My poor loom relegated to the top of the wardrobe.  

This and that and t'other!

Isn't it amazing that time at weekends always goes much more quickly than time in the week. Here it is at Sunday tea-time and the weekend is nearly gone! The dyeing went well and I produced a goodly collection of red and blue fabrics with one green one for good measure. This was because I had a tad of green dye left from last week. I have put aside a few to discharge. I use discharge paste though I have been known to use vinegar but I don't like using vinigar on stuff I sell. And also I don't have any anti-chlor so discharge paste it will be. To answer Shirley's question I do all manner of things. I can use stamps or found objects or I can brush it on. It really depends on how I am feeling on the day. I have been known to spread it on a glass sheet and use it like mono-printing. This gives great results. So tomorrow morning I will probably do this first thing and then I have told myself I have to tidy out a kitchen drawer. It is on the list of things to do.

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I was interested to see on the Fibre and Thread blog run by Teri Springer an entry on weaving and pictures of her loom. It made me quite nostalgic as one of my degree subjects was woven textiles and I have done a lot of weaving in my life. Sadly I no longer have floor looms -this place is sooooo tiny - but I do have a four shaft 28" table loom. This used to be the width of lots of handwoven woollen fabric. I can remember making a tailored jacket for Martin in the early days of our marriage and the wool came from Scotland and was only 28" wide. It wasn't even hand woven! It was a devil to cut out the pattern pieces. However this poor creature has now been consigned to the top of my wardrobe as again space is at a premium and weaving isn't at the top of my list of things to do. When Martin and I were first married I had two floor loom and one of them took up half our bedroom floor. It was quite old and rickety and I had purloined the cord of Martin's bathrobe to tie it together to make it stronger. I made some great pieces on it. Weaving is so very therapeutic. The other loom was a prototype that I had been given by a weaver I knew when I was at college and it was a doddle to use. Again so big! And add to that a floor standing warping mill and you can imagine the space this all took up. I've also got an enormous tapestry frame for woven tapestry work but it isn't the same as using a loom.

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Well the socks may have taken a back seat but I have managed to make a scarf using some very fluffy multi-coloured wool. It is lovely and soft and so warm. It wasn't the easiest wool to work with but with big wooden needles it grew very quickly. Now having got my confidence back I may go back to the socks. I'm not sure that I'm happy with the pattern I have so will keep looking for a better one.

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I finished the book by Dan Brown - Angels and Demons - and it was riveting. I couldn't put it down so it was just as well I had to sit up late to wait for the last load of dyeing to wash out. Anyone who likes a good mystery would enjoy this. Now I'm off to make a fillet of pork casserole or something.

Saturday spend, spend, spend!

I couldn't resist the sales today in Falmouth. Sue wanted to look in a shop having the most amazing bargains and of course I wasn't going to stand on the pavement waiting for her like a lemon so I went in and of course I succumbed. They had lined wool skirts reduced to £3! So I bought three ...at that price it was a steal. Two in mauvey/purples and one in a blue/beige tarton cut on the cross. Very simple but very useful. And then in a charity shop I found the most wonderful pair of shoes that will look ace with one of the skirts plus a lot of things that I have in my wardrobe already. And this colour purple just popped up all over the place.

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I had to have these shoes too! And some bright red knicks on sale in another shop! I wasn't going to spend ANY money at all other than on coffee. Oh well I can be good next week. And then we didn't have coffee...we were totally decadent and had hot chocolate with lashings of (non dairy) whipped cream. A real treat! And I didn't feel bad about that as I had hopped on the scales first thing and found I'd lost 2lbs! Way to go!

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Now I'm waiting for today's dyeing to come out of the washing machine. Today I have done a load of pinks and blues. And then I've overdyed them to get purples and mauves. Its being a purpley/mauve kind of day. Of course this means I will be spending tomorrow morning pressing them all. I had a new bolt of poplin arrive yesterday and I nearly did myself a nasty injury moving it from one room to another. Just as well I got Martin to carry it upstairs or I might have suffered a fate worse than death - a bad back!

mmmmmmmm

When I see what I've got with regard to colours I might do a third overdyeing to add pattern to some of the pieces, especially some of the pastelly ones which will take more dye. The darker ones I might discharge and then overdye. I really enjoy seeing what I get. So much more fun than basic dyeing. They have been selling so quickly that I've been in danger of running out. I still have one load to rinse and stick in the washing machine so I think I might be up until the wee small hours.

