Autumn Makes

As we head properly into Autumn weather after a very mild Hallowe'en (when I walked the dog across the fields and orchards in t-shirt and sunglasses - see photos below) it is now time for lighting the woodburner each afternoon before the light starts to fade. 

This is one of the things I love about the change of seasons, and about living here in the countryside....the lighting of the fire. 

The little ritual of laying the fire - emptying the ash pan, screwing up the newspaper and setting it in the grate, laying the kindling on top, selecting the right small logs, striking the match and lighting the paper, then watching it take. Adjusting the air intake, getting it going good, then sitting back to watch the golden orange flames flickering and hearing the crackling of the logs. It is a very simple pleasure and primeval act, one which has been taking place for centuries, the lighting of a fire for warmth.

Sitting here watching the fire and drinking camomile and spiced apple tea, warm and comfortable, I'm feeling grateful. 

 daisies in November!

mistletoe and unpicked red apples in the orchard 

(I had planned on writing more about apple orchards and mistletoe but I just don't have the time at present.)

cute Shetland pony saying hello on our walk last week

In the coffee shop this morning where I met a friend for our weekly catch up, they were a season ahead and playing a Bing Crosby song normally associated with Christmas. It was kind of comforting to hear as we sat with our mochas and lattes whilst the wind and rain lashed outside, and it gave us a sense of well-being as we hashed over the news in the warmth of the cafe.

For me it's been the usual week of indoor chores, the washing, cooking, cleaning, vacuuming, and the trips out for shopping, post office, numerous station runs, dog to groomers, meeting friends, making tea for the builder doing our external rendering to make us watertight for the winter, dog walks, dog bathing after muddy walks, doing paperwork for husbands business, etc etc, and I have been squeezing in a few hours here and there where I can to build up a bit more stock for the Xmas Fair (decided just to do one this year) and for my Etsy shop.

So I now have a flock of ticking birds finished........

some mini stockings made from vintage white damask, with a vintage lace rose, lined in a vintage floral, and perfect for hanging from the tree full of those little chocolate coins........

make-up bags from vintage fabric - this one from a sweet 1960's fabric, lined with a recycled striped blouse.......

embroidered lavender hearts.......this one from a lilac felted cardi that I ruined in the wash

 and today, these lavender filled hearts made from linen with a rose applique. 

I've also spent an hour or two playing around with transferring images to fabric.

I am planning on doing more transfer printing next week, and at the moment just wish there were more hours in the day as there are so many things I would like to do but there's just not enough time!

Thankyou for your comments on my last post. I'm sorry that I have little to share but my makes, but that is how I'm spending my days at the moment!

Have a great weekend wherever you are!

Just a Quickie............

...........to share a few things with you.

Firstly this yummy Apple Cinnamon Cake recipe that my daughter made a few days ago. 

She found the recipe on line but, typically, we now can't find it so I'm sorry I can't credit the recipe source, but thank you whoever you are for this recipe as it is delicious!

Apple Cinnamon Cake

50g brown sugar
80g caster sugar
120g butter
2 eggs
220g plain flour
120ml milk
2tsp cinnamon
1 granny smith apple, peeled & chopped chunky
2tsp vanilla extract
1.5tsp baking powder

Start off by making a brown sugar topping by mixing the brown sugar with the cinnamon in a bowl and placing to one side.

Cream the butter and sugar together until fully combined then start to add in all of the other wet ingredients, such as the eggs, vanilla extract and milk. Once mixed together add the dry ingredients – the baking powder and flour, again stir until well combined.

Into a greased tin pour half the batter, then push in half an apple that has been peeled, cored and cut into chunks, make sure they are spread out, then sprinkle on some of the brown sugar topping. Repeat this step with the remaining batter, apples and cinnamon.

Bake for 30mins or until a skewer comes out clean at 190c (or 170c fan).

* * *

We've been making the most of the few warm sunny days by getting out for long walks, but on the wetter days I've been spending what spare time I have on making more Christmas Fair items.

more French vintage ephemera coasters..........

some hand stitched shabby hearts, ideal for hanging from the tree 

a few more little vintage fabric pin cushions

and some little ticking bird tree hangers

On the crochet front, I've crocheted together the four ribbed squares that I crocheted a few weeks ago here and which I now need to crochet a back for so I can make a cushion.

