Finished!

Remember this post? Well that featured my imaginary magazine 'Everyday Life' July/August edition. So I thought it would be fun to do a September/October issue.

As you can see by the magazine cover I have finished my ripple cushion cover!

I am very pleased with it.

Now all I have to do is work out how I make these two granny square panels into a cushion cover? Any ideas on how to do the opening/fastening? should I do buttons like the one above only on the edge? any ideas most welcome!

Good buys

Yesterday I was talking about Goodbyes, today it's Good buys!

This is what I bought from Echoes Yesterday.

Two lovely linen pillow cases, two colourful silk hankies, a case that was I guess made to hide your nightclothes in but I popped a cushion in to it. It has beautiful hand stitched work on it and three sets of vintage mother of pearl buttons.

Today, yet another rainy day I decided to do some painting. In honour of Winifred Nicholson I painted a pink pelegonium in the window.

it's 7''x 9 1/2'' in acrylics. It has been years since I painted in acrylics so I am quite pleased with it and hope to do some more. It's not really a finished piece of work, more a sketch.

Now if you want a chance to win this beautiful quilt (not made by me I am afraid!) pop over to Kellies blog here.

You will have to be quick though!

Goodbyes

The past two days have been for goodbyes. My Mother-in-Law has moved from Shrewsbury to Church Stretton. We went down yesterday to help with moving day and as I walked around the empty rooms of her cottage I felt quite sad as we have spent many happy times staying with her over the years. But of course we will have a new and exciting time ahead exploring the area around her new house and it's not so far from Shrewsbury.

Shropshire landscapes are so different to our local ones.

Today was so bad with rain coming down for most of it and making everywhere look sad. I decided to pop over to a shop I have not been to since Spring this year.

On the A646, Halifax Road between Todmorden and Hebden Bridge is a shop called Echoes. We first went years and years ago before we lived in the area. Last February Hubby bought me a beautiful brooch from there for Valentines.

I was sad to see a sign in the window saying 'Closing Down Sale'. It is a fantastic shop and after nearly 23 years the owner has decided to close down. This Sunday will be the last day of trading and there are bargains to be had. It is such a wonderful shop full of vintage clothes, hats, jewellery, linens, haberdashery and even shoes. What does not get sold will be auctioned at a later date. The lady who owns the shop kindly said I could take some photos. It's quite dark inside and I did not want to use my flash too much so some photos are dark or slightly blurred or both!

There are hats for every outfit.

They use an old till.

There are treasures at every turn.

It will be sad not to be able to pop into this shop but hopefully all their stock, lovingly collected over the years, will find a new home.

Wet Wednesday in August

Today it's just wet, raining cats and dogs, pouring down. In fact the week so far has been more or less a wash out...

....so what delights have I got to cheer you all up?



:: The flowers in my garden seem to like the rain.

:: I made some jam tarts earlier in the week using my homemade jam....

....we also had blackberry and damson crumble.
:: I was given an award a while back from Tracy at Crafty Scraps.
Thank you Tracy! I have to name 5 current obsessions so here goes-

1. Blogging
2. Taking close up photos of flowers
3. Taking close up photos of Lucy
4. Buying yarn (not knowing what I am going to do with it)
5. Looking at Winifred Nicholson paintings

I looked through my list of blogs I love to read and I pass this award onto-

1. The Domestic Novice
2. Embroideroo
3. Ragged Old Blogger
4. Sarah Jane down the lane
5. Buttons and Flowers

Please pop over and have a read of their lovely blogs.

Red Geranium c.1927

Winifred Nicholson

Sheffield Galleries and Museums Trust

Pickerings Pasture August 2009

Woods Beryl Ware and planes.

Strange title I know!

While we were in Shropshire we visited RAF Cosford, a large RAF Museum.

Don't tell hubby but one of my favourite exhibits was the small room (behind glass, so photos are not too clear) of a typical 1940's front room.

The table was set for tea and the china used was Woods Beryl ware. There was patchwork, rag rugs and granny squares. See it all comes back into fashion if you wait long enough. (not sure those 1980's shoulder pads will though Diane!)

I have my own collection of Beryl (green) and Jasmine (pale yellow) ware. Passed down to me from mum and my mother-in-law.

The museum is very well done.

With four hangers and a visitors centre.

There is lots to see.


I liked this plane, the Bristol Type 188 affectionately known as 'The Flaming Pencil'

The most recent hanger is a fantastic building.

It looks like it has just landed from out of space!


Right must go and tackle those weeds in the garden.....

An adventure.

Today Bloggers I went on an adventure. It started off as a long (2 hours because of a caravan and numerous trucks!) drive all the way to here-

to Sheffield.

There are reasons why Sheffield was chosen as the destination for my adventure,

a) the need to look around some shops

b the need to look around the Winter Gardens

c) the need to look around two Art Galleries

and another special reason

d) to meet up with a real live blogger!

I had arranged to meet Diane from Heart Shaped later in the afternoon so when I arrived I had some time to look around Sheffield.

I walked around the Graves Gallery which is in the most beautiful 1930's building. The exterior and interior are very Art Deco.

This was the entrance.

and these are the stairs.

After a look around the peace gardens and the shops I wandered back to the Winter Gardens to meet Diane.

Now if you want to read an account of our meeting, pop over to Diane's blog here and read today's post from her- it is much more exciting with photos of cakes and cleavage!!

We had a lovely chat and although I was a little nervous before we met up, it was just like chatting and having a coffee with someone I had known for ages. The next hour and a half flew by and before long it was time to think about making a move.

We exchanged gifts. Now at this point I have to say I am yet again overwhelmed by the generosity of a fellow blogger! Diane handed me a large parcel and stated "just a few bits from me" Well I was so excited and it sat on my passenger seat all the way home.

Then I could not resist any longer and I opened up the parcel. Inside was a beautiful denim tote bag and inside the bag was even more goodies!

The bag had a pocket sewn with lots of old buttons from Diane's Gran's button box. There was a lovely pale green, knitted neck warmer-very handy for playtime duty in the Winter that one. There was also a bottle of Henderson's Relish, mmmm had some on the tea tonight. And as if that wasn't enough a little book of 'Pooh Sayings' and two heart shaped pebbles all the way from her holiday's in Norfolk!

I absolutely love them all and I am lost for words!

Thank you Diane for a lovely afternoon and such beautiful and thoughtful gifts.

and it's only Wednesday!

It's only Wednesday and I have had a busy time so far this week. Monday I went for another visit to my mum and we took my nephew to see DREAM. It is a new public sculpture on top of a small hill on the site of Sutton Manor Colliery. You can see it from the M62 motorway and it's impressive when you get up close.

Then I had a day with my KS in Preston. We started off going around her 'Glory Holes' to my delight I found some lovely yarn to make an autumn throw, some more materials for my mum's birthday present and I could easily of spent much more but for me I was restrained (Shan was my conscience!) We bumped into Jackie of Dog-daisy chains blog in one shop.

Then it was a lovely lunch in a restaurant called Vintage.

It was very glamorous!


This was the entrance...

...look at that chandelier!

There were cream leather booths...

...it was lovely food and very good service. Well worth a visit.

We then popped in to the Harris Art Gallery to see the Enchanted Worlds Exhibition.

Jewels from the Deep. 1909 by Arthur Rackham

Then back to Shans for her homemade scones, clotted cream from Marks and Spencers and my homemade blackberry and apple jam!