Pipany & the Poltisko Memoirs.

A Propensity to Procrastinate.

2012-01-24T10:07:00.000Z

The past week has been a strange mix with each day bringing so many things to work through and time racing past before I have the chance to clear the list. Orders are pouring in more than I remember of other years for January and new designs sit partly finished at the end of my cutting table. As for the dreaded tax return...well, let's not spoil things. As ever, it will get done and the new product range will be completed, photographed, copy written, uploaded....heaven's to Betsy, it makes me feel tired to even think of it!

Of course, my propensity for procrastination comes to the fore at such times with my determination to get out into fresh air calling to me even on somewhat dingy days. A recent promise to take a friend over to the north Cornish coast saw us heading over to Porthtowan and St Agnes, both very lovely in different ways.

Trevaunance Cove was stunning as ever and peering over the cliffs onto jade seas so clear the rocks appeared with each receding wave meant I was able to capture this image. It makes me think of a painting rather than a picture frozen by the camera.

The wide open spaces and clambering cliffs cleared my head and proved the worth of dipping out just occasionally to steal such a day.

The cold weather has been more acceptable to me in terms of sewing lately thanks to a lovely gift from the equally lovely Jane who very sweetly offered to knit me a pair of fingerless mittens after I mentioned how cold my hands were when toting my camera. They also get pretty cold when embroidering as I am hardly moving enough to get myself warm.

The heater pumps out plenty of comfort in my sewing room, but still my fingers get chilly. Jane's thoughtful gift has solved the problem and the pretty shade of spring green makes me smile just to see them.

Thank you so much dear Jane; they are perfect!

And talking of spring, these dainty crocus are lighting up the garden at the moments in clumps which are naturalising more and more each year. Even when the sun is absent they seem to shine and hint of what's around the corner.

Of course, a little sunshine does make them even more beautiful.

Ahh, I can't wait to be in my garden, pottering around and smelling the earth again. In the meantime, it's back to the sewing room and I really will do my tax return tomorrow...maybe...

A Propensity to Procrastinate - there's a book there surely! x

Shameless Self-Promotion!

2012-01-18T13:40:00.000Z

Did I mention I now have an Etsy shop? No? Ah well, then I clearly won't have mentioned that there is 20% off all my products until the 31st of January will I? That means 20% off notebooks such as these:

Little House Winter Notebook

and Little House Notebook Journal

or even this Personalised Berry Journal.

It also means 20% off sweet scented things such as my:

Seeds Lavender Cushion

or my Grasses Lavender Cushion

not to mention my Personalised Berry Lavender cushion.

Of course, I mustn't forget this pretty

Cornish Harbour Tea Cosy

or maybe the Personalised Berry Tea Cosy is more your style?

Anyhoo, there is plenty over there for you to have a look at so why not grab a cuppa and get a bargain while you're at it? All you need to do is click here and put PIPANY2 in the comments box on checkout to get the 20% discount.

Thank you for reading! x

P.S. Be lovely to chat to you on my Facebook business page too if you have time!!!

Byeee x

A Moment of Calm.

2012-01-11T10:53:00.000Z

I have been making myself hold the thoughts from my last post firmly in my head this week and am already feeling the benefit of doing so. When I first got back to work I found myself full of enthusiasm and energy all day only to dip drastically in the evenings, lounging on the sofa in a state which reduced me almost to tears at the very thought of having to move myself in order to make a cup of tea. Not good and most annoying when the days were so in contrast. Yet gradually, oh so gradually, a change is taking place as I settle back into my routine once more...with a few changes that is.

One of the signs I placed in my sewing room states 'Make Time', another: 'Be Inspired' and so I am making time to get outside for a little while every day to breathe the air and be inspired by what I see around me. This inevitably means I am once more toting my increasingly bedraggled camera around with me and collecting images for future reference, images such as these taken straight after the school run on Swanpool Beach close to my home. Purple clouds drifted in a sea of spring-soft blue, the sun growing in strength through the misty haze enveloping the cliffs and warming - yes, warming - my face as I stood at the water's edge.

Just hearing the shshshooooshhh of the tide sighing onto the sands, myriad pebbles churning in its wake as it dragged itself back once more, calmed my mind and made a minute seem to last an hour.

Calm - another of the words on my wall. This morning I achieved it with a little help from nature.

My time on the beach lasted all of half an hour and was fitted in before the day was too far underway, but the benefits will last me throughout. I feel refreshed and alert, ready for the little stack of orders and some rather pressing design work on my cutting table. I am not saying that by this evening I will still be feeling this way. Tea time, bedtime, tidying up - they all are enough to ensure the grumps as far as I am concerned, but hopefully this little time outdoors will mean I achieve today and therefore feel happier this evening.

And then maybe I really will start knitting those fingerless mittens instead of just talking about it. My hands were frozen by the time I got back to the car!

Here's hoping you can get outside and feel a little calm today too x

Hello! x

2012-01-06T12:18:00.000Z

Hello again. It's been a long, long time since I posted here as work took over in its usual pre-Christmas fashion. In fact, I broke my previous record on order numbers in a given week...twice! I now know how many orders I can take and complete in a given week as a business of only one member before complete collapse is inevitable, so a worthwhile exercise all round. Can't wait for the next year and plans are bubbling away in my head.

Another less pleasing reason for the lack of blogging is that the computer refuses to let me upload any photos at the moment, a situation which will hopefully be sorted this weekend. I have missed using the camera and realise just how much it makes me slow down and look at the world around me - in the meantime, please forgive these previously blogged images, though they are all from winters of earlier years. It's amazing just how blue-skied and shiny a January day can be isn't it?

So, another year and for once I haven't made specific resolutions. Hopping around the land of blog it seems resolutions bring out strong feelings with some people loathing them and some finding them a means of embracing the notion of regeneration. I fall into the latter camp and, as I have said before, never view the non-achieving of aims as failure as long as I enjoyed the planning!

This year though I fancied a slight change; so many thoughts were in my head yet I couldn't seem to find specific aims out of them, or perhaps it was that there were almost too many aims to list! I found certain words and phrases kept popping into my head as I sorted the sewing room ready for the return to work, and decided they worked well for me. I have printed them out and now have them as company on the walls of my sewing room. Here they are - let me know what you think:

CALM

It occurred to me as the orders poured in and I became busier and busier that I was not feeing remotely frazzled. Previous years had been almost as manic and I had struggled with the guilt of having a little one only at school part time. Not my favourite year I can tell you. This Christmas saw a different scene and the result made it feel easy(ish) in comparison making me feel much more in control. I handled any problems immediately and worked through the piles of orders without any sense of panic. I had children home ill and was very ill myself for three weeks, a state which would usually tip me close to the edge with worry, but I carried on and even took myself to bed for a day without batting an eyelid ( I NEVER go to bed when I'm ill!), a sign that I was feeling CALM and because of this I was able to cope with whatever came my way, thus I stayed calm. Even the one night I worked right through to finish the last of the orders didn't finish me off!

Lesson learned: Calm breeds calm and makes for a much nicer/happier me who is in control and productive rather than feeling like I'm chasing my tail just to get by.

PLAN

I honestly think if you want something enough there is always a way to get it (not talking about winning the lottery here) - you just have to find a way and believe in yourself. Not always easy is it? The best way for me is to draw a stepladder and write the aim at the top, plan the steps I need to take to get to that aim and make each step a rung of the ladder. By breaking it down in this way it seems more achievable plus I have to make sure I have really thought about it first to actually plan it out. This means I can see potential problems before I start and work out how to get round them. I love the sense of crossing off each step and the ability to see the aim getting closer to being a reality. Visuals like this work well for me, especially when the ladder image is pinned on the wall above the ironing board where I cannot fail to see it!

Aim: Whatever you need to achieve Pip it can be done - just find a way that suits you best (step-ladder works for me but you may not be a visual kind of person) and plan it out. If you can't plan it, it isn't a realistic aim so move on or change it!

BELIEVE

Sort of speaks for itself doesn't it? For me this means not always adding the 'but' to a line in conversation or the thoughts in my head (an ever-fertile yet not always helpful space!) For example, when someone compliments me on something I have made/done I almost always used to say thank you and follow it with a but it was easy/ it has this missing/ it would be better with... you get the picture? If I really feel like that then why am I making it? Why would I expect someone to want to buy it? This negative way of being comes from that Britishness which suggests that to agree would be arrogant. What poppycock!!! If I can't show I believe in myself then what am I teaching my children about themselves? So, I will try to change the 'but' for an 'and' so that 'thank you but I think it needs' to 'thank you and I think next time I will add...'. Small change but so much more positive.

REMEMBER: But sticks you in a rut; and lets you expand (I made that up - can you tell!!!)

GO FOR IT!

Despite all my talk on planning, I realise it is sometimes good to just grab an opportunity by the hand and fly. I can often talk myself round in circles and then lose the impetus to follow a thought or chance. If it is something that feel like it needs planning then I will use the stepladder, but if it is something that springs out of nowhere, feels exciting and 'right', then I will leap and see what happens. I guess this also means keeping your eyes open to possibility - you never know what may crop up and bounce over your head if you don't keep a watch for it.

