A Merry Christmas

Well, Christmas hurtled towards me in a haze of going out, carolling (in churches and barns), shopping, shopping, shopping, panic, panic, panic, but now, like the in the eye of a storm, all is calm.

I'm actually at a bit of a loose end because Victoria and Ben's flight from Jersey has been delayed (surprise), so I'm filling in time.

We are having a lovely Christmas and its helped by the very festive weather

That was yesterday morning, and all was very dark because we had a power cut for a few hours, but it came back on around lunchtime.  Good job it did because the Rabbitts are pretty bad at rising to any occasion.  We lit the fire, and I sat doing the Christmas puzzle.  George kept rushing upstairs and bringing down all his musical instruments to strum, bang, squeeze and pluck - each just for a few minutes.  Jonathan sat in an armchair and discussed (with himself) how awful life was with no electricity.

But today the sun shone beautifully and we went for a long scrunchy walk through the fields up to the top of the valley.

We had some excellent workshops in the lead up to Christmas, and all well attended.  I might do a summary of them next year.

Bringing the Christmas tree home was the usual adventure.  A giant tree was brought in, and out came the tape measure.

Hmm, seemed quite big so, as ever, lop the top off

It does look pretty in the hall though

As usual my crafty friends and I exchanged handmade gifts - and theirs to me were amazing - at first I thought they must have been shop bought.  Mine to them were a bit feeble, and particularly Sandra's.  I couldn't find the little star I'd made her to go with the star cookie cutters anywhere, and Jonathan and George denied any knowledge of it.  Then it turned up and had been very much loved by Millie so it was dirty and had been slept on and drooled over.  I'm sure Sandra loved it though.....

I was pleased with the other presents I gave people though, and particularly my older sister's.  She's very keen on Japanese things, so when George and I went to the Japanese exhibition in London, I found a sweet little pin cushion made from Kimono silk.

Then, at Pitch and Stitch, Eileen brought her friend's grandmother's button tin, and said I could have any buttons I wanted.  I was thrilled to find four Satsuma buttons, so that made a lovely gift

Anyway, I'd better head off to Southampton now, but I hope everyone is enjoying the Christmas break - and eating, drinking and socialising too much!

The Middle of Autumn

Oh my word - the time is just flying by!

The rams are out with the sheep, the cattle are all back in the barns - seems like yesterday that we were letting them out in the Spring.

Hallowe'en has come and gone

Bonfire Night came and went in much the same way - although the Village bonfire and fireworks were spectacular, with a guy which looked just a little bit too real.  (I hope Alan doesn't mind me using his photo - it's much better than any I ever take)

We are as busy as ever in the workshop - we all found Ros's knitted shawl quite challenging, but when I am able to get everyone out of the kitchen, and really concentrate, I am able to get on with it fairly well - although it's not as neat as I'd like.  Still, to (roughly) quote Ros, "nothing a blind man on a galloping horse would worry about".

I am also working a lovely Christmas tapestry, which I'm really enjoying, but it pales into insignificance when compared with the beautiful cross stitch Victoria has just finished.

It is just so amazing - it's her first commission and I think it's absolutely stunning.  I really hope she gets it framed properly.

The Yoko Saito workshop on Wednesday brought us two surprises - one quilt top finished and ready to quilt by Pauline, and Betty's practically finished.

Both very lovely and the more you look, the more you see.

I would like to make one of these, and particularly when I get back home from walking the dogs and see our little village in the valley, with the lights just starting to come on

and I wonder about all the different lives being lived......

November 5th is fast approaching, so it's time to get the sheep glammed up before introducing them to our five rams.

Feet are trimmed and cleaned, and their wool is tidied up.

 

Of course, when you're trimming their feet, you have to be careful that the ewe doesn't kick out, and send the trimmers flying up in the air, only for them to come flying back down and impale themselves into your arm.  Which is what Jonathan did, which is why we are now back and forth to the surgery, collecting dressings and antibiotics.

Still, they've managed to sort out about 125 of the ewes in two days, even with the interruptions, and the rams are showing a lot of interest in the ewes, if only from the other side of the fence.

I had quite a nice surprise this morning - I couldn't bare to look at the pumpkin patch since I discovered that my lovely big pumpkin had been hit by the one-off frost we had a couple of weeks ago, and had completely rotted.

Well, yesterday a couple of ladies and I were looking at my Cosmos, which is refusing to die this year

and I really thought I should go and sort out the dreaded pumpkin patch.

