Friday 20 May 2011

What a difference a day makes

Things are happening at Toad Hall. First thing this morning, the first barrow of concrete landed followed by many many more until it looked like this.

I had to keep the cats inside for four hours until it was dry enough for them to walk over. I was worried a fox might come and try and walk over it,

but no, these much smaller footprints appeared. Now who would have thought a squirrel would have been curious enough to go over it?
I'll reveal what is happening as and when each stage is in process. Needless to say lots of builders tea is involved.
I love this rose, Zephrine Drouhin (I even love the name), she is thornless and very heavily scented. She repeat flowers but her first flush is the best.


I also love my oriental poppies.

What I don't love is this combination, it offends my eye. So much does it offend that I yanked out the oriental poppy, roots and all last year. They are supposed not to like their roots being disturbed so you can imagine my surprise when up it came again this year. I'd even planted things over where it had once been. And it has about another ten or so buds wanting to come up. It took courage to kill it last year can I summon the strength to do it again? It does look so dreadful next to the pink and reds of the rose....

I bought this plant last week, it's large and sculptural and the underside of the leaves are wonderful but what is really remarkable is how it lifts it's leaves in the evening.

Tuesday 10 May 2011

Yes!!!

I've cut my meds down by a third and feel so much better, it's only two days so I cannot depend on it lasting but I have less pain, more energy and my brain is functioning. So yesterday and today I managed to finish this quilt top.
I used the blanket stitch to appliqué the curved strips.
I found out why I had limited numbers of flowers this year on the tree peony. It has these fabulous seed heads which I left on and apparently they need dead heading.
And another one, click to see how really fabulous these are.

I couldn't resist bringing a little of the outside into the house, the perfume from this one rose is amazing.
And joy of joys, I found Anzac biscuits in a local supermarket. I haven't had these since I left Australia. They are very moresome so perhaps this isn't a good thing to have in the house.......

Friday 6 May 2011

I'm selling a quilt frame.

So if you are local you can find it on Ebay here
It's the one which belonged to a friend of mine and all proceeds are going to the local quilt group who makes lots of things for charities.
You need to be local to me to buy it as the poles are so long.

Monday 2 May 2011

Some prep work, if not any sewing yet

These are just laying on the white fabric whilst I decide which way to go. This way with each one aligned and giving nice large spaces to quilt and then narrower ones,
or
this way, giving wavy areas of white to quilt.....?
These photos were taken yesterday, Mayday, the first was taken by my daughter
I think these young girls are delightful.
The first rose of the year
 The first Alium
The first clematis

And the hostas and ferns are coming along nicely

And the saxifrage in the patio paving looks super (though it was out a couple of days before Mayday)
Now all I have to do is choose which way I will do the quilt. Somehow I don't think it matters very much, it will be a pretty quilt either way.