Three Old Men and A Beothuk Star

Today I feel I have achieved something. I have finished my blocks in time for the link up for the Beothuk Star QAL. So? Moaning Minnie here, I've had a sore throat and sore ears for two weeks now so life has been mostly lying around with little get up and go. But we have a finish! A finish of the first blocks anyway.

Sandra's instructions are very comprehensive. She has made many variations of this quilt amended the instructions accordingly. I read all the instructions, several times. Feeling rather cotton wool brained, I thought I would make the 4 main stars and then add on the additional blocks bit by bit.
Here's Sandra's own photo of her quilt.

 That was my plan, read the instructions and go off piste. Looking at fabrics, I realised in some cases, I wouldn't have much fabric to play games with, especially if it all went a bit wrong. As it does. Sometimes.

So I  decided to play ball. I would follow her instructions as laid out. After all, Sandra designed the quilt, she knows what she is doing. As I am using 4 different fabrics for my squares, I was to make the blocks using 2 of the fabrics. To help concentrate my mind, I laid the bits for all 4 fabric blocks on my design wall. I love to say that now. My design wall. I then picked two, and started sewing.

Sandra's instructions are well laid out and clear. Very quickly I had 3 blocks of the first colour using my lemon floral inner cornerstone fabric.

 Next up was a single block with the contrast of the centre star that literally pops.

 I changed my mind several times with this central contrast fabric.

 First up was the strong pink, but it was too similar I felt to the pink floral. Next up was the blue floral. It was a definite contender, but at the last minute it was ruled out. Too similar to the other blue floral. It is getting a little like Goldilocks here, too warm, too hot. The next was a complete non starter, too whishy washy. Last up was the white with the stronger flowers. I don't have very much of that though. With a fair wind, it should be ok. Just.

The second set of 4 blocks just flew off the machine. The main blue in this set is the blue floral I used for backing in my Granny's House Liberty Quilt.

So, that is my first 8 blocks made. A start made also on the next 8 blocks. They should fairly whizz by as a repeat of the first 8.

Today felt like a landmark day too for another reason. After two weeks in the house pretty much, we went out! My car battery was flat, my own battery was flat. My daughter's car needed a good run too. So ... we decided to go out separately and meet up at Glenarm Castle and Walled Garden, which most importantly has a tea room. All went well until I decided to take a short cut. Never a good idea. My friend had told me this was a handy short cut, cutting out the town of  Larne. Nothing happened, don't be worrying, its just I'm an urban driver worried about her battery going flat. I drove for miles on country roads, over hills and down hills, round twisty bends  and bendy twists. The countryside was beautiful, if I wasn't watching the road so much. Worst of all was the little hump backed bridge that could only take one car at a time. I smiled when I saw the 30 mile per hour sign, I was scarcely driving that anyway! Eventually I "reached my destination" about 3 or 4 minutes faster than my husband. He left after me, was driving my daughter's small car, I was in my super fast speedy Mercedes sports car! Short cut - I don't think so!

We had a lovely walk around the walled garden, most of the tulips were finished, but still lovely.

 

 

Luckily for us, the grounds around the Castle, which is still a private home, were open.

 



 A great lunch too and off home along the main coast road. It is twisty and turny too, and has a tunnel which only takes one car at a time, but it doesn't faze me at all. No tractors and a white line down the middle of the road! My type of driving. Our Coast Road is really beautiful and perfect driving today, bright but no strong sun and not too much traffic.

One thing I did observe today - (being housebound sharpens your observations). What is it with old men? Now I am married to an old man, I love him dearly, but other old men .... two old men next to us in the tea room, "posh English" braying, sorry  talking loudly about lobster omelettes , perhaps suitable for a vegetarian. Now, I have been in the London restaurant they were referring to, but seriously men, lobster omelette?

 The next old man was parked in a lay by at the side of the road. He was playing with his drone, directing it over the sea. Harmless enough. But ... as a wife and mother I just knew this is wishing for a disaster. A remote control drone going over the sea? Seriously? One lost drone coming up.

And the last old man? He was parked at the side of the coast road and was whacking what looked like 2 large salmon against the wall. I love Glenarm salmon, but surely it is kinder to whack the salmon with a something, a stick or something. I don't know ...

So, we came home, walked around our own rather smaller garden and I went to finish my blocks. My own old man made the tea - omelette with mushroom and smoked salmon, from Glenarm! And you know what? Every single egg of the 6 had a double yolk. Now is that a lucky thing or not?

Helen x
also linking up with Beth and Cooking Up  Quilts and her Main Crush Monday