Well, all the little ones were completely fine, and I think they are really pretty.  Jonathan asked what I was going to do with them and obviously I'm going to make a lovely Hallowe'en arrangement with them - or at least put a few out on the bench with the big one from Tesco's!

However warm it is, we really are in the middle of Autumn, and I've had some lovely walks with the dogs this week, in wind and rain, and Millie has loved sniffing through all the fallen leaves.

A Pink Sun was the Least of It!

What a fortnight - I've been running round here, there and everywhere - work, trips, bulging workshops - and then to top it off the world went pink on Monday.  Whatever next?

First the trip - we went off for the day to beautiful Bath, and after a leisurely coffee went to the Bath Museum of Fashion.  It was fascinating to see the clothes through the ages, and read how they evolved.  Really, the clothes in my lifetime have been very boring in comparison - I was born to wear a bonnet

 

We stumbled upon this dressing up area, and I was transported to my childhood days and my beloved 'dressing up' box.  I used to wear three long dresses at a time, and pretend I was going on a wagon trail by sitting under the dining room table.  We had an absolute ball, making the visiting party of school children wait until we'd had enough.

Then we took the shuttle up to the American Museum and after a delicious lunch looking out on this glorious view

we looked around their exhibition of Flapper dresses.  Again, they were stunning, but not so great a dressing up experience.  I did, however, buy a beautiful Christmas tapestry that I plan to finish by NEXT Christmas.

Last Saturday we went to the Knitting and Stitching show at the Ally Pally.  I didn't buy much, just a few bits and pieces (including silk cocoons) for my sister's birthday - oh yes, and yarn and a pattern for my next crocheted blanket - Mystical Lanterns from Janie Crow.  I do love the Ally Pally though, and think I enjoy the drive up through Muswell Hill and then looking at the stunning view across London from outside as much as actually going round the exhibition.

Meanwhile the bulging workshops - so many happy crafters and so much going on.  At the Lynne Johnson workshop Denise showed us her beautiful quilt

And then this is what was happening last Tuesday:

Crochet

 Doll making

 

Quilt making

 

 

 

including Jackie's brilliant Duck quilt

 

 

 bag making

and I've finally started quilting my Medallion

So all very busy.

With the much anticipated knitting workshop coming up in two weeks' time, a group of us visited Purlescence on Saturday to buy skeins of yarn especially

which Ros then showed us how to make into more user-friendly balls

 

So there you are - what a whirl of activity!

Ten Years!

Wow - so it was 10 years ago this month that Sandra and I started our workshops here at Lorne Hill Farm.

We felt we should mark it somehow, and after lots of discussion decided to do this:

LORNE HILL FARM WORKSHOPS

WE HELD OUR FIRST WORKSHOP IN OCTOBER 2007, AND WE ARE STILL GOING STRONG 10 YEARS ON, SO TO CELEBRATE WE HAVE PLANNED

A FUN DAY OUT on THURSDAY 19^TH OCTOBER!

WE WILL MEET AT EAST GARSTON VILLAGE HALL CAR PARK

AND AT 9.30 A COACH WILL WHISK US AWAY TO

THE BRAMBLE PATCH

BRITAIN’S PREMIER DESTINATION FOR PATCHWORK, QUILTING AND FABRIC ARTS

IN WEEDON, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

WE THEN MOVE ON FOR A LEISURELY LUNCH (under £10 for a main) AT THE FAMILY RUN

BELL PLANTATION GARDEN CENTRE

AT TOWCESTER

WE WOULD EXPECT TO BE BACK IN EAST GARSTON AT 4.30

WE DO HOPE YOU CAN JOIN US – WE HAVE MADE SO MANY FRIENDS OVER THE YEARS AND IT WILL BE GREAT TO SEE FAMILIAR FACES!

DEPENDING ON NUMBERS, THE COACH COST WILL BE FROM £12 TO £27 PER PERSON – BOOKING CLOSES THIS SUNDAY 8^TH OCTOBER, WHEN WE WILL FINALISE THE COST AND ASK FOR PAYMENT.

RSVP lornehillquilts@yahoo.co.uk

  

Should be fun.

If no-one signs up for it I'll just drive over in my car!!

Safety in Numbers

Our poor little goose was so lonely this morning - honking and honking - and she seemed very vulnerable on her own, so we immediately got on line to find some geese for sale.

