Tart's Tales

Obsessed? Moi?

2012-01-25T13:10:00.000Z

Well don't you think they are irresistable? Lovely deep dyed mother of pearl buttons ready to brighten up the dullest winter day. They are resting on part of the jacket I am knitting in New Lanark wool/silk and handspun. I only have half a sleeve to go so the end is in sight now.

Newsletter No 4 is out and you can download a copy from my Tart's Art site. If you'd like to receive it straight to your e-mailbox in future, just fire off a message to me and I'll add you to the small but select mailing list.

Back to technicolour

2012-01-16T13:50:00.001Z

Today was going to be a sewing machine day - there are any number of jobs to be done, some creative and some decidedly not. But the possibility of working in a warm kitchen was more appealing so it is a drum carder day instead. The acquisition of a beautifully made Classic Carder has not revolutionised(!) my life but I have scarcely made a rolag with hand carders since I got it. It's just fun.

Today I am carding wool and alpaca and linen and more into 50gm bags of lovely colour blends for fibre lovers of all denominations to enjoy. I'll have them at the Woolfestival on 25th February in Coldstream so do come along and squish a bag or two and make noises about them, won't you?

Yesteryear..

2012-01-07T15:27:00.001Z

...when life was more 'black and white'.

Here's a contrast to today's mindblowing multi-coloured onslaught on the senses.

Back to a time when Needlework Illustrated carried these delightful advertisements (1947 to be exact)

To travel hopefully...

2011-12-30T18:04:00.001Z

I have designated 2012 my year of exploration.

Small scale stuff by many people's standards, I know, but I'm hazily planning a few escapades around the country and across the North Sea this coming year.

Not in this lovely mobile artwork, sadly. I admired it on Wednesday when we had a wee day oot (in stormy wind and rain) to Glasgow where Hugh enjoyed the rockers' dream exhibition at the Kelvingrove and we checked out the Riverside, the fancy new home of the Transport Museum

And I want to explore new ideas in my artwork too - the list of 'must try this' items on my list is impressive.

As I consider what to do first, I've started work on a version of this jacket. I've spun up four yarns which I am combining with a wool/silk mix aran weight from New Lanark. Stripes? Me? How did you guess?

As 2011 fades away, I want to say thanks for reading this far, for the comments both on and off the blog, and for visiting Woolgatherings or HQ or The Tart at fairs this year. May we all have a peaceful, safe and fulfilling year ahead.

X L

Good Wishes

2011-12-22T17:44:00.001Z

Illustration by Edmund Dulac from Hans Christian Anderson's 'The Snow Queen'

THE TART WISHES YOU A VERY FINE FESTIVE SEASON

Winter Preparations

2011-12-18T21:44:00.003Z

As the temperature falls I'm closing up Tart HQ for the winter. There will be many many trips across the snowy garden over the next week or so as I desperately try to squash the contents of HQ into nooks and crannies in the house to keep it warm and dry till the Spring. Of course I still want to have access to stuff so that I can continue to work with it which means I should really do the storage thing is a meaningful logical manner...

Good in theory but hey, it's a week till Christmas and there are much more pressing things to concern myself with, several of them kitchen-related (no relevant photographs were available due to exhaustive product testing).

Welcome to the Festive Fling!

2011-12-08T20:23:00.001Z

Despite ferocious weather here today, Tart HQ is cleaned and polished, primped and ready for visitors from Friday till Sunday. Understated it is not, but you wouldn't really expect that, now would you?

Sadly no images to tempt you but believe me there are lots of lovely textile and paper creations as well as a stash of cheap-as-chips sale items. Then there's spicy mulled apple juice, coffee and home baking to encourage you to linger and chat.

Hugh's cabin will be open all weekend too. He's there now, reducing the prices ridiculously on his lovely paintings.

Drop by if you can - wellies optional!

Another Suitcase in Another Hall

2011-11-27T22:05:00.001Z

OK, I'm no Madonna, but I've been whizzing round halls for the last few weekends, with cases and boxes full of textiles and cards, prints and pincushions, and generally failing to record the facts with my camera..

The Art & Design Fair was a well-run event with lots of lovely quality handmade items for sale. Several of us were demonstrating our skills and I enjoyed talking to people about spinning, not to mention selling them my yarns...

Yesterday was a bit of a change as I baked all morning and sold my wares at our local village hall in the afternoon. It was a great wee gathering of very local craftsmen and women, and I came home with quite a few presents bought (mainly for me...)

Today I was in Lauder at a Fair in aid of The Lavender Touch, a very worthwhile local charity providing complimentary treatments for cancer patients in the Borders.

Tomorrow I am teaching Su how to spin, then there's some more making to be done before my Festive Fling here at Tart HQ on 9/10/11 December.

Do you like the Tart's new pattern to accompany a skein of handspun? Her personal designer has whizzed up a lovely easy pattern to make this cowl with a twist!

Kelso beckons...

2011-11-17T21:09:00.001Z

I'm off there Friday afternoon to set up my stall for two days of Art & Design Fair. There will be a fantastic mixture of quality work on display so it's your perfect opportunity to get shopping in comfort and warmth! I'll be spinning, others will be demonstrating too, there are refreshments all day both days, free parking - what's not to like?!

Saturday and Sunday at Springwood Park, Kelso, from 10 am to 5pm - stop by and say hello!

Woolgatherers Unite!

2011-11-07T13:08:00.003Z

I'm hoping for a fine Autumnal day for Sunday's WOOLGATHERING - a crisp morning and a clear sunny sky! But I'll put the fire on in the Village Hall too so we can be sure of a little warmth even if the weather doesn't deliver...
Everyone's welcome to come along and join in the gentle work day from 10.30am onwards. An earlier start to give you the option of not driving round the Remembrance Day service at the village crossroads.

A Textile Treat...

2011-11-04T17:06:00.002Z

...awaits you tomorrow at Coldstream! Organiser Louise from Woolfish is badging it as a Wool and Craft Festival and it takes place in the Community Centre (the old church) from 10.00am.

See you there!

The Future's Bright

2011-10-29T16:44:00.000Z

... and full of fibre. New bright chunky hand spun yarns, plied with silk in a rainbow of shades. I still do subtle, of course, but it was time for an injection of pure colour to offset the murky days we're running into here. I hope the visitors to the Woolfestival on Saturday like 'em.

And I bring you the awesome purple clogs - bright leather courtesy of the makers in Invermoriston, stylish soles by yours truly with an indelible marker!

Nose to the Grindstone

2011-10-26T18:44:00.000Z

One fair down and several more to go, but I am not complaining. It's good fun meeting all sorts of people who come to fairs to peruse and chat and buy and it is lovely when someone falls in love with a skein of yarn I have spun, and you can see them scheming what to make with it.

Next stop is the Woolfestival at Coldstream on 5th November where textile treats await the lucky spinner/weaver/knitter/crocheter/person of taste...

I am desperately trying to upload stylish pics of my clogs but Blogger is sulking. I'll be back later......

Autumn Daze

2011-10-17T18:38:00.000Z

It's difficult to concentrate when the rain is driving horizontally at the windows, and it's not a helpful beat to spin to. BUT, it's warm and comfortable in the kitchen this evening and I'd like to claim that the wheel and I are in perfect harmony. I certainly love it and spinning with my NEW PURPLE CLOGS on is good fun. I will photograph them as they deserve a wider audience. I had them made on holiday at the clog shop in Invermoriston. I sound even more like a baby elephant than usual, clumping about on our laminate floors but I don't care.

On Sunday I am off to Aberlady to a craft fair with some familiar goodies and some new stock too. These are my Amulet Shawl Pins - what do you think?

Forts

2011-10-11T21:00:00.002Z

George and Augustus

Sailing the length of the Caledonian Canal would be rather fine, especially in one of the crewed boats we saw navigating the lock at Fort Augustus. The scenery is dramatic and maybe early October is the best time if it means missing midges.

My Fort George images give little idea of the scale of the construction of the 42 acre site.

Hugh is standing in one of the 'sights' for the cannons so he's about thirty feet above the shoreline in this pic. I won't give you a history lesson - you can read more here!

And this is the braw wee cottage we stayed in.

Northern Exposure

2011-10-02T18:29:00.001Z

Batteries are recharged after a week spent in a very fine wee cottage close to Loch Ness. We had the River Moriston at the foot of the wooded garden and miles of forest tracks accessible from the door. The dogs were in seventh heaven and we didn't do so badly either...

We carried out a poll over the week of the available coffee & cake stops between Fort William and Nairn. The winner on cake quality was the cafe at Fort George. I didn't photograph the carrot cake (Hugh) or the apple/cinnamon/walnut loaf (me) but I do have some pics of the 42 acres that the garrison fortress covers. Tune in next week, folks, for more on this impressive edifice.

To show that we did do some walking in between refreshments, I bring you these in the meantime....

The Road Less Travelled?

Soft shades ll

2011-09-22T18:41:00.001Z

Alternative shades this week:

one of our cross Light Sussex/Scots Grey chooks,

lovely low light catching the textures in a handspun and stitched cushion,

bargain lightweight woollen check remnants from ScrapStore,

and part of our mint jungle.

Autumn shades

2011-09-18T21:01:00.001Z

Some seasonal textures, from silver birch to bulrushes and blueberries, captured in a recent brief afternoon of sunshine.

Tart's Temptations...

2011-09-15T10:14:00.000Z

Well, that was some weekend!

Despite the vagaries of the early autumn weather, lots of lovely visitors made their way to Tart HQ and Hugh's arty cabin.

Now was it for the display of painting and stitchery, the stimulating conversation (read cheek in Hugh's case) or the supplies of coffee and cake? Our kindly regular visitors probably knew what to expect in terms of the latter, but the many new art trail followers were hopefully pleasantly surprised by the whole experience.

The HQ afficionados succumbed to handfuls of handspun yarns and bags of buttons and lots of other treasures. It was a real boost to my confidence before I head into the main art and craft fair season over the next few months.

Two more sleeps...

2011-09-07T19:28:00.004Z

....till Crossing Borders Art Trail (West) hits town!

