Some ingredients for a wonderful wedding

This is not an exhaustive list, because I was rather more intent on having a nice time than remembering to take photos as it went along.  The Prosecco (not pictured, but being tipped into my glass on a regular basis) may also have a little to do with it...

*A beautiful and historic church...

All Saints and St James the Great, otherwise known as 'The Minster of the Moors'...

Complete with gargoyles, ancient and modern...

This chap was actually in the choir singing for the wedding!

* Vintage transport...

*A stunning setting for the reception...

The bride's family home, set amidst rolling hills...

Gamboling lambs in the field next to the garden...

Steps leading from the marquee up to the house...

*A stunning, bunting-bedecked  marquee...

*Sweet floral arrangements...

*The sound of music (actually, 'The Sound of Music')...

*The garden pond as a feature within the marquee!

(A bottle of champagne had been put aside for the first person to fall in!)

*Good company (everyone was captured on a Fuji 'Instax' camera by one of the guests, to make a lovely memento for the happy couple)...

*Smart young men (groom on the right, best man on left and one of the U-t-B clan in the middle)...

*And, of course, a very happy and lovely couple...

We had the loveliest of times - it really was a fabulous wedding!  The families had both put in a lot of hard work, so there were lots of personal touches that made it very special. I hope they are all enjoying a well-deserved rest now!

Slipping off the radar...

Oh dear...I seem to have lost my blogging mojo! Worse than not posting, I haven't even been finding time to visit all the great blogs I usually read - and I feel bad about not keeping up with what everyone's up to, and commenting.  Sorry.  I hope to get back into my stride very soon!

So, a whistle stop tour of the camera reveals that over the past week and a bit I have been:

a) using some of the faded fabric from the car boot sale...

..as the basis for some different-to-my-usual rag dolls...

There's actually a second one, with blond hair, but I failed to take her photo. (Actually, she's not turned out quite right either - that's probably why.)

These are meant to be toddler friendly, as they don't have yarn for hair, and the features are all embroidered on.

I am rather keen on the skinny arms and legs, and discovered this wonderful tool...

sewessential.co.uk

...which made them possible - I'd never have had the patience for stuffing such thin extremities otherwise!

Mainly, Mr U-t-B and I have been doing our very own version of 'Ground Force'.

He's been starring as Alan Titchmarsh and Tommy Walsh rolled into one, but with less horticultural knowledge and not so much hair, and I have been doing a Charlie Dimmock, but with the benefit of a bit of support in the chest area, and, again, less hair.

We have been trying to turn the garden-across-the-road (that of the eldest Miss U-t-B, her beloved and their soon-to-be-born 'bump') into somewhere nice to be.  This is it before we got started.

A small and scabby patio, peeling paintwork, a sage plant, some mint, two olive trees, a conifer and a compost bin. 

A soon-to-be ex-shed (given the current blowy conditions, it's not likely to last long!) at the end of the garden.

Broken down fencing (not really belonging to us, but with all the flats next door let out and landlords who won't maintain their properties, we decided to get on and replace it).

Anyway, now it looks more like this...

A good sized deck (paintwork to be embarked upon soon!) and new fence panels.

Compost bin, olive trees and conifer re-sited down the garden.

Some more herbs, hebes, heuchera, bergenia and daffodils to create a border.

It's a work in progress, mostly done in between the torrential downpours and hail, but we're pleased so far!  The tumbling-down shed at the end needs sorting too, but that will be once the weather settles, as it is full of 'stuff' which wouldn't appreciate being left out whilst we try to create something a bit more attractive.

We'd like to do 'Mark II' of our own...

...but we'll see!

And we've also done a little bit of baby-sitting, with a now-walking Sophia.

Oh, and I finished the 40s style dress for the Vintage Fair next weekend.  I even put it on and got Mr U-t-B to take a photo...

Shame he missed my head!

(Actually, I cropped it out!  I was talking, as I always do when I have my photo taken.  Well, either that or eating. And neither are a good look!)

 Tomorrow we are off to Yorkshire for a wedding!

And we're staying in a nice-looking hotel, so expect photos next time I get round to posting.

A week (and a bit) without sewing

When Miss U-t-B and I set off for the airport on Easter Sunday, I left all things stitchy at home.  I had toyed with the idea of a small tin with a selection of threads, and perhaps the Autumn cross-stitch that is still a long way from being finished, or some small scraps of felt upon which to embroider cottage flowers.  But knowing that the metal-ness of a tin, plus the terrorist threat nature of any needles I would need to take with me, would attract the attention of security (we were only taking hand luggage) and then be confiscated, I decided instead to leave it all behind and go 'cold turkey' whilst away...

I know they do have needles in France, and that I could have bought some, but I thought I'd turn my mind to other things.

My morning hours were mostly taken up with skiing or with a bit of piste-side recuperation...

...or a bit of scenery admiration...

That's Lake Léman,alias Lake Geneva, and the Jura mountains in the distance

In the slushy afternoons, my time was mostly, and enjoyably, taken up with this...

and a re-read of this...

This was followed by much planning in my head of a new career, as a screenwriter, no less. I had the opening scenes all planned, and had also sorted out various actors and actresses that I was going to approach to participate in this inaugural venture.  Imagine if you will a stellar cast (Romola Garai, Kate Winslet, Emma Thompson, Judi Dench, Jim Broadbent, Richard Armitage, perhaps Eddie Redmayne or Douglas Booth to draw in the younger female audience...)  It was going to be great!

But then I read that Kenneth Brannagh is already working on a film of the book! 

Boo!

(Kate Winslet is meant to be in it too!)

ANYWAY...

Thursday afternoon we set off back home, arriving at some ungodly hour of the morning on Friday.  A few loads of washing and a bit of supermarket shopping later and it was Saturday morning and we were jumping in the car again, heading for South Yorkshire and the 18th birthday celebrations of one of Mr U-t-B's lovely nieces.

Most of the photos from said party are rubbish - neither Miss U-t-B nor myself being very good at getting the prime-snapping spot when all around are also wishing to snap away!  But this photo made me smile...

...looking, as it does, like we were taking part in a strange game of 'Musical Statues'.

Sunday morning and I set off to a big car boot sale just outside Guildford.  I mooched around for a while, as, very sensibly, I had gone by myself.  I had in mind certain things I was on the lookout for. Needless to say I didn't find those, though I didn't come back empty handed!

A nice tray, a pretty frame, some Ladybird books, a string of very Deco buttons, varied linens...

Some bright-round-the-edges and faded-in-the-middle floral fabric...

A hexy quilt...

...which benefited from a good wash.

A sweet mix of blue prints and lining fabric - very thrifty!

Most of the linens have holes or stains.  My FAVOURITE sort!  I can cut them up without any guilt!

Monday morning I could withstand the separation no longer and I skittered towards the sewing machine, with the red floral in my clammy hands.

Back with what I made another time!