Making Merry or Merry and Bright?

Well it's not quite finished - I'm just quilting the inner border tonight (what ironing? - what washing up? - what dusting?).
This is the hanging layered up and ready to quilt:

And being quilted - it'll look a lot better when it is finished and steamed into shape!

And writing the pattern.  It takes a lot longer than you would think to write the pattern.

I usually start with sketches and hand written notes. With something like this I'll make a grid and mark out all the sizes of each piece to make sure it all fits together and only then do I start cutting. When it is sewn together I make any corrections of changes. Then I get the laptop out and start typing and arranging so that it follows a logical sequence. I can't decide what to call it though.

I used to use Adobe for making patterns but I refuse to pay a monthly fee (a very large monthly fee). I don't mind buying updates when they come but I feel like Adobe cornered the market and then set their own rules.  I now use something called Affinity Design to 'draw' and am waiting for their publishing suite to come out next year.  The publishing suite I use now is called Swift which is only very mediocre but it does the job. I like Serif Draw and Serif Page Plus but can't use them on my Mac. Affinity is Serif's Mac version - and I love what I have from Serif.

My Thursday night ladies are very patient guinea pigs for my patterns and to them I am eternally grateful - they put up with half finished instructions without complaint! 

This is Ann's hexagon bag - maybe I should have plumped it out - the picture doesn't do it justice. She used purchased handles and a fabulous classy fabric.  It looks great.

I made some mini treacle tarts for class last week - the corner tart was the taste test. (Poor excuse)

It's a recipe my mother used to make - just syrup,  breadcrumbs, lemon juice and an egg - all in short buttery pastry.

This week was so busy at work I had to throw myself on the mercy of our chef who came up with some cherry and raisin flapjack for this Thursday night. I hope it is going to be much quieter next week (no open night, late meetings planned).  

I spent Saturday morning at John's clinic being receptionist and Saturday afternoon getting shopping and taking the two bunnies to have their operation scars checked.  I am pleased to say they have healed nicely and they are getting on well.

Today has been mine, all mine.  F1 and quilting. And now it's Sunday night again. Oh how quickly the weeks go. 

There's lamb in the oven for Will and I'm having soup for supper. And I really, really haven't done any housework. Bad girl. 

Ben and Max are doing well - cutie pies. I can only pick Max up for a few minutes because is very heavy and he's almost as tall as me! Such a jolly little chap.

Next weekend I'll be heading down to Skipton for Yarndale and I'm really looking forward to that. In the meantime I need to find out why my phone is sending three messages every time I press the send button. And maybe put a load of washing on. Oh dear I hope I have got enough clean clothes for the week ahead......