Autumn has given me a gift I'm embracing wholeheartedly this year, the urge to settle in with large, slow projects and work on them diligently but comfortably. One of my current projects is a large hand pieced quilt. I think this is year four working on it and I'm nearly done.
The fabric is either leftovers from mine and other people's projects, second hand or cheap, so I wanted the backing and wadding to be in line with that. Finding second hand duvet covers as backing is easy but wadding is costly, so I decided to back it with a fleece blanket. I got a new one from Vinted, second hand but still in it's packaging, and have quilted it and the top together. I'm using hexagons on the back as a boarder to sandwich in the edge of the fleece, and that's where I am at the moment. Then I'll trim the fleece, attach the boarder and it will be done.
It's a big pile of fabric to pull out and work on, but I'm enjoying spending a couple of hours on it at weekends, listening to podcasts or music, supervised by Lars.
I've been trying to remember to use my nice charity shop crockery lately, rather than saving it for best, or just in case I damage it. It's all mismatched and colourful, and I want to enjoy using it rather than having it hidden away.
I rather fell in love with my variation of a ploughman's lunch on this frilly edged dinner plate (a Meakin plate from their Rosa range - what a lovely name - only £1 for a pair of them, which I snapped up). In the background is one of me and Mr Crafty Blueberry's prized possessions, a Blackpool tram teapot. From a charity shop, obviously.
It's been great weather for walking and visiting local parks to enjoy the stunning colours. Lister Park was impressive. I haven't been all year and I forgot what an excellent park it it, really worth a visit.
There was a little Autumn parade going on and the Turner Prize is at the Cartwright Hall Art Gallery in Lister Park, so there were lots of people ambling around, enjoying the sun, and that gave it a good atmosphere.
There was something simple and magical about the parade. It was led by a grey squirrel gently playing a drum, followed by stilt walkers dressed as a bear and a stag, and people holding colourful Autumnal decorations.
We wet to look at the costumes when they stopped and there was a wonderful atmosphere. I don't know how to describe it, but there was all different people milling around, the gentle drumming flowed like the sunshine and it all felt happy and was a lovely little community event.
Bradford excels at these events, before it was City of Culture and certainly during it, and I really hope the spirit continues. It's one of the things that makes Bradford a great place to live.
