Textile from Ally Pally

I bought this tiny textile done by Kathleen Thompson while I was at Ally Pally in London, it is really only about the size of an ATC but was mounted and I loved what she had done, all of her larger pieces had been sold and I was glad I found this one. It is now in a frame on my wall.
We are about to break some awful record for the highest number of days over 35 C for November, I hope we eventually get a decent change but by then I think it will be too late for many gardens who have already been suffering.
I suppose I was lucky to see the garden at its best for a few days after I got home.
Now all the thistles have gone to seed and the seed heads on the grasses are showing up horridly.
I am absolutely no good in this weather and I am getting up really early to put on the odd hose and going to bed late doing the same thing.
In between I find something easy to sew that I dont have to think too much about.
My blogging will probably be a bit hit and miss while we get through this and the wedding.
I keep thinking longingly of those of you who are having cold days, even rain would be wonderful, fires inside and hot coffee and not feeling that one has to watch from every window to make sure no idiot has lit a fire and remembering to drink liquids and not feeling like eating.

Hot hot

This very strange photo is about the only one I took of us 'camping' at the Welsh Show yesterday. This was taken in the early morning before it got terriblty hot and Gaby, Mason's mother was peering at the chopping board before cutting a watermelon. Luckily I had taken an umbrella and Tab had a beach shelter so with that and a rug and the play pen and the folding cot, we managed with a 1 and 2 year old. They were incredibly good and Mason even had a sleep in the afternoon with people and horses all around him.
We did relatively well, missed out on the Supreme of show as our Cob stallion had as they say 5 legs and as it was his first time out any where and it was all new and exciting well what can you expect.
I felt for the judges, especially for the very elderly one who I dont think should even be judging major shows like that any more, it is bad enough to do about 60 classes in a day but to do it in that heat was not at all nice and she ended up judging from a sitting position in a tent poor thing.
Not madly keen either on the exhibitor who busily told the judge that their pony had been Supreme under so and so the week before. For a professional very unprofessional. I do wish that both judges and exhibitors would not say anything in the ring and leave it as a level playing field for the rest of us.
Still we managed but at 4 pm when they still hadnt judged the majors I bundled Gaby and the two babies up and took them the hours drive back home in an airconditioned car where they got bathed, I dont think they got sunburnt and we certainly kept the water up to them but I had hoped the whole thing would be finished by 3.30, faint hope, Tab was home by 7 pm and Sarah and the girls after 8.
Far too long a day and they have gone back again today. It is hotter today.
It was Millies 2nd birthday on Friday and with a dress and a book I made her this crow which she seemed very pleased with on the day. A silly mad thing I had cut out and stuffed before we went away so it was finished off in a hurry. Not having anything to hang him by I found a ring pull from a can made a very satisfactory hanger.
The last two are of the garden before the lot collapses in this heat, they are talking about over a week of over 33 degrees, going up to 37 for at least 2 days, only 34 at this stage for the wedding.

On the farm and some textile stuff

First of all here is a photo of all the footprints of what we call the water bantams, we have hundreds of them on the and around the dam at the moment and here is my dear Jake standing in front of a mob of them.
This is about a 1/4 of the numbers we have,
I took this when walking down to check the mares and foals this morning.
Then these are two of the books well one is a cover that I am doing with the free on line courses that Maggie Grey and Linda Monk and Carol McFee are giving if you have bought their latest books, Maggie's is called Stitches Straps and Layers and Lynda and Carols is Stitching the Textured Surface.
The top two are from Linda's and is called a doodle book, great fun and I will happily make some more.
Then the next one is Maggie's book cover for a spiral bound book using foil and various other methods, I used kitchen foil and found it interesting to be able to use something I have readily available.
I loved making the little 'Gods eyes" I had only done those in basket making before.
Sorry the flash makes it hard to see the surface. Having made one I am keen to make another and make a better job of it, its typical, you make the first and learn from your mistakes, that is what happens when you dont actually read all the instructions!
We had flu shots today and thank goodness I have finally more or less cleaned the house so I can relax and play for a few days, although it sounds as if it is getting hot for the weekend for our Welsh Pony show now I just hope I dont have a reaction to the shots but I dont usually.

