frayed at the edge

Plums

I had today all planned ...........hooray, yippee, woohoo, we are going on holiday tomorrow, so today I was going to do the washing and ironing and pack the cases.  But that was before our neighbour JimtheFarmer popped in yesterday to give me a big bag of plums, which had blown off his trees in the high winds on Saturday night.  So I had some extra tasks to do ....... what's that you're shouting at your computer - oh, you want to know where we are going!  We are off to Portugal (a late bargain), to the resort of Carvoeiro, for two weeks of R&R.

So, to return to the plums.  The first job was to wash them thoroughly

I halved and stoned about a third of them, put them on baking parchment on trays and popped them in the freezer (having consulted a book about freezing fruit)

 

once they were frozen, I popped them into a freezer bag. 

 

then this morning, I made jam and chutney.  You'll see that the label says HOT plum chutney ....... I was a bit too generous with the cayenne pepper!

 

and that's not all!!  Yesterday Malcolm made a crumble.  We had some after dinner last night, we will have some later (at the moment we are too full after a delicious beef curry for dinner) then the remaining portion will go in the freezer

 

it was too miserable yesterday to go for a walk, so we popped out to get the papers and went for a very tasty cheese scone.  I cut it open so that you can see how much cheese was in it

 

it was very windy again through the night, and a slate came off the roof ........

 

........ unfortunately, it hit my car!  We have informed the insurance company, but it will have to wait until we get back to be repaired

 

I am going to schedule some posts to appear while we are away.  Hopefully the hotel will have wifi, or if not I am sure I will be able to find a coffee shop where I will be able to use my Kindle to read your comments (I do enjoy reading your comments!), however, I may not be able to reply.

 

We now have to stay awake until 2am, to leave for the airport.  We will probably find a film to watch, or some reruns of comedy shows.  I could also tackle the backlog of magazines that are sitting beside me!

Orchids

This has been a very good summer for orchids.  This one flowered for a second time, and has probably been flowering now for a year!

 

this one with the unusual dark markings has been in flower for quite a few weeks

 

this beauty burst into flower last week

 

there are another three orchids with buds on them, including this one which is also putting out little side shoots

 

not long before my Dad died, I had given him a little ivy house plant.  After he died, I took it home, and when we moved here I sat it on the end of the bookshelves in Malcolm's study, where it flourished.  But recently it had started to look a little bit droopy, so Malcolm decided to repot it.  We had bought this big pot when we lived in  Indonesia - it had been turned into a lamp, but recently the lamp workings had broken, so Malcolm turned it back into a pot!

 

the ivy in the front lounge continues in its takeover of the candlestick

 

the two stems of the yucca in the back lounge had been growing ever further apart, so Malcolm decided to split them and put the into separate pots.  Fortunately they seem to have survived - and the owls are happy!

 

at patch'n'chat this afternoon, Margaret wanted to lay out her latest blocks on the floor, to decide on the placement, but as she had a sore leg she was having trouble bending.  So Maureen and I came to the rescue, trying several layouts

 

we kept getting distracted by ooohing and aaahing over the rabbits and hares

 

a customer (who was also aaaahing and ooohing) joined in, and we settled on this arrangement

 

after you have drooled over the apple and sultana cake, do admire the new table cover

 

I was working on my "Welcome" wallhanging.  I took the photos when I got home, as the lighting at patch'n'chat tends to make the fabrics look yellow

 

The weather forecast for Sunday is decidedly bad, but whatever the weather, have a good weekend, love Anne

Reminiscing

A few weeks ago at patch-n-chat, we were reminiscing about treats from childhood, in particular icecream.  Anne S. and I remembered getting a "nougat" (or for a very special treat, a "double nougat") from the icecream van.  So when I did the food shopping recently, I popped these little goodies into the trolley, put them away when I got home ........ and promptly forgot about them!

 

so last night we had a little treat after dinner - delicious!

