frayed at the edge

6&6 in 2018 : April report

 This month I worked on a UFO - Potty McDotty.  The first job was to trim all the blocks

 

and pop them on the design wall

 

it didn't take long ......

 

........ to trim them all

 

I then rearranged them

 

and started sewing them together

 

you may notice that by the time I had stitched all of them together, I had done a bit more rearranging!

 

I added the side borders

 

then the top and bottom borders

 

did you spot some missing pieces?  There should be fabric circles

 

but I thought that I would use up some of my button stash

 

however, I won't sew the buttons on until I have done the quilting - so for the moment Potty is back on the UFO pile!

Do pop over to Meredithe's blog, and after reading her report, scroll down to the linky thing to see what everyone has achieved this month.

Sunshine!

When I came into the kitchen at quarter past six this morning, the sun was shining strongly through the window ......

 

......... creating some excellent shadow shots

 

I took this shot yesterday afternoon, when there was just a hint of a shadow

 

just look at the difference this morning!

 

those of you who pop in to see me on Instagram (@annetaydon) know that on Fridays I post a photo of the treat I have for breakfast because I have been good all week.  Well, that might have been a slight fib this morning, after enjoying this delicious chocolate brownie on Monday!

 

today's title of Sunshine doesn't just refer to this morning ........ ok, we need a roll of drums and a fanfare - we are off to Majorca tomorrow for our annual stay!!  I won't be blogging over the next 3 weeks, except for popping in on Monday with my April report for 6&6 in 2018, but I hope to pop a photo on Instagram each day (warning, there may be a lot of delicious cakes, and even the occasional glass of wine, as well as sea, sand and sun!).

I hope you have a good weekend, love Anne

Funky chickens!

Yesterday, seven ladies joined me at The Quilt Shop for the Funky Chickens workshop

 

this was a sample chicken I made to advertise the workshop, before I made the full wallhanging

 

the ladies didn't take long to get all their supplies unpacked

 

I recognised quite a few of the scraps in Sonia's box, as she had recently acquired them from my scrap bucket!

 

after a busy morning, I was glad to sit down to my healthy lunch - homemade soup with some cheese in it, and some of the delicious strawberries that I bought on Monday, with vanilla yogurt

 

ok, these might not have been quite as healthy!

 

after lunch, chickens popped up all round the room ...... short fat ones

 

tall thin ones

 

ones with extravagant tail feathers

 

and of course, they need a henhouse to roost in

 

this was just a small selection of the chickens which had been finished by the end of the day

 

next month we will get together again, and they will stitch their chicken blocks together to make the wallhanging.

 

 

A sunny day

When I got up on Saturday, there was a little bit of cloud in the sky, and I tried to capture the sun's rays shining through

 

but by the time we walked over to town later in the morning, the clouds had gone, the sky was blue and the sun was shining

 

and finally spring is bursting out all over!

 

after doing our bits and bobs of shopping, we walked the long way back to the flat, through Coronation Park

 

it's a while since we last walked through the park, so we don't know when these amazing new sculptures were installed

 

I wouldn't want to meet a bat this big!

 

I liked the robin so much ......

 

....... I had to take two photos of him

 

this is barley, which was so important in days past that it was used as currency

 

fortunately I know that a group of owls is called a parliament, so I didn't need to walk round the read the words on the post

 

the owl would look good in the garden, so if it goes missing one day, you will know where to look for it

 

these creatures give me shivers if I find them scuttling about in the garden

 

the otter has lovely sleek lines

 

and who could resist this cheerful mole .......

 

...... as long as he doesn't pop up in the middle of our lawn!

 

we were pleased to see that the driftwood boat has survived the winter storms

 

I usually take photos of the bridges from the other side

 

so it good to see them from a different perspective

 

and a train obligingly appeared on the bridge, to emphasise the size of it

 

we hadn't seen the seal all winter, so as we walked back over the old bridge, we were delighted to see him perched on his rock

 

he was obviously aware of us hanging over the parapet looking at him, as in this photo he has turned to look at us after we had walked further along the bridge

 

I am teaching at The Quilt Shop tomorrow, so hopefully I will get the chance to take some photos during the class to share with you on Wednesday.

 

Dual purpose

 As promised, the rest of the story of Malcolm's clock.  When I next saw it, he had repaired the glass and the face, fitted a new mechanism so that it functioned again as a clock, drilled a hole through the case and inserted a lamp fitting, and had looked out a shade (which he acquired from a charity shop!)

 

He has kept the innards to use in another project (perhaps another lamp?) .......

 

and here is the finished lamp/clock, which is now in the guest bedroom.  Malcolm liked this photo, with the blind drawn so that he could turn the lamp on

 

but I prefer this one in the daylight, and with the lovely photo of my Granny back in place.  I don't know exactly when the photo was taken, but it must be at least a hundred years ago!

