What to do next?

Well, it had to happen. I've finally finished the quilt top.

Sorry about the poor photo - the quilt is too big for any clear bit of floor I have in the house so I had to resort to the washing line. Pity it was such a blowy day - I had to time my photo to suit the breeze as the patchwork flapped merrily back and forth like a sail.

The bright sunlight doesn't help either - the fact that the patchwork looks like an old rag right now will be rectified just as soon as the top is quilted. You may notice that there is an extra row of tumbling blocks to the top. I've tried it on the bed and they'll sit over the pillows and look quite dramatic.

Doesn't the back of the piecing look lovely? Quite the stained glass effect. It's almost a shame to lose that by adding batting and backing but experience tells me that will transform everything.

I've done all the sewing in the evenings but during daylight hours, when I've had a few spare moments, I've been working into my altered book. This page was in dire need of repair before it parted company with the binding. Wonderful what a few strips of tape and some colour can do! If you are going to have a repair make a feature of it I say!

Now that I'm using red as inspiration I see it everywhere. Even the plants in the conservatory are cooperating by flowering right on time.

Finishing a big project always seems to leave a vacuum. I can't bear being idle so maybe it's time to do a little dressmaking. I was quite restrained at the recent visit to the Rag Market. These are the 3 fabrics I bought. I have an idea to use them together in a Marci Tilton pattern I've already made up twice before. They'll all coordinate - just have to decide which fabric goes where. I bought more of the narrow stripe so that will be the main feature with just accents of the bright floral number. I may even have enough of the striped fabric for a T-shirt if I'm lucky.

Meanwhile, back in the kitchen I tried Richard Bertinet's recipe for Far Breton. It's a longtime favourite of ours bringing back fond memories of holidays in Brittany. I have to say it's as good as any we've eaten in France and is sure to become a regular addition to the pudding repertoire. If you're a keen pudding eater you'll find the recipe in his book, 'Crust'. The dark bits are rum soaked prunes by the way.

Hope spring is just around the corner for us all here in the UK. Today is cold wet and windy - I hate it but I suppose it will pass!

Linda x