AIM: Be excited by possibility and step outside my comfort zone a little more than I do.

BE INSPIRED & INSPIRE

I know I respond well to being inspired by many things but don't always make time to allow this to happen. Reading certain blogs can make me want to rush outside and grab the day, cook up a fab meal, turn the garden into a paradise (oh, if only - it currently is knee deep in mud) yet I don't set myself time to read them. Certain magazines can be inspiring as I love reading of other small businesses and their success stories, the paths they took and where they hope to go next, yet I rarely make time for this either. Meeting up with people locally who work for themselves is something I hope to do more of as a chat with a friend who shares the same concerns/thoughts can be such a great stress-buster and need not use up much of that precious time. As for 'inspire', bit difficult this one as I revert to sounding all coy and British again but (and I do mean but here) I hope I may inspire someone somewhere a little with my blog/work/something just once in a while!!

AIM: Allow myself to read about, meet with & generally enjoy people who inspire me and try to write the flipping blog more than once every two months!

MAKE TIME

This really links in to the one above, but also encompasses
making time for the things I need to make me able to be me. Making time for walks on the beach and in the woods which I really haven't done enough of in the last year; making time for my garden which I have sorely neglected of late; time for creating for myself, whether that is sewing quilts or dressmaking, knitting or crochet, baking or preserving. None of these things have been done on the scale I usually do them and I have felt a little lost as a result. They are imperative to my well-being and I miss them, so they will be very much back on my agenda starting tonight when I shall start another pair of fingerless mitts for myself as I have lost yet another pair! Oh, and I miss blogging too as love my little space for whittering on.

AIM: Schedule time for these things in if necessary as they are too important to be left out and affect how creative I can be in my work and how happy I feel in my head.

And last, but not least:

ENJOY AND ACHIEVE!

Totally linked as if you are enjoying what you are doing you will inevitably achieve, and if you achieve things you will inevitably be enjoying it!

So there you have it and there I will leave it (thank the good lord!). The headings are printed out and pinned up as daily reminders of my New Year's Thoughts & Solutions - of course, I'll let you know whether they work, but if not there's always next year!

Have a lovely weekend xx

Time 'Flu!

2011-11-21T10:11:00.000Z

My world of late has mainly consisted of work: sewing, cutting out, packaging of orders, website maintenance.... I am not writing this to impress merely to make myself understand why I am so very tired. Oh, and I forgot to mention three weeks of 'flu and I mean real 'flu which renders you weepy & pathetic. Well, it did me anyway. Yep,I have been a delight to behold with eyes sunken in deep pits of grey, a particular shade matching my general pallor BUT I am finally over it! Hurrah! Now I can catch up on the world and work with a zest missing for a long while.

Though the weather in 'sunny' Cornwall has mostly been gloomy there have been some beautiful sunrises which Isabella and I watch from the front door step before the mad morning mania is truly underway. The criss-cross of lines quite please me here for some reason.

Yesterday I collected the ornamental (pah!) crab apples in from the garden to dry out for decorations in the weeks to come. Did you know Christmas is almost here? Oh yes, even ill I am ahead of the game and at the forefront of news. I only wish I were also at the forefront of tidying the garden and clearing the leaf litter!

I have left plenty of these little golden apples scattered around as I am sure there must be some creatures who make use of them. Our garden is full of wildlife from toads and frogs, newts and shrews to slow worms and many varieties of birds. My love of all this is shared by little Isabella who often tells me she 'loves the nature Mum'.

But for now I must end this short post and attend to business which is wonderfully, fantastically busy, a fact I am so grateful for and humbled by. The idea that in these very straitened times people choose to part with their precious funds on something I have designed and created makes me feel very proud.

And I know Babbit agrees.

Have a lovely day x

The Handmade Tale.

2011-11-08T12:45:00.000Z

It has been rather a long time since I visited my poor blog, but the Notonthehighstreet Christmas catalogue 2011 is out

and look what is tucked away within the glossy pages: my Personalised Garden Journal! As ever once half-term has been and gone the orders start flooding in as we all turn our thoughts toward the festive season; the arrival of the Noths catalogue just gives the whole process an enormous push and I find myself inundated which I love.

Piles of cut out journal covers and Christmas hearts, stockings and thickly padded tea cosies lie neatly (!!!) stacked all over the sewing room and house in readiness for a session of embroidering to be fitted in whenever the chance arises.

Such good timing then that I have some hideous lurgy which means I bark fit to rival the most aggressive seal, my poor chest - not generally a topic for blog discussion but indulge me - now so sore that I quake at the thought of another coughing fit and actually suck on lozenges where I am usually unable to stop myself chomping like a horse on Polos. Such is my suffering. Feeling a tad sorry for myself? Me? well, yes now you come to mention it.

Still, the good thing is that a day in bed on Sunday meant I worked steadily through the aforementioned cut out pile and actually achieved much in my poorliness. Today has been mostly spent hacking away yet again but still I work on and award myself martyr status in the doing. I think I shall write a sermon on the benefits to one's self-esteem on being under the weather. Or maybe I'll just keep taking the meds.

So, now we've done with Hallowe'en and Guy Fawkes...

We turn to this

once more. Manic times are here again...hurrah!

Bye for now x

Such Fun!

2011-10-17T16:04:00.000Z

Look what arrived in the post.

Lucky me was the winner of the lovely Pomona of Little Cottage Comforts fame's giveaway and, in typical Pip fashion, have finally got around to putting up a post about it. Such a gorgeous gift and so sadly remiss of me to take so long - my apologies Pomona.

This lovely book is so perfect for someone like me (or indeed, Mr Davey) and is full of the kind of projects we really enjoy undertaking. The difficulty is deciding which one to start with... scrumptious yoghurts could be first maybe

Or perhaps we'll try some of the cured meats. Dave makes pancetta for Christmas every year so he can now extend his repertoire. Ah the thought of these delicious cuts served with homemade pickles, chutneys and breads.

Talking of which...how I wish we had a walk in larder like the one we had when I was little (the very same one I got shut in when sneaking in to scoff some of my Mum's lovely cooking only to let the darned door close behind me. I then faced the utter mortification of having to shout to be let out and endure the right royal telling off that ensued!).

Thank you so much lovely Pomona x

Other good things this weekend have included a little garden clearance with my trusty pal Isabella to hand. Nothing quite beats a roaring bonfire with ducks quacking and hens panicking - er, I mean clucking - in the background.

Well, not to my pyromaniac soul anyhow.

Bliss.

I even drew up a load of new ideas for designs which seemed to just fill my head this morning as I drank my first coffee of the day. I love it when that happens. This meant I needed to do a little fabric shopping. Poor me!

You can never have too many gratuitous shots of fabric I feel.

Such fun! x

Drifting & Calm.

2011-10-13T08:33:00.000Z

Hello there. It's been a while, but in all honesty I just couldn't seem to follow the last post with anything remotely interesting. How do you follow up seals and dolphins and as for baby seals... ah well, normal service resumed I guess. So today I thought I would share the diverse colours appearing in the garden, from the soft pink of the last rose

now sitting prettily in a flowery teacup in the sitting room,

to the fast-turning fiery tones of the acers.

I so love the acer family with their delicate lacy leaves and feathery fronds which shimmer gently in the breeze.

We are lucky enough to have three different varieties of this beautiful family, each breathtakingly beautiful in its way. each adding a little something to its neighbours whether as a delicate backdrop to the wildlife pond or as a foil for the blue pot on the courtyard. And talking of shimmering...

Despite my loathing of the heavy-booted blighters racing across the carpet on an almost nightly basis, I do love the beauty of these webs. How strong they must be to withstand the Cornish mizzle weighing them down with its equally fine drops. The garden has taken on a feeling of calm with its soft colours and burnished seed-heads as it settles towards winter.

Spider-like seeds spin lazily on the breeze landing who-knows-where to lie waiting for the cycle to begin again.

There is colour but it is gentler, more muted in its tones; well, it is in our garden anyway.

Apologies for the poor photography on those last images; I blame the poor photographer (and the dire light I suppose)!

Bye for now x

Of Dolphins and Seals!

2011-10-03T12:01:00.000Z

What a weekend - the sun blazed down and we headed off in Mermaid. We encountered the most amazing things and so for once I will keep my words short and beg forgiveness instead for this picture heavy post. St Anthony Lighthouse looking over glistening blue seas.

Tucked away coves reachable mainly by boat and therefore very quiet.

And then suddenly we were surrounded by three leaping dolphins! The squealing from people around us as they leapt and dived was just incredible. I tried to photograph them but they were everywhere. So beautiful as they played and arced through the air. I have never seen them like this before and almost fell out of the boat as I twisted around to spot them.

Such appalling photos but it was all I could get and I didn't want to miss seeing them. We were there for ages, sailing boats and yachts and our local water ferries; people all smiling at the sea and the dolphins and each other. Beautiful moments which will stay with Mr Davey, the children and me for always.

