Back in the Saddle Again....

My computer whizz sister Belinda came round yesterday and has sorted out my uploading problem.  So....

We went to the NEC and had a brilliant time.  The hotel was lovely and clean although the view from my window left a bit to be desired:

It's the generator for the air conditioning!  What a racket - I spent all night opening and closing the window: couldn't decide which was worse - the noise or sleeping with no fresh air!  Still, I had an adjoining balcony with Sandra so it was fun banging on her window and making her jump.

Saw some lovely quilts -  my favourites are pictured below, with the names of the makers where possible.

I really loved this one made by a lady in Ireland.  Instead of having a blog she makes a quilt blog of everything she does (someone standing near told me she makes one every year):


By Irene MacWilliam

I thought it was marvellous.

I also saw a similar one to an old quilt a caravanner gave me:

By Linda Fry

I liked the way it was put together so have started taking mine apart to put it back together like this.

Other favourites were:

By Virginia Enright

By Ingrid Huber

 



And the best in show, for anyone who didn't go, was:

 

If Lyn Johnson had put her version of Yoko Saito's quilt in the competition I am sure she would have won - it's not quite finished yet, but still absolutely stunning - so much work:

 

 

 

I didn't always agree with the judges, certainly I thought Philippa Naylor's dress was exquisitely worked and I'm not sure I would have chosen the coracle to win.  Still........beauty in the eye of the beholder.

On the farm it's that time of year again,  so the men are working very hard and I'm providing them with fuel.
I'm very excited about the second brood of swallows we have.  This was the first sighting:

And then I was thrilled to see the whole brood:

They are much bigger now and I suppose they will soon be off to Africa:

They all look a bit grumpy, don't they!

May bug time came and went.  We get so many up here and in the evening they fly down the chimney:

Blooming nuisance.

And finally; it was Lambourn carnival over the Bank Holiday and Linda and Betty were fantastic as Aunt Sally and Worzel Gummidge

 

I think you can tell by the way I'm staring at her blankly that I didn't even recognise her! Absolutely hilarious!!