frayed at the edge

The first cut ......

....... by a different hairdresser!  My usual hairdresser is off work, so today I had my hair cut by one of the junior stylists, who usually does my colour for me.  Melissa has been cutting my hair for the last five years, so it was a bit strange to have it done by Kerry, who was a bit nervous about getting it right, as Melissa is the boss of the salon!  She needn't have worried, as she has made a very good job of it (sorry, no photo!!)

Along with Lucie, I am supposed to be spending February finishing things, but yesterday I started something new (oops!).  Abbey Quilters celebrates its 25th birthday in March, so we are having a day of little projects, and of course lunch, on the 16th.  I somehow managed to volunteer to demonstrate a small project ...... oh dear, what to do?  Then I remembered a little project that I had made at a similar day some years ago.  It hangs in the studio, and is a little bit shabby (which is just as well, considering what happened to it yesterday)

 

I no longer have the pattern, so I deconstructed disassembled took it to bits to make templates

 

I picked out a fabric from my stash (hooray, another contribution to the year of using it up!) and decided to make the hearts with felt.  I added the tiny red buttons, which I will use to attach the wings

 

the tassel is rather tatty, but you can just make out the little beads along the bottom

 

I got out my bead box (more hoorays, for more using it up)

 

I chose these little gold beads to pick up the gold in the fabric, and found a suitable thread for the tassel, and a heavier gold thread for stringing it all together

 

I have to admit that I came home with some new beads today ....... let me explain.  I arrived in Kelso with time to spare before my hairdressing appontment, as I wanted to pop into the curtain fabric shop to get cord and little plastic rings for Stuart and Aliison's blinds.  And look what I passed on the way

 

I had been told that this shop had opened, but I hadn't got round to visiting it.  The owner is delightful (but, oops, I forgot to ask for her name), very welcoming and enthusiastic.  I can't show show you what I bought, because by the time I got home and made dinner, I forgot!  But there were lots and lots of lovely beads to choose from

 

I am off to Edinburgh tomorrow for the Spring Quilt Show, so I'll have lots to share with you in tomorrow's post! 

Scraptastic!

After finishing the 64 strippy blocks, I set about making more of the crazy blocks.  I had made 16 by yesterday

 

then today ended up with 25, which I have stitched together

 

I then made a start to stitching the strippy blocks together.  I got the rows done, before I had to go back into the house to make dinner!

 

I started work on the pattern for the badger, first transferring the different parts of the face on to tracing paper

 

then I cut the pieces out from card

 

I changed the black strip on the left, changed the ears, and added nostrils and eyes.  I'm not happy yet with the strip on the left - I think it needs to be wider, so that the eye is bigger

 

I''ve had to take my big clock off the wall, as it kept going slow (I don't wear my watch when I'm sewing, as it is quite loose and bangs on the machine).  I gave Malcolm this little clock many, many years ago for either his birthday or Christmas.  I don't quite know how it has ended up in the studio.  It is usually down in the bottom room, so I've moved it to the top room, sitting it on the light box (which doubles as a shelf when not in use!) so that I can see it

Steaming!

When I declared this the year of using things up, I didn't expect my big steam iron to be one of those things!  But unfortunately I must have used used it too much (!) and it has died and gone to the great iron heaven.  I loathe ironing, so I was anxious to get another big iron, rather than using the ordinary steam iron that I use in the studio.  After a bit of research, I found one online and it was delivered yesterday.  I thought I ought to try it this morning just to make sure it was working ..... isn't it a thing of beauty!

 

Malcolm realised on Christmas Eve that he hadn't bought a book for me (shock horror) ......but fortunately  a quick trip to the supermarket fixed that!!  I started reading it this morning, and I am thoroughly enjoying it.   Even if you don't know who Clare Balding is, I can recommend her book as a very entertaining read

 

two of my smaller orchids have just started flowering  A pale pink one ......

 

....... and a pale yellow one

 

did you notice the new clips holding the orchids in place?  They were also a Christmas present from Malcolm

 

when I saw this little compost bin was being sold at half-price, I thought it would look much better in the utility room than the grey plastic one which we have had for some years......

 

....... especially as it matches the paint!

 

the plant is a silk one, as the utility room doesn't have a window.  And do you like the banana planter?  When we moved to Indonesia, we at first lived in an apartment complex.  There were occasional social events for the wives (we weren't allowed to work), one of which was an afternoon tea, at which we played some silly games.  One of them was simple - a prize for the first wife to produce a photo of her husband ...... and I won!  I still have the photo of Malcolm (it's in my purse) but as it's a dreadful passport photo, I won't show it to you!!

