Autumnal Projects

 Well hello there!

I'm sitting in my sewing room writing to you, and the November sunshine is streaming through the window.  It's a lovely day out there and I relish these days, as November can often be so dark.

On those dark days this autumn I have been busy finishing off some projects that have largely been lurking in my sewing room for some time.  I needed some more space to start on Christmas projects so I've had a good go at getting some projects completed, as well as sneaking in a couple of new ones!  

Firstly, knitting! I have never considered myself much of a knitter, and have shied away from anything too patterned or what I considered 'complex'.  More time at home has given me a chance to read up on different techniques and I have knitted my first simple lace pattern!  I started this cardigan months ago, but put off knitting the lace yolk as I had no confidence in my abilities, but it turned out to be so easy to follow and I actually enjoyed doing the lace pattern more than the stocking stitch!  The pattern is King Cole 5305 and the yarn is 'Drifter'.

I also had a look at a slip stitch pattern and fancied making a pretty shrug I spotted as a free pattern on the Knitrowan website.  The pattern is called 'Kew'.  Clothing that ends where this shrug does aren't that flattering on me, so I lengthened it by 5cm, so it is just on my waist, and I am really happy with it, and have worn it loads already.  The yarn was from my stash and is Rowan Cashsoft DK, which is sadly discontinued, sad as it is the softest yarn and was available in such gorgeous colours.  The slip stitch pattern was so easy to do and I love the effect it gives.

I've also finished two quilting projects, which I started back in the summer, then put to one side as there was 'loads of time' before they would be put out on display.  Well, that time evaporated and it was a rush to finish them whilst there were still some golden leaves left on the trees!  For these I used the pattern 'Handstitched Autumn' from Anita Goodesign.  Most of the fabrics are Lewis and Irene 'Scarecrow Acres', now also discontinued.  There seems to be a discontinued theme here, but it did mean I managed to purchase the fabric greatly discounted from the wonderful shop (online as well as physical) 'Nicola's Fabrics'.  If you like to quilt and have never visited the website, you are in for a treat!

Here is the wallhanging:

And the table runner:

Now I've made some space in my sewing room, I have been trying to organise things a bit.  My friend Christine, the super-talented Winwick Mum, has this fantastic idea on her blog for circular needle storage.  As most shops are closed at the moment I hunted around the house and came up with an adapted version, less colourful, as this is all I had, but does the job.  I love it!  Such a simple idea but I can now see at a glance which needles I have, plus I no longer have to hunt them down and deal with all the slippey slidey packets.  Thanks Christine for the great idea!

So, what am I working on now?  Well, Christmas presents I can't yet reveal, but I can show you my latest knitting project, which is this fabulous vintage cardigan.  It reminds me of the television programme, 'Call the Midwife', which in turn reminds me of my Mum, as I was a child of the 60s.  I chose the Drops yarn 'Cotton Merino', ordered from Wool Warehouse, and it is the softest, scrummiest yarn.  

One thing I love about most vintage patterns is the tension square is more often than not just 1 inch square, plus a couple of extra stitches each side.  So much quicker to knit, and I was delighted to see my tension was spot on so I could get straight on to the knitting.  

What projects are you working on at the moment?  Please do share as I'd love to hear!

Donna xx

Autumn

Hello Friends,

I love the autumn, I always have.  It's hard to pinpoint why exactly but maybe it's something to do with the golden light we get this time of year.  Or the colour of the leaves.  Or maybe the cosiness of the woodstove alight on a chilly, dark evening.  Perhaps it's kicking through leaves and picking up conkers?  Maybe it's cooking warming, comforting food again?  Perhaps it's my birthday celebrations that fall in 'fall'?  Whatever it is, autumn is a season I simply love!

I've been out and about, walking and admiring the colours.  Daisy too has developed a love of skipping through the leaves, so she is a good companion on my walks.

