frayed at the edge

Roadblock!

I was a little bit late getting home this morning, as there was a roadblock just before the church.  A tractor, a combine harvester, a big lorry ....... no, three naughty lambs!

 

I was approaching them very slowly, as I didn't want them to keep running ahead of me, but then a car coming in the other direction made them to take refuge at the field gate, and I was able to sneak past!

 

it was glorious this morning, although there was a chill in the air.  The swallows have bred very successfully this year, and were enjoying the early morning sunshine

 

this isn't mist, it's steam rising off the neighbours' stable

 

William Leggat's statue in the churchyard was silhouetted against the sky

 

and of course we have to have a photo of a sheep!

 

when I was heading out to the studio this morning, I had to pause and take  photos of the contrails, which were giving a patriotic display of the Saltire

 

 

Now for the sewing update.  The paper piecing went well

 

I had to hold the square up to the light to make sure that the fabric was aligned with the sewing line

 

I used my wooden "iron" to flatten the seams

 

 

ready to start assembling the stars

 

all done

 

the next stage was to put it all up on the design wall

 

I got the top section stitched together before it was time to head in to the house to make dinner

 

to finish, you know that I like to take strange photos, and I rather liked the electrical gubbins gleaming against the blue sky

 

 

OK, let's just get the confession out of the way ....... cake two days running!  Yesterday we popped in to Border Meringues after our walk, and although Malcolm suggested that as usual we share a scone, I succumbed to a Malteser slice ....

 

....... to have with my excellent pot of tea (yes, I ate the meringue as well!)

 

while Malcolm had a wonderful cheese scone .....

 

....... with his usual americano with hot milk (yes, he ate his meringue too)

 

then after lunch today, Malcolm said that he was going to take a load of rubbish to the tip, which meant that he would pass the new mill shop.  Did I want to go with him and we could pop in for a cuppa?  At first I said no, as I had lots to do ..... but about two minutes later, I changed my mind - and look what I would have missed if I had stayed at home - today's special scone, filled with plump blueberries

 

now that we have got the greed out of the way, back to yesterday morning's walk in Jedburgh.  We hadn't seen the heron at its usual spot on the river for a few weeks, so we were delighted to see it yesterday

 

 

I usually take photos of this bridge from the other bank, but it looks good from this side too

 

I just had time to snap this tractor as it rumbled along the road

 

our log store is just across from my studio door, and I keep looking and thinking that this latest load of logs looks good - so I finally got round to taking a photo!

 

after we had our cuppa this afternoon, we had a stroll along the river.  We were entertained by this little dog surveying the world - the wider step he is on  is at just the right height for him to see over the fence

 

when I was getting out of the car when we got back home, I noticed this little bug

 

and when I went to take photos of the climbing rose round the lounge window, this fly promptly landed as I snapped

 

to finish, we saw this in an antiques shop in Jedburgh yesterday ..... I think it would give me nightmares!!

 

Where did the week go?  One minute it was Monday, now suddenly it's Friday.  As always at the end of the week, I have lots of photos that didn't make it into the blog, so I thought I would have a quick browse through the leftovers, and pick the best of them to share with you

a thistle, a problem for farmers, but striking in the verge

 

the first time we have tried growing beans

 

the pak choi has bolted, but the bees love the flowers

 

a foxglove in the hedgerow

 

enjoying the early morning sunshine

 

an "arty" weed in the verge

 

an unusual wall decoration in the cafe in Corbridge where we had lunch

 

a dog rose in the hedgerow

 

flowering privet hedge

 

these flowers are tiny, just the size of pinheads

 

I hadn't noticed before that you can see right through the church to a matching window on the back wall (despite passing the church dozens of times in the last six years!)

 

a heron on the River Slitrig

 

I hope you have enjoyed this wander through the leftovers ....... and talking of leftovers, there wasn't much left after we had our afternoon cuppa this afternoon!  Annette is on holliday, so the cakes came from Border Meringues

carrot cake

 

Border tart

 

As always I will be busy sewing over the weekend, and hopefully we will be able to dodge the forecast showers to go for a walk on Sunday morning. I hope you all have a good weekend, love Anne

 

 

On the way back to the carpark in Corbridge yesterday, we stopped on the bridge to watch some children having fun in the river

 

 

but they wouldn't have been able to play there the day that all this came down and got snagged on the bridge

 

 

leaving the town, we didn't get held up at the level crossing .....

 

........ but we did get held up behind this tractor

 

on the way home, we stopped in Bellingham for a cuppa .......

 

........ at this cafe

 

I like the standard rosemary plants in the pots at each side of the door - I just might attempt to grow one!

 

after our cuppa, we went for a stroll, popping in to this shop, where it was hard to resist all the lovely locally produced crafts

 

while I was taking photos of the village hall ....

 

 

....... Malcolm was examining this curiosity

 

 

why put up a new sign when this rusty old one still does the job!

 

however something that will have to be replaced is this section of pavement, which has fallen into the river

 

 

if only I could have fitted this old fencepost into my backpack - it would look good in the garden!

 

this was a lovely spot to sit and watch the world go by - just after I took the photo, an elderly couple settled on the bench to eat ice creams

 

our last stop in Bellingham was here

 

where Malcolm bought three bags of offcuts.  Some it will be used in the logburning stoves, but the better pieces will be turned into nest boxes and other little wooden items

 

 

altogether a great day out!

 

* you can find the words of the song here

 

........ as I set off for my walk, having taken these two photos as I stepped out of the front door!

 

 

the horses in the field across the road were sitting like bookends

 

the thistles provided a lovely background for this ewe

 

do you think these sheep appreciate the stunning scenery beyond their field?

