Graduating in Greenwich part 2

If you want to see *all* the photos you can click here.  T

To spare those of you that aren't mum or Jackie, here are a select few

 

Greenwich Chapel

where the ceremony was held

And the Painted Room

 where the reception was held

 

Postponed Plans

After my post yesterday morning I planned have a cuppa with Brian and Niki then get on with four customers' jobs while I considered lots of lovely options with my rainbow charms.

But while the kettle was boiling I thought I'd just phone Lisa. On Friday afternoon she had been waiting for a friend to arrive with his 5 year old, autistic sun, C, to arrive - she was going to baby sit C for a few hours. C is 5 and autistic.  Lisa has offered several times in the past, and C's dad had asked if she could do from 4 or 5pm on Friday, to 6 or 7pm. She admits she was a bit tipsy when he asked, but she happily agreed 

However the alcohol had enabled her to file away one significant fact . . . from 4 or 5pm on Friday, to 6 or 7pm ON SATURDAY!!!!

I have child minded an autistic boy before, with significant help from Lisa as well as Niki and Brian.  His obsession was motorways and time: C's obsession is doors, gates and locks.  C has virtually no language, but makes his choices very clear, usually by taking your hand and pulling you the direction he has chosen.  The best doors were on her floor (top floor) of the halls of residence, and the best gates were on the ground -  and they  were separated by 7 flights of 16 steps (no he wouldn't use the lift) so Lisa was getting worn out, so I went to join her - I know how much I appreciated help when I had R.  We had a lovely day spending 15 to 20 minutes at a time playing with doors, locks, gates, locks, doors, locks and gates, with occasional diversions to the lift (C pushing me into it) and letterbox (opening and closing the flaps).

I'm reminded why I have so much admiration for people who cope with autistic children either as parents, through work, or as volunteers - it's exhausting, although he is a real sweetie!

C unlocking one of several doors

So, in summary, no customers' work even got looked at, but on the train to Greenwich I did get to un-sew some hexies (as I've changed my mind about the design)

Old arrangement

Now separated into

 

and I did get to spend a day with Lisa :-)

NOW I'll start on customers' orders:

* Cushions of the seats on Martin's boat

* embroider logo onto t-shirts for the pre-school

* a circular table cloth for Mrs Rose

* repair a jacket pocket for a friend's husband

Super Saturday and Smashing Sunday

I had a really busy Saturday:  Mum and I went to Sandown, but on the way popped in to meet . . . In Real Life . . . a fellow blogger, Annabelle from Annabell Serendipity

Annabelle was exactly how I imagined her, a lovely chatty crafty lady who has a beautiful home, and makes a lovely cup of tea - what more can you ask for!  I did have a go at taking photos, but they didn't come out at all well, and as neither of like ourselves in photos anyway, we gave up after a few attempts.

We then went to Sandown which wasn't actually the patchwork show that I expected, it was a Creative crafts show, (all shopping), so we went round  a few time, bought a few bits and pieces and then set off home again

Despite the rain on Sunday we had a lovely day in Greenwich visiting Lisa at Uni.  We did the touristy thing at Cutty Sark, and had a lovely meal at the Gipsy Moth, a pub next door to the Cutty Sark.

Here's my lot in the Cutty Sark

The Cutty Sark was a tea clipper for much of her working life, and my girls really liked the tea quotes stencilled on the floors of the ship:

There is no trouble to grave that it cannot be diminished with a nice cup of tea

Tea is drunk to forget the din of the world

If you are cold, tea will warm you

If you are too heated, it will cool you

If you are depressed it will cheer you

If you are excited it will calm you

But they didn't have our favourite which actually came from Annabelle

Money can't buy happiness

But it can buy Tea

And that's almost the same thing

We have been to Greenwich to see Lisa this time of year  for the last three years as it's my birthday:  I thought I'd show you the lovely pressies my family got me:

Three beads for my Troll bracelet:  a budgie from Niki, a Mum heart from Lisa, and a Troll from Brian

Also from Lisa some lovely Vanilla smellies (my favourite :-)

And from my mum, these gorgeous enamel red saucepans

We also met Lisa's boyfriend while we in Greenwich: he ticked lots of boxes (no fancy hair style, no trousers hanging down to his knees, doesn't use 'like' three times in every sentence, and didn't spend the meal glued to his mobile phone)  He was lovely, but then both my girls have been brought up to have impeccable taste, so of course he would be!

