Where does all the time go?

So what have I been doing to loose all this time - well baking for a party of 80+ guests.  My son's partner Julie turned 30 on the 14th August and she had never had a party so Sy, Julie'smum and myself set off to bake.

This was only part of the days work I ran out of storage space and ended up putting stuff in my sewing room.

But the big smile made it worthwhile.

That was on the Saturday on the Sunday we had a BBQ for the rest of the family that couldn't make the party so it was a non-stop weekend.  

On the following Wednesday we set off for two days at the FOQ.  The show was wonderful, I was of course, far to late to book a workshop but I did get into Maggie Grey's lecture on 3D embroidery.  It was very entertaining and I enjoyed it but wished they'd been less of other peoples work and more of Maggie's.

Now anyone who knows me knows that I don't particularly like rusted fabric.   However, the display of rust work from the Prague Patchwork group was absolutely magnificent.  It was so astonishing that I bought their CD.   This is a sample of their work.

And now for a photo of my new Baby......

 The Accuquilt.  It works a bit like the card makers' Sizzex machine with metal die cutters punching out shapes from fabric.  I hope to do great things with it. Keith says its my birthday, Xmas, Easter and all the Saint days presents rolled into one for the next five years.  We'll see.... but I love it so far. Two days aren't not enough to do justice to the show but my poor suffering dh, feet and pocket had had enough

To day is mine and Keith's birthday, yes its the same day.   I got the Accuquilt as my main present and Jan Messant's new book "Celtic, Viking & Anglo-Saxon Embroidery" for my birthday.  Keith got a bandsaw which doesn't arrive until next week.   The book is lovely, very well written and illustrated, so much so that I sat down and read it from beginning to end in one go, very unusual for me I'm the 'dip into' type.

Tomorrow evening the family (well at least 12 of them) are gathering for  our birthday dinner at an inn in a nearby village.   Keith and I are looking forward to that all I have to do now is finishing the washing, ironing and tidy the house before all the guests arrive.

"The" wedding is also getting close, final suit fitting tomorrow as well as the family dinner.

I trailed all over town looking for suitable headgear to go with my wedding outfit and couldn't find anything suitable.  But within an hour of walking into the FOQ I  found Janie Lashford'smillinery stall, how appropriate was that.  We had a long discussion on styles and tried on several fascinators finally settled on this kit .  Now all I have to do is make it before next Friday when we set off for the Lake District for the wedding on )Saturday.  On the Sunday (the 5th) it will be our RubyWedding but I doubt we'll celebrate as I really need a rest.