Whilst the rest of my brood were taking sailing / windsurfing / bodyboarding / kayaking lessons and generally being over-active I was doing "extreme sewing" and Olympic reading. I managed to finish this little sample of Kantha embroidery and read The Kite Runner (amongst other books) which was tremendous.
This was a fabulously relaxing holiday with great food and marvellous weather. Just what we need to carry us over the winter months. 
Today I have been to learn a little about Sashiko Quilting from Japan with Stevie Walker. It's very mathematical / grid based and very different in that sense from Kantha but the running stitch idea is the same thing. The stitches are meant to be like grains of rice. The ones in the books look like Arborio rice - nice and small - mine were a bit more along the Uncle Ben's Long Grain variety! It is sashiko thread in white and denim on to indigo dyed fabric from Cotton Patch in Birmingham.
Also I have crammed in making a few little Christmas decorations for a craft fair at Bilston Art Gallery this weekend.
Time is marching on but I couldn't wait until Christmas to open my new Bernina sewing machine. It was too much to bear so I have had a brief play with it and look forward to doing more with it tomorrow. It simply purrs along.
