frayed at the edge

Just the two of us!

After a bit of persuasion, Malcolm came with me on my walk this morning.  There is just one problem - he walks faster than me, so my legs are a bit sore this evening!  However, it was nice to have company - apart from the usual cast of animals!

 

 

I managed to snatch this photo of the Jacobs' sheep before they did their usual disappearing act to the other side of the field!

 

I've never seen a donkey with markings like this one - and he looks pretty good for being 30 years old!

 

The horse on the right looks as if he is in the huff with the other one!

 

When I was having my Wednesday morning leisurely soak in the bath, I heard a great deal of commotion outside.  All was soon explained - the load of logs which Malcolm had ordered had been delivered

 

He had hoped that they would be able to unload them at the back garden gate, but the lorry was too big to go up the lane past the back of the studio, so poor Malcolm had to shift them by wheelbarrow, to stack them in the log store (and quite a lot were left over and had to go in the garage!)

 

I like to be fairly well organised, but even I think it's too early to buy my Christmas cards ..... but the Red Cross don't think so - this has just arrived in the post!!

 

Thanks for all your good wishes and advice for my scan - I have been listening to my hypnotherapy cd and practising my deep breathing, so hopefully I can relax.  I will be able to take some music to listen too - I will have to have a look through my CDs for something suitable!!
 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

A little bird told me ......

...... to watch out for this BIG bird, which we saw when we were out for lunch today

 

 

A magnificent specimen of eagle owl - this sign tells you more about him (click on it to enlarge it

 

 

I would not like to get too close - we were behind a fence, which kept us several feet away from the enclosure

 

 

He kept his eyes firmly on us!

 

 

However, this afternoon, I was quite happy to get up close to these birds!  I finished the quilting in the ditch, then started to free-motion quilt the chickens

 

 

I'm having fun, just 'scribbling' over the birds, then stitching several wavy lines round the outside of each bird

 

 

Every time I work on the chickens, I change my mind as to which one is my favourite - this was today's choice

 

 

I have recently been reading a super new blog .... The Cloth Shed ..... I would say that it is filled with gorgeous things - but of course Helen has first dibs on that description!  In a recent post, Julie showed some lovely toile cushions, which reminded me that I have a large piece of toile that I bought some time ago.  I got it very cheap, as it had a large dirty mark on it, but I knew that even if the mark didn't wash out, there was so much material it was still a bargain.  I was sure that my piece was terracotta, but when I got it out, it was brown!  Now this is where things get a bit weird - when I said to Malcolm about the colour, he said he thought it was terracotta too ...... but the even weirder bit is that it was the dirty mark that was terracotta!!  I very bravely put the fabric in the washing machine, and was delighted when the mark washed out.  Now I just need to decide which parts of the fabric to use for my cushions

 

this bit

 

 

or this bit

 

 

but then I like this scene too!!

 

I had a hunt through my stash of curtain samples and found this one, which will look good on the back of the cushions

 

 

This afternoon I got a phone call from the MRI department at the hospital.  The lovely lady said they had 'a wee space' on Friday afternoon, and if I wanted, they would fit me in for my scan.  Of course I said 'yes please' ....... I would cancel a date with George Clooney to get it over and done with!

 

 

 

 

Many hands make.......

....... light work.   I don't know if six hands count as many, but we did get a lot done today!  No photo of what I was doing - washing down the walls with sugar soap, ready for wallpapering.  But Malcolm's work is definitely worth a photo ...... the cupboard in the bedroom has a sloping floor, as it is over the stairs, so he boxed in the slope to give a large shelf over it, then added a second shelf.  Once the cupboard is painted, it will give a lot of storage space

 

 

Stuart, meanwhile, was out in the garden stripping the paint off the cupboard door ........

 

 

....... he managed to get most of it off with his hot air gun, but will have to resort to a chemical stripper to get it completely clean

 

 

Malcolm also drew up his plan for the deck, which will go in this corner of the back garden

 

 

But I wouldn't want you think it was all work and no play ....... we did take some time off to go to the garden centre for a bowl of soup for lunch - and we were rewarded with seeing this peacock in the car park.  His tail is a bit threadbare, but he still looks splendid!

 

 

When Stuart joined us in Majorca, we took him to a wonderful antique shop that we had found.  He immediately bought this old coffee pot, which provided an excellent cuppa for him and Malcolm this afternoon (of course I had tea!)

 

 

By the time we had finished, nobody was in the mood to cook ....... so it was a quick phone call to order takeaway pizza ...... we are now sitting here too full to move, enjoying a glass of wine!

 

ps - did you spot my reflection in one of the photos?