 

having made the jelly and chutney, I had to make room in the cupboard, so I took out all the jars of jam, jelly and chutney from previous years ....... the jars on the left and on the chopping board are the old ones

 

......... these jars had got lost at the back of the shelf.  The oldest one is from 2009

 

having made more space in the cupboard, I put the jars away (in date order!).  Then I headed out into the garden for some photos.  This clematis usually flowers earlier than this, but at the start of the summer quite a lot of it suddenly died!  Malcolm had to perform some brutal pruning, and it has put out some new growth - and just in the last week, lots of buds and flowers

 

this clematis flowered at the start of the summer, but every so often puts out another flower

 

this little clematis has all four stages of blooming - first, a bud

 

then just opening

 

fully opened

 

and last, minus the outer petals

 

the climbing rose has been flowering all summer

 

the miniature rose has decided to flower again

 

there weren't any butterflies today, but the bees were busy

 

I thought the front garden was looking really good - but the head gardener obviously didn't think so, and cut the grass after I took this photo!

 

I have mentioned that it is decidedly cooler - and the horses in the field across the road obviously agree, as they have their winter coats on

 

I forgot to post this yesterday - the two wallhangings from Tuesday's workshop

 

and finally - there are lots of berries on the purple elder in the front garden ........ which means we will get some interestingly coloured bird poo spattered on the cars!!

Sandstorm!

While I was busy teaching to ladies how to make textured flowers, Malcolm went off for a spot of sightseeing.  His first stop was here

 

where he encountered these delightful creatures

 

then it was on to Bamburgh, which is dominated by the castle

 

next he braved the windy conditions for a walk on the beach into Seahouses

 

you can see the wind blowing the sand

 

lobster pots on the quayside at Seahouses

 

the Farne Islands on the horizon

 

a last view of the castle before he came to pick me up

 

whle Malcolm was off exploring, my ladies were producing flowers in lots of different colours

 

last night's stitching at Abbey Quilters was much simpler.  Rineke gave us a short talk on sashiko, and had brought along little kits for us to buy, so that we could have a go.  Looking at this photo of my stitching, I can see that I am pulling the thread too tight

 

when I picked Maureen up, I gave her a jar of my bramble and apple jelly, and she gave me a jar of her marrow and date chutney, as well as a bag of wonderful fresh veggies from her garden.  At quilters, I gavve Anne S. a jar of jelly ....... and she gave me two big bags of apples from her garden.  So this afternoon there was some major cooking.  The saucepan on the left contains apple and sultana chutney, and the one on the right has chicken soup.  The two smaller saucepans contain the veggies for tonight's dinner, which Malcolm had prepped - potatoes (for creamy mash) and green beans.  I ended up with six jars of chutney, and five lots of soup ...... we had a small bowl as a starter tonight, there is a portion for me to take for my lunch to patch'n'chat on Friday, and three lots to go in the freezer.

 

now that we are into autumn, porridge is back on the breakfast menu ........ with a generous spoonful of the bramble and apple jelly - delicious!

An early start

We left the house just before 8am, to head for the village hall in Lowick, in Northumberland.  I had been invited to teach the ladies of Lowick Quilters my textured applique workshop.  We got there early (as always), so I had plenty of time to get everything unpacked before the ladies arrived

 

you know by now that wherever there are quilters, there is also food.  I had a cup of tea and half a scone before we even started!

 

once all the ladies arrived, we got underway

 

we started with the ruched flower, and Karen was the first to finish one

 

after a reasonable amount of sewing had been done, we stopped for a cuppa.  It was Mary's birthday, and she had brought a cake to share - the most wonderfully moist and delicious carrot cake

 

during the teabreak, we had the chance to chat and to look at everyone's flowers

 

Kathryn likes a bit of bling

 

Carol rapidly produced pretty flowers

 

this is Rosemarie's frayed flower ......

 

....... and this is Karen's.  She made four flowers and layered them together (I told her I would be stealing that idea!!)

 

when I made the samples in calico earlier in the year when I taught the workshop at Abbey Quilters, I said that I would like to do a full wallhanging in one colour, so last week I looked out a box of cream-on-cream fabrics, and set about creating a quick version.  Instead of hand applique, I used fusible web to put the bowl and leaves on the background, stitched round the raw edges with a contrasting thread, and machine quilted the background

 

I also decided to make a couple of new flowers, from the book that I bought at Harrogate.  The first one was really simple.  You start with a 2" square, and fold it in half diagonally

 

then fold it again

 

stitch across the raw edges

 

add another four pieces

 

then pull the thread tight to form the flower

 

for the other flower I sewed two strips together, with one strip half an inch wider then the other

