July ...ing
















I am nearly there, my summer holiday is just around the corner. It is all very exciting. We booked a pitch on our favourite campsite. I hope we can go. Campsites in Scotland can open from 15 July.   I suppose the shared facilities might be an issue. I have also booked a hairdresser appointment for the 6th of August. There is a £5 surcharge for personal protective equipment. 

Piling-up books to read during my holiday. I listen to books most of the time, I like being entertained when doing chores or when I am walking the dog. When I am on holiday I like to sit somewhere comfortable with a book in hand. Preferably a camping share beside a campfire.

Listening to Magpie Lane by Lucy Atkins. I had to speed up the narration because I could not bear not to know the end. 

Shopping for yarn at my local yarn shop. It opened on Monday and I took a stroll there to have a wee look. No queue, hand sanitiser just inside the door so that customers can squish the yarn, perspex shield to shield the shop owner, only one customer at the time (it is a very small shop). I really enjoyed the my non-essential shopping experience. 

Knitting the Love Note sweater by Tin Can Knits. It is knitted with a combination of mohair lace and 4ply yarn. I am using Drops Kid silk (dark rose) and Drops Fabel (ruby red). Despite the very different colour description, the shades are almost a perfect match. If only yarn manufacturers would use a single colour name and code for all their different types of yarn.

Marvelling at James's growth. This boy is shooting up like a lettuce and his feet are ginormous. Some essential clothes and shoe purchasing is on the cards.

Keeping an eye on my one and only quince (shown above). The tree is still tiny and this is the first time it set fruit. 

Waiting for my new running leggings/tights (there is some debate in my house over the correct name) and t-shirt. My old leggings are worn through and get very heavy in the rain. 

Admiring my new pile of 40 fat quarters, a random collection of colours and prints. I wanted to freshen up my fabric collection with new prints. I like to buy my quilting fabric in US Etsy stores because I have an affinity for US fabric designers that are sometimes difficult to find here in the UK. I bought the last stack back a long time ago, maybe in 2014 and it keeps on giving.

Realising that I needed another EPP project in my life. Hand-stitching is good for my mental wellbeing.  I am going to make a quilt inspired by Tales of Cloths Lucy's Terrace quilt (which is inspired by Lucy Boston's Patchwork of the Crosses). I bought the pdf pattern at Tales of Cloths but purchased the papers and acrylic template more locally. 

Leading three evening tutorials in the first week of July. All my students are in full-time employment and evening tutorials and weekend tutorials are not unusual. 

Noticing a black moustache growing. Just a couple of black hairs but I don't like it. I'll make some sugaring wax to remove it. The joys of getting older eh?

Yawning, so much yawning.... it is almost compulsive. 

Eating a meal cooked by James and Alistair (supervised by Annie). Coconut lime chicken with roastinis (pan fried gnocchi) and broccoli, followed by lemon tart made from scratch, lemon curd and all.  

Also eating Annie's homemade Garibaldi biscuits. I don't think I'll ever enjoy shop bought ones again. She made them as a surprise, after overhearing that I had a hankering for a good old Garibaldi. 

Listening to the weekly briefing by our First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon. She is a world apart from her bumbling counterpart in England (I am not informed enough to comment about how things are in Northern Ireland and Wales). Scotland appears to be doing well i

Making sure we have masks for everybody. Face coverings in shops are mandatory in Scotland from July 10, they are already mandatory on public transport. I am happy with that and hope that we don't see ludicrous mask wars as seen in the US. How weird is that?

Feeling chilled out after a day of doing very little. 

How are you all my lovely readers? I hope well and happy? Thanks for visiting and saying hello.


P.S. A final ...ing: Looking for a new home for 25 fat quarters from the Mammoth Flannel collection by Robert Kaufman (see last photo). I bought these years ago to make a quilt for Alistair but he had different ideas. Let me know if you'd like them. Happy to post within the UK. NEW HOME FOUND (updated 6 July 2020)

Comments

  1. I love how you write your posts , very informative !! Have a wonderful vacation Take care and Be safe from Iowa

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  2. That’s a nice stack of books! Hope you have a relaxing vacation. 😊

    Garibaldi biscuits sound delicious.

