frayed at the edge

My lovely adventure!

Before I set off on my latest adventure, of course I crawled out of bed and went for my walk ...... and I am so glad I did, or the foal wouldn't have popped his head over the gate to say hello

 

 

and this Jacobs' ewe wouldn't have sat and looked pretty while I snapped her

 

 

After breakfast, we set of for Morpeth .... but not just to see Jennifer!  After picking Jennifer up, Malcolm dropped us off to meet up with one of my blogging friends .... Rachel.   I told Rachel she would recognise us, as thanks to our hairdressers, I am very blond and Jennifer is very dark!!  First we went for a cuppa (of course!), then we had a leisurely stroll along the river in the sunshine, before heading to a lovely Italian restaurant for lunch.  It was pizzas all round - I had a Messicana, with lovely spicy chilli

 

 

Jennifer got appointed portrait photographer, as Rachel and I posed prettily for her

 

 

I took a fabric gift bag with a china mug in it for Rachel ....... I forget to take a photo of it.  But that wasn't quite as bad as Rachel, who left her present for me at home in her fridge!!  But she has sent me a photo - delicious chocolate mocha cupcakes!!

 

We will just have to meet again so she can make some more!!  And to round off our fun day, we finished with a spot of shopping in Marks and Spencers' sale!!

 

ps - Malcolm had a lovely lunch in a garden centre, then he had a walk on the beach and picked up lots of bits of driftwood - I think he already has plans for using it!!

 

 

My new toy!

As promised, I have more photos of the rhinos in Chester - I just wish I could go back and see more of them!

 

 

 

 

Then, there was the visit to the Needle Museum.  It was very interesting, not just for me to learn more about sewing needles, but also for Malcolm as there was lots of information about the engineering methods involved in their manufacture.  And it wasn't just sewing needles - I I had to avert my eyes from this display

 

 

Needle making was a major provider of employment, as you can see from this census

 

 

If you think all needles are the same, look at this display

 

 

But if you were thinking of applying for a job, you might want to read the conditions of employment first

Perhaps you would rather just use some needles to produce wonderful work like this

 

I won't tease you any longer ..... yes, it arrived!!  A very big, very heavy box

 

After a great deal of unpacking and organising, I eventually took the machine out to the studio

 

Then I lifted the lid ......

 

..... an amazing array of stitches and fonts

 

Of course I had to have a little play - I've used black thread on yellow fabric so that you can see the stitches 

my first stitches - a bit plain, can we have something fancy? 

 

a row of umbrellas

 

one of the three fonts

 

I think it is going to take me quite some time to get to grips with all the functions and features - so if you can't find me, I'll be in the studio!

ps - except for tomorrow, when I'm off on another adventure!!  

   
 

 

 

   

Warning : major boasting ahead!

Last Saturday was the Southdean Show, which meant a chance to show off some of my craft work, and hopefully win some prizes!  When I had a look round after the judging, I was amazed to discover I had three firsts, two seconds, two thirds and two highly commended.

 

 

First prize for my 'Celtic Wedding Rings' wallhanging, felt flower and a photo of a stunning window (which I took last year on holiday in Sydney)

 

 

Second prize for my felt picture and swallowtail shawl

 

Third prize for a photo of our huge snowman  and one of Malcolm's shed in our last garden

 

Highly commended for the chicken wallhanging and the octopus scarf.

 

I wasn't the only prizewinner in the family ....... Malcolm got a third prize for his cracket!  The best bit, though, is that the entry fees came to more than twice the prize money!!

 

Tomorrow, I'll tell you about the Needle Museum and show you more of those wonderful rhinos (and there may even be something about my new sewing machine!!)
  

A little bit of shopping

On Thursday, once we had looked at lots of quilts, I produced the pocket money that I had saved up and we headed for the traders!  But in the end, I didn't buy a great deal ..... I think there was so much choice, I couldn't make up my mind!  But of course I did buy some fabric - a wonderful collection of eight fat-eigths (that's enough to make a small wallhanging)

 

 

There was a stand selling back issues of some of my favourite Australian magazines at very good prices, so I eventually decided on these four

 

 

On the practical side, I invested in this needle threader, which is very easy to use

 

 

I found this pattern in a 'reduced' basket - I do love a bargain!

 

 

OK, now I have to tell you what else I bought ........ I had been thinking for some time about buying a new sewing machine, as my main machine has a recurring fault, which will eventually need an expensive repair.  I knew that all the main sewing machine dealers would be at the show, ....... and of course, there would be big discounts to be had as they vied for business! 

