well hello again TO all I have been away from the board for a few months. I think I better get back here. I see I have missed alot.

Karen's scissors are great because they have serrated blades. Like ad on her website says, they pull the fabric into the blade instead of pushing it away like regular scissors do so cuts are more precise. They are super sharp. I have Ginghers also, but do prefer my Karen K. Buckley's.

Welcome back Lynne, hope you can get back into the swing of things.

Learn something every day - obviously not saying a Dickie Bird is a UK expression - funny how you don't know that until you start chatting to others. Not sure where it comes from, I might Google it sometime.

Scissors, hmm, might have to investigate the Karen ones, they sound good.

Here you go Patti - seems I used one of the 'other' variations in spelling, but otherwise its essentially the same.

The 'not a dicky-bird' phrase indirectly derives from the tweeting sounds made by the birds. 'Dicky-birds' became established as a Cockney Rhyming Slang term for 'words', in the mid 20th century. The first record of it in print is in the 1932 'P. P.' Rhyming Slang:

" Word... Dicky bird."

So, 'not a dicky-bird' means 'not a word', i.e. silence, especially in the context where a spoken or written word might have been expected - for example, 'Jack said he would write, but I haven't heard a dicky-bird from him for weeks'.

I think its those "cockney rhyming words" that make some of the UK phrases so colorful Lesley :) It really creates some interesting looks when you say it around here...ROTFLMBO!!!

Good to see you back Lynnie!

Welcome back Lynnie! Glad you're back with this crazy gang!! :thumbup: :thumbup:

I've never heard of the Buckley scissors. I use the Marks embroidery scissors -- the "stork scissors" -- and I really like them. I do have Ginghers but they're the dressmaker shears. They were am employee gift when I worked at Minnesota Fabrics YEARS ago! I absolutely LOVE my Ginghers, and NOBODY better use them to cut ANYTHING except fabric!!!! I won't even use them to cut fleece because fleece can dull a pair of scissors before you can say "dicky-bird!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

OMGoodness!!!! I LOVE that phrase! I'll have to remember to use it! :D :D Do you have any other sayings/phrases Lesley that are uniquely cockney? Although, I guess you wouldn't know if they are unique until you say them on here and we ask you about them. :? It would be similar to some of our phrases that WE don't think of as being unique until someone from another country points it out to us. 8-)

Well, my four little lonely blocks are waiting patiently for me to work on them. I have be so-o-o-o-o busy with this move, etc. that I just don't have a minute to work on them. Whenever I do sit down, I am so tempted to pick up one and start working on it, but then I would feel so guilty because if I can do that then I could certainly get off my behind and do some more packing. :roll: :roll: :lol: :lol: So there they sit in my work basket. Once we get settled, I can reward myself and finish them up so I can get my center sewed together!! :thumbup: :thumbup:

you could always do 45 min. of packing and reward yourself with 15 min. sewing.

That's a great suggestion luv.

breaks are just the ticket. if you don't take them you will burn out.

I've thought of that, too Luv. However, once I start on a block, I lose all track of time and just keep on stitchin' and stitchin'!! :lol: :lol: :lol: I do take breaks, but when I do, all I can think about is the next thing that I need to do. ;) ;)

While chatting with another QB member I remembered that I need to get some blocks finished for an exchange that's happening in October. They are simple 9-patch blocks, but there are quite a few of them -- around 80!! :shock: They will be strip-pieced so it isn't difficult. It's just finding the time to get them made!! :D :D