A brief detour from sewing to family....
You may have read in some previous posts that Saturday night was my Mum's "significant" birthday party (we aren't allowed to use the word sixty - ooops - I just did). Michael and Linda (Michael's Mum) and I drove down on Thursday evening. We live as far from the A1 in Northumberland as Mum and Dad do in Bedfordshire - about 20 minutes, so the drive is fairly straightforward normally. Except the A1 was closed at Grantham and the detour took us via Melton Mowbray - I can tell you two things about Melton Mowbray - they make Pork Pies, and it is nowhere near the A1 - the detour was a good hour and would have been a pretty drive. Except it was dark. We arrived quite late, but we were able to give Mum both her birthday cake and her yellow tablecloth - she loved both!
On Friday we headed for Milton Keynes: first stop Threads and Patches to buy some fabric - they have a huge amount of fabric, though no many complete ranges, so it makes you match fabrics rather than relying on designers.... they also have loads and loads of batiks! Here are the fabrics I bought: some batiks for the Farmer, some kids' fabrics for a couple of incubator quilts and some fabrics that I just liked!
We then had lunch at Dobbies and called in at Costco and Tesco to buy supplies for the party and then went home for Chinese and Indian takeaway - we couldn't all agree on just one!
Saturday was a tad busy! We spent most of the day cooking, and then the party in the evening. We had an English ceilidh! Lots of family and friends and good music and lots and lots of food.
Buy 1.30am I was shattered and could barely get up the stairs for bed. We had banned Mum from the kitchen so she could enjoy her evening, rather than worry about the catering and she had a ball.
Buy 1.30am I was shattered and could barely get up the stairs for bed. We had banned Mum from the kitchen so she could enjoy her evening, rather than worry about the catering and she had a ball.On the Sunday we ate leftovers and those who had travelled a long way joined us! I popped round Granny's and gave her the Indian Summer cushion - she loved it and the colours were a perfect match. She's busy making a cathedral window quilt and some tapestry cushions.
Uncle Gordon and Aunty Barbara (Michael's Aunt and Uncle) had travelled down for the party. My father-in-law, John and his brother, Uncle Gordon had done a lot of rallying when they were younger, and John had an MG Midget. It had broken down in 1982 and been put in the garage and had never moved since. When John was very ill back in 2009, he was worried that Linda would be left to sort out the Midget, so Dad took it off his hands. We spent a morning unburying it from the garage, then Mum and Dad took it back to Bedfordshire on a trailor, and then Dad had a new, larger garage built, and since then he has been restoring it. 
It was back on the road last summer and yesterday Uncle Gordon drove it for the first time in 30 years. Next year, Dad is hoping to enter the Berwick Classic and drive it in John's memory. There may be arguments about who gets to navigate!
It was back on the road last summer and yesterday Uncle Gordon drove it for the first time in 30 years. Next year, Dad is hoping to enter the Berwick Classic and drive it in John's memory. There may be arguments about who gets to navigate!We came home yesterday evening to two very excited doggies. And just three days to tidy the house ready for Mum and Dad coming to visit us. I decided not to start tonight, and instead prepared four Farmer's Wife blocks with my new batiks!
I'll be back with some more sewing tomorrow!
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