frayed at the edge

Spare room

When I bought my new rainjacket, I got a bigger size ...... so that when the weather turns cooler, there will be room to wear a sweater or bodywarmer under it.  But this morning, I realised that the extra room was also handy for something  else - I could keep my camera dry on rainy mornings!  I had realised that I always take photos on bright mornings, so today here are some soggy views!

 

a grey sky over the ripening crops

 

 

you can barely see the Eildons

 

 

at least this mushroom likes the damp!

 

 

a faint glimmer of sun behind Ruberslaw

 

 

nature is slowly reclaiming this old fence

 

 

this horse usually sticks its head over the hedge when I go by, but today it was sulking under the trees!

 

Now that Kylie's cushions are on their way to Australia and I am on course with my knitting for the Christmas fair ...... (ok, the knitting is up to date, I just need to catch up with the making up!) ....... I brought this in from the studio this afternoon

 

What am I going to do next .... I'll tell you tomorrow!
 

 

 

 

All wrapped up

On Saturday I thought I had better do a bit more work on the chickens, as I have been neglecting them recently!  I decided to start quilting one of the wallhangings, as I have finished the embroidery on it.  I chose this fabric from my stash for the back

 

It is a very old piece of Laura Ashley fabric that I have had for years - that may seem a bit extravagant for the back of the wallhanging, but it was a remnant that I bought in a sale for a quarter of the original price! 

 

I couldn't resist these wonderful coloured pins - but they are not just pretty, they are finer and sharper than my plain ones!

 

All pinned, ready to go

 

With the walking foot on, I am quilting 'in the ditch' between all the strips.  When that's done, I'll do some free-motion quilting round the chickens.

 

I finished Kylie's cushions - but I'm not going to show you the little finishing touches until she has received them.  I added one or two little things to the parcel - here it is, all wrapped up in tissue paper, ready to be popped in an envelope and posted tomorrow.

 

For the last couple of weeks, the swallows had stopped trying to get into the garage every time the door was opened, but they have started again (we think they want to raise another brood) ....... but this time it's not just the garage - Malcolm has been having little visitors when he has been painting the inside of the summer house (although of course they had all scarpered when I took the photo!!)

 

ps - you may have noticed that Typepad is having one of its periodic off days and has decided to stop putting the photos in the centre!!
 
 
 

 

 

 

 
 

Shadow Shot Sunday

 

How do you like Tracy's new button ....... a fabulous button for her fabulous meme!!  Every Sunday, shadow addicts from around the world get together at Hey Harriet to share their latest captures - do pop over and have a look (you may even be tempted to join in the fun!)

This has not been a great week for shadows, as we have had some nasty wet and windy weather ....... but the sun did shine for long enough on Tuesday for me to bag some shadows in the garden!

this geranium is pretty in pink

 

crisp shadows on the deck

 

shadow garden furniture

 

delicate shadows of alchemilla mollis

 

this shadow looks a bit like Pacman!!

 

last but not least ..... me!!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

One down, one to go

Yesterday, Malcolm moved my fuchsia for me, putting it in the niche in the back wall of the garden

 

 

You can see the new flowers are pale, but as they open out, they become much darker, as you can see from this flower which fell off when Malcolm moved the pot

 

 

It was wet and windy again for my walk - but there was one bright spot ...... the raspberries in the hedgerow are starting to ripen

 

 

Of course, Friday means cake, and Annette certainly didn't disappoint us today with this beautiful light sponge, sandwiched with tasty raspberry jam

 

 

I have finished the first of Kylie's cushions and hope to finish the other one over the weekend, so I will be able to post them off to Australia at the start of the week

 

 

After such a wet start to the day, the sun is now shining ......right in my eyes as I'm typing this!!  I hope you all have a good weekend, love Anne

 

 

Definitely daft!

Another early morning walk and another soaking!!  But, try as I might, I just can't burn off enough calories when I'm sewing (and I love my food too much!!), so I have to get out there and walk my three miles.  Today is St Swithin's Day and folklore says that if it rains today, it will rain for the next forty days ........ and yes, it has rained here today!  So this morning, I bought a lightweight, waterproof, breathable jacket to wear on my walks

 

 

When I was walking this morning, I saw lots of snails.  At first glance, they all look the same, but on closer inspection, you can see that the patterns on their shells are all different.  Thinking about the snails, reminded me of something in my pile of UFOs.  Some years ago, I went to a workshop to make the 'snail trail' block. 

 

 

Although the block isn't too complicated, it does require very precise piecing

 

 

While looking for that piece, I also found these projects waiting patiently in the queue to be finished

 

This was made at a workshop exploring the possibilities from using dark and light fabrics in half-square triangles.  It was good fun to try out all the different patterns that can be achived, before settling on this final version, which shows several different combinations

 

This is the background for a piece that got abandoned (I can't remember why) - it is made up of 144 three inch squares of fabric .... all different!  Eventually it will have large flowers appliqued on to it.

 

This lovely Hawaiian block was done as a challenge.  It is needle-turn applique, which was my challenge to myself, as it is my least favourite method of applique!  It will probably end up as an ABC (Another Bl**dy Cushion!!!)

 

These two blocks were never intended to be finished - they are samples from a class I used to teach on applique.  They show how different the same blocks can look with different fabrics - in this case showing the four seasons.  I later developed this into this wallhanging ...