Before we in England were restricted to meeting with only one other person outside, I had a lovely, long, birthday walk with two dear friends, M and J.  We walked for about 5 miles and were planning to end with a picnic.  I had packed a healthy lunch and was bemoaning the fact I had not packed any sweet treat, as I felt I had earned it. However, when we sat, J produced from her rucksack a cake, complete with candles and napkins, and M the accompaniments!  The candles were lit, 'Happy Birthday' was sung, and the candles were waved out (blowing out of candles is also not allowed!) It was such a lovely thing they did and I will always remember my 2020 birthday.  (Note in the photo the sign of the times in the hand sanitiser, wipes and picnic table covering!)

My darling daughter and her fiancé were due to spend my birthday with me, but sadly the restrictions prevented that.  My thoughtful husband and son had taken me to Bettys for a birthday lunch beforehand though, so that was a lovely celebration.  We also brought home a little box of treats for tea :)

Autumn is when I turn to one of my favourite desserts - baked  apples.  Yummy!  These are so easy to make and apples are at their best now.  It's such a simple dessert but so delicious and happy to sit and wait for a while if your main course overruns!  Here's how to make them:

Ingredients:

Large cooking apples - 1 per person.  Bramley apples are by far the best, if you can get hold of those.

Brown sugar

Sultanas or raisins

Butter

Method:

Firstly, core the apples with an apple corer, and using a sharp knife, cut carefully through the skin around the 'equator' of the apple, being careful not to cut through to the the hollow core area.  This is essential to stop the apple bursting all over the oven!

Place the apple(s) in an ovenproof dish.  Press some sultanas or raisins into the cored centre of the apples and then some brown sugar to your taste.  It doesn't matter a jot if you miss with some of it, as we will be adding some more to the dish in a minute.  Add a few more sultanas or raisins, and then a little bit more sugar.  Top off with a knob of butter, pressing it down well to cover the core hole.

Sprinkle a bit more brown sugar in the baking dish and then pour enough water from the kettle over the apples until the water is roughly1cm or 1/2 inch deep.

The apples are quite flexible in how long they take to bake, but to give you an idea I baked these ones on the lowest shelf at 180 degrees Celsius for about 45 minutes.  They are great to put in the oven when you've got something else in, but if the oven is at a hotter temperature they will obviously cook more quickly.  The main thing is to use a lower shelf and keep an eye on them so they don't overbrown or the water dries up.  Add a tiny bit more water if it looks like it might.

Serve with the syrup from the dish poured over, either on their own or with custard or ice cream.  Delicious!

The sun is setting and I need to do a few things before it gets dark, but I haven't even started to show you my autumn projects yet! I'll save those for next time! 

Take good care,

Donna x

Puzzles!

 Hello!

Years and years ago, when I was a little girl, the next best thing to Mum saying "Shall we get the (sewing) machine out after tea?" was "Shall we get a puzzle out?"  Mum only had a small selection of puzzles, but goodness me, did we enjoy doing them over and over again.

I was reminded of this during these months of having so much more time at home and so I visited  some local charity shops when they reopened and bought a couple.  Then a couple more.  Then searched eBay, and a whole new obsession began.  They are what Mum referred to as  'stop-works' and the quest to find just more piece can turn into half and hour or more! What a peaceful, mindful occupation, and a nice break from sewing, quilting, knitting and crochet.  These are just a few of the ones I have done:

Skipton.  One of my favourite local places.

An aerial view of London, which actually shows the bit of London my daughter lives in. 
I stroked that bit...

This one was called 'Too Many Cooks' and reminded me of cooking with my children when they were little!

Puzzles are great to have lying on the table as they just lure people to put a piece or two in, and before long everyone in the household joins in.  

I often think back to those puzzles Mum had and the one that was my very favourite was of Piccadilly Circus. (I grew up in London).  I searched eBay for a while and eventually found, and won, the very same puzzle! I was so excited when it arrived.  The box was smaller than I remembered, but then I was very small.  This one had the price of 23 pence on, which I seem to remember was the price of the one Mum had, but perhaps I am adding my own details to the memory.  