 

after yesterday's eerie mist, this morning the church was basking in sunshine

 

once I had had my usual Wednesday pamper time, with a soak in the bath, with a good book and a mug of hot chocolate (!), we set off for Corbridge.  Parts of the road are like a roller coaster - this photo makes it look as if we are up in the air looking down on the road!

 

there are a lot of blind summits, and I caught this car just before it vanished over the top of this one - it's quite scary the way the cars either appear or disappear on these summits

 

when we were stuck at temporary traffic lights, I passed the time taking photos of the dry stone wall we were sitting beside

 

 

as the town was busy, we decided to go for an early lunch, which turned out to be a wise decision, as the cafe rapidly filled up.  As always I had a pot of tea

 

and Malcolm had a large americano, with hot milk on the side

 

there was so much choice on the menu, it was hard to decide, but in the end I ordered eggs benedict

 

and Malcolm a soft ciabatta roll stuffed with sausages

 

 ........ and then we traded half of our meals, so I can tell you they were both absolutely delicious (and I should add that we have a light dinner when we have lunch out on Wednesdays!)  Of course one of the reasons we went to Corbridge was to go back to Re ..... I can't show you all that I bought, as it's for presents, but I can show you the fabulous "French" breakfast cups (which are actually made in Portugal!)

 

so why did I buy two purple ones and only one yellow one?   Well .......... on Monday I was putting Malcolm's coffee mug in the dishwasher when it slipped out of my hand and fell on one of the two yellow breakfast cups which were already in the dishwasher.  Did the cheap and cheerful mug break, or did a great big chip get knocked out of the much dearer cup?  I think you can guess the answer to that one!  However, I remembered that I had seen the cups on our last visit to Re, and I was delighed to find that they still had them, so that I could replace the broken one, and buy a couple of spares to tuck away for future use, as we do like a great big cup of tea after breakfast!

 

I still have lots of photos left from our day out, which I will save for tomorrow, but I'll finish with this one ......... I guess solicitors must have annoyed this person, if they are now offering to savage them!!

*Bird on a Wire 

 

Malcolm was delighted to receive so many comments yesterday - could this be the start of a new hobby?

After handing over the blog to him yesterday, I have some catching up to do, starting with Saturday.  When I left the Quilt Exhibition on Saturday afternoonn, I was a bit annoyed to see that there was a major hold-up in the traffic.  However, I stopped being annoyed when I found out the cause ........ Kelso Civic Week parade

 

 

 

 

 

the star of the parade

 

Yesterday morning I headed out as usual for my walk, although it was a bit grey and wet.  These sheep were sheltering against the wall

 

but the crows and seagulls were busy pecking through this field, which has just been cut for hay

 

Yesterday afternoon I was busy making jam and chutney, but as it's for next month's Southdean Show, I can't show you the results yet!

 

This morning was grey and wet again - and it got steadily wetter.  I was dripping by the time I got back home!  The church looked quite eerie in the mist

 

 However these cows weren't bothered by the rain

 

I had just taken this photo .......

 

....... when this curious cow popped its head into the hole in the hedge

 

I have been busy working on Twas the Night before Christmas.  On Sunday I pressed and trimmed the stitcheries

 

and ironed the fabrics for the blocks

 

Today, I cut strips

 

and stitched them together in sets

 

I then cross cut these sets and joined the resulting strips into ones of varying lengths, which will frame the blocks and go round the edge of the quilt

 

Next I had two blocks to make 

 

 

 

The next stage is to make foundation pieced blocks, which is possibly my least-favourite method.  Just in case I get some wrong (it has been known!), I photocopied one of the pattern sheets, so that I have spares

 

When I am out for my morning walks, I quite often stop at the field gate just past the church to take photos of the Mintos and the Eildons.  However, on my way out this morning, this was the view - or rather lack of view

 

it had improved slightly on my way home - I think the rain had washed the mist away!

 

but this was last Tuesday ...... just a slight difference!!

 

 

When I was sewing this afternoon, Malcolm stuck his head in the door and shouted to me to come and see .........worms, worms and even more worms!  The compost bin was full of them - we have never seen so many worms!  This photo shows just a few of them

...... and my poor legs!!  I must have walked for miles today, helping to set up Abbey Quilters exhibition.  But the thing I find most tiring is constantly going up and down stairs ...... having lived for most of my life in houses with no stairs,  my legs don't half complain when faced with mutliple trips up and down!  There is a lift in the building, but it's a very small thing, which is really just a platform which goes up and down (there are no internal walls, just the outer lift shaft).

Unfortunately my camera battery ran out, but here is a selection of the photos that I took.  I'll have more tomorrow, showing you the whole exhibition

 

 

 

 

The next three photos are of the colourful display of Linus quilts, which have been hung in the coffee shop.  It is always wonderful to see the amount of work that the makers put into these quilts ..... and their generosity in donating them

 

 

 

I did take another three photos this morning, which I can't show you, but I can tell you about them.  During the morning, a woman came into the room I was in, asking if anyone had a camera.  When I said I did, she asked if she could borrow it, as hers wasn't working. Ah, well ..... I wasn't going to hand over my camera to a stranger, but I said I would be happy to take the photos for her - and I am so glad that I did.  I went with her into the Adult Learning Room, where three students were being presented with certificates, having completed an Adult Learning Course.  It was lovely to see their delight at receiving their certificates, and share the happy moment.  I have already emailed the photos to the delightful Laura, the Adult Learning Worker.