The first advert I saw was for Toulouse geese - and, amazingly, they were in Blockley, the beautiful village where my aunt lives in the Cotswolds.

By midday we were in Blockley, visiting with my aunt and cousin.  Actually, I couldn't remember how to get to auntie Pauline's house, but everyone in Blockley knows the Balhatchets!  It's not often you stop to ask directions, and when you tell the person who you are looking for, they say "Oh, I used to make sausages for your uncle Morris!"

And then by 2 o'clock we were with Dr Morton (apparently my uncle played the organ at his wedding) and by 3 o'clock my goose was showing the new gander and two geese around!

and when they'd all had a good look round, it was bath time!

Nature at its cruelest

This is an old picture of our lovely grey goose

We've had her for many years, and she's been a lovely mother - once rearing 12 goslings!

Just last week Jonathan and I watched her and her daughter having a bath in the trough.

Tonight at 8.15 I went out to shut them in.

A fox had killed her.

At least I got out just as he had broken her neck, so the scene wasn't as horrific as it could have been, and watched him, watching me, from the field.

I shut her daughter in.

Autumn Workshops

So, the Autumn term started today and we had a lot of fun in the workshop.  I've also sent out the new schedule, so for those who aren't on the mailing list, here's a few of the things we are offering.

Besides Lynne Johnson's quilt days, which are courses that stretch over months, she is also doing a 'Scrappy Quilt Day on Wednesday 18th October.  Some people are doing these on the course, but this is a 'one off' day when you can come, be shown how to do it, and then go off and do it on your own!  There are three quilts, with three different methods to choose from:  machine piecing, hand piecing or paper piecing:

 

 

and then on the 15th November it's the Yoko Saito day.

 

On the 20th September I'll be showing how to make these sweet little coin purses

 

On Wednesday 4th October Sandra will be making a 'quilt in a day' Picnic quilt - very quick and easy and a great introduction to quilt-making

It's 48" square!

I'm really looking forward to Ros Harwood's knitting workshop on the 1st November - Ros' work is so exquisite - she uses the best yarns, lovely colours, so inspiring.  We will be making this lovely scarf - the pattern's called Marin by Ysolda Teague and has been really popular on Ravelry.

Then a fun little workshop on the 22nd November with Sandra, making drink coasters in little fabric holders - great stocking fillers!

On Wednesday 6th December Anne Hellyer is coming to the workshop for the first time.  She is a textile artist who makes lovely little townscapes out of fabric she has painted herself.  Her website is www.paintingthetown.org.uk and we will be making winter townscapes that will be lit from behind - a really lovely Christmas decoration.

And then finally, of course, we have the wreath making mornings and afternoons with Linda, on Saturday 9th December and Saturday 16th December: which means making beautiful wreaths out of all the greenery she has collected, and drinking lots of hot chocolate and eating mince pies!

So, that's quite a list, I think



Indian Summer

Well, today isn't much like an Indian Summer but I'm sure summer hasn't gasped it's last yet - certainly I'm not ready to let go and September can be such a lovely, soft month after the rigours of harvest.  I am still picking a bunch of Sweet Peas every other day

The best Sweet Peas I've had in years!  The dried flowers have also been quite a success this year:

Today we are having roast pork - the last time we had it was April (I like to not have it when there isn't an R in the month, like the old saying, but only because it always tastes better after a break) with apple and blackberry crumble for puds.  Not very summery, in fact distinctly Autumnal but perfect for a wet day.

It has been quite a busy week - just last weekend I nipped over to Jersey to see Victoria's new house: I fell in love with her patio

I really hope she puts a mirror up somewhere - it's the perfect place for one.  Mine is a bit pointless but I do like it

The high point was seeing a pair of red squirrels - I don't think I've seen one before.

Then it was my birthday so we had a lot of fun at Pitch and Stitch.  Sandra made me a cake and we also celebrated Louise finishing her first quilt, all made from old fabrics she had around the house.

 

and beautifully quilted.

There was also an interesting take on Japanese Patches

On Friday I went to the West of England quilt show, and there was lots to see.  I loved
Susie Corkes' quilt, Overleaf, which was hand-pieced and hand-quilted - beautiful!

As a by the way, when I put up that picture at the top, I was reminded of the fossil I found by the chicken hut.  It looked like a little brown meringue but my sister suggested I wash it, and I was amazed to see that once cleaned it looked like this:

and the underside like this:

Very exciting.

Anyway, back to work tomorrow so no more garden days!