Bugs, Butterflies and Flowers

 Hello folks.

It's really warm!  We're in the amber weather warning area.  The last few days have been too much.  I've even allowed the pigeons to bathe in my water feature, I usually chase them off because the water goes quite scummy from the grease on their feathers.

We're all needing lots of water at the moment.

I have been making bugs and butterflies as part of a project run by The Nelson Trust, to signify the end of isolation (lockdown) and encourage community spirit.  Of course there might be another lockdown, but let's focus on the positives.  The Nelson Trust work within the South West to support people with addiction and also women and girls who become involved in the criminal justice system.  

I saw a post of Facebook inviting to take part in the 'Crafty Collaboration' and thought it might be fun.  The aim is to make a wallhanging.  They sent out packs with everything needed; crochet flowers, beaded bugs or embroidered butterflies.

As I have never beaded anything before, I thought that bugs might the one to try.

I used plates to keep the beads separate and got to work.

At first it was tremendously fiddly but as I got the hang of it, I got better.  It involved threading the very fine wire through the row of beads and then back on itself.  I made five bugs, they are about 4cm long.

They really shimmer in the light.

I also embroidered a butterfly.  The base was stiff felt; I tried to make it as symmetrical as I could.  This was about 10 cm across.   I have handed them all in and have volunteered to be a part of the 'making up team' to produce the wall hanging.

My cutting patch is doing well and has turned from an embarrassing overgrown patch of shrubs in March

to a fragrance filled garden.  Other than the dahlias on the end, I grew all of this from seed. 

Things were a little slow to get going after the cold spring we've had but are now in full flow; the sweet peas are really happy, although they are quite a pastel selection, next year they will be more brights.

I pick a bucketful every evening.

I made a wooden planter to fit in the gap between the end of the raised bed and gate.

I've planted this with three loofah plants which I grew from seed, one has been munched by the snails but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the other two, I'll keep you posted.

My neighbours are getting used to a knock on the door and flowers being thrust at them.  I shall have to accost strangers on the street soon.

I am not so much of a fan of the arranging, I go for the 'thrown together' look but the smiles on people's faces make it worthwhile.

That's me for now, we have been 'promised' thunder storms this weekend but we'll see, the storms didn't come last time they were predicted.  I'm just hoping for a drop in temperature.  

Keep safe and hydrated........Clicky Needles.

Camping

 Hello folks.

We had a fab time camping.

We stayed at a campsite near Ludlow in Shropshire, a pleasant hour or so drive from home.  Our view from the tent was over into the Welsh Borders. 

The town of Ludlow itself is medieval with lots of half timbered buildings.  

I love how the top left of this building is on a wonk. 

Turn down a side street and it all goes Georgian, good enough for a film set.  Stupidly, I didn't take a picture myself of this street.

There is a castle right in the middle of the town.

The weather was changeable, somedays hot and sunny and some really cold, luckily we only had rain at night.  We had a fire pit to toast marshmallows and keep us warm.

It wasn't all cold however, we were treated to this beautiful sunset 

and as it was the Summer Solstice, I was able to sew some hexies on my current project ~ English Paper Piecing patchwork ~ at 10pm.  I had a little helper too.  Baby Needles loved her first camping trip.

We visited Blists Hill, a working Victorian Town in the nearby Ironbridge Gorge.  The shops are run by staff in Victorian Costume and pre-covid you can change modern day money into Victorian money and buy sugar mice, bread etc but not right now.

I love the old posters and signs, Matron Milly's female mixture, lol, non-shrinking woollen underwear and of course, I found one for Jones Sewing Machines.

We stopped to watch George the heavy horse being tacked up ready to pull a cart, he was a real gentle giant.

Miss Clicky and Baby Needles went to see George when his tack was on.

Baby Needles striding along with her mum.

As we'd had a full day we drove up to IronBridge just to have a look at the bridge, in the middle of this pic.

Of course, on a campsite you can wander around in your pjs and nobody cares; me and Baby Needles enjoying a morning book.

The heavens opened as we packed the tent so we just bundled it into the car and now it's drying in the garage at home.  What a great week.

Bye for now...........Clicky Needles.

Starting to Flower

 Hello folks!

Well the weather has certainly picked up from my last post.  The newspapers are screaming 'Heatwave!' and summer seems to have arrived at last.

You won't be surprised that I have been busy working on my cutting patch.

