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 Proper Ta-Dah!

Some while ago, faced with the need to prune the honeysuckle, clematis, vine and rose at the end of the garden, which had all but smothered our little 'lean-to-shed-type-thing'...

...we discovered what a sorry state the underlying structure was in...

 ...so reluctantly cleared it, took half its contents down to the dump  (and spread the remainder all over the garden!) and set about the demolition...

...then began all over again!

I was dreaming of something pretty...

Mr U-t-B was dreaming of somewhere practical, a place for every tool and every tool in its place...

A design was hatched to please us both.

Once the framework was constructed, it was covered in 

lap-larch.  

A hunt for three old windows turned up these rather battered examples...

...so Mr U-t-B then made window frames to fit them.   

With a bit of nifty work with the paint brush, the cladding went from boringly woody, to attractively willowy...

And finally, this morning, in the late autumn sunshine, I managed to put the finishing touches to (mostly) Mr U-t-B's hard work, with a coat of paint to the windows and 

window-sills.

So here it is - finished!

I can tell you, we're mightily pleased!

To the left is the proper shed bit.  It is an unusual trapezium shaped shed , because that's the shape of the slab of concrete beneath!  (I had to tell you that in case you thought 

Mr U-t-B was incapable of building something with walls at proper right angles to each other!) This shape does make it nice and spacious inside too.

The right hand side has matching front and window, but is open, as it is meant mainly for the storage of our bikes, and for over-wintering garden furniture. You will notice that our shed roof has gutters and a water-butt to give it a bit of 
eco-credibility. This area of the garden was already paved, so it will be easier to keep clean and tidy.

The drastically pruned climbers are all showing signs of life, but they will be kept in check from now on.  (I promise, husband dearest!) 

Mr U-t-B did a grand job of replacing the five panes of glass that were broken (I'll only mention in brackets the one he cracked with his blowtorch when welding bits together).

And lest you should think that inside the shed has become some cosy, fabric-lined bolt-hole for me, I'll show you inside...

A proper boy's shed!

Hallo-'allo-'allo! What do we 'ave 'ere then?

I'm sure it's been a real nail-biting time for you, dear readers, ever since I told you of the crime amongst the flora of the garden wall, and asked for your help in tracking down the villains (you can read about it here if you somehow missed out on this earth shattering news item).   

Several suggestions came my way, for which I was very grateful.

Slugs and snails were put in the frame by quite a few people, but as Alpine grit surround the plants, I felt it was unlikely that they were the culprits, and that if they were, I'd have seen their trails.  

Woodlice (my No. 1 suspect), it was suggested, are peaceable chaps and chap-esses, who munch on no more than dead plant matter and wouldn't harm a flea, or, more to the point, a viola.  

Fingers were also pointed at our feathered friends, but the delicate nature of the nibbling seemed to keep them in the clear.  

Then my sister-in-law (the energetic one who cycled to Paris recently and who has the cutest dog ever in Ralph) phoned and said it might be weevils.  Nematode treatment was suggested, but I thought I'd give a few puffs of ant powder in the hope that this would deal with the little blighters, till I managed to get something specifically designed to eradicate weevils.  I'm normally a bit live-and-let-live in the garden as far as pests are concerned (my poor hostas will testify to the fact that I don't use pesticides often!) but as whoever it was was eating every single flower, I was prepared to be tough!

And look what has happened now!

We have flowers once more!

Oodles and oodles of them!

 So, the culprits have not been caught, but they have either left the scene or...well...let's not dwell on that!

In other news, two parcels arrived recently.  First came these...

Two lots of Christmas Drinks coaster invitations...

..and one set of coaster Thank Yous...

...from 'Aliroo' on 'Not on the High Street'.

Cut! Cute! Cute!

They arrived really quickly!

Then this...

 Can you see the pretty tissue paper and the beautiful, proper ribbon that is keeping them together?  This bundle is from 'Dragonfly Fabrics'.  Ordered half way through Thursday, it arrived on Saturday, so it's another website I'd recommend for quick service.

Much as I wanted to get on with some sewing, either with this...

Westfalenstoffe -  Kitzbuehel Forest birds

...combined with a bit of this...

Westfalenstoffe -  Kitzbuehel  Forest Leaves

Or this...

Hilco Finecord Enna

I was a bit busy with a work colleague and all of this...

The shoeboxes...

...and all the bags of contributions brought in by the children from school...

..have landed in my dining room...

After a militarily precise operation, everything has been divvied up, so the knitted finger puppet gang (along with some other very lovely cuddlies knitted by my colleague) have jumped into boxes and are preparing for their onwards journey!  Next stop Romania!

Crime-wave update and other trivia

Thanks so much for all your comments about the crime-wave in amongst the violas. 

I am sad to say that I have not yet got to the bottom of the problem, but I really loved all your clever, funny and helpful suggestions!  

I have to say that I have taken to going out when it is dark  and having a look to see if there's anything a-munching (I'm sure the neighbours are wondering!), but so far have only seen woodlice scuttling about.  I can see no slug or snail trails (I think they are put off by the Alpine grit which surrounds the plants)  so for once am not putting them in the frame for this dastardly deed...  I will update you when the crime is solved!

Meanwhile, I have been stitching and knitting in the evenings (I've been working most days - bit of a shock to the system after so long).  I made three pictures for the Maltings Market last Saturday...

'Country Cottage' hand embroidery with little bits of Liberty appliqué...

'Beach Huts and Bunting' - machine and hand embroidery...

and 'Cottage Garden Flower Border' - hand embroidery.  Not the best photos, I'm afraid - pesky glass!

The knitting is something very small but ever so cute (goes without saying!)  I was going to save it for another day to show you, but I'm so thrilled with these I can't wait!  

Two winsome pups...

Fido 

 ..and Bert.

And a dapper little fox!

(Who was meant to be a cat!)

I'm planning on knitting lots of these, but they're not to sell.  I'll tell you about it very soon! (And in particular about where to find the pattern.)

A long awaited parcel finally turned up on Saturday.  Can you guess what was in it?  

(Cue 'Ask the Family' music - I used to love the close-up photos to identify!)

Purse and Bag frames. 

 I have been waiting for them for over six weeks so I was thrilled they finally put in an appearance.  Now I need to learn to use them, which will have to wait till I have finished this two and a half weeks teaching...

And lastly, here's a little something I treated myself to at the Maltings on Saturday.

One day soon I hope to restore her to her former pincushion-y glory!