We eventually left them to play and carried on our way, the waters so blue and our hearts just full of how very lucky we are to have seen such wonderful creatures that close - so close that at one point I could have almost touched one of them as it surfaced right by our boat. Little did we know what was to come.

We wound our way along the shore deciding to opt for a completely secluded cove away from any other people. This meant going much further along the shore than we have before, passing tiny beaches tucked under tall cliffs of trees and bushes typical of our coastline.

Finally we found the perfect cove with rocks either side to hide it from passing boats and seas of jade and green to lure us in. Surrounded at the back by high cliffs, this little spot gleamed in the sun and looked so peaceful.

Pretty seaweeds of all types were collected by the girls to make a mermaid picture on the pebbly sand.

And then it happened, we realised that over the other side of the cove was this: not a rock as we had thought but a seal...

With this!

Bobbing out in the water next to our boat was Daddy seal and the three of them just ignored us as they played in the water with baby flapping along the shore.

Mum and Dad spent the bulk of the time in the sea with the mother coming in to feed baby every so often.

We felt so priviliged to witness this and watched as the baby worked its way from one teat to another as the mother stroked it - yes, I kid you not, she stroked her baby with her flipper.

In between feeds the baby played in the shallow waters as the other two lazed on their backs close by, diving every now and then and lumbering ashore for another quick feed.

So very, very beautiful.

We kept very quiet and stayed on our side. The seals didn't seem remotely bothered, but even so we shall not be returning to this particular cove until they will have left it,; after all we have plenty to choose from and their safety is paramount.

I don;t think any of us could quite believe what we had seen that day.

Isabella took it all in her stride once the initial shock of flying dolphins and baby seals was over with!

We quietly loaded Mermaid once more and set off for home, but no sign of our playmates on the way back.

Just jade and azure water

and pretty boats also sailing home in the late afternoon haze.

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What a day! How was yours? x

Mists, Fruitfulness and Glittering Jewels.

2011-09-29T10:59:00.000Z

Today the garden basks not in sunshine but soft, silencing mist and as I walk I can hear only the dank sounds of dripping trees, the moisture falling from over-burdened leaves to plip-plop gently onto the sodden beds below. The apples on the Cornish Gillyflower are almost ready and I twist one to see if it will fall; not quite there yet and so I pick one of the rosy windfalls from beneath tree by the writing room to munch on my way.

All around are jewels; chains and ropes of glistening diamonds which, even in this misty light, shine and twinkle, catching my eye as they drape from every available branch like some jeweller pedalling his wares.

The hedges also glisten but with bramble berries of such a deep rich hue that I cannot resist picking them despite knowing it takes forever to remove the stain of purple juice from my hands. Not ideal when I will be working on fine cream linen in just a short while.

I hear a scuttling, scurrying behind and turn to catch Flossie lumbering towards me in her lopsided manner. Yet again she has decided to fly the coop - quite literally - and join me in a morning perusal. She is a sweetie and I pick her up for a quick cuddle before popping her back into the pen with her pals.

Yesterday the garden was finally bathed in golden sun, the heat making it sizzle after so much rain, but typically I was out of action, laid low by the horrible bug doing the rounds of our neighbourhood. I spent the afternoon in my bed watching listlessly as the sun lit up the bright skies. Most annoying but today I feel fine other than a pathetic need to lie down after every task. If only the sun would return...

Seed heads are sticky and full, almost on that point of ripeness that will see them burst and drop ready to start the cycle again. This is the curiously intricate seed head of the Crocosmia Lucifer.

So, brambles

and fruitfulness

and glistening jewels. It must be autumn.

Oh, the mist has lifted and the sun is back - hurrah! x

P.S. Next time I have a post about a wonderful blog giveaway I won!

Autumn Happenings.

2011-09-20T10:45:00.000Z

The weather is not how I picture autumn at all. I like it to be chill in the mornings with hot golden sun during the day, cooling down as dusk gently pulls it blanket over the skies to a chill that accompanies me as I light the fire. Perfect. Instead we have gales and rain with occasional flashes of sun. Ah well, it makes for huddling away indoors and plenty of cooking. This of course leads to plenty of eating... Hurrah!

Mr Davey and the girls baked caramel cupcakes with Isabella on caramel duty. I love the pose! Can't think where she gets that from. Lucy was in charge of the Kenwood to make the moist cake batter.

Unfortunately they made far too much caramel and I have spent much time since eating the remains straight from the pan instead of using it to top shortbread. My poor teeth! And I am not even a particular fan of sweet things! The cupcakes themselves were just gorgeous and Dave and the girls also made chocolate orange mousse while the cooking mojo was on them.

I, in the meantime, was on dinner duty with a little glass of the necessary to keep me company. Marsala in the autumn. Such bliss with its syrupy, sweet deliciousness and perfect to slug into gravy for added depth.

Dinner was also bliss (if I do say so myself and I do) with slow roasted locally reared belly pork - my favourite - accompanied by fennel, celeriac and onions braised around the joint until caramelised, crispy roast potatoes, Yorkshire puds which we have with any and all meats, and leeks with a Danish Blue cheese sauce. Oh, and of course that gorgeous gravy. The whole was followed by an afternoon of Mr Darcy as we slouched on sofas to Pride & Predjudice. So perfect.

No wonder the troops look so happy.

Outside Isabella and I have been hoarding away signs of autumn to bring home and cover the windowsills. Feathery, spiky fronds of old man's beard are everywhere draping their stems over the hedgerows.

I picked another Eglantine rose to bring indoors before it finally gives up and drops its leaves ready for the winter. I do wish Mr Austin had spelt it with a 'y' as did Shakespeare as it is far more romantic to mine ear. Do you agree I wonder or is it just me who reads so much into the written word? Whatever, she is a beautifully perfumed rose and her gentle perfume will drift across the room in the evening warmth of the fire, drawing my eye over to where she sits on the sill keeping company with jars of pine cones and the clematis fronds - a true melding of summer and autumn.

Chutney making is underway now with the gorgeous Spiced Damson recipe 'foraged' from dear Zoe. I am so looking forward to eating this with the cold cuts and cheeses of a Boxing Day buffet, especially as it is made with the Kea plums we collected from Coombe with Diana last year. Thank heavens for freezers!

And lastly, I have finally started a new knitting project though pictures of the pattern will have to wait until a brighter day. As it is the light has turned my lovely sedge blue cotton to coarse and grey.

It is an interesting pattern with twisted eyelet detailing on the rib which I like the look of. Hopefully a slouchy cardigan will emerge and not be relegated to the back of the wardrobe - Dave is not convinced as the pattern is a very old Woman's Weekly one which truly does look a little (a lot) dated, but hey ho. We shall see!

Off to work now. Have a lovely day whatever you are up to. x

Hips and Hens and Happy Colours.

2011-09-08T10:52:00.000Z

Billowy, blustery winds have scattered the wild rose hips from the branches festooning the camellia outside our bedroom window covering the path in scarlet globes which we inevitably squish in our race to the car for the school run. I can't quite decide if it is pretty or a bizarre rendering of a gothic autumn wedding where the aisle has spatters of blood strewn in place of flowers!

The remaining hips glisten in the weak sunlight that washes the scene after the rain and makes me want to race outside to gather them for the freezer before they all disappear, but work must come first and there are already bags full from last year's harvest which I haven't yet used. So many ideas, so little accomplished it seems. Ah well, the birds make use of them whatever I do.

Little Isabella has appointed herself the task of collecting the eggs on her return from school. We have struck a deal: eggs can be collected but only after changing out of the school uniform. Never has this been done with such speed. How a little bribery goes a long way (though egg collecting is an odd one even I will admit, when sweets would be a more usual inducement)!

The hens seem to have a particular fondness for Isabella and they spend a good deal of time together in all weathers, Isabella in her gardening coat and wellies, the hens generally sodden. Glancing out of the kitchen window I can usually see her wheeling them around in her little wheelbarrow and checking the nest box for the day's layings which she pops into her pockets in the same manner as I do. I am of course notorious for forgetting this fact as I get sidetracked by a bit of weeding, the familiar sound of a cracking egg making me wince at the thought of the mess I will have to clean out. Bella is far more focused!

The Michaelmas daisies are flowering profusely and a haze of purple, lilac and mauve sways in the breeze. A bunch picked for the house enables me to enjoy them for longer than my trips to feed the poultry allow; the constant dodging of heavy showers isn't exactly conducive to a slow perusal of our extremely tired looking borders.

My search for a knitting pattern carries on. I have a few ideas in mind from Ravelry, but can't seem to settle to one in particular. I have toyed with Breakwater and even finally have the right needle sizes and yet I still prevaricate. I do love my new circular needle set though - just look at the beautiful colours. Who needs to actually 'do' anything with them! Hmm, you do Pip as that would be an incredible waste of money otherwise. On with the search...

Till next time x

Last Days.

2011-09-06T11:10:00.000Z

And so the final day of the holiday arrives; Mr Davey is already back and the thought of some sort of order to the days is appealing despite the fact that I feel a little despair at the impending making of packed lunches. Hey ho.

