Miniature Railway Exhibition

Ok, so we had a really nerdy morning, but I'm not ashamed. The Roding Valley Model Railway Group were holing an exhibition in Leytonstone a short walk from home. 


After a disappointing breakfast at La Belgique (really disorganised service) we toddled down to the Methodist church on Leytonstone High Road. The weather has been stunning today so the walk was very pleasurable. 

The exhibition was excellent and there were a lot of people there although I think I was the only young female! The Epping to Ongar society look really interesting and I am thinking of volunteering. They said it would be great to widen their range of volunteers!!!

The models were really intricate and not only involved detailed design, but also had complex signalling systems and home made panels. Very impressed.

 

Nana's Bed Sheet

I have this flat bed sheet I stole from my mum when I moved to London, it's adorned many a spare bed and covered friends on sofas over the last seven years. I have now torn it up and started putting it to a new use!


A couple of months ago I made a runner for the spare room bed with applique in the same material as the cushions. Tonight I have made a peg bag...

Cutting the bed sheet and adding applique...

Sewing the applique...

The finished product!

I think my great grandma would be pleased with how many uses this bed sheet has been put to. An there's still tons left!!!

Book Club

An enjoyable evening at Wahaca discussing our latest book Sultana's Dream and Padmarag. 


We were divided in two with those who liked the book and those who didn't! I felt the book was hard work for little reward and I missed greater description which would have given the book a feel of what India was like at the turn of the last century. However, taken in context it is a book that must have pushed boundaries and can be admired for that. I love the discussions at our book club which range from gut reactions to in depth analysis!


Wahaca is a great restaurant serving Mexican street food which you can share or keep to yourself. The tequila is also great!!


Next book club, The Double by Jose Saramango.

Floristry Class

Yesterday evening I went to the wonderful Whole Foods floristry class with Kate and Harriet from work and Lucy. Wanda runs a fantastic class giving an example of an arrangement and then letting you create. This means the class isn't too rigid and you always feel like you have done a good job.


It's always interesting to see people's different interpretations of the arrangement. In the picture below I think ours look quite similar, but they were quite different.

An eclectic mix

A lovely weekend with assorted family members at a range of events doing different activities!


Breakfast at La Belgique, a great find in Wanstead. Fran, Sue, mum, dad and Ben and a whole lotta lattes. Really good breakfast with good quality ingredients. 


The afternoon was spent booking our holiday and doing some craft with mum. I finished off a baby dress and a bag.

There was also time for a bit of baking for grandma.

Sunday was an early start to go to the Special Liberal Democrat Conference in Birmingham. Which was an exciting culmination of the last two weeks in the Lib Dems. No in depth analysis now, it's too late. Maybe in another post.

Quilting and Eat 17

Today mum, Sue and I went to the Quilting exhibition at the Victoria and Albert museum. The exhibition was fantastic even if sewing and crafts aren't your bag. It was fascinating to see the hand stitching on the older quilts and the amazing hours put in to the larger works. I really liked the traditional quilts with 'vintage fabrics' and beautiful quilted designs. 

We came away with bundles of fat quarters and lots of ideas for crafts. I can't wait to get back on the sewing machine!

Some of the larger quilts depicting military scenes and Bible freezes were clearly impressive but not my favourites. The modern quilts were interesting and occasionally politically challenging dealing with issues such as abortion, Iraqi casualties and dreams. There was also an amazing project done by the inmates at HMP Wandsworth which was thought-provoking and touching. 

In the evening dad and Ben joined us and we decamped to Eat17, one of my favourite restaurants in London. Just a couple of miles up the road in Walthamstow, the food is outstanding and locally sourced (the beer is even brewed in Leyton!). The service is also really friendly without being OTT.

Family Supper

Tonight mum came down from Scarborough to go to the quilting exhibition at the V&A and Dad has migrated from Manor Park for the weekend. Lucy was also over and we had a bit of a raucous family dinner. Obviously Ben was here too. He was a good sous-chef!


Haloumi Cheese Pasta


Pasta
Roasted veg (peppers, onions, butternut squash, anything really)
Pesto
Olive oil
Haloumi cheese


Roast veggies with a splash of oil until soft and a bit crispy
Flour and fry haloumi (it takes about 10 mins) in some more olive oil
Chuck over some cooked pasta with a stir of pasta

Hello!

This is my new blog which I am sure will only be read by my mum, but I just thought it would be nice to have a record of some of my crafty activities and general ramblings on life.

So anyway, here are some pics of my recent activities.

Sunday flower arranging based on the arrangement I did at the WI last month. Very easy if you have a small teapot, cup and saucer or jug and a bit of oasis.

My first knitted toy, affectionately called 'ugly rabbit' and some brooches on luggage labels on a ukulele, obviously.  

WI baking and our stall at the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood St. George's Day event.

One of many hairbands I have made.