The shelves are dusted, the rugs shaken out, the windows are a little cleaner (it's not my forte) and the Tart's choice merchandise is on display. There's a bit of primping to go yet, some pricing and much bunting to be strewn about. Baking is well under way and the coffee machine was seen en route to Hugh's cabin this evening, where it will be fired up to keep our hundreds of visitors well-fuelled . (a girl can dream)
You are very welcome to call in from 10.00am Friday onwards.Do you like this? It was such a lovely leaf, lying on the grass under the washing line today that I thought it should be recorded for posterity and inspiration

Artists on the loose

2011-09-01T10:10:00.003Z

Crossing Borders' Fourth Annual Art Trail launches Friday 2nd September. There are lots of great artists and craftspeople out there waiting to welcome you to workshops, studios and village halls across the East side of the Borders this weekend. (It's our turn next weekend).
Look out for sheep signs and big arrows directing you to their doors.
Hugh and I are heading out early tomorrow to see arty friends across Berwickshire, admire their glorious quality handwork and maybe sneak a few bits home with us....

And these little sheep? You'll have to come and visit next weekend to see them!

Southdean Show Snaps

2011-08-21T21:14:00.004Z

Just thought I'd share a few pics of a lovely sunny day on Saturday at Southdean Show. Children ran races, pets were judged, jam was tasted and teas and beers drunk. Many a burger was munched and I sold out of ice-cream. A proper day out!

Southdean Saturday - Smailholm Sunday

2011-08-18T22:01:00.004Z

image from here

The alliterative weekend ahead should be great fun! On Saturday I'll be serving up 99s (maybe not 6d each, though) and lollies to the masses attending our village show - it officially kicks off at 2pm and we have a very fine BBQ not to mention all the usual show stuff and some great craft stalls this year.
On Sunday I'm spinning at my own tarty stall at Smailholm's Fete where there will be yet more village entertainment, regardless of what the weather may threaten.I might even remember my camera.

Sheep Theme Continues

2011-08-11T21:15:00.004Z

Last Friday and Saturday were spent in a craft tent at the National Sheepdog Trials which took place near Jedburgh. We had a sunny Friday and a rainy muddy Saturday in our fine marquee. It was great to have good company from stall holders and to meet interesting new folk (and dogs) as they toured the stalls. The local scout troop acted as overnight 'security' at the site, though one showed a surprising aptitude for other skills...
I was pleased to sell some handspun, including the skein I told you about, with the pink and Black Cheviot. It was bought by Rachel who together with husband Nigel breeds very handsome Jacobs at St Boswells. They plan to learn to spin and set to work on their flock. You can read more about them here.

After a soggy Sunday spent in HQ, while Hugh and Ross undertook an equally sodden recce for Hugh's next off road adventure, I was ready for a change of scene.

So we ran away to Fife on Monday.

Pittenweem was our destination, to catch a few hours' worth of the annual Art Festival. There were lots of regular exhibitors with familiar but impressive work, but it was also a treat to find others new to me. I'd seen pictures of Helen Denerley's fantastic animal sculptures welded from scrap but to see them for real all along the pier wall was terrific. (Pity we forgot the camera...)

As a complete contrast, I bring you a scan of a card of an original artwork by Cheryl Brain. She had lots of bright mixed media work on display from her travels, with many Indian-inspired images but I fell for this image of sandals.

More Sheep Stuff

2011-07-31T20:32:00.003Z

Did I share this view with you already? I certainly meant to show you the summer view from HQ. I had to get out with the secateurs yesterday and prune some of the undergrowth from the side windows - it was in danger of becoming overgrowth instead!

It's been a busy weekend what with the Border Union Show and a lovely sunny craft fair at Harestanes today. I had talented illustrator Lynne's company and once our stalls were set up, she whisked her knitting needles out and I set to with needle and thread. We had a productive day in between the customers...!

Here are my latest yarns, spun, washed, dried and ready to be twisted into skeins and labelled up. The pink + dark Cheviot one is a scrumptious blend of shades and I'd quite like to keep it for myself.
And this cheeky ewe? She's the cover girl for the new Crossing Borders Art Trail booklet. The Art Trail this year is split over two weekends - 2/3/4 Sept for the East side of the Borders and 9/10/11 Sept for us Westerners. Get yourself to the Crossing Borders website to learn more or leave me a comment or e-mail and I'll post you a booklet with details of all the open studios you can visit.

Hugh and I will be on our best behaviour and look forward to meeting as many new faces and old friends as possible. There will be coffee and cake and artwork and no doubt some cheek too...

Happy Mondays

2011-07-25T16:08:00.004Z

They don't always turn out as planned but today was a fine example of a day off. It still involved bits of work because they sneak in anyway, but it feels different when you are choosing to do stuff. And at the moment, carding and spinning are a little addictive. I had company in Tart HQ yesterday which was lovely. We put the world to rights over coffee and fleece. I had combed and teased out some of the black Cheviot and I was easily persuaded to incorporate some into otherwise solid shades of tops. Here you can see a bundle of clean fleece with a mixture of pink shades spun on the bobbin. I made quick rolags with added Cheviot and they have given the pink an interesting depth. This morning I started a second bobbin of a mauve shade of merino with added soya fibre and cut dyed linen as highlights. They'll get plied together this week and I'll show you the finished washed skein in due course.Yesterday being such a fine day, I also got the first of the Blue Texel washed and this second pic shows the variation in shades in one half of one fleece. It's very dense but fine and I look forward to combing some and spinning it.

The general aim is to do some walking on Mondays and there was no excuse today. We strolled a simple little loop - over the Tweed via the pedestrian chain bridge at Melrose, along the riverbank, across Lowood Bridge (this is the view from the bridge looking towards Galashiels) and back along the other bank. The hot weather necessitated the consumption of ice-cream on our return to Melrose. Back home, a few more jobs done and then dog-walking time again. (Yes, they'd have loved to have come with us today but our water-loving dogs and fishermen paying large sums of money to fish the river do not mix.)

Sheep Dip

2011-07-21T09:22:00.003Z

I have acquired some interesting fleeces - a black Cheviot and Blue Texels. They are much softer and finer than I was expecting so I have been awaiting a dry day to start getting them clean. Today's the day for the Cheviot, and as you can see from the pic of part one soaking in the bath, it really is dark. Some of the rest is decidedly grey but I'll see how it spins up.

Above are three fine old Penguin paperback covers which I couldn't resist sharing with you. The Book of Toys one is rather cool, and the fairground horses are classic folk art - I love 'em!

Grabbing the sunshine....

2011-07-09T16:52:00.007Z

I've got lots of lovely shades of merino tops in stock now for spinners and felters and anyone who enjoys messing about with fibre. I'm happy to supply titchy quantites so you can experiment without breaking the bank.

Thunderbolts and lightening today, and now a weak sun is poking its head out of the clouds. Not ideal for picture-taking, so here instead are a couple from the beginning of the week when we enjoyed a walk at Selkirk. We parked at The Waterwheel and headed up a track through the Philiphaugh Estate. The views were glorious, the peace delightful. Rejoining the road, we strolled past the rugby ground and took the track by the old mill lade. This brought us nicely back to The Waterwheel where we had lunch in the sun. A jolly fine day off.

Lest there be any doubt,

2011-07-03T08:22:00.001Z

Midge and Ash are enjoying the sunshine...

Farewell June...

2011-06-30T11:17:00.004Z

.... you didn't linger long, did you? Gone in a flurry of showers and fleeting blossom, washing on the line that got wetter instead of drier, a ceilidh, a party, a fine Woolfest and much painting of walls.

What have I got to show for it? Well, last weekend some friends and I decorated the village hall with real and paper flowers and bunting. That evening we enjoyed a lovely party there to celebrate the retirement and major birthday of a very fine friend and neighbour. It really is a privilege to live here among such good and fun-loving people! The next day I was not fit for all that much but I did make a few similar paper flowers with old sewing patterns.And this? I gathered in a sweet little old style Clothkits skirt at a local jumble sale a year or two back. Said fine friend had made it for her daughter and loved the design. I decided to make her a coffee cosy from it and this was me starting out, quilting it with running stitch.

I have finally acquired enough shades of merino fibre to be able to offer small quantities for sale. So if you are felting or embroidering or otherwise messing about in a creative way with colour, do pop in and select as little as you like - my scale weighs in 2gm intervals!

My latest lovely buttons are printed mother-of-pearl ones which you can see bottom left in this pic (which will enlarge if you click on it, as will they all).

And the lovely fibre in the top heart picture? Well I had a grand time at Woolfest, good company on the drive there and back and catch-ups with friends as well as a little light purchasing. This is dyed alpaca, from Whitby!

Summer Blues

2011-06-22T18:29:00.003Z

Been decrepit since Monday but slowly getting better. So much going on this week and I have already missed half of it.
Woolfest beckons, though, so I have to be mended by Friday for my annual textile treat. And I have two passengers this year who have never been before so I can't let them down.

Here are my new doghouse and henhouse lavender bags, and shock horror, I have started restocking my Folksy shop

Birds and Dogs

2011-06-13T11:26:00.003Z

Do not be misled by this image. It may appear to depict two well-disciplined domestic dogs wandering quietly down a forest track. In reality they are exercising their well-honed skills of sniffing out smelly dank ditches, previously gnawed and discarded deer legs and other irresistable trophies under the guise of minding-their-own-business.

Happiness is a large stick and some muddy puddles.

On a cleaner note, here are my latest paper creations. I'll be off with my wares to Jedburgh on Sunday for a little craft fair at the Edinburgh Woollen Mill -a Fathers' Day Special!

Flower Power

2011-06-09T17:51:00.003Z

A kind friend presented me with treasure trove a little while ago. I don't know the history and I am not sure she does, but she was gifted a wonderful set of embroidery threads, all stored neatly in carefully stitched fabric rolls. I have not counted the skeins but there are scores of them. This was a serious embroidery habit. When L decided she was unlikely to undertake more embroidery herself, she passed them on to me. I feel privileged to own them now and love to look at the individual colour selections and imagine what stitchery took place over so many years.

