Stitching

 I have a shirt. 

A favourite shirt which I will reach for first nearly every time, it is a perfect partner to jeans and boots. It was a teenage cast-off from one of my boys and I suspect I have loved and lived in it for about nine or ten years. 

Suddenly it started to wear thin - first it was an elbow, so I trimmed the chest pocket and stitched the patch with the teeniest tiny stitches. I was rather pleased how I managed to colour and stripe match making the repair virtually invisible.

Then about six months later, my cuffs and the narrow placket down the front showed signs of wear. So this time I stitched a floral fabric along the wear marks and absolutely loved the contrast of the materials.

Then, last weekend after I'd worked on the Saturday, I changed out of my work duds and of course reached for my jeans, boots and fav shirt. I was horrified to see a huge tear on the back - the fabric has just worn thin with use and love. So reluctantly I had to put on my second favourite shirt (which is so not favourite at all in comparison!) However, the thought of adding patches of love and stitches rather excited me.

In a rather simplistic Boro mending style, I matched embroidery floss to both fabrics and quietly stitched rays of  sympathetic colour. I wanted to reinforce the material of the shirt as well as embellish the patch.

Feeling rather happy with my mending, I shook out the shirt to inspect and found that the other elbow was looking a little thin .... well that meant a bit more mending didn't it...?!

This time I tried a more 'organised' pattern and with a nod to Sashiko mending this time I made long waves of colour. I may be a teeny bit in love with this patch...

Mending my shirt was important - not just the act of making a favourite shirt last a little longer, not just a rebellious act against fast fashion and the throw away society, not just a process of creativity - in a strange small way - I was not just mending my shirt, it was my way of symbolically mending what is happening. 

A form of self care too.

Listing somewhat

Morning!

Another driech and damp day - to look through the window is to see a pale grey nothing with dank and dripping trees. 

Our weekend of high winds and heavy rain has stripped nearly every leaf from the trees taking all autumnal colour, leaving skeletal branches and twigs scratching at the nothing-sky. I have had to postpone today's work as it was outside and reschedule for a hopefully drier Wednesday.

So it means I will have to make my own colour and cheer today. I've written myself a list whilst drinking cinnamon coffee.... it goes a bit like this.....

• look after the incontinent fire (yes you read correctly, an oxymoron that - incontinent fire.... )
• mend palazzo pants, co-op bag, finish XXXX's dress, finish journal cover
• find brooch clasps
• fold up halloween bunting (only if dry) ✅
• varnish tall pot
• finish autumnal door wreath
• finish sorting out yarn spaghetti
• front window troughs
• find mini frames
• Sort out November's words etc ✅
• Wash dog bed (in the washing machine right now)✅

Some of my list is easily do-able with very little effort giving me the satisfaction of a ✅ where as others require a little more application...... so, I shall finish my coffee first then work my way through.  Am I the only one to add things to a list just so I can ✅ them off ??!

So, what's on your Monday to-do list? 

How are you going to make your day full of colour?

Do you write lists and more to the point do you actually complete them? (I never do - coz I always add more as I go along!)

And talking of lists, here is the Words for November 2020

Houseplant/s
Ring/s
Harbour
Window
Sky
My own choice
We will show and share our stories - Friday November 27th.

Thank you everyone who joined - those who posted their photos and shared their stories - thank you for letting us into your lives and your corner of the world. Thank you to those who popped in and said hi and commented - your comments are always a delight and most welcome.

We all need contact and conversation at the best of times and let's face it - this is not particularly the best of years, however, we can make the best of what we have and not let ourselves be squashed by all the rubbish that is out there. We can all make a difference even if it is only for ourselves, our families or our immediate surrounds, if we all do that - then the world will be a better place.

Have yourselves a good (and positive) Monday (with just a little bit of sunshine on the side please!)

Ah delightful - the rain is thundering down again and lashing against the windows - the new troughs won't need watering then will they (see a positive for everything :D )

Picnic #30dayswild 12 &13

We felt almost 'naughty' as we jumped into our van (Zeb)

and drove out for a micro-adventure.

Himself had rung ahead to our favourite fish and chip shop

and pre-ordered so that we did not have to queue. Much safer that way.

Then we drove to the Leeds Liverpool canal 

with such silly grins on our faces.

Our evening picnic tasted the best,

the view was the most beautiful,

the reflections sublime.

We were the only ones there.

A few dog walkers on the tow path, 

But just us on the lock.