Overall the weather here was nothing special and indeed is torrentially wet today reminding me how quickly the dry baked ground of the hen pen can imitate a mud bath. Delightful.

We managed some trips out and some relaxing in the flighty rays of the sun, but much of the holiday was spent wreaking long overdue order to the house - a task which is still in the doing. The pace will be slower now with work taking up the weekdays once more, but our living room is now cosy in readiness for autumn, fires having already been lit in the evenings as we sprawl on the cushions. Bliss.

Trips on our dear Mermaid were undertaken though less than intended. The arrival of a Seagull engine means we can go further afield (though we did once undertake a five hour rowing session up The Helford River to Frenchman's Creek. This I do not recommend!). One evening we piled the children into the boat, motored up the river past the quays and shops of Falmouth, moored up and collected fish & chips. These were scoffed greedily in the warm of the evening as we put up the sail and drifted back home. Another form of bliss and one which will stay in the children's minds I think for a long time to come.

We are truly lucky to live with this wonderful river and so much sea all around. I do so love Cornwall in all her guises.

So, as the evenings draw in we will no doubt play more games such as this bout of Risk. Davey and I are back on our ongoing chess tournament with me three games ahead in this new season! I am searching for a new knitting pattern as typically the ones I have don't appeal - why does that happen? Any suggestions anyone? I am craving a longish cardigan/jacket to wrap around me on cool days, so please forward any thoughts here.

And it is also time to get back to regular blogging and catching up with friends such as Diana as we are long overdue a coffee/wine/food/chat/knitting session and I miss her. Walter too of course.

Here's to all that's ahead x

Where Did the Time Go?

2011-08-27T09:03:00.000Z

It has been a long absence from blogging and I miss it, so a brief look at what we have been up to during this less than balmy holiday: Cooking and eating... lots.

Enjoying special times with the various members of our large and ever-expanding family.

Finally back to collecting freshly laid duck and hen eggs. Three very sweet new hens are now living in the hen pen - Flossie (named by me), Flower and Rose (named by Isabella). So much better than some of the previous names given to our poor hens: J.Lo, Chiquita, Fiddy....

Very tame these three (why do I keep writing as though Yoda had taken over my speech?!). The children can pick them up and feed them from their hands with no difficulty at all.

Much fruit picking from the Merryweather damson in our garden

to the bowlfulls of Victoria plums snapping the branches just outside the hen pen. So juicy and masses in the freezer for when we have more time. We have also collected Kea plums from the lanes around pretty Coombe.

It really is rather lovely isn't it?

Lucy has kept us supplied with endless dishes of cakes ...yum!

Ans there have been parties galore, days out with friends, much decorating of the house (yawn, but necessary) and much else besides. Oh, and best of all, autumn is on its way...Hurrah! Foraging and fires and leafy walks; wrapping up in scarves and mitts; glorious colours everywhere; knitting and jam making and stirring big pots of chutney and so much more that I associate with my favourite of seasons.

I'm quite excited; how about you? x

Photography Tales.

2011-08-03T12:52:00.000Z

So far the holidays have been just lovely with some sun, some warmth, much chilling out and a fair amount of work to boot. A good mix in all, especially when plenty of scrumptious meals like this are added in.

Today consisted of a lazy start where the coffee pot seemed never-ending and a trip to Penryn Quay was called for in order to get some photos for the website. The light was perhaps a little harsh by the time I got there but it was so good to see these familiar sights - yes, I still have my rope obsession (which is not quite as bad as it may sound!).

How beautiful is this shade of aqua? I have another obsession at the moment based around this colour and we are currently turning out tiny bathroom into an aqua inspired place to dwell where the walls reflect soft tones into the bathwater and a newly laid wooden floor replaces the manginess of earlier and is bliss to walk on....sigh... Oh and if anyone has an old and quite possible tatty cupboard they would like to give me to finish then room then please feel free. Always worth a shot isn't it!

Just love the way these ropes tangle around rusty rings. Even the concrete bollard takes on a more appealing look. No? Ok, I do tend to romanticise wherever possible but it works for me.

I was really there to take some photos of new products such as this new addition to my Lauren Tote range - this colourway is Autumn Leaf and is now available here.

I have quite fallen in love with the russet tones of this one and now feel a need to make some clothes for the autumn based around olives and soft orange but more of my dressmaking adventures another day as I have only got as far as purchasing a pattern so far!

While I was there I had another go at photos of my Cornish Harbour tea cosy as the light had been so bad before. There was the slightest of breezes gently billowing over the harbour and I think I provided a fair bit of amusement for the fishermen on the quay as I raced across the ropes to save the cosy before it hit the water!

Two photos was all I managed before my dignity was completely lost - note to self: DO NOT undertake product photography on a breezy day wearing a short skirt! Anyhoo, here we are: Cornish Harbour Tea Cosy by Pipany.

Hope you're enjoying your day x

Berry tea Cosy by Me!

2011-07-26T15:55:00.000Z

So the holidays are here at last and we seem to have upped the workload even more here at Poltisko Farm (which it isn't but we can dream - a farm that is). I am busily sewing together orders and samples and working on price lists for the flurry of people who have requested them; in the meantime Mr Davey and I also decided now was as good a time as any to tackle the house which is truly lacking in the ahh factor while overflowing in the yucky factor. More of that another time though. For today berries and cherries are what's on my mind - remember these?

and these?

Well these gorgeous jewel-like fruits from our garden inspired this latest addition to my Berries Range ... may I introduce my Berry Tea Cosy.

The design is worked in freehand and hand embroidery

with a little applique (of course).

And so when I see berries

and cherries

I see a Berry Tea Cosy!

Seem to be thinking a lot about tea lately... x

Cornish Harbour Tea Cosy.

2011-07-22T10:10:00.000Z

I have been waiting and waiting and waiting for a day to photograph some of my new designs, a day where there is no rain, no dull light - just a summer's day. Unfortunately, Cornwall refuses to help and the skies remain leaden and overcast with the occasional peeking out of the sun when I am engrossed in other projects and unable to take advantage. Today I decided enough was enough and these pictures would suffice until I can get better ones to replace them with and so I would like to introduce you to the first of my Nautical Range: the Cornish Harbour Tea Cosy.

I have been wanting to work on some designs from a cushion I made a couple of years ago for Mr Davey's Mum where I used the view from her window as a basis for some applique and hand embroidery. I realised that this view of a distant lighthouse across the river, boats nestling sheltered within the harbour and little cottages clustered around the bay was typical of the many seaside places dotted all over our beautiful Cornish coastline. Perfect to reflect what I see everyday.

The tea cosy is made from a cotton/linen fabric with a striped ticking lining and features bright little hand embroidered cottages so evocative of any of the harbours - St Ives, Mousehole, Porthleven - take your pick!

A jaunty boat sails on a shiny blue sea, the whole overlooked by the protective presence of the lighthouse as it perches on the rocky outcrop. So there you have it: my Cornish Harbour Tea Cosy available from here.

Here's hoping for better light next time! x

Day Tripping.

2011-07-04T22:06:00.000Z

Not much to say for once but plenty of pictures of a Sunday pootle on the river in Mermaid. Impossibly blue skies matched by equally blue seas as we aimed for Trefusis Beach.

The harbour is busy now with a myriad craft including the local ferry boats which go to the Helford, St Mawes and up the river to Truro and Malpas. I know I'm name-dropping but I'm aware a few of you know the area and may like to think back to some of these familiar places.

We made our way past Flushing quay - so pretty with its gorgeous houses high on the banks which belonged to the Packet captains in their heyday. They always make me think of Verity Blamey waiting for Andrew to return as she looks along the harbour from her window (Poldark again - please read all 12 forthwith!)

Once on the beach we ate, paddled, drowsed in the hot sun and just enjoyed that wonderful sense of rest that comes from stepping off a boat onto warm sands where you can't do anything other than 'be'.

There was enough breeze out on the water to ensure plenty of entertainment

and Isabella provided yet more as she had a lesson in swimming with Daddy. She actually swam two strokes on her own!

Could that face possibly smile any wider?

A little snooze under a fluffy towel was in order after so much activity

and then a spot of fishing on the way home - no fish were caught in the making of this blog (as flipping usual!)

but we had fun...

as did this lot who had escaped yet again to take up residence in the garden in our absence...hmmm, there will be words.

See you soon x

A Ramble on the Need for Patience

2011-06-28T10:42:00.000Z

Good grief, she's posting again! I'm sure this won't last but it is quite nice to be somewhat back in the flow of blogging for the moment. And I am feeling a little better today; thank you to those who sent get well wishes x. In between the fuzzy headed moments we have been busy quaffing our tiny bottles of mead, a honey drink we made some years ago, but have only recently decided tastes more like nectar than the earwax of former times. Some things are best left - in this case, about ten years!

We have decided to make more of this delicious, rather sherry-like wine now that we can taste the point of it and have named Midsummer's Day as the designated day for so doing, hence it shall forever more be known as Midsummer Mead. It is so easy to make and even easier to drink as this oh so flattering picture shows: blurry image, blurry eyes and tipsy angled; we had a great time making it!

