Finally our long Indian summer and warm start to Autumn has been replaced by cooler mornings, condensation on the windows and more autumnal colours in the hedgerows. This is the view across our paddock.
Not surprisingly, summer plants are still flowering or have started to flower again, like this Borage . . .
These Pot Marigolds . . .
And these Nasturtiums. I pulled out the main bed of them ("thicket" was more appropriate) a month ago, but could have left them I suppose. Now the seeds which got left behind (though I saved a bucketful!) have started to grow - they will get a shock when we get the first frost.
After I did some more donkey-wrangling yesterday - I am teaching my friend and neighbour's donkey how to lead - I came back and tackled the worst area of overgrown-ness by the Magnolia. Three large and overladen wheelbarrowfulls of leaves and stems were removed from here. Note the Robin with an eye to getting lunch! I wasn't too surprised to find Daffodils had sprouted an inch above the ground!
By way off a complete change, here is an old Welsh wholecloth quilt I bought at auction recently (just for the design). Leaves often figure on Carmarthenshire quilts, so I guess it is a local design.
A rather inexpert fan in one corner. It's good to see that not everyone was a quilting expert in these parts, so this was obviously made for a family bed, rather than by an expert quilt-maker, to order.
Central medallion, with more leaves.
Close-up of design elements.
The border.
It is a shame that the colours were not brighter and that the quilt had been folded and one edge left in the light, but it is a good record of an old local Welsh pattern.
This is the underside. I think originally they were a very pale green (this side) and a dark green - the one which has gone browner now. The flash doesn't show the real colours.
Meanwhile, my small-hexi runner is nearing completion. Once again, the greens are skewed in shading by the flash. The bud at the end was difficult to make up as the instructions just referred you to Diagram 2 (very helpful!) I shall quilt it once it's all assembled.
Finally, you can tell it's Autumn as we have wall-to-wall cats! Here is Alfie (aka Wild Thing). His brother Little Whale is asleep on the sofa, and everyone else is in the kitchen. Alfie is currently on the windowsill in here with me, giving me gentle meows. Bless.
