frayed at the edge

Bouncing back!

Our oriental poppy in the front garden has been flattened by the wind and rain .......

 

 

..... but as you can see, one brave poppy has popped its head out

 

 

I have been doing a lot more work on my Baltimore block, but I've become increasingly more frustrated with the pattern.  In accordance with the instructions I cut out twelve flower petals,only to find that I actually need sixteen.  Then when I went to put more pieces in place, I found that the placement guide (which I assumed would be reasonably accurate) hasn't been drawn to scale, so the flowers didn't fit.  So I have abandoned the guide, and have arranged the pieces by eye.

 

 

I've added stems to the two big flowers, and moved the bud at the top - this is the next staged pinned in place and ready to stitch

 

 

Next, I got out the quilt top that I made recently for Project Linus.  Just before we went on holiday, I had bought three pretty pink fleeces which were in a sale in Sainsbury's - perfect to back small quilts with

 

 

I pinned the top and backing ......

 

 

...... and used masking tape to mark the first line to be quilted - I will just re-use the tape to mark the lines as I go

 

 

The weather still isn't very good - it is decidedly chilly for this time of year, so I think I will end with another holiday photo!

 

the magnificent roof of the Town Hall in Alcudia - and wonderful blue sky!
 

A change to the routine

There was no patch'n'chat this afternoon, as a quilting group from Dunfermline was visiting the shop (it's that time of year, when groups have day trips to far flung shops before the summer break!).  So after our usual Friday morning doing the housework, we had some lunch, then headed off to the garden centre to get some plants to put in the pots at the studio door - hopefully I will get the planting done tomorrow.  The herbs that we planted before we went on holiday have grown rapidly ..... Malcolm is attributing this to his homemade compost, which he put in the bottom of the pot!

 

 

The plant that we think is a wisteria has also grown a lot  ....... but it doesn't look as if it will flower

 

 

However, there will soon be lots of colour just to the left of it, as the lupin is starting to flower

 

 

One of my favourite flowers is also providing lots of colour - deep pink osteospermums.  The sun was shining on the flower, and as I took the photo from directly above so that you can't see the stem, it looks as if it is floating over the garden!

 

 

I thought you might like to see how Malcolm's poor sore finger is now, three weeks since he hurt it.  It no longer painful to use it, but he thinks there is a good chance he will lose the nail (yeugh!)

 

 

Of course, usually at this point in Friday posts I show you the cake we have had at patch'n'chat ........ so as there wasn't one today, I'll show you two more of the delicious ones we had on holiday

 

 

 

I hope you all have a good weekend - I haven't done any sewing since we got back (too busy with washing and ironing!) so I hope to get into the studio tomorrow.  Love, Anne

Tenacity

Just before we went on holiday, we found another wasps' byke in the summer house

 

 

I reached up to take a photo of the inside ........ and then realised that the wasp was inside!!

 

 

This one was attempting to build its new home on Malcolm's Bintang Beer sign, which he got in Indonesia

 

 

Then today, we opened the summerhouse to have lunch ....... and there was yet another byke!  These wasps are tenacious little blighters!

 

 

After all the rich food and cake I consumed on holiday, I was amazed to discover this morning that I have actually lost a pound over the last two weeks!  However, I thought I should have something healthy for lunch, and made myself a large salad

 

 

If you look closely, you will see the one thing missing is tomato - I've mentioned before that I just don't like the taste of raw tomato ....... not even fabulous ones like these that I spotted on holiday

 

 

One evening as we were heading to Puerto Pollensa for dinner, we were rather startled to come round a bend in the road and see this

 

 

The early evening breeze was providing ideal conditions for some high speed fun

 

 

As I headed up the stairs to bed one night, I thought we had a visitor ...... but the gecko was on the outside of the window.  We had a gecko which lived behind the cooker in our house in Indonesia - it didn't have a tail (they can shed their tails to escape from danger) ..... so we called it Stumpy!

 

 

A bit of fun to finish with.  One day Malcolm was exceedingly cross when we came back to the car in the supermarket carpark to find another car parked so close to ours that he had to get in the passenger door and climb over to the driver's side

 

 

So why was Malcolm so cross?  Because the car park was almost empty ....... so why had this driver chosen to park so close to our car?!

 

 

Trying my patience!

