Busy as a Bee (sorry)

It's a funny thought but I'm supposed to be moving house on Friday.  We still haven't exchanged contracts but the removal men are booked and what feels like 90% of the house (but is probably nearer 10%) is in boxes in the hall way.  I suppose it's a 50/50 chance at this point...

Anyway, before I could face the horror of packing up my workroom, I knew I had to catch up on a few bits and bats.  For the first time since I joined my two sewing bees, I had COMPLETELY NEGLECTED an entire month.

So, with no further ado, here is my "Squirrel at the Wheel" block for Quiltification (I hadn't realised but judging by that tutorial we appear to share a lot of orange stash):

And my chicken block for Just Jude Designs:

And the last two blocks for my village knitting group's quilt bee, Teresa's Pinwheel and Morning Star II.

Oooh, after the summer "holidays" I've had, I can't lie, it's been lovely to get a bit of a stitch on.  I'll have to start putting it all in boxes tomorrow though.  Wish me luck!

Mi Gerddaf Gyda Thi, A Translation from Welsh by Ms T. Magpie Cat

I do sometimes do things other than sew or mope about my cat.  Such as look at beautiful shops like Buddug, and develop a terrible need for things like this plate:

The poem (just the first verse) on it is rather lovely too, and they translate it as follows:

"I will walk with you across distant paths
Flowers and dreams will bless our journey
Into your eyes I will gaze and holding your hand
I will walk with you whatever may come"

I was very taken with it, and although I can barely speak a word of Welsh, I found an audio recording of it (I've since lost the link, of course) and it is just lovely.  The full text is here:

Mi gerddaf gyda thi dros lwybrau maith,

A blodau, cân a breuddwyd ar ein taith;

I`th lygaid syllaf i a dal dy law:

Mi gerddaf gyda thi, beth bynnag ddaw.

Mi gerddaf gyda thi pan fydd y lloer

Fel llusern yn y nen ar noson oer.

Addawaf i ti'n ghalon i yn llwyr:

Mi gerddaf gyda thi drwy oriau'r hwyr.

Mi gerddaf gyda thi drwy weddill f'oes,

Pan fydd yr haul ar fryn neu'r dyddiau'n groes;

A phan ddaw'r alwad draw, pwy wyr pa awr,

Mi gerddaf gyda thi i’r freuddwyd fawr. 

So then I looked for a full translation of the whole poem.  What I found was...   

I'll be honest, I am not feeling that translation AT ALL.  A bit too much of the golden dreams and starlight and not quite enough of the simple, sincere feeling I had from the bare translation.  But it's a poem that rhymes, and I felt like a translation of it should rhyme too, and so with the help of Google Translate and my wonderful friend who is a native Welsh speaker, I decided to have a go myself. And here is what I have ended up with:

I will walk with you though the road be long,

And set forth with a flower, a dream, a song.

I take your hand, look in your eyes and know

I will walk with you anywhere you go.

I will walk with you when the full moon's light

Is like a lantern in the coldest night.

I promise you my heart, entire and all,

I will walk with you as the shadows fall.

I will walk with you all the years ahead,

On sunlit hills and when the sun has fled.

And when our call is heard, its hour unguessed,

I will walk with you through the lands of rest.

I don't know if it's better or not, but I like it more.  If anyone should happen upon it and decide they want to use it for anything, please do so with my blessing!

Not quilting, not cats, but I was rather proud of it so I thought I'd share.  Have a lovely weekend!