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......

What we get up to in the Workshop!

A great crowd of us in the workshop this morning, and lots of different things going on - besides a lot of chat.

Last week the talk was all about ghosts and hauntings.  I am rather superstitious, but hadn't realised quite how much I had taken in until I went to shut in the geese and chickens.  It was very dark, and the wind was whistling around, and I got half way down the drive before I had to run back - there was no way I was going out there without a very strong torch!  It was a good half an hour before the back of my neck stopped prickling!!

Anyway, today we were mainly talking about marmalade making, local gos.....I mean news, the Northern Lights (three of us have recently been to see them) and, of course, what we were working on.

Lots of us start on one thing, and then move onto the next for a bit of a change!

Louise was knitting and then quilting

Karen finished off this pretty little dress,

and then got her knitting out

And having finished her Modular Knitted blanket,

Lynn got on with her Yoko Saito block

Three of us were working on tapestries.

Eileen has her handbags

                                      Dawn her lovely flowers

                                                                      and Sally her wily old fox!

Ros was going applique mad (which is something she never expected to happen)

 

 

and two of us were binding.  Jackie putting the binding on what seemed like hundreds of Morris hankies

 

and I was putting the binding on my Donegal Tweed quilt

 

My goodness, there's a lot of talk about our mother's crafts being forgotten, but I'd say they're still going on strong here in East Garston.  In fact, I know that people are crafting all over the country, but quietly, in sheds, studios, workshops, spare rooms, and in front of the telly!  Much more fun in company though! 

Our Caravan site opens this week, so we look forward to all our visitors from around the country who will pop up and join us on Tuesday mornings!