Trip To Dunhelm

I like the Dunhelm store and every so often I go on a recce to see what is actually there.  I went yesterday and came back with several things including some bakeware stuff, which had been reduced,  plenty of needles and needlepoint/tapestry needles as well as crewel embroidery ones in different sizes.  I also bought a button hole cutter, marking pen, fray check, two artificial silk flower displays for the front room. A sifter jar (I will cover that under separate post).  I also bought four new mugs but have managed to break the handle of one of them (b.......) so I was not a happy bunny.  I have also managed to find some non stick fish slices.  The old fashioned design which is angled.  Been looking for a metal one for ages.  I originally had one from my mum's but it broke which I was a bit upset about.

Whilst there I was also looking through the bedding and I very much like the wildflower bedding as it is very like the original Country Diary design except this is wildflowers against a white background rather than cream.  They had some embroidered cushions to complement them but they would also rather fit in with the original Country Diary bedding I already have.  There were two left and no price tag so I asked and nearly fainted in shock.  £35 each.  At that price I am more than capable of obtaining suitable fabric and embroidery threads and embroidering a couple of panels and making them up into cushions myself.  I do so hate it when they charge the blooming earth for things and when no sooner do you start collecting a particular range of things than the shop or store discontinues the designs.  That is why I so much loved the dear departed BHS store as they used to keep the patterns in for some while.  I cannot though in all conscience pay £35 per cushion.  They need to be gold plated for that (unless of course they become reduced).

I need some new sheets.  May be I am a little odd  (I prefer by choice but cannot always afford) Egyptian cotton bedding.  No fitted sheets here.  We have flat sheets as we do not get on with the fitted ones at all.  So I was eyeing up the options but may leave it a bit longer yet.  Our bed is a Superking so the prices are always upped because of the size in any event.  I shall keep a look out though. We also need a new mattress.  Might look in John Lewis or Marks & Spencer.  The thing with cotton is that it washes and lasts a long while so I do not mind paying a little more if I have to, but by preference would pay as little as I can.  It has to be pure cotton as I just do not like the mixes that they do.  There is nothing nicer than sliding into clean cotton sheets. 

Freshly laundered sheets is one of my things along with the smell of new baked bread and the roast dinner.  However I do not think I am the only one who takes pleasure in this.

I also bought a new item from the Kilner range; I have the butter churn, the spiraliser and now the cream whipper.  Yes I succumbed. I am keeping my eyes open for a coffe grinder as well as I know that they did one.  I am also after a couple of the barrels on wooden legs.

I have also seen something else in Dunhelm that I have my eyes on which will make things a little easier for me.  They only had one in today and I actually want two.  So we shall have to wait and see; will probably go on another recce next week. 

I was also looking at the cushion inserts; I tend to go for feather pillows as they are a lot comfier.  However I will leave them until I am absolutely ready for them.  A couple of tips I was taught with regards to cushion inserts  and the maintenance of a cushion are as follows:

I was taught to buy a bigger cushion insert for a cushion cover so that it really puffs the cushion up when you get its cover on.  Most people will not have feathers in the house because someone is allergic to them or they have asthma or they just cannot bear escaping feathers.  Each week when I turf the front room out I bung the cushion pads into the tumbler for about 15 minutes which gets rid of any errant feathers and any dust.  It also fluffs up the cushion insert back to its original fluffy sized.  Prior to doing this I found that the cushions went slack and flat, but this way so far they have in effect stayed like new. 

I do use a tumble drier all the year through at the moment as I do not have a washing line in the garden so this year which is a first I have not managed to get the washing out, but the washing has either been air dried on a coathanger from the residual heat of the house or in the tumble drier.  I tend to dry woollies and things like that on a coat-hanger.  The use of the tumble drier is budgeted for as especially during the winter months we need clean and dry warm clothing and with me working full time, time is very limited at the weekend.  So I do use my tumble drier quite a lot but it is an "A" grade appliance with all sorts of options on it.

I have fabrics (a lot of them), a new sewing machine and next week will be the proud owner of an embroidery machine.  I am so looking forward to this and am so hoping that I will now be able to learn new skills like patchwork and improve my sewing generally.  I am aiming to make quite a few Christmas presents myself this year of different things.  I have where the embroidery machine is concerned been looking at a few tutorials and different sites and different patterns and am potentially quite excited at some of the projects that I have seen and loved, but am also well aware that the thread and staples like the backing material used to embroider lace and which dissolves is a little pricey.  However I am a lover of lace particularly vintage but from what I have seen the machine makes beautiful lace.   I will start small and build things up a bit at a time - I may also invest in some software for the machine but as I have said one step at a time.  I do not want to run before I can walk and I want to get as much enjoyment out of the machine as well as making things.  I used to do a lot of machine sewing at one time and when I was a teenager made a lot of my own clothes.  Potentially that is something I would like to get back to.

We had rain for the best part of yesterday and I understand from OH who was fishing that there was an almighty thunder and lightning storm where he was.  Fortunately he had taken his rods in which are carbon and conductors of electricity so at least he was safe.  However whilst I was in Dunhelm the rain came down really hard and made an almightly clatter on the metal roof to the store.  Right that's enough of my chatter.  Catch you later.

Pattypan

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