frayed at the edge

You can't have too many .......

........ lambs!  I saw these two cuties when I was heading to Borderland Fabrics today.  I promptly reversed (having of course checked in my rear view mirror!), parked and even braved the muddy entrance to the field (I had on new shoes) to lean over the gate and snap them!!

 

 

This afternoon at patch'n'chat, Seonaid was working on a log cabin block ....... a very small log cabin block!  I took this photo on a cutting mat, so you can see just how small it is - a mere four inches square

 

 

Her aim is to make a lap quilt - she has made forty blocks, so she still has a long way to go (and she is doing it all by hand!)  However, she was fortified by a slice of Annette's wonderful sponge with our afternoon cuppa

 

 

Yesterday's photo of the dog in the shop window attracted several comments ....... I can reassure you that it is a 'toy' dog .... although it is amazingly lifelike.  I didn't include this photo yesterday, as it isn't as clear, but these two puppies hanging from the picture frame were moving too

 

 

The forecast for the weekend is for much better weather - I hope yours is good too.

Love, Anne

 

Back to nature

Yesterday we decided to head off to Harestanes, one of out favourite places for a Sunday morning walk .... although we hadn't been for some time because of the weather!  As soon as we arrived, we could see that the weather hasn't stopped work being done on the hedge behind the carpark

 

the original hedge, tall and straggly

 

 

cut almost through at the foot of the stems and bent over

 

 

a framework and woven top has been added - the hedge is already growing strongly

 

Although it is now spring, it still looked like autumn under these trees

 

 

But these daffodils were a welcome splash of colour on a dull morning

 

 

Before we went out, we only had a glass of orange juice and a cup of tea, so when we finished our walk, we were more than ready to tuck into delicious bacon sandwiches

 

 

We saw posters saying that there was a demonstration of green woodworking, so of course we went to have a look.  Malcolm was delighted to be given a go at shaping a piece of wood ......

 

....... helped by plenty of advice from this lady, who was shaping a leg for a stool

 

 

I think I will have to get Malcolm some specialist woodworking tools for his birthday and Christmas this year - it's all very different to the sort of stuff he usually does.

There are also some craft shops at Harestanes, and I bought this little oil drizzler for Malcolm - it is only three inches high!

 

 

I also couldn't resist these beads - now I just need to design a project for them

 

 

It was a very pleasant way to spend the morning - and in the evening, some Easter egg may have been eaten!!

 

 

 

 

 

It may be April ......

....... but winter just doesn't want to go away!!  This morning we woke up to a sharp frost, which was followed by freezing fog ...... just in time for all the people going away for the Easter Weekend.

Having fulfilled my domestic duties, as always it was off to Borderland Fabrics for patch'n'chat.  There weren't so many of us there, because of the holiday, but we still had fun!  Anne S was woking on a wallhanging of angels (yes, my angels)..  She is working them in purple, which gives them quite a different appearance to my red ones. 

 

 

Anne's daughter Roberta is visiting her, so she came along for the afternoon.  Unfortunately she didn't bring one of the beautiful teddies that she makes, but she did bring her knitting

 

 

But that's not all that they brought - they had a little treat to share

 

 

I was working on my runner for my chest of drawers.  After trying out several layouts for the main part, I eventually decided on this one

 

 

I really enjoy hand applique - there is something very relaxing about sitting stitching round the tulips and leaves

 

 

As always, come three o'clock, everything stopped for tea ...... which was kept hot in the pot by the super tea cosy knitted by Anne D

 

 

Annette wasn't there today, but in her absence Cathy had made more of her wonderful muffins (she got up at 7am to make them for us!)  Today's were orange and mixed fruit and they were absolutely delicious .......

 

 

I hope you all have a super weekend, love, Anne

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was raining again .....

 ...... this morning, wet, windy and horrible .... so when it came to lunchtime, I definitely needed some comfort food!

 

delicious - boiled eggs and toast soldiers

 

I love to have pots of herbs on the kitchen windowsill, so I was delighted to find this double pot in a kitchen shop earlier in the week - just the thing to put my basil and thyme in

 

 

The rain did finally ease after lunch, so when I went out to the studio to fetch my sewing to go to Borderland Fabrics, I was able to take some photos of more signs of spring!

