Wheels in motion

A couple of weeks ago we had to go up to Edinburgh to hand in and then collect the visas for our holiday later this month. So, we took the opportunity to spend a couple of days exploring whilst our passports were being scrutinised.

We started off our trip visiting my parents on the West Coast of Scotland

Then headed further North and East to Loch Lomond

We had absolutely glorious weather on our trip, although as you can just see it was still early enough in the year for there to be snow still on the hills.

After Loch Lomond we headed back over to Edinburgh via Falkirk to see the Falkirk Wheel. I have to confess that I hadn't heard of the Falkirk Wheel until recently when I watched a TV programme about canal boating that included a trip via the Wheel. To say that we were impressed is definitely an understatement, it is amazing!

The Falkirk Wheel joins the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. There is a difference of 115feet between the two canals, so the Wheel was designed as a rotating boat lift to move canal boats from one level to the other. It is apparently the world's first and only rotating boat lift!

Here's how it works - Canal boats sail into the basins at the top and bottom of the Wheel, which are then sealed.

The Wheel begins to rotate around the central point

And continues to rotate

Until the basins are realigned

and the boats can continue on their way :)

Amazingly the Wheel only needs 1.5KwH of energy to make each turn, which is apparently the equivalent of boiling 8 kettles! It is beautifully graceful in action, so I can definitely believe that.

If you ever get the chance to visit the Falkirk Wheel, do take it as it truly is a modern wonder. Equally stunning were the nearby Kelpies but they are the subject of another post :)

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Oops, I did it again!

Not read the instructions that is!

Last month in the Siblings Together Quilt Bee we were asked to make Wonky Log Cabin blocks so I made this

and this

and blithely sent them off to our April Queen Bee.

Feeling very pleased with myself I checked the instructions for the May block on May 1st and set to making this for our May Queen.

Done and in the post before the month even reaches double figures, you can imagine how smug I was feeling :)

Then I had a second look at the photos in the Siblings Together Quilting Bee Flickr group and had my first twinge of concern. The blocks posted for April didn't look quite the same as mine did!

A rather frantic look at the link for the instructions and another look at the photos already posted and all thoughts of smugness flew out of the window.

We hadn't been asked to make two 1/4 Wonky Log Cabin blocks!!! We had, in fact, been asked to make 4 and join them together to make one large block, Oops!!!

Fortunately, it was only the beginning of May so still time to whip up another two Wonky Log Cabin blocks and get them in the post quick with fingers crossed that nobody had noticed :)

Another trip to the Post Office and my conscience could almost be salved. A thousand apologies to Carol, our April Queen Bee, and hopefully I have now learnt my lesson to read the instructions fully before I start :)

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Done and Dusted!

The deadline for shipping for my first IG swap has arrived! Well the deadline for international shipping at least, so I can share at last the final contents of the package currently winging its way to my partner.

You have already seen

the Kilt Pin Brooch and the

Thistle-like linen pouch

My main project took a bit more effort mostly, it has to be said by my son!

My final make was this Lauren bag from the book, Making Vintage Accessories by Emma Brennan. I love the projects in this book and was looking forward to tackling a new one to me, but all the patterns in the book need to be increased before you can use them. It is the only drawback in an otherwise excellent book.

This was where said son came in. Calling in the odd favour or two, I asked him to photocopy the patterns for me, which he duly did. However, when I called in to collect them he discovered that whilst he had retrieved the photocopies from the library copier he had left the book behind! Well a pattern is all very well, but it helps to have the instructions to go with it :)

When he called into the library to try and retrieve the book, he discovered that one of the librarians had been so taken with the book that they had built an entire display around it, which he was about to ruin by removing the main item! Cue one rather sheepish son :)

Still the book and the pattern were finally reunited and I got cracking on the bag.

The swap is based on the Outlander books by Diana Gabaldon and was timed to coincide with the release of the new TV series based on the books. The original scenes in the book, upon which this first series is based, are set in the 1940's just after the end of WWII, so this bag based upon an 1940's pattern seemed like the perfect make for my (very silent!) swap partner.

The linen for the flap was brought back from Latvia, and the wool for the main body was a lucky find in a scrap bag of fabrics bought many moons ago. The satin for the pleated front was another lucky find in my stash, but I have no idea what it was originally bought for. I am sure I had something specific in mind at the time :)

I have been hoarding this Flea Market Fancy by Denyse Schmidt since buying it in a sale over a year ago, so thought it would be the ideal lining to brighten up the very muted palette of the bag exterior.

I am thrilled with how this bag turned out and delighted to have another finish done and dusted, and a new experience to boot, it is all good!

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Sew the Library at Weekend Doings