Cool Conservatory

Well, it was a great day for us as we were all able to make today.  It was a little too cool to go in to the conservatory today so I pulled back the curtains and stayed in the dining area instead. Alison, who travelled up from Hampshire and most of us, who are much more local, arrived around 11.00 am.  I had boiled the kettle in readiness.  Waitrose Heart shaped shortbreads in Lavender and Rose varieties, along with a gorgeous chocolate ganache covered cake and an apple crumble cake courtesy of Morrisons', were on the table.  Chris, who had taken the Tuesday Puppy to the vet for her vaccination, arrived about 12. She was the recipient of a lovely bag and matching notebook, which Amanda had made for her birthday, in just the right colours too!

We chatted amiably about many things and looked at some of the items we were working on. I had been given, as a gift, two packs of Liberty Lawn prints.. the blurb says it is enough to make two 70 x 80 quilts.  I am not sure this would be possible, but I will wait to see.  It all depends on the pattern I follow. The girls gave me plenty of advice so will consider it all.

Janet had a sample quilt she was completing for Needle and Thread, then went on to another project, cutting apart some half-square triangle squares.



Alison was appliqueing a beautiful felt snowman candle mat and Amanda was working on her hexagons.  Me.. prevarication ruled yet again and so although I got out my new little 'take it anywhere' Janome, I didn't actually get going with the sewing!  It is still set up waiting for that trial run! I should have been working on daughter's red, black and white friendship braid quilt top!!! Chris was working a grey shawl she had knitted.  It was quite beautiful and we all had shawl envy!

Lunch was of the soup variety - I had roasted a batch of vegetables and blended them ready with some stock... I baked a loaf of sundried tomato and parmesan bread, also had some French Bread which I heated up. A sprinkling of pine nuts (I'd run out of croutons) completed the first part of lunch.  Desert was a baked apple, courtesy of MIL who was gathering Brambley's weighing more than a pound each. One was so large I cut it in half!  I stuffed the centre with Demerara sugar, pecans, sultanas, raisins, chopped apricots (I placed one large one in the bottoms to stop leakage), then a sprinkling of cinnamon, orange juice and zest, and a squirt of golden syrup. The fragrance when I got it out of the oven was just amazing.  The orange really came through. Custard was warmed through and a very pleasant desert was eaten with gusto by all.

Tea and sewing followed but sadly 3.00 pm arrived all too quickly, thus I had to say goodbye to the Tuesday Girls until another day.  I had a date with the gym later to work off some of the hideous number of calories eaten!