I used to be home alone a lot, when Malcolm was away on business trips, and I got used to it (I think the longest was eight weeks on my own).  But this is only the second time that I've been alone in this house, and it feels quite strange!  But then, there is the compensation of being in charge of the tv remote, which is sitting on top of a rather large pile of magazines and books.  I think it is time I tidied my table

 

I bought the Craftseller magazine at the weekend, not just because it is a good magazine, but also because it features two patterns by the lovely Tracey.  She has made a very good start to her new full time craft/design career, and I wish her continued success.

 

At the weekend, I finally remembered to do the last little bit of work on Lilly Pilly ....

 

....... adding the eyes to the birds.  I used a sequin and a bead for each eye

 

 

I also did more work on my block keeper, finishing the machine quilting

 

 

the next stage was to add a large pocket on one side of the inside

 

and then to add a divided pocket to the front of the large pocket.  I just popped the nearest things to hand into the sections to show what they could be used for

 

then today I added the two triangles which will hold the blocks in place to the other side of the inside

 

I stitched on the binding

 

 

and made the handles.  Not much more to do now

 

 

and now for something completely different!  Stuart and Alison were at a wedding at the weekend, and Stuart sent me this photo.  Alison exceeded her budget by rather a lot for her dress  - but it was worth every penny as she looks gorgeous!  Stuart doesn't have such worries, as he wears his kilt to weddings - I must remember to ask him for a full length photo

 

Just a final mention of being here on my own.  When Malcolm was away so much, I learned to be quite practical and self reliant (although there was the odd panic, such as when I set the chimney on fire when we had sold the house, and the time I found a bat in the bedroom!)  But since Malcolm took early retirement, he has taken over all the practical stuff, so I had to have some instructions yesterday.  First, Malcolm informed me that the bottled gas for the cooker might run out, so I had to learn how to switch to the spare bottle (turn the control knob until the arrow points in the opposite direction, open the valve on the new bottle, close the valve on the empty bottle)  Then the boiler .... it occasionally trips out (and of course it's sod's law that it will happen when Malcolm is away).  This isn't quite so easy, and, I think, demonstrates that it was designed by a man!!  Instead of having a button on the front to reset it, you have to take the front off, stick your hand into the innards and feel about until you find the reset button!

 

To finish, a photo from my morning walk .... when the sun was shining!

....... and take your shirt off one more time!  What are we girls going to do now that Rafael Nadal is out of Wimbledon ....... the perfect manners when he is interviewed, the funny little smile, and best of all, that beautifully honed body.  I was very impressed last night that he still took time to sign autographs after his defeat, when he probably wanted to just go home and be miserable!!

 

I realised that I forgot to show you the other cute animals from Woolfest - so I'll now rectify that!

a very fluffy bunny!

 

very cute alpacas

 

can I please have one for Christmas?

 

an inquisitive goat

 

a Bedlington terrier pup

 

When we were in Keswick last Saturday afternoon, we went into possibly the poshest ever Oxfam shop.  I was delighted to find this little book ......

 

each design introduces a new stitch

 

Do you remember the bottle of wine with the "carry on" label?  This is the cork - such good advice!

 

I had to abandon my walk this morning when it started to rain ...... but not before capturing a fat little lamb

 

two horses that were obviously not speaking

 

and the new stream which has now spilled over into the road

 

By the time I walked back home, the rain had got heavier, and these sheep were huddling together

 

but after breakfast things brightened up and a rainbow appeared

 

and things definitely got better this afternoon, when Annette served up her wonderful chocolate sponge topped with cream and strawberries

 

The weather has been so awful, I think I will declare next week's posts a weather free zone!  Whatever the weather, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, love Anne

 

Could it be because of the hazy early morning views of the Eildons, the Mintos and Ruberslaw?

 

 

 

or perhaps this peaceful view of the farmhouse nestled in the valley

 

or the lush countryside

 

perhaps the little unexpected flashes of colour in the verges and hedges

 

 

 

 

then there is the fun of playing peek-a-boo through the field gate with the Jacob's ewes

 

 

a mid-morning trip to a nearby garden centre for a cuppa and a scone

 

followed by a walk in the woods

 

 

However, I'll be away from home for a few days, as we head off tomorrow to Cumbria.  We are going to Woolfest, and I am looking forward to meeting up with Emily and Tracey, and doing some serious shopping at Kate's stall.  We are staying in a little holiday cottage which has wifi, so I should be back tomorrow evening with a quick post.

 

One last reason why I live here - I took this photo just a few yards from the house!!

 

Over-indulging?

OK, let's just get the confession out of the way ....... cake two days running!  Yesterday we popped in to Border Meringues after our walk, and although Malcolm suggested that as usual we share a scone, I succumbed to a Malteser slice ....

 

....... to have with my excellent pot of tea (yes, I ate the meringue as well!)

 

while Malcolm had a wonderful cheese scone .....

 

....... with his usual americano with hot milk (yes, he ate his meringue too)

 

then after lunch today, Malcolm said that he was going to take a load of rubbish to the tip, which meant that he would pass the new mill shop.  Did I want to go with him and we could pop in for a cuppa?  At first I said no, as I had lots to do ..... but about two minutes later, I changed my mind - and look what I would have missed if I had stayed at home - today's special scone, filled with plump blueberries

 

now that we have got the greed out of the way, back to yesterday morning's walk in Jedburgh.  We hadn't seen the heron at its usual spot on the river for a few weeks, so we were delighted to see it yesterday

 

 

I usually take photos of this bridge from the other bank, but it looks good from this side too

 

I just had time to snap this tractor as it rumbled along the road

 

our log store is just across from my studio door, and I keep looking and thinking that this latest load of logs looks good - so I finally got round to taking a photo!