Mum used to let me do the easier bits - the two large buses, the Woolmark logo, and the largest advertising hoarding.  I started by completing those very same sections (although Mum would have done the edges for me).

I then had to do the trickier bits myself, but how lovely to remember back to those evenings in front of the fire, with the puzzle board Dad made for Mum on the coffee table.  I can whisk myself there now.

After a few evenings in front of our own fire, the puzzle was completed, and I loved it all over again.

After only a few short months of doing puzzles, I have to admit we have more puzzles that Mum ever had in the Cupboard Under the Stairs. Yes, definitely an obsession :)

Donna x

Postcards from Wales

 Hello friends,

Well, guess where we've been?!  Keeping within all local restrictions on travel and mixing, we've actually been on holiday!  Everything we had booked this year had been cancelled so we decided to take ourselves off to the Llyn Peninsula in North Wales for a week. Oh my goodness, how good did it feel to be somewhere different, and espcially to smell the sea air and the sun on our faces.  

The Llyn Pensinsula is a lovely piece of Wales, that stretches out like a cat into the sea.  There were so many wide, sandy beaches for Daisy Dog to run around on, and for us to picnic on.  

We walked some of the Wales Coastal Path, with hidden gems around every corner.

The countryside is just idyllic, with views of Snowdonia in the distance. 

Caernarfon Castle is within easy reach and we spent a splendid afternoon there, exploring all the staircases and marvelling at the views.

The weather was kind to us, and we had mostly sunshine and mild temperatures.  Perfect September weather.

We returned home feeling restored and rejuvenated.  What a treat!

Donna x 

Catching Up

Hello again!

I don't know about you but just lately my mind has been full of nothing in particular and I have felt the need to hunker down and nest, reflect and just be. The ebbing and flowing of the Virus confused my brain, and I felt happiest doing my limited amount of going out, but otherwise, staying home felt right.

I've been in my sewing room a lot, I've sorted out my wardrobe and organised the kitchen.  That was satisfying.  

We had my husband's family here for a few days, following all current restrictions, and that was lovely.  They are my step grandchildren and I had great fun with them on a picnic, and a woodland adventure playground.  We went to a favourite place of ours called Bolton Abbey.  Nowhere near Bolton, but rather part of the wider estate of the Cavendish family of Chatsworth House fame.  We had a lovely time!

We also were treated to my darling daughter and her fiancé staying here, which was a delight! Lots of time to potter and chat and eat and walk (not at the same time!)  It was a delightful week and I loved every second.

I mentioned time in my sewing room and here are a few things I have made:

Another Miette skirt ("another??!!" I hear you exclaim) from Tilly and the Buttons, this time in a brushed cotton, just in time for autumn.

A cosy long 'Agnes' sleeved t-shirt,  again from Tilly and the Buttons, in a cotton lycra fabric.  Aren't the little anchors cute?

A short sleeved and a long sleeved Agnes in a butter soft stretch cotton. Here is the short sleeved one, but the long sleeved one is in the wash!  I love the fact you can vary this pattern in several ways to make it look different.

I've also been knitting and finished 3 pairs of socks - a 4 ply pair for my husband (he's wearing those today!) and this DK pair for myself.  I used Winwick Mum's great tutorial as a starting point, adapting them to knee high by using my own recipe here.  They are warm and cosy and will be perfect in my walking boots on chilly days. I made a semi matching pair for my husband, hence the plain cuff on mine so we could quickly tell them apart.  Clever, eh?

Hopefully we will have a wedding to celebrate next year, virus permitting, and not only do I have the enormous privilege of making my daughter's wedding dress, I am also making her fiancé's bow tie.  I made one as a prototype, and he's pleased with it, so that's good!  You'll notice a dog collar in the same photo, which I hasten to say is not for him, but for Daisy Dog!  I recently met one of my daughter's best friends, who is enjoying learning to sew, and has mastered dog collars for their new puppy. She made one for Daisy and it is fabulous!  Really soft, looks comfortable, and is completely washable.  They look so professional and neat that I asked her for instructions on how to make them, which she shared with me, and I made one for Daisy to match the bow tie, just because I could!  There are loads of tutorials as well on Pinterest, and I bought the hardware from a great online shop called Petsbits. I can see Daisy having a whole wardrobe of collars.

