Another Journal and a rainbow

I have just finished making another journal or notebook cover which I thought you might like to see.  

You will have to read the post before this one I'm afraid, if this is to make any sense to you!

Once again, sorry about the poor quality photos

And it is this sort of French red embroidered monogram that is inspiring me particularly at the moment

my hand embroidered letters on the Peg Apron shown in last post

and will feature in more of my designs in the next few weeks I hope.

Here is the latest journal cover

made from vintage floral linen and lined in faded red and cream homespun

with a blue and white gingham ribbon bookmark finished with a vintage tassel.

As I type this post, the heavens have just opened and a rainbow appeared, together with a mirror rainbow. This poor camera just about managed to capture it. It is of course is far more colourful and clear than this wretched camera can show.



Time to cook!

Have a great evening everyone!

A few things you didn't know............and some sewing

Thank you all for your wonderful comments on my last post!

They made me a happy blogger!

Have been busy the last few days with sewing. Partly getting ready for the giveaway, and partly working out some new things that I am making that I hope to put in my blogshop and in an Etsy or Folksy shop, and eventually on my website. I may start doing a few fairs again later in the year too.

This new "range" will have a lot more hand embroidery and use of vintage fabrics and has a definite French influence to it.




Hand embroidered Peg Apron made from vintage linens



If you read my last post you will know that I have been fortunate in being awarded a couple of Blog Awards recently, and  a part of accepting awards is to reveal a few things about yourself that others might not know. I have elected to avoid this in my last few awards, but felt that in the spirit of things I should have another go!

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So here we go.........

My first "job" at the age of 15/16 was working in a theatre, firstly as an usherette selling programmes and ice-creams, and later as a spot light operator for pantomimes, plays etc! I had to follow the script with the lighting cues marked on it, wearing headphones ready to be cued! It was great fun!
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I once sat next to Adam Faith in this theatre during a show - he was near the end of the back row, and we were allowed to sit down there during the show - I didn't realise until after I'd sat down, then I thought he looked familiar but wasn't sure it was him until someone confirmed it later!

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I bumped into Freddie Mercury (literally!) backstage at the same theatre. No mistaking him! Boy he was tall and thin!

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I very rarely watch TV - its usually on in the background in the evenings as Mr G likes to watch (fall asleep to) all those gory forensic cop programmes that seem to be on all evening every evening, but if I'm in the room I will either be sewing, reading, crocheting and listening to some classical music whilst he has the headphones on so I cannot hear the TV, and without my glasses I cannot see it either!

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I went to my first pop concert in London at the age of 14, wearing a black crepe dress with long wide sleeves, bought for a few pence from a jumble sale then adapted, black nail varnish and heavy make-up - it was to see Black Sabbath!!!! How my mother let me go I'll never know (although it was in the company of my elder brother and his friends!).

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I used to work opposite Madame Tussauds and the Planetarium for several years, yet I never visited them until years later!
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I worked as a Surveyor just off Oxford Street for a year whilst doing a degree in Estate Management, but graduated during the property crash, couldn't get a job and ended up training as a Chartered Accountant (Public Sector) instead of a Chartered Surveyor which is what I set out to be!
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I took my final Accountancy exams incuding writing a 10,000 word thesis and giving a presentation on it, whilst 6 months pregnant! Not much fun!

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I used to make and sell handmade silk underwear (camisoles and french knickers and petticoats,  made with french seams and trimmed with lace) whilst working full time, only in a small way but they were quite popular, and I supplied a small shop for a while. This was before the days of M & S silk underwear, when it was hard to find!

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Gardening is in my blood - both my maternal Grandfather and my Great Grandfather were both gardeners by trade, and both worked at Chartwell, Winston Churchill's home - my Great Grandfather was Head Gardener there when Churchill bought the house, and stayed on working for Churchill for a year or two before he retired - during this time my Great Grandfather, my Grandfather and my Great Uncle all worked there together, and they lived in the gardeners cottage on the estate.

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I think that's enough revealing for now!

