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Showing posts from October, 2009

Goodbye October.

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Even though there has been much hype regarding Halloween, it has just dawned on me that today is October 31st. The countryside is changing rapidly now, leaves are falling quickly and the nights are so much longer now the clocks have changed.So before we begin the Winter I wanted to share photos of the past month; the colours and beauty of Autumn. Photos courtesy of this site.

Anniversary and baby dress.

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On Tuesday we celebrated our 30th wedding anniversay. Can't believe it has been so long I can still remember little details --- when my 3 yr old neice jumped in the car to accompany us on our honeymoon!! Anyhow this October 27th was spent quietly , we are going to have a celebration meal when the rest of the family visit. In the meantime our three daughters all contributed to a wonderful present --- a delicious hamper, as seen in photo, it contained chocs(notice the past tense there!), preserves , a fruit cake and biscuits all from Fortnum and Masons. Thankyou girls. So to keep my fingers off the chocs I have finished my skirt and am now starting to stitch a dress for my grandaughter.See photo above, the version I've chosen has short sleeves and I am making it in white broderie anglaise and hopefully I'll find blue velevet ribbon to make a sash. Here's hoping it turns out well!

Musing Mondays.

This week the topic is all about notetaking --- 'Do you take notes while reading – either for your reviews or for yourself? How/where do you make these notes (on the page, post-its, scrap paper, notebooks etc)? ' I always have a small pile of stickers or post-its nearby when I read. These are used frequently to highlight certain lines.These then are copied into blog posts or just to discuss with the family. In this way I feel as though I am broadening my horizons. A book is not just words on a page --- it can be a great learning experience. More discussions can be found here.

Weekend viewing.

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The house seems quiet since my grandaughter left, not that she was unduly noisey but we do miss her.With no baby entertainment we resort to the remote control --- television at the moment is not thrilling, apart from 'Strictly' and 'Doc Martin' so we have been viewing 'A Horseman Riding By' dvds, borrowed from a friend. The book of the same name(which I haven't read)is by R.F. Delderfield who also wrote 'To Serve Them all my Days', another t.v. series shown in the 80's. Whilst I adored to 'Serve them' this box set of the 'Horseman' I found a little slow in places. It follows the life of a country squire returning to his English estate after the Boer war. His dealings with farm tenants are varied and at times humorous, his private life stressful. Once settled back in England the estate continues as before but on the onset of World War 1 the tenants and the squires lives will never be the same. Nigel Havers stars, although he was p

Calling all textile lovers...

On the country channel tv. there is a new series highlighting all the pleasures of textile art and design.It is broadcast on Sky 171(My Channel), but if like me you don't subscribe to Sky , it can be watched free on the computer, the channel can be found here. I think I did register free a few weeks ago. The series started last Wednesday at 7pm, this programme discussed Fabric painting and was fascinating. It is repeated throughout the week but can be viewed anytime by typing 'Talking Threads'into the search box. The programme has it's own website here.

Sewing class

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Here is my latest sewing project. I have done most of the work so far in my sewing class on a Monday evening. These are held in a nearby school and with an average of 6 people we all get lots of individual attention from the tutor. The pattern is an out of print McCalls as seen in the photo, I'm sewing it in a polyester/viscose/wool mix and I'm going to line it . A straight A-line skirt , it is a pattern I have used often. Unfortunately it doesn't hang particularly well on the 'dummy' . I bought this dress model in the 70's when I did have a discernable waist however as the years have passed my skirts need to be pinned to stay on the model as my waist has enlarged considerably. Oh dear, well that's marriage and children for you, at least they are my excuse, lol!!! The class has taught me much, one aspect of dressmaking I had not tackled before was the placement of an invisible zip(as seen in photo). These are sewn into the garment in a completely different w

Booking through Thursday

THIS IS THIS WEEK'S TOPIC FOR DISCUSSION ---- We’re moving in a couple weeks (the first time since I was 9 years old), and I’ve been going through my library of 3000+ books, choosing the books that I could bear to part with and NOT have to pack to move. Which made me wonder… When’s the last time you weeded out your library? Do you regularly keep it pared down to your reading essentials? Or does it blossom into something out of control the minute you turn your back, like a garden after a Spring rain? Or do you simply not get rid of books? At all? (This would have described me for most of my life, by the way.) And–when you DO weed out books from your collection (assuming that you do) …what do you do with them? Throw them away (gasp)? Donate them to a charity or used bookstore? SELL them to a used bookstore? Trade them on Paperback Book Swap or some other exchange program? Oh dear, I'm afraid I can't remember the last time I did any weeding , in the book area I mean. I am a te

Teaser Tuesday

This is what you need to do to join in ---- Grab your current read Open to a random page Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Here is mine 'I was struck by his beauty although I did not realize it then;all I knew was that I wanted to go on looking at him. His face was pale; his eyesthe most startling dark blue I had ever seen; and his fair hair curled about his head.' page 14 'The Miracle at St Bruno's' by Philippa Carr. More teasers can be found here.