Other things happening here which have required some patience to achieve include the smashing of a money box by our not-so-little Lucy who has been saving for a DS thingy (technical term you know) for a very long time now. We are very proud of her as she has not once bemoaned the fact that we haven't merely handed her the money for the thing, has actively enjoyed the saving for it and has enjoyed the having of it even more. I really believe there is so much to be said for learning the value of things in this way, don't you? I also feel that this sweet girl can wear wellies with a style sadly lacking in her bleary eyed mother!

The cherries are continuing to ripen making this the best year we have had for the pretty earrings. They are sweet and juicy but alas the birds have finally discovered them. How much longer will they last?

Ah well, we'll just have to eat as many as we can before they are gone for yet another year. Soft and warm in the rare Cornish sunshine, juices dribbling through sticky fingers...Mmmm.

The designing of items goes on apace and new contacts with potential stockists are being made. It is a busy time, but I am feeling as though the tide is pulling me along and I am happy to drift along with it, seeing what presents itself and letting a few ideas float away to see where they land like so many colourful balloons upon the breeze.

Boats and berries and fluttery insects are being worked onto fabric, the threads drawing themselves along almost separate to me as my mind wanders as freely as my fingers over the cloth. It feels good to allow things to unfold in this way rather than forcing the ideas out of my often-stressed head. Sometimes it is right not to allow the need to earn, the need to produce to over-ride the very creativity that is necessary to have a viable business in the first place and I must remember that a little more often than I do.

Having said that of course, I am as ever a complicated soul who is such a strange mix of practicality and head-in-the-clouds, of realist and romantic all at once that even as I applaud the need for creativity I know I must keep a weather eye on things to ensure that my business is just that: a business and not a hobby. And so, before I go, may I thank those of you who have ordered from me both past and present, and thank those who have lightened the load of my shelves a little by purchasing one of the Beach Bags I blogged of yesterday.

Yes, a complex creature is a Pipany requiring much in the way of patience. Thank heavens for a Davey to complete the mix x

A Post With a Point.

2011-06-27T10:54:00.001Z

Just a quick post today as I am a little busy and a little poorly too...sympathy please! It's nothing much but my head feels so full of cotton wool as the last dregs of a summer (ha!) virus recedes into the mist - and rain - that I really feel I am sewing in a cloud rather than my sewing room. Still, it's nothing that an early night won't see the end of and as I am rambling I shall proced to the point - yes, there is one - of today's post. It is not pertaining to the ducks, though I felt an update on progress was necessary just because...

So cute aren't they? Ahem, the point is actually to do with these Ship Ahoy Beach Bags which are on offer until Friday 1st of July (that is this coming Friday for those of a similarly fuzzy headed state) as I desperately need to make some room for new products on my shelves. These bags have a hand embroidered panel of a jaunty boat in wavy sea and are lined with ticking to make them very durable for those trips to the beach. They come in two sizes: Adult sized with an interior pocket and little bag of shells collected by the Cornish fairies (me and the children) from around our coast

and child sized, also with a bag of shells which can be added to on similar beach forays.

The adult version is reduced from £24.00 to £20.00

The child's version is reduced from £18.50 to £15.00

By the way, thank you for such lovely comments about the Berry Cushions which are already pleasingly popular on the website.

So did you get it? This was the point of the post....

Thank you from a fuzzy Pip (which sounds like something rather horridly mouldy and is similar to how I felt this weekend...poor me) x

Berry Lavender Cushion by Pipany.

2011-06-23T12:45:00.000Z

I am still feeling drawn to all the gorgeous fruits burgeoning in the garden: the redcurrants, plums and cheery cherries dangling from the trees. They have inspired me to make this newest item in my Pipany range - a Berry Lavender Cushion.

This bowl of redcurrants picked from our old bush made me decide to add a Cornish Blue inspired appliqued bowl

and here it is...

I used a mix of techniques including hand embroidery, freehand machine embroidery and applique to get the effect I was after.

The reverse can be personalised with the name of your choice & a butterfly or two.

Who could fail to be inspired by such beautiful, glowing colours?

Not Isabella that's for sure.

So there you have it: a Pipany berry inspired lavender cushion, lovingly stitched by me in my little sewing room in (finally) sunny Cornwall & available here!

Do you like it? (Oh, I do hope so!) x

Growing Away.

2011-06-15T10:02:00.001Z

Not many words today, but plenty of pictures of how I waste my time by watching the ducklings doing what they do which is mostly swimming on our pond.

and eating

followed by a little more swimming

which makes them hungry so...

I guess you get the picture.

Sweet May and little Pecan, growing huge feet and long beaks, but gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous.

That's it apart from a peek at the makings of something new in the fruity line which I do work on when not duckling distracted.

What is catching your eye today? x

Last Weekend's Escape.

2011-06-11T06:25:00.001Z

We have had a truly dour week in my bit of Cornwall weatherwise with rain which filled the wildlife pond back to overflowing and cold, dark days. Not the best, so I thought I would pop back to last weekend when we escaped on Mermaid for the day in hot, sunshiney weather which suggested summer had arrived - hah!

Lucy had a magazine to hand.

Elias, Davey and I set up our rods for a spot of fishing which, as ever, brought nothing...not even a bite. One day ...

Clear seas revealing golden sands and all kinds of shells.

And then on to the beach where drifts of pretty sea pinks lined the rocks.

Not all the shorelife is particularly pretty as this sea slug demonstrates, but it was fascinating to see so many of them along the shoreline.

Isabella's clothes were hung to dry within about five minutes of arriving, as is the norm.

Isabella was not sure what to make of the slugs

deciding to head off for wildlife of a less slimy disposition.

The boys took Mermaid off for a little pootle around the bay before we headed back after a hot and blissful day on the beach. As I sailed her home she drifted quietly in the evening breeze and we all drifted with her, thoughts calm and voices quiet. True bliss!

Wonder what this weekend will bring x

The Design Process.

2011-06-09T11:26:00.000Z

I thought I would show a little of how the design process works for me. Sometimes it all comes so easily and other times ... well, let's just say I'm sure I am not the only designer/maker who litters her workroom with a kaleidoscope of fabric pieces, abandoned half-worked designs and the clumps of hair she has ripped from her head in frustration. Okay, so slight exaggeration there but you get my point.

All my designs are inspired by the things around me, the things I encounter on my way around my Cornish home or the things I do in my Cornish home. They are all things I am passionate about and therefore become part of that other area of my life so closely interwoven in my world - my Pipany business. On this particular occasion I had been wandering around the garden checking on the progress of things in between feeding the ducklings and cooking the dinner as you do. I had no thoughts of designing in my head, just the enjoyment of seeing the fruits growing heavy on the trees - the apples, plums and gages all beginning to weigh the branches down with the promise of good crops ahead...

when my greedy eyes fell on the redcurrant bush, an old and somewhat scrappy specimen which is always covered in fruits despite the fact that it gets uprooted by gales every single year no matter what I do to support it. I grabbed a bowl and filled it with these most beautiful globes of purest scarlet, the light catching every tiny ball and making it glisten.

As I picked I started to 'see' various pictures of berries as components of journal covers and lavender sachets; I could see the way the bowl or basket could be appliqued and how the branch would swoop down towards it. I took a number of photographs of the currants to have on hand if I didn't get to work on the design while the currants were still around, but really the next bit was to get into my sewing room and go for it.

The first piece came together easily, the freehand embroidery of the branches appearing on the fabric exactly as I wanted, the working of the berries taking a little longer, but the colour being perfect with the stripes of the ticking used for the basket. I added some hand embroidered blades of grass but felt this piece told its story through the red berries and kept the rest of the design as simple as possible.

To pick up the ticking I used a darker colour than I normally would for the personalisation at the bottom, the slightly wavy line of the text perhaps suggesting a path or some uneven ground (and believe me, our garden has some very uneven ground!).

So, there you have it - beautiful scarlet berries from our garden

transformed into a gorgeous Personalised Berry Journal by Pipany - available here.

Hope you like it xx

Babies all the way!

2011-06-07T09:31:00.000Z

It has happened - Davey and I are grandparents with the first beautiful baby to be born to one of our gorgeous children.

She arrived safe and sound after an awful lot of work from her poor Mamma who did it all brilliantly.

She is perfect and we all love her to pieces.

Welcome to the world little Scarlett Elizabeth and the hugest of hugs to her very clever mummy xx

Sigh..... x

P.S. Off to take our five year old to school now - funny old world isn't it?!!

Look What Arrived Today!

2011-05-30T10:32:00.000Z

Look what we found this morning...two beautiful little babies hatched by our gorgeous duck, Biscuit.

Terrible photos as I was obviously trying to keep back as far as I could but oh, how cute they are. One bundle of yellow fluff and one of cream and chocolate.

Names are already chosen - May for the little girl (the yellow) and Pecan for the boy.

Dear Biscuit has spent most of the morning washing herself and running around like something possessed, the result of sitting on eggs for so long and pride I guess - yes, I am applying a little anthropomorphism here. Indulge me please: I am a rather over-excited Pipany today.