 

after we had our cuppa this afternoon, we had a stroll along the river.  We were entertained by this little dog surveying the world - the wider step he is on  is at just the right height for him to see over the fence

 

when I was getting out of the car when we got back home, I noticed this little bug

 

and when I went to take photos of the climbing rose round the lounge window, this fly promptly landed as I snapped

 

to finish, we saw this in an antiques shop in Jedburgh yesterday ..... I think it would give me nightmares!!

 

Where did the week go?  One minute it was Monday, now suddenly it's Friday.  As always at the end of the week, I have lots of photos that didn't make it into the blog, so I thought I would have a quick browse through the leftovers, and pick the best of them to share with you

a thistle, a problem for farmers, but striking in the verge

 

the first time we have tried growing beans

 

the pak choi has bolted, but the bees love the flowers

 

a foxglove in the hedgerow

 

enjoying the early morning sunshine

 

an "arty" weed in the verge

 

an unusual wall decoration in the cafe in Corbridge where we had lunch

 

a dog rose in the hedgerow

 

flowering privet hedge

 

these flowers are tiny, just the size of pinheads

 

I hadn't noticed before that you can see right through the church to a matching window on the back wall (despite passing the church dozens of times in the last six years!)

 

a heron on the River Slitrig

 

I hope you have enjoyed this wander through the leftovers ....... and talking of leftovers, there wasn't much left after we had our afternoon cuppa this afternoon!  Annette is on holliday, so the cakes came from Border Meringues

carrot cake

 

Border tart

 

As always I will be busy sewing over the weekend, and hopefully we will be able to dodge the forecast showers to go for a walk on Sunday morning. I hope you all have a good weekend, love Anne

 

 

On the way back to the carpark in Corbridge yesterday, we stopped on the bridge to watch some children having fun in the river

 

 

but they wouldn't have been able to play there the day that all this came down and got snagged on the bridge

 

 

leaving the town, we didn't get held up at the level crossing .....

 

........ but we did get held up behind this tractor

 

on the way home, we stopped in Bellingham for a cuppa .......

 

........ at this cafe

 

I like the standard rosemary plants in the pots at each side of the door - I just might attempt to grow one!

 

after our cuppa, we went for a stroll, popping in to this shop, where it was hard to resist all the lovely locally produced crafts

 

while I was taking photos of the village hall ....

 

 

....... Malcolm was examining this curiosity

 

 

why put up a new sign when this rusty old one still does the job!

 

however something that will have to be replaced is this section of pavement, which has fallen into the river

 

 

if only I could have fitted this old fencepost into my backpack - it would look good in the garden!

 

this was a lovely spot to sit and watch the world go by - just after I took the photo, an elderly couple settled on the bench to eat ice creams

 

our last stop in Bellingham was here

 

where Malcolm bought three bags of offcuts.  Some it will be used in the logburning stoves, but the better pieces will be turned into nest boxes and other little wooden items

 

 

altogether a great day out!

 

* you can find the words of the song here

 

........ as I set off for my walk, having taken these two photos as I stepped out of the front door!

 

 

the horses in the field across the road were sitting like bookends

 

the thistles provided a lovely background for this ewe

 

do you think these sheep appreciate the stunning scenery beyond their field?

 

after yesterday's eerie mist, this morning the church was basking in sunshine

 

once I had had my usual Wednesday pamper time, with a soak in the bath, with a good book and a mug of hot chocolate (!), we set off for Corbridge.  Parts of the road are like a roller coaster - this photo makes it look as if we are up in the air looking down on the road!

 

there are a lot of blind summits, and I caught this car just before it vanished over the top of this one - it's quite scary the way the cars either appear or disappear on these summits

 

when we were stuck at temporary traffic lights, I passed the time taking photos of the dry stone wall we were sitting beside

 

 

as the town was busy, we decided to go for an early lunch, which turned out to be a wise decision, as the cafe rapidly filled up.  As always I had a pot of tea

 

and Malcolm had a large americano, with hot milk on the side

 

there was so much choice on the menu, it was hard to decide, but in the end I ordered eggs benedict

 

and Malcolm a soft ciabatta roll stuffed with sausages

 

 ........ and then we traded half of our meals, so I can tell you they were both absolutely delicious (and I should add that we have a light dinner when we have lunch out on Wednesdays!)  Of course one of the reasons we went to Corbridge was to go back to Re ..... I can't show you all that I bought, as it's for presents, but I can show you the fabulous "French" breakfast cups (which are actually made in Portugal!)

 

so why did I buy two purple ones and only one yellow one?   Well .......... on Monday I was putting Malcolm's coffee mug in the dishwasher when it slipped out of my hand and fell on one of the two yellow breakfast cups which were already in the dishwasher.  Did the cheap and cheerful mug break, or did a great big chip get knocked out of the much dearer cup?  I think you can guess the answer to that one!  However, I remembered that I had seen the cups on our last visit to Re, and I was delighed to find that they still had them, so that I could replace the broken one, and buy a couple of spares to tuck away for future use, as we do like a great big cup of tea after breakfast!

 

I still have lots of photos left from our day out, which I will save for tomorrow, but I'll finish with this one ......... I guess solicitors must have annoyed this person, if they are now offering to savage them!!

*Bird on a Wire 

 

Malcolm was delighted to receive so many comments yesterday - could this be the start of a new hobby?

After handing over the blog to him yesterday, I have some catching up to do, starting with Saturday.  When I left the Quilt Exhibition on Saturday afternoonn, I was a bit annoyed to see that there was a major hold-up in the traffic.  However, I stopped being annoyed when I found out the cause ........ Kelso Civic Week parade

 

 

 

 

 

the star of the parade

 

Yesterday morning I headed out as usual for my walk, although it was a bit grey and wet.  These sheep were sheltering against the wall

 

but the crows and seagulls were busy pecking through this field, which has just been cut for hay

 

Yesterday afternoon I was busy making jam and chutney, but as it's for next month's Southdean Show, I can't show you the results yet!