We went into Hawick this morning, to collect our euros from the bank.  However the teller informed us that not only did she not have them, but she couldn't trace our order.  We said that we would go for a cuppa, while she sorted things out.  So we had a very nice cuppa and shared a delicious piece of cake and strolled back through the sunshine to the bank.  The good news was that the teller had tracked down our order ..... the bad news was that she still didn't have our euros.  OK, we said, we have some shopping to do, we'll come back later.  However, we were half way to the supermarket when she phoned to say that she finally had the elusive euros!  So we have money to spend when we go on holiday next week ....... I'll tell you on Monday where we are going!

 

(photo from Wikipedia)

 

This afternoon I popped out to the studio to do some more prep on my Baltimore block.  I have finished stitching the first pieces in place ......

 

 

..... so I started to position some more pieces under my polythene topsheet - and that's when my patience got tried again!  I was placing some leaves on the left hand stem - as you can see in the photo from the pattern, the leaves are separate from the stem ......

 

 

........ but the placement guide, from which I traced my topsheet, shows the leaves overlapping the stem

 

 

Then I noticed something else.  On the template sheet. only one template is given for leaf 'L', unlike the petal below it, which also has a reversed (r) template

 

 

But, as you can see, the leaves that I have marked with asterisks are reversed (there are more on the other side of the pattern).  Not a great problem, but just a little annoyance that the pattern (or the photo) isn't accurate

 

 

Never mind, I now have the next stage ready to stitch.  The ends of the leaves will be tucked in under the vase.

 

 

However, I had plenty of patience this morning, when the goldfinches reappeared in the garden!  I stood for some time taking photos - the are just such striking little birds

 

 

 

 

To finish, a strange little thing!  When we were having our cuppa this morning, Malcolm checked the solution to yesterday's crossword, as we hadn't quite finished it.  When he looked at the answers, he noticed that the letters at the bottom spell 'frayed' ..... and they are at the edge of the puzzle!  Could this be an omen of something good going to happen - just in case it is, we bought a lottery ticket for tonight's draw!

 
 

 

Take care of the pennies ......

Another delightful book has arrived in the post.  Hot on the heels of 'Mrs Mouse's Cupcakes' comes 'Peggy's Lost Pennies', another gorgeous book from Gretel

 

 

Like the first one, this one is full of beautifully needlefelted animals and the most wonderfully detailed painted backgrounds

 

 

When we were in Jedburgh on Sunday, we popped into the Tourist Information Centre.  Malcolm picked up this brochure ......

 

 

...... he opened it - and there was 'my' tree (OK it isn't really mine, but I take lots of photos of it!)

 

 

The weather has been beautiful again, and it is a pleasure to see the garden looking good after two harsh winters did so much damage.  We though we had lost the big ceanothus, so Malcolm had cut it down to a stump, ready to dig up.  But when he went to remove it several days later ...... there were tiny shoots appearing!

 

 

The plants in the  big border in the back garden have suddenly filled out

 

 

The little side border has recovered well from having a massive amount of snow on it, which came off the neighbours' roof

 

 

I love hostas, and we have several varieties in the garden.  This bright one is eye-catching

 

 

The blossom has come out early on the little tree in the front garden

 

 

The bluebells are about to flower

 

Tomorrow we will be picking up our euros for our holiday ........ but where are we going?

 

An unwelcome visitor!

I should have shown you this first photo on Friday - but because I was redoing Thursday's post ...... I forgot!  This twig tree is usually out in the studio with the hearts and butterflies on it but I bring it in to the house and add the little eggs at Easter

 

 

I made the felt flower for last year's Southdean show - I won second prize with it (modesty prevents my telling you that I also won first prize with a needle-felted picture!)

 

 

On Saturday morning, I headed off down the road to Chesters, for the Easter 'Market Day'.  I took with me the leftovers from the Christmas Fair and some cards that I have had printed from some of my photos.  It didn't take too long to set up my little stall

 

 

I didn't sell a lot - but enough to have made it worth going ....... and I had a delicious bacon roll and lentil soup for lunch!

We went for a walk in Jedburgh yesterday morning.  We were intrigued by this little figure that we spotted on the gable of an old house.  He looks as if he is playing some sort of musical instrument (click on the photo to enlarge it for a better look)

 

 

Back home, we found we had a very unwelcome visitor in the summer house ...... a wasp

 

 

As you can see, he was aiming to move in permanently, as he worked away on his byke (nest).  He had already completed the first layer, and was working on the next one

 

 

As we didn't fancy sharing the summer house with him and his family, Malcolm removed his efforts (with the aid of a long stick)  The byke is made of a paper-like substance, which the wasp makes by chewing tree bark

 

 

However, these visitors, making their very noisy way up the road to a new field, were very welcome!

