Something you don't hear everyday!!

My banana plant has a flower on it....Never thought I would say that!  We have had it for years and this is the first time it has flowered....wonder if we will get any bananas?

 

 

I have finally finished my hexagon quilt top.  Just need to quilt and bind it now.  I am a bit daunted at doing it all by hand, but not sure how it can be done on the sewing machine...do I zig-zag down each row? 

 

 How lovely it looks on the washing line this morning, each hexy like a precious coloured jewel.

 

Mind you that was this morning....and this is the scene at the Fairyglade this afternoon.  It is pouring with rain and soooooo chilly.  Hector Dog has the right idea and the best spot in the cottage. 

 

 

Does my nose look big in this???!!!!!

 

Dev x

Mr Fox

Where has the summer gone I wonder, my thermometer is reading just 12 degrees right now and it is pouring with rain.  Mr Fairy has lit a fire these past couple of nights just to take the chill off and make it feel a bit more snuggly.

Has anyone seen this new magazine, the cover sold it to me straight away.  Isn't Mr Fox cute and I want to knit one right now.  Only problem is I don't have the wool in my stash.  I can feel a trip to the wool shop coming on, or in my case the internet shop as there isn't a decent wool shop around here for miles.  Has anyone actually started making him I wonder? 

 

 

He is rather red however, I will have to make him a brown fox I think. 

 

 

Have started some...dare I say the "C" word projects....you know the one I mean don't you.  Will show you soon.

 

Dev x

 

 

 



Homegrown Sunday Lunch

There is nothing more rewarding than growing your own fruit and vegetables.  Nothing tastes quite like it...not to mention the freshness of it and the fact that it has cost you a fraction of the supermarket prices.  There is just no comparison.....

 

I steamed the marrow whilst cooking the potatoes and then seasoned with salt and pepper and grated some mature cheddar over the top.

 

 

 

 The chicken was the only shop bought thing on the plates.  I made my own gravy from the crispy juicy bits on the bottom of the pan and thickened it all up with a bit of cornflour.

 

 

 

 For pudding, I stewed some of our bramley apples with a bit of sugar and a few cloves.  Then made a crumble mix with self raising flower, butter and some soft brown sugar.  This was sprinkled over the apples and popped in the oven for around half an hour.  Served with a big dollop of thick double cream....yum yum!

On the crafting front I have been getting a few bits made up for Halloween as it is next in the seasonal calendar here at the Fairyglade.  I received some wonderful fabrics from my seriously lovely penfriend in the USA.  Thank you so much Marqueta I absolutely love them.

 

This piece is so cute that I wouldn't know where to cut into it so have decided that I might make it into a cushion front.

 

I haven't cross stitched in many moons even though it was one of the first crafts that I learnt.  I have dipped in now and agian over the years.  Due to blogging, my interest has been sparked again, having found so many fabulous blogs especially in USA.  I found this cute little freebie online.  Now as I type this I cannot remember where I found the chart and I also note from other blogs that I am supposed to tell you what I stitched it on and the thread count and colour etc.  On this matter I will just say that I used 14 count aida (which seems to be terribly frowned on nowadays) and an assortment of thread that I had in my stash.  I had the charm in my box.  I have made it into a small cushion and am now looking for a suitable basket to display it and a few others in the making.  Despite scouring the charity shops yesterday, I couldn't find a single basket anywhere! 

 

 

 

Hope you are all having a happy Sunday.

 

Dev x 

I have been away for eons and eons.  Am surprised that I haven't been deleted from everyones favourites.  Hopefully I am making a slow comeback. 

We recently retunrd from a holiday in Malta...what can I say about it...it is beautiful and so worth a visit if you can stand the high temperatures.  Between 36 and 40 degrees most days that we were there.  Stayed in Melliha which is on the north side of the island.  I will let the photos do the talking for me..........

Dev x

Patchwork Progress

I began this quilt way back in the summer last year.  It has been a slow process but a pleasurable one.  

I love sorting through my fabric stash and selecting the prettiest colours.  I love cutting out the paper templates and then the fabric itself.  I love putting two designs together for each block, even though it can take a while to decide what looks right.

And then there is the stitching which I love the best, sitting somewhere quiet maybe under the apple tree when it is warm and listening to the birds or in the playhouse when it is raining listening to the raindrops on the roof. 

I love laying out all the beautiful coloured rows and deciding on what goes where.  Getting an idea of how it will look when it is finished. Sometimes it's tricky when similar designs are closer together than I would like, it can take a while to sort it all out into a pleasing effect that feels just right.

Then the most exciting bit of all, sewing the strips together to create something beautiful and unique.  That is where I am right now.........


Dev x

Flip Flops

A little summer holiday is now in the process of being booked and to that end a pair of flip flops are essential for those strolls along the sand.  I have racked my brain, (that took all of a few seconds!) in an effort to remember where I saw this tutorial originally.  A marvellous idea I thought at the time and filed it away for future use should it become necessary.  Well that time is now but I cannot give the credit where it is rightfully due I'm afraid.  If anyone can refresh my memory as to where I saw this then please contact me and I will do so.

So I bought myself a cheap pair of basic flippy flops and crochet myself a long, long, long chain leaving a long length of thread at the beginning.

Before I began to wrap and glue in place, I threaded the long end of the wool through the holes underneath and wrapped them round and round the posts and then secured with a blob of Bostik glue.

I then wrapped and glued the chain along the top in small amounts as it can get very sticky indeed.  I did this up each side separately and then I could hide the ends under the central flower making it all neat and tidy.

 

I then crochet myself a couple of sets of flowers, a rose in the middle and two other flowers either side.  You can use any flowers you like and there are many books and tutorials to help you with that part.

Just glue them into place and voila, a pretty cute pair of happy, smiley face making flippity flops!!

Dev x

Cheeky

Blue skies today but with a cheeky blustery wind that can cut you in two and has your skirt up around your ears!


Crafting has been sporadic of late, not sure why, just sometimes it is nice to chill out of an evening.  That said, I have managed one or two bits and have something in the pipeline to start.

I bought this lovely book a while ago now and fell in love with this scarf/wrap as soon as I saw it.  

That was until I sourced the Kidsilk wool and I realised that I would have to remortgage the Fairyglade to pay for it!  And so it sat looking at me each time I browsed the book.  Then one day recently when I spied a gap in the rain clouds, I popped into my local wool shop where I spotted this at the very bottom of the end of line basket.

Now I almost fainted with excitement, my heart was doing that skippity, hippity thing it does when something is so delicious.  Could it be...might it be....Oh My Goodness it was!!!!  Yikes, grab it quick before anyone else realises what it is.  Why were there no other peeps elbowing me out of the way leaving me weeping and wailing and gnashing my teeth!!??


With not a moment to lose I scooped all three balls up and practically ran to the tills.  £2.99 each as opposed to the normal price of £8.25.  A saving of nearly £16.  Bargain!!  It isn't enough to make the wrap, but there is now a scarf to be made with my name on it!


I loved making this teas cosy which comes together in no time at all.  The flowers are the the consuming bit but such a pleasure to crochet and it gives you a chance to use up all those little scraps of wool that can be found in the bottom of your bag.

 

This little coathanger is sooooo cute.  I found it in recycled bin at my local supermarket and popped it in my bag.  I haven't seen one this size before.  Another easy peasy design that turns the mundane into something really quite fabulous....at least I think so?

That's all for this post, am hopeful of showing you another cute project soon this time with a bit if a holiday theme.


Dev x