Sowing and Sewing - again

Finally, my sewing room is ready to use. Well, first of all I have to re-arrange all my stuff! There are plastic storage boxes, plastic bags, cardboard boxes, all of which have to be stashed in here or have their contents removed so they can be stored away in the cupboard or drawers.

I've started - so I'll eventually finish. What you can't see is the view behind me - all the remaining bits and pieces to be stored away. The cupboard and drawers are still empty! Over the next few days I shall get it all stowed away and get on with the latest quilt. About a quarter of the blocks are quilted to date. I'm not a natural machine quilter (I feel much more satisfaction from hand quilting) but I can see the practice is helping. I hope I can resist the temptation to rip out the first blocks - the stitching holes are very obvious on a finely woven batik backing!

Today's sowing - 5 varieties of tomato that benefit from a long growing season. Last year I tried an ultra-early sowing with Brandywine, an American heritage beefsteak tom, and I had the first on a sandwich on July 12th. They continued to ripen until very late in the season. In this 6 hole module are 1 each of Brandywine, Green Zebra, Darby and Black Sea Man and 2 of Cherokee Purple just to make the half dozen. These will need some cossetting - when they come through they'll be taken out to the cold greenhouse when the temperature is high enough, to benefit from the extra light, but brought in again as dusk falls. The exercise will do me good!

These are my very early (January 3rd) sowing of chillies. I have 8 of them, all Cayenne and I think, from free seeds. Worth a punt then! When I sow the bulk of my tomatoes in March I usually put the chillies in then, but they grow so much more slowly than the toms that I though I might give them a longer season if I can ensure they don't get too leggy. As with the early toms above, I'm prepared to faff around with them to get maximum light. You can do that when you're retired!