 

these narcissi are a month late in flowering

 

 

one of my garden favourites - alchemilla mollis

 

lovely soft shades of green and purple leaves of aquilegia 

 

 

 

the forsythia is about to flower

 

 

 

The challenge for March was to clear out my wardrobe - I had already taken some woolies to a charity shop, but then I had a thorough clearout!

 

 

Don't worry, Winnie the Pooh didn't go to the charity shop .... he was just relaxing on the bed in the guest bedroom!  It was hard to part with some of the clothes - but they are too small for me and I know I will never be that thin again ....... and I did feel better when they were no longer hanging in the wardrobe looking reproachfully at me for not being able to wear them.

 

Of course, Friday means cake, and Annette produced one of her light-as-air sponges for us to have with our cuppa

 

 

 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend - we are supposed to have better weather tomorrow ...... but snow is forecast for next week!!!

Love Anne
 

 

 
 

 

  

 

 

 

Oh dear ....... more cake!

I know, there was rather a lot of calorific content yesterday ...... but it's Friday, which means more cake (sorry Lindsay!!)  This afternoon at Borderland Fabrics, Cathy had made chocolate chip muffins .......

 

 

Moving swiftly on ........ having forgotten to take a photo last Saturday of what I was working on - I forgot again this afternoon!!  But, I did remember when I got home.  I have finished the tulips on either end of the runner (I had originally intended to have various flowers, but I liked the tulips I did for the 'Spring' wallhanging, so I decided to use them for the runner too)

 

 

I then made a start to placing tulips and leaves round the main part of the runner

 

 

I am fed up waiting for some colour in the garden, so I have been to the garden centre for some plants to put in the pots at the studio door .... vibrant polyanthus

 

 

narcissi

 

 

and snake's head fritillaries

 

 

Have a good weekend (I don't think I'll have any more cake!!) Love, Anne

 

 

  

A moment on the lips.....

....... is delicious!!  Yes, here at last is the recipe for the lemon drizzle cake.  It is loosely based on a Rosemary Conley recipe - but my version is definitely not a healthy eating one!

 

you will need : 225g butter, 225g caster sugar, 4 eggs, 300g plain flour, 2tsps baking powder, zest of 2 lemons

for the drizzle : juice of 2 lemons, 2 tbsps caster sugar - stirred together  

 

First heat the oven to 150 degreesC, then zest and squeeze the juice from the lemons

 

 

 beat the eggs

 

cream together the butter and sugar, and gradually add the eggs

 

add the flour, baking powder and lemon zest and mix thoroughly

 

smooth the top, then bake for approx 90 minutes - check the cake is cooked by putting a skewer into the middle - if it comes out clean, the cake is ready

 

 

while the cake is still hot, slowly pour the drizzle over the top

 

slice and enjoy!

 

If you are feeling peckish while your cake is in the oven, here's a quick 'cheating' recipe for millionaires' shortbread - you will need

a packet of shortbread rounds, dulce de leche and chocolate

 

spread the dulce de leche on the shortbread

 

melt the chocolate

 

spread the chocolate on top. 

I know they are a bit lumpy looking (Jane Asher won't be offering me a cake decorating job!), but it's the taste that matters ...... when I offered Malcolm a second one with his cuppa this afternoon, he hesitated for a fraction of a second before saying yes please, then added that he didn't think he could manage a third one, as they are very rich and sweet! 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

Mixed messages!

Sometimes it seems as if spring has finally arrived, but sometimes it seems as if winter hasn't  quite left us.  In the front garden, the quince certainly thinks spring is here ....

 

...... with lots of buds, and one flower

 

....... but in the back garden, we still have a little bit of snow!!

 

I was going to share the recipe for lemon drizzle cake with you - but when I went to make it after lunch, I realised that I had forgotten to get eggs this morning when I did my weekly food shop!  Don't worry, I will do it another day, but in the meantime, I thought you might like to see what I did with this beautiful beef that I bought this morning

 

I decided to make a rich stew, adding onions, mushrooms, garlic, chilli,and a red pepper

 

along with tomatoes, tomato puree, seasoning and a bottle of Malcolm's best Brazilian beer!

