Super Stuffed Saturday and Sedate Sunday

Well the much anticipated Quilting Workshop was well worth the wait, as you will have seen from both Frugal Queen's and Fostermummy's blogs at the end of the day yesterday.

But I should really start at the beginning. I was up yesterday at 5am, because Number 1 Son, was leaving Church at 6am for a 35 mile walk across the entire length of Dartmoor for the day. As all Mom's do, I wanted to make sure my 13 yr old, 5' 9", "baby" had his packed lunch and tea, his drink, his spare socks etc and was at the meeting place on time. I was very anxious about him attempting such a feat without any parental supervision present, but neither DH or I would have ever managed it.

After he was duly dispatched, I tried to get another hours sleep before heading to pick up Fostermummy for our exciting day out. Like a true Blogger she started taking photos as soon as we hit the Tamar bridge to cross from Devon to Cornwall. On arrival it was lovely to meet the delightful CraftyKim, although I have to be honest and admit, the sight of her superdouper Sewing Machine, jangled my already heightening nerves.

Firstly Froogs showed us how to cut all the beautiful fabric into the correct size strips and pretty soon she had me sat at a sewing machine. It is impossible to describe here how terrified of that inanimate object I felt, but with Froogs gentle encouragement I eventually pressed the foot pedal. Aaagh! Things started to move and I did not feel in control of any of them. Froogs described it as learning the clutch control pedal of a car, but it was harder. I just could not seem to vary the speed, but despite this I managed to sew five strips of fabric together. Here:-

My first five strips stitched together

It's amazing, I felt so pleased, I even allowed myself to breathe at this point.

A few more strips later and it was lunch-time. Yes, it really did take me that long!!!

My second five strips, woohoo!

The banquet Frugal Queen laid on was delicious and I did feel stuffed, the beautiful homemade Cherry Bakewell may have had something to do with it.

A veritable feast, with homemade Quiche and Falfels.

In the afternoon we cut our strips into squares and joined strips of 5 squares together, then had a great time adding the yellow strips between squares, sticking backing to the floor with duct tape, adding the wadding and the quilt top. Then Kim turned up the speed on her superdouper machine and we all did some stitching in the ditch. Froogs and Kim added the edging and we had a complete quilt by home time. Kim won the finished quilt and she definitely deserved to, as she did most of the work. I was just fascinated to watch how competent she was, much admiration.

Alternating Strips

Taping Down the backing

Gluing on the wadding.

Adding our Quilt top.

The very skillful hands of Crafty Kim at work.

Now I need to find someone with a machine to give away and I will have another go at something with my lovely recycled fabrics. Another skill learnt, well kind of, I need a lot more practice, yet.

A wonderful finished quilt.

Thank you three lovely ladies for a wonderful day and for looking after me and a big Thank You Lord for your grace, that is changing me, from a hopeless case to a child that's free, and for such a huge blessing.

While I had been scaring enjoying myself, Number 2 Son, had been at a birthday party, kayaking on a lake, eating from the Barbecue and generally causing mayhem in the park with friends. Poor DH had to help "stuff" various sticky 8 yr olds into and out of wetsuits and pick up dropped sausages.

After dropping Fostermummy home, I waited for my Son to return from his walk. Then I got a message to say he was likely to be back in Plymouth at 8:30pm, then later to say 9:00pm. At 9:30pm, I was beginning to think my worst fears had been realised and he had fallen down some disused mine shaft in the middle of the moor. Then I got a phonecall to say they were all safe off the moor and in a pub having some food and trying to get warm. They had encountered hail, very strong winds (the weather not the men), driving rain and fog, but would be back in another hour or so. At 10:45pm, he arrived back at Church, shaking uncontrollably and barely able to walk, and he had fared better than the older men. After changing all his wet clothes for dry and feeding him hot drinks, we headed home and got in at 23:58. There followed a very hot bath and more hot drinks and he was returned to near normality. He had been given the opportunity to drop out at 3pm when they hit Princetown, along with the other teenager who left at that point, but he was determined to carry on.

I'd just like to say, here and now, that I am very proud of you, Son, for being the only teenager to complete the Men's walk. It shows courage and determination and what a 'man' you are. Well done on an amazing achievement.

I fell into bed last night at 1am and reflected on our stuffed day, we haven't had one as busy as that in a while.

This morning Number 1 Son was up straight away, with no ill effects and I could barely walk, as my right "pedal" leg and ankle were aching from all the tension I was holding it in yesterday. Number 2 Son was on "send", yabbering on about all he had done at the party yesterday and I was glad to get to Church to have a sit down and some quiet prayer time. This afternoon we have all dozed on the sofa and recuperated.

What a fantastic weekend, roll on the next one.

Lots of Love Arwedd xx