On days at sea, a craft class takes place at 3pm and a bunch of assorted all-comers are welcomed into a corner of the restaurant by the very friendly and welcoming tutor M.

The first class I joined was a one-off project - a brooch or fridge magnet made from Crayola Model Magic. We all copied M's design, generally speaking, and as I sat, keeping my own counsel, I found it interesting to meet my classmates. As the hour drew to a close, it was clear that I had made some kind of commitment, for several of them waved me goodbye and looked forward to seeing me tomorrow.

So, I dutifully turned up the next day, to find that this was going to be the start of a longer project - a Kantha quilt. I said nothing which might reveal my background but followed M's instructions and very gratefully accepted free access to her "ragbag" of remnants she'd bought in Singapore. Magpie that I am, this was a real treat!

I quite liked what resulted, enjoyed the therapy of simple stitching and am pleased to have a little stitched souvenir of the trip. I enjoy sitting and chatting to a different group of people and of course, it's always interesting to see what happens when a bunch of stitchers are given the same materials and the same instructions - something totally different always appears!