Ironing? - Time in the Garden? - Tough Choice!

As my title suggests, I did intend to do some ironing, but having wandered into the garden to eat breakfast, surprisingly - the garden won!  Not actually to weed, dig etc., but to brush down and sweep up etc., and this is the result:

As you can see it is 'bijou', more like an outside room which we use loads, but it is south-west facing and I love it!

Here below a few close ups:

Aubretia + Honeysuckle and Lavender on the way.

Clematis

Climbing Hydrangea - can never remember the real name - can anyone tell me?

Blowsy, beautiful Peonies - correct spelling ??

Self-set Honeysuckle in the lane - clever eh? and it has loads of flowers coming!

Cow Parsley in the lane + a little more Honeysuckle on its way!

And last but not least for today - a view from my bench where I knit, sew, drink cups of tea and coffee and enjoy the odd glass of wine.

Happy Summer  !

Aldwincle Fair Round Up

Well, today I am about to relax in the garden with a book and a glass of wine after just rounding up on yesterday.

The shone brightly, a gentle breeze and a beautiful setting.

The stalls all looked great (see all the pics below taken before we opened) and we had a steady stream of visitors in the morning, though fewer in the afternoon.

Great camararderie among the stallholders, very friendly visitors, and the feedback I have had is that everyone enjoyed the day and I received bookings for my next Fair which will be at Great Addington on Saturday 23 June - more details to follow!

Carole and Sylvia's Stall - and Sylvia rather sad when she sold Gerald Giraffe who was her favourite !!!

Helen demonstrating with her Spinning Wheel



I'm rather pleased with our sign - do you recognise the picture on it - our Beloved River Nene



 Tracy's Stall

 Wendy's Stall - Very Colourful

 Jade's Stall - Vintage Fleur - run by her Mum on Saturday!

 Husband Bill on Refreshments - He looks a bit stern, but he was happy really - honestly  !!!

 Paula's stall

 My stall - not me there, but Linda

 Linda's stall

 Caroline's stall

Tables outside ready for refreshments

Enjoy the sun  !!!

Home Fair Fast Approaching

With the Hand-Crafted Home Fair fast approaching and a day ahead tomorrow baking to provide people with sustenance, I thought I would just feature a few hand-mades that I have sold in the past.

Below is the Star playmat/blanket, which I reproduced in knitting from a fabric pattern.

This is the Berries Cushion which is made by combining many toning colours, fastened with three vintage buttons and filled with a cotton and feather cushion pad.

Here is Charlie Bear, who didn't get sold, but went to live with my grandson Louis.

And finally a Hand Knitted 3 - Flower Brooch completed, again with vintage buttons and a stripy hand-made one from the 1970's.

I must also report that my chat and 60 second sell on BBC Radio Northampton went really well and if you click the link below, you should still be able to hear it via i-player  at 1 hour, 54 minutes and 26 seconds in approx!  on the Drive Time programme http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/p00rjdrd/ - if I have set it up correctly!!

So wish me luck for Saturday and if you are in the area, or know anyone else who is, do please come along and see what you think - Aldwincle Village Hall, NN14 3EL - from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Garage Sale and Hand-Crafted Home Fair

The forecast was really quite good for today, but disappointingly - especially as it is my birthday - it dawned drizzily, dull and really quite chilly.  However, my friend and I set off the for the annual garage sale in a neighbouring village, which has really gathered momentum over the years.  I have never seen so many stalls and very spread about - we walked a LONG way.

As you might imagine, all sorts of the usual and unusual things for sale, but my prime search as ever, was for fabric and I picked up these pieces above for £4 - when they are washed and ironed they will hopefully reappear as some very pretty cushions.

My other great news is that I am to feature on Radio Northampton on their Drive programme on Wednesday this week just before 6 p.m. to speak for a timed 60 seconds about the Fair.

I now have to write a piece, and make sure it fits the time limit.  I am really thrilled to get this publicity for the Fair, but a little nervous - so wish me luck!!!

A very busy week coming up now making final preparations - and so don't forget THE HAND-CRAFTED HOME FAIR at ALDWINCLE VILLAGE HALL, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on SATURDAY 26 MAY.

Thank you for reading.

Garden Pottering

Now don't laugh - in between the rain at the end of last week, I cleaned out and potted up my pots!  I hope to show you these again when the large blue one is full of poppies, and the smaller one is full of night scented stock!

