Catching Up Now I'm Home

I'm back from over a week in Norfolk where I had to close up my bach for the winter.

As well as putting duvets in vacuum sealed bags, cleaning the cooker and defrosting the fridge, doing something cold and wet called "draining down" and giving the tiny garden a quick once over I also managed to do some sewing.
I'm working on a quilt for my daughter and will soon be able to share it as I'm at the layering stage.  I've finished all the hand applique and my finger and thumb tips have nearly healed.  I ordered some silicone thimbles online so I'll report back on those when I've given them a workout but I do have a tip to pass on from a quilting friend of mine on Norfolk.  She applies two or three layers of Germolene "New Skin" to her finger tips instead of using a thimble.  It's a liquid plaster.  I bought a bottle and found it quite a success, even for the batik and Steam a Seam handstitching horror.
I've joined a new quilting group in Norfolk - although I'll only be a fair weather member, attending in the summer months.  The group is called Mustard Seeds Quilters and was formed as an overspill group from Dayspring Quilters which had got too big.  MSQ had over thirty members for the first meeting, such is the enthusiasm for patchwork and quilting in the area.  There was a lovely atmosphere in the meeting and I met some very talented people as well as some new quilters so there was a good balance.  I had a lovely surprise when I returned home as I found a package of material waiting for me.  I belong to Norfolk Quilters who have been celebrating their 30th Anniversary and, as part of those celebrations, every member was sent some fabric.   
Speaking of fabric, I made a final visit to Sew Creative, my LQS in Norfolk, for the year and bought one or two things!  I didn't go totally mad as I am going to the Chilford Quilt Show this weekend and needed to save a few pennies for things I might just need when I'm there!
I had a lovely meeting of my local craft group this morning at it was great to see what everybody has been working on (you can see what Georgie was doing on her blog, All Things Crafty
Thank you to all my friends who emailed to ask whether I was okay as I hadn't blogged for a while, I really appreciate your love.
Apologies to anybody who got a spam email that appeared to be from me.  I got back from Norfolk to find my email address had been hijacked.  It's hopefully sorted out now, grrrr.
It's pouring with rain and getting dark so I think it's time for a nice cup of tea.