Storm at Sea block ready to be quilted.  

Recipe for Oatcakes

Here is the recipe for oatcakes that so many people asked for. If you make 15 oatcakes from the mixture each one will have about 77cals and 2.5 gms fat. They are delicious with butter and cheese or any topping in fact.

225g medium oatmeal

2 tbsp plain flour (I used SR as I didn't have any plain)

1/4 tsp fine sea salt (I used coarse as I didn't have any fine)

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tbsp melted butter

1 medium egg(I added this to the recipe-thought it was better with it)

100ml warm water

Preheat oven to 190C/375F/Gas mark 5

Oil 2 baking sheets. I managed to get them all on one large one.

Mix together all dry ingredients. Stir in melted butter, whisked up egg and enough water to make a firm dough. I used all the water. Turn out and lightly knead for a couple of minutes until a smooth dough is formed. If it is too crumbly stick it back into the bowl and add a bit more water.

Sprinkle work surface with flour and roll out until thin. Use a 7cm scone cutter and cut out the oatcakes, rolling the scraps up until all is used. Makes about 15. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Are ready when lightly coloured and crisp. Cool on wire rack and store in biscuit tin when cold. Has a low GI.

Next week I'm going to make Bara Brith. But I don't have all the ingredients so it is going to have to wait until I go shopping again.

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Friday is a busy day as I teach in the morning and then work in the afternoon. My Friday morning class is good and I have a bunch of really good students. Today we made the Storm at Sea block which I like because of its optical illusion of motion. Then straight on to work and after that home to make dinner as Martin works on a Friday night. So I'm exhausted. I think I shall curl up with a book for a while and unwind.

Close up! 

Sea scene finished  

Oat Cakes and Finished Work

Today has been most productive. This morning I made a batch of oatcakes and though I say it myself they were good. My mother did say that she thought it was like eating dry cardboard but I had to disagree with her as I found them delicious. And who would eat wet cardboard anyway! Don't they look scrummy? It was a really simple recipe and they are low on the GI scale so I can eat two a day as a snack. The last time I had home-made oatcakes Martin had made them when we were first married and they were delicious too. They are wonderful spread with butter and cheese on top but fortunately I like them au naturel! The only addition I made to the recipe was to add an egg to make the mixture less crumbly so I could cut them out.

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Then feeling very pleased with myself I was able to grab an hour in my workroom and finish the sea scene. This isn't the best piece I've ever done but there is something about it that pleases me. If I hadn't messed up the land area under the sun I might have been happier but then it wasn't meant to be anything special - just a doodle and using up extra paint. But I had fun and that is my mantra for this year ...to have fun. Life is too short for anything else.

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I'm glad that today has been good as last night I had to give up on the knitting. I had nearly finished one sock but quite frankly it wasn't looking like a sock. It was obviously intended for someone with a problem or perhaps for an elephant with a club foot. Whatever it was it wasn't working so I did some frogging. Seems to be catching as there is lots of it going on! I don't knit but I really thought a pair of socks would be easy peasy. How wrong can you be! Now am I masochistic enough to have another go? Smaller needles and fewer stitches? I should have taken a picture but I was so ashamed of my efforts that I wimped out.

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I'm hoping we've got some paragraphs in here. Fingers crossed! I have a class tomorrow so I must go and get my stuff and hand-outs ready. I need a good ankle sock pattern if anyone has one? Simple for idiots to knit! Using the wrong wool but that's what I want!

Cry me a River or even a lake!

It didn't work! What can I do? This happens ALL the time! Have I missed something?


Rats!


Note: Now this one worked but even though I've gone into edit several times the other one just closes up on me. Is this because I haven't altered the font or anything here?

Teddy and the bucket of sand!

OK so you are wondering why I'm uploading pictures of a teddy bear and a bucket and spade on a beach. Doesn't he look cute with the sandcastle he's made? Grin! Actually this is Small Ted who belongs to my grand-daughter Fenella but lives with us as does her bucket and spade, just waiting for her visits. Its her third birthday on Tuesday next week and Martin thought it would be fun to take a picture of her toys waiting down here and make her card. When she talks to me on the phone she itemises all the things of hers that are down here just to make sure that I haven't been selling them off on Ebay. She always ends up by saying that I can play with them if I like. She's so sweet. They are coming down in February which will be fun! Can't wait!

