Borscht and Tears

Lots more beetroot from the garden again this year and more beetroot soup. There is something rather exotic about soup that is such a deep rich red.

And it reminded me of somewhere exotic that I visited over thirty years ago. As a new graduate working in London, I went with a group of friends to a Russian restaurant in Kensington. We thought we were very grown up and sophisticated to be going out in Kensington to a Russian restaurant, especially having starters that were not the usual 1970s fair of prawn cocktail or melon! It was my first ever taste of borscht and I've been a fan ever since.

I was surprised to find that the restaurant "Borscht 'n' Tears" is still in Kensington... although I doubt they still have crockery that encourages petty theft. Perhaps I wasn't quite so sophisticated and grown up as I thought!

Cake Therapy!

Windfalls from my neighbour's garden and eggs from my girls...

means a Dorset Apple Cake for us!

You didn't really believe me when I said starting the new degree module would mean less cake, did you?

Two days in with "Fine Art Embroidery"... two days of cutting and sticking... and I was in need of some baking therapy. It could well be that there will be more cake rather than less in the next few weeks! I'm feeling a need for another slice...

Good Start to the Week

What better way to start the week than with a parcel full of goodies wrapped like this, arriving in the post on Monday morning...

I was lucky enough to win this box of loveliness from Piccalily and Blossom... all so prettily wrapped they were almost too good to open.

And inside it was just as lovely...

The cutest little knitted and embroidered brooch.

A dear little cup filled with a rose scented bath bomb plus a selection of pretty ribbons and lace. I'm feeling very lucky this morning... thank you Sam!

And talking of things to win... you may remember I had a triple giveaway earlier in the summer and the third and final prize is still up for grabs. Well... only six more posts until I reach 500 and I'll make the final draw. So if you haven't done it yet and want your name added to the list leave me a comment HERE.

Not only that, I am aware that I still owe three people ( Twiggy, Wonderwoman and Mavis) a parcel in my PIF giveaway from at least a year ago... I haven't forgotten and I'm on the case!

Top Gear

As part of Stewart's ongoing 50th birthday celebrations we found ourselves in Thruxton for the day on Friday... for a "Driving Experience" on the Thruxton Circuit. First of all there were several laps in a Porsche Carrera.

I don't think he was responsible for the burnt rubber!

Next up was a chance to play at being James Bond as he took to the wheel of an Aston Martin Vantage.

And finally he was allowed out on his own in a little Formula Renault.

Which I managed to capture on video!

I don't think the Stig has got anything to worry about just yet! And me... well I was just happy to watch with my bag of knitting at my side.

We finished off a lovely day with dinner at the village pub when we got home... a perfect day if I hadn't managed to fall flat on my face on the pavement on the way out! I was lucky to escape with only grazed hands and knees and a few bruises... I know I'll take more water with it next time!

Lippy

At the show on Monday, a lovely lady was admiring some of my brightly coloured embroidered fabric samples and asked if I could make her a lipstick case from such a fabric - a small bag to hold a mirror and two or three lipsticks. No problem sez I... and went on to quote a ridiculously low price...

I ploughed straight in... no pattern, no thought and several hours later I came up with this. Okay... pretty enough I suppose (despite a wobbly edge) but about half the size she had specified and rather lumpy in places! Oh bother I thought...

So yesterday, while my class were busy with their rusty fabric and gold embroidery I started on version two. This time I thought about it and made a pattern... and it worked (yes, I know... there is a lesson to be learned there)

Plenty big enough for up to three lipsticks and a mirror... and not a wobbly edge in sight.

As you can see... they are completely different sizes!

And as for the little version... well it's big enough to hold my one and only lipstick... and it's only me that needs to know about that wobbly bit... well... me and all of you, of course. Just a pity that I don't often wear lipstick and when I do the last thing I think about is reapplying it when I'm out!

After several hours work and using up some lovely silk fabric, the other lesson learned is that I'm never going to make money at this lark but then that's not what it's all about. I've had the pleasure of making it and the recipient was delighted... but I'm still not going into mass production!

Back to Work

For the past six weeks I've had no degree work or any classes to teach. There has been time to potter in the garden, bake cakes, work in my sketchbook and spend lots of time writing blog posts. I also had lists of all my own personal work that I wanted to develop and take forward but somehow I haven't quite got around to that! But tomorrow it is back to work proper...

It is the first meeting of our new group... the follow on from my City & Guilds class. We'll be looking at rust and gold during the autumn term... and of course working from our sketchbooks.

It will be interesting to see how the sketchbooks have progressed! (That was their holiday homework!)

And then next week my new degree module starts. To be honest, I'm looking forward to getting back to work as I miss the structure to my days and weeks... no doubt I won't be saying that in a few weeks time when I'm snowed under.

But for now I'm glad to be working again although I suspect there will be less cakes and blog posts.

The Ashwell Show

Well... despite a distinct chill in the air the sun was shining and this was my stall at the start of the Ashwell Show. (I know I should have ironed the tablecloth!)

My little demo area was all set up and ready to go.

And my able assistant was smiley and welcoming.

There were hundreds (if not thousands) of people walking through from 9.30 am until 5 pm. They loved the sock monsters... laughed at the tea cosies... admired the embroidery. And this is my stall at the end of the day.

Can you spot the difference? Mmmm... a couple of tea cosies and a couple of sock monsters but not a lot else is missing. It has felt like a long day and lots of weeks making stuff for not very much sold. But I'm not disheartened as it seems to be a general trend. Craft items are a luxury during a recession. And on the bright side the show was successful, a great day out for lots of people and I've still got lots of stock for the next time. Not sure I can be bothered to restock the Etsy shop... but if you see some thing you like do let me know.

p.s. Thank you for all your lovely comments on my last post wishing me luck... I've not replied because I was still stitching buttons onto sock monsters til 11pm last night. But thank you... all read and appreciated!