only a few

I have finished the quilt - but can't show it yet... but I can show you all the piggies (now well filled with sweets:)) and the two patchwork balls I made for a one year old and a newborn. the ball might still be a bit big for the baby, but they grow so fast, and at least I managed to put a lot of stuffing in, so that the "rattle" inside won't hurt, even when the baby lies on top. this rattle is my own construction. I tried little brass bells before, but when they are loose in the stuffing, they don't only loose their nice jingle - they start to move around. eventually I bought two kinder eggs (which I don't usually buy, because of the plastic rubbish inside). not for the toys or the chocolate - but for the yellow "egg" that contains the toy. I find them quite difficult to open - which for a rattle is a good thing. if I can barely open the thing, it's not likely to split open inside the ball. I half filled that egg with another "throwaway" product. small yellow and orange plastic balls, used as bullets in kids' guns. when we are long dead and gone, generations of gardeners will find those things in my flower beds, I am sure! eventually the fun wore off and the little balls ended up in my stash....

the quilt has very soft and muted colours, but I think small kids prefer "ping" colours and motives they might recognize: I chose flowers, apples, carrots, birds, hearts, dots etc.

 those are my piggies - they look well fed now, ready to burst at the .... zipper, hopefully not at the seams:) the one below in purple is a bit smaller, because the yarn was finer, and not as dense, but tight enough to hold sweets or coins etc...

when I went to the spinner's meeting last saturday we passed a garden center. I cannot get ericaceous compost here, so I brought a bag, to replant my new blueberry. I have four in large tubs now and hope for rich pickings. the leaves are already unfolding, which makes me worry, because there is a lot of frost forecast! I hope they don't suffer too much, but the containers are too big and heavy to bring them into the greenhouse:((

when I passed the seeds and plants stalls, I saw those red dots! I lost all my dahlias during the last two frosty winters - so I thought I'd better stock up on new pompoms. you might just see red dahlias - I see lots of orange wool and silk coming out of my dye pot in summer:)) I didn't plant them yet, this can wait another week or two or even three - until the frosts have passed. we lost several plants even in the greenhouse during last winter, so I'd rather be careful. I also planted 3 hanging strawbs and 5 normal ones - in pots, which are in the polytunnel for now.

and now I am off to send away that quilt!