 

we have been fortunate, and have only had a dusting of snow, unlike some parts of the country, so I was able to go to patch'n'chat.  The snow did get a bit heavier in the middle of the afternoon, so those of us who have further to travel were keeping an eye on the weather in case we had to leave early, but fortunately we were able to stay and have Annette's delicious cupcakes

 

my friend Anne S regularly sends me emails with jokes or funny photos, but the email she sent the other day had photos which she thought Malcom would like - all sorts of imaginative things that people hade made with their log piles.  This was his favourite ........

 

...... but I don't think he is tempted to reorganise our logs!  Whatever the weather over the weekend, I shall of course be out in the studio sewing.  I hope you have a wonderful weekend, love Anne

Next time I meet a shepherd .......

........ I shall ask him if this morning's skies were a warning

 

yesterday I finished piecing the last block of Leanne's House, and brought out the first block from the house, as I had finished the applique and embroidery

 

or rather, I thought that I had finished  - but when I went to take a close-up, I found that I hadn't done the satin stitch on this flower

 

Malcolm has been doing quality control, and has criticised the stitching of this point!!

 

there is a great deal of embroidery to do - this is just a small part of one block  There is even embroidery round the applique hearts

 

I was going to make more scrappy strippy blocks, but decided that I would instead get on with the runners I am making with the wonderful Australian fabric that Lee gave me for my birthday.  Having stitched some of the blocks together, I then prepared another batch of strips

 

today I finished stitching this runner

 

then made this one with crazy blocks from the offcuts

 

and almost finished a third one.  Here they are being tried out in the hall

 

all this talk of using things up reminded me of an email that I was sent years ago.  I liked it so much I printed it out and put it on my notice board (click on it to enlarge it)

that, I hope, will be me!!

A new word

I mentioned the other day that I am back in the routine of using the rowing machine ......

 

........ and the cross trainer

 

doing my best to work off the extra Christmas calories.  And of course there is the small matter of the scones which we love ...... this led to me this morning thinking of a new word "sconnage" - composed of scones and tonnage (not that we eat that many scones!).  If I need cheering up as I exercise, I can look at my two little signs on the wall

 

I bought this tin because I liked it (and I know which project I am going to keep in it, more of that another time).    Unfortunately it has biscuits in it, so more calories to work off!

 

I know that Lucie will love this bottle which Malcolm gave me for Christmas, as she loves beach huts.  And the good news for Lucie is that he bought it in the Maritime Centre at Newbiggin, which isn't too far from where she lives, so she could pop over to get one for herself

 

it is now sitting on the bathroom windowsill, along with my other beach huts (Malcolm has a little blue one in his shower room) - I think I showed them to you recently, but I like them so much I'm going to show them to you again!  The roof of the larger one opens to reveal storage space - I keep some of my favourite toiletries in it

 

I enjoyed patch'n'chat this afternoon - it was good to catch up with what everyone has been busy with over the break ....... and of course to have cake (yes, I know, yet more calories!).  We had our favourite apple and sultana cake, but unfortunately Katy was unable to have a slice as she is having to adhere to a very low fat diet, so we assured her that it wasn't really that good and she wasn't missing anything by being virtuous and eating a banana (of course we had our fingers crossed behind our backs to ward off any evil for telling lies!!).  I have a great long to-do list of sewing for the weekend - I hope to achieve most if not all of it, ready to share with you on Monday.  It is forecast to be cold at the weekend, but hopefully we will miss the snow that has also been forecast for some parts of the country.  There have been shock horror headlines about temperatures "plummetting" ........ all the way down to normal temperatures for this time of year!!  Whatever the weather, I hope you all have a great weekend, love Anne

A cover-up

Like many towns, our High Street has several empty shops, most of which have dirty windows and tatty paintwork.  So when before Christmas we saw two of the shopfronts being boarded up, we were concerned that things were going even further downhill.  So when we were in town this morning, we were delighted to see the boarding had been transformed with these amazing pictures.  They are so realistic that we saw someone trying to go in the door of one of them!

 

when we were in Jedburgh yesterday I saw the most wonderful book.  I know that I am having a year of using it up, which means that I should be reading the books I have, not buying more ....... but I just had to have this one.  (remember you can click on the photos to enlarge them)

 

  As soon as I saw this first cartoon, I thought that this is how things will be if Our Dear Leader/The First Haggis/The Great Turnip/Wee Eck gets his way in next year's referendum.  I think you will guess that I am strongly against separation/independence, and if by some misfortune it goes ahead, then I will claim dual nationality (my Mum was English) so I can have both  Scottish and English passports for going through Border Control, depending on which direction I am travelling!

 

would we take advantage of gullible tourists looking for their tartan ......

