frayed at the edge

The long and winding road

Just a quick post, as it will soon be dinnertime, and after a long day on the road we are ravenous (ok, we did stop for lunch, but that was a long time ago).  It was sunny when we left home

 

and sunny when we crossed the border

 

but the further south we got, the wetter it got.  Then we got stuck in a great long tail back of traffic - something we are not used to in the Borders!!

 

but once we broke free of the traffic and turned on to the back roads, we were rewarded with the most wonderful scenery

 

we are staying in a little farm cottage

 

we might not be home until late on Monday, so you may not hear from me until Tuesday.  To finish the week, a bit of fun.  There is a song constantly on the radio  just now, the chorus of which goes something like

she can't sing, she can't dance

but who cares

she walks like Rihanna

 

so thinking about my three fantasy boyfriends, Robert Downie Jnr, Johnny Depp and George Clooney, here is my version

he can't cook, he can't clean

but who cares

he twinkles like Robert

 

he can't saw, he can't nail

but who cares

he smoulders like Johnny

 

and as for what George does, well. this is a family-friendly, pure in thought and deed blog, so you will just have to think of your own third chorus!!

While you do that, I will wish you a good weekend, love Anne

Showing and telling

Last night's AGM was dealt with very quickly - a quick shuffle round of existing committee members, and two new ones added.  Then it was on to the best bit of the evening (apart from the cake we had later with our cuppa) ....... the show and tell.  It is always good to see what other members have been stitching, and there was a tremendous selection last night.  Here are some of the highlights ....... not always the best of photos, as there was so much to get through that there wasn't time for people to pose with their work

Isa (on the left) with her block of the month quilt

 

Sheila with her textured applique ......

 

....... and her finished jelly roll quilt

 

Sandra and her textured applique

 

Trisha's applique

 

Rinecke with ....... yes, another applique

 

oops, I can't remember who made this stunning quilt!

 

Catherine's exquisite calico quilt

 

Katy's beautiful quilt (but that's not Katy!)

 

Moira's textured applique

 

sorry, I don't know this member's name

 

I was delighted to see so many textured appliques ...... and then I had to admit that I haven't yet finished mine!  My excuse is that I will be teaching again in September, so prefer to have the unfinished one to show the stages of construction (ok, that's a feeble excuse!)  I didn't manage to get photos of all the entries to the clown challenge

no-one else made a clown fish!

 

Katy and Mary's wonderful clown dolls

 

and I also didn't manage to get a photo of the winning clown quilt (oh dear) but I did finally persuade Barbara, the outgoing chairman to present the trophy to the deserving winner, Moira (on the right) ...... they were both a bit shy!!

How to accidently buy .......

...... I know that some of you are puzzled as to how I accidently bought fabric yesterday.  It's very simple.  First you wander round the shop until you notice some wonderful new fabric.  You pick up the two bolts, and look for some co-ordinating fabrics, choosing another two bolts.  You go behind the counter (well, you are a friend and employee of the owner!) and cut half a metre of each fabric.  See, totally accidental!  So, here are the gorgeous fabrics

 

and the cutest of details

 

ok, perhaps gorgeous and cute aren't quite the right words to describe the fabric!  For those of you who like to know these things ......

 

when I asked Anne if she had another project for me, she got a rather wicked look in her eye ....... and produced this mammoth task! 

 

It is actually a double-sided quilt, but I shall make it as two separate quilts, so that both sides can be displayed in the shop. 

 

and again, for those who like to know about the fabric .......

 

as well as working in the shop, Anne is also very involved in various horse-related events, and she hadn't had time to put the borders on Leanne's House, so it came back home with me, along with two lovley fabrics.  I'll also quilt it

 

knowing that rhubarb and ginger jam is Anne's favourite, I took her a jar of the jam I made on Tuesday.  She asked me if I would like some rhubarb, explaining that not only did she not have time to use it, but they are having work done on their kitchen, limiting her cooking.  When I said yes please, she phoned her husband Mick, and asked him to pull the rhubarb and bring it to the shop for me.  I was somewhat taken aback when Mick arrived and handed me this

 

this afternoon I decided to make chutney, using a recipe from this book

 

I had to make some changes, as I didn't have all the ingredients.  So, I used sultanas instead of raisins, lemons instead of oranges, and as I didn't have fresh ginger, I used some of this frozen ginger.  I also used brown sugar instead of granulated, and ordinary vinegar instead of wine vinegar ........ but other than that, I followed the recipe!

