a log cabin and lots of tea...what could possibly be nicer...

doesn't that look strange?

I was paired with Laura for Vonnie's Time for Tea swap. Laura is a graphic artist (currently looking for a job - GO snap her up - she won't be around for long) and jewellery maker and just look at what she sent me

gorgeous buttons...part 1

gorgeous buttons...part 2

fabulous print...part 1

fabulous print...part 2

excuse the awful photos of the prints - those dark patches are to do with my less than perfect photography skills, NOT the prints

there was also some tiptree jam (love it) and some chocolate...unfortunately one of the parcels Laura sent (yes, I had installments of wonderfulness all last week!) got damaged in the post and tea and some other bits and pieces she sent got lost, but still a wonderful swap package I thought. Thanks Laura.

I broadened my horizons for this swap and made something I have always wanted myself, a soya wax candle in a vintage china teacup ...I tell you these are making me damn happy at the moment...

I have this tutorial to thank for revealing to me how easy it could be...

I also made Laura a merino wool tea cosy from the yarn Mia gave me for my birthday, in a new variation for me, two by two rib, it may be my favourite so far...

I sent some rose quartz and green aventurine stones for Laura to play with too

Great swap. Thanks Laura and Vonnie.

so to log cabins...have wanted to make a log cabin square forever (at least it feels that way) but been too nervous...project improv forced my hand as the charity square was due last week, and had to be log cabin. I cut the strips the weekend before and happily sat down the night before the deadline, filled with false optimism, thinking maybe I'd manage two or three squares...come midnight I couldn't even see straight, managed to sew a couple of pieces on wrong side out and had a paltry one square to show for all my efforts.


It was a LOT of fun though, and now, finally, I can say I have pieced a log cabin square. I hope there will be many more where that came from as I do love the randomness of the pattern that emerges when you don't think two much about the fabric placement...I like this Improvisation business...it's just my cup of tea...

feeling happy...and Project Improv

after all my wailing and gnashing of teeth yesterday vonnie found me a partner for the time for tea swap (many thanks m'dear) so I can breathe again...imagine if I'd been left out of that one...doesn't bear thinking about...phew!

I'm swapping with the equally tea-obsessed Laura ...looking forward to this one immensely

I've been noticing this ProjectImprov thing around blogland of late...I stumbled upon the source today and lo and behold the lovely Jacquelyn who is the brain behind the operation tells me I am not too late to join


read more about the ideas behind improv over at Jacquelyn's blog...to me it's a wonderful idea...gets me loosening up and sewing improv-y (not that much I do is non-improv-y but I do tend to hit a bit of a brick wall with patchwork) and also results in some quilts (which I am sure will be stupendous) for charity. It's a year long thing so plenty of time to improv (or even improve!) though the blocks for the charity quilts need to be done by April 1st

Jackie at CantonVillage has volunteered her services to do the actual quilting...the generousity of the blogfolk never ceases to amaze me...

you know what, it's not to late to join in...

and now, just for my sister who asked so nicely...

me'n'him doing our own projectimprov
(I don't look that much like a Romulan...do I?)

greetings from beyond the hill...

so, I find myself landed on the other side of a significant birthday. The significant number is divisible by 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 20 and... ahem...40. Cor blimey, how did this come to pass? I ask myself (and anyone else who'll listen)

beautiful japanese teapot and tea bowls from my sister Catherine...crazy birthday brunch by moi

Not being content with going over the hill metaphorically I headed to the Alps to mark the occasion more literally. It was a wonderful idea, would recommend it to anyone. I played in the snow, drank plenty of tea and ruminated on the state of things (as you do when you reach this sort of age).

Will be back (once the shock has worn off properly) to share details of beautiful owlish swaps and some fat quarters that made their way to me from stateside.

Until then...
another gorgeous teapot, birthday gift from my lovely friend Nich (he of teacosy fame - discern a subtle theme?)...can a girl (ooops, sorry, woman of a certain age) ever have too many tea making accoutrements? I sincerely doubt it...

beautiful italian yarn, another lovely birthday gift courtesy of my colleague Mia with whom I have recently set up the (two strong) "work knitting club". I feel some tea cosies coming on, or maybe a bobble hat...

ps new all time favourite tea - Genmaicha - mmmmmm...mmm. Thanks Cath!

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tea, buttons, original beauties...

First, the tea :: gift from my lovely friend Clare who was lucky enough to be whisked off to Paris to celebrate her dear love's birthday and who managed to drag her mind from thoughts of romance, wine, riverside walks and other such Parisian delights long enough to buy me this tin of truly delicious tea. I don't think Clare reads this blog but if she does :: THANK YOU CLARE!

Someone mentioned they liked the button's on Isaac's Kimono cardi.

Well, let me tell you, those are some very fine buttons and they are from creamrose if you fancy scoring some for yourself. I happen to know that incywincy does some lovely fabric covered buttons too (thanks again Apryl!)

