Monday 20 May 2013

Blossom basket and quilt

This cold and wet spring seems to have done wonderful things to our apple trees. We have never had such lovely blossom and intense colours in the flowers before. After New Year I made a resolution to have 'Sort It Sundays' in the sewing room. Its an effort to reduce the pile of unfinished projects and Mending.... the later at the bottom of the pile and likely to stay there too! So far I have managed to finish something most weekends, but one quilt took longer. But just in time, before the blossom falls, here is my Tah Dah moment, a finished quilt in apple blossom colours, ready for the swing seat when it is warm enough to sit outside... The basket I bought because I have always wanted one....we can eat lentils for the rest of the month..... It came from Maggie at The African Fabric Shop, fair trade and made in Bolgatanga from elephant grass. It was so hard to choose, they are all so beautiful and come in other sizes. Using it makes me so happy!
You can see them here: 
    http://www.africanfabricshop.co.uk




Sunday 5 May 2013

Going steady

My lovely friend Jo often says as she is leaving ''Go Steady'', it is what her mum used to say to her and has an echo of driving home in the evening, maybe after a party and possible in a horse driven buggy.... Husband's granny sometimes described a young man as ''Not safe in taxis'' , certainly not a 'steady' boyfriend..... Recently I have been knitting daughter a new woolly hat for use in Norway. I came across this wonderful pattern, just right for riding on the back of motor bikes or sledges pulled by husky dogs and it reminded me of Jo's mum. So if you need a reliable woolly hat of going out in style, this is the one for you....and the girl looks so happy too!