A week (and a bit) without sewing

When Miss U-t-B and I set off for the airport on Easter Sunday, I left all things stitchy at home.  I had toyed with the idea of a small tin with a selection of threads, and perhaps the Autumn cross-stitch that is still a long way from being finished, or some small scraps of felt upon which to embroider cottage flowers.  But knowing that the metal-ness of a tin, plus the terrorist threat nature of any needles I would need to take with me, would attract the attention of security (we were only taking hand luggage) and then be confiscated, I decided instead to leave it all behind and go 'cold turkey' whilst away...

I know they do have needles in France, and that I could have bought some, but I thought I'd turn my mind to other things.

My morning hours were mostly taken up with skiing or with a bit of piste-side recuperation...

...or a bit of scenery admiration...

That's Lake Léman,alias Lake Geneva, and the Jura mountains in the distance

In the slushy afternoons, my time was mostly, and enjoyably, taken up with this...

and a re-read of this...

This was followed by much planning in my head of a new career, as a screenwriter, no less. I had the opening scenes all planned, and had also sorted out various actors and actresses that I was going to approach to participate in this inaugural venture.  Imagine if you will a stellar cast (Romola Garai, Kate Winslet, Emma Thompson, Judi Dench, Jim Broadbent, Richard Armitage, perhaps Eddie Redmayne or Douglas Booth to draw in the younger female audience...)  It was going to be great!

But then I read that Kenneth Brannagh is already working on a film of the book! 

Boo!

(Kate Winslet is meant to be in it too!)

ANYWAY...

Thursday afternoon we set off back home, arriving at some ungodly hour of the morning on Friday.  A few loads of washing and a bit of supermarket shopping later and it was Saturday morning and we were jumping in the car again, heading for South Yorkshire and the 18th birthday celebrations of one of Mr U-t-B's lovely nieces.

Most of the photos from said party are rubbish - neither Miss U-t-B nor myself being very good at getting the prime-snapping spot when all around are also wishing to snap away!  But this photo made me smile...

...looking, as it does, like we were taking part in a strange game of 'Musical Statues'.

Sunday morning and I set off to a big car boot sale just outside Guildford.  I mooched around for a while, as, very sensibly, I had gone by myself.  I had in mind certain things I was on the lookout for. Needless to say I didn't find those, though I didn't come back empty handed!

A nice tray, a pretty frame, some Ladybird books, a string of very Deco buttons, varied linens...

Some bright-round-the-edges and faded-in-the-middle floral fabric...

A hexy quilt...

...which benefited from a good wash.

A sweet mix of blue prints and lining fabric - very thrifty!

Most of the linens have holes or stains.  My FAVOURITE sort!  I can cut them up without any guilt!

Monday morning I could withstand the separation no longer and I skittered towards the sewing machine, with the red floral in my clammy hands.

Back with what I made another time!