Some Colour and a Farewell

I have been crafting and stitching but not much to show on here.  Mainly City & Guilds and Christmas things.

After the terrible weather we have been having just lately, it was a wonderful surprise to wake up to a bright blue sky this morning.  As John and I were wandering around picking up the mess the neighbours fireworks left for us, I thought I would take a few photos of colour still left in the garden.  I thought you may like a wander around the back garden of the House household too. 

You can't fault some colours.  This is beautiful when the leaves are just opening as well as before they drop.

Cercis canadensis Forest Pansy

Our last Hollyhock for this year.

A little moth eaten but still fabulous markings and quite a few buds still to come.

Alstromeria

One of natures stranger creations as it's the only one in it's class and known as a living fossil.  I just loved the contrast with the sky.

I'm not sure if there is anything more yellow out there at the moment. 

Ginkgo biloba

A few of the roses still just hanging in there.

Rosa Dizzy Heights

Rosa Little Rambler

Rosa Markham Pink

Rosa Summer Wine

A view up to Tully Dew 2 with the Symphoricarpus albus (Snowberry) behind that had totally swamped everything in its path, (including TD2), and had to be hacked back.

Cotoneaster tree

The Trains with their winter clip done.

We've yet to have flowers on our Tulip Tree but it's still a baby at about 10 years old.  We always hope each year.  The leaves are rather lovely too though.

Liriodendron tulipifera

A close up of Tully Dew 2.  We dug up the old concrete grass roller and I found the bird bath top in the compost pile when we moved in.  The little gnome just needed a perch.

Cox's Orange Pippin.

We had a little crop of summer figs this year and the bush has a fabulous second crop.  Unfortunately they won't last the winter here.  Food for the birds anyway.

Ficus Brown Turkey

Spiraea, Geranium 'Anne Thomson' and Rosa 'Kent'.

We kept an eye out for the Spindle Ermine Moth this spring and sprayed a couple of the spindle bushes that had it.  This one managed to avoid being eaten away and has made it through to dropping its vivid orange seeds from the bright pink cases.

Euonomus 

I don't think I have ever seen the Pheasant Berry so heavily laden as this year.

Leycesteria formosa

Geum in Pheasant's Tail grass

This vine was a wedding gift from Elsa and it's really enjoying itself on the pergola.  Huge amounts of grapes this year, still not ripe enough for wine but we are over run with grape jelly so they will stay on the vine for the birds.

Vitis vinifera Aglianico

And we had another cat farewell this week.  Foxy our sorrel Somali hung on for as long as he could after his accident with a car in 2007.  At that time he had both hips broken, a broken pelvis and tail and a complete gastric shut-down.  The vets had him in for two weeks and eventually we were allowed to bring him home after his insides started working again.  He never really fully recovered the ability to totally absorb food again and steadily lost weight until last week when we thought he wasn't benefiting from a good quality of life any more.  14 years old is still a good innings and now he's terrorising the mice somewhere with Izzy. 

Foxy helping Elsa on the computer.

Wenlo Foxtrot 27.11.97 - 04.11.2011

Another Troll is Born

A little more regal this time!

This is Laurel.

Her velvet gown with long sleeves covers her lace chemise and stripy bloomers.  She has quite a bit of bling and a chatelaine on her belt with keys, only she knows to what though, silk ribbon in her hair and rather sparkly boots. 

Don't forget you can click to enlarge.

A Day That Didn't Go Sideways!

On Monday night I realised that Tuesday was just about mine for the taking and so planned a day in my room to play.  Normally when a plan is made Sod and Murphy both join forces to jeopardise it.  I actually made it through with only one very brief phone call interruption!!!

Block 9 of My Tweets is done and block 10 is waiting for cutting and starching.

I have bloomers...

 ...and a chemise for a new troll.  I did spend quite some time fiddling with top layer clothes and came up against a few snags so put it to one side for a while until the solution found me later in the afternoon, so pleased there.

I also did a couple of pieces for Christmas and began gathering thoughts for a class I have been asked to give in January to my sewing group.

During our away trip last week I think the faeries were in my room making a lot of mess too.  There seemed to be a lot of projects out all over the work tops.  I had to sort and put quite a lot of that away as well.

I now have a little time this afternoon so perhaps I will open the C&G folder..... (but shhh don't tell Sod and Murphy).

Museum, Museum...