Social distancing.

Moss was in doggy heaven,

swimming and playing.

She had missed being out too.

 She leapt in so many times,

happy dog.

 We listened with a shiver of delight

to the rolling thunder.

 We watched the clouds fly up,

thunder and lightening filling the sky.

We decided, that as wonderful as our picnic was,

retreat was the tactical (and drier) option.

So, still with silly grins and a happy spring in our steps

we returned to Zeb (his story is for another day)

Something so simple as a drive out in the evening,

a gentle walk along the canal,

an electric sky

brought a song to my soul.

Stay safe xx

#staywild #30dayswild #walk1000miles

Reverting #30dayswild 9

A short while ago, a farm - not a big one, on the outskirts of the village, was sold when the elderly owners retired. The new owners, quick to see profit in converting all the barns into desirable and definitely NOT affordable housing almost immediately started building.

The large barn very soon became two rather expensive houses with 'land' attached. The grounds - still zoned as agricultural can not be gardened and as such are just self grandiositising - creating the image of landed gentry. The dwellings, unsurprisingly remained unsold for quite a while with one suddenly being purchased. With in a couple of weeks, some rather pretty hens appeared and were given free range of the property and were soon followed by three 'micro-ponies' - I suspect they are Falabella - (since typing this - three more have turned up, now they have six 'micro-ponies' keeping the lawn short). Ranch fencing and mini stables were erected a bit later.  The second property remains unsold - probably not helped by the present lock down conditions however what has happened whilst the world has 'stopped'.... nature is taking back what is hers.

The surrounding land is damp, filled with reeds and tufty grass and the original owners used to regularly mow, spray, drain the land and fill it with sheep. Now, having been fallow for about a year - it is full of long purple moor grass, reeds, buttercups, daisies and various damp weedy naturalised plants. The bird life seems more vibrant, bees and hover flies abound as do dragon flies and butterflies.

It has a joyous exuberant feel to the space

full of hope and optimism.

I hope the eventual new owner sees the value of the wildness

and keeps it that way.

Sadly, I suspect not.

#staywild #30dayswild

Clouds #30DaysWild 7 & 8

An evening walk for Moss -

 cool and crisp with otherworldly alien clouds.

 

 Quietly drifting in almost still air,

strange ships catching the last of the evening light,

 Glowing with an inner light,

these huge voluminous weighty scows

constantly reshaped and  moved towards the horizon.

The sun sunk lower, the colours deepened...

 and faded.

Time to head for home, the kettle was calling and Moss had played and run to her heart's content.

#staywild  #30dayswild

Walk #30dayswild 6

I'm still taking part in the #30DaysWild project - celebrating the 'wildness' of our surroundings, whether up on the hills or wild and windy moors or along suburban streets or in my case today - on university campus grounds.

Youngest had been allocated a 'clear your room out and hand your keys back' slot by his university. We, the parents were not allowed to enter any buildings due to their CV19 restrictions, so we left Youngest to tidy and clear out the room and we set off for a walk.

The campus grounds has a circular route which is predominantly through mature woods - so despite the built up surrounds (the university) and the motorway  - we walked along well maintained paths beneath huge and stately trees.

We followed the path along a long man made pond - a natural drainage point, which had naturalised into a serpentine lake. At the far end were Mallard families, pootling round in the shallows for the ducklings or preening their feathers.

At the other end of the water, quietly pushing through the water lily leaves and 

Ranunculus flowers - a coot intent on finding something to eat.

And another quietly incubating the next generation on a floating raft nest.

The grounds, although still tidy were a little shaggy around edges,

and the birds were making the most of the abandoned playing fields.

Then, once we'd received the call from Youngest  saying he'd sorted out all he had to do,

 we returned to the car - filled to bursting point.

There is beauty in the most unexpected of places.

#30dayswild #staywild #walk1000miles 

VE Day

Cake

Cake and Tea

Cake and Tea and Bunting

Lots of Bunting

Laughter

Laughter and gentle ribbing between neighbours

Laughter, Cake and Tea

Bunting, Balloons, Flags

and Bingo

Bingo and laughter

Music

Music and quiet(ish) roads

Reading and talking

 

 Cake and tea and reading and talking

and laughter

and sunshine

 so so much sunshine

Bells, church bells peeling

Laughter
Social distancing street party
- a wonderful way to celebrate life,
village solidarity
 and cake
(and tea).