The ducklings have wobbled their way all over the duck pen and are getting bolder by the minute. So blooming sweet!

Masses more photos will no doubt follow and will hopefully be a darned sight clearer.

Have a great day x

Another Birthday Gone.

2011-05-20T13:55:00.000Z

Our baby is five. How did that happen? I'm sure it was only but a moment ago I was clutching this tiny girl in my arms, her skin peach-soft and beautiful, large eyes peering up at me.

It wasn't always an easy path with little Isabella - she didn't sleep and wanted to be held most/all of the time - oh lord, how tired I was!

But, as with all these things, time moved on and Isabella grew

and grew

And now? Well, she is a lively, beautiful, funny,

cuddly bundle aged five and we love her to pieces.

Happy birthday little Isabella.

We love you my sweet girl xxx

A Gentle Catch Up

2011-05-04T09:13:00.000Z

And so April has moved aside and taken the sun with her; May has been cold, cold, cold so far in our little bit of Cornwall with gusty winds which test the poor bud-burdened peonies almost to the limit. The poppies are faring even worse and look bedraggled and broken, the promise of the show about to come possibly being halted before it starts. Of course, this is a sad reminder that yet again I have not staked the plants, allowing myself to be fooled by the recent balmy weather - will I ever learn?

The cushion soft leaves of the alchemilla - such a pretty name, don't you think? - are unfolding, diamond bright raindrops held shimmering at the edge and the lime green flowers slowly opening. I have a real thing about lime-coloured flowers, particularly when placed in vases full of creamy roses and lilac blossom. Such an elegant and yet old fashioned feel to arrangements such as these.

In recent weeks the garden has been a billowing mass of fruit blossom, everything from the clear white of the pears, the Merryweather (another lovely name) damson and the Victoria plum flowering for the first time to the pink flushed colours of the various apple trees. Even our greengage was covered and all are showing tiny fruitlets, almost as exciting as the wedding-like display with its seemingly endless confetti drifting down and filling the view from the windows.

Now the view is a lush mass of foliage in many hues, a layering of bronze and bright green through to the deeper forest greens, the garden held in suspension as it awaits the scarlet poppies, peonies and yellow flag iris which provide contrast to the bluebells and aquilegia scattering the banks. Will I ever put the hose pipe away instead of making it the focal point?!!.

Bank Holiday Monday saw Diana popping over for chat, business planning (she's so darn bossy!) and lunch. I always love these visits so much and come away from them feeling inspired and focussed, a result of her bossiness which I unfortunately seem to need (!) and actually, come to think of it, I don't come away at all as I live here. Do please pay attention. Dear Diana came bearing great gifts of her homemade peanut fudge - two beautifully packaged jars no less.

and now there are none, only a slightly queasy Pipany left to mark their passing. I just couldn't stop popping another one into my greedy mouth, so delicious was the stuff with its sugary sweetness balanced perfectly by crunchy peanuts. I challenge anyone to resist! By the way, did you know that eating a piece of this fudge followed by a salt and vinegar flavoured crisp changes the taste of the crisp to prawn cocktail? No? Thought not.

Work is calling and the sewing room awaits. Perhaps I'll take a leaf from Isabella's book and pop on a white sparkly white dress, some pink wellies and release my inner princess instead ... it was just a thought!

By for now x

The Holiday So Far.

2011-04-21T09:00:00.000Z

Lots of cooking. I made a huge vat of chicken stock for the freezer using about four carcasses from roast dinners. I love making stock and just freeze the bones until I have time to do something with them. Add plenty of veg and herbs to make a delicious basis for loads of meals. The smell is always so comforting as it gently cooks away.

Last night Elias made fresh pasta and we coated it with a pesto style sauce of freshly picked nettles (try it - it's delicious), garlic and olive oil. So yummy and so very good for you. There are so many ways to use these otherwise pesky plants.

Bowls and vases billowing with beautiful lilac, the heady scent perfuming the house and adding a drowsy feel to an already drowsy holiday.

Piles of scones, soft and pillowy with lashings of homemade tayberry jam and (Cornish) cream.

Trips out in Mermaid where we get views of the town from a different perspective. I love the fact that the river winds through Falmouth and shopping involves pretty views such as these.

We took the boat and headed off up the Helford River to Tremayne Quay where camping is in the depths of the woods with no facilities, just driftwood for campfires and nothing but woods and fields all around.

We rowed past Frenchman's Creek and thought of the novel. How lucky we are that this pretty, tranquil spot is so close.

The racket of the dawn chorus woke us early and we headed back out to catch the tide.

It was chilly this early in the day, but the promise of hot sun was in the air. There is something so special about being the only people out on the water in the quiet of the early morning.

We stopped off at Durgan, a very pretty little village on the Helford where Isabella ran in and out of the rockpools.

Isn't it beautiful?

Well that's it for now - a brief post for once - as I am heading off for another day on the beach. Have fun x

The Most Perfect of Days.

2011-04-12T11:45:00.000Z

This is a very long post so please forgive me, but I so wanted to share one of our days out as it was the stuff of my dreams.

We rowed up the Penryn River toward the mouth of the River Fal, stopping off at the Prince of Wales Pier in town for supplies (chocolate, bread and crisps). There is something so very lovely about mooring up at a quay and climbing the steps for a little shopping! People were milling everywhere as the day was so beautiful and the views across the river just stunning with the patchwork fields so typical of Cornwall sweeping down to the sea.

With such a bright day the reflections on the water were amazing.

We headed off once more

across the harbour until land was once more in sight. Lucy rowed on one side

and Mamma on the other.

Just look at the sulphur yellow gorse and drifts of snowy blackthorn.

The closer we rowed to land,

the clearer the jade waters became.

Finally we picked a tucked away cove which we instantly named Stepladder Cove because of a very long ladder leading down from the wooded cliffs.

Elias took in the lines we had trailed in the (vain) hope of catching fish or crab for tea

while Isabella did her usual and drenched herself, clothes and all. The child did not stop running for the full five hours we were there.

Apart from when she ate of course

and even then

only for a moment.

I did a little knitting

while Davey took the older two out for a sailing lesson. they were both brilliant and tacked
beautifully. Isn't that sail pretty?

There was so much to hunt for

and shells of all kinds were thrown like flotsam against the cliffs.

We discovered a fabulously hidden bay of mussels and collected buckets-full. Dave cleaned them with Elias

while Lucy and I collected driftwood for a fire.

There is nothing quite like a beach fire

nd some salty fresher than fresh mussels.

I heated up a stone to fry some potatoes on which were delicious in hunks of bread.

and finally it was time to say goodbye to our little hidden away beach where we saw hardly a soul all day.

We sailed back, everyone full of sea air and good food, everyone tired out.

We quietly chatted about our favourite parts of the day

but there was so much about it that was good.

And we all agreed that we were very lucky people indeed to live where we do.

The most perfect of days.

Bye for now (and well done if you made it to the end!) x

A Trip to Porthleven.

2011-04-07T09:07:00.000Z

The sun shone bright and I was off! A day escaping the confines of the sewing room which, love it though I do, can be too much of a good thing when you spend an endless amount of hours in it as I do. My dear friend Looby Lou, sweet baby Ellenor and I got into the car and headed for the coast - Porthleven to be precise - where the cliffs were covered in bright yellow gorse, the breeze heavily scented with the delicious smell of coconut buns.

The sea glistened and sparkled with hues of jade and turquoise.

We strolled along the sands and I managed to get soaked as I took my eyes off
the waves for a moment!

Baby Nell sang and chatted in equal measures.

Porthleven's pretty harbour provides a safe (ish) haven when stormy seas thrash about.

A myriad boats lay waiting for high tide.

The beach we walked along is the other side of this church. This is one of several churches in Cornwall that lie either very close to or actually on the sands.

It seems odd today to think how very hot the sun was, no coats or jackets were needed and even the breeze was warm.

Just so

very

lovely.

Bye for now x

A Ducky Tale.

2011-04-05T13:37:00.006Z

It's pouring here today and so I thought I would share yesterday's adventure with you. Not my adventure you understand; no, it is spring and so the ducks are on their annual breakout of the pen, thinking in their rather dimwitted way that I would not notice them waddling noisily past the kitchen window, quacking with a particular style I now know after so much time together means it's Colditz Time!

Oh heck, she's seen us. RUN!

The Drake's Progress.

(Oh, humour me, for heaven's sake! I thought it was funny!)

She looks a bit cross. Let's head this way (and trample over the tulips we planted into the grass under the apple and plum tree to cast a scarlet studded carpet. No longer likely it seems)

Quick! She's getting close!

Forgot that was a dead end. S'pose we'd better go back. Nearly time for supper isn't it?

Biscuit: Is she still looking?

Mustang: Yup!

I know - look cute! She won't be able to resist (cos she really is that gullible!)

Er, I'm a bit stuck. Any chance of a lift?

My gorgeous Biscuit. I do love that girl.

Hope you're having a good day x

Playing.

2011-03-31T09:35:00.000Z

Oops, I got sidetracked! I should be working... you know, finishing the orders and posting, but I have just lost nearly an hour messing about on this.

