~ Back to Blogging ~

Why did I stop..........

Don't know but got out of the habit, but still enjoy reading my favourite blogs.

Have a new laptop which takes a bit of getting used to & the super dooper anti virus says my camera has a virus so wont let me upload any pictures so until I can sort that out or send photos from the computer upstairs this will be a veryboring blog.

Bought a great, vintage piece of kit today which I'll share when technology allow


Right, this is starting to get complicated upstairs now trying to add pictures via my old computer.

So looks a bit shabby/ tatty but....



is going to be so useful.



now WHAT to put in it ? wool....or fabric.....or patterns or.....a combination.
that,s a decision for tomorrow !!!

Oh forgot to mention......cost £15 !!!!

~*~ Hurrah for Amy Butler ~*~

Great afternoon for c. 75 sewing & quilting fans at The FQ's, near Blackhall Mill near Newcastle, when Amy Butler dropped by.
Amy is a fabric & pattern designer from Ohio, via graphic design , and her work and colour combinations are a breathe of fresh air.
A buffet lunch was followed by a slide show chronicling her recent trip to Bali & India and the designs the trip inspired.
The colours ,art, people and spiritualism of these countries have inspired some fantastic fabric which will be revealed next year.
Amy is also delving into the world of bedding, towels, rugs, stationary, wrapping & cards.








She seemed a lovely, genuine, enthusiastic person and took plenty of time to answer questions & sign books etc.





Pauline, wearing an AB creation, at the show




This photo has a "Locket" in the background and Amy was photographed with a Pigeon which I amsure has some great meaning.Do tell!!

~*~ Hens etc ~*~

A couple of new members have been recently ,and very gently, introduced to my small flock.
A very pretty white Leghorn, these lay beautiful, white eggs.

I originally bought 2 at the sale but they are quite wilful & highly strung so I gave one to Mary's Dad.The remaining hen is continually trying to escape & despite my best efforts & the garden looking like a set from "Chicken Run", she keeps appearing on the communal green area to the side of the house.

The quails are enclosed in a nice run & are starting to lay nicely










This is what they give us on a good day ........










Always the optimist, I ordered the most recent, recent Elm Creek book, a follow-up to the Runaway Quilt & thorougly enjoyed it.....
















Last Autumn, I planted some tulip bulbs in a vintage bucket and they have been glorious for the last 2 weeks.

~*~ Easter in Northumberland ~*~

What a fabulous, sunny , Easter weekend we have had here in the North-East.
I have spent , almost, the whole time pottering in the greenhouse or the garden. The potatoes & onions are in ,perennials divided and replanted, bucketfuls of weeds removed & seeds sown.






In the evenings, tired, stiff but happy, a lot of easter chocs have been consumed.
Did you spot "Willie's Cocao" in the pic am I a Tv ad man's dream or what?

I sent off to our beloved Am.... for the latest Elm Creek book, a bit of a swiz, mostly recipes, probably lovely but in US measures, eveything kosher but not much story. Could I sell a book about cleaning out my kitchen cupboards ? this is the trouble about buying sight unseen , ay well looks pretty on the shelf.





What else ?

Started stripping the wallpaper off the hall !!!

Patchwork & Quilting..........................Nought doing !!

Knitting.............started a cotton thing using dk cotton I had ,looks a bit bright, may be visible from the moon if it gets finished.
managed to get out of the gloves loop, 5 pairs well 4 really 5th is odd ???




Now the weather is improving I might have a crack at this Amy Butler dress.....

~*~ Happy Mother's Day ~*~

~*~ New month means new........ MAGS!! ~*~

A great new blog by Funky Monkey tipped me the wink about this article about one of my other passions Bridgewater pottery.
I have to be really strict with myself about glossy home & interiors mags and the beginning of each month presents shelves of tempting treats.





Past, present, & future.......gloves !

can't do them quick enough but they are fun and reasonably easy, I am itching to start on something bigger if only my newly ordered & paid for Debbie Bliss magazine would arrive on the mat.The waiting is awful tho sometimes the anticipation is the best part !!

Next week , its off to the Country Living Fair in London & the Rowan dept in Liberty's.

~*~ Chillin !! ~*~

The last few months have been very ,very busy and stressful and last week I started to feel the strain , physically and emotionally. So I have taken some time out to relax and get things back in perspective.
I have therefore been pottering around at home catching up with little jobs that have needed doing,catching up with sleep, walking the dogs , with friends , reading and my sewing and knitting.
The headaches, twitchy eyes, insomnia, overdoing the wine, and temper etc,etc have all improved.
Jill , a good friend, rang me recently cos she wanted to take up knitting again, she had seen some fingerless gloves I had knitted my boys and wanted to do some for her brood.The last few days ,I have been supervising her first glove. I have started a pair that I promised Calum before Christmas and am keeping up with Jill,s progress.
There have been a couple of "urgent" calls to "knit direct" as stitches have gone awol or patterns illegible.We even sat and knitted in the bar of the local cinema before going to see the "Reader" with Kate Twinset.
The knitting bug has really taken hold again and I am also knitting a tea cosy (why??)





