frayed at the edge

Back in the old routine

I have lots to share with you today, so in case I forget later, I'll start with the wonderful presents I received.  The first one was from Judi (no blog), who had called in at Hancock's of Paducah (a world famous p&q shop, for those of you who don't quilt!) ........ and not only did she get a catalogue for me, but she bought me some Ghastlies fabrics!!  Now I have no excuse ...... I must add these fabrics to the ones I already have to make something special!

 

The second parcel was from Vee ........ a piece of beautiful fabric, and one of her exquisite needle felted bears

 

The bear is tiny - here she is with my engagement ring, to show how small she is

 

Quite some time ago, I had signed up for Vee's "pay it forward" ....... but poor Vee was struck down by illness and needing surgery before she could send out her gifts, so I had actually forgotten all about it, and had to email her to check on the rules.  It's quite simple - having received my gift, I now pay it forward ........ if you would like to join in, all you have to do is let me know (I'll include the first 3 to leave a comment or email) - I have a year in which to send you a small gift, then when you receive it, you send out gifts to a further three.   (I hope you followed that!)

Now for being back in the old routine ....... early this morning (6.45) I headed out for a walk, which I do in the summer instead of using the  implements of torture fitness machines.   The sheep across the road were just stirring

 

The air was full of the scents of summer

 

 

 

 

It was already warm, and the Minto Hills were hazy in the distance

 

This little snail was meandering along

 

Everything is so much greener than it was 3 weeks ago when we went away

did you spot the rabbit sitting in the road?

 

 

On the way down the hill, this Jacob's ewe was peering through the gate .........

 

........ then on the way back, she rounded up her lambs and moved away as I approached

 

However, she obviously decided that I wasn't a threat, and came over to the gate

 

But as soon as I turned the camera to the lambs, she moved back to guard them ....... you can just see her in the bottom left of the photo

 

We had our usual trip into Hawick this morning, and had a look in the Oxfam Shop.  They had lots of these little jars, full of buttons.  They were only 99p each ....... some kitchenware shops charge at least that just for the jars!

 

As always , I bought some patchwork and craft magazines in Majorca (I will be sending one to Rachel as part of the giveaway prize!)

 

This cross stitch book was free with one of the magazines

If you were wondering where in the garden I have been taking these photos ....... it's our little love seat on the deck

 

When we came home, we were delighted to see that we had new neighbours ...... a pair of tits have moved into one of the bird boxes in the back garden (but not one of Malcolm's lovingly crafted ones, but one which was really bought as a garden ornament!)  This afternoon in the summer house,  I set up the camera on the tripod, with the big lens on ....... then I waited and I waited and I waited!!  Eventually a little head peeped out .......

 

...... then after another long wait, the other tit swooped in

 

popped its head through the hole for a blether

 

paused

 

then flew off

 

I still have lots of holiday photos to show you, but a lot of them are shadow shots (you know you are a shadow addict when you carefully arrange your cake, cup and teapot to create a shadow shot!), so I'll be posting them over the next few weekends.

 

The day got off to ......

....... a rather dreary start!  We have had a lot of rain - the river is running hard, and the poor heron looked somewhat bedraggled and miserable

 

Things did brighten up a bit, when I bought one of my favourite quilting magazines

 

and this little quilt would brighten up the dreariest of days!

 

I'm still stitching away in the evenings.  I have to admit that I haven't quite finished this block, as it involves satin stitch, which I'm not fond of

 

This little fairy is so cute!

 

I spent the afternoon in the hairdressers.  I asked Melissa, my lovely stylist, to cut my hair a bit shorter than I have had it of late. 

oops!

 

OOPS!!

 

Oh dear, I hadn't meant quite this short - but never mind, it will soon grow again!

 

ps - if you liked my sheepie notebook yesterday, you can buy one for yourself (and lots of other sheepie things) here

Backtracking

After being sidetracked by the little lambs yesterday, back to what we did at the weekend.  On Sunday, we went for a walk aloong the river in Jedburgh, where this seagull flapped his wings, just as I clicked!!

 

The butterbur is just starting to flower on the riverbank

 

We went past the John Deere dealership ...... if only I had somewhere to park this!!

 

Although the blossom was springlike ........

 

......... it was decidedly chilly, and we abandoned the walk.  We headed to Border Meringues, where we had cake for lunch!  We shared a delicious cheese scone

 

and this sticky sweet confection, with marshmallows, cherries and coconut

 

On both Saturday and Sunday I was working on the prep for the stitcheries, cutting out the blocks, then ironing on the transfers for the embroidery

 

 

The last task was to tack the blocks to thin cotton wadding

 

I also made a start to Lilly Pilly, tracing the tree trunk and branches on to bondaweb

 

then cutting the pieces out and arranging them on the fabric

 

This afternoon, I covered the fabric and bondaweb with some nonstick baking parchment, and bonded them using a hot iron

 

Next, I cleared the worktables and put a heat proof cover over them, then put the paper pattern on top - I had turned it to the wrong side and traced the outline of thhe tree, as the pattern is reversed when you use bondaweb

 

I added the background fabric, then put the tree in place

 

I will need Malcolm's help with the next stage ..... carefully pulling the pattern out from underneath, so that I can then bond the tree in place.  Then I will have to cut out lots and lots ..... and lots of leaves!