Machines have come a long way since my first one (not that I am that old!!) .... it was given to me when I was sixteen by a friend of my Mum's - I took this photo at the Needle Museum on Friday - this is similar to the one I had

 

All it did was sew a straight stitch, no reverse, no zigzag, with only one extra foot - a zipper foot, but I made all sorts of things on it .... including a fetching peach satin bridesmaid's dress for my sister's wedding!!  I can't show you the new one yet, as it is being delivered on Wednesday, but it is an all-singing, all-dancing one   - I think it will take quite some time to get to grips with all the features.

And now, the moment you have all been waiting for - who has won the prize?  I didn't even use my random number generator (aka Malcolm) .... I did it the old fashioned way with names on bits of papers ....... and the lucky winner is .......  Rattling On .  But you will have to Wait a few days to see what the prize is, so it will be a surprise for Rattling (I was glad that I had picked her piece of paper, as she has cut her hand badly and was in need of cheering up!)

 

To finish - some very good news!  I finally got the results of my MRI scan ...... the letter had been delivered to our neighbours' house by mistake, and as they were away, it lay on their doormat for a week before I got it!  The scan showed that there is nothing untoward in my head, so now I just have to hope that when this troublesome tooth is extracted next week, the pain will go!  (and yes, we've had all the jokes as to whether they found my brain rattling around somewhere in there!!)

 

 

Festival of Quilts

Sorry not to have done a post yesterday, but the hotel we stayed in last night wanted £15 for internet use (it was free in the hotel in Chester!).  This is just a quick post, as we had a long journey home, including crawling along in a huge tailback on the motorway and coping with torrential rain!

So yes, we went to the Fetsival of Quilts (I will sort out all the correct guesses later and pick a winner for the little prize that I bought at the Festival).  It was very busy, as you can see from this photo, with a great atmosphere as people oohed and aahed at the quilts

 

 

Of course I would love to show you photos of the quilts, but as always I can't because of copyright issues ...... but there were lots of stunning quilts, including some of the smallest miniatures I have ever seen (even Malcolm was impressed with them)

 

Tomorrow's post will as ever be my Shadow Shot Sunday (yes, I know that it's Saturday, but it will be Sunday in Australia, from where Tracy organises things) so you will have to wait until Mondayfor the rest of our adventure (including something very special that I bought!!)  But I'll finish with a photo to tell you where we went this morning.  Hope you all have a wonderful weekend, love, Anne

Anne and Malcolm's Big Adventure!

We set off bright and early (well, it was 9am, so fairly early) for the first stage of our trip.  We headed across the country to Dumfries and Galloway, then over the Border in to Cumbria.  Then ... after driving on single carriageway roads ..... motorway

 

 

and of course no motorway would be complete without miles of traffic cones .... and not a workman in sight!

 

 

After about three and a hlaf hours, we arrived at the first destination of our trip - the city of Chester.  We had a quick bite of lunch, then set out to walk round the city walls. (unfortunately the weather didn't co-operate. so no lovely sunshiney shots!)

 

 

This was our first view of the walls, looking up from street level

 

 

then looking down to the street

 

 

I laughed when I read the wording on this building, as it now houses a dentist - I think most people would have more fear of the dentist than the Lord

 

 

Further on , we saw this modern doocot - complete with pigeons!

 

 

Everywhere we went, we saw strange painted rhinos (I guess it's some sort of street art), but I'll just show you one just now, and save the others for a fiture post, as I'm just doing a quick post from our hotel room before we head out for dinner

 

 

Tomorrow we will be up early to travel to Birmingham ..... but why are we going there?  If you think you know, leave a comment and I will choose someone at random from the correct answers to give a little prize to (connected of course to where we are going!!)

 

ps - I hope to be able to post again tomorrow, but if not, we'll be home again on Friday.

 

Get up lazybones!

For once that wasn't me talking to Malcolm as I headed out for my walk, but what I thought the standing horse was saying to the other one!

 

 

....... and the friendly horse which usually pops its head over the hedge was having a lazy start to the day as well

 

 

The new house being built down at my turning point is coming along at a great rate ...... I am fascinated by this octagonal room on the front

 

 

On the way back up the hill, I had to search to find a raspberry ..... there are only a few left now

 

 

But never mind, soon there will be lots of plump, juicy brambles

 

 

Everytime I pass this gap in the hedge, I am startled by these green humps - have strange animals invaded?  Fortunately not, it is silage (animal feed) tightly wrapped in plastic, waiting to be collected and stacked for the winter.

