Oh Dear

Another cold, miserable Bank Holiday has passed and it has been too depressing for words really. There was a trip to the beach, but there were no flip-flops, no sunhats, no sunglasses, just wooly hats, wellies and a thermos of coffee. Puppy and Littlest Fairy had chattering teeth and it was a case of hot baths and cocoa when we got back. It's outrageous...WHERE HAS THE SUMMER GONE!!

So we have struggled to entertain ourselves. It has been one of those weekends of grouchyness and pickyness! Getting on each others's nerves and trying hard to keep our tempers. We are all feeling thoroughly out of sorts!

Puppy has had some fun it has to be said....I, on the other hand, was ready to explode!




To help keep me sane, I have sewn and sewn and sewn and now have a substantial pile of gorgeous jewelled hexagons.

I seriously miscounted the number of hexies that I needed for my quilt. I can't understand how, but then maths has never been my strong point. I originally counted it as 216, but that has now leap to 324! No matter though because I am loving it.

I have some new fabrics winging their way to the Fairyglade, but the Bank Holiday...the miserable cold stinky Bank Holiday has delayed them...Bah! Hopefully, postie person will drive up to my gate in the morning, the sun shining and pop longed for parcels in my box.

Sorry, for the poor picture quality. Did I mention dark, dismal, stinky Bank Holiday?... Oh well, there is always another one in August, fingers crossed!

Dev x

Hexagons

I have been itching to do a bit of hand sewing which coincided with a neighbour asking me to help her make a simple patchwork quilt. A rummage through the stash revealed loads and loads of pretty fabrics that I have been saving for just such a project. Now, I have to be truthful here...I have several quilts in the making, so I must be mad to start another I hear you yelling over cyber space. However, I have always wanted to make a hexagon quilt using the paper piecing method.

The history of this type of quilt dates back to the 1800's when fabric was costly and every scrap was saved. Small blocks were constructed and several were then sewn together until it was big enough to make into a quilt.

So, the sun was shining and a gentle breeze was blowing and into the washing machine all the pretty fabric went. A few hours later and it was all dry and smelling of spring.





Out with a hot iron and you end up with lovely neat piles of crisp fresh fabric already to use.

However, we are still not ready to begin because a template has to be chosen and the required number of hexagons cut out...in my case 216 in all.
I can hear some of you groaning from here, you are saying that life is too short and just get the sewing machine out and have done with it! Go on, be honest. But, I really, really enjoy this method of quilting. I admit that the sewing is more fun, but this is all part of it. Sat under the dappled shade of the apple tree, a cool glass of elder flower cordial and the waft of wall flowers on the breeze. What could be nicer?

So, now all the papers have been done, it's the turn of all those gorgeous fabrics. I might say at this point that I use old leaflets and magazine pages for my templates. Ordinary paper is just not quite rigid enough and cardboard is too thick. The leaflets at supermarket checkouts are perfect...shhhh, don't tell tham I said that!

Then when all that is done, it's time to begin stitiching. For this quilt I am trying to make no more than 2 or 3 hexagons in the same fabrics, and in some cases like the lilac polka dot above, I only have enough material for for one single hexagon. I use cheap old cotton for the tacking/basting, which you do all the way around each hexagon. Here is what it should look like.

They soon pile up as each one only takes a couple of minutes to do. And soon my little pile becomes a small stack of bright jewels.

I am really enjoying the making of this quilt. I like the repetition of it and above all, I love the yummy fabrics that are finally getting used. All of them are 100 % cotton. I believe that it is important to do this and that you should wash all your fabric before hand, just in case of shrinkage and loose dye colours.

On the subject of yummy fabrics, here are my favourite, favourites at the moment. I still do not have enough material and so ebay will be my next port of call for some more.

I know that it isn't everyones cup of tea, but I love it!

Dev x

Charity Shopping

Firstly, I just had to share this photo with you all. This is what happens when you get a naughty puppy...everything is on the menu! Shoes, boots, remote control, makeup, leather belt..you name it, he wants it....bless! The trouble is, we just can't be cross with him for too long because he is so darn cute....and he knows it I suspect!