 

when folded over, this gives a decorative edge.  The strip is then folded like this

 

I stitched three together to make a large flower

 

the new version of the wallhanging (it will need a few more flowers)

 

as the fabric requirements for these new flowers weren't on the list that the ladies had been given some weeks ago, I gave each of them an envelope with the pieces to make one of each flower

 

I have several more photos, but I am running out of time, as I will be leaving shortly, to head to Jedburgh to pick up Maureen, then on to Kelso for the first evening of the new session of Abbey Quilters.  I also have some photos that Malcolm took when he was sightseeing this morning.  So I'll finish with lunch, which we had in this lovely tearoom in Etal

 

Malcolm ordered a tuna melt toastie

 

and I ordered corn beef and pickle

 

then, as we often do, we swapped a half.  I just have time left to show you the wonderful teapot and jug - I wish thhe cup had been stripey too!!

Foraging

Yesterday we headed to Newtown St Boswells, where we recently discovered a new walk.  This time, instead of parking in the middle of the village, we took the car to the start of the section of the road which is closed to vehicles.  This meant we could walk much further along the road than last time.  It was a glorious morning - it had been decidedly chilly during the night, and the air was crisp and clear

 

as we approached the end of the closed section of road, we found the Rhymer's Stone

 

when we did the walk before, we saw a lot of rosehips, so we went armed with bags to pick some, and we also picked some brambles

 

having worked up an appetite, we headed for the Mainstreet Trading Company.  For a change, we didn't have two scones!  We had a delicious cheese scone ......

 

....... and a piece of the most wonderful moist lemony Tunisian cake

 

refreshed and revived, we headed for the Deli, behind the main building

 

is that a beehive on the left of the photo?  It may look like one, but it is a compost bin.  I suggested to Malcolm that he should make some - this one costs £170 (yes, you read that correctly, one hundred and seventy pounds!).

 

back home, the butterflies were enjoying the sunshine

 

in the kitchen, I washed the roships thoroughly

 

I topped and tailed them, then blitzed them in the processor

 

I had already put the leftover hedgerow apples and the brambles in my big stock pot (note to Santa, I'd love a proper jam pan).  I added the brambles more for their colour than their flavour

 

I added the rosehips and simmered the mixture for a short while.  I let it stand so that the liquid woud be infused with the flavours.  I then put it in to the jelly bag and left it overnight to drip through

 

this morning I measured the liquid, put it back in the stock pot and added the sugar.  It didn't take long to reach setting point, and I put it into jars.  Along with the bramble and apple jelly which I made on Saturday, we have more than enough to put on our porridge all winter!  (if you like my jars with their spotty lids and labels, I bought them here)

 

this afternoon, I packed my two big workshop bags, and folded a small selection of wallhangings ..... but you will have to wait until tomorrow to find out why!

 

to finish - this plump robin was sitting prettily on top of the bird table late this afternoon.  Normally I would have taken a photo with the long lens, but Stuart has borrowed it, so I took this with the full digital zoom on the short lens, so it isn't as sharp as it would have been with the other lens

At last, some sewing!

With all the gallivanting, there hasn't been much sewing on the blog ....... but I have been sewing! I have been busy free motion quilting the first four blocks of Lucie's "A is for applique" challenge

 

I have also been working on Nice People, Nice Things for Anne

 

work continues on the August block for Lucie's challenge (yes, I know, I'm a bit late finishing it!)

 

we had Annette's delicious cupcakes this afternoon - given how much I have eaten over the last few days, I was very good and only had one!

 

there was a great commotion as Sandra came in this afternoon - or I should say was dragged in ...... she is looking after her daughter's puppy this weekend, and Crunchie was anxious to join in with patch'n'chat

 

it has been raining all day, and has been a bit on the cool side, which has come as a bit of a shock after the glorious summer weather that we have been enjoying.  Hopefully we will still be able to go for our Sunday morning walk - but if not it will just mean more sewing time!  I hope you have a good weekend, love Anne

 

Oh the pain, oh the agony ......

...... and that was just the nettle sting on my little finger, when I was picking apples yesterday (more of that later).  Then there was exquisite pain this morning at the dentist - no, not the treatment, but paying the bill.  Well, that's the tooth all properly filled, but the dentist still doesn't think it is going to survive much longer (and that will be an even bigger bill).