After the Book of Kells we went upstairs to the Long Room of Trinity Collage, link as in the last post.  If you have a love of antique books you would either love or hate this room.  It is stacked floor to its incredibly high ceiling with beautifully bound leather books, you can watch the ladies in their little alcove doing some restoration, but you can’t actually go near them!! There are plenty on display down the centre of the room open in special cases and the smell of old paper, leather, ink and wood is quite strong.  A very thick atmosphere of academia. 

Again we were only halfway down the room when the group of students, German I think, drifted through from one end to the other and down into the shop with barely a glance at what was around them.  Some were even singing along to their iPods.  I hope there was a quiz later.

Across the campus and along the street was the National Gallery of Ireland.  This is currently going through some major refurbishment so the exhibitions are a little on the smaller than usual side.  The first gallery was dedicated to Irish painters such as  John Lavery and Jack B Yeats but my favourite was by William Davies.  Again no photos, sorry.

The other exhibition was focused on European artists including Gainsborough, Goya, van Gogh, Monet, Pissarro, Sisley and a cubist Picasso.  I’m not a fan some of Picasso’s work but when you realise he had the talent to paint in the style of any of the other painters there he just chose to paint the way he did at that particular time in his life, you just have to admire him and his considerable ability.  Doing what you feel rather than what is expected is something a lot of us have to re learn!

We had lunch and wandered around the corner to the National Museum of Natural History.  Lots of taxidermy and skeletons!  I hadn’t done a natural history museum before and though the animals were a little creepy it was fascinating to see the size of some animals, hippos are enormous for instance, and also how the size of some animals have changed in 150 or so years.  Lions are much larger now and thankfully not often found stuffed in museums!  This museum is also, apparently, a museum in its own right as it’s currently being preserved as one of the last remaining cabinetry collections.  Most museums do away with all the old display cases; this one is actively keeping them. 

Chris with a Giant Irish Deer

Around the back is the National Museum of Ireland full of archaeological finds.  A real treasure of a museum if you like metal work like me (I love the bronze daggers) or are a goldaholic.  Plenty to drool over.  Again the skill is out of this world! 

A few of the many daggers and spears.

A beautiful, and quite large, cloak brooch. 

On Wednesday we started at the Jameson Distillery (yes you have to put in your age to enter the web site,  not sure why), and on to the Guinness Storehouse.  Both simply because you really have to do them I suppose!!  I was rather disappointed, especially at the distillery, that the one element that is vital in these places was missing.  Smell.  Jameson’s is actually now made down by Cork and the Guinness brewing part is nowhere near the visiting area.  If you have ever been to a working distillery of brewery you will know how important the smell of the place is.  It’s not the same without a sniff of the angels share! 

I don't think I will be buying these for John for Christmas.

The view from the top of the Storehouse was worth it though.  

We finished our visit with a tour of Dublin Castle and then through to the Chester Beatty Library.  More manuscripts this time in a private collection and from all over the world but again no pictures.

I really can’t recommend a visit to Dublin enough.  We did most of our visits on foot, and we are not great walkers, and the people are always willing to help answer questions.  It’s a very vibrant city and we would certainly go back and perhaps take things a little slower next time.  And it’s only an hour or two from most airports in the UK!

Chris did spot this on the pavement on the way to Guinness and we thought it apt! 

Book of Kells

On the afternoon of Monday 10^th last week John, Chris and I flew from Southampton to Dublin.  Though it was a little grey and miserable we still went for a walk along the river before dinner.  I had totally come focused on really doing the touristy thing and of course, just around the corner from the hotel was a bead shop!  I don’t think John or Chris were that impressed as they kept walking.  I did manage a very quick peek though.  On the other side of the river Chris pointed out a fabric store and, though they rolled their eyes, they did let me have a quick look around in there too.  Of course the fact that every time we go anywhere I try and suss out where the fabric and craft shops are beforehand and then really struggle to find them had no meaning on this trip.  I had forcibly not chosen to look for any.  Perhaps I shouldn’t bother in the future at all then they will leap out at me!

Our first port of call on Tuesday morning was Trinity Collage to see the Book of Kells.  The first exhibition was very in-depth and well worth spending the time over.  

Please bear in mind that there were no cameras allowed, even phones had to be switched off.  Photo from Wiki.

A large group of Americans arrived just after us and hardly had time to stop before their guide was ushering them through to the next room.  Mind you the guide was very loud and telling everyone of all her past experiences visiting the book and what to expect.  I was on the verge of pointing out to her that I had waited 35 years to see this and I didn't really need her version spoiling it when she marched them all off waving her umbrella!  Though it was finally peaceful again I did feel for them all missing out on so much information. 