From the sublime to the simple - a few flowers in a paper vase. One of a bunch of flower cards I made recently. Ande here's a mocked-up vase of felt flower and heart brooches. The vase has been depleted since I snapped this as several sold at the Food and Craft Fair at St Boswells last Saturday. There was a grand range of makers displaying their wares, from hats to homebakes, bags to artisan bread. I don't think any stallholder was immune to the glorious aromas emanating from that corner of the hall, and most went away with a loaf or two (yup, two in my case). Julia had done a fantastic job of organising the event and is maybe planning a pre-Christmas one too.

B&W

2011-06-04T21:28:00.003Z

I lead a colourful life, surrounded by fibre and fabric, paper and pencils, but sometimes you just can't beat black and white.
Here's a little agricultural sampler from Northumberland County Show which we enjoyed on Bank Holiday Monday.

High Drama

2011-05-27T16:03:00.004Z

I had intended posting today, but not quite this...

'Twas yesterday when I was out and about in Haddington (Peter Potter Gallery) and St Boswells (Tweedside Gallery), that Hugh's plans for the afternoon were shelved rather rapidly....
He'd lit the stove and gone on to do other things. When he returned to the kitchen there were lots of sparky noises emanating from said stove. Outside the road was thick with smoke. He moved dogs from kitchen (sensible man) and called the Fire Brigade.

Two hours later the fire in the chimney was extinguished. There was no internal damage. They advised Hugh to have the chimney swept again (it was only done a month ago) before lighting the fire. So that was duly booked for Monday

This morning before breakfast I investigated the occasional ticking noise from the stove and lo, the flue pipe was warm to the touch. There were wisps of smoke emerging from the chimney.

After a little contemplation, and breakfast, the Borders' finest firefighters were summoned once more. Green Watch from Hawick came rushing to the rescue, lights flashing, sirens scaring sheep and cattle for miles around. The fire had reignited from a pile of soot in a recess in the chimney (That's the short version of the saga). Another two hours elapsed as water was trickled down the chimney, the stove pipe was removed, a hole in the wall chipped out with a hammer and cold chisel, and the offending soot removed.

The fire is out. I am fairly confident of that. Green Watch departed with a dozen eggs for their lunch (they'd already missed breakfast on another call, I think). Now we await the loss adjuster appointed by our insurers before we can think about finding someone to fix us back together again...

We were very fortunate. It's only after the event that you start to consider the might-have-beens...

Stitchery

2011-05-22T19:04:00.004Z

I finally finished off some cushions. The stitchery part is the enjoyable bit. The tidying it up and making it into a cushion cover, and making a pad to fit (if it's not a nice easy square) is rather less enthralling. But at least the flowery linen one above and the rose heart below are done and off my list. This fabric was a present from Katie and was surprisingly difficult to work with as it has a bit of stretch in it and kept blunting my needles. But the two cushions do show you the lovely effects of using variegated cotton perle thread (available at a very reasonable price from a Tart near you...)

Today was wet and windy, which made it a fine choice for a Woolgathering. Ali and Anne, Janet and Tricia, Jakki and Lizzi and I sewed and knitted and braided and finished off various projects very happily in the village hall. Anne had brought a huge stack of knitting magazines that she'd finished with so we went away with a collection to read through. And we are looking forward to Woolfest at the end of next month and wondering what we'll succumb to this time. At Harlow Carr I didn't only photograph tulips - the little potting shed had been painted a lovely sky blue inside and hung with old but serviceable garden tools. And who can resist auriculas? Though it does seem an odd choice for Douglas Bader, unless there's a hidden connection. You'd think he'd have merited a plant that was reaching skywards rather than these little titches...

Smitten...

2011-05-15T17:06:00.005Z

....by tulips...Hugh and I were down in the East Riding of Yorkshire last weekend. We stayed at a very fine B&B and had a day exploring on the Friday. First we headed to the coast to admire the birdlife on the cliffs at Bempton. The gannets were majestic, the fulmars slightly scary and the puffins were just lovely! We only saw them on the wing but they are such chubby little critters that they really don't look like they ought to stay aloft at all.After a sojourn further down the coast to Hornsea we decided that kiss-me-quick and amusement parks (closed) were not for us and headed off to Beverley. I hadn't been before and thought it a lovely town with great architecture.The main reason for the trip was the LRO Land Rover Show at Driffield. Hugh has long wanted to go and it was a birthday treat. We had a grand time there on the Saturday. Next day we visited Harrogate en route to stay with friends. We visited RHS Harlow Carr which the RHS describe thus- Harlow Carr is a garden dominated by water, stone and woodland and is very much part of the surrounding Yorkshire landscape. We seek to push the boundaries of design and planting styles, creating displays that are beautiful but sometimes provocative. Careful gardening techniques, reflecting our respect for the environment, ensures that wildlife will flourish in the garden.
I liked the whole place but the tulips stole my heart - well, them and the leaf mould teapot!

Tarty Goodness

2011-05-04T19:23:00.002Z

There's no particular reason for posting Tintin and Snowy - I just think they are rather quaint and stylish and a little eccentric. These are all good qualities which I wish to encourage in our wretched one-size-must-fit-all world.

The next pic is self-explanatory, isn't it?
And here we have an array of small but perfectly formed sewing kits which I have made up. In wee snap-shut tins with button images on them are needles and threads, buttons and safety pins and pins and dinky little felt pincushions.

Off on a little adventure now....

Today is orange...

2011-04-25T14:13:00.003Z

...and 'soft pear green', well that's what it says on the tin. And if you want to know which room in the house is getting this fruity makeover, you'll have to visit.

Not content with orange and green, I bring you grey - our Scots Grey mini-flock is up for sale. Steve, Son of Eric, and his four girls need a new and loving home where egg production is secondary to good looks.

And red in the form of a shoal of red herrings

Today's List

2011-04-20T21:37:00.004Z

Good things

My wee chair for the Textile Towerhouse Chair Challenge was finished off.
The final painted Tart HQ sign was given two coats of varnish.
The latest buttons were admired (by me) and made ready for sale.
My little sewing kits were labelled up.
A textile-y meeting was attended on behalf of Crossing Borders.

Bad things

An expensive problem with the chimney came to light (smoke sneaking into the cottage bedroom from our kitchen stove).

All things bright and beautiful...

2011-04-14T08:31:00.004Z

...but no creatures great or small, apart from the appearance of big fat queen wasps already, looking for safe sites to take up residence.
NOT in Tart HQ, if you don't mind.

Organise your storage with style and panache! Try my new tags on recycled card (there are numbers 1-6 as sets as well).

I've used the button image below in my first newsletter. You can download it from Tart's Art website and have a browse through the site while you're about it. Feel free to spread the word, won't you!

I'm aiming to find new and interesting places to list my website and Tart HQ so if anything occurs to you I'd be delighted to hear from you. I am working on some new stock to go into the Peter Potter Gallery in Haddington and there's an opportunity through Crossing Borders to have work on show with fellow artists at Bowhill later in the year.

My fellow Crossing Borderer Ian Oliver is opening his new photographic gallery at Easter in Newtown St Boswells, and he's kindly invited some Crossing Borders artists to display their 3D work there too. Should be an excellent new venue.

I'll leave you with an image of some more lustre yarns which I have succumbed to - this image does not do the shades justice; you'll just have to come and see for yourselves...

Seaspray and scraps

2011-04-07T21:22:00.005Z

We ran away to the seaside yesterday. It was a belated celebration of my birthday and had all the elements of a memorable day. Very blustery at the beach but that meant it was only us out there - the dogs had a fantastic morning.
I acquired new walking boots (not before time - my existing pair have been used a lot since their purchase in April 2002).
We had lunchtime chips on the sea-front at Eyemouth, and coffee with a friend en route home.I spent some of the weekend slicing up fabric and sewing this small quilt. It's multicultural - African indigo dyed fabrics interspersed with my pal's old summer batik trousers (thanks, A!) and with a surround of more recycled batik fabric. On the back is a piece of old blue duvet cover and the wadding is ancient English wool blanket. And here's a progress report on the wee school chair makeover. These are the front and back of the slipccover for the chairback.

April Showers!

2011-04-02T11:57:00.004Z

Ha, bit more than delicate little showers happening round here the last few days. Still, it's afternoon now and the sun is high in the Spring sky, my wee red tulips are blooming and all is right with the world for a while.

I've been busy in HQ, revamping the old school chair I acquired from the Textile Towerhouse, making stylish tags and packaging up some Indian glass beads for sale. Lots more happening in my head so I need to get some notes down and keep on making.

Tuesday would have been my folks' fifty-fifth wedding anniversary...

Sunny Sunday

2011-03-27T19:34:00.005Z

I was halfway through making a path up to Tart HQ.

Just when I needed an excuse for a break my pals turned up and I was forced to stop and make a cuppa and put the world to rights. As they left Hugh arrived home from the off-road trial he'd been running. He brought five drivers with him for tea and blether. Then it was time to feed and walk the dogs and cook our own meal. I sorted some washing and Hugh downloaded images of his day. After that we collected a hen crate, a soup pan and a ladle from the village hall and then delivered a single mattress to our neighbours and shared a couple of stories. By now it was dark.

Oddly enough I never did get back to barrowing stone for the path.

People still sometimes say 'What do you find to do in the country?'

Found this today on Pinterest. I am really enjoying using this simple site as it enables me to find and store so many inspiring images in one place.

The next two collage pics are part of my series of prints.

Snap Happy

2011-03-21T19:18:00.003Z

Heavens, only three days since I last posted...!
Really, I'm back so soon because I grabbed the moment today and took some pics in HQ to update the main Workhouse website.
And I certainly couldn't keep this first one to myself. Look at all these scrumptious buttons! The next one is entitled 'Still Life with Iron' and after that we have a few shelves of Tart creations. There have been more collage 'pictures' printed too - I'll give you an update at the end of the week.
While I was window dressing inside HQ, Hugh started on the construction of proper safe steps oustide so that you can all visit with a little dignity rather than clambering into the caravan from a rickety wee plastic step thingy.

All things bright and shiny...