So much more fun than I thought it would be, but now I really am getting back to making some of these... (oh, look who's in the centre of it all. She gets in on everything, that one!).

Toodle Pip! x

Sailing Adventures.

2011-03-28T10:02:00.001Z

The sun blazed on Saturday and we took the chance to take Mermaid, our lovely boat, out for the first time this year. We packed towels for the beach, food and drinks, and headed off up Penryn River from Ponsharden Quay.

Past tree lined shores and part hidden houses in search of a quiet beach for an hour or two's peace away from it all.

Elias and Dave steering us out into the harbour.

We rowed along choosing which particular cove we would stop at.

Eventually we stopped and moored up to a quay. Lucy and I headed straight for the sands while Isabella spent the entire time in the water, freezing though it was. Dave and Elias snorkled, but saw nothing more than a tiny fish or two. No river monsters today!

It was hot on the soft sands.

Mermaid's sail looks so pretty against the blue of the sea.

And here's another pretty girl. There was something so magical about pootling along until we found a beach. Just perfect.

The camera makes it look so hazy, but actually the haze was only far out to sea.

Finally we set off for home, most of the food eaten and a tide to catch.

The breeze was girlish and coy, so once more we abandoned sail and set to with the oars. Mermaid is quite a wide boat which means two can comfortably row with ease. we took it in turns as everyone loves rowing.

A few of the riverside houses for you to peruse: do you fancy a curved ended house overlooking the waters?

Or are one of these grandiose places more your style?

This thatched house had its own little harbour.

We drifted along with the water sparkling and a gentle breeze rustling the sail.

This beautiful boat was heading off to Mylor for the Oyster Celebration...yum.

There is something so pretty about the way red sails catch the light.

Isabella became transfixed by the water and almost fell asleep leaning over the side to gaze.

Such a perfect day.

How was yours? x

Sleepy Time.

2011-03-23T09:45:00.000Z

A short post today as yet again I have Isabella poorly with an ear infection. This seems to be something which a few of our children our prone to, my own hearing a little dull (to say the least) as a result apparently of childhood problems which have left them badly scarred. Funny what you find out about yourself when you are years older as I have little memory of having any problems other than a summer of throat infections.

So, another trip to the doctor, another day of working around a tired but otherwise ok soul - and that's just me! Oh those four hour stints of shrieking child in the dead of night when all your body cries out for is sleep and the ability to pour the next dose of medicine down the throat of said child in the hope, generally fairly vain, of easing her pain.

Take note: these night-time stints get harder to cope with the older you get. There you go - Pip's Tip for all those considering when to have children and I speak from the vast experience of having tried the ages 19, 23, 25, 34 and 42 to enable me to give a considered approach to the subject. Actually, I can honestly say each age has it's advantages and disadvantages, but today I am in sleepy mode, envious of the cat who is snuggled up on our quilt just to rub my nose in it...hah, perhaps I'll shove him outdoors just to make me feel better.

Still, the sun is shining, the first tulips are out and beautiful in their scarlet skirts, and things are fine really, better than fine now my little Isabella is over the worst. I might just curl up with her...just for a moment...snooze...

Have fun x

The Weekend.

2011-03-21T10:19:00.000Z

Such a beautiful weekend with warm sun which turned to icy chill later on, a chill which suggested the campfire would be lit by Davey.

We had spent most of the weekend gardening and the smell of the fire was perfect as twilight spread its dusky glow over the garden. A new bed is now in place where previously a far too thin ribbon of ground has annoyed me everytime I saw it. We dug out masses of earth from the chicken run and spread it over this new patch and the woodland bed in the hope that this rich soil would help the rest of the impoverished garden.

The Merryweather damson is breaking into flower now and is the main feature of the woodland bed. This is a difficult patch as it is fairly shady and very dry thanks to the sandy Cornish soil which is lovely to dig as it is so light, but doesn't hold onto moisture. Hopefully the rich chicken poo soil will help!

Sunday was less sunny and by the afternoon was actually quite cold. We moved back into the kitchen where Dave and I sliced up Seville orange peel and finally got around to making our marmalade; aren't we lucky to have freezers to enable us to make things when we have time, not when seasons dictate? Having said that, I do prefer the feeling of following the seasons and at least it is not too late in the year as to make me feel I should be making chutney!

Isabella also 'helped' with the washing up...hmmm. Not sure that child ever wears anything other than pyjamas.

So, a productive weekend with all my favourite things: gardening, cooking

and a little bit of laughing to finish it all off.

Back to work now, but I can think of this to keep me warm in my chilly sewing room.

How was your weekend? x

Tea, a Little Nag and Decisions Made.

2011-03-17T13:02:00.000Z

Now the spring is showing herself so prettily I feel the need to slough off my winter coat, both literally and metaphorically. I no longer want to be bundled into endless heavy layers, prefering the feel of lighter, softer clothes when warmer days allow. Yesterday was hot in our little patch of Cornwall - and I do mean hot. I ventured out to find snippings of the new nettle leaves from the ever present patches in our garden and discovered the soft lilac-blue petals of pulmonaria.

Of course, me being me I also can see the beauty in the equally soft, fuzzy leaves of the nettles and focused my lens on those for good measure. Nettle tea is one of life's great pleasures to me (see how easily I am pleased!) and the anticipation of the first cup is a good one. It is an earthy, soupy beverage which is sustaining in a way herb teas don't seem to be and I can feel the benefits as I sip. It is cleansing and full of minerals, so very nourishing - what more could you ask?

Salads are also calling which led to a chat over the dinner table about sowing some seeds. Isabella, who loves gardening, was most excited whilst Lucy requested rocket and spinach would be added to the lettuces. The thought of homegrown spicy, peppery rocket back on the menu makes my mouth water, though we have to beat the children to it as they tend to graze on pretty much anything edible when outside. Chives, rocket, marjoram... it all disappears until the blackcurrants, redcurrants and tayberries take over for a while. It's not all healthy here though as the latest batch of banana and chocolate muffins prove.

Perfect for when we arrive home from the school run and a great way of using up over-ripe bananas. We buy these in for next to nothing, slice them into chunks and freeze them. This means they are perfect for adding straight from the freezer for cakes or ice cream, and we nearly always have a supply to hand for little cost.

And of course, we can also pinch Lucy's cupcake holder which I showed in my last post. This pretty and intricate papercut was a birthday gift from Diana who will be opening her own little online store sometime very soon.

Here you will be able to purchase a little bit of perfection in the shape of a notebook, maybe a gocco print or even if you are very lucky one of these gorgeous things, the whole range designed and crafted by Diana's talented hands - all it needs is for Diana to be nagged enough and it will happen! Oops, think I may have just lost a friend!!

On the topic of friends, I would like to thank all you lovely people who left such sweet comments or emailed about my last post - I have taken them all to heart and fully intend to continue being a little kinder to myself by not trying to stretch myself endlessly when really I want/need to concentrate my energies on things close to hand, accepting I have limited reserves as we all do. The focus from here is now firmly on giving more time to the children, Mr Davey and myself, and if anything is left to give at the end of that it will go on our little home and garden - in other words, our family. Oh, and of course my other love: my business. Hurrah! Gosh, I actually feel quite excited!

It is also quite exciting to note that the newts are back, though the picture is from last year as I was so cold from perching at the edge of the wildlife pond waiting for one to appear 'ready for his close up' that I gave up! But they are there and thus so is spring...enjoy x

Never Enough...Probably!

2011-03-15T10:09:00.003Z

Golly it has been a while since I have visited my little blog and I have missed it. As ever, it has been busy with a poorly Isabella yet again coming under the onslaught of a nasty bug. Yesterday I read Nina's post and recognised my own voice in her writing, my relief at the reprieve from illness in the house being short lived as yet more arrived to take the last lot's place.

It has made me think a lot about how frustrating life is sometimes. I am busy - very - with work and that is good; we try where we can to make the family side of life good too and I think we do pretty well with lots of games being played, meals shared and so on, all the normal things that go with being part of a family, but things which actually require much time spent to achieve nonetheless.

Add into the mix the fact that our children are people (though at times I wonder!) and therefore require nurturing and caring for, the need to give to each of them that most precious of commodities - time - so that they can talk about their feelings, worries, hopes.

And then there is being one half of a couple and all that goes with it: the sharing of laughs and cuddles and company; the listening when the other needs to talk; the being able to talk knowing the other will listen, truly listen. The loveliest of situations and again one that needs time to keep it working, to nurture it so that it remains the special relationship it has always been.

These things are surely what it is all about, this manic ride we call life? How easy it all is when the planets align in the right way, when health is good and work is managed within the natural time constraints of a large family (or indeed a small one if that is your lot). How hard it is when one element falls out of kilter and your nights are full of a child who had just recovered from a week-long illness and now is battling a painful ear infection that turns her into a screaming wreck, poor soul.

Still the orders are there, still the others need you, though thankfully they are all so brilliant with their little sister and just want to help her get better. Still I am aching and exhausted from the remnants of the flu-like bug of recent weeks which made me feel more ill than I can remember - I even took to my bed at some point for heaven's sake!

