the vat is still going, with a little addition of Hydros and indigo  to sharpen it 

even more cloth dipped and dyed yesterday - such a lovely stack of blue

piling up - there is a quilt in there somewhere

meanwhile

lavender harvest

an abundance of French parsley

Tiny Tom tomatoes growing by the table on the balcony

add parsley, thyme, chives, oregano, Greek basil plus

'cut and come again' salad leaves, all you need is a

plate and French dressing to complete a salad

just for the record

it is generally thought that us Brits are always talking about the weather

which is not surprising since we a get a lot of it in all it's varieties

just checking it out first thing this morning and the chart shows

a fabulous curve of sun and 26c - look no rain!

suits me just fine

indigo washing

agapanthus - a few of the twenty five flowers 

blooming lovely

hello world

Paint pots and brushes filed away, along with all the decorating necessities.    A little way to go get before we are totally straight.   Curtains and sofas on the shopping list.

Meanwhile

tribal chair against white wall

love the white wall!

  peace lilly and yellow wall

the elephant cupboard is back in place along with

the Rabari hanging - such a lovely piece to wake

up to, all those little shiny mirrors

looking out of my window the garden is blooming

Last Saturday I took a workshop with Croydon Embroiderers' Guild.    It was great, but I forgot my camera and there were some lovely pieces of Indian mirror work.    Tomorrow

there is the experimental block printing day here and next Saturday the first indigo vat

this summer.    I am so looking forward to taking that workshop, and the weather looks

to be just perfect.

a new toy

I've been out and about, at the Dorset Quilters Day and to Marlborough Embroiderer's Guild.   Both were lovely days, meeting new friends and old.

The drive through the Dorset and Wiltshire countryside was a delight.   Big rolling clouds in the sky, green fields of wheat and yellow mustard flowers.   The hedgerows bursting with leaf and the cow parsley flowers looked like one of the big white clouds had landed on the ground!

So, yesterday was the big 'putting away' of things.    All now neatly stowed away.    
For once my little corner(s) of the house are possibly the tidy areas!   The lounge is still 
'resting' whilst we decide on how to decorate.    The new fridge/freezer is installed.  Hurrah.   So, we have a week to ponder, get on with the painting etc. before the new carpet is laid.

A taste of summer today, the garden called.   The patio was somewhat grubby, and with 
a workshop here on Saturday, the plan was to have a good sort out.  Re pot some plants Who knows we might be able to sit outside for coffee on Saturday!

may I introduce my new friend?!!

a power washer

I borrowed my son's a couple of years ago, it was brilliant. I had to have one of my own!    The thing that looks like a hoover kind of glides across the patio, cleaning without splashing.    Very effective, but not enough to clear the grime.    So the power hose was

tried out.   Fantastic.   Yes, it did make a mess of windows and me, however the result is marvellous, and I had fun drawing on the grubby tiles!  

And talking of grubby, I think I really should have a shower and change of clothes!

Tomorrow I am going to have a 'play day' with my friend Jenny.    Painting papers to construct a little shrine.   I have unearthed a tiny Ganesh which might be just the thing to place in the centre.     

chasing my tail

The two weeks since my last post have passed very quickly.     

The session in the green gym turned into a four day marathon.    The glorious weather made the task a delight.   Pruning back shrubs, weeding borders, edging the lawn (a task the head gardener manages to avoid).      Lastly clearing the (long) drive of weeds and old leaves.   It all looks fantastic now.   That was only the front garden.  I'll get to the back garden eventually.  It's looking lush with all the April showers we are having.

a mass of forget-me-nots and lillies of the valley

a mixture of daisy type plants, happy in an old sink

and the veg plot cleared for planting

I planted chard in the autumn the plants didn't

do too well but I love the red stems

An Unexpected Delight

In our lovely light lounge the previous owners decided a brick wall would enhance the room.  It is horrible, especially in the winter.   Dark and gloomy.   For years I have been been trying to persuade my man that it had to go.    Now it has!    HURRAH.

Fred called round last Wednesday to have a look.    No problem he said.    Skip delivered on Saturday.   Work started on Monday morning, not knowing how it was constructed we were

in for one or two surprises.

