frayed at the edge

Two finishes!

so - on with the bag.  I layered it up ready for quilting

 

a slight oops - I managed to stitch into the end of the pin.   Amazingly I didn't hit the pin and break the needle!

 

I stitched the pocket in place

 

then folded the bag in half and stitched the side seams

 

then I stitched across the bottom corners to form the base, and added the lining

 

the view from the side

 

I forgot to take a photo of adding the handles, but here is the finished bag, sitting prettily on the garden bench which Malcolm painted at the weekend.  So that's finish #1

 

I still have a pile of black and white bits sitting beside the sewing machine, so I sewed some more together, just for fun!

 

then I had a bit of practice for the fmq pattern for the small runner.  The design is supposed to look like ripples on water - I think in places in looks as if someone has thrown a big stone in!

 

I found a piece of fabric to use for the backing - as you can see it is only just big enough ........

 

....... but I wanted to use it as I think it looks like a stormy sea

 

it didn't take long to quilt the centre section

 

then I changed to the walking foot and stitched in the ditch between the centre section and the border

 

the next job was to trim the runner, ready for the binding

 

and here is finish #2

 

the sun has been shining today, and in the garden the forsythia is starting to flower

 

and the early clematis has buds on it

 

the bright skies made me want to make something lighter for lunch, so we had tuna pate (which we brought back from Portugal) with a little bit of gorgonzola, and some little crackers

 

and to go with it  - pickled onions, cornichons and hot sweet peppers, with olives stuffed with lemon for Malcolm

 

and to finish - I had a basket of ironing to tackle this afternoon, so I watched the latest edition of The Quilt Show while I was doing it.  I loathe ironing, so anything that distracts me while doing it helps!!

 

Spring!

I had a walk round the garden this morning with the camera, to capture these signs of spring.  First, two photos of the ornamental quince

 

then three photos of the flowering currant

 

this honeysuckle will flower soon

 

strong growth on the climbing rose

 

this is the rowan tree in the front garden

 

the bright green of the hawthorn hedge

 

a drop of water on the birch tree

 

and more drops caught in a lupin leaf

 

a very dark hellebore

 

and a paler one

 

self-seeded ferns growing in the cracks in the wall

 

the log store needs replenishing, a sure sign that winter is just about over

 

now, get ready to say aaaaah and oooooh, as we have some more lambs!  They were just behind the hedge, so I had to creep up to try to take a photo ......

 

....... before the ewe walked away with the lambs

 

but this little one stopped and looked back

 

as did this one

 

twins snuggled up next to the water trough

 

before their mum took them away from the strange lady peering through the hedge at them!

 

I'll be back tomorrow to show you how Malcolm's latest creation turned out.

Home alone

The phone rang just after eight this morning,  It was Maureen to say that she was poorly, and would have to go to the doctor, so she wouldn't be able to come over for our sewing day.  She was very upset to let me down at the last minute, but of course I didn't mind (I deny that I was thinking, oh good, more cake for me!!).  I had been expecting a day  of hand sewing, interspersed with cups of tea, biscuits and cake, and of course gossiping blethering erudite conversation.  So what did I do instead?  First, I pressed the latest knitted blanket for Linus

 

then while the table was clear, I layered up the two brushed cotton baby quilts, using my latest gadget

 

then I got organised to make more blocks for the black and red quilt (or is it red and black?).  I forgot to say that Abbey Quilters' exhibition is in July and I thought I ought to start making some quilts for it!!  I looked out these fabrics

 

and cut lots of strips

 

which I stitched together

 

by then it was time for lunch, and I headed into the house.  I often mention going out to the studio or into the house, so here is my journey from the house to the studio.  From the back door I cross the deck

 

then go past the garage 

 

round the summerhouse

 

and into the studio

 

I had my favourite home-alone lunch (Malcolm doesn't like it)

 

then it was back to work, cutting squares on the diagonal from the stitched-together strips

 

having cut four squares, I put them on the design wall

 

and added some of the black and red squares

 

then I stitched together more strips and cross cut them into squares, and cut squares from the red fabrics

 

and turned them into more squares

 

by the end of the afternoon, I had this on the design wall

 

and now, the moment you have been waiting for, my Friday cake!  This is what it looked like when it came out of the oven yesterday

 

the recipe says it can be served with or without butter, so I cut my piece in half to try it both ways ...... as I don't eat a lot of butter, I would be quite happy to eat it without it.  It is a lovely moist fruit cake, although it has no fat in it.  I would say it is a cross between a traditional fruit cake and a dumpling

 

there is snow in the forecast for the weekend, but hopefully we will still get a walk on the beach.  And of course it is Valentine's Day on Sunday, so we will be having a romantic dinner with a glass or two of fizz.  Have a wonderful weekend, love Anne

 

The wind is still blowing ......

