It's a busy busy time for us all!

Hello to you all, yes I am still in the land of the living.  It has been too long since I wrote my blog.  As the header says it is a busy time for us ladies, but then it always is busy, but particularly at this time of year.  I always say that in my next life I am coming back as a man at Christmas time, that would give me a different perspective on life.

I have been busy sewing and loving it, as you meet some lovely people, I love going to June's club as we have such fun and it is great admiring the work the other girls are doing.

I have been doing a lot of red work -

These are 3 hearts that I have made for little presents.

The following 2 photos are of a stitching bag that I am making, it is a Polstitches design, you just fold it over in three to make the pockets.

 

 

This last photo is of another larger heart I am trying to get finished for another present.  You can see my markings I used a Frixion pen, which disappears with heat, and as I used a light box to transfer the design, it kept disappearing, but I got there in the end.

You could say that I have overdosed on red work, but I do like it.  When finished I shall try something completely different maybe some stump work or even applique.

It has got a lot colder here in the last few days, a blanket over the knees is a great comfort.  However when I read about the extreme weather in some parts of the world I have nothing to complain about.

Since last writing my blog, I have celebrated my Golden Wedding anniversary, which was a shock to the system, as I thought only old people did that (silly me).  I have also had a significant birthday, but we won't dwell on that.

Thank you for visiting my blog, I do value all your comments.  Try to keep calm in the face of the Christmas preparations, if it doesn't get done, forget it.

Autumn's coming!

Well you can certainly feel it early in the morning, but the days are still sunny and warm.  I am hoping the fine weather will last until the coming weekend, as it is our Village Show then.  I have been busy baking cakes for the teas that we serve there.  I don't have a lot to put in the show the garden has not been so productive this year so no dahlias good enough to enter.  I have a piece of cross stitch to enter in the handicrafts section, I also knitted a garment for a toddler, I was pleased with it until it came to having to pick up stitches to knit the collar, no matter how I tried there just wasn't enough stitches to pick up!  Last weekend I saw a pattern for a sleeveless jacket knitted in chunky wool, so I set too and I have finished it all ready for the show.

I am not expecting to win anything with this, just thought it would be another entry.

My DH and I visited another village show in a small village called Loddiswell, it's a real chocolate box village.  There were some great entries, I thought you may like to see some of the flowers etc.,

 

 

 

 Just realised put this photo on twice, don't know how to cancel it!

 

 

I really liked these strange animals that the children made.

 

They also had a dog show, here are some of the entrants getting there final brush and polish.  Imagine putting your own dog in a show, because as we all know our dog is the best.

 

 I am off to June's club tonight, we have to bring a piece of gingham and thread with us, I don't know what we are doing but I am sure we will have a great evening, with lots of fun and laughter.  Thankyou for visiting me, I hope you enjoyed your visit and will call again.

 

Very sporty times here at the moment.

There is so such much sport on the TV at the moment, it's just as well we are having so much rain and can't garden, but I can sit and sew and watch the sport.  I have enjoyed watching the cricket England versus Australia playing for the 'Ashes', particularly as England have won the series, just one more match to play.  Even though they lost the Aussies never give up they always come fighting back.  Plus of course there is World Championship athletics from Moscow, which is pretty exciting.  The only thing I am not happy about is the football season has started already, and we are only in August.  This is supposed to be a Winter game, I don't enjoy football so much now, too much bad language and childish behaviour by the players. My DH tells me there is a lot of money involved now, how can a footballer be worth millions it doesn't make sense to me.  I much prefer watching rugby union.  Whinge over!

We visited a town here in Devon called Kingsbridge, as you can see it's built on a very steep hill.

  GOING DOWN!

So here we are going down, there are some lovely little shops, lots of boutique types of clothes shops, and little cafes and bakery shops.  We found one that sold delicious smelling pasties, so we bought a couple for a picnic lunch.

 

 

GOING BACK UP AGAIN.

 

 

 

Thought you might like a little giggle about this!

 

 

This photo was taken on our way down the hill, it looks a little oasis of calm amongst all the hustle and bustle of a busy town on a Saturday morning.

 

 

 

This is where we ate our pasties!  When we did get to the bottom of town there was a Farmers Market which was a bonus, so we had a little mooch about there.

 

I have finished one entry for our Village Show, I hope you like it.

 

 

The chair is a very old one, it belonged to my parents.  The cane work at the back was a bit battered, so a friend showed me how to re-cane it.  I was pleased with the end result and enjoyed doing it.

 

 

I have eventually finished one of the four table mats I am sewing - so one down three more to do.

 

I hope all of you are well and enjoying what ever you are up to, just noticed the date here on my computer screen 15th AUGUST, so that means we are half way through the month already, I am not going to mention the 'C' word yet.  Thanks for visiting me, I just love reading your comments as much as I enjoy reading your blogs.