After the cute little lambs yesterday, here are some ewes snoozing away the afternoon in a neighbour's old apple orchard

 

 

 

Getting my priorities right!

I have lots of photos from the weekend, and had a vague idea of the layout of today's post ....... but then I went for a walk after lunch, and everything changed!  So, I hope you aren't too disappointed at having to wait to see where we went for our Sunday walk and what sewing I did over the weekend, and instead have to look at lots of photos of ......... LAMBS (and other country things)

this little one kept falling off mum's back

 

and climbing back on

 

holding on tight!

 

a post-lunch snooze

 

the Jacob's lambs are big now

 

I love the pink inner ears

 

After all the cute lambs .......... the first rabbit of the year!

 

This female pheasant was striding down the field .......

 

........ resolutely ignoring the male trotting along behind her

 

There are more and more plants bursting into life

 

 

 

This flower is slightly bigger than a shirt button, but has amazing markings (definitely one to save as an idea for an applique flower!)

 

I think this is a starling, but it was on its own, whereas you normally see a flock of them

 

To finish, a little taster of the weekend sewing

 

Strolling along the river

There was a brief flurry of rain as we left the house yesterday morning, but fortunately it had gone off by the time we got to Melrose, to go for a leisurely walk along the river.  The river level is quite low, as you can see from this fisherman - usually he would be in water just about up to his waist

 

Every time we go on this walk, I take a photo of this boat!

 

The air was full of the scent of wild garlic, with great swathes of it running down to the river .......

 

....... and carpets under the trees

 

The garlic may be a bit smelly, but it does have a lovely flower

 

There were other flowers along the riverbank

 

 

 

 

Malcolm spotted this strange creature watching us from the end of a branch!

 

On the way back to the car, I spotted this dovecote - perhaps Malcolm could make one for me?

 

Of course you know what comes next - yes, we went for a cuppa!  It is some weeks since we last went to the Old Melrose Furniture Studio ..... and we were somewhat surprised by how much had changed!  A new carpark has been laid out behind the buildings, leaving the courtyard free, and the large pile of old doors has been removed from in front of the farm shop.  The pots are full of herbs

 

We ordered a toasted teacake and a cheese scone, then as usual shared them - delicious!

 

Back home, the snakeshead fritillaries have started to flower

 

To finish ..... you never know when you might need your camera.  I took this photo when I was in the Ladies at the furniture studio - I know Malcolm has some nice pieces of wood in his stash in the garage ...... perhaps he could make a picture frame for me (once he has made a dovecote!)

 

Life is never simple!

After the events of the last three days, I don't think Stuart and Alison will ever move again!  The first piece of aggravation was on Wednesday.  The builders had said that their carpet fitter could get in to fit all the carpets - but when he turned up, the site agent refused to let him in.  This means that tomorrow, they will have to empty the entire contents of the house into the garden, then put it all back when the carpets have been fitted!!

However, yesterday got off to a good start.  We filled our van ......

 

........ Stuart's van

 

....... and Stuart's stepbrother's van

 

We gave the house a last clean

 

Then we waited for the phone call to say that the bank transfer of the money for the house was complete, and Stuart and Alison could collect the keys for their new home.  We waited, and we waited.  We had a picnic lunch sitting on the floor

 

Little Pixie came in from next door to visit

 

There were increasingly frantic phone calls to find out what the delay was .... in the end it turned out that the electronic transfer of the money, which should have taken minutes, had somehow gone awry.  Eventually the call came at 5pm that it was all sorted out!  We jumped up, ran for the vans and set off for the new house.  The lounge soon went from this .....

 

...... to this

 

Alison's parents arrived, then S&A's friends Fraser and Lynsey, followed by another friend, Craig.  While they all heaved boxes and furniture, I did something far more important - I got the bubbles on ice!!

 

We were much too tired to think about cooking (even if we could have found the box with the saucepans) so Malcolm and I headed to the nearest takeaway and came back with a wide selection of naughty but nice food - pizza,two kinds of pakora, onion rings, chips, dipping sauces - it didn't take long for it all to disappear.

We headed back down the road this morning, glad to see the hills as we got closer to home

 

After returning the van, we went to The Waterwheel for a cuppa.  Usually when we go there, I take photos of the owls. but they were ignored today, as there were lambs!!  After taking this photo of two of them in a little hollow .....