2011-03-18T07:47:00.004Z

It's a frosty sunny morning here - boding well for a grand day.
I'm off to Tart HQ shortly to get busy with scissors and glue and little scraps of paper but I bring you happy colourful images first...
Thought that you might like to see my patchwork chair in its new home south of the Border. I think it has met with approval.

And some pretty stuff which I have just packaged up. The ribbons are resting on delicious Indian block printed cotton squares which were a gift from a treasured friend.

Meet George

2011-03-10T21:06:00.003Z

I said I'd show you what I created from the collaged comics and childhood scraps so here he is.

I rather like George.... I hope you do too. The positioning of the deadly peril scrap was serendipity rather than careful planning but it made me smirk

Mad March Days

2011-03-09T21:08:00.003Z

Muddling through March - fingers in too many pies - juggling lots of plates - you get the gist. My little brain is struggling to keep up with the calendar.

Helping on a small scale with costumes for a young people's drama performance
Selling off the contents of the cottage before our new tenant moves in
Painting the last wee space in Tart HQ before using it as a store for bigger stuff like wadding and cardboard and bubblewrap
Making collages for new prints.
Preparing supplies for my next outing which is a demo for a local Embroiderer's Guild branch
Experimenting with Viking style 'brooches' before I run a little workshop at the primary school next week
Participating in a writing course
Doing my bit in advance of the Crossing Border AGM in two weeks' time
And, as a change of pace I like to imagine what I am going to do with my wee school chair here for the Chair Challenge.
I ventured into Oxfam last week and fell instantly for the teapot above. I do not like yellow as a rule but it had to come home with me. As I was giving it a wash it reminded me of my little barrel shaped spice jar - and lo, I realised they were closely related. They have since been united and grace a shelf in HQ.

New and interesting ways to spend your time...

2011-03-04T19:48:00.007Z

I had a lovely busy weekend. Saturday was a Woolfish Woolly Day at St Abbs where my new prints had their first outing and were well received.

this is the starting point for a toy based print - I'll show the finished print when I remember to scan it

It was good to catch up with fellow stall holders as well as talking to textile-inspired visitors. I didn't succumb to the scrumptious looking cakes with my cups of tea but did pass round a giant bag of Malteasers to help keep up the communal strength in the afternoon.

On Sunday we had a Woolgathering in the village hall. Ten of us stitching and knitting away, sharing books and magazines and stories - it's always a good day with these talented folks!

After that I had a slightly manic week but it's Friday evening and peace reigns again.

I've recently discovered Mangle Prints blog. Angela makes lovely lino cuts and uses an old mangle as her press. Her work is very covetable and she helpfully has a Folksy shop... and it's my birthday soon. Hmmmm

I managed to nip into the Textile Towerhouse today in Hawick to see the little artworks that Heriot Watt textile students have for sale. And I learned about the Chair Challenge... I've reserved an old school chair to transform into a piece of textile art - the chairs will all be exhibited at the Towerhouse in a growing display. The first one's already on show so if you fancy participating don't wait too long - ask in the shop. Talking of which, there is some delicious work on sale there - Linda Keith's awesome Eildon Felt pieces and Julia Cunningham's great bags are all well displayed.

Check me out at Pinterest if you are so inclined...it's where I found this...

A Change...

2011-02-25T21:10:00.004Z

...is as good as a rest, so they say...
What tosh.
I'd like another weekend in Dublin instead please!
But I've settled for a new look to the blog, and labelling and packing up all my goodies for tomorrow's Woolly Day at St Abbs. Other important duties - deciding what type of muffins to make for Sunday's Woolgathering.... I'm favouring home grown blackcurrants and flaked almonds at the moment...

I am blessed with several very fine friends but one I have never met is Maureen who lives a simple life in Spain, knitting and drawing and raising food crops with Phil. We have corresponded for eleven years now, and her letters are ever more creative. Imagine my delight at her latest card - it unfolded into a whole procession of caravans (a caravan of caravans).
Here's a close-up of the window, complete with knitting needles and coloured pencils. The girl has such style!

On that happy note, I am off to find my ginger wine supply. The weather's much milder today but it's still officially winter till this particular tipple is finished.

Assorted Travels

2011-02-21T19:44:00.009Z

Just back from my first trip to Dublin - a great weekend spent with friends doing some touristy tours and a little light cultural stuff too. The Irish hospitality and general good craic was much in evidence - so many very fine folk having a good time was uplifting to experience. Quite a bit of dodgy green leprechaun-type tat too but the good bits outweighed it!

Amongst other things, I now have a better grasp of Irish history than I did, thanks to an in-depth and eye-opening tour of Kilmainham Gaol, and a huge admiration for the abilities of Eileen Gray who was an architect and design force to be reckoned with and died, still working, at the age of 98. To see correspondence with Le Corbusier, to see her chrome designs predating Mies Van Der Rohe's, was blooming impressive. This image is from the National Museum's website.The museums and galleries of Dublin would take days, weeks to get round and I only had time for a quick dip into a couple. Lovely old buildings, housing fascinating works of art and craft. Then there were the books in the National Gallery shop to drool over...

In other news.... I am off to Woolfish in St Abbs this Saturday 26th for a grand textile day in the company of lots of lovely yarn sellers. Fancy a day out by the sea? Drop in an see us!

Or come along to Chesters on Sunday for a Woolgathering - it all happens round here, y'know!

Apologies for the spacing and fonts in this post - Blogger and I are not seeing eye to eye tonight..

Cottage effects.

2011-02-15T19:42:00.003Z

We have stopped letting the cottage to the holiday market and hope to have long term tenants very soon. One of the sadder sides to this is that the cottage needs partly stripped of furniture and furnishings. It's quality gear and we can't afford to give it all away on Freecycle. I'm going to put together a list with photos and guide prices. I'll post here when I have it ready in case anything interests y'all but this comfortable patchwork covered armchair will be one of the items...

Evidence of...

2011-02-12T19:07:00.004Z

... new work (collaged animals, being reproduced as prints)

...new hens (thanks to Anke, six lovely new hens moved in last night)

... the stylish birdbox Hugh built me for Christmas

... and Spring - a sunny day and cheerful snowdrops in the garden

Munch munch munch

2011-01-31T19:40:00.005Z

So full of good intentions, but they slipped when they saw this.

It was compounded by the discovery of lots of little tables set up in the supermarket where the nice Tunnocks people were promoting their wares.
I chatted with a man in a white coat (!) and tested a new mini chocolate covered caramel wafer. It was very fine.
I showed off theTunnocks Teacake badge on my jacket and was rewarded with a Teacake teatowel.
So I thought I'd buy a wee tub of said mini wafers for Hugh to share at his off-road trial yesterday. He took them but forgot they were in his bag.
So they came home to our fridge.
They are not quite history but rapidly heading into the past tense.
Simple sweet Scottish pleasures....

This latest stitching is on dusky purple linen and it's going to be a cushion when it grows up.

And this is an approximation of how my display looks in the glass cabinet at the Eastgate in Peebles.

Stitch stitch stitch

2011-01-28T10:24:00.004Z

I've been a little quiet here recently but I'm still alive and kicking. I wanted to photograph some recent stitchery but the sun and I could not get it together.
I've finished the teacosy I was stitching onto the felted merino sweater, and patterned the back too.
My much loved polka dot shirt was worn out at the edges but too good to lose. The fabric has that lovely soft handle from many washings and wearings over the years so it was ripe for a project too. I played with another of the interesting space dyed cotton perle threads I've been selling to join the dots.

I should have taken a pic of the lining which is a lightweight grey suiting remnant with wording woven along the selvedge.

Teacosy No 2 coming up...

Final bit of nonsense for today is a selection from my new 'line'! Sock yarn remnants knitted and coiled and backed with board and felt as pincushions. They all have a hanging loop that's big enough to slip over your wrist, should you choose. Good enough to eat?

And now I am off to Peebles to set up a display of The Border Tart's arty wares in one of two glass cabinets in the foyer cafe at the Eastgate Theatre. They will be on show for three months till the end of April, which is just when Hugh's exhibition of big new paintings will start there.

My Resolution?

2011-01-09T21:05:00.003Z

Yup, to have more fun and stop worrying about what anyone thinks of my 'stuff'!

Progress on the Tart HQ front has been frustratingly slow because of the intense cold, and though most of my creative supplies and stock have moved in, they are not yet properly organised.

This is a tidy bit. I am terribly chuffed with my giant ruler!

Despite frozen paint and varnish, I have managed to decorate most of the caravan now and as soon as I can maintain a reasonable temperature in there I will be able to make a [creative] mess.
I have lots of plans and ideas and projects and trials and experiments lined up but numb hands and feet don't make for productivity so I have busied myself elsewhere. Not with housework, obviously, but with getting our new computer and some up-to-date software up and running, and knitting pincushions, as you do...

The end and the beginning

2010-12-31T20:45:00.002Z

It's been a busy and challenging year for lots of us and 2011 will no doubt be much the same but different.
But it's a whole 365 days of opportunities too.
I'll try to make the most of the ones that come my way!

May you have good health and happiness.

And not need too many of these...

Festive Cheer

2010-12-19T17:04:00.003Z

More snow fell
Only a titchy drop here but for other Woolgatherers there was more to contend with if they were to get out today.
A hardy few made it- a small but select gathering in the comfort of my living room, where we shared the stove with Ash and Midge.
We had enough sweet sustenance for a major party so Hugh helped out...
It was a thoroughly enjoyable day for me, spending quality time with friends.

Just like to wish one and all a very festive holiday-time and hope you keep warm and happy.

Preparations

2010-12-16T21:34:00.002Z

In between work and dogs and wood and all the usual stuff, we have been to Peebles to check out the Eastgate where Hugh will be exhibiting at the end of April through May, and I will have smaller items in one of the display cases from February for a couple of months.

And I have whizzed up some brandy butter to keep a particular friend happy and gathered a few essentials for the next batch of ginger wine.

But the best bit has been wrapping up handmade presents for friends, ready to deliver.

Next on the agenda is a meal out with my two friends from student days, then a festive Woolgathering on Sunday which will be a lovely start to the Christmas week.

