Summer Sunshine and Christmas Fun

Here in the UK we can truly say that SUMMER HAS ARRIVED!

We've stopped saying to each other, 'Well, I suppose that it's not exactly cold, but you wouldn't call this the end of June, would you?', and - as of last weekend - have started saying, 'It's SO hot I haven't the energy to do a thing!'

But then we are Brits and love having a good moan - and all the better if it can be about the weather!  I'm not moaning though, oh no!  I love the long summer evenings and wall-to-wall sunshine - hurrah!

It does mean that I'm doing more in the way of gardening and less in the way of quilting, but I'm quite happy to swap my hobbies with the seasons - after all, there's plenty of days when 'rain stops play' outside and I'm tucked up in the attic room with my fabrics.

I haven't been totally idle with my needle and thread, though - this camera case for the Next-doors has given the ol' grey matter some exercise - this might be the sort of thing that Trudi knocks up in half an hour, but it's a first for me; and the learning curve has been how to bind the opening, given there are a couple of inside corners to bind. I think I've cracked it now, and will hope to have that finished for the weekend.

Also to be finished for the weekend is this chap.

He's for our Scarecrow competition at the allotment site - I need to give him a bit more hair, make sure he's sewn together strongly enough; and give him a face of course, and then he can sit and relax amongst the pumpkins with his fork, and a beer.  Marvelous fun!

And why all this activity to get ready for the weekend?  Well can you believe it - it's the July Christmas Quiltalong weekend!  I'll give you all the details a bit later in the week, but playmates new and old, you are all invited over to my place this weekend - we're gonna have a party!