frayed at the edge

Nesting

I was in the middle of writing last night's post when this sparrow alighted on the wheelie bin store.  He has a big clump of fleece in his beak - he is probably one of the many sparrows nesting under the roof at the front of the house!!

 

This morning saw us, as planned, heading south to Anne's shop.  We stopped off on the way at Sainsbury's in Kelso, so that I could by some sandwiches to take for Anne's and my lunch, then Malcolm left me at the shop.

 

I had just sat down to enjpy my cuppa (made by the lovely Mick, Anne's long-suffering husband!) when I thought I ought to put the sandwiches in the fridge ..... oops, Ihad left them in the car.  There was no point in phoning Malcolm, as he doesn't have hands-free for his mobile, so I phoned Jennifer.  They kindly popped back to the shop, before they headed off for their lunch.

 

Lilly Pilly and the Christmas stitcheries were much admired!  Anne and I sorted out fabric to finish Lilly Pilly, but she didn't have anything suitable for the blocks for the stitchery quilt.  However, she has some fabrics on order which should be suitable.  As always, I have come home with plenty to do - apart from quilting Lilly Piilly, I also have the quilt top that I made some time ago, as Anne has now finished the stitcheries to add to it.  I will use the invisible machine applique technique to stitch them on.  I also got several more stitcheries.  I shall show them to you in detail when I start work on them

 

The Love Notes quilt has now been quilted, and looks lovely

 

I received several emails from Rachel, enclosing photos of the parcel that I sent her as her prize for the giveaway

a Spanish magazine ..... and some more goodies!

 

some bits and bobs from the studio, and inside the card sleeve ......

 

a special something from Majorca

 

a hand-decorated ceramic fridge magnet

 

We will be picking up the new car in the morning, then I have an appointment at the hairdressers late in the afternoon, so I will be a bit later than usual posting tonorrow.

 

 

 

In the pink

At first sight, the main border in the back garden is green, green and more green

 

But look closer, and there are flowers .......all of them pink!

 

 

 

The back border is also very green - but as it the green of hostas I love it!  However as the summer goes on, there will be yellow from the loosestrife, purple from the lavender and orange from the montbretia

 

The shady border in the corner is filling out nicely, with more hostas (I love them!), ferns, bamboo and the plants which I have always called castor oil, but which I believe are actually fatsia japonica

 

These starlings were having a good poke about the grass this morning

 

I finished the last Christmas stitchery last night.  I think this is my favourite one, and I may stitch another one to make into a small wallhanging

 

I spent the day in the studio, first finishing the applique on Lilly Pilly, then making something which I can't tell you about yet, as it is a present for someone who reads the blog!  As before I have taken a photo of the wrong side, so that you can see the stitching ...... even on the wrong side the little birds look cute!

 

I can't do any more until I get more fabric from Anne, so we're off to Northumberland in the morning.  Malcolm will drop me off at the shop, then he'll go out for lunch with Jennifer.  I'm looking forward to spending the day with Anne and the group of ladies who meet in the shop every Wednesday.

To finish ....... you might think that Malcolm needs some lessons in photography  - but he wasn't trying to take a photo of me, but was playing with my latest gadget, a remote control for the camera.  I got it to make it easier to take photos when the camera is on the tripod

It's a small world!

Malcolm has been thinking for some time about changing his car, so when he enjoyed driving the hire car on holiday, he thought he would investigate Citroens further

 

Then in one of those little coincidences in life, when he was reading the local paper on Thursday, he saw an advert saying that the Citroen dealer from Coldstream would be at a hotel in Galashiels on Sunday morning.  So we decided to go along and check out the cars.  We had a test drive, then went into the hotel to have a cuppa and chat with the car salesman.  I mentioned that my Dad's cousin used to own a hotel in Galashiels, and I thought it was that one.  He asked me what his name was - I said Angus MacKenzie ..... yes, he said, it was this hotel.  It turned out that his Grandpa and Angus were friends, and he was in and out of the hotel when he was little!

 

 

 

 

 

On the way home, I just had time to snap this enormous hare, before it hopped off into the verge!

 

Over the weekend, I made a start to the machine applique on Lilly Pilly.  This is a method I haven't used before, where you simply stitch round the shapes, leaving the edges raw

 

I took this photo of the wrong side, so that you can see how much I have done

 

When I went out for my walk this morning, I was delighted to see all these new sheep in the field across the road

 

Up the hill, the ewes were back in the orchard

 

There was a little haze over the hills

 

The "whomping willow" was looking spooky despite the sunshine

 

This little feather is less than an inch long

 

The lambs are getting big!

 

So what was Malcolm doing at the weekend, when I was sewing my fingers to the bone?

listening to the Test Match (cricket) on the radio

 

ps - yes, he bought a new car, which he will get on Thursday!

 

 

Back in the old routine - part 2

No, there was nothing wrong with the camera, or my photography ....... this was the view of the horse in the field across the road when I went out for my morning walk - in a very thick mist!!

 

The last time I saw these ewes, they were lounging about under the trees in the old orchard just up the hill - this morning they were on the other side of the orchard wall ...... where it was probably a bit warmer!

 

The church looked as if it was auditioning for a part in a Dickens story

 

The moisture in the air made this spider's web visible

 

The snails were happy to glide along on the damp road - I love the different colours of their shells

 

 

 

There was a bright spot amongst the gloom - but it wasn't a flower, but a piece of bright blue baler twine, holding a fence together!

 

At patch'n'chat, Katy brought in this kit, which she had received from a craft club.  She didn't want it, and asked if anyone would like it ......I promptly said yes please.  She was looking at the Spanish cross stitch book that I brought back from Majorca, saying how much she liked some of the designs - so I swapped the book for the kit, and the angel came home with me!

 

But, I hear you ask, where is the bit about the old routine?  Well, it's Friday, and that means the Friday cake!!  Today we had what is probably the most delicious, decadent cake that Annette has ever made for us ...... her wonderful light-as-air chocolate sponge, but this time she had  topped it with whipped cream and strawberries

 

The mist lifted by mid-morning, and we have had another hot day, with the good weather forecast to continue over the weekend.  Whatever the weather, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, love Anne

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.

 

Day 21

 

Bonnie Baskets

 

This is made entirely with batik fabrics.  Lots of textured applique, and lots of embellishment!

beaded, ruched flower

 

 

tiny flowers

 

large French knots

 

tiny French knots

 

machine quilting on one of the baskets

Day 20

 

Lazy Daisy

 

I designed and made this wallhanging to teach at a workshop at a patchwork shop ....... but before the shop owner organised the programme of workshops, Malcolm took early retirement and we moved here - too far away from the shop to go back to do the workshop!!

a large ruched flower in the centre of the bottom daisy

 

I love textured applique ....... this is possibly my favourite of all the wallhangings that I have made

Autumn

 

padded leaves

 

flower embellished with a Pigma pen

 

don't worry - there's no spider!!

 

Day 19

 

Falling Leaves

 

This was started at a workshop, then I finished it in a hurry to put it in an exhibition.  It was only when it was all stitched together and quilted that I realised that in my haste I had forgotten the stems of the leaves - oops!!

Day 16

 

Lily

 

This wallhanging is made with beautiful silk fabrics and silk threads.  There is no piecing or applique ..... the whole thing is held together by the quilting.

Day 15

 

Kiss This Guy

 

A funny name for the wallhanging?  Well ....... it started with the colours - a purple haze.  Which led to Jimi Hendrix, and to a frequently misheard lyric.  He actually sings " kiss the sky" and not, as many people (including Malcolm!) think ....... "kiss this guy"

sari ribbon, machine quilting and hand-beading