 

This morning was grey and wet again - and it got steadily wetter.  I was dripping by the time I got back home!  The church looked quite eerie in the mist

 

 However these cows weren't bothered by the rain

 

I had just taken this photo .......

 

....... when this curious cow popped its head into the hole in the hedge

 

I have been busy working on Twas the Night before Christmas.  On Sunday I pressed and trimmed the stitcheries

 

and ironed the fabrics for the blocks

 

Today, I cut strips

 

and stitched them together in sets

 

I then cross cut these sets and joined the resulting strips into ones of varying lengths, which will frame the blocks and go round the edge of the quilt

 

Next I had two blocks to make 

 

 

 

The next stage is to make foundation pieced blocks, which is possibly my least-favourite method.  Just in case I get some wrong (it has been known!), I photocopied one of the pattern sheets, so that I have spares

 

When I am out for my morning walks, I quite often stop at the field gate just past the church to take photos of the Mintos and the Eildons.  However, on my way out this morning, this was the view - or rather lack of view

 

it had improved slightly on my way home - I think the rain had washed the mist away!

 

but this was last Tuesday ...... just a slight difference!!

 

 

When I was sewing this afternoon, Malcolm stuck his head in the door and shouted to me to come and see .........worms, worms and even more worms!  The compost bin was full of them - we have never seen so many worms!  This photo shows just a few of them

...... and my poor legs!!  I must have walked for miles today, helping to set up Abbey Quilters exhibition.  But the thing I find most tiring is constantly going up and down stairs ...... having lived for most of my life in houses with no stairs,  my legs don't half complain when faced with mutliple trips up and down!  There is a lift in the building, but it's a very small thing, which is really just a platform which goes up and down (there are no internal walls, just the outer lift shaft).

Unfortunately my camera battery ran out, but here is a selection of the photos that I took.  I'll have more tomorrow, showing you the whole exhibition

 

 

 

 

The next three photos are of the colourful display of Linus quilts, which have been hung in the coffee shop.  It is always wonderful to see the amount of work that the makers put into these quilts ..... and their generosity in donating them

 

 

 

I did take another three photos this morning, which I can't show you, but I can tell you about them.  During the morning, a woman came into the room I was in, asking if anyone had a camera.  When I said I did, she asked if she could borrow it, as hers wasn't working. Ah, well ..... I wasn't going to hand over my camera to a stranger, but I said I would be happy to take the photos for her - and I am so glad that I did.  I went with her into the Adult Learning Room, where three students were being presented with certificates, having completed an Adult Learning Course.  It was lovely to see their delight at receiving their certificates, and share the happy moment.  I have already emailed the photos to the delightful Laura, the Adult Learning Worker.

I used to be home alone a lot, when Malcolm was away on business trips, and I got used to it (I think the longest was eight weeks on my own).  But this is only the second time that I've been alone in this house, and it feels quite strange!  But then, there is the compensation of being in charge of the tv remote, which is sitting on top of a rather large pile of magazines and books.  I think it is time I tidied my table

 

I bought the Craftseller magazine at the weekend, not just because it is a good magazine, but also because it features two patterns by the lovely Tracey.  She has made a very good start to her new full time craft/design career, and I wish her continued success.

 

At the weekend, I finally remembered to do the last little bit of work on Lilly Pilly ....

 

....... adding the eyes to the birds.  I used a sequin and a bead for each eye

 

 

I also did more work on my block keeper, finishing the machine quilting

 

 

the next stage was to add a large pocket on one side of the inside

 

and then to add a divided pocket to the front of the large pocket.  I just popped the nearest things to hand into the sections to show what they could be used for

 

then today I added the two triangles which will hold the blocks in place to the other side of the inside

 

I stitched on the binding

 

 

and made the handles.  Not much more to do now

 

 

and now for something completely different!  Stuart and Alison were at a wedding at the weekend, and Stuart sent me this photo.  Alison exceeded her budget by rather a lot for her dress  - but it was worth every penny as she looks gorgeous!  Stuart doesn't have such worries, as he wears his kilt to weddings - I must remember to ask him for a full length photo

 

Just a final mention of being here on my own.  When Malcolm was away so much, I learned to be quite practical and self reliant (although there was the odd panic, such as when I set the chimney on fire when we had sold the house, and the time I found a bat in the bedroom!)  But since Malcolm took early retirement, he has taken over all the practical stuff, so I had to have some instructions yesterday.  First, Malcolm informed me that the bottled gas for the cooker might run out, so I had to learn how to switch to the spare bottle (turn the control knob until the arrow points in the opposite direction, open the valve on the new bottle, close the valve on the empty bottle)  Then the boiler .... it occasionally trips out (and of course it's sod's law that it will happen when Malcolm is away).  This isn't quite so easy, and, I think, demonstrates that it was designed by a man!!  Instead of having a button on the front to reset it, you have to take the front off, stick your hand into the innards and feel about until you find the reset button!

 

To finish, a photo from my morning walk .... when the sun was shining!

....... and take your shirt off one more time!  What are we girls going to do now that Rafael Nadal is out of Wimbledon ....... the perfect manners when he is interviewed, the funny little smile, and best of all, that beautifully honed body.  I was very impressed last night that he still took time to sign autographs after his defeat, when he probably wanted to just go home and be miserable!!

 

I realised that I forgot to show you the other cute animals from Woolfest - so I'll now rectify that!

a very fluffy bunny!

