Happy Birthday to Moi!

Hello folks - yes, it's my birthday today and I thought it was about time I got down to a big of blogging. I don't quite know what happened last summer - I was kind of experimenting with the whole of idea of blogging and then got a bit frustrated because I'm not really very computer literate. However. Have now decided that perhaps it's better to just get on with it and learn as I go.

So today I am 43, and I was thinking that there is now absolutely no way I can use the word 'young' in conjunction with my age. It has to be faced - I am quite obvioulsy middle-aged. In some ways this is quite nice because there is no point in trying to keep up with trends in the clothes department (not that I do, really) and there is a certain freeing, a sort of liberation, with age, don't you think? I can just be who I want to be and no one really minds because, at the end of the day, I'm just another middle-aged housewife. Ha! Who would have thought that blending into the background could actually be so liberating? All that effort, as a youth, to stand out and be different and all the time, I just had to shut up and conform and then no one would notice! Talk about live and learn, eh?

Enough of the age-talk. Because I was so utterly remiss on the blogging front for so long, you missed out on all my handmade Chrimbo presents that took so blinking long to make. I tried to make as many as I could. Actually, it feels a bit 'last year' to show you them now - who wants to be bothered with Christmas 2009 anymore? Instead, I shall inform you of my current projects.

No.1 Patchwork quilt, inspired by Posy Gets Cosy's Ollalieberry quilt from last summer. It is a wip at the moment, as it's my first quilt and I had no idea how much work was involved. However, I am very pleased with it so far.

No.2 is this gorgeous tapestry. I have not done a tapestry before, but when I visited the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate last November, I saw this kit for sale on the Historical Sampler Company stand. It was quite expensive and as it was near the end of the day, I'd already run out of pennies, but my big brother was more than happy to get it for me for Christmas. I can't tell you how addictive it is! It's like the perfect mix of knitting and sewing - perfect also for evening telly watching as you just follow the chart.

So these are both consuming my time at the moment. However, I have yet to inform you of my most spendid birthday present from my fabulous husband. After 30 years (eek!) of using a second-hand sewing machine, I finally caved and decided it was time for a new one. Enter the amazing Pfaff Select 4.

I decided on this one because, as you may not know, Pfaff are the only machines (in my price range!) with an integrated walking foot - and let me tell you, it makes all the difference, especially when quilting. I have yet to experience the full delights of the machine as I only got it 2 days ago, but I am looking forward to many hours spent together with my purple princess!

And now I must away as I feel a day of pampering awaits.