 

While the veggies were gently cooking in the pot on the right, I browned the meat in batches in the frying pan

 

I decided that it needed an extra flavour, so after a bit of thought I decided to add some smoked paprika.  This is quite a strong flavour, so I used my special measuring spoon to make sure that I didn't put too much in .....

 

While the stew was cooking, I tackled the ironing .... I thought I had better,  as the wardrobe was looking somewhat empty.  I wish I could let you taste the stew -  a delicious rich dish, just the thing for a day when spring perhaps hasn't quite arrived!

  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 

Normal service resumed

Yes, it was back into the routine this morning, and the house is now clean and tidy again!  Then it was off to Borderland Fabrics for an afternoon of patch'n'chat .... and of course cake!!  A choice of two again this week - lemon drizzle and gingerbread (yes, I had a piece of both)

 

 

But between chatting and cake-eating, I did manage to do some sewing ..... I have been working on my Angel Stitcheries, and have now completed three of them

 

 

 

 

I have also been working on another wallhanging, but I can only show you a little bit .... you will have to wait until next Tuesday's tutorial to see the whole thing!

 

I hope you all have a great weekend, love Anne

 
 

  

Thoroughly discombobulated!

You know that I like order and routine in my life (fortunately Malcolm does too), but this week has been somewhat topsy turvy!  On Monday, I did the food shopping as usual in the morning, but as it was such a lovely day, I suggested to Malcolm that we went to Kelso after lunch, as I wanted to take photos of the Abbey.  I decided to try taking some black and white shots of the ruins, and I was delighted with the results

 

 

It must have been an awe-inspiring building!  However, not all of it is in ruins

 

This carving looked new

 

I changed back to colour to take a photo of this wonderful window

 

Yesterday was another beautiful, bright, sunny day, so we decided to have a day out (normally I would have spent the day in the studio).  We headed east to visit Berwick, which in times past has been fought over by the Scots and the English (it is now in England!).  We had a very enjoyable (if slightly cold) walk round the walls, which were built to protect the town

 

This looks like a small church, but it is the magazine, where the gunpowder was stored!

 

 

The cold weather didn't stop these golfers from playing a round

 

Of course, a day out means lunch, which we had in a delightful cafe/gift shop called Doolally.  We had delicious squash, fennel and ginger soup, served with a wonderful cheese scone

 

After lunch we continued our walk, pausing to admire the magnificent Victorian railway bridge

 

To try to give you an idea of the massive engineering feat the Victorians achieved, I put Malcolm in this photo to show you the scale of the stone blocks

 

I took a lot of photos over the two days, quite a few of which will be appearing in future Shadow Shot Sundays, but I'll finish today with another shot of Kelso Abbey - a photo
which could grace the cover of a Gothic thriller!!

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 

These are a few of my favourite things!

I've been tagged by Shannon of Free Spirit Knits to tell you ten simple things that make me happy .........

1. Of course I have to start with Malcolm and Stuart .... my family always comes first.  This is us on our wedding day in 1986.

 

2. My home .... I get to see this every morning when I open the curtains!

3. Books - I love to read and need to have a book within easy reach at all times!

4. Orchids - I have a collection on the kitchen windowsill - this one has just started flowering

5.  Friends - this are a wonderful group of friends I had in Indonesia .... as you can see, I had been teaching them patchwork!  I have to admit that's me with the grey hair - now, thanks to my marvellous hairdresser, I am a stunning blond .....

6. My studio - I took this photo yesterday ........ it was snowing and miserable out, but I was happy working on my latest projects

7. Travel - I enjoy holidays so much it's hard to pick a photo ...... this is Pollensa in Majorca

8. Food - I am definitely a 'live to eat' person, and while looking for a holiday photo, I also found a wonderful food picture, also taken in Pollensa

9. Of course any list of things that make me happy has to include wine ... I don't have any great knowledge about it, so if all else fails, I pick a bottle with an interesting label!

10. To end, the most simple pleasure known to woman ..... chocolate!!

 

Now I'm supposed to tag ten wonderful women .... but I find it so hard to choose (I can't help it, I'm a Libran!) ....... so, what I've decided is ........ if I regularly comment on your blog, and you would like to tell us of your ten things, then consider yourself tagged!!