A snowy day

We don't get snow here very often, maybe once or twice a year, and rarely for more than a couple of days.  So when it does arrive, as it did today with about 2-3" of snowfall, many things grind to a halt.  All the schools on the Island were shut, and we watched a steady stream of youngsters heading off for a local hill to do a spot of tobogganing, armed with an interesting array of sleds, both plastic shop-bought ones, and home-made improvised ones (I was particularly taken with one enterprising lad who had his surf board with him!)  DH and I both said how good it was to see so many kids out and about, simply having fun in the snow. 

  

The roads were quiet (no school runs to do) after the initial battle to get to work.  We overlook quite a busy junction, and several cars lost grip on the corner, and two had very narrowing escapes just missing the traffic lights.  With snow being so rare here, people just aren't used to driving in these conditions.  

We live in a first-floor flat, and overlook our neighbours' gardens.  We always enjoy watching the birds, and keep bird identification books and binoculars to hand so we can check up on what's about.  With the snow around, I was particularly keen to see a robin (snow + robin = Christmas card!), and my patience was rewarded when I caught a glimpse of a flash of red.  

I love taking photos with my little Nikon Coolpix - I'm no pro by any stretch of the imagination, but I just point and click at things that catch my eye.  The only problem is that I have ended up with a stack of photos on the laptop.  So that is another project for this year - sorting through and labelling all the photos (and probably deleting quite a few, too).  I see this as one more way of simplifying my life, getting things in order and easier to access - a decluttering exercise.  Along similar lines, I spent half an hour today going through my email folders, deleting unnessary one and moving others to appropriate folders.  If I get into the habit of doing these things little and often, they won't become huge tasks I keep putting off, terrified of the enormity of them.

The waistcoat project has been put on hold temporarily.  Having carefully drafted the pattern up, adding a bit for good measure, cutting out and sewing some seams, it seems that DH is a bit broader in the back than I had made allowances for!  I didn't have enough fabric left over to remedy the situation, so I need to buy an extra piece to continue.  Not liking to sit around twiddling my thumbs, I fetched out a bag of machine quilting samples that I had stashed away, and got thinking.  

I have been meaning to make a scissor case for my new dressmaking shears (a much appreciated Christmas present from my son).  Seeing these samples made me realise that one of the squares would do the trick nicely.  A bit of bias binding from my workbox, and hey presto, a neat  case for the scissors.  And it hasn't cost me anything except my time.  

I now have plans for some other machine quilting samples, to make my 'sewing room' (the spare bedroom, really) a little more homey and practical.

Machine quilting is something I am trying to master.  I have had a couple of lessons at OliVen quilting shop in Newport, from Vendulka, who is a very talented craftswoman and excellent teacher, but the best way of mastering the technique is by practising - lots and lots of practising!  But at least now I have found a way to put all those little samples to some practical use.  I'm feeling very pleased with myself!