:: WHATNOT ::

PAINTING FLOORS

NIMBUS GREY

ANOTHER UNFINISHED SCARF

MOST WONDERFUL BEES

AUTUMN VEG

ONION SETS PATIENTLY WAITING

CHRISTMAS HYACYINTHS

LIBERTY WRAPPED CAMERA STRAP….

Pondering the dull black strap for sometime now, I have had several ideas for adding some granny bling to cover the huge red letters that adorn my camera strap…
From stitching doilies to making a fabric cover to slip over I finally settled with wrapping and knotting some of the liberty fabric yarn that I make with any leftover scraps of that oh so precious fabric..
Obviously the pictures are rather suspect as they were entrusted to my trusty hipstamatic app on my iphone but you can see the idea.

To wrap anything and have it stay put I like to use a kind of blanket type stitch…I sure this has a name in string or yarn type wrapping crafts, maybe someone can fill me in.
1.tie the end your yarn around the strap and secure with a double knot,
2. wrap the yarn from front to back and pass it through the loop you have formed and pull it tight.
3. carry on until you covered the entire strap and finish off with a double knot and tuck the end of the yarn under the wrappings…
4. now you camera matches your best granny attire x

SIMPLE FOOD

Sometimes the most tastiest of meals are the simple ones…

:: WORDLESS WEDNESDAY ::

FEED THE BIRDS

FEED THE BIRDS

As I poured yet more sugar syrup into my bees in the hopes that they will have enough to munch upon over the winter my thoughts turned to the birds as they chit chatted to each other while swinging merrily on the telephone wire..
I pop a bit of bird seed onto the feeder throughout the year much to the chicken gangs annoyance but come autumn I like to add in some fat to the mix to help keep our feathered friends warm with a ready brek glow from the inside out.
In my quest to find different uses for the many teacups that no longer are suitable for sipping tea from I thought to hang these from the bird table just high enough that certain chickens are unable to reach!
TEACUP BIRD FEEDERS
various chipped & unloved teacups
bag of birdseed
oatmeal, chopped nuts or any half empty bags lurking in the back of the cupboard with a use by date passed sometime ago…
Lard or solid veg fat
Old saucepan, bowl & spoon
1. Mix all the dry ingredients into bowl & then fill your teacups

FILL THE TEACUPS

2. Melt the fat over a low heat and then pour carefully into the teacups giving each a quick stir to make sure the fat reaches all the mixture

MELT

3. Pour the rest of the fat into the bowl & give everything a jolly good mix.
4. Let it cool briefly and then roll mix into small balls, when they are completely cool pop them into a jar and put a couple out for the birds when needed.
5. When the mix in the teacups has solidified add some string or fabric strips to the handles & hang on the feeder

POUR

SHAPE

HANG

LOVED AGAIN CUPS

6. Enjoy watching the birds feast away and the chickens try to work out how they can steal a few pecks….

PESKY CHICKEN

THE BUTTERFLY HOUSE…

The forecast was for rain…so we thought to take ourselves off the the exotic tropical paradise in the heart of Lancaster..in the usual fracas to leave the house, return the runaway dog to the right side of the threshold and make sure everyone has matching shoes, we forgot our coats but luckily for us the sky though grey decided to stay dry…

However many times we visit I never cease to be amazed by the wonder of the most delicate elegance of a beautiful butterfly just meandering about the place..chomping on some mouldy looking fruit or resting it’s wings for a while, just long enough for me to fumble about with my camera & snap a quick shot or 62.

Today Violet was accompanied by her big brother Tom in the hunt for bugs and such like on the habitat trail..boys however old they get always are first on the scene in the hunt for creepy crawlies, with stories wild & crazy about the most marvellous of creatures and an impressionable young lady wide eyed and impressed with her bothers vast knowledge of nonsense.

And the most important lesson of all that a big brother can pass on to his eager student is the fine art of scrambling through the forest looking for monsters, wild beasts, various imaginary friends and rolling in the leaves..

MOYO….

For those of you who love a nice pattern or three this publication is absolutely worth a ganders…A joint effort between Rachael Taylor & Beth Nicholls it is indeed a feast for the eyes

:: WORDLESS WEDNESDAY ::

TODAY I AM MAINLY PAINTING FLOORS

I fear this indeed will be how my time will be spent over the coming weeks…unfortunately the acrylic floor paints just haven’t cut the mustard in this damp and draughty abode and refuse to stay on the floor, chipping & flaking all over the show. So with a heavy heart I have had to go with the heavy duty stinky stuff which takes 16hrs to dry enough to recoat….Rooms will take several days instead of the nippy few hours & I think there will be a lot of shouting “keep that dog away” & “don’t go in there”.


As I merrily painted I did start to think that I may have been a little deranged with my colour choice considering I live somewhere that rains all the time & therefore the mud is a constant feature in our lives and that I have 3 messy children, a dog who does as he pleases and a few wayward pigs who like to pop in for a ganders now & then…
Oh well I have taken quite a shine to Nimbus Grey so I guess I had better get fashioning a few rugs for high traffic areas & try to impose the no shoes in the house rule…I do believe there will be rather a lot of mopping.


I am pondering painting my downpipe stairs also….is this madness??

A DEER, SEVERAL RABBITS & SWEET DREAMS

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night
Sailed off in a wooden shoe —
Sailed on a river of crystal light,
Into a sea of dew.
"Where are you going, and what do you wish?"
The old moon asked the three.
"We have come to fish for the herring fish
That live in this beautiful sea;
Nets of silver and gold have we!"
Said Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.

The old moon laughed and sang a song,
As they rocked in the wooden shoe,
And the wind that sped them all night long
Ruffled the waves of dew.
The little stars were the herring fish
That lived in that beautiful sea —
"Now cast your nets wherever you wish —
Never afeard are we";
So cried the stars to the fishermen three:
Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.

All night long their nets they threw
To the stars in the twinkling foam —
Then down from the skies came the wooden shoe,
Bringing the fishermen home;
'Twas all so pretty a sail it seemed
As if it could not be,
And some folks thought 'twas a dream they'd dreamed
Of sailing that beautiful sea —
But I shall name you the fishermen three:
Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.

Wynken and Blynken are two little eyes,
And Nod is a little head,
And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies
Is a wee one's trundle-bed.
So shut your eyes while mother sings
Of wonderful sights that be,
And you shall see the beautiful things
As you rock in the misty sea,
Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three:
Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.^[

LAZY DAYS SKIRT…

Violet has a serious shortage of skirts or so she tells me. So its back to an old favourite the Oliver + S Lazy Days Skirt. This is such a super quick and simple pattern with lovely clear instructions that its perfect to dip your toes into the sea of stitching clothes.
So a quick rummage in the fabric stash, some snipping & stitching and Violet’s wardrobe is whole again…. ( though she has her beady eye on a rather sensible Button Through Dress & a pile of coveted Liberty fabric)



Ooh and before I forget and ramble off about other stuff you simply must print off one of these practically perfect little wonders, do a bit of measuring and pop it in your bag….quite a life saver esp at the charity shop when wondering if something will fit a wee one.
Hope you all have a great weekend I intend to spend the whole 2 days stitching for me….

:: TODAYS DAY ::

Today my camera & I will be firm friends and will snap a few snippets of this most normal and usual of days…

Thank you for joining me on my jaunt through the day, I rather enjoyed writing this post this evening and seeing what I had crammed in. I think I may do it again….Hope you had a lovely day too whether its just ending or just beginning. An early night for me with a cuppa & the kindle as the bee inspector is visiting tomorrow and there are lots of most important questions I need to ask so I need to be bright eyed and bushy tailed…