Now, I got myself to Origin at Somerset House last Friday (before attending a leaving do for my lovely friend Ellie at work at which copious amounts of bubbly were consumed - just as well I didn't hit Origin after lunch - I wager I would have managed to offload some serious cash (or rather credit) had I done so)

And these are some of the things I'd have invested in had I done just that (all these images are from the designer's own websites):

A Globe ring in cellulose acetate and silver from Lesley Strickland, probably in Oyster Pearl...or maybe in Deep Ocean...then again possibly in...


A waffle blanket from Wallace+Sewell :: warm, very tactile and beautiful colours - what more could a girl ask for in a blanket?



A teapot and maybe some nice cups from Virginia Graham who recreates beautiful vintage china but with a very contemporary twist


Something pleasant for my wall from Gina Pierce whose "Peeling Paint" digitally printed fabric panels quite made me swoon. They recreate the effect of walls in the process of being restored, with hints of peeling paint and wallpapers layered over each other.

I love the hint of history, the patina of age and suggestion of lives lived and gone that this design suggests.

Finally I would have certainly picked up a pre-official publication copy of Sew It Up by Ruth Singer.
I flicked through this new sewing manual at the show and was really impressed by the quality and extent of the illustrations. I think even an instruction-phobic like myself would be able to follow these and had I not already been burdened by a pushchair, a recalcitrant 3 year old and a shortly approaching date with Ellie and the prosecco I'd have hefted it home there and then. Ruth is doing signed copies from her blog even though it doesn't hit the shops until the end of the month.

Now, I just have to get my darling beloved reading this post in advance of the festive season. Ahem...

Thanks to everyone for the commiseration on the knitting disaster. No sign of the bag so I have officially given up and am trying to piece together its contents again. Could have been worse, could have been my forecast in there (yes, still going since last March...that's bad eh?! second thoughts maybe I should hope it will be lost...)


PS Jane (who was supposed to accompany me to Origin but got unhappily detained elsewhere on a less pleasant pursuit involving the outpatients department at our local hospital) I hope you are feeling better now, shame you missed it!

...special people...tea bliss...swap goodies...

as I mentioned it was my friend Nich's birthday...we visited at the weekend bringing tea(bliss*) related gifts for Nich :

• one finished teacosy in Noro Silk Mountain - tick
  
• one tin of Fortnum & Mason Regent's Blend - tick
  
• one jar of F&M chocolate covered florentines - tick
  
• one copy of Tea Bliss (which will either make him laugh hysterically and wonder if I have lost my mind or will change his life forever) - tick
  

and a rather special little gift for his lovely wife whose birthday it was recently also...

"oldfingers family " by tenfingerworkshop (felted habitat by yours truly)

we spent some sunny days in their pretty country garden, enjoyed a bbq or two and a walk through the bluebells...unfortunately I forgot my camera so no photographic evidence exists and the only photo of the teacosy on the teapot is in Nich's camera as I write...don't fret, no doubt I'll post it (totally out of context) one of these days...

in other news on the milkwood front I received a beautiful parcel from Diane in the heart of Texas...we were doing a Vintage Swap exchange arranged by Meridian...and I was delighted to receive some vintage gloves (which Ms. Reva insists are so lovely they should only be used for a wedding) and a very pretty swarovski crystal necklace...I'll unveil what I sent Diane as soon as I know she has received it safely...

Thank You Diane!

*a lot of the bliss was mine I must admit as provided a perfect opportunity to spend a recent lunch hour in the glorious Fortnum and Mason foodhall - my god they do an overwhelming amount of beautifully packaged tea!

a review...and a forecast...

I've been tagged on the 4 things meme by two very talented bloggers Katy and Jen
check out their blogs if you haven't already done so, they are great (you may even notice a replica Ms Bester on Katy's entry of today...now there is this little girl called Ms Bester who lives with me and she has a third birthday coming up soon...)

I was intrigued as to what meme actually means, initially thinking it was simply a meme...ie all about me...by me (they are fairly self-reflective normally it has to be said) however I have been put right and it is all far more interesting than that...check this out if you too are intrigued beyond what is normal by this whole meme lark (thanks Apryl)

anyway, grab yourselves a cuppa and settle in for some looking inwards...


(nice excuse to show you one of my latest thrifting finds...I tell you I've gone berserk on the vintage china of late. So much so we are running out of room to store it (well, not quite yet) but I tell you it's just delightful to drink tea from these dainties...brightens up many a dull morn round milkwood way...may do a post on all my vintage beauties one of these days, or maybe I'll just have to invite you all around to take tea...I have about enough cups now I think...and Apryl can bring baked goodies, my excuse being that my oven is still broken - the reality being that the woman makes damn fine cake)