 

 

Malcolm reluctantly modelled last week's knitting project, the lovely pale green gardening gloves.  After posing in them, he gave them back and said he didn't really think they were practical gardening wear!

 

 

I've chosen another small project for this week, as I am still resting my hands and wrists (which are much better)

 

 

 

 

Second attempt!

So ....... the sun lotion rant!  Yesterday we headed up to Galashiels in search of sun lotion.  Yes, we could have bought some in Hawick, but we couldn't get anything lower than factor 10.  We are well aware of looking after our skin in the sun, but after many years of living and holidaying abroad, Malcolm and I never lose our tans, so we are quite content to start off with factor 8, then have a few days at the end of the holiday on factor 4.  But most places now only stock factor 10 and higher - with an awful lot of factor 50.  I remarked to Malcolm when we were in Asda that we could buy as much alcohol and cigarettes as we wanted, to damage our health, but we couldn't be allowed to get a suntan!  And of course there are now reports of children suffering from rickets because they don't get enough vitamin D, because they are constantly slathered in high factor lotion, and women developing osteoporosis for the same reason.  Can't we be allowed to show a bit of common sense in looking after ourselves?

OK, rant over!!

After shopping, we went to the Waterwheel Cafe for lunch

 

 

This of course meant we had to visit the owls.  Two elderly gentlemen were highly amused at the way the owls would turn their heads away, every time I tried to take a photo!

 

 

Back home, we went out for a walk - but not just a leisurely stroll, but a walk with a mission ...... to find and follow the course of an underground stream that runs through the valley in front of us.  Jim the Farmer had given Malcolm information about where our storm drains discharge - into field drains, which in turn go in to the underground stream.  Malcolm has had new discussions with the Planning Department at the Council, and with SEPA (Scottish Environmental Protection Agency), who seem to be happy for us to tie the new sewage system into this set-up.  This was the view as we walked up the hill .... although it was a lovely hot afternoon, it was very hazy.  The swathe of yellow is oilseed rape, which has just started to flower (bringing misery to hay fever sufferers!)

 

 

We had to walk down the side of a field (on a 'right of way' path) disturbing a ewe and lambs ..... the ewe was determined to keep her bottom pointed at the camera!

 

 

These two horses were enjoying the sunshine so much, that they didn't stir when I took their photo - normally they would wander over to see if any food was on offer

 

 

We could see the course of the stream through the valley, then we found where it emerges, to flow on above ground

 

 

Last spring, I had some snake head fritillaries in a pot at the studio door.  I planted them out in the raised border when I later put summer plants in the pot.  When they didn't appear, I though they had fallen victim to the harsh winter ....... but then Malcolm took the protective fleece off the bottle brush - and there, growing away happily under the fleece, were the fritillaries!

 

 

We sat in the garden for a while when we got back from our walk, enjoying a cold drink.  My new herb garden is growing nicely in its pot ...... I can't have herbs in the borders, as the neighbour's cats think our garden is their toilet!

 

 

I have a small stall at a 'market day' tomorrow.  I'm hoping to sell the leftover stuff from the Christmas Fair!!  I hope you all have a good weekend, love Anne

 

Gold!

Our morning routine, Monday to Friday, is to eat breakfast at the kitchen table, then take our (very large) cups of tea through to the lounge.  We then read for a while.  However, that routine was thoroughly disrupted this morning, with the arrival of these two birds on the peanut feeder

 

 

Yes, goldfinch!  I didn't need to use my new bird book to identify them

 

 

The book I have been using is a childs' book (yes, I stole it from my own son!!) and the drawings in it aren't always clear.  However this book, as well as drawings, has stunning photos of birds, and lots of information

 

 

Usually when we get an unusual bird in the garden, I am lucky to get one blurry photo before it flies away, but they stayed for most of the morning, so I ended up taking dozens of photos ..... here are a few of them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The collared dove appeared later in the day, posing prettily on the other bird table

 

 

Later in the afternoon, Malcolm was working in the front garden, when he came to the door to let me know that the first swallow had arrived!!  We think this is at least a week earlier than last year.

 

 

But I wouldn't want you to think that all I did today was take photos of birds!

From the fridge, I assembled these ingredients

 

red onion, mushrooms, sweet red peppers and leftover lamb (from Sunday dinner).  To these I added

 

tomato puree, ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, garlic - and apricot jam.  As always, I had to get out my special tiny measuring spoons, as the smoked paprika is very strong, and I only need to add a smidgen!

 

 

I started by gently frying the onions and mushrooms in some olive oil

 

 

then added the garlic and the seasoning, and cooked it a little bit more, then added the jam and the meat.  Finally I added the tomato puree, and a little bit of water

 

 

This is when I realised that I had forgotten to include the next ingredient in the earlier photos!

