Yesterday and Today

Friday Evening

After our sarnies, crisps, and fruit and cream I intended to set too however, despite the plan for me to attempt to start sorting through my sewing and dressmaking stuff it did not quite happen and I ended up being dragged off onto something else.

The weather forecast for Friday had been intermittent rain but we did not have any and so I put the towels for the animals out onto the line.  Come 6:00pm the rain started to come down and it has not stopped since. I therefore had to nip out and bring the towels in.  Fortunately most of them were dry. I have the ones that were a little damp hanging off hangers to dry.   We need the rain as the soil here is very dry when you dig down a bit.  It is the kind of rain that will do some good.  Forecast again for Saturday with intermittent periods of sunshine at the moment.

All activities over the weekend will therefore be housebound unless we achieve dry periods.  I therefore was not able to get out into the garden and start weeding and sorting it out a bit which I am a little bit peeved about.  These things are sent to try us.

I have spoken to G about giving the Bay tree a haircut - if there are dry periods I think it will be dealt with over the weekend at some point as I would like to get these in and dried.  I also want to make some Bouquet Garni.

It is now 9:45pm and the rain is still pouring down.  Hopefully we will get a break in the weather tomorrow so that I can get on with some of my jobs.  I hate it when I plan to do something and the weather does not co-operate.  King Canute I am not!

Apparently we had quite a thunderstorm and lightning show last night.  Unusually I slept right through it.

Saturday

Sadly we have had continuous rain overnight including a Thunder and lightning storm which I seemed to have missed as I was fast asleep. In the circumstances therefore I have been in the house most of the day.

Today I have found my smaller freestanding vintage sewing box.  This one is lined with Blue silk and does need some TLC.  The outer case is in reasonable condition and it is in better condition than my larger one which was my Great Aunt's sewing box.  It is a larger match for the smaller one.  I may keep my patchwork stuff in this smaller box and my general hand sewing supplies in the larger one. Unfortunately the larger one has sustained some damage.  A few years ago G did agree to paying out for getting this restored.  However pennies have not permitted that as yet.  I am holding on to it until the day I can get it to someone to try and restore it and put it back to what it was.  I was quite upset by the damage which has been sustained.  However hopeful that it can be restored at some point.

The smaller of the freestanding vintage needlework boxes.  Not expensive ones but eminently practical and useful.

I had a beautiful Ewer Jug and washbowl which was a vintage set, with Roses on it.  It had been packed away fairly carefully but the jug has lost its handle and sustained damage around the fancy rim of the jug.  I am hopeful at some point to try and find either a replacement Ewer jug or a replacement set.  Quite upset about this too as I really loved it.  Was a charity shop find for £10.  I suspect it was damaged when the items were brought from the unit.

I also emptied two boxes and am now working my way through one of my crafting bags.

There is a set of four seasonal embroidered framed pictures (only three photos have loaded).

I also found a load of vintage doilies - two of these are a matching set and are in the most beautiful yellowy gold colour although the colour has not come through too well in the photos, plus some other white ones.

These ones will probably get used in their own right, however I do have some others which I intend to upcycle into some slightly different items somewhere down the line.

There is also the partial stash of beautiful embroidered tablecloths.  A lot of these have been purchased with a view to grouping and using them seasonally i.e. Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter which seems to be a bit of a theme for me at the moment.  I have also bought some damaged ones with a view to upcycling them into different items as well.  Thinking cushion covers and crazy patchwork here.  Cushions and Quilts.

Then there are the tray cloths and table runners which yet again, some of them will be used seasonally in their own right, some will be turned into cushion covers but all will be loved for their beauty.  I love embroidered items.  I grew up with a family who always did for themselves so if they saw something in the shop and could not afford it, they would set too and make something themselves with what they had available to them.

Vintage Cushion Covers

These were bought second hand and they need a little TLC as some of the seams are starting to disintegrate.  The embroidery on them is beautiful though and these Cushion covers are now in the pile of stuff to deal with once I find the foot pedal for my sewing machine.

They are destined to have feather pads added to them and then to reside in my Rocking Chair in the bedroom once they have had the appropriate TLC.

Then there is the unfinished embroidery project bought off Ebay and which I do intent do get finished off as I have plans for this for my front room eventually. This is a set of what is known as Antimacassars, which were placed on seats or anywhere a man's head may come into contact with any kind of upholstery although usually a settee.  Men used to use Macassar oil on their hair which left a residue behind.  Most people will know their more generic name of Chair back covers. Some of these were part-worked when I received it. One is a Work in Progress and the other is a completed version.  I think this is absolutely gorgeous.

The base of the cover is curved as well as there being a surround of coffee and cream cross stitch which I did not quite manage to catch on the picture. There is a full set of these to work.

Finally on the linen front, there are a couple of tea towels (the rest have yet to be located and if I remember rightly there are three different patterns of tea towels which are intended to be turned into a practical everyday tablecloth for my large pine table in the dining room.  That is also in the stash to sew.  Should not take too long once I get working on the sewing machine.  I think there is a plain green one as well if I remember correctly.

Tea tonight has been a proper scratch meal and a family favourite.  You basically take some sausages or chipolatas and brown them off.  Then add a tin of Plum tomatoes either whole or chopped to the pan and cook through until warm.  Give a liberal sprinkling of white pepper, heat through again and then add a pinch of sugar which counteracts the tomatoes from being too acid which I personally cannot deal with.  Goes down a treat and does not cost too much.  We just then have it with some bread and butter.  Does the job.

Off to put my feet up and have a rummage through the craft bag to see what is in there. 

Have a lovely evening.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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