We shall overcome, we shall overcome...

2010-12-08T20:34:00.005Z

OK, not really a Pete Seeger moment, is it? But the snow and ice will not defeat us - despite two weeks of frozen conditions we are undaunted etc etc

What I really mean to tell you is that the little village of Chesters is damn well holding its Christmas Fair this Saturday 11th, come what may!

There will be tasteful artwork, stitchery, jewellery, cards, wooden goods, delicious edible treats from fancy boozy preserves to real Scots tablet, fresh bread courtesy of the Tart (if I get up early ...) as well as enough mulled wine to melt the snow and toasty warm mince pies too.

I don't remember Santa smoking a pipe...

Doors open at 2.00pm - tablecloths and best china on the tea tables, happy smiling stall holders and a fine opportunity to blether with your neighbours and friends after a fortnight's curfew. Come along for a little escape from winter chores and buy tasteful goodies for Christmas!

Progress Report

2010-11-29T20:13:00.003Z

As you will quickly spot, these top two pics were taken before the GREAT SNOW descended.

This is how the 'public' end of the caravan looked in October, after some destruction work had taken place. A couple of weeks ago it had progressed to this.
Lots of paint and some stitchery. The back cushion I re-covered in pieces salvaged from a fabric sample book, the seat cushion in curtains which I acquired some other way. Can't remember for sure if they were from a village jumble sale but they have been in stock for a while, awaiting their moment of glory.
Since then the heavens have cast down upon us with great enthusiasm and we have nearly 18" of snow to wade through. It is very light and easy to move but no sooner have you cut a crisp neat path than more descends and fills it in again. So my trips across the garden have slowed somewhat. Still, I did want to show off my most recent masterpiece! My dad's old office chair is a memento I have hung onto for seven years. Now, finally I am delighted to give it a new look and a new purpose. I will take huge comfort from using it, knowing that under that kitschy covering lurks the worn original tweedy brown upholstery, now free from cigar fumes, admittedly, but still, to me, the old man's second home

To finish, a slightly underwhelming image: unless, that is, you can accept that there is a small pink glow emerging from the fire. The gas man has finally cometh and I have real live flames on demand from the gas fire and the hob. The end of the beginning of this project is firmly in my sights now!

My good intentions

2010-11-17T14:45:00.004Z

...have come to nowt! I had such high hopes of moving into the new HQ in an orderly fashion. Finishing Job A before commencing Job B, that sort of thing. Showing a smooth transformation from attic to caravan.

However,we are now part way through the third week since the gas was to be sorted,
the flue from the fire, the hob, the to-be-disconnected boiler are still awaiting attention,
so the painting and varnishing isn't finished,
the holes in the floor can't be sealed up,the mouses could still get in...
My papers and fibres and textile supplies would not like than much.

So I am moving the less precious bits and pieces down the metal ladder from my present abode, through the house, stopping to put wellies on, gathering them up again and heading across the garden to store them neatly away in another great big heap.
Believe it or not I am throwing some bits and pieces out along the way - turns out there's a limit to how much I can tart up.
Very soon now, I hope there will be some more upbeat pics again.

Meanwhile, I am off to the Hirsel at Coldstream on Saturday to display my wares with lots of lovely talented artists and makers - hope you can make it along and indulge in a little Christmas shopping...

Mellow Autumn Returns

2010-11-07T10:34:00.003Z

Well, OK, it's a bit patchy but it's glorious again today - crisp underfoot to start with and the sun glistening through the trees in our bird-busy garden.

This should be a post full of my own pics but for reasons of negligence yesterday and absence today, I have 'borrowed' them from the www instead.

Yesterday was a happy day at St Abbs - good range of yarn-rich stalls, hand dyed yarns, hand spun yarns, dyed fleece, peg loom in action, spinner in action, knitters and needle-felters - and that was just the stall-holders. I waxed lyrical about the delicious space dyed cotton perle I had on sale, and lovely customers delved into the button selections, and gave the hand spun skeins a squeeze and eyed up my flappy hats. The sun shone, the hall was warm and the cakes and tea were very impressive! But I left the camera at home....

For a couple of weeks, I have been meaning to photograph the little ash tree we have at the front of the house, displaying its autumn foliage and bright orange berries. But I've left it a little late now.
Today, Hugh (the resident twitcher) is away training folks in the less-than-gentle art of off-road driving and has the camera with him. So here's a library picture to be going on with...But I could not capture for you our latest visitors, a flock of maybe 25 waxwings, who have found their favourite feast and moved in for a few days.
I borrowed this image without permission from this gentleman's blog. If you follow the link you can read more about the waxwings in the south of the country in January this year.

Enjoy your day!

We have power!

2010-11-03T20:29:00.004Z

Yup, as of today Tart HQ has lights which work! Not that it's fit for Tart work yet as there's a way to go. However, I have at least taken some in progress shots so you can see what's what.

Now, being a BIG caravan, designed for at least four people to holiday in, it was pretty well equipped, even if it did have a large leak right above the draining board. That has been fixed, and I dragged the oven/grill out and it's heading for the recycling plant at Hawick. It was the worst element of the whole van and would never have looked clean. Besides which, I want to be left with just the hob so that I am not too tempted to move in permanently.

This first pic was taken when we went to see it at the caravan park - there are two mournful dogs peering out of our old Discovery and wondering what an earth we are up to now.
It looks like this today. The cupboards minus their fronts are to become my bookshelves. The taps will not be functional as there's no practical cheap way of connecting them to a water supply and having drainage too.
There's a thin partition wall between the kitchen and what was the bunk bedroom. I took down the other wall of the bunk room to open it up into what was the living space. So it has gone from this
to thisto this!
The wee rectangle on the back wall is a little memento - an unpainted section of the original flowery wallcovering. And I fixed up the spotlights as soon as the electrician had gone.
My window looks over the fence, across the fields and down the road towards Hawick. How much work will I get done?

Enough caravan, it's back to sewing in labels and gathering props in readiness for the trip to St Abbs on Saturday morning. By the pricking of my thumbs...

Simple Pleasures

2010-10-27T20:38:00.004Z

Well, a few chilly nights and clear days provided a wake-up call that winter's approaching. Today seemed positively balmy in contrast.
These lovely sunflowers have brought style to the kitchen all week. It's a bright room if the sun shines, and if the stove is on as well, some of us are in seventh heaven...

The human contingent has beavered away at various projects. Hugh's been fencing and putting up gutters as well as researching routes for Far x Four, and me? Paintbrushes in hand at Tart HQ and stitching up new covers for the seating there too. In between times I have been knitting hats in handspun and worrying whether I have enough stock for impending fairs.

My first outing is to St Abbs Wool Festival on Saturday 6th November, with handspun and pretty buttons, fancy threads, handknits and new wee kits - lots of stocking-filler priced goodies for the discerning textile lover. Hope to see many friendly faces there!

Mild excitement...

2010-10-22T20:53:00.011Z

OK, that's a HUGE understatement.

I am dead chuffed

about

THIS!What you see before you, ladies and gentlemen, is a borrowed tractor attached to the first and only TART HQ. Shortly after this calm and relaxed photograph was taken, the heavens opened and the tractor driver swung the caravan backwards across the road in order to reverse it up the side of the shed and into the garden. The operation did not go smoothly. However, men and machines won the day and TART HQ is now safely tethered. Work has commenced by yours truly on the interior. Photographs will be taken and you will be kept fully informed of developments. Oh yes, you will...

Autumn Glory

2010-10-17T11:17:00.003Z

I love this time of the year, especially when we do get a proper autumn, with nippy mornings, clear skies and so much soft colour in the natural world. We're very fortunate to live where we do, with open views over the countryside and expansive skies. The quality of light is soft and rich.
Most of our walks involve the dogs, of course, but last week Hugh and I had a little outing by ourselves. We wandered through the rides and pathways at Monteviot, along part of the avenue planted with Wellingtonias, and round to a stile below the monument on Penielheugh. The land round here falls within Lothian Estates. Despite what you may read elsewhere, the monument IS open to the public. For a mere £2 you can borrow the key from the Estate Office (01835 862201) near Jedburgh and climb up to the top for an even better outlook over the River Teviot and surrounding farmland.The views from the top were pretty impressive in all directions on this crisp clear day. There are the Eildon hills in the distance.
On our return we enjoyed a restorative coffee and home baked cake at Woodside Walled Garden and watched the garden birds tucking into their feeders with similar enthusiasm...

W. I. P.

2010-10-07T19:26:00.004Z

There is lots going on here at present but some of it is under wraps till it's fit to be seen, or till I remember during daylight hours to take pictures of it...

Hugh's putting a new roof on the woodshed. This is not a small undertaking as he is single handedly removing a very leaky corrugated iron roof and replacing it with box-section steel sheets, by means of brute strength while standing in the trailer attached to a borrowed tractor. The woodshed is 6.5 metres long and about 4 metres deep (it usually houses a vehicle and trailer as well as wood!). Dry still days would be perfect - hmm, sometimes it's still but wet, other times its dry but windy... But he's winning!

I've been doing a spot of demolition and am now applying some paint to walls. I hope you'll be suitably impressed when the images make it online!

Meanwhile, it's only a matter of a few weeks until the Woolfish wool festival at St Abbs on November 6th and I am spinning yarns, and planning to conjure up another knitting pattern for it too. There are other new creations in the pipeline, or at any rate in my head...

I recently bought a substantial stock of stunningly lovely cotton perle threads, many of which I will be offering for sale singly. In order to demonstrate one of their myriad uses, I started work on a ... well, I am not sure yet what it will be. The base fabric is my much loved merino wool sweater which a well-meaning but over-enthusiastic Hugh managed to shrink to dollsize (and I ain't no doll).
I am using one skein of the space dyed cotton to stitch with and this is how it looks so far.

and a closer look... It's fun to just make it up as you go along and see what transpires.
Maybe I should adopt that as my mantra!

Favourites

2010-09-29T20:12:00.003Z

Change of medium today - I fancied showing off some of the lovely ceramics which have gathered here over the years.
I have enjoyed two different one-week pottery courses, about twenty years and several hundred miles apart, and done a little at evening class many moons ago too, but nothing more.