This one is cornflowers - and the stool is very precious to me.  My Dad who died several years ago now, suffered from Multiple Sclerosis for almost 40 years and before he became totally wheelchair bound, he used to cook meals and this is the stool he sat on to peel potatoes, chop veg, make pastry etc., as he couldn't keep himself upright when standing.  It resided in the garage for a long time, before I resurrected it and painted it blue for the garden - he loved his garden too and it is a lovely reminder of him.

The Acer which lived in a pot for about 8 years was put into the garden the summer before last and it seems to be thriving, even if growing a little lopsided!

The bluebells are really bright and cheery and hopefully the deep red peonies will burst forth soon - I will show you when they do!

My garden is of the small courtyard variety and rather jumbly, but it gets lots of sun to sit in (when it shines) and I love it!

Have a good week.

2 Weeks to Go

With 2 weeks to go the my Hand-Crafted Home Fair at Aldwincle Village Hall, my mission this weekend is to get as many posters up as I can - and I am boosted by the fact that today, here, the sun is shining - dare I say it?!!

It is quite windy, and clouds keep drifting over, but on the whole - it feels like Spring!

I picked this posy from the garden and the lane outside our house yesterday and rediscovered the oversized blue mug, which I think is just right to set off the bluebells, mint, euphorbia, jack-by-the-hedge (I think), and cow parsley just coming into flower.

Today I have also washed the muslin curtains to bring Summer to the sitting room and this afternoon plan to make cushion covers in some fantastic emerald green and vivid blue floral fabric which I found when we cleared out the loft, pics will follow - and also I have to run up a couple more table cloths for the refreshment tables at the Fair - did I mention that?!! - The Hand Crafted Home Fair at Aldwincle Village Hall on Saturday 26 May - if you are in the area, do come and support all our local and very talented crafters.

I will become quite boring over this, but I am passionate !!!!  Thank you for reading  !!!!!

May Day Fair

As we all now know May Bank Holiday was not really what we would have hoped for weather wise, however, after my husband had fixed the broken bath hot tap, which seemed to have crumbled from the inside and produced only a dribble of water, we set off and had a scrumptious lunch at The Fox at Thorpe Achurch. 

Open Ciabatta topped with poached eggs and smoked salmon with a beurre blanc sauce and a glass of wine.  I will certainly visit again.

Everyone came in clutching umbrellas and sporting brightly coloured wellies and there was a nice feeling of "we are all in this together!"

We drove on to the Fair and the village, (which is just beautiful anyway where many of the houses still belong to the private Estate and so are often let rather then sold), was gaily decorated with bunting, there were lots of different stalls, and the field where we parked smelled really fresh and sweet.

The school children did a great display of Maypole Dancing, and when the maypole began to lean rather alarmingly, it was quickly sorted out with a child pole holder!

We had a good browse and I called at the stall of a fellow blogger.  We had a good chat and I bought the super piece of Hydrangea fabric from her.  I also got 3 Lilian Harry books which I have not read - they are great - comfort food in a book, and I picked up the little shelf unit from another stall for £3 - I am thinking it will be great for display on my stall at the Hand-Crafted Home Fair at Aldwincle.

A great atmosphere and spirits certainly didn't seem dampened by the rain!

Then home so my husband could watch the snooker, I did knitting and fresh cream cakes with a cup of tea.

Heaven.

A Greater Britain

When we cleared out the Loft a while ago, I found this little book which I had forgotten I had.

The above picture is the front cover "The Open Door" and the picture below is the back cover showing that we have stepped out into the beautiful garden.

It is called "The Wings of the Year Booklet" by Nora M Carter, and was obviously produced just after the 1939-45 war.  The whole book is produced in sepia and reading through it really made me think.

The sentiment in the book looks ahead so simply and with great pride.  Below is a piece from it.

A GREATER BRITAIN

The Heart and Soul of Britain

Shall grow finer, greater still,

Because she's won a Victory

The proves her faith and will;

Faith in God and Goodness,

Trust in honour and in Right,

Faith in all the hearts who love her,

In their effort and their might.

Oh, Glorious our Heritage!

Then onward let us stride;

For God has saved our Britain

That she may honour Him with pride;

That Truth, and Strength, and Charity,

Shall ever be the aim

Of the men who share her destiny -

The GREATNESS of her NAME.

Oh, but that it was this straightforward!