I promise not to leave it nearly so long next time before coming back for a bit of a chat.

Stay safe, be well, and take good care,

Donna x 

Venturing Out

Hello Friends,

As always, I hope this finds you safe and well, wherever you are in the world.

Life jogs along well here.  Lots of time in my sewing room, and the garden when it's not raining!  

As a family, we've been reluctant to go 'out out' unless it's been necessary, but dipped our toe in the water of venturing further afield recently.  Last week we went to see my daughter and her fiancé in London, which was absolutely brilliant!  We drove down to avoid using public transport, taking with us a picnic and flask of tea for the journey!  Oh what a wonderful reunion we had with them.  As is the case for families all across the world, the parting for so long has been hard, but the coming back together again oh so sweet.

As we had the car we took a trip to Epping Forest, for a walk and a picnic lunch.  It was so lovely flopping on the warm ground for a picnic and a chat.  Why does food always taste even nicer out of doors?

We also went into the West End to do a little bit of shopping and I can honestly say I have never seen Regent Street and Oxford Street so quiet, well, not since I was a child growing up in London! We managed to get everything we needed in a short space of time then went to meet my daughter's friends and their puppy in a local park.  Daisy enjoyed playing 'chase' with her new friend, and we had a good chat and lots of laughter at the dogs' antics.

Once we were back at home, feeling ever braver, my husband and I went shopping for the first time, other than for food.  I felt quite giddy with the excitement at seeing lovely, and rather tempting, things again!  I decided to treat myself to a very pretty breakfast cup and saucer, milk jug and tray. So delicate and fun and don't the puffins and penguins just make you smile?

Two of my dear friends and I have swapped out regular cafe meet ups for long walks with a picnic and I am really enjoying it!  We live in such a beautiful part of the world and are quite spoilt for choice for places to walk from our doorsteps.  This is one of my favourite walks, up on the hills overlooking the beautiful Ribble Valley, feeling like I'm sitting on the top of the world!  

My husband and I have started to be more adventurous where we walk Daisy too, and pack up the mini flask, water, and our Ordnance Survey app, and go off exploring.  Really special.

The River Ribble

On the banks of the River Ribble

Ribble Valley

This pandemic has made us all a bit inventive, and I am pleased over the past few weeks to have spent happy hours with friends in parks, gardens, and even sat on driveways!  Going without things has been OK, but not seeing those we love, not so good.  How truly wonderful it is to reaffirm those relationships and see the smile of a friend, or hear their laughter in real life.  Priceless.

Stay safe,

Donna x 

A Quilted Wallhanging

Hello friends,

Well, I promised last time I would be back to show you my finished quilted wallhanging and here I am!  This has been my main Lockdown Quilting Project, and it kept me sane really, as I lay in bed when I couldn't sleep and plan the fabrics for the next 'house'. My daughter, who I haven't seen for months and miss like crazy, bought the pattern for me and it made me think of her as I stitched away.  The pattern is a digital machine design by Anita Goodesign.  The fabrics were all leftovers from other projects.

Here it is...

The pattern is called "The Village" and the blocks are modular, so I picked my favourites to stitch and laid them out on the bed to decide the layout and colours as I went along. 

We have hung it on wall in my daughter's bedroom here (we still call it her room despite the fact she lives in London!)  It is visible whilst climbing the stairs and I enjoy seeing it every time.  It's over a metre wide, so makes quite a statement!