Never mind, on to happier things!  We had a wonderful meal on Tuesday with Stuart and Alison - if you are on a diet, you might want to quickly scroll past the next few photos!  Alison and I chose the same starter - a potato scone, topped with black pudding, bacon and cheese, with a rich gravy

 

Malcolm had prawns in filo pastry with a sweet chilli dipping sauce

 

Stuart had potato wedges with two dipping sauces

 

then it was on to the main course.  I decided I would go for a lighter main course, as I thought the starter would be quite filling (it was!), so I had chicken with a lemon sauce and rice

 

Alison had steak pie

 

Malcolm had minute steak

 

and Stuart had Cajun chicken with salad, tortilla chips and salsa ...... but the menu didn't mention it came with chips!

 

needless to say, after all that we declined a sweet!  And of course we had a drink to toast the birthday boy!  On Wednesday morning, we headed to Falkirk to have breakfast in Aromas coffee shop, where we used to be a fixture on Saturday mornings ....... we used to go in, say hello to the other regulars, sit at "our" table and start reading the papers.  As if by magic, tea and coffee would appear, followed by what were possibly the best bacon rolls in the world - as we always ordered the same thing, the waitress stopped asking what we wanted, and simply brought it.  When we arrived on Wednesday, we met Lorna, one of my quilting friends from Greenpark Quilters - I was a member of the group twice, before and after living in Indonesia.  I was given blocks made by the members both times that I left - but on the second occasion they said I wouldn't get any if I joined and left a third time!  When we went in, it was as if we had never been away - despite the fact that it is seven years since we moved away!  Jane, the owner, said hello as if we had just been in last week.  Then Joy, another of my quilting friends came in, so I had a blether with her.  So, the big question was - would the bacon rolls still be as good - YES

 

after breakfast, we walked past the house where we lived from 1990 until 1997 (we lived in the downstairs part, upstairs was a separate flat)

 

the house was on the market recently, and we were able to view photos of it online.  Although it had been redecorated, the kitchen was still the one that Malcolm installed, and the bathroom was also the one that we fitted.  And walking past, I could see that the beautiful lace panels that I bought all those years ago were still hanging at the bedroom windows

 

Malcolm made this fence about twenty years ago!  It is in need of a coat of paint, but still looks sound.  He cut the top of every piece himself - he made it in short panels, perhaps making one each weekend

 

so, to return to the nettle sting.  When we were walking over to the restaurant on Tuesday night, we passed several bramble patches, laden with fruit, so on Wednesday morning, we stopped on our way to breakfast to pick some

 

when we got home I decided to go for a walk and pick some hedgerow apples, and that's when the nasty nettle stung my little finger - it throbbed for hours!  Never mind, it was such a lovely afternoon, I had the glorious scenery to take my mind off the pain (ok, I'm a wimp!)

 

I tried to persuade this sheepie to move back a bit into the sun, but it stubbornly stayed in the shade!

 

I'm making bramble and apple jelly - at the moment is is dripping through the jelly bag.  Malcolm made a crumble this afternoon - but as it is a fast day, we can't eat it until tomorrow!  I'll be back tomorrow with a sewing update ....... and hopefully some Friday cake!

A long day!

First, Malcolm says thank you for all your birthday wishes - I'll tell you tomorrow about our trip to Stuart and Alison's, and the delicious meal we had.

But now, to backtrack to Saturday.  I had to get up at 6am, leave the house at 6.30, pick up Maureen at 7.oo, then drive on to Kelso to join the other Abbey Quilters to be picked up at 7.30 ...... I was exhausted already!  We had a good journey to Harrogate - including a 15 minute comfort break, it took us three and a half hours.  Tempting as it was to head first for the traders, I went to look at the quilts

 

as always I can only show you general shots of the exhibition

 

these quilts are by Ferret

 

what do you see when you look at the quilt in the middle?

 

did you see a face or two prancing horses!  Would you like to see the winning quilt?

 

as it will appear in so many magazines, I don't think an appearance here will matter

 

it's hard work ooohing and aaaahing over the wonderful quilts, so what better way to have an energy boost, than tucking into a delicious icecream!!

