Carnivals, Crosses and Christmas

Yesterday was the last of the carnival season for us.  We were at Burnham on Crouch, a small town on the Dengie Estuary - on the other side of the estuary is Basildon, Rochford etc: two very disimilar places to Burnham

The Queens tea was at the Royal Corinthian Yacht club and this was our view:

The carnival was an evening one so tea was at 4pm.  Then we had to go and meet the float and get that prepared:

And remember, at the end of the carnival, in this case about 9.30. it all has to come back down again.  It was a very long day and we got home about 11.30.  There were loads of people watching, some of whom were there to ruin the atmosphere: the group of blokes, about 25, who were actually aiming coins at the girls and chucking them: how foolish: don't they know how us mama bears will attack when our young our attacked!! Needless to say they didn;t stay around.

So, today was a really lazy day.  I did do a bit of catching up on housework and gardening but then have spent the rest of the day hand quilting my across the sea QAL quilt, sitting in the sun in the conservatory (sorry, Susan, I did say I had been very lazy and that I hardly dare tell you what I had been doing!)

I have been using embroidery thread to sew around the crosses and then sewn a cross in the middle of the block too.  Each block has a different colour, I have tried to pick out a colour from the block

See, I still have crosses on the back of my quilt!

I think I am about 2/3rds done.  I will do some more whilst I am watching Downton Abbey tonight

And I have joined something else:  Emily from Strawberry Patch ramblings is organising a christmas fabric swap, just for those of us on this side of the pond.  I know there are others on the go too, but they are international and shipping costs could get very dear.  Go on over and take a look - and then sign up.  Its such a great way to get some varied christmas stash!