 

and of course you already knew that we Scots are incredibly talented!

 

there is a great deal of embroidery in the project I am working on for Anne, much of it small and detailed.  These aren't the best of photos, as the blocks haven't been pressed, but you can see that I have done a bit of work on all three

 

to finish, a link to a fabulous blog for you to look at.  I was sent the link by Meredithe, who said that I had to check out Tim's blog ........ yes, it's a male quilter!  His hand quilting is exquisite, do pop over and have a look.

Happy blogiversary to me!

Cue fanfare, roll of drums, a few hip, hip hoorays and a woohoo or two!!  I can't quite believe it, but today is my 4th blogiversary!!  When I started the blog, I am sure that Malcolm thought it would last for a few weeks, then it would either be a disaster, or I would get fed up with it (I think that's why he said to refer to him by name, rather than Dear Husband, Mr Frayed or other such nicknames).  But it has gone from strength to strength, and after a bit of a shaky start, I love doing it.  I am amazed that I still have so much to say ... this is post number 1189!!  In the past, to celebrate I have had giveaways and swaps, but I decided to something different this time, and have Blog Awards.  I drew a rough sketch, and Malcolm turned it into this very stylish award!

 

unlike other blog awards, this one comes with no strings attached ...... you don't have to pass it on to 93 other people, you don't have to tell me 47 fascinating facts about yourself, and you only have to mention it on your blog if you want to!!

So, in no particular order, here are the recipients of my 2013 Blog Awards

The first blogger that I met in the real world was Sarah -  you can read about the wonderful day that we spent with Sarah and Andy here

 

When we were in Sydney last year, we were thoroughly spoiled by Lee, her husband John and their delightful daughters Taylor and Lilly.  You can read about the fun we had here and here

 

Then, when we were in Melbourne, Meredithe and her quilting friends made a great fuss of me, and special mentions must go to Helen and Mrs Mac, who along with Meredithe took me on one of their famous road trips, and an extra mention for Helen for giving me the fabulous birdie border quilt.  You can read more here and here

 

I couldn't give out awards without giving one to the amazing Kate ...... indeed, she is getting three awards!  One for being the most fabulously talented knitting designer, one for her courage in recovering from the devastating stroke which meant the loss of her beloved academic career.  But the most special award is for the best comment ever - you can read here what prompted her to say

Ye gods, I love Ollie. Lucky you

  

There are lots of people who deserve special mentions.  Of course first is Malcolm, who has encouraged me all along the way, who bought me my fabulous camera (and the extra lens) when my interest in photography grew along with the blog.  Next is Stuart, who has always encouraged and supported me, and sends me photos.  Then there is Katy, who is always happy to pose with her work at patch'n'chat, Caroline, who gave me a fabulous birthday present, Maureen, who took the lit-up tractor photo ........ oh dear, I'm starting to sound like onne of those actresses who names everyone she has ever known in her Oscar-winning acceptance speech.  Or I could be like a boy I heard once on the radio, who wanted to say hello to his Mammy, his Daddy, and his wee dug!!  (That's a Scottish dog, not a typo!)

 

I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who reads the blog - especially those of you who have read it from way back in the early days and amazingly are still reading it!  This is the first photo that I posted - amazingly I am still wearing these socks!

   

 

 

I'll be back tomorrow with not just a sewing update, but with a knitting update too!!

 

The sweet smell of Christmas

It has become a tradition that I replace the dusty old pot pourri at Christmas, so I now have a lovely smell of lavender in my bathroom

 

Malcolm has the scent of roses in his study.  We have had this little bowl for many, many years and amazingly it has survived several house moves.

 

we also have the scent of roses in our bedroom

 

in my bathroom I also put some pretty little soaps on my new soapdish

 

and arranged some shells round my little beach huts

 

I took this photo standing in the kitchen doorway, looking along the hall.  All the rooms in the house, except for the back lounge, open off the hall. 

 

why did I take this photo?  If I zoom in to the room at the top of the hall, you can see the "birdie border" quilt on the bed.  I enjoy catching glimpses of it every time I go in to the hall!  (I should have walked up the hall to take the photo, rather than use the digital zoom, then the photo would have been sharper - sorry, I was just being lazy!!)

 

we have lots of fridge magnets, and this one always makes me laugh

 

these are the last bird photos of this year!!

a rather scruffy sparrow

 

the nuthatch (the strange light is a reflection on the window of the lamp which was on in the lounge)

 

Mr Blackbird enjoying a bath

 

I won't be here tomorrow, as Stuart and Alison will be here for an early Christmas dinner, so I'll be back on Saturday with the last post for this year.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I love Christmas!  True, I don't like seeing the shops full of Christmas stuff from September ....... but once we get into December, then I am a happy Christmas girl.  One of the best bits is putting up the tree and decorations, so on Saturday Malcolm was sent into the freezing cold loft (good, all the extra insulation we added last winter is doing its job) to find the Christmas boxes

 

I started in the dining room.  The first job didn't take long, turning the table from everyday mode .......