Oh. Except I was just going to reveal a little glimpse of something else I've been making, but the photos are so poor with this old camera, so apologies for the bad photos - am hoping to get a new camera soon.
(our digital cameras were stolen when we were burgled earlier this year and I have been borrowing one for the last few months, but now thats gone back to my very kind sister- in- law)

It is a journal cover, with journal included, made from a vintage french style faded red and natural striped cotton fabric, lined with cream cotton, with East of India ribbon on the front and an East of India ribbon bookmark with a vintage tassle.

The top picture in this post shows a Peg Apron, made from vintage natural linen and vintage floral linen,with a scrap of very old tablelinen hand embroidered with the word "Pegs" in scarlet thread. There is a white cotton tape hook to hang up the apron when not in use.

I shall also be making Gardening Aprons and more Peg Aprons.

Watch this space for the Giveaway announcement - you have been given a few clues here as to what it might be!

I shall also be announcing soon the blogs to whom I shall pass on the awards - so sorry to be dragging this out over several posts but, as you all know, it is time consuming especially when there are so many other things to be doing!!!

Thank you for visiting me here, and for all your lovely comments, and if I haven't visited you in a little while I do apologise,  I shall be over very soon!

Have a great day!

Extraordinary Women

On the Agenda this morning:

Notice of an up and coming Giveaway.

Announcement of Awards Received

Luckily a short agenda, but might go on a bit so do make yourselves comfortable!!!

Firstly, Official Notice of A Giveaway coming to This Blog very soon!!

A few posts back I mentioned that a giveaway was on the cards for when (and if) I reached that amazing milestone of 100 Followers.

When I first set out on my blog journey at the end of January, I had no idea really of what to expect, other than it would make me feel  a part of the creative blogging community that I had been quietly following for a few months, and wanted to be a part of.

I had no idea of the fun and fellowship, the sharing of all good things, the inspiration and ideas and above all the kindness and sincerity that I would find as a norm. It has been mindblowing in that respect, completely unexpected.

And when I first set out on this blogging adventure, I had no real anticipation of having many "followers" as I could not see really why anyone would want to read about my rather ordinary everyday life, where nothing very much on a large scale ever happens.

But that was before I realised that there are in fact many "ordinary" people out there in blog world that I visit, whose lives on the surface may appear fairly ordinary, but when you get involved and experience with them their everyday happenings at a micro level, you realise that their lives are anything but ordinary.

These people are quietly just getting on with being incredibly creative, productive and industrious, inspiring others, sharing and giving, whilst at the same time often working in other jobs, raising families, the exhausting but rewarding looking after young children, looking after pets, as well as their houses and gardens (not to mention husbands and partners!).

And still finding time to blog about it.

So these amazingly busy and productive "micro lives" are out there happening, often taken for granted and in many cases not really understood or appreciated by husbands and partners I suspect (mine for one!), who's busy lives in the "macro" world of business, industry, education, government and finance make this ordinary everyday "stuff" seem very humble and small fry indeed.

But its very real.

And very important.

Crafting and creating, sewing and quilting, baking, cooking and preserving, gardening and vegetable growing, crocheting and knitting, magically transforming all manner of cleverly thrifted items, seeking out the best of vintage and previously loved items at charity shops and boot fairs - I find the talent, energy and inspirational ideas of you other bloggers out there is phenomenal, and the caring, sharing, friendship and support for each other is humbling, and I am so very proud and excited to be a part of it.

So, I am thrilled to have achieved a following of 100, and shortly will be announcing my Giveaway as a "Thankyou" to you all for having enriched my ordinary, but to me rich and rewarding, life.

The second item on the agenda (Oh I do not miss meetings one little bit!) is the subject of Awards.

I feel very humbled and very HAPPY to have been awarded another two awards.

Annette at "My Rose Valley" has a wonderful Blog, full of the very elements I have just been rambling on about, and her quilts are amazing.

She has very kindly passed on to me the Kreativ Blogger Award, which I am very pleased to accept.

