Birds, Blocks & Bake.

I was in my kitchen cooking earlier watching the birds through the patio doors & it reminded me that I hadn't blogged my bird photos. In the Autumn I moved the bird table etc right outside of my patio doors as we only use the doors in the Summer. The downside of this is I'm forever taking photos through the glass when I should be cooking a meal :D

Robin.

I think this Blackbird decided that there were tastier morsels under the house so squeezed in there.

Mistle Thrush

Pied Wagtail

Not a great photo as I had to zoom to the end of the garden but this was a Fieldfare sitting on my bay tree as far as I'm aware we haven't had one of these in the garden before.

And my little Blackcap who I blogged about after seeing him for the first time on Christmas day, well he's been back every day since and there is now a Mrs Blackcap! She has only been visiting here for the last week & is quite timid although bossy, to the other birds, & very photo shy but I will get a photo in the end, incidently she has brown cap.

Now an update on the string quilt challenge, I really love making string blocks it is seriously addictive. I've cut strips from all of my patterned cotton fabrics these are mainly florals it has to be said!

And I've made 30 blocks so far, these are only roughly trimmed at the moment. I have a few things in mind what I'm going to make a few small projects and a quilt then I'm going to attack my Globaltex stash to make some cushions. Excuse the dull photos the light here is not good at the moment.

And for a change in the evenings I've started another crochet blanket this time I'm using Yvestown blog's pattern the inner circles are the same as my hexagon one and these will have another row to square them off in a very pale cream. I've done about 40 so far so I'm getting there, I know I should've finished my second hexagon & my ripple first but I do really love this one so simple too.

52 week recipe challenge - we've now done a creamy mushroom soup, which I did fiddle around with slightly, a delicious soup and I got a chance to photograph my latest CS find 4 soup bowls.

Then another bake this time a lemon cake with crunchy topping, this also went down a treat!

This weeks recipe is for a country cottage pie, which I made on Monday after looking at the ingredients and just guessed the method. I haven't got a photo as I had to make it ahead of a Governors meeting it had been devoured by the time I got home although they did save me some. All the recipes can be found at Debbie's blog here

And finally I'll leave with proof that Spring is on it's way Tete a Tete's in my kitchen and

snowdrops in my garden.

Now my hook is calling.

Autumn days

It's so lovely to see the garden full of bluetits, blackbirds and robin's again, these photos were taken through my kitchen window.

Walking in our local woods.

Halloween and Guy Fawkes: Lily made a friendly spider. This year I made Yorkshire Parkin for the first time and will be making it again as it was very nice indeed. I also made some cheese & ham puffs made using a pumpkin shaped cutter, very simple to make and tasted delicious.

Eden project's 'Halloweden' we visited the pumpkin carving workshop, made magic potions of lavender, rose, callendula etc. and visited the owls. The last 3 photos are of the cotton growing it was the first time I'd seen these and the cotton just bursts from the plant.

I've also partaken in a little bit of fabric buying.

I haven't been around much recently because of the amount of work I have to do and feel terribly guilty that I haven't been looking at any blogs, I know that if I leave the computer on I will spend half the day on there, which is what has happened this morning! The produce market were I have a stall is this coming Saturday so only 3 days left and I still have lots to do. I have lots of stock to take: Christmas bunting, spiced hearts, stars, trees, sachets & felt decorations. Scented hearts, birds & doorstops. Pincushions, fabric baskets, owl, cat, dog and rabbit shelf sitters and an abundance of crochet brooches. As well as finishing of lots of those I also need to try and make some bags, and pegbags but we'll see what time allows. This is going to be a monthly event and I have a table booked indefinately, the next one will be on the 19th December hence the reason for doing so much sewing now as there is so much to do in December and I like to be able to enjoy the festivities. Hopefully after Saturday I'll be able to catch up on all the blogs.

F.R.I.E.N.D.S. & other random bits.

I was delighted to receive my friends swap from Bekimarie on Friday. Beki organised the swap and the idea was to send an item beginning with each of the letters in the word friends. All of the items were initialed.

I had F- a very pretty decorated frame, R - lovely pink rose tealight holder, I - a gorgeous decorated inspiration box full of lots of inspirational goodies, E - really cute vintage egg cup.

N - a handmade notebook - too cute to use, D - a beautiful pink mug with roses on for drink

and finally S for soaps. As you can see Beki really spoilt me and I love all of it. Lily is still munching her way through the sweets, which her beady eyes found as soon as I opened the parcel!

Thankyou Bekimarie for the parcel and for organising the swap, it was such a fun swap to do.

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I also received another lovely swap from Fabrose over at the SCC. This was a Spring/ Easter swap, which was slightly delayed as Fabrose was moving house. I had some lovely cards, embellishments, stickers and mini eggs, two pretty spool birds, which are now hanging off the leaves of my kitchen light fitting.

And these gorgeous handmade yoyo napkin holders with napkins.

Thankyou Rose for all my lovely goodies.

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And these are the swap things that I've made/sent out first the FRIENDS swap to Bekimarie.

F- felt embroidered heart with friends on it, R - crochet rose brooch, I - Amigurumi icecream, E- embellishments, N- felt needlecase, D - die cuts, S - scrapbook papers.

And these went to Mary Poppins at the SCC for the May's kitchen swap, spotty espresso cups, Amigurumi cupcake, Eggs sign, teabag holder and an embroidered home sweet home felt heart.

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I sent off for one of Snapdragon's toadstool badges and in return I had to take a photo of it which, may be used for a catalogue montage. It's a gorgeous badge, so cute as are these hand knitted socks. I wish I could say I knitted them but they were made by one of Jodie's friends Grandmother, very clever lady.

Some things I'm loving right now- bargain goodies from the garden centre.

Sweet Williams from my garden and my stripy crochet jar cover. (photo at top of post)

And finally being able to take a picture of a blue tit on the fat ball, albeit from a distance!

Now I ought to go and update the other blog. Have a great weekend.

Monday's thrift

Well the weather is good albeit slightly breezy. Not hot enough for the beach yesterday but good enough for a walk in the countryside ..................................... around the car boot, well it's better than being stuck in a supermarket.

Here's a few of the goodies from this week and last.

Primrose teacups with 1 saucer and a rose saucer.

A rose oil lamp and a floral lamp base.

Plates - floral, pansies and roses.

An embroidered cushion cover.

A couple of rose bowls and floral pots.

Floral jug and bowl and a rose jug and saucer.

A pink jug.

Cut glass candlestick & jug, a round glass jelly mould, which I have wanted for ages, embroidered tablecloth.

Snowflake pyrex casserole, sauce dish and saucer.

A lovely wooden dolls highchair for Lily and a Blackberry farm book.

Some 70's cookery books and a 50's Stork cookery book.

Every Girl's Handbook 1961.

And finally in my opinion a really cute dog and a couple of brooches.

While I was outside taking the photos (5hrs ago) I found this little chap tweeting for his mum and the poor thing is still there!

Sparrow chick.