Treasure, Horses and Stitch Stitch

Wednesday is Treasure hunt day and today I had two extra hunters to keep me company.

They found a baby fish to keep Ugly fish company.

A bunny meant for Grandma, but we've asked if Eldest Bun would mind if we kept it.

This pile of floral plates is divine. Six all different and gorgeous sitting on one of my top finds of the day an icecream stripe blankie.


Who could resist chicks and cavorting elephants?


More pillowslips to pretty up with hooky edges and a sweet rhyming hankie.

These bowls have made me very very happy. If I find some in red and turquoise too I'll be ecstatic. I've been on the hunt for these American heatproof bowls for a while now. Today was the day they turned up along with a zesty oven glove.

Now my Little hunters have treasure of their own to show. A bird for Grandma, china for their collection shelves and a weekend puzzle.

In between treasure seeking and stitchery, we went riding. I took the Buns, but Little Bun said her tummy hurt and didn't want to ride. As I had to pay anyway as it was too late for a cancellation, I asked if they had a horse for me instead. I've not ridden for a few years now and I was in baggy jeans, baseball boots and all you see in the picture below. Not the most comfy outfit to ride in, but boy did I enjoy it. I chose to go in with Eldest Bun and act as lead horse or she would have been on her own. A lovely surprise in the middle of the day.

Back home it was time to get finishing for this weekends Pick 'n' Mix Makers Market. I've only got Friday left now as work tomorrow. Still sewing, labelling, packing and then setting up the hall on Friday night, before I can relax.

These Swingin' Cherries are something new I fiddled about with the other evening. I always seem to go off on a tangent when I'm supposed to be finishing other stuff. I had a friend of mine who likes cheery brooches in mind when I made this.

Pincushions waiting for a stuffing.

A vintage towel curtain, bought a while back, has been chopped and is now four in all its Pom Pom glory.

Another vintage curtain has been turned into teacloths and given a hooked splendour finish.

A factory line of Bits and Bobs Purses and florally brooches has also rolled off my fingers. I wish I wasn't such a last minute rush rush person, but hey ho, I am.

Before I pop off - thanks for stopping by and leaving your comments on my last post. I found them all interesting reading. I'll write a letter in the near future. I have no expectations and feel strangely disassociated from the whole thing. It's as if I'm talking about someone elses life, but I have to remember it affects more lives than just mine.

Have a great bank holiday won't you. Lets hope the weather's better than the last one.

Trails of Lives

I was watching Who Do You Think You Are? repeats tonight as I sat and stitched. They mentioned a link to ancestors.com and for some reason I typed it in. I was looking for someone I assumed was very much alive and so I found my way to a US search site. Before I knew it the information I wanted was there on my screen and I knew I had exactly the person I was looking for along with an address and phone number.

It all feels very odd to be this easy. At 20 I started a paper search for my birth mother at the records office in Islington. A few years later I met with Ariel Bruce, a Social Worker who searches out and reunites parents and children of adoption. She got very near as we knew from my paperwork we were looking in the States and we also knew the new surname from my searches. Around this time my life changed a lot and then I had my two beautiful girls. I no longer felt the need to find a birth mother and I didn't feel the key to my identity was locked up in a history I knew little of. So the trail ended there. Seeing my flesh and blood for the first time in my life within my daughters stopped me feeling restless. I have a fabulous mum and dad, but their family history isn't my history. As I watch my girls grow I see parts of us that they're made of. Eldest Bun especially is a mirror image of the young me, a much braver and funnier one though.

I guess it's a story without an end and I still want to give it some sort of ending, whatever that might be. It all feels quite strange still this evening that I can simply tap in a name and find out so much within seconds. See my older half brothers names and the man she married when I was thirteen all listed beside this woman I know and yet don't know. The other strange part is that when I searched google analytics I found more hits on here from Colorado Springs than the surrounding area. Coincidence perhaps or serendipity who knows.

A Thing or Two we Did

First things first - hello to the new followers I've had of late. Thanks for stopping by and if you've said hello too, then please forgive me if I've not got back to say hello too as yet. It's amazing discovering just how many blogs there are out there all brimming with creativity.

Well summers finally here and on Friday the sun still shone, for us all. Mr Bun came home with stocks and pink fizz and we all felt thrilled it was the weekend at last.

Horse riding on Saturday morning for two Buns and then back at home a bit of time to sneak off up the garden to do a bit of hooky this and that.

I settle down and look one way to chicken world hidden under the boughs of our apple tree.

Then to the poor neglected veg garden which has become a bit of a dump for stuff. I daydream about rows of neat veg and canes of runner beans, but first I need to get on with making selling things.