He even knows how to pick a perfect birthday pressie:  He wanted to know a book that I already had and enjoyed (Lisa told him "I before E except after C") and he chose this one which I am thoroughly enjoying, thanks Liam (the combi moneybox is from Lisa, isn't it great!)

Happy Birthday to Me!

Had a lovely day today: presses from mum and from Brian this morning, then we, and Niki went to Greenwich to visit Lisa where I got more pressies from the girls, plus a scrummy lunch in the sun at the side of the Thames, followed by a shopping spree in the Market, and meeting Verity - a fab day!

The outside of the Painted Hall at Greenwich (and my thumb!!!)

I'm posting this on the iPad, and the photos are on the phone, so this could be just words, but photos will follow when I come to grips with blogging while the PC is switched off!! Photos now added (obviously, but I had to resort to switching on the PC!!!)

From Brian I got a sonic cleaner for jewellery etc

 And from mum I got a lovely scarf and some Troll earrings (just trying to work out how they work - do any of you know?)

Lisa got me a pretty bead necklace and had one of her owls framed for me, and Niki gave me a much needed (and perfect) new purse. Between them they gave me solution to my quest to find the perfect butter dish!!

 

The lovely Plum (with whom I share a birthday :-) made me some fab beaded earrings - with a pair of scissors on them! They are great! Thank you Plum

It was great to meet Verity (miss Ginger makes) at the Market, and I had to buy just a few bits of scrummy fabric from her!

Lovely day - thank you all ! ! ! !

Real Life Vs Virtual Life!

What a great day!

Hadley and I 'met' in the virtual world towards the end of last year thanks to Annabel Serendipity (how are you sweetie?) but finally met today in real life.  Despite the pouring rain, we had a great time: we explored a county house-cum-museum, loved the embroidery and textile exhibition that was on there, and (surprise surprise) managed to do our bit to help the British economy by buying a few bits and pieces!

We both totally forgot to use our camera's while we were there, so I have no photographic evidence, bt we did meet and we did have fun!

Hadley made me (and beautifully wrapped)  a lovely felt brouch that perfectly matched my top

and I bought some felted, um, things, and some dyed silk (sooo soft) and some silk thread which I will use to do some hand quilting on the textures quilt (as I think mum has the DMC thread that I bought on Friday at the wool shop!)

For the sake of those of you who regularly read both our blogs, I shall try not to duplicate too much, as you can (and should) read about the day here from Hadley's point of view, but I must share the most amazing coincidence . . .

(Hello Sem, if you have come to visit)

Last Wednesday I went to Greenwich - Lisa and I mooched around the market and the independent arty and crafty shops that border it, and got drawn into an art shop by a drunkard's path quilt that was hanging there.  It was a lovely quilt made of lots of different fabrics, mostly in shades of subtle yellows, all sewn together by hand, with lots of curved seams.  

Now fast forward to today

Hadley and I got ourselves a cuppa and a slice of (very yummy) cake, and asked to join a lady at a table with spare seats.  She asked if we were patchworkers, as she was a weaver, but had ventured into patchworking recently.  (Hello, Sem, hope I got the name right) 

We had a lovely long chat, during which time it transpired that she was from Greenwich.  I started to tell her about the lovely yellow quilt Lisa and I had seen there, when I realised that her recent venture into patchwork . . .[yes I know, you are already there, but I was a bit slower,] was THE drunkard's path that we'd seen.  

After that realisation I went into talk-and-talk-and-talk mode to prevent my brain making too many connections - Lisa and I have a terrible tendancy to be critical of other people's work, but we had come away with ony one negative thought last week - The quilt was for sale, but what were the chances of anyone who had just the right room for it, and the right money for it,  actually seeing it in this tiny little art shop?  We felt sorry for the quilter who had made it.  It really was a lovely quilt, and the curves were all perfect, and the pattern was subtle . . . and our sympathy was misplaced as Sem has sold it!

Sem I hope you do get in touch, I'd love to meet up again next time I'm in Greenwich!

And a final apology to anyone who can spell . . . I cant, and spell check is ignoring me, so sorry for any errors!

A lovely Wednesday

I had a great time with Lisa in Greenwich yesterday.

I did some shopping (I love Greenwich market!)

She showed me some making

(aren't they sweet!  And the pupil has surpassed the teacher - look at the tiny stitches, and the improvised beak, sigh!  I taught her all I know!!!!)

And I did some hand quilting on the train

What more can I ask?