2 types of creativity for a Bank Holiday Weekend

Part 1 - you may remember, a few posts back, I got this Anna French sample book from the scrap store.

Well the 30 pages were cut up and arranged on my living room floor - 

Yesterday I started to stitch them together (brick pattern not like on the carpet). I have got up to row six and will show you the KING SIZE DUVET Cover when it is done!

Part 2 - my French bean seedlings were looking a little miserable and my tomato plants need potting on so today my daughter and I went to the garden centre clutching 2 for 1 vouchers. Not only did I get some more French bean seedlings and a couple of grow bags (which is all I really needed) but I now have:  two geraniums, one daisy,

 a tub of mixed lettuce, two pots of lambs lettuce and look what I was persuaded (by my daughter) that I really need - it took us all day to put it together  it did leave just enough room for the two other pots of French beans (making 4 in total) BUT I don't have enough potting compost so tomorrow I will go and get yet more because I will be planting these:..









Round Carrots, Celeriac and Onions!!!!

(So I put too many toms into each grow bag but find that I will lose some when it gets hot so in the long run they work out - also needed to plant some in old pots) 

Rather you than me - UPDATE

Update on the race - the results have been published and my son came 78th out of the 218 registered runners - Fantastic!!

My son came to visit this weekend, however it was not just to see me for an early Mother's Day lunch but also to run the local 10k race. My daughter joined me to cheer all the runners on - she was in charge of the camera as I was doing the timing.

Here is son at the start of the run - OK so my daughter and I know where he is - about four rows in. We were amazed at the number of runners for such a small local event.  There were over 200+ runners and I guess some would be like my son - having travelled nearly 200 miles to get here!!

Below (left) he is passing in front of our house about 30 mins later and (right) coming up to the finishing line.  He had hoped to run the race in about 50 mins but came across the finish line at 47!! Well done son.

This was followed by a lovely Sunday Roast lunch out at a local pub - what a proud and lovely way to spend time with my family. I am such a lucky mum.

Making a Happy Christmas

This year as well as the purchased gifts for my family I have also been making.  Firstly here is my £10 bargain real Christmas tree...  

 and some decorations I made - which I ended up putting in my daughter's room...

The other making - I have made the usual Uszka and Pierogi for Wiegelia (Christmas Eve Dinner).  

Also the usual Pefferkaker biscuits.  

Then the gift making... these

became -

They will also get the following... 

 Home made Sweet Marrow Chutney

Freshly dried - home grown Rosemary.

And so he does not feel left out these are for Rocky - home made dog biscuits..

 

How did I start my 53rd Year??

Much as I admire our Queen I have not really been in the mood to celebrate her 60 years on the throne. My daughter's relationship has broken up so she has started moving home for a while which means most of what I enjoy has been postponed. I am however starting my 53rd year on this planet by celebrating my 52nd birthday today!  I took my son and daughter to see my costumes at the Mill yesterday (His girlfriend was not too well) and the we went out for a lovely lunch. My Mum dropped off this beautiful orchid a couple of days ago for me -

 doesn't it look like the flowers are smiling?

In order to keep her mind off her current troubles my daughter has decided to start a project - not a sewing one but she has decided to paint my hall and stair well - a mammoth task - I have three stories!!  She has painted the ground floor walls and decided to start the glossing today.  Isn't it shocking to see just how white doors can go off after 10 years!!  Good job - keep going!!!! 

For me today - I was able to do some sewing.  Working on the Queen of Hearts - I have finished the first bit of the black fabric (which may be sleeves) you can see here as I was stitching 

and here where I have burnt it back with the heat gun.  

Then I thought I know I will need some cord - I always need cord so I made a first batch using black rats tail and red cotton machined with black and red cotton.  the first 38 metres were then doubled and added too and a second pass leaving me with a lovely 18.7 metres of beautiful cord.

Photos - Smile

A few photos that will remind me of summer - I love Poppies and have a variety in my garden - the sad thing is that these lovely orange Californian only open for a few hours and then the flowers go...

I don't understand this because the yellow ones last much longer....

 I have now potted on the 63 tomato plants - I gave 10 to my daughter but I have run out of space for many in my pots.  Here is a photo of just 27 and you can see the beans that are not so good so far this year..  

The other day when I was sitting in the garden in the blistering sun I said I wished I had a swimming pool and my daughter came up with this for me....... Lovely cool water with lavender foot soak for added comfort!!  You know cold water on  your feet does really cool the whole body - it was lovely!! :-) 

What another one already??