Sewingwise, I attended 2 workshops with Sandie Lush which were marvellous and have started finishing a Bronwyn Hayes UFO

Off for a cuppa, chocolate biscuit, some knitting and the last few pages of "39 Steps" by John Buchan.

~*~ Melly & Me ~*~

I signed up for the exclusive Melly and Rosie BOM club at the Fat Quarters, my local quilt shop.

Here are the first 2 installments:

Month 1 - a gorgeous "Rosie" style angel called Alice in pinks and greens














Month 2 - a stylish "Melly" style bag. Mmmmm, I am not a patchwork bag sort of girl , so I dont expect this will get made.















Need a great read for your hols,I have just finished this :








A thought-provoking, informative but also very funny book.

~*~ About Time I Caught Up ~*~

This may be a bit of a long boring post as I try and make up for all the time I've missed.

Saturday & Sunday 12th & 13th of July, Blackhall Mill, Jennie Rayment talk and allday workshop. "Twiddling & Fiddling " with calico, excellent fun with a superb teacher.

I discovered one morning in early July,that my black silkie hen had become broody. As I no longer keep a cockeral, I acquired 6 mixed ,fertile eggs from Dave a local hen-breeder & enthusiast.
28th July I now have 4 gorgeous day old chicks. A leghorn, a legbar, a campine and an araucana.

Saturday 9th August, Slaley Show

Verity entered some under 16 cookery classes and got a brilliant First with her Choc Chip Cookies !!.




I won prizes for my quilts,a cushion and a pincushion but unfortunately did not retain the Handicraft trophy, This was won by a fabulous box.





17th August. Verity & Calum fly off to Cuba with their Dad for a 2+ weeks holiday.They will meet up at Havana airport with Alex !!!!!

The house is very quiet since the children left but P & W the dogs are valiently trying to fill the void. V, C & A have kept in touch almost daily via Juliette's mobile phone !!
21 August, The latest Elm Creek novel arrived on the mat from Amazon on Tuesday. ( ordered it on the 22nd June tho) and finished it today......a good,easy read

~*~ 100,49 & 1 ~*~

No these are not my lottery numbers but

100th post,

49 yrs old today &

1 yr as a blogger all celebrated today, the 5th of July 2008 !!!!

100th post means a giveaway, doesn't it? but what? NO IDEA but it will be something GREEEEEEAT !!!!!! Leave a comment and you may be lucky.

49yrs old today and don't look a day over 60 !!
Fabulous prezzies from Calum and Verity, spot the fab little chest of drawers and the vintage,funky, thread "doll"....
a gorgeous Boden summer wrap from Julie
a handmade,embroidered, garden journal from Pauline and
a bag full of green goodies from Dawn& a Bridgewater dolly teaset from Fiona.
A big,BIG,BIG Thankyou to everyone.






C,V &I had brunch in the "Chare", bacon and mushroom mini baguettes,huge hot chocs and cake and then I sewed with Julie with the women's tennis final on in the background.

and 1yr ago today I started this blog, in the beginning, I was almost fanatical but things have slackened off a bit too much recently but overall the average isn't too bad and I still enjoy doing it and also reading loads of other people's blogs on a regular basis.


to change the subject slightly, Pippy had the "snip" yesterday and should be sore and sleepy but, guess what, he's not. Watch your stitches pal !!!

~*~ Lifted Spirits ~*~

I received a tonic in the post this morning and didn't mind paying one little bit.
I have been looking for the new Leanne Beasley "Hens" pattern and was about to order it from Australia,when I remembered Buttonberry
I ordered 3 patterns on Sunday afternoon and they arrived today,Tuesday.
As you can see the patterns were beautifully wrapped and there was a hand-written card too.









I have finished 2 tiny projects-


and embarked on a huge one-

~*~ All Work and No Play.... ~*~

I am becoming a very dull girl indeed!!
I am getting no sewing done at all, I have been buying lots of supplies but have not completed anything.











If the weather is suitable, I am in the garden and if it is rainy, I am working in the house.

I have planted out my courgettes and pumpkins.








I am in a LIME GREEN mood at present,
Firstly there were plants,
Then...Clothes
Then....crockery.....
and then..........I have had my new bathroom painted in LIME GREEN and it is brilliant...bright,clean and fresh and goes beautifully with my new chocolate brown towels !!!!