 

except I also left out the cardomom, as I'm not particularly fond of the flavour.  However, I did put in the pinch of cinnamon, using one of my special spoons!

 

another specialist piece of equipment is my jam funnel.  I am so glad that I bought it, as using it has put an end to messy, sticky jars

 

instead of my posh jars with the spotty lids (you have to promise to give me the jar back before I give you the jam or chutney!) I decided to use some of the motley collection of recycled jars which I have several boxes of

 

I also prepped another kilo of rhubarb to make more jam tomorrow.  I washed and sliced te rhubarb, then put it in a large bowl, with a kilo of jam sugar and the juice of two lemons.  I also finely diced some stem ginger.  All I have to do in the morning is put it in a large saucepan (maybe a proper preserving pan will be my next investment) and boil it until setting point is reached.

 

ps I haven't even used half of the bag of rhubarb yet!

 

Sconnage!

Hooray, the weather was good on Saturday and Sunday (back to normal wind and rain today).We were able to go for a good long walk yesterday morning.  We decided to go to Abbotsford, to try out the new riverside walk, which goes past the back of the house.  The house is due to reopen soon, after a major refurbishment

 

This rhododendron was in full flower

 

but this one was still covered in buds

 

I haven't seen a heron on the rivers in Hawick recently, so it was good to see this one

 

I don't know if this is the same one, further along the river

 

these horses  have a beautiful spot to graze, on the bank of the river

 

I love ferns when they are unfurling ...... I think they look like something from a sci-fi film!

 

a higgledy piggledy fence, with a sea of wild garlic round it

 

we may complain about the rain, but we wouldn't have such a green countryside without it!

 

I think we must have missed a signpost on the last part of the walk, as we ended up going past the house

 

then it was into the Visitor Centre for a cuppa ....... and scones!

cheese

 

fruit with jam and cream

 

to finish - the warmer weather has encouraged the blossom to come out - just in time to be damaged by this morning's wind and rain

 

back tomorrow with lots of sewing.

 

 

Old wives' tale

Did you, like me, learn this saying when you were little

Red sky at night, shepherds' delight

Red sky at morning, shepherds' warning

 

So after this sky on Friday night .......

 

....... I didn't expect this on Saturday!

 

We went for a walk in Melrose yesterday morning.  After the heavy rain, the river was full - the noise was amazing as the water poured over the rocks

 

the blossom still isn't fully out

 

but there are plenty of signs that plants are catching up after the cold spring delayed growth

 

I took this photo not because I want the jacket, but because I was thinking about how it would look as an applique block!

 

Malcolm is having his annual battle to stop the swallows nesting in the garage ...... every time he opens the garage door they swoop in.  I went out this afternoon to sort through the contents of the chest freezer, to make sure there wasn't a fossilised, unrecognisable lump of something languishing at the bottom.  No sooner had I made a start to the sorting out, when the swallows appeared.  So, I came up with a cunning plan to deter them ......this is the fleece that Malcolm wraps tender plants in for the winter.  I think he will be using it in the days to come, as clipping it to the garage door is a lot less bother than having to constantly open and shut it when he is busy in the garden

 

this might look like a somewhat boring photo of ivy on our neighbours' wall...... but I think there are several sparrows nesting in it.  They are also nesting as usual under the roof at the front of the house - but we now have so many sparrows that I guess they have had to find more places to nest

 

some good news to finish - it was much warmer today and the bees were buzzing about the garden!

