Five hours on the allotment and still loads more to do

At last we have been able to get outside and work on the allotment, after so much rain recently, the ground has been unworkable. Finally today we left here at 10 a.m. and returned at 3 p.m.  I have put in the runner beans, some cauliflower, chard, sweet corn, broad beans and two pumpkins.  The weeds are growing fast with all the rain and all the work done a few weeks ago has been wasted, as the weeds are up again.

The bed here has the cauliflower in, I read recently if you put rhubarb leaves on the surface of the soil it helps to prevent club root, which I do know we have on part of the plot, so I thought I'd give it a go and see what happens, the rest of the rhubarb will go in a pie for dinner tonight!  The second bed only has the cat mint in, its clear and ready for my broccoli and red cabbage, I hope to put that in sometime next week.  The broad beans are in the next bed, I've experimented with the way I stake them this year as last year they took up all of my canes, staking them singly.  This time I've staked the ends of the rows and wound string from one stake to the other at each end then tied in every bean, will it work I wonder.

The neighbours plot is disgraceful, it makes me so annoyed that people are allowed to let their plots get in this state.  Since they took it on last autumn they have hardly done a thing. No vegetables or flowers are growing on the plot.  I am sure there is someone out there who badly wants a plot and can't get one, someone who would be glad of this plot and enjoy working on it and growing their own lovely fresh veg. What a waste!

Just look at this



Our Jubilee Tea Party

To celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee our local school had a parade around the neigbourhood yesterday at 11.30.  I did not want to miss the children in their Jubilee outfits, so I asked a few neighbours if they would join us on the front drive for a cup of tea and a cake and to watch the parade at the same time. They all thought it was a great way to join in the celebrations.

We set out tables and chairs Margaret made a cake and Michelle brought some red, white and blue cup cakes, David next door put up some bunting across the gardens and I made the tea and scones.  We settled down to a tea party and a grand view of the parade. Everyone had a really enjoyable time.  The children cheered and waved their flags, so many stopped to say hello.  It was great as all the passers by and many of the teachers spoke to us and everyone was taking pictures.  

Thank you Coppice School, let us know when you have another parade and we will be there to watch.

Everything in the garden is growing nicely

After a week of sunshine last week, the flowers are beginning to look good.  There are so many in bloom at long last this year.  But the weather changed at the start of the week and the rain has been very heavy at times.  The courgettes I put out in a tub by the back door have doubled in size in just a few days, we will be eating them before long!!!

Some of the flowers

Remember Azaleas need a lot of water all year round.

Hiding behind the Valerian I found this lovely bulb.

This Aquilegia has been in bud for so long, I'm so pleased it is finally in flower



The garden needs a lot of work doing in it, its a mess, before I take any more photos, my plan is to get out there between the showers and tidy it.

Fashion Show

I've been putting together some work for a Textile Student who has been designing fabric in preparation for her final fashion show later this week.  She asked if I could make two jacket patterns for her, then make the garments up when she had prepared the fabric. She had embossed and painted neoprene for one of her jackets and cut and painted the neoprene for the second jacket, they turned out well.  We were both very pleased.

It's been great to do something different and I really enjoyed working on this project. I hope Becky does well in her future career.  Good luck to you.

Recent Work

I've been stitching like crazy for the last three weeks trying to finish this project for my friends who exhibit cacti and are going to be at the Chelsea Flower Show this week. I've made them both a jacket and they have a waistcoat and a skirt all covered in cactus flower embroideries like the one in the photo to wear on their stand.  There are 15 different panels in all; this beaded cactus is just one, it has green faceted glass beads and silk thread. The other panels have stitchery and a range of different colours and kinds of beads.

The skirt I made for my City and Guilds in red seen in a picture on my 15th March post, has been updated to include some applique, I cut out the printed leaves from a curtain fabric and applied them to the skirt.

Now I have cut out the jacket to match in this lovely red wool fabric and want to apply some more applique to the front and back of the jacket. This is something I am still working on. I can't work out yet where to put the appliqued leaves, so I need to spend some time on this before I stitch and put the picture on the blog.

I have finished my waistcoat for my City and Guilds.  I designed it myself and made the pattern, the idea came from a book 'Quick and Easy Vests and Jackets' by Kate Mathews, its an old book that I picked up for £2.50, at the book sale in Bingham, but the ideas can be adapted an turned into more up to date designs. I hope this is what I have achieved here.



I have used a contrasting grey fabric to make the flaps and piped around the collar.  I will use this grey to make some trousers to wear with the waistcoat. I've done a pattern, just need to toile it and try it before making it up in the fashion fabric.   I've found some more of this waistocat fabric in a shop locally, so I bought another 1/2 metre so I can make a new bag maybe a nice Amy Butler bag, I have her book 'Amy Butler's Style Stitches' I'm sure I can find a bag in there to make up, or I might just have some inspiration to design something myself.

My sister had a birthday earlier this year, so I made her a blouse to go with the trousers I made her for Christmas, I hope she likes it.

More New Girls

On Sunday 29th April, I went to collect the latest members of our family.  Six lovely Light Sussex Hens.  There are so many hens in the run now, its hard to get them all together at the same time for a photo shoot!!  They have settled in well and all seem to be getting on together OK. They have however decided that they can fly over the 6 foot fence into the garden.  We put up some netting over the top of the run so they stay inside where it is safer. It also stops the pigeons from coming into the run and eating their corn.

I have only to go out into the garden and they all come running up to the fence to see me, it must be something to do with all the food I give them, they love dandelion leaves and scraps.  Three of them have started to climb onto the smaller hen house when I'm at the top of the garden working in the potting shed, Olive Oil our lovely old hen who died last year, always kept me company when I was working, she sat on the roof of the hen house watching me potting and planting whenever I was in the potting shed.  I miss her, but I think these three will be my new companions.

Looking at the bigger hen house, it has become very shabby recently its about 12 years old, so after a visit to the Malvern Spring Show last week, where we looked at some new hen houses, we have decided to treat our lovely girls to a new home.

Sewing Inspiration

Last month I visited the Leicestershire Museum Services Resources Centre at Barrow upon Soar.  It's a brilliant place to get design ideas for making clothes, using their historical costume collection.  Sarah the Collections Officer is so knowledgeable about the clothes in her care, she is great to talk to and you learn so much from her. Anyone studying fashion, or anyone interested in clothes design and construction should make an appointment to visit the centre it's the best resource around.

This sampler shows some of the beautiful stitches applied to historical corsets made by the Symington Family at their factory in Market Harborough in the 19th & early 20th century's.  The corset collection is outstanding and it's worth a visit just to explore the corsets.

I really love the tailored garments and found this beautiful jacket. I want to use the design idea but to bring it into the 21st century with a modern twist.

 I was so taken by this garment, that I have asked Sarah if she will get it out for me when I visit with my City and Guilds group next month, because I need to see it again to take more detailed photographs.

It's hard to believe that a woman somewhere in the past wore this suit with pride during the 1940's or 50's and although it has some marks on it and one of the button holes is not as it was, it's in very good condition.  The garment is preserved for another generation to view and to understand how clothes were made in the past.

The skirt is amazing, the way it's constructed with the flaps and the pleats, I don't have a fondness of skirt wearing, I prefer trousers and jeans they are more comfortable, but I might even start to wear skirts if they have this kind of style and I can make them as well as this one is made.

Visit- Snibston Discovery Park and the Fashion Gallery at Coalville Leicestershire.  www.snibston.com
         The Collections Resources Centre at Barrow upon Soar, by appointment only
www.leicsgov.uk/museums for information