Lockdown has some benefits?

I have been absent for some time. Most folks know that we have had trying times and sewing has been very low on the priorities. Sadly.

More sadly, my responsibilities have reduced and I am finally able to start sewing, and to enjoy the sewing. Only a few little fairly straightforward projects, but it is a start.

Last summer my DD2 and I painted our garden bench, a pretty shade of blue. And the next thing was, it needed a seat cushion. Luckily- or not so luckily, the weather took a turn for the worse, and sitting out became a non starter. This year, as good weather began, I finally made the cushion!

The fabric is one I was given, as 'spare', by a friend. It was bought in IKEA many years ago, and there is a shade of blue in it which matches the bench beautifully. 

I may say there has been more bench sitting this year than I can ever recall.  Yay! for seat cushions. The weather helps, of course! Though on Thursday I was up sewing and heard the rain begin! We had one of those drenching downpours, which caused me to race down the stairs and out to retrieve the cushion, in bare feet! No harm done, and the comfort is excellent. Thanks Jan!

Some years ago, I made a bag for work. This bag has had daily treks to and from work, trips overseas and has generally been ubiquitous,. Everywhere I went, so did my orange bag. In the fullness of time, the strap started to wear, and the wear got worse, and really the bag needed to retire. 

For that to happen I needed a new bag. 

Tadaaa!

I will say I was very happy with my pattern matching on the front, that flap really does have a good match on the elephants. 

and on the back I quilted round the elephants.
 Who doesn't love an elephant?















I had also promised my DD2 another simple coin purse. It is one of those things that you promise and then it doesn't quite happen... Finally it has.
I found a pattern on pinterest, ( free, good price point!) and did it. Simple, easy to follow instruction, though the instruction wanted me to hand sew the lining in place.

Well, you know me and hand sewing...

Of course it can be done on the machine.

The first one I tried to make it by sandwiching the zip between the lining and the outer. It got complicated and fiddly, yes, it worked but I still ended up with a little hand sewing, but it was OK. That was the pretty turquoisey one with the yellow zip.

I had to have another go, though. So the dark red one also had to happen. This time I did make the lining up separately, but I topstitched the lining into place with the machine. No hand sewing at all- or anyway, just hiding my ends.






So this pretty pair have been adopted by DD2.
I am now considering my next project.



And what are you up to?










Technical bits Elephant fabric- Abakhan
Pink linen- Abakhan
Zips- JaycottsTurquoise fabric for purse Minerva
others- no idea!

Harvest, cooking more than sewing!

It is autumn again, and the damsons have been long disposed of- into damson pickles... I made some in 2014, and then, as you do, I forgot about them. Then, this summer I came across them, when I had friends staying for the weekend.
With four years to mature, oh, wow! but they were good. 
So, almost all my damsons that had not been made into jam, went into pickle... If you never made damson pickles, and you have a glut of damsons...

Wash and prick your damsons. A kilo or so... believe me, you cannot have too many pickled damsons!

prepare some sweet spiced vinegar, Why does cider vinegar come in such small bottles?

Ok, 2 bottles of cider vinegar. Do not be over fussy, you could use wine vinegar, and if all else fails use distilled malt vinegar.  These go into your saucepan.

Add around a pound and a half of sugar. Yes, I used common or garden white, but I think brown would add a depth of flavour.
Add some spices.
Maybe, cinnamon , cardamom, star anise,allspice, what is in your cupboard that you love?

and the zest and juice of an orange or a lemon.

Bring that lot to the boil. You can be pricking those damsons while you are bringing that up to boil. Boil it for 5 minutes or so. , and allow to cool a little.
Add the damsons now, and bring back to the boil.

Let them simmer gently for a little to ensure they are tender, and then pack the damsons into sterilised jars, use a slotted spoon, to drain most of the vinegar off.
Now bring that vinegar back to the boil, and boil quite hard to reduce the liquid.
Pour this over your damsons and seal those jars.

Hide them for about 4 years and then they will be glorious!

No, seriously, let them mature for about a month, or two,.

I was told they are good with cheese and cold meats. They are also gorgeous with two or three dropped into greek yogurt, with a drizzle of that vinegar liquor.... ahhhh. Good stuff!

So this year my little pear tree also decided to produce a crop! I got two whole kilos of pears!

So I have also made pear pickles. An adaptation of Delia's recipe...

 11 little jars of pear pickles...


















And there is the left over sweet spiced vinegar, which I cannot bring myself to throw away...

I have come to the conclusion that with just two of us at home now, all children having left the nest, small jars are the way to do it. They are big enough for a good taster, but not so big that the stuff goes off before being eaten once opened.
Also a perfect size for mini gifts!

Swap time again

Ok, I fell into another wee swap. Too tempting with the title' In the Garden' My brain went into overdrive, and I had to join... Goodness only knows what to do with the bits that come back... some are so lovely, but still, where do they all go?

So garden it is...