so, to the meme

4 Jobs I have had::
bookmaker (as in the betting kind) - I was the one who took the money and wrote the results up on the board (in the days before t'internet and technology took over all that and bookies became flash) in London's famous Petticoat Lane - how I loved wandering around there...hated the job though
gin bottle quality checker - I was the one who checked the bottles of gin to make sure there was no gunk in the booze...sounds more glamorous than it was (am not sure that's possible actually) there was much standing around in front of a lightbox and conveyor belt for 8 hours a day...I was young and I needed money, that's all I will say
teacher - english as a foreign language, computer programming, art...take your pick I've done 'em all...still doing the art teaching (my artclub) and I must say I LOVE that job
computer programmer - in the late 80s/early 90s - imagine a huge mainframe computer with tiny black terminals if you will..then imagine yours truly with a permanent hangover (it was my first time away from home and I fell in with a lively crowd - what more can I say) - it wasn't a good combination - I kept knocking the on-off switch with my toe by accident and the whole caboodle would power off and 40 or so programmers would wonder what had happened...I would take the opportunity to make some tea, obviously

4 favorite movies ::
jules et jim (or anything with Jeanne Moreau in)
breakfast at tiffany's (or anything with Audrey Hepburn)
million dollar mermaid (or anything with Esther Williams)
lights in the dusk (or anything by Aki Kaurismaki)

4 places i’ve been ::
Sydney
New York
Scotland
Italy (8 weeks after Ms Reva was born we went to Florence...8 weeks after Ms Bester arrived we went to Venice...I think I need another baby!)

4 places i’ve lived ::
Cork
Dublin
London
New York (state, one summer, with a broken heart...awwwwh)

4 favorite tv shows ::
damages
madman
ugly betty
the late late show in the 70s and 80s (only Irish people will understand this)

4 favorite radio programs ::
I am a radio 4 fan - front row, woman's hour which I get to listen to approx once a year!), used to love the saturday morning family show with John Peel before he departed this world too early and RFN independent voices (of course!)

4 favorite foods ::
king prawns
peas
parmesan
prosecco
(and tea, which doesn't really count as an extra as it is a staple...like water)

4 places i’d rather be ::
hmm, quite like where I am right now (though it is a bit messy, truth be told) but if I had to you could probably persuade me to :
a Greek island or San Francisco or Amsterdam or Rome or or or

I think I am supposed to choose 4 people to invite to join in this so I invite Jo, Asti, Penny and Chloe ...but only if they don't feel that this meme is one which "may prove detrimental to [its] hosts" !

now, to the future...I am currently forecasting...and the future is grey (Rowan Pure Wool Aran)



unfortunately I found myself in Suffolk without a cable needle but with an inviting inglenook which created an overwhelming urge to knit...so I used one of the kids pencils instead...must admit those cables are a smidgen looser than they could have been had yours truly even an ounce of patience and self restraint...

and finally (as if I haven't already ricocheted between enough diverse topics in one post) some earrings I mustered from an old necklace I had lying around...I rather like them...now, if only I could wear earrings...

gosh, that may well have been my longest ever post...I'd be amazed if anyone were still here...

a post about tea, mostly...

I love tea. However it has recently occurred to me that I should extend my tea-horizons a little. I currently drink what is commonly known in the UK as Builder's Tea. Which is basically strong black tea with milk (of which I add lots, probably more than the regulation amount) and sugar (which I forego, although real builders, I believe, take approximately 4 teaspoons of the stuff per cup). On Monday as I was wandering along Neal Street in Covent Garden I passed The Tea House, a place I used to regularly frequent in my crazy wild youth. I ambled in (initially thinking of a certain someone who often needs more tea - not me) and was as always amazed by the sheer variety of the beverage on offer. I stocked up on a couple of packages for she who must not be named for fear she realises tea is on its way and, taken by a wild fancy, bought myself some darjeeling...
Later that day, back at the office to which I am bound by the [shudder] day job, I brewed myself a cup. Disregarding the "may be taken without milk" as going just that little bit too far, I added some. Believe it or not I was even tempted to put the milk in a jug to take back to my desk but we don't appear to have any delicate vintage bone china in the office kitchen for some reason, what an appalling oversight! Back at my desk I risked a mouthful, and quickly another...there was something about it...something very pleasant indeed...there was a certain delicacy to which I am not accustomed...indeed I may have to have another cup someday...

Today I was back on the Builder's but I feel a slight shift may be on the way...

If you can help in this bid to extend my horizons I would greatly appreciate any tea related suggestions...

we did the (now fairly regular) pyjama crafting at the weekend (what lazy good for nothing parents we are, kids not dressed til gone lunchtime, again)

with this fairly random result...

don't you love the bowtie? Where the hell did that come from?!

Good thing I have signed us up for this swap, the kids will love it (obviously I'll just get involved to keep them from chopping off their fingers...and it'll give us an excuse to stay in our pjs again - result)

Thank you all for the lovely comments on my last couple of posts. I really do love to receive comments and am just sorry I can't reply to them all. For some reason Blogger doesn't give me return email addresses for them all, but I do visit all the linked to blogs and enjoy drooling over what you are all up to...

I'll be back soon with some crafted items, and news of some more swaps...