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  3. Yes please I would like them. Let me know how much. Thank you
    Helena

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    Replies
    1. Hi Helena. I am so sorry but I received a message late last night and the fabric is already spoken for. I am really sorry.

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  4. Garibaldis are excellent aren't they. My grandpa used to call them dead fly biscuits. I do love a bit of English paper piecing as well. I do lots of slow measuring and cutting of the papers from old brown envelopes. I'll be interested to hear what you think of Where The Crawdads Sing, I quite like the sound of it. I know what you mean about boys growing fast. The middle boy had new school shoes exactly at lockdown time, and I think he might have grown out of them by September, without actually wearing them! I hope you have a wonderful holiday. CJ xx

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  5. Camping and a hair appointment. Whee!

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  6. Another thing the US can be proud of mask wars! Those who do not wear them are not making a statement about their personal rights, rather they are endangering the whole population. It is ludicrous! Your July sounds just lovely. Sew, teach, watch boys grow and enjoy every minute of your camping trip. Stay safe.

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  7. Garibaldi biscuits I haven't had one in years...yummy! I gave in and bought a facial flawless shaver, it was worth every penny and saves all the messing about for those stray hairs. We have been impressed with the First Minister too throughout lockdown but am not a fan of the political party, she has handled it all very well. We are shielding so it is the end of the month before any major changes for us but we are certainly looking forward to making plans. Enjoy your camping trip and the long awaiting hairdresser appointment.

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  8. Ooohh yarn :) Your knitting looks so pretty, soft and squishy. I still haven't been to the shops, I still think the relaxing of the lockdown is a bit premature. Your sunflowers are beautiful. I hope you can go on your camping holiday and the weather is good for you. Take care. Best, Jane x

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  9. I hope you enjoy a much deserved upcoming summer holiday. Your plans sound just lovely. And what gorgeous sunflowers!

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  10. Look at all those pretty colors of fabrics you have!
    I have Crawdads on my shelf waiting to be read.
    Your kids cooked! I am teaching my boys I hope they can cook when they grow up..

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  11. I hope you have a wonderful vacation and do share photos. I love your new and colorful fabric. I need to collect some too as I want to make some masks. My daughter is anti-mask and it just breaks my heart. We're doing well here and hoping to remain clear of covid. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  12. wow, I'm loving your July! hope you get to camping, we've optimistically booked a few nights in Cornwall. I'm desperate for break!

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  13. You do have much to look forward to Christina, a vacation, haircut and lots of reading. Hope all goes according to the hoped for plans. We have taken a short getaways within the state As a makeup to one cancelled in April (same place) and it was nice. Mask wearing is mandatory here for all public spaces and also where social distancing is not possible. Despite that there are those who will not wear them even when in a shop.

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  14. I like how the colours of the book pile match so well with the colours of the fabric in the next photo! Sounds lovely to have those meals and biscuits cooked for you :) I hope your camping trip goes ahead as planned... I'm a bit jealous! Our last baby free holiday went out of the window when lockdown began... I'd so love to go camping soon, but am definitely not embarking on that in the final weeks of pregnancy, haha!

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  15. So much loveliness here. A camping trip in the pipeline, a haircut booked, home made biscuits and a meal made by someone else. Children and their growth, I swear they do it when our backs are turned!

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  16. As you can see I am catching up reading my favourite blogs this evening! I do like a garibaldi too so I bet homemade ones are yummy. My dad called them dead fly biscuits too but it didn’t put me off. Lovely yarn and fabrics too. I’ve not ventured out for non essential shopping yet. I’m ready Girl, Woman, Other at the moment and really enjoying it.

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Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment, I love to hear from you, I really do. I sometimes reply by email but I am not all that reliable... Christina xx

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