We were just about finished in the first hall when John noticed that a large group of students had just arrived and it would be a good idea to visit the book now.  He is a genius when it comes to avoiding crowds!  We moved on to the next room and there it was! The security was pretty impressive, but not as much as the illumination on one of the pages.  In 1953 the whole book was divided into four volumes, Mathew, Mark, Luke and John, to better preserve the whole thing.  This means that every two months they rotate two of the volumes on display and every week they turn the pages.

I do love artisanship and the stunning ability of past ages to create with the barest of materials and tools.  I have seen photos and have several books on the Book but to actually be within inches of the velum and ink, to actually see the precision of the pen strokes and the glow from the gold was wonderful.  I was almost sad to move on upstairs to the Long Library as the group of students started coming into the room. 

I was more than grateful to have seen it without having to jostle for a position and a glimpse!

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Ally Pally

On Friday, 21 of my sewing ladies, Elsa and I travelled up to London to the Knitting and Stitching show at Alexandra Palace.  It was a first for me and I was very pleased to go especially in a group on a coach as I wouldn't have to face driving in a city, abandoning John or the horrendous train journey.  I don't do cities very well and London has always struck fear and dread into me.

We were quite early and made our way into the relatively quiet side halls that were filling fast.

Plenty of stands to visit and people to watch.  I even managed a sneaky pic of Elsa!! (The blonde in the foreground :-) ).

                                      

There were plenty of exhibition stands...

Many of which we could not take photos of.

The work at this exhibition was very fine and must have been laborious.  This is a section of the arc of a circle seen in the whole cloth below.

We met with Dale and Ian Rollerson from The Thread Studio, Perth, Australia.  (We're both rugby fans and Dale is a New Zealander in Australia so plenty to follow at the moment!!)

I wasn't sure about this one!

But I loved these knitted cranes!

I'm very pleased we made it and didn't spend too ferociously.  We also met with Liz from the Cotton Patch and talked about extras for the longarm.  The amount of catering at Ally Pally was superb and the venue itself is rather magificent, worth a visit just for the views over London.

  

Meanwhile back at home the grape vine in the courtyard has been slowly turning colour.  These leaves have been shielding the study from the afternoon sun all summer, when it shone, and the grapes have fed the blackbirds superbly.

And Chris found this happy chappie when he was shifting all the logs after a delivery on Saturday.

Have a wonderful week!

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Meet Gregory

OK, latest minor obsession.  I saw what SpeedieBeadie had been creating over on her blog a couple of weeks ago and thought, 'gotta have one!'.  So I ordered a pattern from Ute Vasina, the brains behind the Troll invasion and waited patiently for it to arrive.  It came Saturday and I've been playing since Sunday.

There has been quite a bit of input from John and Chris and Gregory had quite a lot of influence on how he was going to turn out himself!

Anyway result is this little fellow and something new to start collecting 'stuff' for!

Gregory

It was great fun in actually making him, but just as much fun, if not more, with the dressing up and adding bits.  I even heel turned his socks.

He needs a friend now.

(John has just asked me to point out that this is the genuine Gregory House and not the fictional doctor portrayed by Hugh Laurie!!!!!)


(Promise more in the way of C&G in return for new obsession!!)

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Order to Chaos

Whilst we were in Spain in the Spring, John stopped the car and we took a photo of these trees in their rigid formation.  He told me it would make a good quilt and he named it there and then.

So here it is, Order to Chaos made this week with machine free embroidery on hand dyed fabrics and a little beading all mounted onto stretched canvas. 8 x 20 inches.

Speaking of chaos, here is Chris at the start of his first ever half marathon.  He did an exceptionally fantastic time of 1 hour 49 minutes and 10 seconds and out of 2054 runners he came 478th which is well in the first quarter of the field! Very proud Mum!

                             
 A few gardeny bits now.

As Chris is with us he has been helping around the place which is wonderful.  While moving some slabs around he found this little stash of hazelnuts.  They go down quite a long way and I'm sure the mouse who put them there would not be happy if we moved them so the slab went back down to cover them again.  We have lots of hazelnut trees in the garden but no walnut tree and neither have the neighbours so it was a mystery why we also found a walnut not too far away.

This is a new one for us, a white headed Goldfinch.  He has faint markings of where the mask should be but no colour at all.  He is a little jumpy so hard to photograph and we assume one of this years brood though all the others have their full coloured plumage.

At the beginning of the month there was huge excitement at the sighting of a Hummingbird Hawk Moth in the front garden.  Too fast and brief for a photo though.  We also found this fabulous caterpillar of a Grey Dagger Moth on one of the hawthorns.  Isn't it spectacular?  Moth larvae are nearly always better than butterfly.

