A Mixed Bag

Today the blog post is a mix of art and nature. But before I tell you about both I just want to say a very BIG hello to all the new blog readers. I handed out many cards during the Loch Lomond Quilt Show to give visitors my blog address so that they could read more about the 52 Journals project. And to my surprise since then the number of visitors here has more than doubled. I can only put that down to the power of publicity. I receive an e-mail weekly with my blog statistics and on average 112 people visit this blog every day and I have also read to my amazement that since I started blogging (back in December 2006) more than 132.000 people have been on this blog. It's a humbling feeling, specially as since the last few months this also includes my mother (hope she won't mind that I tell you she will be 81 this year and has acquired an iPad!). I  hope you will enjoy your visit, whoever you are, and that my writing will keep you entertained for a few minutes.

Back to the pictures. Above my African Circles quilt which has been on one outing already last year and which needed blocking for which I hadn't had time. I had forgotten all about that till I came across it again while looking for another quilt that had to be on it's way. As a result this week our bathroom has been overtaken by African Circles. The quilt is 77" square, so quite large and the bathroom is the only place where I can block without danger of dog paws running all across it. It's a bit of a nuisance (this is an understatement!!) as we have to scuttle around the edges of the room but will hopefully pay off in a lovely hanging quilt. I pin it to size (which is why the bathroom is carpeted) and then spray it all over with water. For good measure we also have several showers while the quilt is on the floor. Then it needs to dry (I usually allow for 3 or 4 days) before I take it up again and hopefully the job is done then.I could not resist a picture. All the fabrics are African and were bought from the African Fabric Shop.

At the same time as quilt related activities (I'm also beading another large quilt) I also try and enjoy the better weather by spending time in the garden. We're in the process of hardening off various plants that overwintered in our greenhouse and while John was moving a very large pot, he found these delightful creatures underneath. He knew (and Googling confirmed it) that they were newts. They were very quiet and still and I grabbed the opportunity to take some pictures before we put a large saucer back over them to give them back their safe and secure hiding place. What a treat to have such fascinating creatures in our greenhouse.