Instead I'm happy to appreciate the skills of others and gather examples when I can.
The delicious little vase/beaker is from David Ashby at The Courtyard Pottery in Grassington; it's full of sgraffito scribbles and the words you can just see read this way to the edge.
The candlestick I have had for many years, made by Sue and Alex at Borgh Pottery in Lewis. The jug on wee fat legs is this year's acquistion, from Spring Fling participants (ermm, I'll do my homework and come back and edit with their names)
And down here is a wonderful crackle glaze hare by Paul Jenkins which graces our hall windowsill and a fantastic bowl built by Clair Norris who lives not far from us. She has recently started making framed mosaics of hand painted and fired tiles, amongst lots of other lovely work.

And the titchy little spotty mouse was a Fairtrade purchase by Hugh for me last Christmas. He's lovely and smooth (the mouse, that is) and nice to hold (I'd best stop there).

Oops, in the top pic is dinky little wooden cupboard made from driftwood. I bought it in a gallery in Pittenweem but sadly I don't know the maker's name and there no mark on it. He makes much bigger pieces too, and they are all covetable.

Ozone Rush

2010-09-18T20:01:00.004Z

Hello! Been away to see the sea, these last few days, and had a grand time.
Hugh and I went off to the Kintyre peninsula in the west of Scotland, an area neither of us had visited. We stayed at Carradale in a great wee one-room cottage with a box bed in the corner but all mod cons. From there we could walk in every direction; to the woods, the seashore, the quayside and village (bakers, three hotels and a bank open for an hour on Thursdays) or to the next village. We managed to eat out in a pub, a tearoom jam-packed full of vintage kitchen and dining type stuff, a hotel conservatory, and a converted barge moored in Tarbert harbour which specialised in a curious combination of Thai, tapas and haggis.... We were out in rain and wind but mainly glorious sunshine, met lovely people, enjoyed some great scenery, encountered a few scary drivers on the single track sections of road and picked several pounds of brambles to bring home (as you do...). There were masses of waymarked trails through woods and along the shorelines and I was all excited to discover that we were staying adjacent to Carradale House which is where Naomi Mitchison lived (famous and prolific Scottish writer and feminist and a lot more besides). We didn't drive to the Mull of Kintyre but we did look at Campbeltown Loch (as in Campbeltown Loch, I wish you were whisky, I would drink you dry - good Scots song, honest!)

Been home 24 hours, collected dogs from kennels (heartless of us, wasn't it, but it made for a relaxing three days away), done a major amount of pruning in the garden and made jam tonight with the brambles and our own apples.

Woolgathering tomorrow - it will be grand to sit and knit/stitch/spin/sew and catch up with some friends for the day!

Been and Gone

2010-09-12T19:07:00.002Z

How can it be 12th September already? My life is whizzing by, and it's not from lack of cramming things into it!Weather for the Art Trail was sunny and blowy, good touring weather in the Borders. We saw lots of friends and met new visitors as they explored the open studios over last weekend.
I sat in the sunny cottage porch in between times, knitting or spinning and feeling rather mellow and relaxed. All the hard work was done, the cottage living room looked extremely colourful with silk bunting and bright yarns, cushions and collages, cards and handknits, and I really enjoyed having the time to talk with people as they wandered in the door. Once they'd exhausted my little haven of colour, they headed down the road to find Hugh in his cabin, surrounded by fresh and uplifting new acrylics.

Then yesterday I spent at Abbotsford, home of Sir Walter Scott, at the first annual Longbow Archery competition. Admittedly I was participating in the craft fair rather than active with bow and arrow, but truly that's a blessing for all bystanders.... Several fellow Crossing Borders members were there so it was a good chance to catch up and compare Art Trail experiences.
As ever, if Rob and Anne were in attendance, so was Katie. This little black bundle of mischief wins everyone's heart. She's five months' of pure energy and I'd whisk her home tomorrow if I could - Midge would be delighted to have a playmate (Ash, less so...)

Art Trail Ahead!

2010-09-02T12:58:00.003Z

We are ready to rock!

The signs are up, the sheep are in situ (!), the entries in the children's art exhibition are hung, the cakes are being baked for the art cafe at the Village Hall, the cottage living room is now the Tart's gallery for the weekend, and the sun is shining!

Come and see us if you possible can.
We're all open from 10 am till 5pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Seven days from now...

2010-08-26T09:48:00.008Z

... my mind will be even more addled than it is today!

(Fortunately I have an idyllic rural view from my kitchen this evening - lucky or what?)

The cottage living room will have been partially stripped of furniture

A riot of artwork and all sorts of textile-related stuff will take its place

Chaos may reign but by 10 am on Friday 3rd September,

the Border Tart's little corner of the

will be ready to rock!

Look out for my sheep!

Just checking in...

2010-08-18T10:48:00.004Z

A bit of a run on duties for the next week or two.
Scrub the cottage ready for visitors, bake bread for them, bake for the impending Southdean Show, feel guilty about not putting in enough entries for the Industrial Section in said Show so scrabble around for more jars of marmalade and chutney, handknits and other crafty bits, assemble all the stuff I need for my stall at Smailholm Show the following day, cram in some spinning and stitching and get the washing out while the sun's shining. Southdean Show - 2pm on Saturday - all the usual tents and entertainments plus stock judging, BBQ with real quality burgers, tea tent with yours truly assisting, great bookstall by Latimer Books of Kelso, model railway etc etc.

Smailholm Fete from 11 am on Sunday - the same but different!

Next week there's another changeover in the cottage, and some admin work every morning in Jedburgh. In between times I am making some groovy collages and texture and pattern studies to display at the Crossing Borders Art Trail on 3rd 4th and 5th September. Lots more to waffle on about that in the next post....Tra la la la... time for a cuppa or maybe a little lie down!

Cultural Trip

2010-08-09T20:46:00.003Z

Pittenweem Arts Festival runs for a week from Saturday 7th August. For nearly thirty years this Fife coastal village has turned itself into one giant art exhibition for a week every summer. Last year was my first day trip there and I loved it. But with about 100 different venues to visit that just wasn't long enough. This time, my friends and I decided we deserved two days to enjoy the festival so we drove up early Saturday morning, and returned to the Borders on Sunday evening. In between times we....

chatted with some delightful artists, both visiting and resident - those that stand out both for the quality of their artwork and their charm are Morag Muir, Jennifer Pettigrew, Georgie Young (that's her garden above) and Elizabeth Shepherd

met Elvis (oh yes we did, he has four paws, a low-slung undercarriage, and has left his footprints in Georgie Young's concrete path)
saw some awesome weaving by the Dovecot Studios
were introduced to a fine specimen of a Labradoodle
watched the torchlight procession and the fantastic first night fireworks
bought some small scale artwork and drooled a lot over the big stuff
ate perfect fish and chips from the famous Anstruther chippie, having queued for a long long long time
climbed innumerable steep wynds
admired a canoeing terrier
enjoyed chocolate scones at The Cocoa Tree
loved the opportunity to walk and talk in other people's gardens
shared our thoughts on artists and artwork and presentation and the whole Open Studio thing

We drove out to Ovenstone Artists Studios and admired work there. My favourite was Joanna Foster whose work you can see above.

We'd booked into the Crichton House B&B in Anstruther, a quick mile or so along the road. It is the best possible advertisement for good Scottish hospitality. A spotless establishment, great rooms, good showers, a lovely happy hostess and a marvellous breakfast!
I went for a walk before mine, and admired the shell decoration on the gable of the house down the road.

Six Today

2010-08-04T20:39:00.003Z

Well now, you may remember that some time ago I agreed to share this blog with her ladyship, on the understanding that I would be able to post regular blog entries.

This is my first...and then only on sufferance, I fear, as it is my birthday. Ah yes, I am a now a mature and rather attractive six year old. I've kept my trim figure, though I have developed a reasonable ruff (NOT a double chin, so don't even think it!).

I've had a pleasant day though no special treats have been forthcoming, and the expected stream of visitors bearing gifts has failed to materialise. I am, of course, above such things now but a little more attention would not have gone amiss.
I managed to snuggle up to Hugh at lunchtime but it was all too brief as he then donned chainsaw gear and went off to cut up wood. I retreated to the living room to catch the afternoon sun...

to Jupiter and back in a day

2010-07-24T12:58:00.005Z

We had an awayday this week, to Jupiter Artland which is a lovely place to explore.
It is a contemporary sculpture garden in the grounds of Bonnington House, outside Edinburgh. Works by many leading artists have been commissioned and then constructed in situ, with the relationship of each artwork to its topographical location being a crucial feature.
So there!
It's open four days a week and we were lucky to have a clear, dry and at times very sunny day to enjoy there.
Above is a view of Life Mounds by Charles Jencks, and below is Over Here by Shane Waltener. It's knitted on circular needles with four different coloured fishing lines in a design inspired by Shetland lace.

And here we see Mr Roberts enjoying a latte puchased from the groovy caravan cafe. The wellies were advisable as some of the paths through the woods were squelchy.
As Bonnington House is a private residence there are some nice domestic elements visible too, like this dinky hen house
As the route we took did not return us to the entrance and shop, I can't give a good account of its contents though I am sure they'd have been tempting. One fun thing I did take in, though, was that they had Rob Ryan's deliciously designed parcel tapes for sale. He's a very talented man who does papercuts on a big, and sometimes giant, scale.

Tomorrow's a lovely summer Woolgathering, with knitting and stitching, cakes and coffee, and a great catch-up with my friends...come along if you can!

Eeeek!

2010-07-14T07:44:00.007Z

As hens age they often lay bigger eggs, but some are more aesthetically pleasing than others.....don't know which one was responsible for this effort today but I suspect she'd probably like a little rest now.

