...and then there were three, two then four!

So here was the dilemma!  I HAD to stay home due to a pending visit from Virgin Media, so rather than miss out on yet anotherTuesday with 'the girls', I decided to have them all over.  Needless to say it wasn't an 8am visit, but actually that was ok!  We would meet in the conservatory! Sadly, Chris was working so couldn't make it.  A rather subdued Amanda phoned to let me know she was unwell (and she really did sound very poorly) thus wouldn't make it after all.  Therefore, we were going to be 3 for the day.  I had been cleaning fit to bust, so was relieved when Janet arrived about 11-ish and I had to stop; closely followed by Alison, who'd popped into the village to visit Needle and Thread for some lovely pink and grey moda fabrics. 

We settled quickly to tea and coffee with Orange and Lavendar muffins ( I adapted the Orange Muffin recipe to use some of the flavoured sugar available from Waitrose... it has real flowers in it and smells divine... I could have made it stronger, but decided to err on the side of caution. The icing had lavendar flowers sprinkled on and was mixed using zesty orange juice) or Cranberry and Almond muffins from my Quick and Easy Muffins.... I was assured they were very tasty, which is always a plus after my last few not so wonderful efforts.  It is fun to experiment with recipes, but equally it is very nerve wracking waiting for a verdict! LOL.

  For show and tell, Janet showed us her quilt top and some blocks she was working on, which she had done beautifully.  The colours and sizes were absolutely wonderful.  I had already sent off, the night before, with its new owner, the Hidden Stars wedding quilt.. so all the girls got to see was the above right photo, sadly.  Janet had brought a few magazines and books which we looked at with great interest.  Lots of chatter, cups of tea and coffee followed. Janet, then settled down to some fabric cutting etc.. Alison got out her quilt top and me... well I prevaricated!  What's new?

Eventually it was time for lunch... Salmon with herb crust and prawns with salad.  Needless to say just as I was serving, the technician arrived to put in our new box and modem!  So, I had to leave the girls to serve themselves!  Not ideal, but I could not do anything else.  I returned about an hour later to discover they had washed up and tidied up.  Thank you so much ladies!  I then remembered that there was desert to serve... creme brulee, so back to turn on my grill and melt the sugar! 

After lunch, Alison had brought her block of the month quilt made of fossil ferns and was hand quilting it.  It looked complicated... I have not done any hand quilting yet and I was fascinated as to how it was being stitched.  Alison was able to describe how she was stitching from one side to the other of the design... I shall attempt some ...ONE DAY!  

As my machine was in for its service, I'd brought my old Toyota XXX - a real clunker if ever there was one. I never really got started despite having brought down my dad's log cabin stars quilt, begun in one of Janet's classes in 2010. Hmm! Message to self... get on with it! LOL.  I shall, once I remember how I was setting up the blocks...!

Just after 3.00 a knock at the door heralded the arrival of our one working member.  Chris had had a fruitless day as her appointment had been cancelled due to illness.  However, she enjoyed a cup of tea and a muffin with us which was wonderful. It was good to see her.  We chatted on for about a half hour or so and then it was time for the group to disband for another week.  Sadly, I shall not be there next time as I will working, but hopefully I will be there for the following week. Until we meet again!!!!