 

very cute alpacas

 

can I please have one for Christmas?

 

an inquisitive goat

 

a Bedlington terrier pup

 

When we were in Keswick last Saturday afternoon, we went into possibly the poshest ever Oxfam shop.  I was delighted to find this little book ......

 

each design introduces a new stitch

 

Do you remember the bottle of wine with the "carry on" label?  This is the cork - such good advice!

 

I had to abandon my walk this morning when it started to rain ...... but not before capturing a fat little lamb

 

two horses that were obviously not speaking

 

and the new stream which has now spilled over into the road

 

By the time I walked back home, the rain had got heavier, and these sheep were huddling together

 

but after breakfast things brightened up and a rainbow appeared

 

and things definitely got better this afternoon, when Annette served up her wonderful chocolate sponge topped with cream and strawberries

 

The weather has been so awful, I think I will declare next week's posts a weather free zone!  Whatever the weather, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, love Anne

 

Could it be because of the hazy early morning views of the Eildons, the Mintos and Ruberslaw?

 

 

 

or perhaps this peaceful view of the farmhouse nestled in the valley

 

or the lush countryside

 

perhaps the little unexpected flashes of colour in the verges and hedges

 

 

 

 

then there is the fun of playing peek-a-boo through the field gate with the Jacob's ewes

 

 

a mid-morning trip to a nearby garden centre for a cuppa and a scone

 

followed by a walk in the woods

 

 

However, I'll be away from home for a few days, as we head off tomorrow to Cumbria.  We are going to Woolfest, and I am looking forward to meeting up with Emily and Tracey, and doing some serious shopping at Kate's stall.  We are staying in a little holiday cottage which has wifi, so I should be back tomorrow evening with a quick post.

 

One last reason why I live here - I took this photo just a few yards from the house!!

 

It's Friday again!

Where did the week go?  One minute it was Monday, now suddenly it's Friday.  As always at the end of the week, I have lots of photos that didn't make it into the blog, so I thought I would have a quick browse through the leftovers, and pick the best of them to share with you

a thistle, a problem for farmers, but striking in the verge

 

the first time we have tried growing beans

 

the pak choi has bolted, but the bees love the flowers

 

a foxglove in the hedgerow

 

enjoying the early morning sunshine

 

an "arty" weed in the verge

 

an unusual wall decoration in the cafe in Corbridge where we had lunch

 

a dog rose in the hedgerow

 

flowering privet hedge

 

these flowers are tiny, just the size of pinheads

 

I hadn't noticed before that you can see right through the church to a matching window on the back wall (despite passing the church dozens of times in the last six years!)

 

a heron on the River Slitrig

 

I hope you have enjoyed this wander through the leftovers ....... and talking of leftovers, there wasn't much left after we had our afternoon cuppa this afternoon!  Annette is on holliday, so the cakes came from Border Meringues

carrot cake

 

Border tart

 

As always I will be busy sewing over the weekend, and hopefully we will be able to dodge the forecast showers to go for a walk on Sunday morning. I hope you all have a good weekend, love Anne

 

 

Messing about on the river*

On the way back to the carpark in Corbridge yesterday, we stopped on the bridge to watch some children having fun in the river

 

 

but they wouldn't have been able to play there the day that all this came down and got snagged on the bridge

 

 

leaving the town, we didn't get held up at the level crossing .....

 

........ but we did get held up behind this tractor

 

on the way home, we stopped in Bellingham for a cuppa .......

 

........ at this cafe

 

I like the standard rosemary plants in the pots at each side of the door - I just might attempt to grow one!

 

after our cuppa, we went for a stroll, popping in to this shop, where it was hard to resist all the lovely locally produced crafts

 

while I was taking photos of the village hall ....

 

 

....... Malcolm was examining this curiosity

 

 

why put up a new sign when this rusty old one still does the job!

 

however something that will have to be replaced is this section of pavement, which has fallen into the river

 

 

if only I could have fitted this old fencepost into my backpack - it would look good in the garden!

 

this was a lovely spot to sit and watch the world go by - just after I took the photo, an elderly couple settled on the bench to eat ice creams

 

our last stop in Bellingham was here

 

where Malcolm bought three bags of offcuts.  Some it will be used in the logburning stoves, but the better pieces will be turned into nest boxes and other little wooden items

 

 

altogether a great day out!

 

* you can find the words of the song here

 

I was singing Leonard Cohen* .........

........ as I set off for my walk, having taken these two photos as I stepped out of the front door!

 

 

the horses in the field across the road were sitting like bookends

 

the thistles provided a lovely background for this ewe

 

do you think these sheep appreciate the stunning scenery beyond their field?

 

after yesterday's eerie mist, this morning the church was basking in sunshine

 

once I had had my usual Wednesday pamper time, with a soak in the bath, with a good book and a mug of hot chocolate (!), we set off for Corbridge.  Parts of the road are like a roller coaster - this photo makes it look as if we are up in the air looking down on the road!

 

there are a lot of blind summits, and I caught this car just before it vanished over the top of this one - it's quite scary the way the cars either appear or disappear on these summits

 

when we were stuck at temporary traffic lights, I passed the time taking photos of the dry stone wall we were sitting beside

 

 

as the town was busy, we decided to go for an early lunch, which turned out to be a wise decision, as the cafe rapidly filled up.  As always I had a pot of tea

 

and Malcolm had a large americano, with hot milk on the side

 

there was so much choice on the menu, it was hard to decide, but in the end I ordered eggs benedict

 

and Malcolm a soft ciabatta roll stuffed with sausages

 

 ........ and then we traded half of our meals, so I can tell you they were both absolutely delicious (and I should add that we have a light dinner when we have lunch out on Wednesdays!)  Of course one of the reasons we went to Corbridge was to go back to Re ..... I can't show you all that I bought, as it's for presents, but I can show you the fabulous "French" breakfast cups (which are actually made in Portugal!)