I'd already stitched a couple of teacloths from a vintage kitchen curtain and they looked so plain without that little bit extra. So a hooked edge was what was needed.

Alfie Blue found me up there and kept watch while I blanket stitched my first row so I had something to work into.

First up was eggy yellow picots. Later on hot radish red picots were added to the other cloth. I'll show you that one another day.

Alfie got bored in the end and had to go and see what on earth the ladies were doing in the middle of the bonfire. Dead perhaps to a dogs mind. It's the ladies beauty ritual time of the day. A dousing of ash and they feel as beautiful as can be.

Now I need to wander off as a spot of Pixie rabbit hugging is needed and Dotty the G.Pig gets pulled out of hiding too for a cuddle. Needs a bit of supervision in case of escapes.

By now it's sweltering and just a perfect summers day. I peg a tent up for the Buns to hide in and make their leaf potions. Later we hose the cars down and get wetter and dirtier than them.

Later on we snuggle up for the final of Over the Rainbow. Yes a small girlies dream programme and ours too it turns out. We boo when Eddie the Pug doesn't get picked to be Toto. Alfie can't cope with the excitement and goes to sleep.

Sunday and the weather was just as glorious. I was headed off up to North Norfolk to meet Teena. It's less than a week before our second market and we had roads signs and a banner to sort out. This week we had a mention in the listings in Selvedge no less. We're very very excited about that one.

It was all such hard hard work that we somehow ended up here for a rest. Wiveton Cafe in the middle of a fruit farm with the sea just behind.

One of the views inside from the comfort of our table. Aren't the colours exactly the perfect shades.


All the outdoors tables and chairs are painted in perfect shades of blue and green too. On each table is a little chalk board saying who has booked each table. A Lady Buxton was apparently due to arrive at this one any time soon. I only gave my first name and chose to go incognito today.


Isn't this fantastic. Just on the wall above our zesty lime table to be admired the whole lunch through.


Before we leave, a look left to the fields and sea beyond. Definately need to come back here and explore the cakes and walks more.


Now after all that hard work I was off to meet my lovelies at my parents for afternoon tea. A perfect chocolate cake, fat strawberries and Sangria lounging in the garden where I spent my childhood.

These bluebells are just by the top lawn and kept getting splatted by the ball as we played a final game of Piggy in the Middle before hometime and going over what a wonderful weekend we've had.

Hope your weekend was just as sunny and all you wanted it to be.

Fledgling Treasure

We've had a blackbirds nest in the tree by the back door for a few weeks now. We knew they were there as the mother blackbird yelled in an unbirdylike way most of the day at Pip our cat who just slept on ignoring her. Pip really isn't interested in birds and even sleeps beside the ducks (Jessie and Henry - they've moved in so have been given names). I've felt like shooting the damn bird a few times as the noise drove me insane.

Today while the Buns played with a friend in the garden, Little Bun found a fledgling by the log store. I picked it up as it hadn't got a clue about the art of flying yet and wouldn't have lasted long down there. We put it on top of the shed figuring it was safer up there and if it fell off it would get another go at the falling out of the nest fly or die thing. By the way Little Bun can't levitate, she climbed up the slide I put by the shed to keep watch.

Well no sight of it now, so fingers crossed it's flown. Not long after Little Bun showed me another one stuck in the hedge so off we went again. While we were looking Eldest Bun found six eggs laid in a neat hollow in the hedge. I've been wondering why the ladies have been off the lay the last few days. Cheeky devils had moved premises and not told me.

Wednesday was good for treasure hunt day today too. The sun shone and I found a couple of things I've lusted after for a while now. First up I got a few more cups. These are the most gorgeous of them all. There's an even smaller rose on the back of the cup.

This pair I think I'll get dated as they have no markings, are made of a really fine china and have very delicate handles. This all suggests they're very early C19th or older. I might be wrong, I'm no expert.


Now call me tragic, I don't mind, but what a thing of beauty is this mini enamel pan. Oh I've desired one of original vintage for a while now. Today I spotted one hidden in a row of boxes right by a lady who might have turned at any moment and fallen in love too and got there before me. Just as I picked the pan up I turned and saw a Tala Flour tin in perfect condition. Now it sits alongside my sugar and pastry cutters tins.

A perfect day ended with a spot of knitting in the last of the days sun, the Buns played and then we ate up fresh strawberries and almond brownies. Not a bad way to spend mid-week in May.

Hope that summer sun is finally reaching you all and giving you the lift out of cold Spring.

Chop Chop

I have only two weeks now (which actually works out to be four days to make stuff in) before our second Pick 'n' Mix Makers Market and then Little Vintage Lover the week after. Today I actually had a plan. Normally I just amble through making what I feel in the mood for making. Today I cut everything out first and now it's there on the table waiting for me. As I work on Tuesdays and Thursdays I won't be able to get on with the stitchy bit until Wednesday. A whole day to have to wait.

