Where does time go?

I have been doing things, really I have. I have finished the applique borders on the Di Ford mystery quilt. (sorry no photos yet)

And I have made up my mind about what to do with those 1/2" hexagons and not only did I decide I am already half way to appliquéing them down. The rosettes are a blue but I don't seem to be able to get the colour in a photo right.

And I have discovered the best thimble for me. I bought a pack ages ago in a sale somewhere, they went into a drawer, never to be seen again until this last week or two. I thought I would give them a whirl. I love them! They stay on but really do not feel like you have anything on your finger at all and most importantly, when I push the needle end does not go into my finger. Why did I not try them years ago?

We had a hedgehog trapped in our garden. I think it fell in from a wall above our garden but there was no way out. I ended up feeding him cat food nightly until I found someone to give him a home. He is so sweet. But looks are deceiving, I had to wear oven gloves to pick him up. I hope he is happy in his new home.

If I were doing this again

Would not have cut out the borders individually. I would have cut one piece with an inch between each border. I am finding the thread gets caught round the borders.

I would also join the bias stems before stitching them, like I have done in the 2nd one up from the bottom. So much faster and neater. I found it really fiddly to hide the joins under the leaves.

And just for some fabric eye candy. I found some of the photos given to me by the V&A for their Quilt Exhibition a few years ago. Look how some of the fabrics are fussy cut and how lovely the prints are.

Is that a dragons head at the top left of this photo?

I do have a valid excuse.

I have again not got much done but my excuse is reasonable. I had four teeth extracted on Monday. I am having implants inserted when all the prep work is done. Enough said.

I have made the rest of the hexagons for the borders.

I bought a jelly roll of Dutch Heritage fabrics from the Quilt Room when I was at Quilts UK. There were 20 different fabrics and these are one of each of them with the exclusion of one bright light blue which seemed to clash. I am thinking of either using these in the corners of this round of the quilt to replace the broderie perse or perhaps to even replace all of the broderie perse in this round.

The woodpeckers are still visiting but never four together any longer. Sibling rivalry means that they chase each other away. Occasionally I get one on each feeding station until one sees the other and then they have a mid air fight.

My raised bed is bringing much joy. It is starting to get established. I can sit on the sleepers (railway ties) and potter about.