 

so why did I buy two purple ones and only one yellow one?   Well .......... on Monday I was putting Malcolm's coffee mug in the dishwasher when it slipped out of my hand and fell on one of the two yellow breakfast cups which were already in the dishwasher.  Did the cheap and cheerful mug break, or did a great big chip get knocked out of the much dearer cup?  I think you can guess the answer to that one!  However, I remembered that I had seen the cups on our last visit to Re, and I was delighed to find that they still had them, so that I could replace the broken one, and buy a couple of spares to tuck away for future use, as we do like a great big cup of tea after breakfast!

 

I still have lots of photos left from our day out, which I will save for tomorrow, but I'll finish with this one ......... I guess solicitors must have annoyed this person, if they are now offering to savage them!!

*Bird on a Wire 

 

Back to me!

Malcolm was delighted to receive so many comments yesterday - could this be the start of a new hobby?

After handing over the blog to him yesterday, I have some catching up to do, starting with Saturday.  When I left the Quilt Exhibition on Saturday afternoonn, I was a bit annoyed to see that there was a major hold-up in the traffic.  However, I stopped being annoyed when I found out the cause ........ Kelso Civic Week parade

 

 

 

 

 

the star of the parade

 

Yesterday morning I headed out as usual for my walk, although it was a bit grey and wet.  These sheep were sheltering against the wall

 

but the crows and seagulls were busy pecking through this field, which has just been cut for hay

 

Yesterday afternoon I was busy making jam and chutney, but as it's for next month's Southdean Show, I can't show you the results yet!

 

This morning was grey and wet again - and it got steadily wetter.  I was dripping by the time I got back home!  The church looked quite eerie in the mist

 

 However these cows weren't bothered by the rain

 

I had just taken this photo .......

 

....... when this curious cow popped its head into the hole in the hedge

 

I have been busy working on Twas the Night before Christmas.  On Sunday I pressed and trimmed the stitcheries

 

and ironed the fabrics for the blocks

 

Today, I cut strips

 

and stitched them together in sets

 

I then cross cut these sets and joined the resulting strips into ones of varying lengths, which will frame the blocks and go round the edge of the quilt

 

Next I had two blocks to make 

 

 

 

The next stage is to make foundation pieced blocks, which is possibly my least-favourite method.  Just in case I get some wrong (it has been known!), I photocopied one of the pattern sheets, so that I have spares

 

When I am out for my morning walks, I quite often stop at the field gate just past the church to take photos of the Mintos and the Eildons.  However, on my way out this morning, this was the view - or rather lack of view

 

it had improved slightly on my way home - I think the rain had washed the mist away!

 

but this was last Tuesday ...... just a slight difference!!

 

 

When I was sewing this afternoon, Malcolm stuck his head in the door and shouted to me to come and see .........worms, worms and even more worms!  The compost bin was full of them - we have never seen so many worms!  This photo shows just a few of them

Oh my poor feet .....

...... and my poor legs!!  I must have walked for miles today, helping to set up Abbey Quilters exhibition.  But the thing I find most tiring is constantly going up and down stairs ...... having lived for most of my life in houses with no stairs,  my legs don't half complain when faced with mutliple trips up and down!  There is a lift in the building, but it's a very small thing, which is really just a platform which goes up and down (there are no internal walls, just the outer lift shaft).

Unfortunately my camera battery ran out, but here is a selection of the photos that I took.  I'll have more tomorrow, showing you the whole exhibition

 

 

 

 

The next three photos are of the colourful display of Linus quilts, which have been hung in the coffee shop.  It is always wonderful to see the amount of work that the makers put into these quilts ..... and their generosity in donating them

 

 

 

I did take another three photos this morning, which I can't show you, but I can tell you about them.  During the morning, a woman came into the room I was in, asking if anyone had a camera.  When I said I did, she asked if she could borrow it, as hers wasn't working. Ah, well ..... I wasn't going to hand over my camera to a stranger, but I said I would be happy to take the photos for her - and I am so glad that I did.  I went with her into the Adult Learning Room, where three students were being presented with certificates, having completed an Adult Learning Course.  It was lovely to see their delight at receiving their certificates, and share the happy moment.  I have already emailed the photos to the delightful Laura, the Adult Learning Worker.

Home alone!

I used to be home alone a lot, when Malcolm was away on business trips, and I got used to it (I think the longest was eight weeks on my own).  But this is only the second time that I've been alone in this house, and it feels quite strange!  But then, there is the compensation of being in charge of the tv remote, which is sitting on top of a rather large pile of magazines and books.  I think it is time I tidied my table

 

I bought the Craftseller magazine at the weekend, not just because it is a good magazine, but also because it features two patterns by the lovely Tracey.  She has made a very good start to her new full time craft/design career, and I wish her continued success.

 

At the weekend, I finally remembered to do the last little bit of work on Lilly Pilly ....

