Spring has gloriously sprung!

It's been the weather for long walks. My photography skills aren't up to much, so this picture doesn't do credit to how lovely the view was from this bridle path. Deep blue sky, masses of dandelions everywhere, cowslips, daffodils still blooming. The sharp yellow of a field of oil seed rape. Blossom on the trees and birds flitting about, gathering material for nest building.

This second photo was taken at RSPB St Aidans nature reserve. Easy to reach from my house, and ideal for an early evening stroll. It's not only what's visible that I like about this site. It's the sounds too. You get the birds squarking and calling out as they swoop and dive through the air, but also the rustle of masses of reed beds and dried grasses as they sway and shiver in the breeze.

Such pretty blossom.

Once back indoors, I've been studiously ignoring the DIY type jobs that need doing - everytime I go into the bathroom I'm looking up at the ceiling thinking 'It'd only take me a morning to paint that' - there's even a tin of paint and a brush in the bathroom, all ready to go! - instead I've been playing about with these improv blocks. Sewing strips together, cutting 'em up, reassembling. Once you start, it's addictive and all kinds of patterns emerge out of the chaos.

I'm alternating that playfulness with another task. Quilting this backing on to my scrappy quilt. It's made up of remnants of material, plus some orphan blocks and a couple of pieces of hexagonal patchwork that would've been made up into cushion covers, if I didn't already have way too many cushions. I suppose some people might think it's a shame to have these handmade hexies tucked away on the reverse, out of sight, but I rather like the idea of a quilt having a hidden surprise.

I'm looking forward to getting this quilt finished, and I think it'll end up being a favourite that I'll use for years to come.

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Fabric bowls & electrical cables ...

To add to my seemingly never ending list of works-in-progress, I've started making a fabric bowl. Or should I call it a fabric basket? I'm not sure. Anyway, I've made the odd bowl or two before, like this blue & white one that I keep cotton perle in. I decided to use upholstery material, which has both advantages & disadvantages. On the good side, it has a certain stiffness, which helps the bowl stay in shape. On the irritating side, the kind of material I'm using frays like mad, and I'm forever picking up threads off the carpet. The bowl's a simple construction, and I've used a circle of cardboard covered with brown felt for the base. It'll look much better when I've embroidered and stitched into it. I've made a start on that, and appliqued on a rectangle of plum coloured velvet for extra interest. When not stitching, I've been catching up on my reading. I finished C J Sansom's 'Dark Fire'. Real...

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