Autumn shades

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

Tart's Temptations...

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...

....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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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....

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,

Midge and Ash are enjoying the sunshine...

Farewell June...

.... 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

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

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

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.