Lots of things to attend to:
Cottage visitors this weekend - note to self: clean windows loathsome task, check over kitchen, bake bread, check for speedy spiders already making new webs, lay out towels, pick a few flowers - hopefully I can rustle up something not too greenfly-ridden.Woolgathering on Sunday 25th - all welcome, of course - I've done a page that you'll see over at the top right to tell you what we do. Always lovely to catch up and see who's working on what. These are new yarns I have just washed, some of them spun with fibre from my Woolfest haul.Border Union Show at Kelso on 30th and 31st July - we'll be there with a stand to promote Hugh's off-road business FarxFour, with fresh coffee and home bakes for all so come and find us at the far side of the West Ring.The first blackcurrants need picked. Strawbs nearly finished; the resident frog in the bed has done a grand job of keeping the bugs and slugs away but there's a wee moosie been tucking into a few prize specimens. Plans for boozy treats with some of these fruits....Various tasks in readiness for Southdean Show on August 21st, and I'm on duty in the tea tent again this year and I get to make up the jar for Guess the Number of Sweets in the Jar - two great jobs for me!

Knitters Unite!

2010-07-08T20:55:00.003Z

Can you resist these? They make you smile, and every one that's made and sold brings benefits all round. Check out the website and find them in Fair Trade stores - there are masses of different soft toy animals in wool and cotton as well as great sheepy teacosies and accessories

Kenana Knitters started in Njoro, Kenya 1998, to help rural women find some much needed form of income using their spinning and knitting skills.

They're a self-supporting knitting co-operative, they pay themselves a fair wage and the sales fund a range of welfare projects in Kenya.

Knitting is ideal. It requires minimal equipment, can be done in snatches when time permits. When the rains come and the family crops and vegetables need tending, not much knitting gets done, but in times of drought and crop failure, when the family garden is bare of supplementary vegetables, money can now be earned to purchase the necessities of life.

The group generates two forms of income; buying the wool locally then creating more work by turning the wool into marketable products such as toys, bed-covers, scarves, hats and other accessories.

Happy Snaps

2010-07-03T18:48:00.006Z

Ok, let's have a bit of eye candy!

Here we see my first and last purchases of the day at Woolfest. I have my lime green Herdy mug from two years ago, my natural undyed Herdy sheep money bank from last year and those clever Herdy folk have guaranteed my continuing support by bringing out stylish teatowels. They are FAR too good to submit to dish drying and will probably be refashioned into cushion covers or bags and why not?
The fibre? Glorious stormy grey and rich bordeaux dyed Shetland by Wheeldale - I bought some last year and was very pleased to find them there again. Also below is one of those irresistable blends of merino and silk from Wingham Wheeldale also had bags of Teeswater locks which shouted BUY ME - what could I do? And the buttons, well I was overwhelmed at the choice from McAnaraks but finally settled on these ones, for projects as yet unidentified...And p/hopping? A whizz of an idea - generous knitwear designers give their patterns for free to Medecins Sans Frontieres - you choose your patterns, make a donation and get busy with the needles!There were lots to choose from at Woolfest where they raised over £1000, egged on by Clare's enthusiasm and ably assisted by Natalie at the YarnYard next door. Find p/hop right here and get busy! You know you want to...

p/hop = pennies per hours of pleasure

Technicolour Heaven

2010-06-30T19:48:00.002Z

Just a quick post as I am rushing about tonight...
Was at Woolfest last Friday and what a great day we had! The weather was lovely, the drive over was enjoyable (thank you, kind chauffeuse!), the company excellent fun and the fibrefest itself was a treat for all the senses. The smell of the animals as you walk in, the sound of happy happy people exclaiming over new finds, the feel of angora, cashmere, silk and soft wools, and the sight of all those glorious shades and blends and dyed wonders! Ach it was just a delight from start to finish.

Taste? I had a pretty fine ewes' milk ice cream -- even if Katie and Annie had snaffled the last chocolate flake!

Now I must go photograph some of my many purchases...and I'll leave you to ponder p/hopping if it's new to you!

Still Smiling!

2010-06-23T11:36:00.007Z

any excuse...

Unbelievably the sun is still shining, though it's a bit misty and breezy today. I celebrated with two big fat homegrown strawberries with my breakfast but was far too busy munching to consider capturing them on camera for your delight at that hour of the morning.

On Sunday Hugh and I had a quick jaunt to Elsdon to meet Carolle and Sarah Morpeth and to be totally inspired by their workplace and their talents - there's still time to visit as 26/27 June is the last weekend of the Art Tour there. If you can't get there then do have a look at their lovely websites.
I've been doing a fibre stocktake in readiness for purchasing more glorious colourful fibre at the great annual celebration of all things woolly which is Woolfest this Friday and Saturday. It's a treat for all the senses and an opportunity to see much missed faces like Helen of Ripples Crafts

Not Helen's dyeing, just an arty arrangement of various handspun, dyed or Noro yarns

Smiley weather

2010-06-17T13:30:00.002Z

A few days of sunshine and the world seems a happier place. So easily pleased here in this wee corner of the kingdom!
I've been doing chores and earning my crust but in between times I've been outside with stitchery of one sort or another. As some of it is wintery (!) I'll not spoil the moment by posting photographs of works in progress. Instead here's a selection of my handmade booklets which are in The Crafters this monthas are the felt birdies. The hearts are at home and have been joined by some felt elephants which have not made it in front of the lens yet.

I heart ART

2010-06-11T18:10:00.004Z

Yeah, bit corny, but what do you expect from a Tart?
The last few weeks have not been a bundle of fun but the weekends have been great! I've had two Saturdays OUT in a row and I'm aiming for a third tomorrow!

The end of May saw a happy load of arty types driving across to Dumfries and Galloway to sample the delights of Spring Fling. We met some fantastic artists in lovely settings and thoroughly enjoyed a wet and unruly sort of day. We stumbled across a mini food festival in Castle Douglas and saw work by this artist (she looked familiar and lo, she was a contemporary at textile college, though I would say she is aging rather better than me!) and this one whose willow work is widely collected and this one whose work makes you smile a LOT! I made a modest but very pleasing pottery purchase which you can see here. I chose a jug from the range and it's been in use every day since

Last weekend Amanda and Fiona and I hit Northumberland to visit Art Tour participants - after a slight detour to RE which is a most dangerous place. We met painter Christina Mingard and her felter daughter Cat, amongst others while also taking in the delights of Katie's place at Allen Mill. Amanda, Katie and I did a quick pose in her beloved, and surprisingly comfortable bath, squinting into the sun. As it was a Woolly Day at MAKE, we were encouraged upstairs to a treasure trove of yarn bargains as well as a slightly more, ermm, unusual, collection of knitted soft toys. Gifted by the baker next door, each and every one was available to take home with you for a small donation to charity. Try as I might, I cannot fathom why anyone would want to knit an elf or a gnome or a dwarf, let alone seven and Snow White too.... ho hum, each to their own... Our homeward trip involved a brief stop at The Errington Arms just north of Corbridge for a drink in the sunshine. We'd have stayed longer and maybe enjoyed a bar meal if it were not for the ill-mannered barman. It briefly marred an otherwise excellent day out in the glorious Northumberland countryside.

The Art Trail continues every weekend in June so tomorrow I hope to meet Sarah Morpeth who makes delicious paperworks - you can see more here or wait for the next instalment of Tart's Tales!

Green Fingers?

2010-05-26T10:24:00.004Z

SpringissprungthegrassisrizIwonderwherethebirdiesis?

Don't know where the days go but I just looked up and it's nearly June....
Spinning demo at The Wee Gallery went well as I had the lovely company of Lizzi for much of the session - she was a very keen student and the time flew by! Then I retreated to a coffee shop for some of the afternoon with more lovely friends (I am blessed!)
Since then, more spinning and book making and general creativity in preparation for my month at The Crafters in Melrose.
I'm planning a major baking session soon as I'll have a stall at ... We're hoping for a good turnout as there will be lots to buy or trade and plenty of scones and jam and cream to keep our strength up. I'm seeking sweet pea seedlings and tomato plants and planning on selling home-baked breads (olive and sundried tomato, anyone?) and cakes by the slice as well as those luscious coconut flapjacks which I am now slightly addicted to.

Then, there's the Art Tour in Northumberland to look forward to - every weekend in June. The wonderful Katie has invited me to run workshops on Saturday 12th at her great new space at Allen Mill- with on site bakery and micro brewery - could be worse, you know!

MAKE recycled craft workshop

Allen Mill

Allendale

Hexham, Northumberland NE47 9EQ

Wee Spin

2010-05-09T12:26:00.002Z

Just a quick note to say my lovely Lendrum spinning wheel and I will be at the Wee Gallery in Kelso (by the big car park at the back of the Abbey) from 12 noon till 2pm on Saturday (15th May). I'll be merrily carding and spinning lots of lovely fibres, in the midst of the Contemporary Threads exhibition. No heckling, please!

Picture Post

2010-05-07T19:05:00.003Z

For Boud , Yorkshire folk everywhere and other appreciative types, more Dales delights!

There and back again

2010-05-03T19:41:00.007Z

Hello, here I am full of the joys of Spring as we've just returned from a Wensleydale week! The Yorkshire Dales are a grand place to visit at any time but we really needed the break and chose a cottage in the quietest little corner to recharge the batteries. In the picture above you can see the little hamlet of Marsett in the middle distance on the right. Ash and Midge came too, and enjoyed running up and down the Roman road which was a sheep-and-lamb-free zone. As this stylish picture amply illustrates, it was not overly warm and I am not at my most elegant with a fleecy bunnet on my head! Having said that, my fashion sense does extend to having tiny little skulls and crossbones on my red bootlaces, but you'll have to take my word for it.
Hugh was trying to persuade the dogs to sit nicely and pose for pictures but this next one just makes me laugh. I took lots of arty shots of stone walls and peeling paintwork on the same walk but I'll save that treat for you for another time.

Happiness is...a new bag!

