I was up at 6 a.m. (as ever) and have been doing all sorts ever since. I wanted to check out a Welsh blanket I'd seen in a Charity Shop window, so I made sure I was first in the queue and bought it. I imagine that the two other interested parties are now sticking pins in an effigy of me . . .
Then home and I went into the stables and got some more bits and pieces out to be cleaned and polished, ready for the Fair. I have no use for them and I know that Keith would want me to try and get some money for them instead. Plus I feel close to him when I do this. He had two drawers full of wooden finials, and wooden curtain pole rings. Some, I was delighted to find, were solid mahogany and these looked lovely polished up. 8 of them - they sell for about £65 for that number on Ebay, but if I can get anything over £45 I'll be happy. I have two original Victorian curtain poles with rings and end finials too - one we had in our bedroom at Ynyswen. The Medieval style curtains (ex-shop-display) I listed on Ebay when we got here and they went to Germany, for a Medieval themed restaurant there. I have a load more of ordinary wooden (but old) rings to polish up too. I also dug out two wooden gun racks which I've polished up to take.
If that wasn't enough bending, I then went out onto the Bank and began clearing the chest high dead grass and weeds, and cutting back spent perennials (Centaurea and Yellow Loosestrife) and the Aquilegias and lots of Comfrey which has come up unbidden. I did an area about 4 feet wide and 12+ feet long, which wasn't bad going. I think I shall sleep well tonight. Ed (new neighbour) has promised me more muckheap for the soft fruit and fruit trees. As his girlfriend is staying at the moment, I made them a cake too when I made one to take to Tam. I mixed these in a bowl on my lap whilst watching Escape to the Country. It's been a year since I watched that regularly. Both cakes were my own recipe Manderin Orange Cake. Ed was looking for a chimney sweeping brush earlier and I had seen one recently, so hunted it down and gave it to him - no use here as we have no working chimney.
I have also been experimenting with drying the flowers from Keith's floral tribute using the microwave. The smaller flowers dried easily but the larger roses were more of a challenge. The red ones I just took apart and dried the petals.
Pippi mislaid a mouse earlier on - it would appear to be behind the ruined bottom step carpet (Shadow tore it to pieces trying to get out).
Now, I shall have to ask for help to get out the hefty pine Victorian overmantel - the sort on brackets, which went over huge Victorian kitchen fireplaces and had knickknacks on. It will need to be cleaned off and polished and then I'll list it on Marketplace as it's probably too big (and definitely too heavy) to take to the Fair. Beside it is a very heavy vintage solid brass pole - perhaps it came off a Hearse? (I know, not a good selling point. We once viewed a lovely house but when the old lady showed us the room where her grandfather - part time baker, undertaker and carpenter - laid out the bodies, I could see Tam preparing to take flight!!)
One of the things I took out of the For Sale box of crafts on Sunday was a Flower Fairies x-stitch kit of the Red Clover Fairy, so I may just make a start on that tonight. I still haven't cut the fabric for the quilt border top and bottom but will do that this week.
Right, best put away the veg and the other half of the Kedgeree I made myself for tea tonight and tackle the washing up. Hoping you all had a good day.
A good day, yes, despite the rain and the gales!!
ReplyDeleteInsurance for the car tweaked..added brother and saved 85p a month!
Cut the rest of the square pieces for the quilt, now to decide on how to arrange them!
Oh gz, that reduction DID make me smile! Aren't they generous? I will set Gabby on the case when mine comes up for renewal next year.
DeleteYou seem to have a mathematical mind - heck, you drew a plan, with measurements! - so I am sure you will have no problems arranging the pieces. I had no colour layout at all for Gabby's zigzag quilt - which I really MUST get back to - so it's just straight lines of one colour of zigzags, which looks pretty enough.
The flower fairies embroidery sounds fun and restful You certainly are keeping busy.
ReplyDeleteMandarin cake! Tum, I must make it this Fall.
Roses dry nicely if just left in a jar or vase w no water, or hung upside down. Takes a while tho.
Some of my comments disappear? Not important just want you to know I stop by every day to see how you are and what you're doing. Coping admirably!
love
lizzy
Well, not a stitch was set as it took me ages to work out the colours - which you could only do by approximating the colour and then counting the strands in the pack. Then I needed to tape the two halves of the (large!) pattern together and iron the Aida fabric, so left that for later today.
DeleteThanks for the tip on the roses - will try drying them standing up in a dry jar. Have some hanging at the bottom of the attic stairs, from last week's experiment. Some little pink ones I have drying in the greenhouse.
Sorry your comments seem to disappear? Don't know why I'm afraid.
I am ok as long as I keep busy, but grief hits me when I think back, esp. how Keith was towards the end.
