Patching together my Summer

 I saw a couple of patchy bags on Instagram recently. That got me to thinking about making my own bag.

In my stash I had three odd shaped squares of barkcloth that were too small to do anything with.

I loved these squares and felt sad that I didn't have more. It's always the way with vintage fabric finds. Mostly there's only enough for small makes and so you have to be even more creative about what you do with it.

 

 I chose a few other bits of barkcloth to add to the three cream and floral squares and then got chopping until I had twelve the same size.

All patched together, I took my threads into the garden with a man of mine and a jug of Pimms to run colourful stitches along the rows.

The next morning it was a quick job of making a lining and base before stitching the whole thing together.

I'd planned to use pale blue ready made handles, but when I got them they just weren't right.

Now I need to make cloth handles which I'll have to stitch on the outside as there's far too much unpicking needed otherwise.

On a roll with patching I decided to get on with making a new cover for our sun brolly.

 Last year I thought about it all summer long. This year I thought it was about time I got on with it.

 Being as it was such a hot and sunny day I pictured us sitting under it on the lawn later on. I even baked a cake to eat while we lounged about. 

Well - instead it rained like you've never seen. Apparently there was lots of flooding in Norfolk that afternoon. Ever since then it has rained and rained. The best rain was saved for this weekend so my new brolly has hung limp and wet, probably getting stinky too.

Being inside more than usual I've been attacking the knitting again. I've finished one side and I'm halfway through the back of my short cardi. Problem is I'm not sure I like the pattern any more or if I'll wear it. I've seen quite a few I fancy knitting up more. Not easy trying to decide whether to pull out all those slowly worked stitches and to start again or keep going because I might like it after all.

As a reminder to me of what lovely summer weather looks like. On summer Solstice we met up with friends with a picnic for an evening walk. 

The girls ran ahead with the dog, bounding through the cornfields.

In the middle of the woods we came upon a ruined church. Once the village had been sited here, but had eventually moved further down the hill to drier land.

After trampling through bushes and trees we came upon old brick kilns too. 

I forgot to upload that photo from my phone.

It was a magical evening. Hushed girls voices came to us from their hiding place in a field while we ate and drank. 

Pure bliss.