......... but there are signs of spring in the garden

almost ready to flower

 

new growth on the clematis next to the summerhouse

 

new growth on the pale hellebore

 

a battered flower on the dark hellebore

 

an unfolding alchemilla mollis leaf

 

a flower on the ornamental quince

 

the hawthorn hedge in the front garden

 

new growth on the ceanothus

 

and now, the moment you have been waiting for ........ cue fanfare, roll of drums etc!!  The random number generator (aka Malcolm) has done its stuff, and I am delight to announce that the winner of my blogiversary giveaway is sustainablemum.  Congratulations, and I will be in touch to get your address.  But, I hear you cry, what has she won?  Well, I had a good hunt round the studio, and came up with this collection of goodies.  From the back left, a lovely card by local artist Keli Clark, one of my cards with a snowy scene that I can see from the house, knitted bunny eggs cosies and a bookmark (from when I did the Debbie Bliss Knitter's Year project), a handbag tissue holder (made by me), a cute little notepad (which I bought on one of my trips to Houston), a pattern for a Jelly Roll quilt and a scissor charm (made by me)

 

I'll be back tomorrow with lots of sewing!

I was going to show you ........

....... lots of sewing in this post, but after a rather eventful afternoon, the plan was changed!  I had just finished lunch at patch'n'chat (our first of the New Year) when Malcolm phoned me to say it was snowing heavily.  Jedburgh is only about ten miles from home, but although it was snowing a bit there, it wasn't enough to worry about.  He then phoned back about ten minutes later to say that the snow was getting really heavy and was lying on the road, so perhaps I ought to come home.  So I packed up my sewing and headed off.  The nearer I got to Hawick, the worse it got, with probably an inch of snow lying on the road.  Then I turned off the main road, up the steep hill towards home ........ and the car refused to go any further!!  I phoned Malcolm, who immediately set off to walk down to rescue me.  I will cut a very long story short, and just say that we ended up with Malcolm driving, while I pushed the car.  When we crested the hill, Malcolm very sensibly kept on driving, while I trudged along in his wake.  But I caught up with him when he turned into our road, which is even steeper ...... this photo is from several years ago

 

with a great deal more pushing by me, we eventually made it up the hill, and Malcolm again kept going, as he didn't want to get stuck again.  When he got home, there was of course another obstacle - our drive is quite steep, so he kept going as far up it as he could, before making sure the car was safely parked and abandoning it.  Some of my friends mock me for getting out of bed at 6.20 to exercise on the implements of torture - but finally all those early mornings paid off, when I was fit enough to push the car uphill for probably half a mile and walk another half mile ........ not bad for a pensioner!!  In case you are wondering why Malcolm did the driving while I did the pushing, I just wasn't confident enough to drive in such deep snow.

Once I had dried off and warmed up, I went out into the garden for some photos.  This ruler shows that 10cm ( 4 inches) of snow had fallen on the garden table in just over two hours

 

this is what the back garden looked like

 

and this is the front garden

 

but there were some fun photos too

 

and the snow did look pretty on this branch

 

according to the forecast, it is going to freeze overnight, so I don't think we will be going far tomorrow!  Whatever your weather, I hope you have a good weekend, love Anne

 

 

It may be the middle of December ......

........ but after reading Jessica's latest post, I realised that we still have lots of interest in the garden

daffodils peeping through in a sheltered corner

 

a little bluebell

 

a rose bud on the climbing rose on the front of the house

 

buds on the ornamental quince

 

 buds on a little alpine in an old sink

 

I don't know what this is!

 

even some of the tattered flowers still look good!

this fuchsia flower was pink!

 

a shredded osteospermum

 

a faded hellebore

 

clematis #1

 

clematis #2

 

this strange thing is on the false castor oil plant

 

there is also new growth on two of the trees in the back garden

 

usually when we go for lunch on a Wednesday Malcolm pays the bill ...... but today was my treat!  We went to the Jammy Coo, where as usual I had the bacon, brie and cranberry panini (I know I should try something else, but when I find something I like, I tend to stick to it!)