I have done rather well in the charity shops this week. I don't often get a chance to visit them and I am ever hopeful of finding pretty things. Most times I come away empty handed, but I was rather pleased this time round. So what did I get...well, I decided that I would like to replace all my boring old grey, steel needles with colourful ones. I have enjoyed a return to knitting recently, and pretty needles make it so much nicer. I had to ask the assistant if she had any as there were none on the shelves. I was in luck and got this pretty haul all for the princely sum og £1.

The tortoise shell ones are lovely and the little bamboo ones are perfect for Little Fairy to use. You can never have too many pairs of scissors in my opinion, and these are lovely and sharp. I was all ready to leave the shop when I spotted this little gem.

My heart did a skippety, skip because someone else was holding it aloft and admiring it this way and that, and asking her friend what she thought. I almost fainted when she put it back on the rail saying that it was a bit grubby. A bit grubby...yipeeee! I sprinted from the doorway to the back of the shop and gleefully snatched it up much to her obvious dismay. She looked most put out I thought, perhaps she wanted it after all. Ha Ha too late now. Into the washing machine it went and out it came bright and fresh and much admired and fought over between Littlest Fairy and Boy Wonder. He is winning for now I fear. Oh yes, indeedy do, it's all mine!

That would have been enough to make my day, but next door was another shop and on the shelf sat this little treasure...more skippety skipping and into my bag it went....deep sigh!

My crafting mojo has been replenished and I am itching to do new things. The angel is a little further on as is my crochet blanket, but I now find myself drawn to coat hangers...yep, coat hangers. Strange but true. I have seen some wonderful examples of late and so decided that it can't be that hard. I have come up with my own version, yes siree, my own pattern.

Wow, I never thought that I would be able to say that. I am notoriously hopeless at patterns normally. However, I just threw caution to the wind and went for it. It is not finished yet so I won't post a picture just in case, but if all goes well, I may even make a tutorial. Mind you, I don't want to get ahead of myself just yet. Well, okay, here's a sneeky peak.

I am also itching to do some hand sewing and a friend has asked me to help her make a simple patchwork quilt. Well, simple I can do by the bucket load! So, I have sorted through my fabrics, made a few notes, sorted out a design and am ready to begin.

This was my first attempt at patchwork. I made this for the Littlest Fairy a couple of years ago now and it is much loved and used. I want to do something different this time and something not quite as pink. More to follow on this when I have made a start.

Well, that's it for now folks. Dev X

Washout

Well, what can you expect from a Bank Holiday in the UK? Yep, you got it...rain, rain, hail, rain, a bit more hail for good measure and more rain. A total washout in our little corner of the world. What happened to the sun and the beach and ice-cream and flip-flops?

They say that it is good weather for the ducks, but we don't have any. What we do have are our lovely doves and they at least enjoyed a shower! Initially, at least. After about 4 hours or so, the novelty wore off for them too.

Now they are thoroughly soaked and miserable and just sitting around waiting for it stop, only it didn't. It was raining when I woke around 5 am and it was still raining when I went to bed at 10 pm.

So where did that leave us? Well, there was lots of this.

And there was a bit of that too...........................

Now, I wonder what that could be, would you like to see? Okay then, as you are asking nicely.

She is so sweet and pretty and I love angels. She is holding a dove in her hand and is worked in Sirdar's snowflake which I had to source on the internet. I was working...ahem...... browsing one day, as you do and I came across a guy called Alan Dart. Oh my, what he doesn't know about cute and original knitted toys. Check out his website.

As you can see from the above photos, most of my activities have taken place under my lovely, warm, wooly ripple. It has been so cold here too.

As for the little man, Hector, well he continues to be the naughtiest dog in the universe, but with a face that this, who cares....

Is he gorgeous or what!!!

There are new things afoot here at the Fairyglade. Here is a clue.... Man person has been wearing strange clothing and asked me to buy him some marigolds!!!!!!!!!!

I will leave you with that thought for now and tell you more in my next post.

Dev x

Almost forgot, Libby sent me a lovely award and I have to tell you 7 things about moi.....all totally random so here goes..............

1. I went to Iceland for my honeymoon.

2. I began training to be a midwife and delivered 12 babies, but had to give it up. Lots of different reasons.

3. I am terrified of spiders.

4. I wish I could lose weight.

5. I hate tv adverts with a passion...oh and trainers, can't abide them. That's the footwear by the way and not people who train people to do things and stuff.