 A little free machining to start the ideas off. and give some depth to the image in my head






















and a couple of contrast area, again to give an illusion of length to my garden,

Then grasses and a web, with dew on the strands, and how do you decide when you are done? Ok, so it was done. Then the panic sets in... will my partner like? Or hate?

And so another offering gets started.. but then, which to send? 

In the end, there is only one answer. Send both. 

 and a little extra, which I have made again and again... but useful, pretty and easy.  A couple of other items may have crept into the parcel, as well... and off it all went on it's merry way..

The lovely lady making for me, somehow also decided to send two minis... 

and a selection of extras. The package arrived on a day when all sorts had gone wrong at work, and was cheery and bright, and gave me cause to smile! Thanks Lish! You really helped me that day. 

Garden day

It is June already, and I have spent less time on the garden than I can ever remember.
The weather has managed to be perfect for the garden when I am at work, or away, and dire, when I have time to do it, or I have had another something urgent to deal with instead.
Today though?
I got into the garden.
I do not have a large garden, but still, I cannot get round all of it in one day, so I have to select an area, and go at it!
Results?

I managed to clip the edges of the grass on the lower bit of grass- I really cannot grace it with the title of 'lawn', there is more bugle and buttercup than there is grass really- and do some weeding and hoeing and digging. Then a pear tree which had lived in a pot for several years was transplanted into a cleared area. It put up a struggle, not wanting to leave it's cosy pot, but a bit of persuasion.... 

The allium there is a volunteer, and I shall not discourage it. I am very happy with it's personal life choices. A pretty clematis which had waited a year to be given freedom of the soil has also found a home now. I wanted to give it a teepee to climb, but it was not for letting go of it's little trellis, so, I suppose, I have to allow it. Various fuschias have also survived a long time in pots, so, hardy they must be, and I shall allow them garden freedom too. Then I just got some cheap summer bedding and popped that in to help brighten us up a bit. 

This is a difficult corner. It does get sun, but not until afternoon, and the rhubarb struggles, unlike it's cousin outside the back door, in the first picture. 

 these two pots had been emptied of their contents- dead summer bedding from two years ago, and I have refilled them, to give some cheer outside the living room

 Yes, well- there used to be trellis for these to climb, but it disintegrated in the winds a couple of years ago, and somehow, we just haven't got the 'Round Tuit' to sort it out. But secretly- not so secret now- I love the riotous behavior of these clematis. Last year was the first time the pink one flowered, and boy is it making up for lost time!

Yes, that volunteer again. Love the green seedheads contrasting with the purple. Love the not quite perfection of that sphere, it is just feisty enough to decline the sphere!

oh sewing? what do you mean sewing?? 

Oh that bit! I did some sewing over the bank holiday weekend, but failed to take the pictures, but I was in Germany, and someone else took pictures!  If you pop over to her blog, she will show you. 

And since I came back I have made a couple of bits, Here is the second one, 

  a pin cushion for someone in USA, who has been very kind and generous to me. She will find out when it arrives, but, I think she does not follow me, so it should be a complete surprise.












And here, I have put it onto my machine, just for show.

There is more, but really, this is enough for one day!

Back soon, I hope!

I have to share..

Some of the beauties in my garden.. 

 This gorgeous iris,

Do you see the bright blue 'caterpillar' on the fall? Is that not just unbelievable? I am amazed by how stunning this is. Sadly, the wind blew it over a bit, and I have had to stake it, but it is giving me great joy. 

 Penny lane looking perfect in her half open state, when she gets a bit of sun on she will smell super, too.

 The veining on the petals ( bracts really, I know) of this clematis are so clearly marked, I love it!

 And this beauty hiding under my little pink rambler... treasures to be found by accident!

and, no, my garden is not manicured, but cottage-y and it suits me! That white clematis does so well, climbing up Penny Lane and sharing it's flowers for everyone to see!

Flocks of Geese!

For Leonie

 We are making geese.. Well, when I say we, what I mean is some of that group calling themselves Lazy Bums.
You see, we have agreed an internal bee, running fairly randomly- well we are the Lazy Bums- between November last year, and October-ish this year. The idea is that we shall each make 10 blocks in total for other members of the group, but we all know what is to be made already, and can do it as the humour strikes. No sitting around wondering when we shall be told, and actually, if we want to wait until September is disappearing, and then do all in a rush and flurry, fair do, we can do that.

But I quite like to be ahead if I can, if I have a deadline- it is when there is no deadline that I am in trouble...

For Gi

 Some of us, like Leonie up there, designed their own blocks,
some of us, like Gi sitting off to my Left, took a pattern and just specified certain parameters.. light star, darker ground...







Some others also took an established pattern and said 'NO SPIDERS' - Kathinca, I think you have a secret yen for a spider or two...

Can I find a spider here for you? Sadly, no

and these spiders are all owls... and dinosaurs

For Annaliese

 These would not print correctly for me, from the document sent, but I also got measurements and was able to draw the diagram. I love these, they are very pretty. Love your choice, Annaliese.

And these pretties for my good friend May.