Yesterday my daughter went home but during the evening phoned a couple of times and sent a few pictures by email with questions and I have her ideas regarding ribbons.... here is the 4th or 5th suggestion - remember I am suggesting to her how to lay them down, she is laying out and sending me a photo to verify !

then hey presto a few minutes later another cushion done .... This one has one of the cut pillow inserts. This morning at 7am I was giving a telephone tutorial on how to make easy (magic) half square triangles!! Wish I had not started this game now!! :-)

Ta dah.....

Drum roll please......... Her is the finished cushion, with ribbon edging too - first attempt pretty good!!!! My daughter is now ready to make the next cushions by herself - she has plans for several !!!! She spent today finishing off this one, planning and starting the next one, whilst I had to cut an old pillow into three rectangular cushion pads for the next three cushions and she already has square pads at home that could do with new covers!! What have I started??!

Passing on the skills

My daughter studied theatre studies at uni and did do some costume making but her interest in textiles has come and gone over the years, a try at embroidery when she was little but nothing much. Then yesterday I had the MRI scan on my shoulder - not a pleasant experience for someone with claustrophobia!! Anyway it was very early in the morning so after it my daughter (who had taken me) suddenly expressed a desire to try making a patchwork cushion in a sort of Cath Kidston style! So we went to find a fabric shop in Bath - we found a lovely shop called Country Threads (link HERE). We spent quite some time looking at fabrics and I explained that patchwork should be precise and is not necessarily a quick fix idea (she is like me - impatient - wants the end result now without the working). Still she convinced me that £28 worth (Thanks Mum !) of lovely fabrics later she would do this properly!! And if not I would have the remainder of the fabrics anyway!! The lovely pile.... to start off with she did draw out an idea but that was abandoned (no surprise there) for a lets just do approach (like her mum :-)) So she chose a few pieces from her charm pack and cut them, arranged them ... and joined them - this is where we finished yesterday, as we both have a day off work today she is coming back to carry on.So far, so good!!

In the meantime I dyed some fabric to match for backings (the pink below is much lighter in real life for some reason the pic makes it look red). Here is her piece on one of the backings - you can see some of the ribbons we also bought to decorate the edges. I think she might be hooked (or at least I hope so). The other reason I think this is because I received a text early this morning to say she has logged into my ebay account and is watching 80 (yes 80) sales of fat quarters, charm packs and jelly rolls !!!!! NOOOOOOOO what have I started - a Stash Collector??!!. Even if it does not go further she, like me, is beginning to drool over fabric!!

So much more work to do !!!

Firstly - just as I thought life was getting better I got a text message in the middle of the night Thursday to say my son was in hospital again! Another rugby accident only this time a knee to the head - yes unconscious, suffering from memory loss! Following a CT scan and consultations he was sent home (having regained his memory - apart from the last week) all clear. Just a bad headache! Hope he continues to get better and will PLEASE give up rugby.
Next - people who know me, know I am not overly keen on pets (other than my one goldfish) so to find that my daughters boyfriend has bought her this........ does not thrill me just at the moment! I will meet this pup tomorrow (Sunday) - he is called Rocky (I think he should be Frank - any fans of Men in Black 2??), is approx 10 months old and will be living with us until daughter moves out later this year. (Rocky if you are reading this :-) you had better behave - oh and to earn your keep you MUST scare all the neighbourhood cats OK ?!!)

Now back to Art stuff.. The background of Peaseblossom is ready - skirt attached... lacing completed.. I have just started playing with the leaves...... and have realised that although I have made 85 so far this is definitely not going to be enough - so the next few days/weeks will be more leaf production!! Best get started.

Stuff

Yesterday I had a delightful day with my children. My youngest (daughter) graduated from Middlesex University yesterday and her older brother came for the day. The weather held before the ceremony so I have some lovely photos. Heavens opened towards the end of the ceremony so it was wet going home. I am very proud of both of them - they both have degrees - well done T & E (it's only me now that does not have a degree!!)
On to textile stuff... during our last weekend at Urchfont, between setting up the exhibition, we set up an indigo vat and I had a go for the first time of indigo dyeing. My piece was previously scrunched and turned out a bit paler than I anticipated. So today I sprayed it with a delicate wash of pale orange/rust procion dye. It looked stronger when wet but is drying out on the line now. Sorry this pic is on its side. My intention is to stitch it all over with a spider web/veining design before creating a new garment.