6. I would love one of those japanese crochet books I keep seeing on different blogs.

7. My favourite colour is white, mind you pink is lovely too and then there is powder blue and I look ever so good in lilac....oh dear!

So there you go, hands up who would like to be my friend!! (Form an orderly queue please)!

I need to pass this on really, so any of my readers who would like to divulge 7 of their innermost secrets and desires...please consider yourself awarded and spill the beans.

Hector

I would like to introduce you all to Hector the whippet.

He is the sweetest little things you could ever wish for...or at least he was when we brought him home all the way from Suffolk. A warm, cuddly, shy, sweet smelling pup. Now 2 weeks on he has found his feet and his teeth and my slippers, shoes, toilet rolls, cables, remote controls, teddys, knitting, door frames and anything that basically moves or looks as if it might!

Can you see the glint in his eyes, he is watching and waiting and ready to pounce. He loves the garden, and eating the flowers and the leaves and the shrubs and the bulbs, not to mention the wheelbarrow and spade, the broom, the fence posts, oh and the washing on the line!

He is the naughtiest dog in the whole wide world and we love him to bits already. He in no way replaces Hamish, how could he? Hamish was part of our family for nearly 15 years, but he does fill that huge gap that was left in our lives.

The house is a mess, the garden has had to be fenced off in parts to protect delicate new plants, we are absolutely exhausted as he thinks that 5 am is playtime and we have spent an absolute fortune in Petsmart!

Oh dear, bad puppy!!

He is just so darn cute and wiggly and cuddly and bitey and chewy and mischevious but he has enriched our lives and made us happy again.

Hamish

We finally did the right thing by our beautiful boy Hamish. He was just short of his fifteenth birthday. I could no longer bear to see him suffer. He was blind and deaf and had arthritis in his spine. He fell over things, bumped into things, was very disorientated and sad. I told myself that he was still eating his food, so he must be okay. He still wandered around the garden, so he must be alright. But, in my heart of hearts, deep down in that place where your conscience whispers softly but persistently, I knew that he was no longer enjoying his life. It had become a struggle for him, he was old and tired and had a way of looking at me when curled up on the sofa that said he was ready to go. Fifteen years is a long time to be part of someones life...our life, and his passing has had a profound affect on us all.

Oh, "it's only a dog" some might say, and too be fair, if you are not a doggy person, then maybe it is hard to understand the attachment, the hole in our lives that he used to fill with his gentleness.

I can still hear him sometimes in my head. I still look for him on the bed in the patch of sunlight that used to warm his old bones, I still get up to let him in from the garden...


Now he is at rest in a beautiful spot in the garden, beneath the daffodils and the shade of the apple tree. His favourite spot in the garden.

Easter

Here at the Fariyglade, Easter is underway despite the dire weather we have been having. Torrential rain and cold winds have been the norm for the past few days, but then what did we expect on a Bank Holiday weekend!

Today is still very cold and blustery, but there is blue sky and sunshine. We have a wonderful show of daffodillys swaying and bouncing about in the breeze. Last week, they sat there miserable, heads bowed, buds tightly closed. Today they are out in all their glory.

There has been some Easter craftiness spurred on by the Boos, a bag of polystyrene shapes and some pretty cotton fabric. The Littlest Fairy and I spent a pleasant couple of hours snippety snipping and glueing and generally making lots of mess. We watered down some pva glue and coated both the shape and the material. The glue dries clear a makes it hard and durable. what do you think?

Not only has there been Easter crafts, but doggy stuff too. Remember my trip to the charity shop and the newly washed, snuggly fleece, well it's time to meet Tilly...

Douglas is smitten by her and is resisting attempts to rehome him with the little boy he was made for.

There is another item in the making, but I am going to keep it under wraps for a little while yet. I have only just cast on a few stitches and knitted a couple of rows, but the Snowflake wool is gorgeous and soft.

I am hoping for better weather tomorrow, fingers crossed. As I type this now the rain is pouring down yet again. Where is it all coming from I wonder? In the meantime, I wish you all a lovely Easter day enjoy yourselves, relax and stuff yourself with as many easter eggs as you can!

H A P P Y E A S T E R T O Y O U A L L

Bye Dev xx