A Maud, a make and a mandala!

First Maud. 

A belated birthday present from Mr K. 

Here she is in all her glory.

Or should I say her birthday suit! 

Pretty roses all around.

But Maud! Where are your manners? Clothe yourself immediately!

Aha - I see you have chosen my latest make (did you see what I did there?!)

A tunic from The Great British Sewing Bee book  - the first series. Yes that's how long it's taken me.

But what's over there on yonder table?

Don't tell me ... it isn't ... you can't have?

You have! You've succumbed to mandala mania!

Destined for Yarndale and using the Petal and Puffs tutorial over at the very talented Bunny Mummy's blog here.

What fun!

Hold on - I sense mischief.

Hello Birdy, what can I do for you today?

You're hungry?

Oh dear - I don't think I have anything for you.

What's that - you've spotted some worms?

You haven't.

You're not going to...

BIRDY!!!

Jane

xxx

P.S. Some of us bloggers are going to meet up at Yarndale - anyone else going?

Belonging

Have you ever felt that you truly belong somewhere? Like at some point in the past you must have lived in a place that became such a part of you that years have not faded the link? Mr K has always felt a pull towards the sea. Now this one is easy to understand as he spent his childhood up on the North East coast of England. But as for me? My first few years were spent in the glorious seaside town of Hoylake on the Wirral peninsula. From there we moved several times - usually to modern houses on the outskirts of small towns. All very lovely and all with their fair share of greenery but nowhere that I could particularly say I felt rooted.

So why then, last week when Mr K and I ventured forth to somewhere completely new to both of us, did I immediately feel at home? 

Consall Forge first came to my attention via the lovely Rosie at Corners of My Mind. Set in the Churnet Valley in Staffordshire it turned out to be only half an hour away and yet we'd never heard of it before. As we approached, the verdant narrowing lanes set the scene. Within moments of leaving the car and setting foot on the woodland path I declared that this was my favourite place ever.

We continued along the one hour route 

Breathing in the freshness as the sun broke through the canopy

.

Layers of green

Punctuated with natural hues

Decay

Alongside new life

Somewhere to breathe it all in

Maybe it's to do with reading too much Enid Blyton as a child but who can't help but think trees like these must be enchanted?

We knew the River Churnet ran through the valley but we didn't expect this. On our way back to the car we found a clearing.

A place to rest

And be visited by the locals - some more easy to spot than others

Do you see him?

Back through the buttercup meadow to begin the journey home

I can't say what it is that I find so restorative about this particular landscape. I've thought about it quite deeply. Is it the symbiotic nature of all that goes to create such a place that makes me feel as though I am part of some larger living thing? The combination of water and woodland that makes the freshness so contagious? The timeless quality  - how would people one hundred years ago or more viewed these same woods?

 Some time ago I wrote about Sara Maitland's 'Gossip from the Forest'.

Here she goes to explore what has made the forests and woodland of Britain such magical places - using fairy tales, folklore and historical fact to describe how their personalities have developed over the centuries. It makes for a fascinating read.

For me the woodlands and rivers will remain magical places. 

Somewhere I truly feel I belong.

Jane

xxx

As I was pruning in the servants courtyard ...

... was just one of the phrases that made us chuckle as we wandered around Shugborough Hall yesterday! The conversation arose as a gardener - all decked out in period gardener costume - pointed out a nest of Great Tits who had made their home in a large urn. The fact that we were able to walk around the gardens was a blessing in itself. All week I had been checking the weather but as time went on the forecast got grimmer and ideas of floral frocks and picnic blankets gave way to woolly jumpers and waterproofs. 

The ominous sky

I must admit as I drove up the long tree lined drive I started to have doubts. 

What if nobody turned up? What if they did turn up but didn't like each other? What if I looked down and I was still in my pyjamas?

But the rain held off and, even though the skies were leaden the company was sunny and bright. From the first friendly hug each and every one of us got on. Although we had never met before we were far from strangers. 

We picnicked in the walled garden

I was originally taken by the rather dejected demeanour of the scarecrow in the distance
 - it's only when I looked back at the photograph I realised that it was art imitating life!

 strolled past the farm

Goats or sheep? Geep??

 spotted playmobil characters in the rooms of the mansion house (temporary additions for the half term holiday!)

Whilst I realise that this picture doesn't feature any of the aforementioned playmobil
characters it is significant in that the guide was very keen to tell us that the  Queen
had once held a reception here.
Gilly hastened to point out that if she popped in again could she tell her that we'd been there too?

 and discovered old bridges

Thanks to Rosie!

All too soon it was time for us to board the shuttle train back up to the car park and say our goodbyes. Time had flown by and so the only thing for it was to resolve to meet up again. 

Thank you so much to Rosie, Mel, Jacquie and Gilly (and of course Welsh cake Paul and Bunny Grandma!) for coming along. Please pop along to visit them as they have much better pictures than I do. 

I'll leave you with this thought. 

What do you call a group of bloggers on an away day?

!

Jane

xxx

Shugborough Shenanigans!

This is just a quick cheeky post to remind you all that several of us will be meeting up at the wonderful Shugborough Hall in Staffordshire this Friday. If any of you fine bloggy chums out there might care to join us either leave a comment or email me and I'll pass on the details.

It really should be rather splendid!

Jane

x

Here Here!

Just a quick post to let you know I'm still 'here'. But the reason I haven't been 'here' is because I've been over 'here'! 

Every spare minute has been used to sew, stuff and knit. Who'd have thought that sitting behind a craft stall for six hours listening to Vera Lynn and eating a hand crafted sausage roll would be so exhausting!

Good job I had company.

Back 'here' properly soon.

Jane

xxx

A Perfect Ham?

Thank you so much for all of the lovely thoughts and comments on my last post. They were quite overwhelming.

You are all wonderful.

Things have been ticking by slowly over here - lot's of other 'stuff' going on that seems to get in the way of the normal running of things. At times like these my oasis is in a bit of making. Well aware that I have a craft fair coming up next weekend I thought it was about time I dressed the bunnies.

 I happily sat at my old desk and cut, pinned and stitched. Soon enough two little dresses appeared and - to my amazement  - actually fitted.

 But there was a nagging problem. How on earth do you press a seam on a garment that small?

 I stared at it and pondered. I pondered some more. My eyes drifted towards Mr 'Bunny Gone Wrong'.

 An early practice bunny that nobody would want but I haven't had the heart to throw away. Then my mind cogs started whirring in that very disconcerting manner that means I have a)become a genius or b)finally cracked. 

Mr BGW stared back.

Something happened. 

A light bulb moment.

Then this.

A perfect 'ham'!

It's just what Mr BGW 's been waiting for!

The dresses still aren't quite finished - now it's time for the hand stitching and pretty bits but they're well on the way. Yes bunnies - you SHALL go to the ball!

(And the moral of this story is never throw an old misshapen bunny in the bin if you are going to need to press tiny dresses!)

Jane

xxx

P.S. Just a reminder that if you still want to join our happy little band at Shugborough on the 30th get in touch and I'll send you the details!

This Post

This post was going to be about bluebells. About the floating market we have moored up outside the back gate this weekend. About all sorts of nonsense I have going on in my craft basket. But instead it's something that has stopped me in my tracks.

After a long battle with cancer a dear colleague passed away yesterday afternoon. She was only two years older than myself and had daughters of a similar age. I don't wish to say much more other than it has made me stop and appreciate how fortunate I am.

This post is for Tracy.

Jane
xxx