I picked out a few fabrics and ironed first. There's quite a few more under the pile.

I had a slight distraction along the way as I found some Amy Butler I've been saving to make a copy of my mustard top.

I reasoned that as long as I was doing the cutting up (which I really don't enjoy) then I might as well get this chopped too. Chopping is a pretty accurate description of what I did as I cut around the top with the hope that it will fit when it's all done.

Shapes are all cut now and ready to become Bits & Bobs Purses, Pincushions and Flower Garden Brooches

I also cut up some felt needlecases as I've not made these for a while. They go well with the Buttonbags and Pincushions all jumbled up in a basket.

While I had my scissors on the go I only just stopped myself from chopping into this gorgeous vintage apron. I've been looking at it hanging on the hook for a while now and want to turn it into something else, I just need to decide on what sort of something before I go chop chopping away.

A Bit of this & a Bit of that

Some weekends we snuggle, we're content and we don't do much at all. This weekend we were content and did loads of stuff.

For an age I've wanted to have a go at big stuff crochet. I thought this rug would be perfect, but it needed 7 balls of Rowan Big Wool. Too much money pre- Utmost Challenge, now buying it would be a naughty No No as part of the Utmost Challenge. A bit like having one of those sneaky cigarettes I had when I gave up smoking.

On Friday pre-church walk I had a quick look in the CS and found some big fat acrylic yarn in cream. Perfect for the job. Fits the rules, was super cheap and I can now say I really like big fat stuff crochet as much as small fiddly stuff crochet.

In spare moments I've tried out a few more hooky shapes. Still a long way off a dingly dangly garland.

I picked up a few roadside geraniums in our village and potted them up. Too high for peckish beaks who trash everything else.

On Saturday, after a long lazy lunch out, we went to see an exhibition of photographs on loan from the National Portrait Gallery. To gaze at my teenage crush Bowie, laugh at the bad boy photos of The Stones and The Who and share them all with the Buns who have only ever heard the music was the perfect way to pass an afternoon.

A tip top weekend was rounded up today by a visit from my folks for lunch with us and then putting together the bench they bought for me on Friday. Our other bench collapsed a few weeks back when two little girls sat on it for a cuddle. Now we have somewhere to sit and enjoy the end of the days sun again.

Whizz Through the Week

After losing my crafty, stitchy way I gave in and picked up the cold that Little Bun and her daddy have had. I've felt pretty yuk all week, but I've managed lunch and cakes with friends around the odd bit of going to work. What a trooper.

Now on my first free and feeling good day my plans have been hijacked by motherhood guilt. Little Bun told me ever so sweetly - I know you don't work on Friday mummy, so I've told Mrs S that you can walk with us to church for our RE lesson. Bum. I don't want to go, the sun's shining and I want to stitch and play with the ideas in my head. But of course I say I'll go. She won't be eight forever and want her mummy to come along will she. Now that's why I'm hopeless at getting stuff done as I hate letting them down.

Now on to Wednesday's treasure hunt at the CBoot. I found lots of fabulous blue glass stuff and china, but my favourite of all is this wee clothes airer and a very smelly, but pretty pillowslip.

I've told you about the ducks who've moved in. Well they're getting pretty pushy these days. Each time they see movement they're at the door eyeballing us for more food. Even Pip our cat lies asleep by them now as they're just part of the furniture.

This was today's plan, pre-churchy stuff. I have a vague idea of patching it all together and embroidering something over the top. No real direction yet, I just wanted to fiddle and put the loose ideas in my head into action. Now I think I'll be waiting until Monday as there's an exhibition we want to go and see tomorrow.

The other thing that I've been caught up with this week is this book. Another friend was reading it and raved about it so I grabbed it from the library. In short it's about an amazing woman who in her 60's moved her mediaeval hall house from Hertfordshire to Wells in Norfolk rather than have the council knock it down to build a road. When she died 23 years later she left it to her nephew and his wife to complete. Bet they were thrilled.

I've only just started reading, but from the synopsis I know it's about an amazing and eccentric woman who lived by her own beliefs.

Moving on to other stuff done this week. I ran up a new tights bag for Little Bun as hers had fallen to bits.

Then in the evenings I've fiddled about with different hooky shapes as I've a mind to have a garland of them hanging here and there.

Right better get ready for the church visit, then later on after drama club, we've a visit to my parents. Today is what they call My Special Day as they officially adopted the little 5 months old me on 14 May 1969. Hopefully there'll be cake and maybe fizz. Who knows.

Have a great weekend. It looks like the weather is going to behave at last.