And rest

 It's been a busy week, so much fun earlier with Molly, Thursday we caught the bus into Portsmouth, Gunwharf Quays, there is a Sketchers shoe shop, hubby loves their shoes he finds them very comfortable, we stopped for a while in this undercover seating area whilst a quick rain storm passed. 

We watched the local ferries from Isle of Wright and the little green one seen here going to and from Gosport across the water, blue skies before the rain came back. This is a perfect spot to visit, next to historic dockyard and loads of old ships alongside modern warships, The Price of Wales is moored, plenty of places to eat, lots of nightlife, and of course The Spinnaker Tower. The shops are all outlet, so better prices and most give discount on Blue Light card, hubby is a veteran for army, for us a quick bus ride from home.

Thursday evening I went to my second WI meeting, this time we had local responders to chat and demonstrate lifesaving equipment, it was very interesting, I have a few more tips on how to help, with hubby's heat condition any information is helpful. I will officially join in October, already I met a lovely lady and her daughter who lives quite close to us.

Friday we did our big shop at Lidl, it was expensive as I got all the ingredients for my Christmas cakes before prices rise even higher, it's still a bit early to make them, I'm pleased to be ahead, I already had a few bits. These bulbs at £1.99 a pack were too good to leave, they can go in a couple big pots.

Wednesday when we were in town I picked up these pumpkins, they are so pretty, I hope to use them in my autumnal display, which I will sort next week, much earlier than other years, but our weather has definitely changed. 

I got my sewing machine out and took up the hems on my new jeans, just a quick job, I'm not sure if the legs have got longer or mine have shrunk, regular length always fitted me. I am also sorting out some needlefelting to do, I have found another design for the children's Christmas tree, I have started looking for another cross stitch pattern, I need something to do in the evenings whilst sat in my chair. 

Outside I aim to cut back the runner beans, the growth is slow and the frame is being bashed by the winds, I will put my brassicas in the bed, they have doubled in size. Raspberries and blackberries are still given fruits, the tomatoes are ripening on the vine, just enough to keep us happy. I have loads of tiny butternut squash, the plant is still very healthy, I have one a good size, but I just don't know when it is ready.

Tomorrow is daughters birthday, they are all coming here for the day, more party food, hubby baked sausage rolls and eccles cakes, another 'free from' birthday cake. Rest of today is rest and enjoy the quiet.

Wet play

 Molly came for a sleepover on Tuesday, she is desperate to go to school each morning when George goes to his class, so we thought a night at ours would help, I had loads for her to do including this colouring page made from a photo taken when we last went to the beach, which she loved. We played outside, balls, scooters, bubbles all enjoyed, back inside she got all our puzzles out. 

Molly wanted to help in the garden, after picking and eating the raspberries, we found a pot for some spring bulbs, she is very good at following instructions, she helped decide which bulbs to use. Photo just for me so I can remember what is planted in here.

Wednesday morning Molly and I took the bus into town which she loved and met mummy, we spent a few hours at our local pottery café, each painting an item, we have done this a few times before, Molly choose a cat and loved it, I decided I needed another mushroom lamp, I'm not very good at decorating, and definitely not so good at the design, I do love crafting but struggle with art. They will be ready for collection in two weeks. Later we had lunch out together plus a visit to a few shops.

This plot leads you everywhere, so many suspects, what happened to Sam, where is she, why are the police not doing very much. A clever plot, twisting, adding to the tail. Book 65 read this year

Another new author to me, this book was very different, a young woman's final school project looking into a murder in her town five years previous. She includes one victims brother, not knowing if he is the right person to work with her. It leads her to suspect many of the people who live locally in the area, a nice ending. Book 66 read this year.

I did pop to our library and got 3 books, one I realised I had read before, it does feel good to hold a book again after reading so many on my tablet, this story is very different, set in an old converted house in Bath, the people who live there are brought together by a frail lady who they decide to help. Looking back at the ladies life as a top quality dress maker, discovering the famous person she dressed, not my normal read, another great book. Book 67 read this year.

I did start to read The Perfect Home, Natasha Boydell, I could not get into the plot and realised I was not interested in the story, just a bit too soft style of writing for me. I have a few inside project for the coming days, we are due to stay wet until after the weekend.

My time in the garden is dropping as the weather changes, I still walk around most mornings just checking everything and where Lilly is, Lilly has taken to sleeping on my net cover for my brassicas, it's not a strong contraption so it dips, and I curse her, she watches me but is not learning. The garden is still giving so I wait to plant out winter items, I am often ahead of myself, waiting for the space to appear, I never learn. 