Sam's Letters to Jennifer.

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'Sam's Letters to Jennifer' by James Patterson. A novel by best selling author James Patterson. This book intertwines the lives of two people, a grandmother and her grandaughter. Jennifer, the grandaughter is a journalist and is called to visit her grandmother who is very ill. Leaving her hectic life Jennifer bundles her cats in the car and travels to Lake Geneva to Sam's hospital bed. On the journey she reflects on her own life and the tragedy that has befallen her of late. On reaching the hospital her vibrant grandma was much changed, 'She had always been so strong, almost never sick, always the one who took care of everybody else --- especially me. ... 'Sam had always reminded me of Katherine Hepburn, and we's seen all her movies together...' When the initial shock of Sam's health has registered Jennifer finds herself staying in Sam's house and there she finds many letters waiting for her to read . letters that will both shatter some of her

National Poetry day.

National poetry day in the U.K. Here is one of my favourites ----- HOME by: Anne Bronte (1820-1849) HOW brightly glistening in the sun The woodland ivy plays! While yonder beeches from their barks Reflect his silver rays. That sun surveys a lovely scene From softly smiling skies; And wildly through unnumbered trees The wind of winter sighs: Now loud, it thunders o'er my head, And now in distance dies. But give me back my barren hills Where colder breezes rise; Where scarce the scattered, stunted trees Can yield an answering swell, But where a wilderness of heath Returns the sound as well. For yonder garden, fair and wide, With groves of evergreen, Long winding walks, and borders trim, And velvet lawns between; Restore to me that little spot, With gray walls compassed round, Where knotted grass neglected lies, And weeds usurp the ground. Though all around this mansion high Invites the foot to roam, And though its halls are fair within-- Oh, give me back my HOME!

A Stitch or two...

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Thought you might like to see my latest stitching. An embroidery kit from Rowandean , I bought it a year ago at a Needlecraft show. It was very easy to do with all the threads sorted for me. The piece at the bottom lefthand corner is worked on organza and then trimmed close to the stitching. I like this effect and will now decide on it's outcome ---- a card or a picture? Time will tell. I have also begun dressmaking classes on Monday evenings at a local school, my aim is to make a winter skirt. It is going well but I'll keep the details for another post.

Teaser Tuesday

So it's Tuesday again ----- Grab your current read. Let the book fall open to a random page. Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page. You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given! 'Our marriage had been an act of defiance, Charles' way of putting his thumb in the Stanford family eye. I was twenty-two years old, but I felt that my life was over.' page 50, 'Sam's letters to Jennifer'. by James Patterson. More teasers can be found here.

' Timber...'

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This was the sight that greeted us this morning, in fact at 5am. we heard the crash. My husband went to investigate and by torchlight saw the devestation. We were forecast high winds and being in an exposed spot we do get our fair share of gales but this was not expected. It was lucky that the sheep were no closer as it really would have been a terrible disaster. Most of it is cleared away now as my husband has been busy with the chain saw most of the day. There is one consolation there will be plenty of wood for the Rayburn stove and fires during the Winter.

St. Therese of Liseaux

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Yesterday we spent a wonderful day visiting the Carmelite Convent in Darlington.This was the day when the relics of Saint Therese of Liseaux were arriving and were venerated. Saint Therese spent her religious years in the carmelite order in France. Her relics are touring England and Wales till October 15th. As the casket arrived from a church in Newcastle there was a guard of honour from the Royal Dragoon Guards. The Carmelite sisters (seen in cream cloaks in the photo) had worked hard in decorating the convent and a shop selling rosaries, medals and books was available. It was a priviledge to attend the convent and to be able to pause at the casket and pray. As this venue was not publicised nationally, the public were made aware of the visit by word of mouth and although many were there we did not feel pressurised to keep our visit short. In fact my daughter and myself were able to pray at the casket twice . Many people purchased roses which were later laid around the casket or take