Umbrellas out again.

After all that hot hot weather, here comes the rain again.  The garden is just lapping it all up, and it saves a job in the evening.  Busy dead heading the roses and my sweet peas.  Guess what my Gloriosa Rothschild is flowering for the first time, I am so chuffed.

 

And here it is, it grown from a small tuber and is a tender plant so I have it in my conservatory.

 

We went down to the fishing town of Brixham last weekend, my DS lives there, had a walk around there are lots of  little narrow lanes.

 

 

Couldn't resist taking this photo of these unbelievably steep steps, but the thing that really surprised me was that hidden behind the chap you can see walking down the steps is an old man climbing up with the help of two sticks - I think he deserves a medal.

 

 

My DH loves any seafood especially crab, he just couldn't walk past this stall without buying some.

 

 

There is a statue on the quay side of William of Orange who landed here in 1688.

 

I was a little taken aback by the bottom 2 lines, but I then remembered that a couple of years after he became King he was instrumental in bringing in the Act of Toleration, which meant all religions were to be tolerated. So there you go - your history lesson for today.

As you can see the tide was out!  The big ship is a replica of the Golden Hind which was Sir Francis Drake's ship - even more history.

We had a lovely day there pretending we were holiday makers just for the day!

I haven't done much sewing lately, busy in the garden and other things.  My DGD is a lot better still a little sore, but she is not eating very much which is a worry.  I will have to make some tempting dishes for her, her favourites are Carrot Cake and Chocolate Blancmange.  I will say bye bye for now, thankyou for visiting and I will come back soon.

 

What a Summer!

What a summer it just seems to get hotter and hotter.  I am not complaining just commenting, but the poor garden is suffering, it's hard work watering every evening but it's so necessary.  Even the fields are all yellow and some trees are suffering, a big branch fell off of a huge tree we have here in the village, it fell across the road and brought the electricity lines down, luckily no one was around at the time so no injuries, they think the tree was stressed because of the hot weather and no rain.



As you can see the redcurrants in my garden are ready for picking, I think they are like jewels hanging down.  I have just made 8 lbs of blackcurrant jam, so the next thing I have to do is the redcurrant jelly.  That is a little more fussy to make as you have to strain the fruit after the first lot of cooking and then add the sugar and boil up again until you reach setting point, hey ho - that job is for the cool of the evening .



This is a David Austin rose called Crown Princess Margaretta that I treated myself to last year, it's a climber and this year it has been flowering beautifully.  BUT my DH decided to plant cabbage plants around it, and then to add insult to injury he said the pigeons were pecking at the cabbages so he put some awful green plastic netting around it as protection for the cabbages.  I was not a happy bunny and made my feelings known, the netting has been removed but not the cabbages, as far as I am concerned the pigeons can have them and welcome.  What do you say?

One of my DGD's is in hospital at the moment she has had 2 cysts growing on her ovaries, she had them removed yesterday by keyhole surgery, they have kept her in overnight as things weren't quite so straightforward as the medics thought, but fingers crossed that she will be home later today.  Apparently she was worried at one moment as the vicar came visiting, she didn't realise that is common practice, I guess she thought that her end was nigh.  Staying in hospital has been another big learning curve for her.  We shall all be glad to see her home again.

I was so touched by all the messages of welcome back from friends in blog land thank you all so much.  It just shows what friendly people us stitchers are.  I haven't done much stitching for a few days, so I must get my act together.  I have tidied up my sewing room which was a disgrace and I was ashamed to even open the door, but now well - WOW -  every time I walk by it I open the door and admire!  Enjoy your stitching, girls and keep your needles and scissors sharp and take care.

I plead guilty to neglect!

I have no excuse just pure neglect on my part, I have been busy, but then we are all busy people so I hope you will excuse me. So much to tell you, but most of it will have to wait for another time.


I did finish that Christmas table runner for my dd.

 

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I hope you like it, and I hope she does!  I've put it away in a safe place, mustn't forget where.

I have just come back from 2 weeks holiday in Spain. I stayed at my d in l father's house in Andolucia, right up in the mountains. The first week it was just me, my dh and my d in l were there on our own looking after the animals (3 dogs and 10 cats) they foster stray animals until they can be found homes.  D in l's parents came to London to see the Summer Art Exhibition and the Pompei Exhibition, so we were the foster carers for a week.  The 2nd week my ds and dd and her hubbie, came out so it was great.  Visited Marabella (to see how the other half live) and Gibraltar.  We all had a smashing time, can't wait to go again.

 

Here I am with my other half, in Gibraltar.

 

I just had to show you a photo of apes on Gibraltar, can you see the baby it's a week old.  aaah. I think there are about 200 apes on the rock, and they are all looked after very well.  Make sure your car windows are shut and hold on to your bags, as they are not averse helping themselves to whatever they fancy.

