The Good Things - Anniversaries

Linking up with Margot and Barbara again for The Good Things. This week it's anniversaries for me.

Different anniversaries mean different things to different people. Nick and I can't remember exactly when we first met, it was October 2001 in Derwent College at the University of York where we'd just started at undergraduates and lived in the same accommodation block. You meet so many people during those first few weeks at university, many you never see again, others are part of your life forever.

Our friendship grew over the next two years and finally, after some cajoling from friends we became a couple on 26th July 2003. Then three years and three days later, on 29th July 2006, we got married.

So we've been celebrating anniversaries this week. Last weekend we were in London, seeing a couple of musicals with tickets I got for my Birthday and for Christmas which deserve a blog post of their own. On Tuesday we went to Bill's for the first time, which has just opened a branch in York, and had a lovely meal. We'll certainly be back.

Sometimes I can't believe we've been married 8 years, sometimes it seems like we've been married forever. But then my parents celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary the other week, and Nick's will celebrate their 37th next month. Nick's grandparents have been married 61 years so we've got a way to go yet!

The Good Things - Guide Camp

One blog I love is Margot and Barbara because Elizabeth blogs about all sorts of themes, and whilst I love blogs just about quilting or crochet or theatre or whatever else I'm someone with 'fingers in lots of different pies' and her blog has shown me that having a blog covering a variety of topics can work well.

I'm read Elizabeth's 3 Good Things, and more recently her The Good Things, series with interest. The Good Things series features a blog post every Wednesday about one good thing in her week and she invites others to share theirs and link up. To quote:

Happiness means different things to everyone. Whether that’s climbing a mountain, baking a cake, spending time with family, travelling somewhere exciting, a gardening or environmental success, visiting a new restaurant, a great outfit post, or your experiences of learning something new, The Good Things is a linky for everyone. For me, happiness is found in the everyday things. It’s about taking notice of the small things and practising gratitude for the life that I have. So, I will join in by writing about something that’s made me happy each week; My Good Thing…

I'm starting off with a Good Thing from last week really - I started to right this post last week then chickened out but I don't want it to get lost. 

Volunteering is a hugely important part of my life, since the age of 13 I've been involved in volunteering in some way, shape or form. That's another blog post but currently one of my two main areas of volunteering is through GirlGuiding. Like many women I was a Brownie then a Guide. I was then a Young Leader and a Ranger for a bit. Then I took a break, went to University, did other stuff etc etc. Since 2008 I've been a Brownie Leader and in 2010 opened up a Guide unit too, both in a village just outside York. 

Sleepovers, weekends away and longer camps are a big part of both Guiding and Scouting and the weekend before last we went to Bramhope Scout Camp Site which is to the North West of Leeds. 

26 10 to 14 year old girls, the 4 leaders who help with Guides each week and one of the leader's mums who drove all the way from Birmingham to cook for us. We've been there twice before and so know what the expect and stay inside - none of us are big campers - but being July and great weather we got to do all sorts of activities. 

The site is also run by volunteers and has various outdoor activities available, an assault course, archery, and go karting proving popular. Saturday night's dinner was cooked on open fires by the girls - which is a real skill (bacon, beans, potato and egg followed by chocolate bananas so nothing too complicated/risky) and we also played a wide game across the site. 

We like to balance things around too so there were some crafts and cooking indoors too. I was taught how to make loom bands and the girls also love some free time. They all help with jobs like preparing food, laying the table and washing up, as we tell them we've given up our weekend to take them away, we're not waiting on them too! 

We always have a theme and this year was the Ready Steady Glasgow! Challenge all themed about The Commonwealth Games, The Commonwealth, Scotland and Sport. They all got this badge for completing the challenge:

It was a wonderful weekend and ended what has been at times a tough year in Guiding for me. But 26 happy girls thanking you at the end of the weekend makes it all worthwhile. 

Finish Along - week 1

A week into my finish along challenge and no finish to report - but some progress.