 

Malcolm had Parma ham, mozarella and olive on his panini - of course I wouldn't choose that one as I don't like olives, but he said it was delicious!

 

Friday will be my last post of the year. so do come back for some festive fun!

Enjoying the weather!

Usually we go out for lunch on a Wednesday, but yesterday I had to stay at home.  I was expecting a parcel, which I was told that I would have to sign for ......... but when the parcel was delivered, I didn't need to sign, and it would have been left in the garage for me if I had gone out.  Most annoying!  So instead, we went out for lunch today.  It was a lovely day for a drive through our wonderful countryside

 

we went to Pirn House, which of course means that I had the French toast with bacon and maple syrup ...... and Malcolm decided to have it to

 

back home, I had a potter round the garden with the camera.  I don't know what has been wrong with the clematis this year.  Only one of them flowered when it normally does, and we now have two flowering which should have flowered weeks ago

 

and this one has yet to flower

 

we have had a lot of bees in the garden this summer ....... this was a big fat hairy one on the herb pot this afternoon

 

the exceptionally warm weather of the last few days has brought out great clouds of tiny flies.   We are going to have some very well-fed spiders if they eat all these little flies caught in webs all round the garden

 

the warm weather has also meant that the butterflies have been busy on the buddleiia

 

I have finished one of the two little Linus quilts - I just have a bit of the binding left to hand-stitch on the other one

 

this afternoon I made two sheepie cushion covers.  The first one was with the fun fabric I bought last week

 

the second one was with the much more sophisticated fabric which Maureen gave me

 

and I am sure that Anna will enjoy these photos of the real thing!

 

to finish ....... taking scenic photos through the windscreen doesn't always go to plan - especially when your driver whizzes round a bend, and you lose your balance and lean to the side, resulting in this!

 

 

A bit of a failure .......

....... but also a great success!  OK, let's get the failure out of the way.  As you know, we had an apocalyptic, end of the world, super moon, total eclipse of the heart (oops , got carried away with the title of a Bonnie Tyler song!)  I managed to wake up and stagger out into the garden at 3am on Monday (I just hope the neighbours didn't see me).  But despite fiddling and twiddling with camera settings, this is the best photo that I managed - if I had been more organised, I would have had the tripod set up, and would have had a much sharper image

 

but then on Monday evening, we had a stunning sunset, and as my camera has a dedicated sunset setting, these photos are a lot better than the moon failure!

 

at this time of years, large numbers of crows congregate in the field across the road, with some of them sitting on the phone wires

 

then they rose in a great cloud

 

I was slightly concerned as they flew over me (I still get frightened when I see The Birds !!)

 

I don't quite know how I managed to get this effect of beating wings!

 

to end, another failure ........ I don't think we will be making any wine from this year's crop of grapes ..........

 

....... or producing our own oil from these olives, which are the size of pinheads!

 

A weird combination!

It has been a poor summer for butterflies in the garden (although a very good one for bees).  These are all the photos I have in my butterfly folder this year!

 

the birds are reappearing in the front garden and making good use of the bird bath

 

we went out for lunch today, and Malcolm had a baguette with brie, bacon and tomato

 

but now for the weird combination - I had lentil soup and bread ........ and salad!!  Remember we recently were given a side salad with a scone, which we thought odd ...... but salad with soup - NO!!!!

The star turn!

Last night was the first meeting of the 2015/2016 session of Abbey Quilters, so as usual I picked up Maureen and we headed over to Kelso.  After Sandra, our Chairman (you also know her as our lovely Linus Lady), welcomed us back and went through all the official stuff, it was my turn as the star turn of the evening!  I was showing the members how to make the thistle stitchery sewing kit, and had entrusted Maureen with the camera, with instructions to please take flattering photos!!

 

I seem to have accumulated a mixed bunch of photos that you haven't seen yet ...... these first ones of spider webs were taken yesterday morning when it was very damp and misty

 

then this afternoon in the garden I spotted a bud on the hellebore

 

and a tiny rose - it is not even the size of my thumbnail!

 

I bought these lily plants some weeks ago in the supermarket for a few pounds ....... what a bargain!

 

we know that summer is over when the robin reappears in the garden

 

but after "the locals" posing nicely for Anna, normal service was resumed when this sparrow would only show me his tail!

 

and a very special "to finish" ....... today the Queen became our longest reigning Monarch - and she was here in the Borders!  But I have to admit that we didn't go to see her, and I took these photos of the news report on the tv!!