Pip,or Pippin, or Pippy yes "what's his name" is 5mths old now and HUGE and very bouncy and naughty

~*~ K.L. calling...................~*~

Last Sunday, I was up the step-ladder , fitting a ceiling light on the landing when the 'phone rang. I nearly didn't answer it but I am so glad I did cos it was Alex , phoning all the way from Kuala Lumpur.
We chatted ,on skype, for over an hour. He is well and having the time of his life.I asked all the usual Mum things, like, Are you eating enough?,etc etc etc .......

The picture is the new ceiling light, bought in the Laura Ashley sale with 60% off, apparently it looks really spooky from outside!



Eventually, I got into the garden today,it was warm and sunny and the ground was workable.I forked over and weeded half of the area that I am going to plant up with "cut and comeagain flowers " for the house.
In the greenhouse, the seeds are starting to germinate and tiny seedlings are emerging.
Verity came home this afternoon,she has been doing her work experience at a boy's private school in Windsor and really enjoyed the whole week.

Pippin is nearly 4mths old and if he keeps still long enough I will take some photos.

~*~ Lemon and Lime ~*~

A few of the goodies I brought back from Newby Hall including a signed book and a huge , lime green platter.

The haul also included a dahlia tuber " Rip City" a huge spiky purple/black flower but this is already tucked up in compost, hopefully ,sprouting.
The platter looks really fantastic filled with lemons and limes

~ *~ Normal service has been resumed.........~*~

I'm back,bigger and uglier than before, having moved house and fought the ultimate battle with BT and.........lost.
It took BT 5 weeks to flick the switch and connect me up to the phone and internet in the new abode.

What have you missed? nothing much crafty anyway.....no time.

Have had new central heating and a new bathroom fitted but not yet decorated. Verity's bedroom has been gutted and redecorated and she is settling in and getting all her nice bits and pieces out.
The decorator then said " I can emulsion your bedroom as well, if you want" and I had to spend an hour trying to choose a "funky" colour.Wimped out and picked "antique cream" How can you suddenly decide what colour a room should be in 10 mins.As my Mum would say ;the room looks fresh and clean but a bit boring.

The puppy is now 15 wks old and we have called him Pippin and he is gorgeous.
Wendy hasn't enjoyed the move and remains quite unsettled and poor Molly is failing fast.
Helped the FQ's out at the Pins & Needles show at the beginning of April.

On Tuesday 22nd April, I drove down to Newby Hall, nr Ripon, and spent a fantastic day learning about growing cut & come again flowers for the house with Sarah Raven.
The setting was great.it was a warm, sunny spring day and Sarah was a witty and informative speaker and I came away inspired, clutching lots of packets of seeds.


I started sewing seeds today and sorting out the greenhouse.


The buttons are on and the other "thing" is by Farmyard Creations which I did about 15yrs ago.

~*~ Atishoo.........bless me ~*~

I am feeling very miserable with myself, I started a ghastly cold last Wednesday afternoon at the FQ's and it is still bad, lots of snotting and sneezing and coughing.
So nothing much is getting done, sewing or otherwise.

Alex is in Hanoi at present, not much more info than that!!!

~*~ Sunday ~*~

At present I am working on small, portable, easy packed away sewing projects. This little "Button" stitchery is a great way to display those 1 off, too special to use buttons.

One of the little iris bulbs in the teacups has very quietly come into bloom.



and as much as I dislike Tesco, there are sometimes bargains to be had.....4 English Lavender plants at 60p each, which will line a path in my new garden.

~*~ Beijing calling.....over ~*~

A bit of catching up to do...........

Firstly belated Valentine's hugs to everyone.This was my card from a "secret" admirer!

How do you like this little fella who will be joining our family in a couple of weeks ? He is 5 weeks old here.


but just how many chins do I actually have !!!!!

The packing continues but all this and work as well has put the scuppers on my sewing.I don't want any large projects on the go at present because they take up too much space. I am therefore just doing some small stitcheries.

>





I arrived home from the FQ's later than usual on Friday evening after trying to get a quilt finished and Verity was on the 'phone to Alex!!! He was calling from Beijing where he had just arrived after a week on the train from Moscow.It was absolutely fantastic to hear his voice after over a month away.He seems to have had a few adventures,nothing too serious, but has met loads of friendly people who have helped them, especially with the language problems. It is so heartwarming to think that complete strangers are putting themselves out and helping these teenage boys. I hope I would do the same. There are now 4 of them, Will and Rowan flew out to Beijing on Friday, Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors here they come.

Calum arrives home from the Art Dept school trip to Barcelona tonight.