 

 View of the mountains from the terrace.

 

 Muppet ( a water dog) joining in the fun.

 

 Group photograph in Marbella.


Back to reality now, though I think we must have brought some Spanish weather back with us, as it has been in the high 20's up to the 30's.  This is very hot for us here in the UK.  The gardens are struggling, every evening we are out watering.  Though the roses are terrific, the colours seem extra vibrant.  I hope you like the rose I put as my header it is Zephrine Drouhin, and it is thornless!

I have been enjoyed sewing this biscornu, first one I have made, it has tiny beads on it and the thread is variegated.

Now making a needle case using a similar design.

I am also sewing 4 table mats, I have quilted them and I will be using that spotty material to back it.

I hope all of my friends in blog land are well, and having fun in whatever you are up to.  I promise that now I am back in the swing of things I will be back.  Thankfully June gave me a reminder to rejoin blog land, and I am so glad she did.

Take care of you and yours.

Still merrily stitching!

 

 

 

As it says above still merrily stitching, can't say my needle is whizzing through the air but I am progressing with my christmas project for my DD.  The reindeers now have antlers, tails and ears.  One of them is eating some mistletoe.  And now I am coming on to the more fiddly bits.  I am using stitch and tear on the back, never used it before. I was worried when the material started to pucker (I love that word) but a friend told me that as stitch and tear has no give in it and the material does, that is why you get a pucker!

 

 

 

How do you like the anemone picture now that it has been framed?  Nearly had to take out a mortgage to pay for the framing, but why spoil the ship for a happorth of tar - if you get my meaning!  The great thing about stitching is that you can make a really personal present for a friend, which hopefully they will like.

 

 

Do you remember that wall hanging that I am involved with here in the village, well 3 of us had a get together yesterday morning to check each piece that has been sewn, we have 54 pieces!  We then sorted out the layout, it took us all morning and it looked pretty good when we had finished.  Sorry this photo doesn't show all the pieces but it gives you an idea, mine is just above the date on the photo.  We now have to sew it on a piece of calico it will be about 64 inches by 85 inches when finished.  Wish us luck when we come to stitching them all on the calico!

 

My DS's partner who has never been a keen baker, has really got the baking bug.  She came up a couple of weeks ago, so that I could show her how to make scones, we then progressed to a Victoria Sandwich.  She was thrilled with the end result, she's now made Lemon Drizzle cakes and Chocolate Brownies.  Can't wait to hear what she is cooking this weekend, her family are certainly reaping the benefit.  There is a great resurgence in baking at the moment, which is great as there is no comparison between shop cake and homemade, it's cheaper, tastier and you know exactly what ingredients have gone into your cakes.

 

I needn't tell you what the weather is doing, it's doing what it is always doing RAIN!  I'm so keen to get out in the garden and do more tidying up, it's really frustrating.  I guess I will just have to be content with staying indoors and sew - not too bad an alternative.

 

Thankyou for visiting my blog, and welcome to any new visitors.  Be back with you soon.

I have started gardening!

We had a few nice days when the sun was shining, so out came my secateurs and I started to prune my roses.  I've got most of them done just got a couple of climbers to have a go at.  The ground is still very wet (paddy field wet) that I can't do much more than that.  Thought you may like a couple of photos of flowers to remind us that spring is coming.

 

 

This is a window box that I planted up with cyclamens, sorry the photo is not that good, you can see the reflection of the house opposite.

This coming Tuesday is Shrove Tuesday, so don't forget to make your pancakes.  I usually just have sugar and lemon juice with mine, but I have bought some maple syrup for something different. 
 I am still stitching my Christmas table centre for my DD, I have appliqued and stitched around each applique with blanket stitches.  Just starting on the embroidery really enjoying doing it.  My theory is that if I start stitching it now it should be ready for Christmas this year.

The other night whilst I was lying in bed trying to sleep I started to think about some of the toys I had as a child (don't ask why)  a kaleidoscope, jigsaw puzzles, snap card game, a John Bull printing set, loads of books, a teddy bear and a g------- (can't say the name), all came to my mind.  I always wanted a doll that cried but never had one and a bike but my parents wouldn't let me have one they said it was too dangerous, as there were too many hills!!  Just think what the children get today. 

I have to go off shopping, when I get chance, to buy some Appletons crewel wool, I have seen a pattern of a cauliflower which is a pin cushion, in the Australian magazine Inspirations. I love this magazine it has some beautiful stitching in it, it lives up to its name as it is inspirational. 

I have to catch up with reading your blogs.  Do you know where the time goes?  You think you are all organised and before you know it that's another week gone, or is that an age thing.  Thankyou for visiting my blog and get your pancake pan out ready, and don't forget to toss them.