We covered the second half of the no dig bed with cardboard and had another load of manure delivered. 

I soon had it spread and used spare wood from our woodpile to make paths spaced at a metre apart.

I've been busy planting

The Ranunculus are starting to flower; this is the first time I have grown them

and I gave the first bunch of them to my neighbour.

I've also been foraging around the back garden and came out with this posy.

The alliums have been beautiful; there are lots around our small patio.

I love the way that they have come up through this Angelica Gigas.

The raised bed next to the patio is also looking good.  I am definitely a purple/pink sorta girl when it comes to flowers.

In other news Baby Needles was 2 last week!  I have no idea where that time has gone.  She is growing up fast, her favourite word is NO!  I am still looking after her for 1 day a week whilst her mum is at work, such lovely times.  

Next week we are camping with Baby Needles and her mum and dad, the first time she will be sleeping in a tent.  I wonder how that will go?

I'm planning a new sewing project to take ~ if I get any quiet time ~ as if I don't have enough projects on the go.  Master Clicky is in charge of my seedlings whilst we're away, I wonder how that will go?

That's me for now, I'm planning what to take camping, everything and the kitchen sink.

Have fun............................Clicky Needles.

 

Waiting and Making

Hello there folks!  

How are you doing?  I wish I could say that I had been outside planting all my seedlings and watching and waiting for flowers to open.  It has been another wet, cold week ~ right now I am sitting in front of the wood burner ~ and to be honest my seedlings really aren't interested in growing and getting bigger, consequently they are still tucked up in my zippy greenhouse

 

or just on the kitchen floor.

They are having to jostle position with the furniture from our Chicagoan apartment which finally arrived yesterday.  It was packed away in February and was delayed by The Evergreen which was stuck in The Suez Canal, not that our container was going that way but all the ships were in the wrong place.  We have filled a room with everything.  Mr Clicky excitedly unpacked things, I was less enthusiastic, although it was nice to be reunited with my fabric and crafty bits.

 

 

We are now trying to fit the furniture into our house.  

On the making front I have several new projects on the go.

I started this Hearts embroidery a while ago.  I bought the printed fabric from Etsy (whilst buying a Christmas present, couldn't resist) I'm not using the suggested colours but all different colours from my thread box. 

The biggest hearts are only a centimetre across, so the small ones really are tiny.

I am also joining in with Claire from the Hello! Hooray Blog and her stitch a week project over on Instagram.

Some stitches are quick and easy, others not so much, as you can see I have not yet completed the long and short stitch!

I'm also working on an Ehrman tapestry, designed by Kaffe Fasset called unsurprisingly, Cauliflower.  My Mum started this but hasn't stitched it for a while so she passed it onto me.  There are very subtle colour variations in this, so lots of light is needed, luckily for me, Mum has already completed the cauliflower head and I have been working on the leaves.

I have also cast on another Rallar-Genser Jumper, this time for my Dad.  He has chosen a lovely olive for the main colour and I'm using the left over colours from Mr Clicky's jumper for the yolk.  

The yolk of Mr Clicky's jumper.

I have completed one sleeve and started another.  It's in Jamieson and Smith's 2 ply jumper weight again, and I'm really enjoying it.

Right, I think that's me for now, the weather forecasters are promising it will stop raining on Thursday.  Let's hope so!  

Bye for now.............Clicky Needles.

Remembering Teresa

 

It was with great sadness that I read that Teresa Kasner has died after a short illness.  She started her blog about the same time as me and was an amazing woman whose zest for life was infectious.  She loved the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon where she lived, worked to make it a better place and was rightly proud of her achievements. 

Her pictures of The Gorge made me want to see it for myself and in March 2020 me and Mr Clicky managed to do just that.   Teresa and Dayle took us to their farm and of a tour of the area, showed us the Vista House that she was Director of and helped restore, to the marina where they kept their yacht, and of course, to Multnomah Falls where she was a passionate volunteer in the visitors centre.  She was angry and devastated by the wild fires there in 2017 which burnt       50 000 acres of forest that were started by teenagers letting fireworks off.

She touched many people worldwide, always commenting on every blog post she subscribed to with kind words and locally through her volunteering work.  My heart goes out to Dayle and their family.

Having met her I can tell you she had a cheeky grin, a smile, a wicked sense of humour and was just the loviest person.  

Goodbye Teresa my friend, I will miss you.  CN xx