I'll be quilting!

You might be surprised at the title for this blog post as quilting is what I do most hours of most days anyway! But I'll be retreating even more to my studio now that the World Cup Football has begun. Not that John is an avid football fan. He never ever watches it but as a true-blooded Englishman he does feel the need to support his country during the World Cup. I have the feeling they will need all the support they can get!

In a way I'm a lot luckier than he is. Rather than support one team (alas, Scotland did not make it in!) I can divide my loyalties. If England wins, John will be happy, which will make me happy.

If Oranje Boven (that's Orange on Top) or in other words the Dutch team wins I'll be quite pleased as that's the country of my birth and I'm still quite proud of that fact occasionally. Orange is the national colour of The Netherlands as our monarchy is the House of Orange.

If the Azuri win I'll also smile as I used to have a boyfriend who was a fanatic supporter of the Italian football team (know as the Azuri, they wear blue). I hardly need add he was an Italian and during the time we were together there was also a World Cup. I freely admit that I have absolutely no idea who won that one but the match between the Dutch team and the Italian one will live on in my memory for all the right reasons (we won that match, and yes, that means the Dutch! I still was Dutch at that time). We watched the match at a restaurant/bar in Italy and I was the only Dutch person present. There were heaps of pasta, endless shouting, enormous quantities of wine. The whole evening remains a bit of a blur! At the end of the night (or rather the next morning!) almost everyone was very hungover and depressed but one person (can you guess who?) was over the moon (and still quite drunk!). Those were the days!

Every world cup since has brought back those happy memories and I will cast my mind back to those times, while quilting away in my studio. I might have a look at the final if one of the above mentioned teams features but for the rest I'll enjoy the stitching a lot more. And the memories. And the garden. You can see why I uploaded the orange and blue pictures but the one at the top is simply there because I love Grannie's Bonnets or to give them their proper name Aquilegia Vulgaris! And they are no reflection on the English team. Honestly!!