Nothing much is happening here, which is OK, we both love quiet, hubby's medical results are mixed and as yet there are no changes to his medication, at this time there is nothing they can do, its a case of wait and watch, not bad news as he will never improve, but he is maintaining his level of fitness. 

Veg prep

 I'm in full vegetable garden planning, I want my two small beds full this winter, I have everything except onions, I have been looking for the same sets as last year. The small brassica plants have been put into bigger pots, I did the same last year and planted out much stronger plants. It will be a few weeks before I clear the beds, I am still getting harvest. 

I cleared the three tomato plants from the greenhouse, they really did fail, its now much better with a clear floor, I won't grow them inside next year. Some plants are coming back inside, these tender plants spend every winter in my unheated greenhouse. Soon it will be time to move my mini greenhouse into the centre and pop the plastic cover back on.

My one outside grown tomato plant has thrived and produced big tasty tomatoes, it will stay here in the raised veg bed for a bit longer. I will have 2 outside plants next year, I have a coupke of obelisk to use as supports, these are gardeners delight.

I saw this and loved it.

I do have a couple of note books, one is my scribble pad, where I work on plans to ensure things will work before the hard work starts, my second book is my record of what I grow in my beds, this helps me remember and ensure I rotate my produce. Yes I am working on a small change in my raspberry bed.

I am so pleased we left the fake grass around my raised veg beds, after all this rain the ground is very wet, but my paths drain, so its easy to get around. Every bed in both veg and flower section has been edged, most with the old decking planks, lots of neat lines which helps me keep plants in their beds. I am expecting loads of seedlings from my fleabane daisies in the top of the lawn next year, I will remove any whilst they are tiny.

It was our 39th wedding anniversary on Saturday, we got a nice M&S Chinese ready meal and red wine, we don't go out, get each other gifts, I didn't want flowers, it was dry so laundry was done, I spent some time outside, I try and get out if it's dry enough, getting the greenhouse sorted was a priority. Sadly I emptied my two bags of shallots, they were doing well, Lilly had sneaked in them and used them as her toilet, so the contents were unusable, I will have to purchase some grown ones, I promised hubby home made pickled onions. Sunday we went to daughters house for a lovely chicken roast dinner, we cut back her small tree in front garden whilst the children played. We came back to a quiet house, I sat and watched the wild birds at our feeders, a perfect couple of days. We heard the government phone alerts on our drive home, we both had a 'what the heck' moment.

Cushions

 I saw these cushions featured in a garden at Chelsea flower show earlier this year, and thought my hubby would love something similar featuring Welsh Guards, I have searched and could not find anything like this, these are for Chelsea Pensioners. 

I had trouble finding fabrics, saw one lot in a sale, which hubby said was not right, so I left it to him to find some. He finally managed to find authentic tunic fabric for sale, he had to purchase 2 meters running length, which was their minimum sale, I'm not telling what he paid for it, that's his choice, it is lovely material.

He already had buttons, for one style and with so much material, I said I could make at least 2, he ordered a badge and stripes. Here I'm working to ensure the buttons are placed right, the white marks (tailors chalk) will be buttonholes, which I will sew but not cut open, just place the buttons over them.

In a complete unabashed theft of the design into a Welsh Guard style of cushions, here are ours, hubby is very happy, I really enjoyed making them. The effort of making the five button holes is not reflected as they can't really be seen, but I know they are there. These are bigger and will look better on our new sofa, we will chose a bigger style.

And just because I could an extra cushion made for his best army buddy, who with his wife are popping in later this month for lunch and a catch up. This one is slightly smaller, I only had the smaller cuff buttons to use, 6 would have fitted on here better, but 5 is the correct number to have.

It is always great to get out my sewing machine, I get so much joy from sewing, often designing items myself, this time shamelessly stealing the look, with just a few small changes. Cushions are a very simple thing to make, I did pop zips along the bottom, but I could have hand sewn them together. I had red cotton fabric to line the cushions, but it was not necessary, the tunic fabric is very strong. 

I still have alot of the red fabric left, the black material was in my stash, hubby got the zips, black piping and the badges. I have used older cushion inserts in the bigger two, I will get new inserts just to make them look a bit neater. 

I would love to use my machine more often, years ago I made all my own dresses, tops and trousers, I have even made a couple suits, but I rarely wear that type of clothes, mainly I live in jeans and T shirts, much softer for my lifestyle. I also made wedding dresses for my daughters and various SIL's, as well as remodelling wedding dresses for friends and family, I am hoping Molly might take an interest as she gets older, it would be nice to pass on skills. I have made Molly some bits but again she loves leggings and soft T shirt dresses, which are so cheap to buy and the fabrics are so expensive, these days with clothes so cheap, it's never cost effective to make things.