OCTOBER GEMS..

No not the sparkly sort.....

...the ones that make you really appreciate your lot.....A beautiful afternoon spent with good company (DH and grandson) enjoying the marvellous scenery and mother natures treasures.....

Rutland water...

...people messing about in boats....

....exploring the woodland paths...

....man and boy in perfect harmony...

...then the spoils of an unexpected car boot sale....still carrying on until the weather breaks.....

Ok so its only repro..but it will look great in my kitchen....

...............and the best find of all.........

I already have one of these but without the box, and I have to say that it is the box which appeals to me the most...I just love the illustrations, It will look great in my sewing room!  I think I might have to take the other one to a little antique and collectors fair that my SIL and I are doing at Lincoln showground in December..

Well lets hope the rest of the month proves as pleasurable as these first few days. We are off to Gloucester at the weekend. Never been before so hoping for a good rummage.
The new coat is almost finished so should be able to give you a peek in a day or two, hoping to take it with me, so I'd better get it done!!

Finally I have been very honoured to be passed the 'versatile blogger' award by Amy at Blighty Boutique.

I am very flattered but I am supposed to tell you seven interesting facts about me........well I will be honest and say I did this once before and can't for the life of me think of anything else at the moment, so I am going to think about this a bit longer.  I should also pass it on to 5 other lovely bloggers, but there are so many of you that deserve it far more than me that I hate to leave anyone out, so am not going to do this either.
I do hope Amy will forgive me and still read my blog!

Well that really is all for now, its getting very late again..

TTFN
Jenny xx

THE DEVIL MAKES WORK............

Well believe me when I say he didn't get a look in this weekend!!......

My plan was to make the green tomato chutney and start on some slipper orders.....Well thats what I did but somehow I seem to have got a bit carried away...not that I'm complaining as next week I will probably achieve nothing....

First of all the chutney, 9 one pound jars stored away for Christmas. The recipe from this book....

was so easy and the instructions very clear. It smells lovely and I cant wait to see how it matures.

Then I decided to do a bit of sewing for myself. I purchased these patterns the other week,

I started with this......

with the intention of  using up some of my stash of fabric. As I havn't made any of them before I didn't want to use my best fabric, but as two of them are knits making a muslin first was not an option. Any way for the top I found a remnant of a boucle type knit I once made DD a top out of and as is usual I am rather pleased with the result, but no doubt when I use a fabric that's a bit more pricey it won't go as well
I did make a few adjustments though.  I made the top 4 inches shorter and the neck band only half the width it was supposed to be.My fabric was quite bulky and I thought any more would have been too much.
I bet on some of you younger folk the original length worn over a top, with a belt and some contrasting tights would look pretty good and certainly keep you snug when the weather really turns.

I then started on the cashmere coat I mentioned in a previous post, but not the style I had intended at all.  I found this, unlined coat pattern which I really like...

Much less formal and a perfect solution for weekends away.  I will line mine as I am not keen on unlined coats. It is all cut out now so I'll show you my progress soon.
The dress pattern will have to wait until I find some knit fabric that inspires me as believe it or not there was nothing suitable in my stash...mind you most of it is linen and cotton so it's not so surprising.

Finally I made some of these....

for Emma at Land of Emma for her Christmas stall to raise money for 'Help for Heros'.  If you have any thing hand made that you would care to donate and get to her by November 10th, I am sure she will be more than grateful.

Well thats about it really, apart from having a rant about blogger!!!!! what is going on????
I have been trying on and off to do this post and upload photos since 4pm.  I have never had this problem before they changed things.  I always make my photos smaller in photoshop so that they do upload quicker, but it's taking so long now I seriously considered packing it in today and just reading everyone elses!!!!

Anyone else having this problem or is it just me and my machine!

Off to have a very stiff drink....or two now....

TTFN

Jenny xx ( Oh those extra grey hairs!!!)

BIT OF A DISAPPOINTMENT.........

Hi all
First I would like to say a huge thank you for everyone's birthday wishes and comments on my last post. I ended my birthday with a smile reading all your kind words. Mind you I was thoroughly spoiled again and had a lovely day, so I certainly should have been smiling.

bithday goodies......

 .............. another great creation by DD and her partner...still not on sale yet but I get the first one!

Well....I said I would show you what we got up to at the weekend and which 'celebrity' we rubbed shoulders with and so here goes..... ( mind you I use the term loosely, 'cos although I think most people will recognise him, the term celebrity does seem to be used to describe any random exhibitionist who is prepared to embarass themselves and most of their audience on these so called reality shows nowadays).  You can guess here I am not a fan!! ( of reality shows that is not this gentleman, although quite honestly he's a sort of amusing bloke on the tele presenting an antique show, nothing that I can get really excited about!)
Struth...talk about grumpy old women...I really sound like one don't I?  I'm not really, but the use of the word 'celebrity', along with 'hero' certainly means a far different thing now than it did a few years ago!

Saturday was fairly quiet and on Sunday we first went here.....

 
beautiful Stamford to an Antique fair.  It was windy but at least fine. Apparently Friday had been horrendous, but I have to say it was very poorly attended. It did mean however that at least you could get to the stalls to have a good root around....

It was here that we spotted.........