So, you see I have been quietly busy here.












In the garden I am delighted to report that I have actually seen my winter flowering clematis winterly flowering!

I tried to get proof...

 Those white blobs are buds. The wind is up and they were not prepared to sit still even long enough to get a focus....

 I tried again...

If you look carefully you can see the flowers out, white and printed inside with red.. But at least I have seen them this year, last year I blinked and missed them!

In case you are wondering I am standing beneath them, head bent back on my neck, arms upstretched and hoping they do not escape as the shutter goes..


Happy flowers everyone.

Hen party!

A friend of mine is getting married in just under two weeks time.. So she had a hen party. I have never been to a hen party before, but I was invited to this one! So, I went. 

She arranged a florist to come and give a demonstration, and for all of us to do an arrangement, 
We were presented with a small dish complete with a block of oasis, pre-soaked. Rolls of floral tape were out and each of us had a knife and a pair of scissors, and Sarah, the florist, brought round the various sprays of flowers and leaves we were to use.

Sarah showed us how to put little pieces of eucalyptus into the foam to make a little base for the table posy, covering the base of the dish, so it could not be seen, and then adding the flowers according to her formula.

Sarah brought along a choice of peach or slightly off white roses, lisianthus in three colour ways, and  pink peonies, which were in different stages of open, from small buds through to almost full blown. She also brought some hypericum berries to add in. 

I added the peony leaves to my arrangement, I never could quite follow a brief.. 
The lisianthus is really pretty, we had white, white with a pink border, and deep pink ones.

so here is the result.. 

I am not convinced by the hypericum... But then, I do not have to be!

After that we went to a teppenyaki restaurant which is in Stockton Heath, in the south of Warrington, where a chef treated us to a display of cooking and we all ate the resultant food. He juggled with kitchen implements, and later with eggs, including catching an egg in his hat.. 
He also provided an extemporaneous accompaniment to us singing 'Happy Wedding to you'. Then he did the cooking bit, and we did the eating bit! Most delicious. I used the chopsticks provided, this means I eat slowly..  Some of the others also tried them, but mostly used the forks which were also there. . 

So that was my evening. 

And latest new flowers blooming in my garden? 

 pretty peachy poppies...

and a pretty aquilegia.. lots of the others are over, but this one is blooming on!

I have been busy sewing today, but it is a secret project, so I can only give you a hint for now... 



This is for a special occasion, so after that, I shall share more... 

google/ yahoo issue...perhaps sorted?? warning a bit techie!

Anyone else having the same issue as I have been, with commenting on someone's blog, and getting your mail back saying it was rejected, I just might have come up with an answer!  I do not promise, but this is where I came from. 

Delivery Status Notification (Failure)

arrived in my inbox. Along with a whole load of techie jargon, which I could not turn into English. and helpful links, which didn't help. 

Moving on, I have been hunting, and I think I may have come up with an answer!

Yes, I may still appear as a no reply blogger, depending on how I am logged in, but perhaps comments may now land in your inbox, whereas they have recently been coming back to mine!

Ok, follow closely.. 

Go in to your 'dashboard'  or design page. At the top Right hand corner you will find a profile section, just above the wee cog thingy, Click on the little down arrow, beside your name, this brings up a box, which, in the middle has a section saying ' blogger profile' ( yes, again...)

Click on this. A page should appear which shows , amongst other things, the blogs you follow, and again on the Right hand side, an orange box, well, on mine it is orange, saying 'edit profile' 

Yes!    Click on that!

The second button down gives the email address to which you are attached. If the box beside this is ticked, then, you are NOT a no reply blogger. 

BUT! what is the email address to which you are attached? 

It would appear, Yahoo and Google are not being very friendly just now, so, if, like me, you are set up with a yahoo address there, blogger, being Google based, will not accept that this belongs together, or perhaps, it may be that it is yahoo that does not accept it...  anyway, that is what is causing the throwback. 

So, I have changed it, to an email address, which I already had, which is gmail, and therefore, google based! 

So far, this seems to have stopped me getting the  Delivery Status Notification (Failure)
messages. 

Try it for yourself and see if it works! I await the event!



Just because I couldn't leave you with no pictures... here is my ' blue eyed grass', sisyrinchium. I love this little one. 




and evidence for what I did today... All day in the garden. Looks better for it though!

Post coming in!

My lovely fellow bees in the FSBB have been busy making floaty stars! and the first four have arrived home! Did you want a look? Of course you want a look!

here goes!


from the lovely Diane!
















 The amazing Fiona!

the fabulous JoJo!

and the gorgeous Sarah!

Take a bow ladies!

and here is the collection!

It will be fantastic when the rest come and join them!  I know at least one is already in the post to me, and some more to come! I am tickled to death with them, well, wouldn't you be? 

ok, can I bore you to death with the garden now then? please.... 

That little lobelia is a leftover from last summer... flowering it's little socks off! Now there is an image to conjure with, lobelias running round the garden in socks! ho hum... nonsense moment struck again...