Ruined Abbeys, Lindisfarne and Kelso

I was really wanting to look at the Celtic heritage but of course it all gets muddled up with Normans, Romans and the Middle Ages. I did see lots of lovely ruined Abbeys and some castles, no time to sketch but I do aim to have a go at a few from my photos when I feel more up to it.
The first three of the Abbey at Lindisfarne whose history goes back a long way, venerable Bede is in there somewhere, but an incredible place for anything, on a sandy Island that you can only get to when the tide is out. Built of the lovely red sandstone it glows in the light. I also loved those celtic crosses. Much more modern than the Abbey building of course.
I find it amazing that so many of these Abbeys were built so long ago and yet they were wonderfully constructed, some like Fountains which I will put up tomorrow were absolutely magnificent and you really wonder how they were done with the relatively primitive tools that were used then.
The Abbey at Kelso is I think Norman and is made of the grey stone found in the Scottish border area. Lots more opportunities for photos and my notes say that the relatives of the Duke of Roxeburgh are buried there still.
I have spent most of the day either sneezing (hay fever) or trying to get a few things done on my sewing machine, they are nearly finished but not quite so I will talk about them when they are done.
I have had a bit of a problem with my chosen thread shredding I am not sure why as I keep them in a box in the dark but this one really didnt like me. Of course it all takes up more time re threading and not actually getting anything done.
Do click on the photos to enlarge them.

Roses babies ponies and 'stuff'

This rose, altissimo hads been growing by what were originally my stables and before that the cow dairy for about 50 years and is still flowering beautifully when some one waters it.
Next is that gorgeous naughty boy my great grandson Mason he is now just one year old and I took this photo yesterday.
Next some of the 'stuff' I have been doing, the first is a book cover made from alfoil and tissue, this is from the on line class I am doing with Maggie Grey and the next is the start of a doodle book painted papers and nappy wipes, a bit still to be done here, I hope for time at my sewing machine tomorrow. On line class with Lynda Monk.
Finally a group of Welsh Mountain mares and foals who I see every day as I do my walk.
Well the hopes of South Australia were not fulfilled today as Alcopop was 6th in the Melbourne Cup, a creditable placing but a set of outsiders won as is usual. I came home from my lunch with 2 bottles of wine I won at the door prize, and a 2nd in the $2 sweep and $15 which covered my bets and a bit more so I was pleased.
We were a very sedate table compared with all the others, and only 2 hats the rest of us tried to talk and catch up but it was all pretty noisy. Same time next year.

A bit of hand stitching

I did take a few things away with me but usually the light was so poor I couldnt get much done, so these have all been finished at home.
First another little Kantha style creation, I really love the therapeutic style of doing this.
Then a small pin, she is not quite finished, needs a back and some arms but that wont take long, and finally the little rust fabric lino cut I did with a bit of stitching on it.
Hot and sticky today and although it has cooled down a bit now it is remarkably humid. I really dont like the humidity and looking at the long range weather forecast for the week end when we have a big two day Welsh show it will be 33 C both days whew.
Tomorrow is the Melbourne Cup, I will be going to Adelaide for lunch with some friends, but I also have to see my mother and have my hair cut!! This year a local trainer, the son of a friend has a horse running called Alcopop, he is equal favorite but this is a first for trainer, horse and jockey so I think maybe, although I dont want it to be, the old and wily trainers will win.
Go Alcopop!
For those who dont know the Melbourne Cup is when the whole of Australia comes to a standstill to listen to it, a very famous horse race over 3200 meters so very often an outsider will win.

A walk around the garden

Here as you come out of the back door near the tank and the path to the garage is my rhododendron given to me by my dear friend Paddy. She keeps telling me it is still in a pot but I think its roots have grown through and any way I didnt think I would be able to grow a rhody here and really I shouldnt be able to but here it is and this year I have three flowering heads although you can only see two.
The fish pond has been taken over by this delightful Japanese Iris and I really dont mind at all when it looks like this, but its a bit of a shame about the weeds, I cant get everything done, actually I think the brown may be an ornamental grass now I look closer.
On the front terrace this little single rose gives me an enormous amount of pleasure when I sit inside in the sun room, the peacocks like to pick at it but somehow it looks better this year than ever.
By the garage Zepherine, I cant remember her last name always is in flower and as she has few thorns I dont mind her bright colour although some might.
Here between the garage and our bedroom door, looking towards a bantam cage the geranium maderense is still flowering its head off and looking magnificent. The forget me nots are a bit of a pain though, when I pass their seeds seem to jump onto whatever I am wearing and are transferred around the garden.
We had a lovely walk near the sea this morning, there were no new foals and I have tidied up the house and John has taken a lot off this computer and I cant believe how much faster it is.
I have also started to do some stuff for one of the on line classes I am doing so a bit of fun is in the air as well.
All is right with my world, well for today any way!