 

....... I spotted another two just in front of them, sheltering behind a raised manhole

 

Photos of lambs are always cute - but I think has to be one of the cutest ..... a lamb cuddled up to a large turnip!!

 

I came home with a little sheep of my own - bought in the garden centre where we stopped for breakfast

 

I think we will be having a quiet weekend, after all the excitement of the last few days!  I hope you have a good weekend, love Anne

White van man

Why were we here this afternoon?

 

Because we were hiring a van.  Why were we hiring a van?  Because Stuart is moving house tomorrow, and we are giving him a hand.  The first part of the run up to Falkirk was lovely

 

This photo isn't blurred, there's a mixture of sleet and hail coming down off the hills

 

As we got closer to Edinburgh, the Pentland Hills looked striking with their covering of snow

 

 

This view is of the other side of the hills

 

We are staying in a hotel tonight ........ this is the room we usually sleep in!

 

I guess we won't be eating in the dining room!

 

To finish - I bet these people wish they had gone on holiday with their boat last week when we had the beautiful weather!

 

ps - I might not be able to post tomorrow - Stuart doesn't get his broadband installed until Friday, and although he thinks I could post via his phone, I suspect we might all be too tired to bother.

Still shining ......

....... yesterday, but today the sun has gone, the skies are grey, and it has been trying to rain (and we just won't mention that snow is forecast!).  To make the most of the sun, we headed over to Harestanes yesterday morning.  This is one of our favourite walks, with lots to see.  We started at the childern's play area, where there is this amazing thatched play house

 

 

Although we had some rain on Saturday, it was dry underfoot, and the level in the little stream was low

 

 

There was no breeze to make  these daffodils dance, but they still looked wonderful

 

These frilly ones were glowing in a patch of sunlight under some trees

 

I have been looking in my new wildflower books, but I haven't been able to identify this

 

The new growth gave me the chance to take some of my favourite "arty" photos!

 

 

 

 

Of course a long walk has to be followed by a cuppa and a scone ....... I wasn't quick enough to take the photo - Malcolm had already cut the scone in half!

 

I've been busy sewing over the weekend and today.  Here is just a little taster, I'll show you more tomorrow!

 

 

Ghastlie joy!

I was delighted to receive an envelope from abroad this morning ......

 

........ as I knew it contained a piece of the latest Ghastlies fabric, which I had ordered from Thimbleanna

 

I took this general view of it out in the garden, meaning to take close-ups later ..... and I forgot!

 

The post had arrived when I was in the shower, and in all the excitement of taking photos, I forgot that I had to dry my hair

 

What would I do without my hairdryer and my big round bristle brush!!

 

Did you notice my necklace - Malcolm gave it to me for Christmas.  The various stones represent the chakras.  He bought it here - although he bought it in their shop at Kirkharle, rather than online.

A few more photos from our day out on Wednesday ......

Heatherslaw Light Railway

 

we saw the little train puffing along the track at Etal

 

I want one of these!!

 

I resisted buying this!

 

We had a different Friday cake - a clootie dumpling loaf.  It was delicious - rich and fruity

 

After our spell of glorious weather, the forecast for the weekend isn't very good, but whatever the weather, I hope you all have a good weekend!  Love Anne

So, after lunch we ......

....... went to the beautiful village of Etal.  As soon as we got out of the car, we stopped to gaze in amazement at the very thick slates on the roofs

 

We had only walked a few more yards, when we saw that there were also thatched roofs

 

 

 

A short walk brought us to Etal Castle, the ruins of which looked dramatic in the sun

 

Next, a stroll along the river.  I was delighted when this butterfly settled on the path right in front of me!

 

There is a ford across the river here - you can just see the line of it in the middle of the photo

 

After our enjoyable time in Etal, we headed off to see The Standing Stones at Duddo.  To get to the stones, there is a long walk through fields where the oilseed rape is just starting to flower

 

For a while we lost sight of the stones, as we had to detour round the edge of a field - but suddenly they appeared on the skyline

 

It's a long uphill walk, so it's amazing to think that the stones were somehow carried there all those years ago

 

 

In the distance, the Cheviots were hazy

 

On the way home, we stopped in Cornhill and Malcolm popped in to the village shop to buy ice creams.    I almost squealed with delight (sad, I know!) when this beauty parked right in front of the car!  (the funny line across the photo is the reflection of the dashboard  on the windscreen)

 

This afternoon I was standing in the kitchen eating a nectarine when I glanced out of the front door.  The nectarine was promptly abandoned in favour of the camera, as we had a wonderful visitor in the garden - a very handsome male pheasant

 

There are still lots of photos left from our day out - so there may just be another installment tomorrow (and some of them are being kept for future Shadow Shot Sundays!)