Mid morning and half of The Wall has gone.   We thought we might discover breeze blocks, but, no, the wall is plastered, the coving and ceiling pattern intact.  The lower section gave up a couple of secrets.    A call from Fred to turn of the electrics.   Wires in one socket had not been sealed properly all could have been 'live' behind there.   Scary.    A empty packet of crisps with a competition, closing date, 26th January 1982, which just happens to be my youngest son's birthday.

Tuesday the plaster was rendered.   Job done by 2pm.

Lovely shaft of evening sunlight!

I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to gain order out of chaos.    This is upstairs, and we have an open pine stair case.  Major dust incident.  Furniture dragged back into position.

Dust sheets (cream muslin curtains) and other dusty textiles off to the washing machine.

The huge piles of books and boxes of stuff recovered with clean cloth. Windows washed,

goodness me!   Carpet Dysoned.   Repeat procedure downstairs.   Shower, hair wash and clean clothes closely followed by a gin and tonic, to clear the dust you understand.

To look at this now wonderful wall filled me with delight this morning.   There is, of course, the decorating to consider amongst other things.    We brought back two bed covers from India, white on white reverse applique.   These will be the new curtains, the old might just be recycled via the dye pots.

Heaven knows when we will get round to sorting this lot out. I can live with it for a while.

It was the first of my Summer Workshops on Saturday - great time had by all, including me

Will and Ben arrived for the weekend and left on Monday morning, but not before Ben 'helped' Fred throwing a few bricks into the skip.   What a noise!

So, all is quiet for a while.  I am preparing for the Dorset Quilters' day on 10th May, followed by a talk to the Marlborough Embroiderers' group the following Monday. At both events my Indian Shop will make an appearance.  Dyeing up a load of threads today and tomorrow it will be fabric.

The good thing about the upheaval in the house, I can ignore total housework for a while!

If you are in the Wimborne (Dorset) area on Wednesday 7th May, A Talent for Textiles event is taking place at Deans Court, Wimborne (BH21 1QF)   Lots of traders, antique textiles,

linen, lace etc. 10-5.   Apart from gorgeous textiles, you can wander around the lovely garden.     I'm taking the morning off - see you there!

glorious days 

at evening time the honeysuckle fills the air with perfume

amazingly this African daisy survived the winter weather

five doves talking - another name for aquilegia

I plan to spend most of the day in the garden, just pottering.  Maybe some stitching under

the sun.  Bliss.

while I wasn't looking

It's not raining!  I walked across the squishy lawn, down the steps to the
'woodland' slope.   I can't see what's happening down there from my window.
What a lovely sight, all dripping with raindrops.

The sun has now made an appearance and the birds are singing

Welcome Fabulous February

The past week has mainly been spent dodging showers and pottering in the garden.

The columbines are a beautiful splash of colour,

new additions and they were in flower as

we planted them

Clematis Montana has spread through hedges and

flows through a birch tree.

As for the rest of the plants, like me, they are in suspended

animation.   All are green and lush, ready to explode.

What we really need is for the white cloud to lift, the sun 

to shine,and the temperature to rise at least 4 degrees.

Not much to ask surely, given this is May.

Only two indigo seedling from first planting

at the beginning of April.   They are thriving, slowly.

The packet of indigo seeds I ordered was a bit

sparse in the content department.   Fortunately

I saved some and made another sowing two

weeks ago.   At last, little signs of life.

A Parson's Egg Week

(good in parts)

It started off well.  Delivering a quilt to be included in Make 52.  An exhibition at 

Walford Mill opening on Saturday, which will be very interesting indeed.

Caroline Parrott, Education Officer at the Mill, embarked on a huge undertaking

to create a piece of art or craft once a week for a whole year.  She chose a  maker/artist

for each week, working along side them, where possible.  

I was Maker 42 - the answer to life according to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Coffee and a catch up with my friend Hilary later in the afternoon.

I was hoping to get down to some fabric dyeing, of the Procion variety,  still too cold

for indigo.  Alas, I was struck down with a 'flu bug, I hardly had the energy to stitch

my Circles quilt.   The next day was spent mostly in bed!

Feeling better on Thursday I exercised my brain with Blogsy!    

All is lovely in the garden though.   Proper April showers, unlike this time last year 

when we had 'summer'.   Real downpours, hail, thunder and lightening.  So much

for the drought restriction orders.

the woodland garden is awash with wood garlic, bluebells and primroses

we can hear the beans growing in the veg plot

tulips feeling a bit soggy after another deluge

According to the stats on my website there has been lots of 'hits'.   If you

have, thanks for visiting!  Little parcels have been posted, and

right now there is one in it's way to the States.

