Life without The Tree

Amazing.  The garden is blooming, as never seen before.   Yesterday the 

first handful of runner beans picked, yum.  We have more salad leaves 

than we can cope with.  And, as for herbs, the hanging containers made 

by my man, are a jungle.  Oh, glorious.   It's going to be a busy autumn,

a vegetable plot to be designed - thinking of all the lovely things we

can now plant and enjoy.

Three prongs, the one on the right is an elephant lilly flower.

I've been waiting for two years for this to happen!

A glorious Globe Thistle

The herb garden, with stray tomato plant

that I haven't got the heart to pull out.

Last weekend I held an Indigo workshop here.  Downside of minus

tree is the conservatory gets too hot, so a gazebo made a nice

outside room.   Such a perfect day, hot enough to keep the vat

a perfect temperature.  Goodness knows how much yardage 

was dyed, the washing line was pretty full.

So what with keeping up with the gardening, taking classes,

dyeing threads, a couple of social events, it's been a very busy week.   

August brings children's workshops at The Mill.  First two at the

beginning of next week.   Then we take a short break in

Cornwall.  Really looking forward to that.  Hoping that the

elephant lily flower will hang on 'til we get back!

Meanwhile, we need rain.   

Red on Blue

Sitting in my room, looking at the indigo drying in the sun,

I noticed one of the flower spikes from the crocosmia plant 

found its way through the cloth on the line.  Such a contrast.

It made me smile.

Dyeing blue

in soft warm rain

Happy Friday

I received a beautiful flower arrangement, won in 

a raffle.  Sunflowers, marigolds and spiky 

lime green chrysanthemums.

Gorgeous.

Update

Well, it seems Blogger has upated itself.  New clean layout - just have 

to check where everything is.

Meanwhile, I have updated my shop.  It's all happening.

I have added images of patterns on indigo cloth.   Whilst I will still

have sample packs available, you now have the option of ordering

larger pieces of cloth - just contact me with inquiries.

I have included shisha and two kinds of shell buttons.

Can you tell the difference?

The mirrors on the left are sold in India as embroidery glass.

They are very bright, perfectly round and thick.  Not good

for mirror work since they do not lay well on cloth.  Usually

found on 'tourist' textiles.    Inevitably you will be told that

the 'real' ones are not made any more - rubbish!

Real shisha, which means mirror in Hindi, are made from

blown and silvered glass.  The glass is broken in to small

pieces and further cut into smaller pieces.   The appearance

is duller, the edges certainly not round, and they are very

thin.   When stitched to cloth the mirror sits very flat.

Finally, there are two packs of dyed fine cotton thread.

Limited additions!   I did find it difficult to get a good colour

representation, but there is a description which I hope helps.

I will be dyeing more thread over the next few days. 

Different colours!  It was only when I placed the photos of

the threads under the baskets holding the mirrors etc. that

I noticed a similarity.    Not intentional, but a bit spooky!

Summer Time

....... and the living is easy.    So, life takes over.  Not a lot of stitching

going on, or much else really.  Just enjoying the weather - evening meals 

on the balcony, so nice to sit outside and chill out with good company,

good food, wine, plus lots of candles.  Could be on holiday.  Then visits

from Mr. Ben and Will.  Days on the beach - the first steps into the sea.

Hmmm ....... that needs thinking about.   Sand castles and moats;

collecting shells;  kicking a ball.

Updating the shop has been on the agenda for a while.

It's high on the list for next week.   Might be going into

colour with some of these

and adding some Indian embellishments - shisha,

tiny shell buttons and a few beads etc.   

A few hectic days ahead, including a Greek evening for a

group of friends.   Then, it's out with the dye pots, reviving

the indigo vat, gathering some stitching for moments

in the sun - and updating the shop!

Seen in a Dorset field

Last evening, English summer warm, we spent at a Corporate

 event, as 'helpers' to The Paper Cinema.    A mini Glastonbury.

areas for sleeping, eating, and music and, oh yes, team building.

Nic and Imogen performed along side The 

Imagination Village.   The show was brilliant.   It became very 

cold, so we left - rather glad to be going home to a proper bed, 

in a house, not a field.

Delegates from all over the world, camping (nice tents)

I hope so too