Thankyou Annette!

The second Award has very kindly been awarded to me by Bluebell of "At Home in the Country".

She has a wonderful blog here full of the most incredible nature and wildlife photos - closeups of flowers, birds and insects, her posts are always full of interesting things.

She has very kindly awarded me the Versatile Blogger Award.
Thank you Bluebell!

I believe that award recipients are required to list a few facts about themselves - as it will take me a while to come up with anything remotely interesting other than what I like to eat for breakfast, I shall save this excitement for you for another post.

If you can bear the suspense ;)

I shall also be compiling a little list of blogs to pass on these awards to, always difficult as there are so many amazing blogs out there,and narrowing it down to just a few is never easy.

Well, I don't think there's anything else on the agenda for now, so are there any questions????

No?

Good - I hope you managed to stay awake!

Vegged Out

Well, it's been blowing a gale here all afternoon, its been raining non-stop most of the day and we've turned the lights on already.

But it's good for the garden if not for our spirits.

And it's especially good for our vegetables.

I have noticed that on quite a few blogs that I follow there is a bit of show and tell going on regarding home grown produce, where some clever green-fingered bloggers are already tasting the fruits of their labours.

I've seen Courgettes.
Raspberries.
Redcurrants.
Strawberries mentioned.
Talk of beans even.

And I'm very impressed.
And a bit jealous I must admit.

There is nothing quite like growing your own fruit and veg and then having the thrill and satisfaction of picking and eating them.


We still have some way to go here for most things, although we have been happily chomping our way through homegrown spinach, swiss chard and two types of winter lettuce for the last few months.





But that is all coming to an end now, with the last of the bolted lettuce pulled up and strewn on the compost, and the same fate is shortly due for the now bolting spinach and swiss chard.

But we have had so much from them, and the last few leaves will not be wasted. We will definetely be growing them again next autumn.

Still, looking on the bright side,  we do have some shallots - I dug up lots of shallots a couple of days ago - a little early I think, as I read somewhere recently that they go in on the shortest day of the year and come out on the longest.

Anyway, as its been such a horrid wet day here, and I have neglected to update our veggie progress on my usual posts up until now,  I have had a play with Picasa and have put together a few photos.










So, even though at the moment there is nothing to eat from our garden except the last of the spinach, swiss chard, and the shallots, we do have high hopes of the following:

Tomatoes, now flowering, 4 varieties -  Golden Sunrise,Moneymaker,Oxheart,Red Cherry
Sweet Peppers, 2 varieties - Romano Mixed, Colour Spectrum
Chilli (Jalopeno) Pepper, flowering (sadly bought in, mine did not germinate)
Courgettes, lot of flowers/courgettes forming
Runner beans
Dwarf beans, flowering
Climbing French beans
Broad Beans, flowering
Cabbages - planted late autumn, hearting up nicely
Curly kale
Beetroot
Spring Onions
Peas - have tasted the first ones, more to come!
Sweet Corn
Rhubarb
Cucumbers - again, bought in, as didn't get round to sowing seed
Strawberries - but not really enough to even get a decent pudding from sadly - have been  totally neglected

We are also are now picking Basil and Coriander - must remember to sow some more, and to sow some more lettuce

But if this weather carries on, I think it will be a while before I sow those seeds, and a while before we'll be using our cheerful striped new directors chairs in the garden :(

Hope the weather has been better where you are.

Patchwork Footstool

A work in progress......

I want to make this a reversible cover, with probably a plain natural linen reverse side. Just needs me to choose the fabric and then make up for it to be finished.

But I think I will need to source that first - nothing in my stash seems right.

I am quite excited about this project - even though the photos are rubbish cos of old camera, the colours are so cheerful and I can't wait til I've finished it and it can be used.

At the moment it is sitting on the landing patiently waiting, and it makes me smile when I see it.

PS. So sorry about those pesky pictures on yesterdays post. I have patiently deleted and re-loaded them all this morning so I hope they are there to view today.

If not I shall scream.
So there.