 

 

A fun filled evening

Our guest speaker at Abbey Quilters last night was the delightful Margaret Boe.  I got to know Margaret years ago, when I was a member of the Quilters' Guild ...... we were both Area Reps (I was also the Sales Rep).  Back then I was also Chairman of Stirling Castle Quilters, and Margaret came along as guest speaker when Highland Quilters came down to spend a day with us. So I knew we were in for a very entertaining evening.  I had just taken this snap of Margaret as she started her talk .......

 

........ when she changed her jacket!  The one she put on was one that she had made as part of her City and Guilds course.  She said that she called it her "standing" jacket - why?  Because all the layers of fabric and the quilting meant that if she sat down, the jacket would be pushed up round her ears, so she could only wear it when she was standing!  I managed to take this photo later in the evening

 

As well as chatting about her sewing and telling us jokes, Margaret then had us singing two children's songs (The Wheels on the Bus and Michael Finnegan).  Obviously we were a bit puzzled as to the connection between quilting and singing, so she explained that for those who are frightened at the thought of free motion quilting, the answer is to sing these songs as you sew, as your quilting will have a good, even rhythm!  She had brought along lots of her work to show us, including this wonderful hat

 

after the talk, I was able to take some photos of Margaret's fabulous work

 

but Margaret wasn't the only one with wonderful sewing to show off.  Sheila is one of our new members, having only recently taken up quilting.  She made this stunning quilt top at a workshop taught by Caroline, another member of the group (I missed it, as it was the day we went on holiday!)

 

we had to over to Coldstream this morning, as Malcolm's car had to go in for its first service (it's hard to believe he has had it for almost a year!).  We dropped the car off and picked up a courtesy car, and off we went ...... and that's when the day went downhill.  First of all, it started to rain ..... and rain ..... and really rain!  We were going to have lunch here, but when we went in, there was nobody serving.  I noticed a bell on the counter, and having rung it, a man appeared.  He explained that the owners had decided to go off to Edinburgh on business matters for the day, as the weather was so bad, and he was "minding the shop".  The most he could offer us was a cup of tea ....... we had intended to have lunch there just about a year ago, but on that occasion, the owner had just fallen and broken her arm and had gone off to hospital.  Perhaps if we go next year it will be third time lucky!!  So we went here instead (the same as we did last year!).  We were entertained by a little boy called Harry, who was perhaps 3 or 4 years old.  He very politely asked for an icecream - vanilla please, no flake, thank you.  But he was so excited when he got it, catastrophe, he dropped it!  However, the waitress rushed to get him another one, before the tears started.  Then he saw his parents' coffee being poured from two pots - 0ne of coffee and one of hot milk, and decided that he too wanted coffee.  His Mum and Dad said that he couldn't have coffee while eating ice cream ..... but then he saw the waitress pouring coffee for another customer, and very politely called "lady, lady, pour coffee for me".  Realising that his parents didn't want him to have any, she replied that the coffee was finished, so he told her to go to the shop to buy more!!   It was hard not to laugh, as we tucked into coronation chicken sandwiches (me)

 

and cheese, pickle and onion toasty (Malcolm)

 

delicious!!

 

Freezing!

We got back home at teatime on Saturday ..... and we have been shivering since then!  Yesterday I was threatening to get the next plane to Majorca, to go back to this

 

and perhaps have some cake

 

and an icecream

 

I have over 6oo photos to sort through, so that is just a little taste of our holiday.  Back home, the garden is still lagging behind.  The snakehead fritillaries have finally flowered

 

This clematis is in a sheltered spot

 

you know that I have been very quite good keeping to my resolution to buy fewer magazines, but it is entirely Malcolm's fault that I came home with these, as he kept pointing them out to me when we were in the newsagents buying newspapers!

 

after indulging in cakes and icecreams (and the occasional glass of wine!), it was back on the straight and narrow for dinner tonight (this is Malcolm's salad, I don't like tomato)

 

I'll be back tomorrow with the sewing that I did on holiday, and some stunning photos of the Caves of Drach.

 

Shopping!