 

 

I took this photo last week, but it never made it into a post.  The old donkey took exception when I walked past his field - I think you can see from his posture that he was vociferous in his objections!

 

 

We will be heading off early tomorrow morning on an adventure.  We will be away two nights ..... we should have internet access in the hotel, but if we don't then you will have to wait until Friday to find out all about our trip!

 

 

 

Cragside : part 2

After seeing round the house, we adjourned to the Tearoom for a bite of lunch (very tasty but a bit pricey!), then headed off for a walk round some of the forty miles of paths (I think we will have to go back quite a few times before we walk all of them!)

 

looking up at the house from the rockery

 

 

the iron bridge (it wobbles a bit when you walk on it!!)

 

 

a much older bridge!

 

 

no barriers, just a polite request

 

 

I think this might be an orchid, but I haven't been able to find out for sure

 

 

back at the house, I took first this photo ........

 

 

then this one of the doorstep .... quilt blocks perhaps?

 

 

I took this from the car as we drove home - the purple on the hill is the start of the heather flowering - soon there will be a blaze of colour all around the Borders.

 

We hope to go back before the house closes for the winter, as there is a walk to see the autumn colours - no doubt lots of photos will be taken!!

 

Cragside : part 1

We have been members of the National Trust for some time, but we haven't made full use of our membership, so today we decided to rectify that!  We headed for Cragside in Northumberland ........ but we had a couple of delays on the way.  The first was a heavily laden timber lorry

 

 

but we didn't really mind having to stop until these sheep went past

 

 

This was our first view of the house, a magnificent Victorian house built for Lord Armstrong.  Its greatest claim to fame is that it was the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectric power

 

 

This information board tells you of the other wonders of the house

 

Unusually, photography is allowed in the house, but no flash, so some of the photos are a little bit dark.  If I had lived/worked in the house, I would have made the butler my best friend - check out all the champagne bottles in his pantry!

 

 

When we walked into this room, we were stunned by the magnificence of this fireplace

 

 

But there were small details to catch the eye as well - like this exquisite wallpaper

 

 

Of course, the main theme of this blog is craft, so I was delighted to see several patchwork quilts. Unfortunately, the lighting in these rooms was even lower to protect the fabrics, so this is the best photo I managed to take

 

 

You know one of my obsessions is post boxes, so imagine my delight to discover that the house had one of its own in the hall

 

 

This next photo is for Malcolm, who likes both woodcarving and owls!

 

 

It has been hard to pick which photos to share with you .... tomorrow I'll show you some of the grounds - there are 40 miles of paths, so we didn't quite manage to walk all of them!  In the meantime, you can read more about the house here, here, here and lastly, here.  I know that's a lot of link, but they all have different bits of information, so it's worth having a look at all of them!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My magnetic personality!

I think perhaps I shouldn't stand next to anything metal, in case the scan has made me magnetic!!  It all went very well .... Malcolm as ever went with me - he knows how much I hate having to go to the hospital!  I didn't have to wait too long before I was called.  I had to answer lots of questions (which I had already answered on a form) as to whether I had any sort of metal implants.  Then I had to answer all the questions again for the next radiographer - it is just so important that you don't have bits of metal in you.  I had taken an eye mask to wear (thank you Jenny, for that piece of advice) so when I went into the room, I didn't look at the scanner, just lay down and put my mask on.  The radiographer then fitted ear defenders (the machine is VERY noisy) and gave me a panic button to press.  They then loaded me head first into the scanner - if I had seen that I would have run screaming from the room!  I had taken a cd with me which they played through the ear defenders and I concentrated on doing my deep relaxing breathing.  In the end, it wasn't as bad as I feared.  The results will be sent to Mr Moralee (short pause for a swoon) who will then get in touch with me.

 

I still went out for my walk this morning (I did think about claiming that I needed a long lie to keep up my strength for the afternoon!) and I was glad I did when I saw these two naughty lambs munching on the verge

 

 

Then I saw this third lamb, which obviously thought that if it stood very still, I wouldn't see it!

 

 

And that wasn't the end of runaway lambs - when I was almost back home, I spotted these two in front of the farm cottages

 

 

Do you remember some weeks ago I showed you a photo of a vey pregnant mare?  Today she was back in the same field, but this time she had company ......

 

 

I hope you all have a great weekend - Malcolm's sisters, Jennifer and Judith, are coming to visit tomorrow.  They plan to arrive in time for us to go out for lunch, and Malcolm has already started his prep for dinner!!  Love, Anne