 

on our way up to Berwick today, we stopped at Carnaby's for a bite of lunch.  Malcolm chose the pork and apple sausage roll, which was delicious

 

and I had a rather trendy smashed avocado with chilli and lime, on rye bread, which was also very tasty

 

the weather today has been glorious, so of course we headed out to the beach for a walk.  There was just enough breeze offshore for this little boat

 

I recently invested in some litter pickers, and I hadn't gone very far before I had filled a small bag with plastic rubbish.  I know it might seem odd that I have used a plastic bag to put the rubbish in,, but it was one that I had used in the freezer, so I was recycling it

 

last week we could barely see the lighthouse through the mist!

 

after 20 minutes I had filled two bags, and as Malcolm had picked up a large piece of driftwood, we headed back to the car park

 

while he stowed the driftwood and my litter picker in the boot, I popped the rubbish in the bin, then thought about stealing this magnificent tractor.  However it had a large trailer on the back, which might have made driving it a bit tricky!

 

we continued our walk along the beach, and soon encountered what had been on the tractor's trailer - a very large machine, which was scraping sand away from the base of the wall

 

and dumping it well away from the wall

 

as the café on the promenade was open, we stopped for a cuppa, enjoying sitting in the sun and watching the world go by

 

when we walked back along the beach to the car park, Malcolm spotted this little dead fish - we were surprised it hadn't been eaten by a gull

 

I rather liked the fluffy clouds behind the old chimney

 

when we got back to the flat, I sneaked into the dock (ignoring the "keep out" signs), to take some photos of the swans

 

but these two didn't want to co-operate and headed out of the dock to the river!

 

we have our fingers firmly crossed that the glorious weather continues, and we can get out and about for another walk tomorrow.  Have a good weekend, love Anne

 

A very grand day out!

 I had said that I would tell you today what Malcolm was making with the old clock that he bought last week, but that will have to wait until Friday, as we had a very special day out yesterday.  We had received an invitation from The Newcastle Building Society to a presentation at Alnwick Castle.  Not only would we be treated to a buffet lunch, we would also be given a guided tour of the grounds of the Castle, after a talk from the CEO of the Building Society.  So of course we accepted the invitation.  As the Castle is still lived in by the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, there are no ugly car parks in the grounds of the castle - but who would object to walking from the outlying car park up to the Castle while enjoying this view!

 

there was a large group of children walking into the Castle in front of us

 

it is a magnificent building

 

these two tourists give you an idea of the scale

 

this ring is for tethering your horse

 

with a rather fierce beastie to look after it

 

after the presentation and a delicious buffet lunch, we went on the guided tour, which was conducted by a charming young man named Daniel.  If you have been thinking that the Castle looks familiar, it may be because many films and tv programmes have been filmed there - the most famous being the Harry Potter movies, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves (the Kevin Costner one), and the latest Transformer movie

 

 and an episode of Downton Abbey, which of course is shown all round the world (although I have to admit that I have never seen it)

 

but this is a real life hero, Sir Henry Percy, aka Harry Hotspur

 

this courtyard has been used in several firms, including one in which our guide Daniel had a minor part!

 

fortunately we knew .....

 

that these threatening figures on the roof are statues!

 

the Union Flag was flying proudly in the breeze

 

as we made our way back to the car, I spotted this tree ........ could this have been the model for the Whomping Willow?

 

 

Reflections in the mist

 On Friday night we walked over to town for a bite to eat

 

with several stops on the way there

 

to take misty reflection shots of the bridges

 

and a couple more

 

on the way back

 

Malcolm pointed out this shot of the slightly sagging old roof

 

a splash of colour in the mist

 

when I got up this morning, it was misty again!  Looking out of the window after my session on the implements of torture, I was somewhat surprised to see a rabbit sitting in the middle of the road!

 

by the time we had eaten breakfast, the mist had lifted - and the cheeky rabbit was sitting in the garden

 

Malcolm bought this clock last Thursday for a mere £3.50

 

as you can see, it is in need of some tlc

 

deep in thought on Friday afternoon, having removed its innards

 

come back on Wednesday to see what he has done so far!

 

Gorgeous again!

 Yesterday we headed up to Kelso, as I had my regular appointment with the lovely Melissa, who keeps me looking blonde and gorgeous!  As we were a bit early, we had a walk along the river

 

and past the Abbey (what numptie put a streetlight in front of it, to look out of place in the photo!)

 

Jake the Salon dog just wouldn't pose nicely for a photo - he looks a bit sulky in this one as I disturbed his people watching - he spent the whole afternoon sitting looking out the window at the world going by

 

after my afternoon of being pampered ( I could fall asleep when I get my hair washed!) we came over to the flat.  We got up this morning to a grey day, but as always I had the camera with me when we walked over to town.  The salmon boats are back on the river - hopefully we will see the fishermen sometime soon

 

the river bed has been scoured away round this bridge pier, revealing the original wooden piling

 

this was a very large gull.  I used the digital zoom to take this - I wasn't going anywhere near that wicked beak!

 

as we walked on over the bridge, Malcolm turned back and noticed this reflection shot

 

it was such a grey morning ........

 

...... that this photo of the little wading birds almost looks as if it has been taken in b&w

 

there were some brave people on the beach, watching the waves pounding on the sand

 

the lamp may look dramatic against the grey sky, but I would rather have a blue sky, please!