 

 

 

Construction and destruction

First, I will reveal all about my new project, then I will explain today's title!  Those who guessed it was a swift/woolwinder were correct ...... and well done to Jill, who also guessed that the project is my Maia kit, which I bought from my lovely friend Helen (I've just brought up her blog to put in the link .... and there is one of her friends modelling her Maia!!).  Yesterday evening, I used my woolwinder for the first time - it may be a basic one, but it does the job ....... it only cost me £5 from a car boot sale, and a fancy one that we saw at Woolfest was £75!!!

 

It expands to fit the hank of wool, then it turns as you wind the ball.  By the time I had wound the entire hank (1200 metres!!) I didn't have much time to knit, but I did manage a few rows - I always write down my rows as I do them - so of course I have a knitted cover for my knitting notebook!

 

I am sitting in Stuart's lounge writing this .... we came up to Falkirk this morning to spend a few days with him ..... he is off work on his 'summer' holidays - but the weather isn't co-operating!!  The plan was for Malcolm to design and possibly start making a timber deck in the back garden - but the rain has meant that project has been postponed.  So instead, Malcolm has been boxing in pipes

 

a successful construction

 

I was doing some prep work in the guest bedroom before I paint and paper it ....... but there has been a problem in this corner in the past, with water ingress from a leaking gutter, so I ended up with a spot of destruction, cutting back to sound plaster ..... I will now have to come back to do the plastering - it's quite a few years since I last did any plastering (in the 90s we had a Victorian house which we restored!) .... perhaps it's just as well this is only a small area!

 

It's worse than that - I hadn't quite finished my destruction when I took the photo!  Alison had just arrived and Malcolm is cooking rack of lamb for us, so I had better end now!!
 
 
 
 
 

One down, one to go

Yesterday, Malcolm moved my fuchsia for me, putting it in the niche in the back wall of the garden

 

 

You can see the new flowers are pale, but as they open out, they become much darker, as you can see from this flower which fell off when Malcolm moved the pot

 

 

It was wet and windy again for my walk - but there was one bright spot ...... the raspberries in the hedgerow are starting to ripen

 

 

Of course, Friday means cake, and Annette certainly didn't disappoint us today with this beautiful light sponge, sandwiched with tasty raspberry jam

 

 

I have finished the first of Kylie's cushions and hope to finish the other one over the weekend, so I will be able to post them off to Australia at the start of the week

 

 

After such a wet start to the day, the sun is now shining ......right in my eyes as I'm typing this!!  I hope you all have a good weekend, love Anne

 

 

Life in the slow lane

After all the years Malcolm spent working, especially the five years before he retired, when he was abroad more than he was home, he now enjoys the slower pace of life.  Although we have yet to decorate and furnish the summer  house, he has already claimed it as a place to sit and listen to cricket on the radio - definitely life in the (very) slow lane!!

 

 

Today was a Kist day, and we had a lovely time sitting round the table sewing and chatting (although perhaps sometimes there is more of the latter!)  I was working on Kylie's cushions.  I put them on the cutting board and used two rulers to make sure they were square

 

 

Then I cut the excess off (after checking several times that I was cutting on the correct line1)

 

 

I then forgot to take photos of the next stages (yes, too busy blethering!!).  I added binding round the edges, which now just has to be turned over and handstitched in place

 

 

I also trimmed the flap on the back with the binding fabric

 

Seonaid was unable to join us until after lunch, but when she arrived she had great fun playing experimenting with  exploring the capabilities of both my and Anne's sewing machines.  She also brought me the most wonderful present .... a scissor keeper, which I have put on my little embroidery scissors (can you see the points curve up, so that you don't accidently cut the fabric when snipping your thread)

 

 

The fob is only an inch and a half square - the work is fabulous!!

 

To end, I thought I would give you a little sneak peek at tomorrow's  subject!!

 
 

 

 

Yet another change of plan!

We had intended to go for a walk yesterday morning - but not long after we got up it started to rain ...... and rain and rain.  The rain did go off later, but then it got windy .... and windier.  After one of my flower pots blew over, I moved them to the shelter of the log store

 

 

This morning when I went for my walk, I spent quite a lot of time lifting branches off the road - it must have been even wilder during the night!!  I also picked up some little bits and pieces and had fun making this 'still life' when I got home

 

 

I mentioned last week that I had won Rattling on's giveaway.  My prize was a voucher to spend online on something for the kitchen.  Unfortunately the voucher wasn't quite enough to buy an Aga!!  After a bit of thought, I decided to buy something I wanted, rather than something basic.  So what did I get ..... a gorgeous tagine, which arrived at lunchtime

 

 

I spent the afternoon both yesterday and today in the studio, working on the houses for my 'row' quilt.  Here they are waiting to be trimmed .......

 

 

....... then stitched together

 

 

I've had another play with the embellisher ..... and again I  wet the felt, then molded it - this time round a glass which had held a scented candle.  However, as last time, it is just a bit too soft - I think I will have to use proper wet felting to produce a felt with more body.  Never mind, it is very pretty!