Thank you to everyone who looked at my blog last week and commented on here or on Instagram - I'll get to grips with blogging and make it more 'fancy pants' in time.

Whilst this weekend did feature a lot of sewing it was sadly mainly taking up our dining room curtains. Embarrassingly we took them down last August when we redecorated, I half took up one and then, as seems to be a theme with me, they ended up being shoved in my sewing room and then moved around there getting in the way for nearly a year.

Lots of sitting on our bed watching tv got them all sorted, back up, and more space in my sewing room again.

I did finish my Posy quilt top from my finish along and whilst my sashing isn't perfect I'm pretty pleased with it (it's my first attempt at sashing like this) so this week's target is to baste and quilt this: 

In true fashion I did start something new this week, I got caught up with the v stitch crochet 'craze' and started a new random blanket. It's quick, portable and is just using Stylecraft Special DK from my stash. 

It's the one time of year when I wish I'd done more with my PGCE than put the certificate in a folder. 6 weeks summer holiday would suit me just lovely right now. I did however get 30 minutes in the sunshine crocheting at work this lunch time - if only I could bring my sewing machine to work on my bike.....

Finish Along Quarter 3

I've procrastinated for too long about joining in the Finish Along as well as getting my teeth into blogging but I've pulled my finger out and got this in just in time. I'm hoping it'll give me some focus over the next few months too. So I'm linking up with Katy at The Littlest Thistle in the hope the shame make me finish things this time. 

Please excuse my poor efforts at a blog - it will become shiner with time I'm sure and my husband would have a fit if he saw these photos - my phone in my bedroom at 11pm is not ideal! 

Thanks to Hannah at Sewing and Slinging as it was her Finish Along blog post I took inspiration from when doing mine. 

In no particular order here are 10 of my WIPs that I really want to finish this summer:

1. Splitting Squares Quilt

Anna at Quilting Along the Grain's  Splitting squares quilt, I won the pattern in a giveaway last summer and made the top last August, got no further. The sashing is navy, rather than black I promise!

2. Spotty Plus Baby Quilt

Made the top this April, again got no further.

3. Posy Baby Quilt

Only started last month, my current project. Needs a couple more borders then quilting and binding.

4. Disappearing 9 Patch Quilt

Disappearing 9 patch, did these over a year ago, never got any further.

5. Simply Solids Wonky Stars Quilt 

Last year to compliment their new monthly solid stash club Laura produced a wonky star quilt pattern for Simply Solids one of my favourite fabric shops. I did pretty well keeping up with making the stars until the autumn, then it all went a bit wrong. But I have a recipient for this now so it needs finishing. 

6. Rainbow Baby Lattice Quilt

Wanted to make a quilt for a friend's baby last autumn. Remembered how much I'd liked Laura's Baby Lattice Quilt by Amy Smart so I started, but by the time I cut all the pieces it was getting close to Christmas and it got shoved in a corner somewhere. 

7. Katy's Patchwork Quilt Blocks Quilt

Last summer I got a copy of Katy Jones' book 25 Patchwork Quilt Blocks last summer. Cut 20 out for filler projects, you know when you've just got a little bit of time in an evening to make one block, made 8 then put away...

8. HST Cushion

Finished one of these for my Brother & his wife last year for Christmas, didn't realise I hadn't done second. It was my first play with my Sizzix machine last summer. 

9. Free motion Quilting Petal Cushion

Made this at a workshop at The Skep with Brioni in December, only needs the binding attached, embarrassing.

10. Date Night Purse 

For a little variety my Date Night Purse by Erin at Dog Under My Desk - it's no secret that I love Erin's patterns and rightly so - they contain so much detail and very clear instructions and this is her latest. I only started this last week and am waiting for foam batting before I can finish so hope for this one yet!

That's me done, 7 quilts, 2 cushions and a bag, maybe a little ambitious but the next couple of months are quiet volunteering wise so I'm optimistic I can smash my huge pile of WIPS.....

Look forward to sharing my progress on these and other things and getting to grips with blogging over the next few months.