 

at last, some colour!

 

it's a while since we last walked past the mega money pit, so we were glad to see that work has finally started, and that the building will now be saved from becoming a ruin

 

The Little Vintage shop opened recently, so we popped in for a browse

 

it makes you feel old when vintage shops sell things you grew up with!

 

so what came back to the flat with me, in this super bag?

 

an old thread bobbin, from a mill.  We have plans for a joint project, but you will have to wait to see what we do!

 

it's Friday, so of course that means a scone.  This was a delicious cheese one, still warm from the oven

 

to finish, two bits of nonsense!  I saw this sign in a ladies' loo yesterday, so of course I had to whip out the camera and take a photo (I can truthfully say that I have never flushed a goldfish down the toilet, mine were given proper burials in the garden!)

 

perhaps this reminds me of a certain other Stuart??!!

 

we will be heading home in the morning, and will visit Jennifer at some point over the weekend.  And no doubt I will fit in some sewing!  Have a good weekend, love Anne

This and that!

First, the good news!  Jennifer got home from hospital today, and again thanks you all for your lovely, caring messages.

 

Next, we have Malcolm's latest make.  I really do have to get him better trained, as he didn't take any before photos.  So, he started with a very grubby, tarnished miner's lamp.  Having cleaned the glass and polished the brass, he turned it into a  table lamp

 

which is very smart indeed

 

I tried to take a photo of the plaque on it, but it is so highly polished that it was reflecting its surroundings

 

out in the garden, the olive tree is still wrapped in its protective fleece.  The weather has been so unpredictable, we have been reluctant to unwrap it.  To the left are several new plants waiting to be planted, and on the right, in the little bucket, the narcissi are still flowering, despite having been buried in snow several times

 

in the top corner of the front garden, the new camellia has flowered

 

this photo shows the true colour of the flowers

 

I haven't had as much time as usual in the Attic, but I have made the effort to do the final prep for the Funky Chickens workshop, which I will be teaching soon at the Quilt Shop

 

I recently bought the book on the left, and to practice drawing some of the fmq patterns I bought the notebook on the right (it was in a sale!)

 

it is much prettier than the plain black notebook that I had been using

 

and to finish, something I am so pleased to be able to share with you.  The wonderful Gretel has been a bloggy friend for many years, and those of you who read her blog will know that she has had some terrible times in recent years.  So I was delighted that she is now keeping much better and has produced this fabulous Hatty Hare needle felting kit - so of course I ordered one there and then

 

the kit is beautifully presented

 

with a glossy booklet

 

which shows you in detail how to make Hatty.  Do pop over to Gretel's blog, and check out this very reasonable priced kit -it would make a lovely gift for a crafty friend!  (and you might want one for yourself too!!)

 

there is a little story about this last photo.  On Monday mornings, I usually go up to Alnwick, go for a cuppa in Bailey's coffee shop, then do the weekly food shop.  When I go up to the counter to order, I feast my eyes on all the delicious cakes ....... then order a pot of tea.  But of course I have been out of my routine for the last few weeks, while Jennifer has been in hospital.  So when I went to Alnwick on Monday, I didn't just order a  pot of tea, I also ordered this wonderful chocolate brownie, which caused hilarity amongst the staff who know my usual looking but not buying when it comes to cakes.  The chap who brought my order to my table assured me that it was healthy, as it had two pieces of strawberry on the plate!  Then the owner came over to ask me what I thought of the brownie, as a new lady is baking them for the coffee shop.  I told him it was the perfect brownie, crispy on the top, soft and gooey in the middle ...... oh dear, it is going to be very hard to resist having another one next Monday!!

From shabby to chic!

 When Jennifer was first in hospital, she asked Malcolm if he could pick up three old chairs from her house and take them to the tip - something she had planned to do the day she fell and broke her leg.  He replied that rather than throw them away, he would take them home and chop them up for firewood.  But as soon as I saw the chairs, I said, oh no, don't chop them up, I have a plan!  I bought a small tin of chalk paint, and Malcolm produced a tub of sugar soap wipes and a paint brush from the garage

 

and of course I had to consult my favourite recycling magazine

 

I had to stir the paint well before I used it, and as it was just a little tin, I used a little spoon.  This spoon may have found its way into my pocket when I was on a Singapore Airlines flight (way back in the days when you got metal cutlery!)

 

while I was busy cleaning the chair ready to paint it, Malcolm made me a cup of tea in my favourite sheepie mugs

 

what a difference a coat of paint makes!

 

the first coat on the front ......

 

....... the back ...........

 

....... and the bottom

 

after giving the chair a second coat of paint, the next stage wax to apply wax.  I put on my cute owl apron to protect my clothes from the wax

 

all waxed and buffed up

 

when the sun was shining yesterday, I took the chair out into the garden, and popped one of the cushions that I made recently on it

 

you might think that is the end of the big reveal, but there is one more part of the story to share .......... the chair and the cushions are a "welcome home from hospital" present for Jennifer.  And the good news is that she will be home on Wednesday.