Spring Sunshine

What a delightful bank holiday weekend.

I had to work on Saturday but have enjoyed the sunshine over the past two days and we have been busy working in the garden.

 

 

Vegetable beds have been dug out, borders weeded, seeds sown and pots planted up for the patio...

 

I think I deserved this little tipple this evening!

The long wait for some Spring sunshine and warmth has made it all the more delightful!

A Doctor in the House

So this is where I was dashing off to yesterday...

 

 

The Kensington Hotel for a champagne afternoon tea.

Afternoon tea so posh that we had gin and tonic sorbets to cleanse the palette between the sandwich and the cake courses!

 

But it was for a rather special celebration.

 

Because after tea we headed up to the magnificent Royal Albert Hall

 

With all these thousands of other people

 

to celebrate some outstanding postgraduate achievement from students of Imperial College, London and to wait for a fleeting moment where this young man walked across the stage.

 

My lovely stepson, Dr. James Martin with his very proud Dad!

Black and White

We were supposed to have Spectrum meeting today but I had to postpone it to next week as we have a very important event to attend this afternoon. So I thought I would make the most of the morning and catch up with work I need to do for Spectrum.

 

 

We have embarked on a "Round Robin" exchange within the group to the theme "Black and White". Each member has started a textile piece using any medium they like. At the last meeting these were passed on to the next member to add to or alter as they wished. I received the little printed and appliqued panel above from Gill and alsmost immediately knew what I wanted to do.

 

I printed some more fabric which I added to the bottom of Gill's panel.

 

Then I added some applique and free machine embroidery

 

And this is the finished result ready to pass on to the next person.

 

I was inspired by the recent purchase of this beautiful book.

 

Must dash... there is someone in the hall rattling his car keys and we've a train to catch!

Cake Testing

I may not have been driving around all over the place this week but there has still been a hive of activity in my kitchen as I've been testing the merits of different vanilla sponges and working out the logistics of constructing celebration cakes.

 

 

I was asked to make two special birthday cakes this week, both based on a vanilla sponge... in the end I opted for a classic Victoria sponge recipe.

 

The first was an owl for a fiftieth birthday celebration.

 

My brief was an owl cake with eyelashes. I didn't ask questions... I just made the cake.

 

The second was a much larger more complicated affair. An eighteenth birthday cake and the recipient was very specific about colours and design. It also has to feed twenty four and withstand the journey to Manchester this evening. It's huge!

 

I was way out of my comfort zone with this. By the end of the day yesterday I felt as though I was coated in sugar...in fact my whole kitchen was coated in sugar. Sarah hasn't seen it yet so fingers crossed.*

 

And while these cakes were being baked and constructed I was also trying to work out the logistics for assembling these crochet cakes.

 

So far, four cakes and four slightly different patterns but I think I've found the one that works best.

 

There's been cupcakes, muffins and cookies too... consumed by family and friends. Next week I think I'll be ready to leave my kitchen and head back out on the road again!

 

* She has just collected the cake and loves it... Phew!

Fresh Air

This morning I went for a walk across the fields to the neighbouring village to buy a newspaper and some eggs (the last of our chickens died last week after just a few lonely weeks on her own)

 

 

And I realised that since our dog died in November I have not actually ventured out our back gate across the fields even once and it felt good to be doing something that used to be a daily part of my life.

 

I realised that I missed being out every morning and seeing the seasons change. I didn't even know that the cowslips were out.

 

I still get up early, but instead of donning wellies and grabbing the dog's lead, I pick up a kit bag and a swimsuit and head for the gym. I enjoy my swim and Pilates classes but it's not the same as getting that daily dose of fresh air.

 

I've not even ventured into the garden every day since we lost the chicken and look at all the flowers that have sprung up whilst I wasn't looking.

 

I think I even miss the cold, wet, muddy walks...

 

Although that is easy to say when the sun is shining!

 

I've resolved not to leave it five months before I venture across the fields again!

Here, There and Everywhere!

In a crazy week where I've travelled from one Embroiderer's Guild branch in Peterborough to another near Canterbury there's hardly been time for my feet to touch the ground, never mind thinking about a blog post.

 

 

I've started another six week course teaching basic book making techniques which has got me exploring new book structures.

 

I've had friends round for a morning of stitching and we've contemplated the best way to display this wig, not using the polystyrene wig stand... still not resolved! (answers on a postcard???)

 

I've done lots of cooking including cheesecakes of both the savoury and sweet variety.

 

These were for a supper at my branch of the Embroiderer's Guild and involved me driving around half of North Hertfordshire with a boot full of food... very long story... I couldn't attend the supper so planned to deliver the food to the venue where I would leave it in the fridge. But the venue was locked, I didn't have keys, I couldn't locate anyone with keys, so I drove back home and after a zillion phone calls finally tracked down someone who could take the food for me which involved another drive... but it all turned out well in the end and apparently the evening was a success. I was a little sad at missing the supper and talk...

 

But not too sad... because I was at the O2 Arena with my Mum, Stewart, my brother and his wife to see Il Divo with Katherine Jenkins. It was our Christmas present from Mum and they were wonderful. Really superb and it was worth not getting to bed until 2 am!

 

Even though I then had to get up, load my car full of my work and drive to Canterbury the following morning to give a talk to the North Kent branch of the Embroiderer's Guild. But the sixty or so ladies who attended the talk were very warm and welcoming and gave me such an enthusiastic response to my talk that I felt like I was running on adrenaline all day! Just as well really.

 

And this morning I've been off to deliver some work for this exhibition "Threads Galore" which opens in Letchworth on 8th May.

 

I'm especially excited because ten of my Young Embroiderers will be exhibiting along with the older members which is a fabulous opportunity for them.

 

Now finally, I'm sat down with my feet up and a cuppa whilst I contemplate what's in store for next week. Not quite so much driving around all over the place, thank goodness!

Off my Needles

A  couple of weeks ago I shared this shawl... that was still on my needles.

 

 

Well it is now off my needles, blocked and has hardly left my neck.

 

I love it! So much so that I'm almost sad that it has warmed up over the past couple of days... almost but not quite!

 

I've also really enjoyed knitting it too and will almost certainly knit this pattern again. I could have cosy scarves in all sorts of lovely colours

 

Storm Warning knitted in Madelintosh sock yarn