This weekend’s project was painting three small banners for the church fence. I prepared some artwork and lettering…

Then I traced them onto some ripstop fabric I had lying around – as you do!

Unfortunately discovered that I didn’t have any blue paint, which I was going to use for the cross.  That could be changed, however I do rather need blue for the rainbow…

So here are the three banners, with the exception of the blue flower and the blue bit of the rainbow:

I’ll post another photo when they are finished and in place!

As bread flour has been notoriously absent from the supermarket shelves lately, I have resorted to buying some on-line.  Unfortunately, this meant ordering a bag of 16 kilos.  It arrived yesterday – I just about managed to drag it as far as the larder!

Then I had to decant it into some containers I had prepared for the purpose.  I managed to spill only a few grams!

So, we are OK for bread and pizzas until mid-July…

So, 2019-20 is year 34 of my 50 year reading plan; the years start at my birthday.  Most years, I go to the library in June and find as many of the listed books as I can.  This year, I forgot, and the year finishes next month!  So last week, I did a search to see how many of the books I could find second hand, on-line.  I found a couple in a Kindle edition, one that was a ridiculous price, some that were unavailable, but several that I ordered.  The latest one arrived today.  It’s much bigger than I expected:

I thought it would be OK because it looked like it would be full of pictures.  Not so!  I have a long read ahead of me.  Perhaps Rocco has the better idea…

Well, having finished the bedspread, I have to decide what to sew next.  I have had a suit partially cut out for some time, and I have the fabric for a Regency dress which I bought at the start of the lock-down.  To begin with, I printed off the Regency Dress pattern and assembled the pieces.  That was a whole project in itself!  I discovered that an old ashtray was perfect as a sellotape dispenser, and did finally end up with the pattern pieces in a folder, ready to go.

But then I decided to go back to the grey suit.  So I cut out the lining for the dress, and began to assemble it.  My plan is to have it ready for when I go back to court sittings next week.  So far, there’s only the front. Fine as long as I don’t turn round…

Many years ago, I began a patchwork bedspread, but it proved to be a huge project which I kept getting bored with.  After many redesigns, stops and starts, yesterday I finally finished it.

Because it was so big, there wasn’t anywhere indoors to spread it out flat, and as it was a dry day, I spread a couple of sheets on the patio.  Then I laid out the lining (made from an old pair of curtains):

Next, the middle layer assembled from two blankets that had belonged to my parents.  I had expected just to sew the two together, but obviously one had been washed more than the other and they were no longer the same size.  So much measuring and planning occured…

Lastly, the top layer which was the one that had given rise to many different designs. (Weighted down with tins of beans.)

The lining was 4cm bigger all round, so the final step was to fold the edges over, pin and sew them.

I can’t believe it’s finished after all this time!  And it definitely helps with the draughts in bed at night. Which was the original plan.

Got up at 6am yesterday to go to Tesco.  Much calmer than last week in the evening! I think I will do this again – in spite of not being a morning person.  I took the opportunity to treat myself to croissants for breakfast, which I had with my coffee after the shopping.

Most of the rest of the morning was spent cutting up the labels I printed earlier.

In the afternoon I finished the other hanging basket.  We shall see if the cuttings take and the seeds germinate.  They don’t look great right now, but watch this space!

As for today, Bible group this morning.  This is a “normal” Wednesday activity, but I am still having trouble remembering which day it is.  Maybe subconsciously I want it to be Thursday so I can settle down with a beer.  Maybe I’ll settle down with a beer anyway!

This weekend’s project has been to make labels for food crates for the local foodbank. I hope they are the right size, since I have made over 2,000.

In other news, I have started planting the hanging baskets.  Photo to come when I have done both of them!

The weather has been glorious – which is a blessing, so we have both been busy in the garden.   It was fun trying, though.  there have been the sounds of people out in their gardens this weekend, which has been lovely.

In technology news, I spent ages playing with Movie on the phone, preparing a video message to go on the church Facebook page, then couldn’t get it off the phone!

This evening, I took part in an online communion service, which was surprisingly effective.  here is my bread and wine, ready to go:

Gemma and Lucy were due to visit this weekend, but we had a virtual visit on Saturday, which eventually culminated in a game of Chinese chequers.  Another online church service on Sunday thanks to our brilliant tech team. I am also learning how to add things to the church website, to help relieve the pressure on them.

And so the minutiae of life continue.  I am so glad it’s spring and we live in a house.  There’s always something to do. Although a great deal of it does involve sitting at the computer.

More spring cleaning on Monday, this time the hall bookcase. The last food delivery on Tuesday;now it’s back to weekly visits to the supermarket for the first time in twenty years!  Wednesday morning back to the computer for a video meeting with another church group and some time in the potting shed in the afternoon.