 

 

I have almost finished the quilting on the first of Kylie's cushions ......

 

 

..... so this afternoon I marked out the second one.  This is a detail of the centre

 

 

So ...... how did the visit go?  Very well!!  Alison is lovely and we got on fine.  Malcolm cooked a new recipe - boneless pork loin coated with a mixture of maple syrup and cajun seasoning - it was delicious!  We went out for breakfast on Saturday, before they headed back to Falkirk via Ikea ..... amazingly they didn't buy anything (not even a bargain bag of tealights!) but of course they did have meatballs for lunch (we always have them too!!)

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Lazing on a sunny afternoon!

When I arrived home from patch'n'chat, I would have rushed out into the garden to see the summerhouse ........ but first I had to meet a very special visitor!  Stuart and his new girlfriend Alison  arrived just minutes before I got home, so I thought I had better meet Alison before disappearing into the garden to take photos!

 

if you can't find me - I'll be here!  

 

 

we were glad that we could keep the tree!

 

 

I'm looking forward to getting my flower pots back at the door

 

When Malcolm was giving Stuart's cracket a final polish this morning, I realised that I hadn't taken a photo .......

 

I should have got Stuart to sit on it for another photo!

 

It's Friday, which means cake, and Wimbledon, which means strawberries ......

 

I accidently sat in the seat with the biggest slice!!

 

No doubt for the next two days I'll be in the summerhouse, enjoying the weekend .... I hope you have a lovely weekend too, love, Anne

 

A bonus day out!

On the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month, I go to knit'n'natter ........ but this month there is an extra Wednesday, so today we decided to have a fun day out!  We headed over the border to the town of Wooler - Malcolm had been there recently and had come back with tales of lovely shops and good food ...... and today we had the bonus of good weather!!

This shop looked so pretty, I immediately had to stop and take a photo ......

 

 

....... when we crossed the road and went in to the shop, the interior more than matched the exterior, with all sorts of goodies.  We bought each other a present

 

I think you know us well enough to suppose that the chicken was for Malcolm and the notebook for me ........ wrong!!  Malcolm bought the chicken to add to my collection of quirky plates and I bought the notebook for him to write down and draw plans for future projects.

The next shop to catch my eye was this one

We managed to resist going in - or I might have bought lots and lots of chocolate (I just keep saying 'a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips'!!) ........ but what I wanted most was this

 

Next was the antique shop - where not just the stock, but the dust covering a lot of it was extremely old!  Never mind, we had a good rake .......

 

......... and as always I ended up at the bookshelves

 

I've been neglecting my collection of pillar boxes recently, so I was pleased to see this lovely old one

 

By now it was lunchtime, and Malcolm recommended this place, as he had enjoyed an excellent scone and coffee on his previous visit

The food was wonderful!!  I had a coronation chicken baguette, which was beautifully presented with salad, coleslaw and root vegetable crisps

 

Malcolm had a ham and mustard baguette, similarly presented ....... the mustard was in a little dish, so he could decide how much he wanted to have.

After lunch, I noticed this shop - do you think the signwriter needs his eyes tested?

 

There is no football today, but Malcolm is rapidly developing a blister, as (typical man in charge of the remote) he has to keep changing channels between tennis (Andy Murray is playing) and cricket (England v Australia in the 4th ODI)!!
  

 

 
 
 
 
 

 

A good cause!

One of my stops on the way round all the wonderful stalls on Saturday was at one which was just a little bit different ... there was nothing for sale!!  Instead they had a wonderful collection of patterns, which had been donated to Medecins Sans Frontieres.  The idea is that you take a pattern, then make a donation to p/hop .... which stands for pennies per hour of pleasure  (ie, the hours of pleasure you have using the pattern).  There were some gorgeous patterns and I eventually decided on these

 

 

I wasn't sure about how much to donate, but the lady in charge of the donations bucket obviously thought that I gave enough, as she gave me this bag to put my acquisitions in!

 

 

There were so many wonderful stalls, selling so much gorgeousness, that we had to have a second look round before I finally decided what to buy ....

 

a selection of woolly fabrics to needlefelt/embellish

 

 

larger pieces for felting projects

 

 

Australian magazines with some wonderful ideas!

 

Jennifer did some shopping too - but as her purchases are supposed to be Christmas presents, I have been sworn to secrecy (although I wouldn't be surprised if they end up in her stash!!)

One idea I have tried out already is to make a small bowl.  I've never quite got to grips with wet felting, as it just always looks like hard work (although I guess it's good for toning the upper arms!!)  So I cheated ..... I took the flower that I made on the embellisher, wet it and molded it round a glass tealight holder.  It is a little bit fragile - next time I will make the felt much thicker, but I am pleased with this first attempt!

 

 

To finish - some wonderful news ....... I have won Rattling on's giveaway!!  If you click on the link you can read about what I've won!