 

Bonnie Baskets

 

I like to add quirky little details to my work, as you can see here

 

I also included a spider's web on this wallhanging

Autumn

 

as you can see in this detail

 

And to end, something completely different!!  When we got home yesterday, these three little balls of fluff were sitting on the gutter above the front door.  Malcolm stood very still, while I quietly got the camera out - I took this photo, then took a step forward to take another one .... but that was a step too far and off they flew

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Dedicated or daft?

When I woke up this morning, I could hear it was raining.  I was very tempted to turn over and snuggle into Malcolm and forgo my walk ....... but the trouble with quilting and knitting is that they are not exactly calorie burning pursuits, so I dragged myself out of bed and off I set in the rain.  Just as I got to the turning point, the rain went off and the wind dropped, so I was pleased at the prospect a better second half ....... silly me, I had only gone a few hundred yards when the heavens opened again!!  I was soaked by the time I got home, so it was straight through the kitchen into the utility room to take off my wet things.  Malcolm was somewhat surprised when I appeared in my underwear (on my way to put my dressing gown on, so I could have my breakfast!)

So it was just as well as I had already taken the photos for today's post when the sun was shining yesterday morning .......

 

This is bees' balm - it isn't quite in full flower, but it is just so pretty, and already attracting lots of bees.

 

I don't know what this is called, but the colour is stunning

 

This is a miniature rose that I have had for years - the flower is about the size of a cherry

 

This is one of several geraniums that we have in pots

 

Not the prettiest of rosebuds .......

 

....... looking a bit better

 

........ beatiful markings on the fully-opened rose

 

When we were at the garden centre on Sunday buying the slate chips for the new path, I spotted this trailing fuschia - it is so pretty, of course it had to come home with me!  Malcolm has put it in a pot, but it needs to be hung up or put somewhere higher to show off the marvellous flowers - I think they look like little ballerinas!

 

It's raining again this evening - perhaps tomorrow I might give in to temptation (or laziness?) and stay in bed if it is raining.  It's going to be a horrible day anyway, as I have an appointment at the dentist's in the afternoon, when she will be torturing me with all sorts of nasty implements!
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Life in the slow lane

After all the years Malcolm spent working, especially the five years before he retired, when he was abroad more than he was home, he now enjoys the slower pace of life.  Although we have yet to decorate and furnish the summer  house, he has already claimed it as a place to sit and listen to cricket on the radio - definitely life in the (very) slow lane!!

 

 

Today was a Kist day, and we had a lovely time sitting round the table sewing and chatting (although perhaps sometimes there is more of the latter!)  I was working on Kylie's cushions.  I put them on the cutting board and used two rulers to make sure they were square

 

 

Then I cut the excess off (after checking several times that I was cutting on the correct line1)

 

 

I then forgot to take photos of the next stages (yes, too busy blethering!!).  I added binding round the edges, which now just has to be turned over and handstitched in place

 

 

I also trimmed the flap on the back with the binding fabric

 

Seonaid was unable to join us until after lunch, but when she arrived she had great fun playing experimenting with  exploring the capabilities of both my and Anne's sewing machines.  She also brought me the most wonderful present .... a scissor keeper, which I have put on my little embroidery scissors (can you see the points curve up, so that you don't accidently cut the fabric when snipping your thread)

 

 

The fob is only an inch and a half square - the work is fabulous!!

 

To end, I thought I would give you a little sneak peek at tomorrow's  subject!!

 
 

 

 

A busy weekend

We were both busy over the weekend ....... Malcolm in the garden and me in the studio.  While I was stitching, Malcolm finished the new path to the summerhouse

 

 

He used slate chips to match the path that runs up the other side of the grass (he made that path because the grass was very wet and muddy at the edge!)

 

 

The slate chips continue round to where we have our compost bins

 

 

As well as the path, he also dug out a new border to finish the landscaping round the summerhouse (we just have to get some plants!!)

 

 

I was working on my cuties - I should have put these contrasting corners on before I did the girls, but I was so anxious to see what they looked like that I did them first!!

 

I also did another row - flying geese, which is the bottom row in the next photo.  I laid it all out, so that you can get an idea of how it is going to look.  (I am also going to do a row of owls - Malcolm is going to draw one for me!)

 

I also finished the quilting on Kylie's second cushion - now I just need to make them up!

 

A detail of the quilting

 

When I was out for my walk this morning, I picked up some bits and pieces ...... and this afternoon I arranged them and took this photo - when Malcolm saw it he said he thought it looked like a bird of prey with a fish in its talons .... what do you think?

 
 
 

 

 

Shadow Shot Sunday

 

 

Last night we had the most fabulous sunset, which has provided me with today's photos.  I think some of them are more silhouettes than shadows and the others are reflections

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more shadows, pop over to Hey Harriet, perhaps you might even join in the fun with some shadows of your own (but be warned, it's addictive!!).

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Clean and tidy

This morning, as always on Fridays, we did the housework.  We both like the house to be clean and tidy, and doing it on Fridays means that the house looks nice for the weekend.  But if you were to look in the studio at the moment, it is quite a different story ....... what, you would like to see what it's like - well, when I've been busy working on several projects, things just seem to accumulate on the tables ......

 

 

...... there is even clutter on the ironing board

 

 

.... the scrap basket is overflowing, the table piled up and there is stuff on all the chairs

 

 

Did you notice the little cuties - they are now all attached to the background fabrics with bondaweb

 

 

I have made a start to blanket-stitching round the raw edges

 

 

Over the weekend I will have to tidy the studio, ready for the next Kist meeting on Tuesday!  Whatever you are doing over the weekend, I hope you have a good time, love, Anne