I had great plans this week to add more content, but life took over.

I have included some note books in the Bazaar

here's a few

limited stock until I go shopping in November.

Perhaps next week into the dye pots.  An indigo vat 

would be very nice!  Hey ho, summer is surely

just around the corner.

April showers

It's quite exciting, in a strange way.  There are days when you feel the sun on 
your back, and then there is the reminder of colder days.   

This evening the skies have darkened, hail has rained down - oh, my little seedlings
in the veg plot!  Amazing light.  Very powerful.  Here the sun is setting, taken from
my workroom window.  You might just see the raindrops.  The sky is now turning into 
what promises to be a dramatic sunset.


Such are the seasons, and why we Brits go on about the weather!   Hey ho, spring
is the precursor to summer, it can only get better.


My indigo seeds are taking an age.  Three seedling thus far.  The temperature is
somewhat erratic, I might have to plant a few more seeds.  The marigolds and 
dyers chamomile seedlings are going strong, in fact I think I might have to share
with friends, which is a good thing.

Additions

Yesterday morning we planted broad beans, sugar snap peas,

beetroot and rhubarb in our new vegetable garden.  It was very good 

timing.   Today it is pouring with rain.   The little plants will love this,  

and I shall enjoy watching them grow.   The new view from my window, 

replacing the old greenhouse.

I have placed some stock into the Dyed Goods Store and Bazaar.

Slowly, slowly will be the pace as I find my way around the

mysteries of the website.

 

on walking in the garden

There is evidence of heavy frosts,  in fact a friend told me that the

temperature dropped to 7c which is almost unheard of here in the south.

The jasmine and arum lilies have suffered, but there are signs of spring.

The fig tree is in bud, and catkins are hanging from the hazel tree.

Tiny peeps of yellow on the daffodil flowers, violets in bud, and

clumps of snowdrops nodding in the cold winter breeze.

So now I am thinking of the emerging vegetable plot and the

ordering of seeds.   On my list will be Japanese Indigo.   A few

years ago I planted indigo and had great success.  Failed 

miserably over the past year or two, and then discovered fresh 

seeds are best.

my first indigo plants

the vat

the indigo leaves were stripped and mashed

and to my surprise it worked

blue

that was a huge learning curve, not so much information

about then.   So gathering notes and research I am

really looking forward to the indigo harvest

in the late summer

In the garden

Wonderful thunder and lightening storm, and great dollops of rain,

during Saturday night,  Just what the garden needed.   But first,

I dyed up some threads

recycled my hairy string

then, planted up herbs, and this

Excuse me while I check the spelling on the plant label.

It's an osteospermum.  Beautiful colours.  Think I might

need more of these.

Spring

and with it comes the usual desire to clean and discard

It was a hard winter although, amazingly, the garden is bursting out

all over.   All the plants are putting on a grand show, maybe in 

celebration of the turning of the season.   The weather is fabulous,

too nice to stay indoors.   I spent most of last week weeding, 

tidying, enjoying the spring flowers, and noticing the new 

new growth all around.   Repotting my orchids, a job that

really needed doing - they are looking very happy now.

Then there are the car boot sales.   Grand to be sitting in a field.

 in the sun, selling 'stuff' we have inherited over the years.

There's the bone chine tea set that belonged to Keith's grandmother.

It lived in a cupboard, waiting for a special occasion.  Over the years,

in different cupboards, the tea set came to rest, in a cardboard

box, in our garage.  It has never seen the light of day, let alone

a splash of tea, or a crumb of cake.   It was bought by a

gentleman who is getting married in the summer.   The

reception is to be a 'Mad Hatters' tea party.  What a great

idea, and what fun for the lonely tea set.

The house and garage feel 'lighter' already.  I dream of

finding even more stuff to get rid off. Having said that, the

Big Shed has enough full cardboard boxes to keep us in

in car boot sales for weeks.

I am pleased to say that, thus far, I have only made one

purchase - a beautiful old garden trug.  That's not to say this

will be my only buy.   Trying not to investigate other people's

tables is a tough one! One man's junk is another's treasure etc.

So.......another sunny day in a field.