 

....... to Christmas mode

 

I love this display on the windowsill, but Malcolm gets annoyed when bits of the confetti end up on the floor!

 

remember my tiny bottles .... I saw this idea for putting honesty in them in a magazine, so promptly snipped some bits of honesty from a display in a large vase in the dining room

 

in the front lounge, the ivy is still trying to swallow up the candlestick behind it

 

I added the sparkly little tree that I had bought for my Dad when he no longer wanted to have a proper Christmas tree

 

I love my garland of tiny mittens which I knitted last year (don't worry, it's not a real fire!)

 

these candles are only about an inch high.  We got them free many, many years ago, with Baby Bel cheese!

 

these rather stern looking figures were bought in Indonesia

 

then it was through to thhe back lounge for the serious stuff.  As usual, the gnome brothers and sisters squabbled over which cushions and stocking they would have on the chairs.  I had to remind them that Santa only brings presents to good little gnomes!

 

checking that the lights are working

 

putting the lights in place ......

 

...... then adding rather a lot of baubles.  Never mind less is more - for me, the more the better!

 

I have still to bring in the little patchwork hangings from the studio, to decorate the hall - I hope to get that done tomorrow.  In between all the decorating, I found time to nip through to the back bedroom to take more photos of my wonderful quilt (when I was talking to Stuart on the phone this evening, I said it had been quilted by "Kay, the longarm quilter"  he started laughing, saying that made her sound like a mutant!!)

 

the quilting is all fmq - Kay is just so talented!  And the quilt looks just as good on the back

 

We went for a walk yesterday morning.  I'll save the scenic photos for tomorrow, but I'll share the scones we had for lunch with you.  As always we had half each, of the bacon and brie (main course) and fruit (dessert) ....... don't worry, I didn't put jam on the savoury one!!

 

and to finish ...... this young man was just ahead of me leaving Sainsbury's this morning.  I just had time to get the camera out and snap him before he got in his car.  I know it was slightly warmer today (5 degrees C), but not really warm enough for shorts and t-shirt!!

Glutton for punishment!

As I have quite a lot of stuff left from Saturday's fair, I have decided to have my own fair!!  I am inviting everyone I know in the area, and as an added inducement we will be having mulled wine and nibbles.  If only you all lived close enough to come along next Wednesday night ...... but perhaps it's just as well you can't all come, as it would be a bit of a squash to fit you all in the studio!  On Saturday I was limited as to what I could sell, as I only had half a table, but as I will have lots of room next week, I had a look through my stash to see what else I could make.  I found some large notebooks that I bought when Woolworths closed down - so I have had them for several years!  I had a trial run yesterday to make a much simpler cover than I usually make, then today I delved into my stash of curtain samples

 

having made the sample in a dark fabric, I picked out cream/beige fabrics for the others, so that I wouldn't have to change the thread in the machine.  By the end of this afternoon, all the books were covered

 

I can no longer deny that it is getting near Christmas ...... and I certainly can't forget how long it is to go, now that these two little elves have appeared in the kitchen

 

it has been miserable today ...... snowing when we got up this morning, then turning to heavy rain for the rest of the day.  But at least it has got a lot milder, although I still needed the log burner to keep warm in the studio

 

I took these bird photos on Tuesday

 

there is always one bird that flies off just as I snap - this time it was a blue tit.  You can just make out the outline of its wings

 

today's prompt for#reverb12 is

Compare the “you” from the beginning of 2012 to the “you” that you are now. What new skills or talents have you learned or discovered this year?

the big difference between how I was at the start of the year, and how I am now, is that I have learned that there is a big difference between a fear and a phobia.  I have a fear of heights, and especially heights over water, but it isn't a phobia that prevents me from doing things such as walking over Sydney Harbour Bridge in September.  Yes, my heart was racing, and yes, I was hyperventilating, but I was determined to do it ....... and this was my reward

 

I have also realised recently that although I have always said that I don't like enclosed spaces, I am actually not bothered by small places like toilet cubicles, but I couldn't crawl through a small tunnel.  It is lack of height, rather than width that bothers me (I can't watch potholers on tv), so when I was recently stuck in the lift, I could cope because of the design of the lift.  It didn't have a roof, and I could see up to the next floor of the building.  OK, any excuse for handsome men ...... remember the hunks who rescued us