OK so now I'm going to have a go at putting in paragraphs for Mel. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping this works as Blogger has a habit of doing away with my paragraphs and most of the formatting that I put in. I'm just going to check this and see if it works. Of course with all the returns I've put in this may come up with an ocean of space between each part. We shall see but I am trying! I'd hate to lose a reader!

Down to the beach with Teddy to make sandcastles!  

Close up of Ted having such a good time!  

Wow!

Wow! What a lovely load of comments. I must bring Mrs Grumpy out more often! Grin! Too many no replies but I do appreciate your comments Mirian, Robin,Maureen,and Omega. Omega that was a very thoughtful comment you left and don't worry about the length feel the width. Such a lot of wisdom there and I'm sure you are right. Robin I certainly do remember you as Linen lady and yes we did meet up at Nashua in 2002. Gosh isn't that such a long time ago and it was me who told you all about the ironing paper bags. So why didn't you leave an email so we could reminisce? Maureen perhaps I'd better move to Oz!

I get exactly two hours to actually do any serious work in my workroom in the mornings and that's not every morning as I teach on Fridays and on Wednesday's Martin is home and it is nigh on impossible to do anything so I usually catch up on things like the banking and going to the post office as he is always willing to run me about as it saves on parking. So this two hours is very precious to me when I actually get it. Today I was able to start quilting the sea scene and have nearly finished it. Another two hours and it will be done. I also fused the leaves onto the leaf piece and did a matching one so that I have a pair of hangings. Not exactly the same but similar. As they are small I thought they would look good as a matched pair. Oh well you are probably totally confused by now and will have to wait until I get some pictures up.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown and am about to start reading this one by him. It sounds good!

Some of the fabric and my trusty press!  

The pictures a bit blurry but I love this piece.  

Sand and rocks 

Day 2 and still up and running!

I have to agree with Gabrielle that it is hard when people so very kindly leave comments on the blog but with no return email. I am so appreciate of any comments I get. Comments are like gold dust ...to be savoured and cherished! And I like to reply and thank the sender and sometimes even to enter into a wee discussion or chat but without an address to reply to that isn't at all possible. Of course of late with no email facility I've not been able to thank anyone or contact anyone so I do hope you will forgive me and not give up leaving comments. With limited time it hasn't always been possible to write a reply on the comment page itself as Gabrielle has been doing. And another thing....when I was having troubles with my internet connection I couldn't always access my blog readily. But from now on I shall be on the ball and make every effort to respond! Don't let that put you off commenting now! Grin!

I have been filling in the long empty non computer hours with dyeing and quilting/designing. Today I had to press all that dyeing. I shall post a picture of some of it. Not all of it is pressed yet! It is such a tedious process but my trusty Singer press makes light work of it. I have to thank Melody Johnson for this as if I hadn't seen one on her blog I'd never have thought of it. It has certainly revolutionised my life as far as dyeing fabric is concerned. Mostly I was dyeing basic colours but there are a few exciting pieces in amongst the simple pieces. I will post pictures. The yellowy/brown one would have been ideal for sand in my sea scene. It interests me that in other parts of the world, namely America and Australia/New Zealand there seems to be a ready market for hand-dyed fabrics sold via websites, whereas over here it appears to be hit and miss. I sell hundreds of metres of fabric but mostly to face to face customers who can actually see and feel it. I admit the website needs smartening up but I don't find that it generates a lot of sales even though I now have a Pay Pal facility. Why do you think this is? Is it because fabric doesn't sell well in the UK when not actually seen? Or is the website not specific enough? Or not enough choice? Or what? I'd really like to know as when on a sales table it goes like hot cakes and my students buy an amazing amount of it! Be blunt! I have every intention now my network connections are up and running again, of giving the website a complete overhaul and any help here would be more than appreciated.

Today was a clean up the house day which not only surprised me but surprised Martin as well! Seriously I hate to work in a clutter and the clutter was starting to move steadily into the middle of the floor so something had to be done. I hoovered, tidied, dusted and organised and actually found it quite therapeutic in its own way. I expect it will all need doing again but I shall forget about it until its so far past its return date that I won't be able to ignore it! However this meant that no sewing got done. But tomorrow is another day! The many comments I had about the leaf pieces helped to firm up my own inclinations. Like the majority I found the first piece to be the most interesting and I shall go with that.

I stole this off someone else's blog but I think its brilliant! Thank you whoever you are!

Leaves #3 version 2. With both of these versions I was visualising vines on the wall with dead leaves caught in them  

Leaves #3 version 1

Sea scene with boats.