When we were in Hawick this morning, we saw a new shop

 

of course we have to support any new shops, so we went in for a browse.  The shop is full of all sorts of lovely things, with lots of shabby chic furniture, old china, sets of crystal glasses ......

 

I spotted something which I thought Malcolm would like, so I sent him to wait outside while I bought it.  He had to stand in the rain for quite a long time, as the shop owner was very chatty!!  However, he didn't mind so much when he saw this 1930s barometer (which has been painted with Annie Sloan chalk paint)

 

of course I bought something for me too!  A rather quirky magnetic notice board

 

if you are visiting Hawick, do pop in to the shop, which is in North Bridge Street (the same street as Fun 2 Do).

and now, back to Home is where the heart is.  I wanted a curved line to meander between the two rows of words, so I got out my flexible ruler

 

I used a reel of thread to make the curves

 

having transferred the words and curve to the fabric, I added some little flowers and hearts along the curve.  Tha last stage was to pin the applique pieces in place

 

all I have to do now is start stitching!

 

 

The big night out

On Friday, we headed to north to Stuart and Alison's and after getting dressed up, Stuart ran us through to The Edinburgh School of Food and Wine, for an evening of eating French food, and drinking French Wine.  Stuart and Alison had given us a gift voucher for a food and wine evening for our birthdays last year, and we had decided to wait until the spring to book our places.  The evening was co-hosted by Great Grog, and we were greeted by a rather handsome young man from the wine merchants.  This is the menu and wine list

 

I don't have a photo of the canapes, as we had them when we were standing chatting with the other diners (there were fourteen of us) in the entrance hall, so first we have the scallop St Jacques

 

then the delicious coq au vin.  This was such a generous helping that I couldn't finish mine, and even Malcolm, who would normally have eaten my leftovers, couldn't find room for any more!

 

next was cheese, with oatcakes and pear chutney (I was slightly critical of the chutney, which was more like stewed pear)

 

then ....... the most amazing tarte au citron.  There was silence as we ate it, apart from occasional little sighs of pleasure!

 

before each course, young James the wine merchant described the wines, and we had to hold the glass up to the light to check the clarity, swirl the wine round the glass then sniff the bouquet ...... then finally we got to taste it!  At the end of the meal he quite happily agreed to have his photo taken, but then went all shy!

 

Stuart came back for us, and on Saturday morning we had recovered enough from eating all that food to enjoy the breakfast which he cooked for us.  On the way home, we decided to stop in South Queensferry, to have a stroll in the sunshine.  I'm sure that I don't have to tell you that this is the Forth Bridge

 

although the sun was shining, the views over the river were hazy.  This is Inchcolm Island, framed by the bridge

 

the tide was out!

 

I love the pirate flag (and the plastic seagull!)

 

blue sky and old chimneys - a great combination

 

when I saw the stretch limmo, I thought Malcolm had arranged a treat for me ..... sadly it drove on by!

 

I have lots more photos from South Queensferry, which I will keep for another day, as I also have photos from yesterday.  We weren't able to go for our Sunday morning walk, as it was raining, so instead we headed here for a cuppa.  The sconnage was of the highest quality ........

fruit, with jam and cream

 

cheese, with butter

 

out in the grounds of the visitor centre, a new children's play area has been built (we were very tempted to have a go!)

 

perhaps Malcolm could make me a wooden cart and horse?!

 

Brave!

This was my hair first thing this morning

 

then I spent the afternoon at the hairdresser.  This is stage one, having my colour done

 

then stage two, some highlights using foils

 

my hair on the floor after having it cut (hmmmm - that's an interesting colour)

 

my usual hairdresser, Melissa, has been off work, so the lovely Kerry has been looking after me.  Here she is showing me the back view

 

I had told Malcolm that I was going to have highlights done ...... he assumed that it would be my usual pink or purple.  So he was slightly surprised when I came home with bright turquoise!

 

I won't be here tomorrow, as we are having a very special night out here.  So you will have to wait until Monday to read all about it!  So, a day early, I will wish you all a good weekend, love Anne