I have finished block 8 of My Tweets.  The end is really in sight now and I'm already thinking of how to quilt it.

And in my own room of chaos, there is always a place for a little bit of calm and a snooze.

Have a wonderful weekend.

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A Little Bit of Beading

I have been feeling much better this week, thank you for all the get well wishes.  Well enough, in fact, to help Chris with painting the sitting room.  He is between boats at the moment so has come to help us with quite a few jobs around the house which is much appreciated!  (If any of you are going to the Southampton Boat Show this weekend or have been over the past week you may have seen his boat without even realising it!! lol)

I have only pottered around doing nothing much at all but I did have this bracelet on the go to pop in and add a few beads when the urge came.

I'm not overly happy with the box clasp.  It sits well but is a fiddle to use so I may change it for a slide lock instead.  We'll see.

We have a nice quiet weekend ahead with a little Grand Prix and the rugby and Chris is also running his first half marathon in the New Forest tomorrow so we will be cheering him on along the way.

Have a great weekend.

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MIA Block 6

I've finished the found Block 6 of My Tweets.

Block 8 is under way.

I am still very under the weather.  The Doctor called me in to check my chest.  All is well but the virus will take it's time to work it's way out and, of course, antibiotics don't do anything to viruses so no point in them.  Lots of treating the side effects though of sore throat and nose, terrible muscle cramps from coughing and general lack of sleep.  I've snorted, rubbed and imbibed of most things available to help but my favourite is still a late night hot milk with a dribble of whiskey. At least the sweats seam to have stopped now so I must be on the good side of mending!

Have a great weekend.


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Far Travelled Birds

I did managed a few stitches while we were travelling about this summer, though not huge amounts.  I'm not too sure if these are the farthest travelled of Erin's little birds but I think I've had these blocks with me on every trip.

Apologies for the lighting in the pictures, it's quite grey outside and the 'lights on' effect does not work well!

Block 4

Block 5

Block 7

Block 6 managed to hide itself somewhere but I have now found it again and discovered that the bird is sitting on leaves with no flowers so I will be cutting those soon and Block 8 is still in the computer.

I've had horrid catarrh on my chest since Tuesday, I slept most of Wednesday and this morning it decided to hit me in the head.  Not feeling great but between the rugby world cup and the Formula 1 I'm happy on the sofa.  I did managed to send off another little batch of City & Guilds work before it hit so I don't feel as though I'm losing contact with that either.

I hope your weekends are going well, I'm going to hide under a quilt again.


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Vote for 'Unfolding the Quilts'

Voting for the Quilters Guild Lottery funding is now under way to win the final bid between 2nd - 26th September.  Please follow the link and vote.

http://www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards/best-heritage-project/136/

Thank you.

Normal Service Will Resume

The last couple of weeks has been rather hectic but we arrived back home on Thursday all safe and sound and very, very tired. We managed to travel just over 1800 miles as we had a bit of a wander around on the way home instead of sticking to the concrete river of the motorway.  They may help you travel from A to B easily but they are not always the way to go especially in old cars with a top speed of 70 and the Germans doing twice that! Scary stuff.  Picking up the dogs from the kennels was the perfect end to a long trip.

Friday I think we just vegged out.  The cars needed a little attention, as did the washing pile and we even had a little potter around the garden.

Yesterday we went to the Dorset County Show in Dorchester with Chris and the dogs.  We took them in 2007 and Ruger came 3rd in the Terrier racing (don't ask how a pointer involves himself in terrier racing) and he also came 2nd in the pond retrieve.  This year Tully came second in her heat of the terrier racing (at least she is a terrier!) but didn't place in the final and Ruger came 5th in the pond retrieve but he is that bit older now and a little unfit having been in kennels and that's still not bad against 30 or so other dogs.  I was furious with myself for leaving the camera on the side at home, the pictures on my phone came out terrible, but we did have a great day with the dogs in ecstatic excitement for most of it.  

Today I have been in the Eyrie since 05.30 just trying to find out where I am supposed to be!  I have re arranged the piles and my orders of priority and I am ready to create.  I did manage to put the snowflakes on the sleighs of the table centre for the sewing group Christmas Challenge and also the crystal stars.  I am quite pleased with it and think it has enough done to it.  I have kept the centre clear as I see a pot of Christmas flowers or something there.

The potatoes need to go in now and the chicken needs basting and perhaps I will sit and read weeks 5 and 6 of the Sumptuous Surface Embroidery course I have managed to not do.

Have a lovely Sunday and week ahead.

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