 

....... adding the eyes to the birds.  I used a sequin and a bead for each eye

 

 

I also did more work on my block keeper, finishing the machine quilting

 

 

the next stage was to add a large pocket on one side of the inside

 

and then to add a divided pocket to the front of the large pocket.  I just popped the nearest things to hand into the sections to show what they could be used for

 

then today I added the two triangles which will hold the blocks in place to the other side of the inside

 

I stitched on the binding

 

 

and made the handles.  Not much more to do now

 

 

and now for something completely different!  Stuart and Alison were at a wedding at the weekend, and Stuart sent me this photo.  Alison exceeded her budget by rather a lot for her dress  - but it was worth every penny as she looks gorgeous!  Stuart doesn't have such worries, as he wears his kilt to weddings - I must remember to ask him for a full length photo

 

Just a final mention of being here on my own.  When Malcolm was away so much, I learned to be quite practical and self reliant (although there was the odd panic, such as when I set the chimney on fire when we had sold the house, and the time I found a bat in the bedroom!)  But since Malcolm took early retirement, he has taken over all the practical stuff, so I had to have some instructions yesterday.  First, Malcolm informed me that the bottled gas for the cooker might run out, so I had to learn how to switch to the spare bottle (turn the control knob until the arrow points in the opposite direction, open the valve on the new bottle, close the valve on the empty bottle)  Then the boiler .... it occasionally trips out (and of course it's sod's law that it will happen when Malcolm is away).  This isn't quite so easy, and, I think, demonstrates that it was designed by a man!!  Instead of having a button on the front to reset it, you have to take the front off, stick your hand into the innards and feel about until you find the reset button!

 

To finish, a photo from my morning walk .... when the sun was shining!

....... and take your shirt off one more time!  What are we girls going to do now that Rafael Nadal is out of Wimbledon ....... the perfect manners when he is interviewed, the funny little smile, and best of all, that beautifully honed body.  I was very impressed last night that he still took time to sign autographs after his defeat, when he probably wanted to just go home and be miserable!!

 

I realised that I forgot to show you the other cute animals from Woolfest - so I'll now rectify that!

a very fluffy bunny!

 

very cute alpacas

 

can I please have one for Christmas?

 

an inquisitive goat

 

a Bedlington terrier pup

 

When we were in Keswick last Saturday afternoon, we went into possibly the poshest ever Oxfam shop.  I was delighted to find this little book ......

 

each design introduces a new stitch

 

Do you remember the bottle of wine with the "carry on" label?  This is the cork - such good advice!

 

I had to abandon my walk this morning when it started to rain ...... but not before capturing a fat little lamb

 

two horses that were obviously not speaking

 

and the new stream which has now spilled over into the road

 

By the time I walked back home, the rain had got heavier, and these sheep were huddling together

 

but after breakfast things brightened up and a rainbow appeared

 

and things definitely got better this afternoon, when Annette served up her wonderful chocolate sponge topped with cream and strawberries

 

The weather has been so awful, I think I will declare next week's posts a weather free zone!  Whatever the weather, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, love Anne

 

Could it be because of the hazy early morning views of the Eildons, the Mintos and Ruberslaw?

 

 

 

or perhaps this peaceful view of the farmhouse nestled in the valley

 

or the lush countryside

 

perhaps the little unexpected flashes of colour in the verges and hedges

 

 

 

 

then there is the fun of playing peek-a-boo through the field gate with the Jacob's ewes

 

 

a mid-morning trip to a nearby garden centre for a cuppa and a scone

 

followed by a walk in the woods

 

 

However, I'll be away from home for a few days, as we head off tomorrow to Cumbria.  We are going to Woolfest, and I am looking forward to meeting up with Emily and Tracey, and doing some serious shopping at Kate's stall.  We are staying in a little holiday cottage which has wifi, so I should be back tomorrow evening with a quick post.

 

One last reason why I live here - I took this photo just a few yards from the house!!

 

Please come back Rafael ......

....... and take your shirt off one more time!  What are we girls going to do now that Rafael Nadal is out of Wimbledon ....... the perfect manners when he is interviewed, the funny little smile, and best of all, that beautifully honed body.  I was very impressed last night that he still took time to sign autographs after his defeat, when he probably wanted to just go home and be miserable!!

 

I realised that I forgot to show you the other cute animals from Woolfest - so I'll now rectify that!

a very fluffy bunny!

 

very cute alpacas

 

can I please have one for Christmas?

 

an inquisitive goat

 

a Bedlington terrier pup

 

When we were in Keswick last Saturday afternoon, we went into possibly the poshest ever Oxfam shop.  I was delighted to find this little book ......

 

each design introduces a new stitch

 

Do you remember the bottle of wine with the "carry on" label?  This is the cork - such good advice!

 

I had to abandon my walk this morning when it started to rain ...... but not before capturing a fat little lamb

 

two horses that were obviously not speaking

 

and the new stream which has now spilled over into the road

 

By the time I walked back home, the rain had got heavier, and these sheep were huddling together

 

but after breakfast things brightened up and a rainbow appeared

 

and things definitely got better this afternoon, when Annette served up her wonderful chocolate sponge topped with cream and strawberries

 

The weather has been so awful, I think I will declare next week's posts a weather free zone!  Whatever the weather, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, love Anne

 

Why do I live here?

Could it be because of the hazy early morning views of the Eildons, the Mintos and Ruberslaw?

 

 

 

or perhaps this peaceful view of the farmhouse nestled in the valley

 

or the lush countryside

 

perhaps the little unexpected flashes of colour in the verges and hedges

 

 

 

 

then there is the fun of playing peek-a-boo through the field gate with the Jacob's ewes

 

 

a mid-morning trip to a nearby garden centre for a cuppa and a scone

 

followed by a walk in the woods

 

 

However, I'll be away from home for a few days, as we head off tomorrow to Cumbria.  We are going to Woolfest, and I am looking forward to meeting up with Emily and Tracey, and doing some serious shopping at Kate's stall.  We are staying in a little holiday cottage which has wifi, so I should be back tomorrow evening with a quick post.

 

One last reason why I live here - I took this photo just a few yards from the house!!