And I made another cloche hat using the same pattern as before from Ravelry, a brown tweedy one from the Sirdar Chunky yarn I bought a few weeks back.

And apart from having developed an addiction (whilst I'm sewing production line style) to the White Chocolate and Cranberry cookies that our little village shop sell, I think that's about it from here!

Thank you for all your comments on my last few posts.

I hope you are all enjoying a good half term week!

October Bits and Bobs

On this wet and blustery October morning I snapped a few photos of a beautiful rose that my daughter gave me for Mother's Day this year, and which, I'm ashamed to say, sat in its pot until late summer this year.

It is only just flowering now ( as I deprived it of a comfortable bed for so long ) but it was worth waiting for, especially as I hadn't expected it to flower this year, but the mild weather has obviously encouraged it to bloom.

It is a very delicate pale peachy pink, so pretty. It wasn't a named variety so I don't know what it's called as it was just labelled a pink floribunda. It is delicately scented too, and I've planted by the entrance to the drive so in a few years time I hope it will make a good show as you come in.

The pale pink tiny flowered fushia is still going strong

and even this self-seeded marigold is thriving in a crack by the house!

In the back garden the fuschia on the patio is also still blooming away, as are all the summer geraniums, some of which are from last summer which continued flowering on and off over last years mild but wet winter.

And spurred on by mamamercantiles recent post on getting the garden set for winter, I went out yesterday, bought some pretty tulips ( a lovely plummy one, Purple Dream, and a smaller variety Little Beauty, a lovely cerise with purple centre with an RHS award of garden merit), a bag of bulb compost and two new pots (just seen above either side of back door )and actually went straight out into the garden and planted them up!  Usually I have two out of the three elements needed and the bulbs never get planted as I have either pots or compost but not both, and as there is little free space in the borders, and I never seem to be organised enough to plant under trees or in the lawn as an alternative, they sadly and wastefully just get forgotten. 

Any suggestions as to what I could plant in the top of the pots or should I leave well alone? I thought of poking some classic forget-me-nots around them in the Spring, but maybe I should put some cyclamen in for now? Or winter pansies? What do you think? All suggestions gratefully received!  

I tend to do better with pansies than with cyclamen, which I have tried many times to introduce to the garden when  I see them in the garden centres, but they just seem to disappear after a while, never to return! Pansies and violas seem to thrive though.

I also spent an hour or two in the sunshine sweeping the patio, clearing up the clumps of moss fallen from the roof ( courtesy of the birds), and the many autumn leaves, as well clearing up and re-organising pots and planters, so it now looks a lot tidier

.

Out and about with a friend yesterday morning, which included the trip to the garden centre for the Tulip bulbs, we pottered in a charity shop and I spotted this lovely Alfred Meakin plate in the "Linden" design, for £2. I find it very hard to spot any pretty china these days so was chuffed to find it, as I am very keen on some of the Alfred Meakin designs of the 1950's and 60's and have a few other plates which I'll share in another post.

Last week I found this useful display shelf in a country furniture shop, not to my taste decor wise as it had been painted in a pale yellow combed effect with patchy peach highlights, and is made in cheap particle board, but the shape is good and it is sturdy. It will be perfect on my stall table for displaying smaller items.

 

I'm not completely happy with the result yet as the Annie Sloan Duck Egg Blue paint that I used came out darker than I expected, especially after putting on the clear wax. It looks light enough in this photo, but it is actually darker and more green in real life, and I wish I'd left the side edges duck egg instead of off-white, so I shall paint over the side trim and see if I like it any better then. If not the whole lot will get re-painted in my favourite Annie Sloan Paris Grey!

I know its still a way off, thankfully, but I'm having to get on with xmassy makings, and have made a 2014 version of the hessian tree hangers I made in previous years as they always seem to be popular.

 and some country style checked stars.

Hope you are not being too battered by the winds today!

P.S. Here's a quick but poor photo of my Blueberry Cowl finished a week or so ago - the colour is lovely and heathery with tiny flecks of turquoise. 

Am pleased with how this one has turned out, and it may, just may, be going to Bella if she can bring herself to wear "something crocheted"!!!

The pattern can be found by clicking on the link on my Ravelry page here