I'm now back making blocks for my daughter and her fiance's wedding quilt.  I am incorporating Liberty Fabrics into it, (her favourites), and had tried out various blocks, which I then decided not to use as they were too 'busy' and I am going for a more calm, understated look, to match the decor in their home.  Never wanting to waste anything I made them into a mini sofa quilt for Daisy Dog (who isn't allowed to lie directly on the furniture).  She absolutely loves it (despite her face in this photo!) so much so I am making some more blocks, in between wedding blocks, to make a mini sofa quilt for the other room!

Stay safe, until next time,

Donna x 

All Dressed Up but Not Many Places to Go

Hello friends,

Before any hint of lockdown I had decided I needed some new summer clothes.  I have lost some weight recently (deliberately) and a lot of clothes were now too big, or a bit worn out!  Then we became confined to home, and I felt happy and comfortable in a tee shirt and my collection of Miette skirts and dressmaking fell by the wayside.  My cupboard of delicious Liberty Lawn fabrics kept calling me though so I decided to make a couple of dresses for the odd occasions I do anything more glamorous than food shopping at the moment!

I used one of my favourite patterns, New Look 6224, but a view I hadn't used before, the one with flutter sleeves.  I decided to make both dresses in the same style as the fabric was different enough to get away with it.  This also meant I could cut both out at the same time.  Clever, eh? 

I'm really pleased with how they turned out.  The sleeves are so light and fluttery, but provide a bit of coverage from either the sun (Thursday) or the wind (Saturday).  At the moment we are experiencing four seasons of weather in the space of week!

It was nice to do some dressmaking as recently I have done mostly quilting.  I have three on the go!  The quilt for our bed, the wedding quilt for my daughter and her fiance, and a quilted wallhanging.  As the wallhanging is by far the smallest, (the other two are King Size quilts) I decided to make this my project-to-finish-during-lockdown and I'm happy to say I have finished all the blocks and have started stitching them together.  It is a raw-edge applique quilt, and each block was quite labour intensive so took a while.  I'm not going to give away anything else but wait until it's completely finished and then reveal it!  

Oh, I did also make a quick project - a new peg bag!  Ours was literally hanging by a thread so I made a new one from a lovely piece of sturdy calico, which I also used for the lining. I embroidered the front with Sunbonnet Sue, which was a pattern by Anita Goodesign.  The photo isn't great as it's hanging on a white door after I'd given it a final press, but here it is anyway!

Back to joining quilt blocks now!

Take best care,

Donna x 

A Long Overdue Taa-Daa!

Hello my friends,

I hope all is well with you, wherever you are in the world, in these extraordinary times.

The beautiful weather has continued here in the UK, only breaking yesterday with some rain and cooler temperatures  I have spent much of my time in the garden, pottering, planting, keeping on top of tidying bulbs and perennials as they come and go, and making sure to take time to enjoy just sitting in the garden.  We have eaten many meals outside and drunk lots of pots of tea!

I'm not really great at sitting doing nothing so I decided to use the time in the outdoors, in the daylight, to finish hand stitching the set of placemats I started months ago.  I had actually finished four, but you may remember the project grew and grew and I found myself making ten!  If I am making a quilted project that is going to be seen from both sides I like to hand stitch the binding down on the back, rather than machine stitch it, which I often do for a wallhanging quilt.  You may also remember that I loathe and detest hand sewing! Consequently I had parked the remaining six placemats, with bindings full of pins, like so many Very Cross Hedgehogs, for 'another day'.  That day - many days in fact - arrived and lots of tiny stitches later I have a full set of placemats. Here they are...

I am so pleased with them!  The fabrics are all from the 'Hedgerow' range, by Lewis and Irene, and the embroidery patterns are by Anita Goodesign. 

I used the Quilt as you Go method to make the blocks, with an 80/20 wadding (batting) and then quilted them with a layer of heat resistant 'Insul-Brite', purchased from the good people at Empress Mills, Lancashire. 

I make things to be used, so these are in use every single day, and I try to be philosophical about the odd gravy or sauce spot, but I am glad my family are being extra specially careful with them so far!

All good wishes,  

Donna x