Monday 25 May 2015

Taking a break

I will be taking a break from blogging for a while. My photos will still be over on Flickr where I keep a record of my sewing and growing, but life is pulling in different ways and blogging is a time consuming business. So I will leave you with the first poppy of the season.. 
 
First poppy of the season

What a cracker.
 
Vicky x

Monday 18 May 2015

Colour in the Garden

I love May.
The garden really starts coming to life and every day there is a new flower or shoot to see.

Anthemis cupaniana- sicilian chamomile

Anthemis Cupaniana (Sicilian chamomile) - known here as Carine's daisises. She gave me a sprig to root about 8 years ago and we now have 5 or 6 huge plants. They flower their socks off until summer time when they can be dead headed to leave the silver foliage.

Aquilegia- or Granny's Bonnet

Aquilegia or Granny's Bonnets are self seeded all over the place. I have tried growing some other varieties but they don't seem to do as well as the wild ones.

Chives

Chives. Again self seeded from one very small clump grown from seed and far too many really but I can't bring myself to dig them up because they look so pretty.

Wisteria

The wisteria has finally reached the top of our pergola after 7 years. My dream of sitting underneath shaded from the sun is still a way off but does now seem a possibility.

Osteospermum

Osteospermum- an old favourite.

Valerian

Valerian- planted on top of a wall to try and compete with the ivy and stingers. Doing well now that it has established.

Violas

Violas by the back door- planted last autumn and nearly given up on until we went away at Easter and they were tended by person with green fingers and lots of patience! (not me)

Centaurea montana Purpurea- or Mountain cornflower

And finally for the flowers (yet more purple!!) the Centaurea montana Purpurea - or Mountain Cornflower. It spreads like wildfire but I figure anything that competes with the weeds and looks this good has got to be ok.

WIP- cosy blanket number two

Cosy Stripe Blanket number two is coming on but more slowly due to the lure of the garden.

WIP- some more badges in the making

And this is another WIP - scraps bonded to some double sided sticky stuff ready to make a few more badges.

Tally is snoozing again in her favourite place

Tally is outside in her favourite spot again taking it easy!

Monday 11 May 2015

Tally and some Tutorial links

 
Tally and the daisies
 
We have had a busy couple of weeks Tally and I,
 so this is a well earned rest in the sunshine in her favourite spot.

Despite the busyness there have been some small bursts of sewing and I thought that I would share  links to some favourite tutorials, so here goes.

Firstly it's 'new peg bag' time of year again. Every year when the weather starts improving and I risk putting the washing on the line, the state of last year's peg bag usually means that it is time to make a new one. I am sure that if it got looked after better it would last for more than one season but I am afraid that it regularly gets left out in all weathers and ends up like this...

Sad old peg bag from last year!
 
This year the coat hanger also gave way, and so as you can see it is strung up with an old dog's lead looking particularly pathetic!
 
The new one is already in use and was made using the same old method
 which I have tried to share in this tutorial.
 
New peg bag 2015
 
 I would love to hear if you make one,
 or if you have any problems with the instructions I will do my best to explain.

Next up, was a Harmony Drawstring Skirt. This is a present for a little girl who will be 7 and the pattern and tutorial are found at Sew Mama Sew here.

Child's skirt
 
Just to show you the pocket which is sort of wrapped around the sides of the skirt.
 
Skirt side view showing pocket detail
 
 
 It's the simplest of patterns but lots of fun to make. I added a few tabs of ribbon, some ric rac, and a little crocheted flower from the Mollie Makes tutorial here.

And finally, The Girl requested an oven glove for a friend.
 Not the most usual of presents for a 17 year old
 but something to do with chicken nuggets!!!- don't ask.
 
I turned to an old favourite, Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing,
which has an oven glove pattern in it, but unfortunately I seem to have lost the pattern piece and so ended up making it up a bit. I followed her method though and I think it turned out ok.

Oven glove
 
I like the spiral quilting she suggests for both sides.
 
Oven glove-reverse
 
I'm off to sit in the sun with Tally and have a coffee.
Happy sewing.
Vicky x