life is soo simple...

when you put into place a cunning plan to holiday in Lincolnshire with beloved Grandparents up from London...and no one has to drive too far and no-one's in charge or has to clean or plan meals...we all stay in a pleasant, warm, clean, well-equipped house in the autumn Lincolnshire countryside...we go birdwatching at the beautiful coast, walking in the woods and shopping in the attractive medieval town of Lincoln...and snuggle up every evening to play games, read and watch tv ...a lovely way to spend half term...just missing our Swiss cousins as their halfterm was last week...

I will say no more...here's a little taste...

 

 

 

mm...vintage in a charity shop...a whole roomful...isn't this a cracker? and there was a delightful little chair for a tenner...sadly no room in the car unless we leave someone behind...

and there has to be a tea shop somewhere...you should have seen the homemade cakes...and we found the very lovely CallyCo shop with a very nice lady serving us...so much temptation, fabrics, ribbons, kits, threads, buttons...all manner of deliciousness! Well it will soon be Christmas and there's no harm in getting a few little goodies for my present cupboard...not for me you understand...

hope you had a good half term too...

summer sweetness...and some making...

a rose is just summer for me..rain or no...that beautiful sweet haunting deliciousness as you inhale the perfume...

and honeysuckle twining high in the trees but still filling the air with its scent

just put your nose into the deliciously pretty Philadelphus or mock orange...mmmm...just wish this was a scented post so you could have the full effect...and the combination of fresh creamy white, soft pink and primrosey yellow is perfection...



daughter mine collected 25 heads of elderflowers to make some delightful elderflower cordial last week...which captures this particular scent of summer beautifully

not all the flowers in our garden are scented..some earn their keep with their beauty alone...I love clematis and have several...they are so obliging and fit in almost anywhere...

and as for geraniums...we counted them one year...all the different types and shades...all their different names...many forgotten now and just loved for their colours and ability to fill the beds with blowsy summeryness (and not be eaten by our slugs and snails...)

and how quickly things change in the garden...I love to follow the flowers throught their different stages...each with its own beauty...

and I delight in the detail of each one...isn't it amazing how how the raindrops balance on the stamens of this amazingly coloured potentilla...

and in the studio daughter mine has been cutting fabrics and planning and making and stitching and ...with no rules or much in the way of a pattern has produced a wonderful dress...it is joyful to watch her at work!

she is an inspiration to me in how she just has the idea, organises herself and whatever she needs, sets to and makes...mind you she isn't thinking about the teetering pile...hoovering and what's for tea...tho' she does often have a pile of schoolwork to get through...

instant patchwork...just cut the squares sew in strips and then stitch the strips together...allow them to gather as they will...

no worries about how to put a zip in...ha ha!! easy peasy...just cut it out of something else with the fabric around and stitch in place ta da! genius! and doesn't it look fab?

she even lined the top...and the underskirt was made from an old lacy underskirt attached to more fabric to make it the right size...

and the top was made from some of my Granny's fabric stash...a pretty broderie anglais in blue...creativity continues in how the sleeves were sewn on...finished off with perfect blue buttons and there you have it!

I am amazed and proud...and think how my Mum and Granny would like to see!

there's nothing wrong with shopping...

it's essential therapy as anyone will tell you as it not only keeps other people in work but can be very pleasurable...especially when it's for fabrics... threads...inspiration...beautiful artwork etc... and as Money IS Love...it's a way of sharing the love...a win win activity...

so halfterm hols and we set off for the big city...first Carlisle for fabric and then to Degree Show at the Uni...and then to Newcastle....

At the degree show we wandered amongst all the wonderful exhibits of textiles,furniture and jewellery...daughter mine loved the room full of costume designs and there were some fantastic textiles...tho not as mnay as usual my passion was still indulged...with my favourites being...

Janet Wilde's beautiful detailed and imaginative work...

 

some fantastic hats...sorry I didn't get the artist's name

and the thoughtful intricate embroideries on a theme of Alzheimers by Lauren Rudd

and then a drive across the A69 to catch the Metro into Newcastle...I love people watching and looking at the houses as we pass by...it's always a trip down memory lane as I am from 'over there' bonny lasses...

and oooh! temptation in John Lewis's...where I have shopped from being a child...many memories of being here with my Mum...and now I am shopping here with MY daughter and we are in the haberdashery department...isn't that a wonderful word...it's all bright and modern and the colourful dipslays are sooo enticing...wool and yarns, threads, fabrics, books, patterns, beads, feathers, buttons...

so much temptation...we got away quite lightly with a selection of interesting fabrics and fab ribbon for daughter mine...and I had a wee piece of Cath Kidson and some needles...very restrained! (apart from the new washing machine..of that more anon!)

 

and then we returned home from the big city and now we have news of our broody hen...she has been such a clever girl...sitting on 6 eggs taken from the fridge and has hatched...3 ducklings! ain't nature amazing! (yes ok they were duck eggs!)  and she'd being a fantastic mother and they love her!

and here's all the aunties waiting to see what's going on in THEIR hen house!!?

  

such a nosey parker that Emilia...

they say never work with children or animals...but I think they always put a smile on your face one way or another! xx