 

 

As you can see, Sainsbury's are very precise and don't call this cheese 'feta' - but that's what it looks and tastes like!  I diced it and stirred it on to the mixture, then spooned it into the peppers

 

 

Then it was into the oven for thirty minutes.  I wish you could smell this ....... delicious!

 

 

Thank you for all the advice and good wishes for my poor sore wrists.  I have almost finished the gardening gloves, and won't do any more knitting this week!

 

 

Introducing Miss Jemima

This is my rag doll Jemima, modeling last week's knitting project.  She is actually a little bit old to be wearing a baby cardigan as she will be thirty five this year!  The cardigan was straightforward to knit, although I find constant moss stitch tedious - and it always give me sore wrists and hands.  When it came to the three-needle cast off for the seam down the sleeves, I read the instructions several times, and each time came to the same conclusion - if you do it the way the pattern says, the seam will be on the right side!

 

 

She soon got fed up posing for photos, and tried to climb over the back of the chair, revealing the fact that she lost her shoes many years ago!

 

 

Those of you who have the Debbie Bliss book and have been following the progress through the projects, will know that this is not the next one

 

 

This week should have been shelf edging, but instead I am doing gardening gloves (I think Malcolm would look very sweet in pale green knitted gloves, his opinion isn't printable!).  The reason for the change of order is quite simple - we are going on holiday soon, and the projects for the two weeks we will be away are big ones.  I don't want to take a lot of knitting with me, as Stuart and Alison are joining us, so we will probably be out more in the evenings, and I won't have as much time to knit.  However once we're back, I'll continue to work through the projects in the order they are in the book.  I had planned to start my socks last week, but because my wrists were sore, I decided to have a rest from knitting after I finished the baby cardigan.

 

On Saturday I went for a walk after lunch, we both went for a walk yesterday morning, and then today I again went for a walk after lunch.  There is so much growth in the verges/hedgerows, I realised that I am not very good at plant recognition, so this afternoon I got out this book .....

 

 

....... and went through my photos.  However I didn't find it particularly helpful - I think it would be better to have a book with photos, rather than drawings.  However, I didn't need a book to identify the wild garlic yesterday - the smell was a big clue!!  We were walking along the river, when we came round a bend to be greeted with the sight of garlic as as far as the eye could see!

 

 

Growing among the garlic was another plant that I know - butterbur.  The flower spike comes up first, followed by leaves that look like rhubabrb

 

 

This next plant is tiny - I think it is a wild strawberry

 

 

This is so delicate, it would make a lovely applique block

 

 

When I was out walking on the main road today, it happened again ...... an enormous truck thundering along the road!  (I think they park somewhere and wait for me to appear!)

 

 

I sometimes see strange things when I'm out for a walk - and this implement certainly qualifies - it looks like a cross between a rake and a pitchfork!

 

 

To end, some more lambs ...... they are just so cute, I just have to take photos of them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

A small delay

I've been doing some more work on my applique project.  I remembered a method I had been shown at a workshop some years ago, which means that you don't have to mark the placement of the pieces on your background fabric.  This means that you can change the layout as you stitch.  The tutor had proper bought stuff to use, but I have improvised with cut up polythene bags!

 

 

The idea is very simple - you trace the pattern on to the polythene, and use it to put the pieces in the right place.  This shows the polythene, with a large 'x' showing the centre, over the first pattern ...... and this is where the delay came in - because I realised that the pattern needs to be increased in size (the only one of the nine which isn't shown full-sized!), which meant a visit to the copy shop yesterday!

 

 

So here is the second pattern being traced.  You may spot that the pen has changed.  That's because the first pen did indeed write on any surface, as the packaging said ..... but unfortunately, it just wiped off again!

 

 

This is the tracing placed over the background fabric - so when I'm ready to start stitching, I just need to centre the pattern over the fabric then slip the pieces underneath the plastic and line them up with the drawing

 

 

While I was working on the tracings, I was watching this film

 

 

Meryl Streep is at her glorious, over-the-top best.  I love her great booming voive - and her hilarious French accent!

 

 

As I got organised to go back in to the house, I had a look round and thought that perhaps I need to tidy the studio .....

 

 

...... and it doesn't look much better from the opposite angle!

 

 

We had a rare visitor to the bird table yesterday - a collared dove

 

 

We're off to Morpeth in the morning to see Jennifer for a special occasion ..... I'll tell you all about it tomorrow!