Plodding along ...

and not getting anywhere very fast! As per usual there always seems to be so much to do & so little time if only we had a few more hours in the day :) I think when the sun comes out time just goes fast forward. I've been trying to get more cushions finished each one probably takes about 4 hours or more! Some friends and I have started a quilting group as well, meeting fortnightly & having a laugh. I've decided to hand sew a Grandmother's flower garden quilt, which is made completely of small hexagons, it may take some time!

Of course in the sunshine you also have to spend time at the beach.

Going for walks.

And waste a lot of time watching the hens having dust baths,

Maude is more dignified with hers.

And then hours & hours of gardening & watering.

Of course a fair bit of time has to be spent thrifting.

The recipe book is full of recipes which 2 friends have sent to each other & magazine newspaper cuttings including this from January 21st 1945.

I also helped a couple move into one of the most gorgeous houses I've ever been in and she gave me these curtains, originally from Liberty. I don't know what I'm going to do with them yet, there are 4 curtains probably 7ft in length & double lined so they weigh a ton!

Some more linen found at a car boot

along with this tray,

lovely & big bowl,

a shaving brush to put with my collection of mugs,

yet another cake stand & some plates.

And finally a laundry basket to be painted & covered ...... one day!

And today it's back to the sewing machine & the cushions. I've also got to do some walking as next week I'm doing a sponsored 11 mile moonlight walk for Marie Curie/ Macmillan cancer charities & haven't really done any practising yet :0

A dog's tale.

Last weekend we had an unexpected visitor, my daughter found this little fellow wondering along the side of the A30 at 4 oclock Saturday morning. She was housesitting for some neighbours at the time so turned up here at 8.30 with a ''I found this dog can you sort it out and look after him!'' I was in a rush at the time trying to get ready for a craft market so I put him out in the porch with a blanket and some water and was out the door fifteen minutes later.

I came back later to a scratched front door, brand new front door at that! Found out it was a he without a collar so no name tag but with a retching cough. I worried that it would be kennel cough so made sure I kept him away from my dog. He was also absolutely gorgeous, very friendly and well behaved and I figured he was a Bichon Frise cross. I then rang the police with the info I had but no one had reported him missing, we also told the village shop and pub.

I had been told that the dog wardens are not available during the weekend so I had to wait until Monday to ring them. Fast track to Monday morning and after 1/2 hour on hold I got through to the dog warden, he hadn't been reported missing. But then a lady who I recognised walked down the path, the dog warden went on hold and lo & behold it was the owner's mother!

She had gone into the village shop to put up a lost poster (2 days later!) Apparently he had been let out at 3 in the morning and went wondering, he doesn't have a collar or tag or microchip! Luckily the cough isn't kennel cough, he's a Bishon Frise cross Maltese and 12 yrs old. I did have a moan about it being irresponsible and how lucky it was that the dog wasn't killed or indeed caused an accident. I did get some flowers for my trouble.

Some other quite nice things to happen 28 pieces of linen & crochet for £1.

And a sewing box full of vintagey bits for £3.

Have a good weekend hopefully mine isn't going to be quite as eventful as the last. Oh and the photo at the top of this post is of a gorgeous Magnolia, which is blooming in the village.

Sunny Sunday Carboot

I popped to the carboot on Sunday just to get some runner bean plants as, for the first time ever, mine decided not to grow! Well it was very sunny, very busy and too, too much temptation! I got my bean plants and then got slightly carried away, stayed for 2 hours and came away with this little lot ............

6 sundae glasses, a green glass bowl, a small glass candlestick (should have been two but I left one on the table), a few linen mats, gravy boat and saucer, 6 cute knives and a pretty Royal Doulton cup.

and more ......

a wicker bottle basket, which I've wanted for ages, two box framed roses pictures, 6 pillowcases and a duvet set for the fabric.

a few more .........


a dark green enamel teapot, German floral sugar bowl and coffee pot (she couldn't find a lid to this, which was a pity as there's not a mark on it, only 50p though so I thought I could put flowers in it. A lovely flower patterned segmented japanese plate, a teacup, saucer & tea plate set, another embroidered tablecloth, a rose patterned plate and some books for £5 ; Harmony toy book, Treasury of country crafts, Soft furnishings, Victorian crafts revived, Best ever crafts, Clever crafts to decorate your home, Laura Ashley book of home decorating.

and finally another shelf to paint, well it was only £2 and it will go in the bathroom.

Oops I had said I wasn't going to buy anything apart from the plants!