Once I'd started sewing yesterday, I didn't want to stop. Another idea I'd had brewing for a while was a door curtain/blind made from this beautiful old Hungarian linen cloth. However, blinds are way beyond me, I just can't get my head around the instructions. So, I needed a more simple solution. I spotted a net curtain wire and two hooks in Dunelm (a brilliant shop if you look hard), which cost the princely sum of 99p.
I folded over my cloth at the top and machined it, leaving a slim gap, then threaded the wire through. Using the two little hooks and eyes it was supplied with, I screwed them into the door and just clipped on the cloth.
I now need to construct two little strips so it can be rolled up and down, but I've already got a plan for those.
Meanwhile, upstairs, my husband was adding some shelves to our tiny airing cupboard so my huge assortment of linens and bedding can have a slightly less chaotic home, and an excellent job he did, too. Thank goodness for rainy days!
After a very long dry spell, it's finally raining here, and it looks set in for the day. The house feels very full of boys, piles of trainers, and husbands (well, only one of those, but you know what I mean), but I've had a little sewing project in mind for a long time, and today seemed like a good time to go ahead. I picked up a large piece of cheery 1950s fabric from Lincoln Homes and Antiques show, and I wanted to turn it into a curtain to cover a gap in two kitchen units.
I already had the dowel rod and two hooks in place, as my mum had made me a couple of these curtains already, but I really wanted to do this myself (yes, my sewing skills are very basic and so is my little machine!). The shots are rather dark, because of the rain.
I'll do some more pics when it brightens up. I'm fired up now, and I may well re-cover a stool this afternoon.
I won't keep posting about jam, as I know it may be of limited interest...but I am pleased with my store cupboard full of good things. Our annual village show is approaching, and I usually enter a couple of jars, so we'll see if all this jam-talk actually amounts to anything in the cut throat world of competitive preserve-making.
I have even found a use for my little lace mats, which I love, but never really know what to do with: they can be jam pot covers for now. Perfect.
When I spotted this tin emerging from a box at my local car boot sale on Sunday, I couldn't believe my luck. The seller appeared to be an antiques dealer who was selling off some stock, but I got this for £2 and my money came out of my wallet faster than the speed of light. These little line drawings around the sides are amazing:
My other finds included an old red wooden train, a pine rolling pin and three pounds of damsons, which I've since turned into jam. I am fast accumulating a jam mountain in my cupboards....
We had a friend and her six year old son to stay this weekend, so we took them to Burghley House, near Stamford. To the side of this rather formal looking stately home is a special garden, full of water features and quirky sculptures, all of which have been designed to appeal to children. There is also a larger, wilder sculpture garden, ideal for a gentle walk.
Visitors are encourage to walk through the water 'gates.' The younger ones need no excuse!
Statues move, and there are mirror mazes and obelisks which spout smoke and light. Then there is the sculpture garden, which is my favourite area.
These cow sculptures are amazing, they're made from sacking, plaster and old tree roots. They capture the very essence of a cow...
Then there was just time for a picnic and a relax on the grass. It was so nice to appreciate some of the sights that we have close to home. Taking visitors makes you see them through fresh new eyes.
Younger son and I took ourselves off to the local pick your own farm this afternoon. I've had very little time to spend with him since we returned from holiday, as I've had to produce this month's issue of the local magazine in two weeks instead of four. Thankfully, it's done now, so we were able to make our expedition at long last. We picked plenty of these:
A little bird told me that there was something else that might be of interest to me at the PYO Farm. So when I spotted this, I was very excited:
A lady called Karen is setting up the Tilly Rose Vintage Workshop and Craft Studio, opening in September. She invited me in to have a look round, and kindly agreed to some photos:
The barn was full to the brim with vintage fabrics, buttons, trims and linens. Karen will be running craft workshops, a sewing cafe, children's create and craft sessions, as well as selling her handmade designs. Her website is http://www.tilly-rose.co.uk/ and she also has a blog. The Tilly Rose barn is at Hill Farm, Chesterton, Oundle Rd, Peterborough PE7 3UA. We have very few businesses like this in our area, so I think this is a truly exciting development.
Raspberries for tea and a slice of vintage, too! Can't get much better than that.
The world may be going crazy, but there are many things to love about this time of year. Simple pleasures which seem even more important during tough times.
Victoria plums. Perhaps it's the memory of my grandparents' garden which had a tree full every year. These plums have beautiful pink and gold skins and when you catch one at its peak of ripeness, they cannot be bettered. I was very pleased to see them in the greengrocers' this morning, and they will be making an appearance of the cover of the next issue of the local magazine. This little lot will probably be turned into jam this evening...
Isn't this a lovely setting for an antiques fair? It's Grimsthorpe Castle, near Bourne, Lincolnshire. I was here to take some photos and hijack some punters for an article for my local magazine. After some heavy rain the previous day, it was a lovely morning. First of all I had to get my bearings and have a little look round....
How cute is this little Dutch caravan? It was absolutely tiny.
I love this lady's stall. I bought some old red shoes from her a couple of months ago and posted about them.
It is a long time since I carried out one of these 'vox pop' type articles and I wasn't really looking forward to it. But antiques people are a good bunch, and everyone was happy to be photographed. Especially this chap....
It was really hard to browse to buy and concentrate on the article, so I came away almost empty handed. Just a piece of fabric, which will be ideal for doing up the car boot sale stool that I found last weekend.
On the flight home from Spain, I was thinking to myself that I would turn over a new leaf on my return. I would de-clutter, clear the decks and resist the lure of the charity shop and car boot sale for a while.
6.45am this morning and the sun was glinting through the curtains, the birds were singing....could I resist?
Fifteen minutes later, I was in the car and heading for my old stamping ground, my big straw basket on the seat beside me.
It was a beautiful day, and the car boots were out in force. I thought I was going to be a bit late for the best loot, but I had a great morning's hunting. A pretty, pretty Staffordshire tea set for a fiver, more buttons, some lovely floral jugs and a little stool to recover (for £1!). And I love this:
It is dated 1935. No Alco-Pops or Facebook on their horizon!
When I got back home an hour or so later and put the coffee on, the house was still quiet. No one had stirred while I was out.
I have to face it, I can't give up my Sunday morning junking jaunts.
A small craft market came to our town and although Ryan Air's punishing baggage restrictions meant that I couldn't really buy much, I was able to admire these gorgeous woollen blankets. The makers were spinning the wool near their stall.
We all enjoyed mooching around town that day. We bought fresh fish for tea and climbed up to the highest part of town where there is a stunning old church, Santa Maria de los Angeles, with wonderful views.
A little more watercolouring, some canoeing - and that was a very good day for everyone.