You’ve had another productive day. We were out meadow mowing first thing and I mowed for another 40mins while S dealt with the arisings. Two loads of laundry dried on the line, the ironing basket emptied including the double bed linen, corn on the cob for lunch and courgette, chard and basil for supper from the garden and two jugs of sweet peas picked. I have lots of flowers around the house: bunches of lavender drying, a jug of herbs on the kitchen table, my biggest green Denby jug of foliage and herbaceous perennials and roses picked for the summer show. It’s been a satisfying at home day and I am so happy to be three-fifths through the first cut of the meadow. I awarded myself the afternoon off and caught up with the Proms from last night (the sublime National Orchestra of Wales) and knitted three rows of my fair-isle vest - slow going but I can now see the colours playing with each other - the orange and lime especially are popping! The three other colours are a marled sea green for the main colour, a natural undyed Shetland wool and a primrose yellow. Love the idea of a red clover flower fairy - have fresh red clover flowering on the mown paths of the meadow. Sarah x
ReplyDeleteTalking of mowing (and well done you), I shall have to get the gardener out to do the lawn again, as it's looking shaggy. It's raining here this morning, so that will make it grow even more. I found the washing line I bought for here recently but nowhere to put it up easily until I can persuade someone to fasten it between house and stables. In the meantime I use two loungers for sheets and duvets and 3 old wooden clothes horses - Keith would know them as "Maidens" with his Manchester upbringing. They work pretty well.
DeleteIsn't it lovely to have flowers in the house - but for all the wrong reasons here . . . I have regular pickings of my Sweet Peas which have finally started flowering. Your Fair Isle vest sounds very colourful. In tidying up yesterday in the living room, I found the Elderberry Bunny knitting pattern and really MUST get back to that.
You've had a very productive day. Mandarin orange cake sounds wonderful. How nice that you have a helpful new neighbor and that he's found a kind neighbor as well! And even Pippi is being so very helpful!
ReplyDeleteIt was very satisfying to get the wooden things nicely polished again. Our new neighbour fits in well. His passion is gardening, and working with traditional housebuilding techniques - cob, clay, lime mortar/lime plaster/limewash etc, and ochre type colourings. He's an architect by trade. He's begun to restore the little cottage he bought and I imagine will do a lovely job of it.
DeleteI had to shut the door to the stairs at bedtime, because they were just making an even worse job than Shadow of ripping up the carpet in pursuit of that mouse . . .
I am really glad that you are keeping busy. I think it took me about a month for the worst of the grief to leave after my first husband died. Over 24 years ago now. But then it was a sudden death which may be different. My twin had her over 30 year partner pass about a year ago from a heart attack while shearing sheep. I also use ebay and etsy as well but here in the USA .l What an amazing resource it is. I sell horse pedigrees that I had the idea to make .
ReplyDeleteI lost my dad suddenly and it hit really hard - I couldn't stop crying for weeks and have never stopped missing him. Haven't opened an account with Etsy yet. I should do, for my better stuff.
DeleteSounds like you accomplished a great deal.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
It was very satisfying, especially the garden as it's been nagging me for months. I can never get out there in June because of the pollen, and of course it doesn't take long to get away from me entirely.
DeleteGoodness me! You are a hive of activity! I love the transformation of wood once it's fed and polished - I'll bet that made you feel satisfied!
ReplyDeleteIt did indeed. I need to go through each of the stalls in the main stables and see what needs to be passed on. Sadly much of it is only of interest to blokes who restore old furniture! Chair legs, stretchers, backs, dowelling etc., but the bigger pieces of wood Keith told me to offer to Paul, the master carpenter who did work here for us.
DeleteThat sounds like a very productive day. I was fascinated that you said the mahogany curtain rings would fetch that much, I suppose it's all in the detail for some folk. The cake sounds delicious. I'm going to google microwave dehydration method because I recently tried to just air dry some rose petals and they look awful - any tips?
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
Well, it's the cheapest ones that actually SELL, but if you are a purist and have to have the mahogany ones . . . The petals are easy in the microwave. I do it on defrost - 1 min, then 30 second bursts and keep checking to see no moisture left - hah, but not on FIRE!!
DeleteTQ so much x
DeleteAlison x
A question I often ask myself. The days just fly by now. It is good though, when you can list what you have done to be productive, even when it's things that aren't always visible. At least something has been accomplished. Well done on beating everyone else to the Welsh blanket.
ReplyDeleteI am not used to having so much time at my disposal and have to fill it up productively. I've always been one for hard work - a Christian work ethic I didn't know I had until I actually check how much I have achieved pretty well every day of my life. Certainly since Keith and I were together, and the children came along. Goodness, I used to spend hours a day ironing all their little clothes . . . Tam doesn't bother!
DeletePleased with the Welsh blanket. A couple of small marks on the pink side, but you have to look for them.
If cross stitch pattern are large and cumbersome I sometimes break them up into sections and photocopy each part. Also worth copying the shade chart which saves flipping back and forwards to check the colours. This week I have been mainly clearing out my sewing room. I can confidently say that I need never buy any fabric ever again! (Wiltshire)
ReplyDeleteI just recently discovered your blog and when you mentioned that you used to live in Ynyswen I just had to write to tell you my family on mothers side are from Ynyshir not very far away We used to visit often when I was growing up I remember Wales with a lot of love and am very proud of my Welsh heritage. My mother was actually born in Bethesda North Wales my Grandfathers home so we visited there as well. By the way I'm a quilter too. Shirley in Australia.
ReplyDeleteWhat a busy bee you are. I'm always pottering, find it very hard to sit down for hours. Raining here in Staffordshire, thankfully as the garden desperately needed it. Off to the vets later for Miss Sheva's flea and worm treatment. She is very put out as there is wet stuff coming down and she doesn't do wet. Grief can take you unawares, a book or a song or something you heard. I still think must tell Mum that and she died in 1977 aged 47, so never knew her granddaughter. Take care of yourself and hugs. Xx
ReplyDeleteSorting/matching threads was a reason for me going off large cross stitch!
ReplyDelete