They were filming episodes of bargain hunt and because of the lack of people, it must have been quite a bonus for them to be able to do so almost undisturbed. So when the new series goes out, if you see a flash of bright orange trying to get out the way, it could be me, 'cos even with all that space they kept coming to the same stalls I was happily browsing in.
Any way I did manage to find a Christmas present for my DD, a pair of fantastic 40s glasses to add to my costume I am getting together (more about that another time) and a wooden shoe form, which I shall use to shape some felt slippers I am trying out (adults this time) and then use it for display in my sewing room.

From here we went on to Wansford to the Nene Valley railway to what has for the past two years been one of the highlights of my birthday weekend.  But alas once again there was such a poor turn out. The weather didnt help either as by now it was drizzling quite heavily.
There were still some brave souls sporting 40s outfits, and I think that the Saturday had been much better attended, but it will be a shame if it peters out.

We finished the day with a lovely meal at a country pub. I did enjoy the day it just seemed such a shame that after all the effort put into these things we are in danger of losing them through lack of support.

Well I'm off to do a bit of work (sewing) now before I allow myself a few minutes...  (who am I kidding).. with Professor Layton!!....well......got to keep the old brain cells working!

TTFN

Jenny xx

IM SO GLAD THEY LIKED THEM........AND 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME'

I am feeling quite perky at the moment because the little gifts I have just sent out seem to have been well received.  As all my 3 PIF winners and the  'Pass the book' winner have now received their parcels, I can show you what I sent.  You may have seen them on their blogs if you follow them, but just in case you haven't here they are.....

First of all I made this for Fiona of Tizduster .......

As she had won the 'Pass the Book', I made her a little reversible book bag.

For the 3 PIF winners I thought that a bag each would also be pretty useful, so they received the same style bag in a different colourway.  Em from Garden Peas and Fleas and Jane of Marigold Jam who seemed to do more knitting and sewing also received a covered tape measure and Sue from @home received a little plant marker as she seemed to love her gardening (although she seems to turn her hand to many other things too!). Go say hello if you haven't met them already....

As my part time employment is about to end, I am concentrating now on returning to my little slipper business which I hope to relaunch very soon .

This is the sample of the latest pair I have made which with a few minor adjustments will be available.  They are more house shoes than slippers being made completely of cotton. I am even toying with the idea of making a few matching dress and shoe outfits...but thats still just an idea at the moment.

Will be back again later in the week to show you what we got up to this weekend and which tele celeb we rubbed shoulders with!!. Blogger was not playing with photo upload or I would have done 2 posts. It seems to be OK now but  I've wasted so much time I'll leave the second one and do it later.

I will console myself with reading some of your latest offerings, and the fact that it's my birthday tomorrow and perhaps I'll get to have extra wine.....and cake!!

Have a good evening and I hope the sun shines for someone tomorrow!

If you can't be good, enjoy being naughty....and don't apologise.....

TTFN

Jenny x x

AUTUMN...Season of mellow fruitfulness....

Hi there lovely bloggers..
Bit slow at updating my blog this time, but I have been busy..honest!

I LOVE Autumn...crisp sunny mornings, the fabulous colours in the trees, evenings snuggled up under a rug reading ...... and even more the sight of all the fruit and vegetables gathered from my garden....or given by kind neighbours and friends prepared ready for freezing and bottling for the long winter months ahead.

As you will have seen from my previous posts (those that aren't too bored to read my ramblings) we do not have a large garden..or at least large parts available to sow endless rows of  fruit and veg, but we do try to do a bit..

This year our most success has been with the runner beans....which we ate as they grew..don't know about you but I don't think it's worth freezing them, although I do remember years ago helping my MIL salt the pounds of beans she used to get from her garden.  It was the topping, tailing and slicing that got a bit boring! And then you had to remember to rinse them a dozen times before you used them or...Yuk!!
Our second best crop was the tomatoes, all grown outdoors as we dont have a greenhouse and all except the black ones grown in old hoppers on the wall.  My BIL grows all the plants every year and we like to try all sorts of varieties.  As you can see above they make a lovely sight all the different colours together.  I must say my favourites are the yellow cherry ones, so sweet, I must have eaten dozens straight off the vine!

These are the last pickings...apart from the green ones which I am making into green tomato chutney.  Home made soup, Yummm!  Plenty of garlic and a  red pepper to sweeten.  Just the ticket with some home made bread!

We have also been very fortunate to be given loads of these...

And these..... now stored in my freezer ready to make chutneys pies....and of course crumbles...I can see the elastic waist skirts could be making an appearance here this winter..

We were given some of these too...such super colours..I almost don't want to use them..

Although I talk of 'chutneys' I have to confess I am but an amateur here, but with the help of this little book..

I am hoping to have a pantry full of filled jars with pretty labels and covers either to use or to give as presents this Christmas ( Oh no it's that word again), mind I could be forgiven for thinking it was nearly here as our visit to a Notcutts nursery last Sunday found us in a complete winter wonderland of trees, lights and decorations..all fully operational and taking up a good third of the indoor space..and there I thought Halloween and bonfire night came before that.....but what do I know!!

As well as pretending to be some sort of domestic goddess...which I certainly am not.....either I cook or clean.  You don't get both out of me in the same week!..  I have also been finishing the gifts for my PIF winners, the little gift for Fiona who won the 'Pass the Book' and a swap parcel.  These will all go in the post tomorrow, so as soon as I know they have been received I will reveal what I sent.

Well time for that cosy read now....and perhaps a glass of vino to round of the day.. so cheerio for now and hope you all have a fine and productive week.....or a good rest if that's what you need.

TTFN

Jenny x x