quilt.  If you're not sure of the final orientation of the blocks it is best to make them up separately and then sew them together.  It is much quicker (not to mention more thrifty with the thread) to build up the quilt in rows.  This is how my quilt is coming together:

I have left the bunny ears on the edge to show how they are sewn on.  I trim the sides as I go.  The top and bottom are not trimmed until I'm ready to put the inner border on. 

I haven't crossed too much off my to do list (with the exception of sitting staring into space) but I feel much refreshed and the house is a bit tidier.  I'm staying at home this afternoon waiting for a delivery so I'll be sewing more blocks.  First though I'm going to iron and then finish the little charms I got at Sandra's on Saturday.

Tonight for tea we will be having Salad Paysanne.  I first had this in France on a camping holiday when the boys were small.  (When we went there was only one pool - the smallest one in the picture if you click on the link)  The salad has new potatoes, cubes of gruyere cheese and little pieces of smoky bacon in it.  You can add other things like chopped up de-seeded tomatoes, or maybe some toasted sweetcorn, but the base must be a good crispy lettuce (not, heaven forfend, the ubiquitous iceberg).  It's mixed up and well dressed  - not like the plates of separate, naked salad items that you get in this country - no grated carrot or watery cucumber.  I'll take a pic tonight.