2010-04-21T14:14:00.004Z

OK then! Not quite in the Hermes/Kelly Bag/latest Gucci thousand pound monstrosity league, but here's the wee bag I made. Just a titch to go over my shoulder and carry the essentials in my life - cash, paper handkerchief and lipsalve! The even titchier bag is for cards - mine and the bank's... The big bag is straight at the bottom, despite appearances to to the contrary, and embellished with red beads from a bracelet and dangly 'brass coins' acquired on Etsy and used in various projects since. Recycled zip and handle from cotton tape which I saved somewhere along the line. But the main attraction is the fabric which I have had stashed away for a couple of years now. Both are from Magie Relph's delectable African Fabric Shop where you fall in love every thirty seconds as you view another range of cloths. The indigo shibori ones above and these happy prints below are a few from my two mini adventure packs

Treats

2010-04-17T20:52:00.003Z

This weekend Hugh is doing an intensive Outdoor First Aid course so that he's equipped for anything that may happen on his Adventure Days and when teaching off-road driving skills. I thought I would achieve a few things in his absence - I didn't really mean to get sidetracked into baking but, alas, I didn't fight the urge very hard at all. So here we have coconut flapjacks looking pretty fine. Annoyingly they were not cooked through despite my adherance to the recipe so they ended up back in the oven upside down and are now nice and crispy, if a little less than pristine.
Various domestic tasks were accomplished, plus packaging up my latest hand spun hanks, then I made myself a little bag as a reward for good housekeeping (well, for any housekeeping, really).
I think we are all enjoying this spell of chilly but bright and sunny weather and spirits are lifting at last. This house is blessed with big windows so when the sun shines the whole place is bathed in light (that includes the dust).
As I am sharing this blog with Ash now, I thought she and Midge had best have a biscuit treat or two too...

All things bright and beautiful

2010-04-11T15:32:00.002Z

In theory, the garden will be full of warm shades this year, and gloriously perfumed to boot. I've got round to planting seeds and IF ALL GOES WELL, this not-very-upmarket selection will fill my little world with bright blooms and happiness. Just remember the theory bit....

Just so you know,,,,

2010-04-07T19:56:00.002Z

The Artful Dodger, the unique and priceless Ash (chocolate labrador with substantial ego), is giving up her own blog after more posts than me, and doing guest appearances here, when and if I let her. Basically there is one computer, one Hugh, one Lindsay and one Ash. And our legs and arms are longer than hers so she gets beaten in the race to the keyboard, or sidetracked by biscuits (hmmm, could be Hugh or me too). Midge (black lab cross) is dyslexic and prefers licking anything within reach (elbows are a favourite) and chewing sticks to anything as boring as writing words.

Tart's Century

2010-04-04T12:06:00.009Z

I'm not the most frequent of bloggers but today I reach Post No 100.

As I really don't have a huge following I have no plans to do what seems to be de rigeur in blogging circles and have some sort of giveaway and pull a number at random out of all the comments I might receive. Since I probably average about one and half comments per post it would be easier if I just sent y'all a prize for perseverance anyway! It's a celebratory post nonetheless as I have just clocked up another year. I had a very fine birthday featuring handmade goodies as well as those simple pleasures which are coffee, chocolate, books and bubble bath. I hope you can see the amazing black and silver and glittery necklace there which Frances made me - I need an occasion now to put on such finery! And Louise deserves special mention because she spoilt me with a subscription to that magazine which urban dwellers cherish, rural souls snigger at and people like me love the linger over and dissect, devouring every image and advert with equal enthusiasm! The fancy Marmite was from Hugh - I may have hinted about it a few times. As he loathes the stuff I will get every last drop to myself, though he also got me this wee gem which has given me lots of ideas on how to slither the yummy stuff into various dishes. His comments were unrepeatable when I read the suggestion for mashed banana and marmite sandwiches, though, so I'd best play safe.Have you been following Katie's equine creations? Wait till you see what Amanda made for me!My very own Tunnocks Teahorse!

Sticky Fingers

2010-03-28T18:40:00.004Z

These collaged boxes went off to Paxton, along with another. The first is Bird Box, and here's a close-up of one side..

And this is Lovey Dovey, with a glass teardrop hanging from the shelf.
And then two of Wonderland, which is covered in fairy tales and toys and children's images of yesteryear.
They were fun to make and I am on a roll now, making different collaged papier mache objects so there will be more photographs soon. I am having a great time, getting covered in glue and paint and little bits of paper, not quite singing away to myself but not far off it (even I find my tortured singing difficult to cope with, and my whistling isn't any better).

Today we had a fine Woolgathering - between the ten of us there was spinning, knitting, embroidery, wet and dry felting, kantha work, needlepoint and patchwork all going on, as well as talking, drinking of copious cups of tea and coffee and a substantial amount of cake-eating. It was lovely to see what others are working on and who's seen what and who's got lovely new books to admire or work to display.

A passion....

2010-03-21T15:40:00.002Z

....for yarn!
I showed you rolags and part spun bobbins of a greeny gold mix - it's Moorland now, second from the left in the pic above.
My stash of handspun is growing, ready to head out into the wide world as the end of the week. Crossing Borders artists are again exhibiting throughout the season at Paxton House. Over thirty artists' work will be on show and we'll each be there in person on a different day of the month. My trusty wheel will accompany me, and sometimes a cutting board and papers so I can make envelopes and cards. My first day there is Easter Monday - wonder if there will be any chocolate eggs left over by visiting children...

I've been making more papier mache display boxes and shelves which will be heading to Paxton House too. Must photograph them first.

I have more wee items on display/sale at a brand new space in Jedburgh.
Gallery in the Alley is run by talented illustrator Linda Lovatt and she'll be holding an open day to launch it (with her delicious cakes too!) very soon.

Chocolate Challenge

2010-03-08T16:16:00.006Z

Hello!
Yesterday I wrote a post and uploaded it and sw it on the blog and now it has disappeared - completely and utterly vanished, no trace, nada. I am miffed, to put it mildly.

Anyway, what I was waffling on about was that my kind Woolgathering friends and I have rounded up enough pennies to buy a coffee farmer in Nicaragua a new start with cocoa beans. this is what Present Aid (Christian Aid) have to say -

The livelihoods of coffee farmers and their families in Nicaragua are on the brink of disaster.

The warm weather caused by climate change is ruining their crops. The solution is to switch to cocoa, which thrives in warmer environments.

A starter kit contains enough cocoa seedlings for one plot of land and three days training that will help the farmer learn how to cultivate this new crop.

With this new start, livelihoods can be protected and secure the future for farming families.

What I did was clear out some of my arty/crafty supplies, either stuff which had been my Mum's and I was never going to use (there was a lot!) or other treasures that I had gathered along the way. And over a couple of Woolgatherings they were gradually purchased and the pennies went into the Chocolate Fund. I topped it up from the egg money and hey presto!

I'm starting a new collection now, for some pigs for help Bolivian women build a steady income to support their families!

Meanwhile I have been spinning autumnal shades. First a lovely big heap of rolags... ....spun onto two bobbins, one with added bombyx silk fibre, then plied together. I have a few new hanks of hand spun drying at the moment and will take a snap when they are dry and labelled with suitably silly names.

Now to save this and see if it survives to show on Blogger today.

Work in Progress

2010-02-25T21:16:00.002Z

Doesn't this just make you want to smile? A stunning papier mache confection from Dianne Fox who has a studio at Kirkharle in Northumberland that you can visit. She produces a fantastic range of bright coloured jewellery and wall art that is all highly covetable - go see her!

From the sublime to the rather tamer.... these images are from my latest project which is collaged display boxes and shelves. They really are just work in progress at the moment as there is so much else to be done this month.
Hugh is launching his new business right now and we are off to Kelso on Tuesday to the Borders Tourism Partnership's conference and leaflet exchange to spread the word about Far x 4. If you follow the link you'll find that it cunningly takes you straight to the relevant pages in our newly re-launched Workhouse website. The site now shouts about the cottage and our arty stuff as well. Let me know what you think!

In between website work and estate office work and a million other little chores, I am trying to get some spinning done. I'm hoping to have a few outlets to sell it at this summer but I need more stock...

Knitting (very, very simple knitting)

2010-02-04T19:11:00.004Z

First, here are the crocheted wristwarmers I made using Twilley's yarn from my small but select stash... I used Attic24's own wee bobble trim pattern too and finished them off with tassels at the wrists, for no particular reason except I was enjoying myself. They are fine and thick but non-clingy.
and here are my just-finished ribbed ones made from stripes of five different leftover lengths of my handspun yarns. Much closer fit, obviously, and a little bit longer. The stripes even match. Genius, eh?
Now, just in case you are interested, I am selling my hardback copy of Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting Workshop. There are some 'new' copies on ebay for £29, if you like. Or you could have mine, with a name label stuck on the inside cover but otherwise in very good condition, for a mere £18, including postage.
Her book has lots of clever stuff in it - shapings, colour pattern knitting, shawls, rorshach sweater, surprise jacket, tomten jacket, i-cord...ach, there's masses in it. Shout if you'd like it.We're having a Valentine's Day Woolgathering - all pink hearts and chocolate - no, well, maybe not, but lots of yarn and pattern talk, idea swapping and a little selling maybe, good chatter and always lots of laughs. Everyone's welcome - the more there are, the warmer we'll be!

Winter chills

2010-01-30T13:36:00.006Z

Not coughs and colds, just freezing night time temperatures and a house that's less than toasty at times. Still, I've made this...

Winter chills

2010-01-30T13:36:00.005Z

Not coughs and colds, just freezing night time temperatures and a house that's a lot less than toasty at times. Still, I've made this...
Yeah, I know, it is a bit Little House on the Prairie, isn't it?! But it looks warm and it's made from fabrics from four sources - a curtain (the big bold checks), some linen left over from backing cushions, some more from a jumble sale and a swatch book of stripe and check curtaining fabrics. Backed with an old white cotton sheet, and with a polyester/cotton mix wadding (which I did have to pay for) It's not quilted as such, just tied through at each corner of each square with little felt squares top and bottom, and mother-of-pearl buttons on the centre sections.

I have also made a quick and simple pair of crocheted wristwarmer gloves based on Attic 24s idea. She's a talented one, and her colours make me want to sing (alarming thought for loved ones, sorry).

As a lively contrast I thought I'd show you this which I scanned from a little piece of paper that Ali used to giftwrap a present for me. The colours are much brighter than the original but it's about the right size. I particularly like the character slugging something from a bottle and the one with the trumpet (?) over her head!