 

while I was eating my icecream, there was a group of people just a few feet from me who were paying attention to a chap who was holding forth in a loud voice.  He looked, and sounded, familiar, but I couldn't place him.  Then later, when I was looking round the traders, I saw a photo of him on  a stall, and realised who he was.  He was a contestant in The Great British Sewing Bee, earlier in the year.  (the photo is from here)

 

after a very enjoyable day at the quilt show, we had a good journey back, and I got home about 8pm, to enjoy a late dinner and a glass (or two) of wine!  So what did I buy?

 

the little fairy lights at the top are for Malcolm.  He will be making more driftwood trees for Christmas, and I thought these would look good on them.  You can find them here.  I couldn't resist the book of flowers, and it made sense to stock up on some of my favourite threads - I usually have to buy them online, so buying them at the show has saved me postage.  I had to rearrange my thead box to fit them in (oh, ok, I have lots more thread!)

 

beads and buttons, cute sheepie ribbon, and some iron-on bias for the stash.  I have had this book for years, but hadn't got round to making any of the projects ....... but now I have some lovely woolly bits, I shall have to decide what to do

 

when I was taking the photos of my purchases, I also took photos of a couple of things that we bought last week.  I frequently say that I don't know how I have a son who is now in his thirties, as in my head I am still 29.  So when I saw this mug, it had to come home with me!!

 

Malcolm bought this little owl for me

 

I will put these metal tags on some bunting

 

a last word on the quilt show ...... I was delighted to bump into Val Ramsay, whom I knew some years ago, but after Val moved to County Durham we lost touch.  We had a very rapid catch-up on all that has happened in the intervening years, and parted with promises to try harder to keep in touch!

With all my gallivanting, I am lagging behind on reading and commenting on my favourite blogs, but I should catch up over the next few days.  I also haven't been able to keep up with replying to comments and answering questions, for which I apologise - if you have asked me something and I haven't replied, please ask me again!

To finish, I realise there has been a distinct lack of sconnage, so here is a wonderful cheese scone which we shared on Sunday

 

ps - on our way home today we popped in to a garden centre for a bowl of soup for lunch.  As we walked in the door I let out a loud groan, as the staff were setting up their C*****mas displays!!!!!

 

Fleas!

I promised you a tale of plague ....... and you will probably need a hanky to dry your eyes by the time you have read this account!  The plague came to Eyam in September 1665, carried by fleas on a bolt of cloth brought from London for the local tailor.  Seventy six families were affected, some of them being wiped out.  One woman, Elizabeth Hancock, buried her husband and six children over the space of eight days.  There are signs on a lot of the buildings in the village

 

and there are graves in odd places, as people were encouraged to bury their dead in their gardens to try to contain the plague

 

by the time the plague ended in October 1666, 260 peope had died.  However, there were happier things to see in the village!  I would have put Malcolm in the stocks, but they were padlocked shut!

 

there is a handsome church

 

Malcolm was rather taken with this house

 

then it was on to the main reason for visiting the village - Eyam Hall, an unspoilt example of a gritstone Jacobean manor house

 

the Hall is now run by the National Trust, but unlike other properties, the Hall hasn't been given to the Trust, but leased, so that it remains in the family's possession.  The Trust are delighted with this arrangement, as it gives them the chance to show off a smaller house, compared to the grand mansions they are usually gifted.  The family lived in the house until earlier this year, so there is a mix of rooms presented as they would have been in the past, and with the modern living arrangements

 

 

the stitching on this sampler is exquisite

 

but I don't think I would attempt to embroider a bedspread like this one

 

we enjoyed a stroll round the gardens, admiring the outside of the house

 

the outbuildings in the courtyard have been turned into small craft shops

 

did you notice the little dog snoozing in the box on the right of the last photo?  The village had one more delight to see.  Well dressing seems to be confined to Derbyshire.  A large tray is filled with clay then flower petals are pressed into the clay to make pictures.  There were three for us to admire

 

I won't be here tomorrow, as it is Malcolm's birthday.  We are going up to visit Stuart and Alison, as they both celebrate their birthdays this month (and mine is the 2nd of October), and we are going out for dinner to celebrate.  I'll be back on Wednesday to tell you about my day out on Saturday, but for tonight I'll finish with this strange vehicle which we saw in Eyam