Now we are on the other side of it with Isabella ready to return to school tomorrow I am, as I said, left feeling how frustrating life can be. Despite all you do it seems it is never enough and there is always some area which you cannot do properly, someone who feels you are letting them down, though thankfully never the kids and that's what is really important. They come first don't they? I am notoriously hard on myself and forever feel I could do more, but just now I feel I have done enough and that in itself feels good.

I see the pile of orders finished and ready to post and I can smile; I see the messy, falling-down-around-our-ears house with its tiny rooms and know it will be done one day when time and money allow, and I love it for all its faults because it is ours and full of love; I can think of our children and be proud knowing they all feel how much we love them and appreciate that we try, no matter what life throws up, to be there for them.

And as for the rest? Well, I am only human after all! A little uninterupted sleep has brought me back to myself and I am once more excited by life: spring is coming, the garden awaits and I am desperate to get out there, there are new games to play and a pretty boat to sail with fishing trips and camping ahead (groans quietly at that one). Commissions have popped up and I am so enjoying the designing of them.

And on that lengthy ramble which I am not sure actually had any point I shall leave you. Perhaps the point is this: don't be hard on yourself because you are probably doing the best you can and it is more than good enough! (Plus there is always someone out there who will be hard on you whatever you do!).

P.S. Just so that you know how hard we make the children work:

Lucy making caramel cupcakes.
Tom cutting down six foot of holly.
Elias sanding down the boat.

P.P.S. Please note the pretty cupcake holder made by the lovely Diana for Lucy's birthday - more on this next post!

Biirthday Musings

2011-03-04T11:19:00.000Z

It is Friday once more and although the warmth of yesterday has gone, the sunshine hiding a little behind the thickening cloud, the day still has that special feel. I do so love Friday and the promise of the weekend ahead.

I have to admit that this weekend may well not be the relaxing one I would hope for as Lucy is having a birthday sleepover. The Big Day itself is not until the eighth (next Tuesday) when she will enter the world of the teenager, but this weekend will be one of giggles and pizza and chocolate brownies; a weekend of make up and making lotions, of cinema and popcorn; a weekend where I must hold on to my annoyance when trying to sleep to the tune of squealing girls...hmm, pass the wine already.

It does seem that birthdays go on for ever now - she said in the voice of an old and eeyorish maid - with weekends being the appointed time for sleepovers and the actual birthday involving a tea with guests in the form of grannies and friends too er... well, old really, for the weekend do. I would add that in my book to be not a teenager and therefore 'too old' is in this case considered a Good Thing!

Of course, we could make life a little easier for ourselves. We never did the party bag thing when the older children were tiny and the notion first came in partly because I always felt that the whole point of the party was to celebrate the birthday child not to seemingly reward children for turning up, but mostly because there was never any money to spare for the extras this would entail. I know things can be made for very little, but this has always entailed time and time is always precious when you have a spread of ages from baby upwards as was the case.

A slice of homemade cake and a balloon would be packed off with each child, me dreading the inevitable cry of 'but where's my party bag' from the little one on the verge of tears as its mother hustled it out the door. And of course, this meant more awkwardness when my own children would receive a bag at the parties they attended in return. What of my notions of celebrating the birthday child then?

I have never sorted this one out and actually quite like the idea as the years roll on, but feel what was done for one - albeit XXX years ago - must in turn be done for the rest, and so it is still a piece of cake, still homemade, still a balloon on a piece of string that they leave with.

And now Lucy is older? Well, the pizza and brownies, chocolate muffins and birthday cake are always made by us, but it is what the children request. They love my very thin, messily floppy tomato-topping-down-your-shirt style of garlicky pizza it seems. They love making beauty potions with Davey (who makes THE most gorgeous lotions and bath things, by the by) and eating his oozingly gorgeous chocolate birthday cake.

It would be so nice to just open some packets for once and throw it all in the oven. Ahh, but I can dream....

as I make up yet another batch of brownies and slug back another glass of the red stuff.

(P.S. I love it really!) x

The Reveal - Part Two.

2011-03-02T12:13:00.000Z

Before the Reveal Part 2 I must just thank you for the lovely comments about our little cot quilt from the last post - so lovely to think you all liked it and hopefully it may have given an idea or two for any pending baby arrivals out there in blogland. Please do let me know if you work one yourself and I'll post a link.

Now to the results of Mr Davey's knitting where this gorgeous yarn - Twilley's Freedon Sincere Cotton DK for those who may wonder -

was worked with such love

into two little hats!

This wool is such a beautiful cotton blend with the creamiest of creams for the slightly larger one

and a heathery shade of pink for the tiny wee newborn one. I love the way the decreases lead to the little cord (which I believe is called an i-cord, though I have no notion why) which is then tied into a very cute knot. So lovely and so quick as Dave worked both of these within two days and that was obviously with many breaks for walks, games, etc...well, it was half term.

I love this yarn so much that I have ordered some for my next knitting project: Lurelei from my Ravelry queue (yes, I have finally worked out how to do a queue, though sadly not how to do an image link) in a gorgeous shade called Moonstone; more of this another time. Heavens, this is fast becoming a knitting blog!

Don't you hate buying wool that only has a batch number? How can someone not think of a thousand names when faced with such beautiful colours, merely resorting to labelling with an homogenous number which suggests a lack of connection with the wool itself? It is completely alien to me to have such a cold approach to something and doesn't seem to connect with the target audience either as most knitters I know are very in touch with such things. Thankfully, Twilleys are aware of our needs and have such beguiling names as Moonstone, Garnet and Malachite to tempt us with.

Anyhoo, enough of my ramblings. I will leave you with a bright splash of that ever-elusive sunshine in the form of our gaudy, can't-possibly-miss-me forsythia

and my Davey's dear hands (complete with their sadly bitten fingernails...sigh) knitting the second of the baby hats.

Have a lovely Wednesday x

The Big Reveal!

2011-02-28T12:42:00.001Z

WARNING: This is a very long post, so please feel free to move on if you have more thrilling things to do than fabric gaze!

Ok then, time for the big reveal. The reason I couldn't show what we had been up to is because it was all for our daughter, Matzen, whose friends had organised a surprise baby shower which took place yesterday. So, now the party is over and there is just a baby to look forward to - note the played down 'just' there when in fact the whole household is in a state of utter baby excitement - I can actually reveal the things we spent half term making: these fabrics became...

A cot quilt in raspberry pinks, soft whites and a touch of red to lift the whole.

Unfortunately yesterday morning was dull here unlike today with its bright, beautiful sunlight which would have made photographing the fabrics so much easier. Never mind, you get the gist anyway. This is the reverse. The mix of soft fabrics makes me want to sigh with pleasure every time I see them; they also produce an almost overwhelming need to curl up in their quilty swathes for a snooze or two!

The 'top side' is even more special to me as we each designed a motif which I then embroidered onto the quilt. Everyone drew their own design onto paper first and then had free reign of my sewing room and its many piles of fabric - gulp - to choose what colours they wanted to use for the various components of their design. Even Isabella was completely involved in the process, drawing a house and having the most definite ideas about which fabric to use for the roof.

I tried to ensure that each of the designs was appliqued and embroidered in such a way as to retain the style of the designer. For example, the grass in the image above shows the naive style Isabella draws grass and windows (I traced her pencil strokes onto the fabric to keep it as exact as possible). Dave also has a very er, naive style! he is renowned for his pictures of boats such as this one...

and sea creatures such as this!

Elias drew an amazing lighthouse

I thought a little girl was needed, what a surprise

and Lucy wanted her signature cupcake to keep things girlie.

I realised the only picture I took of the whole together was really rather a poor one. So typical isn't it?

The binding was a soft duck egg blue with rosebuds sprigs scattered over, A pretty contrast to the rest.

So there you have the first of the makes. I get such a deep sense of happiness when I think that this is the fourth quilt I have made as gifts for our children and love the fact that so many of us worked together on this very first one for one of our children's children! I'll save Davey's knitting for the next post as I truly feel I have rambled on long enough. I'll leave you with a photo I took early this morning when the sun shone with such warmth that it is impossible to believe spring hasn't arrived at last.

Have a lovely day x

A Taste of Things to Come.

2011-02-26T09:09:00.000Z

You know how some half term holidays are gone before you can look round? You know, that waking up each morning and finding the day has disappeared with no-one getting properly dressed; no child wearing clothes that are remotely clean enough to be seen out with on the rare occasion they actually do dress after much tiresome nagging. Nothing achieved other than the endless handing out of nourishment for fear they (I) should fade away.

This holiday has been different, each day evolving into a time of making and doing. Projects have been finished and new ones started. The problem is, I can't actually show you much of what has taken place until after the weekend, merely give you little tantalising glimpses instead.

The above projects are Mr Davey's. He has been knitting up a storm and turned out three - yes, three completed items of knitwear in as many days.

One of them is for Isabella who has been in desperate need of a new hat as her two other ones have looked rather like tea cosies perched upon her head, both having a tendency to slide up over her manic curls as they escape from her ponytail during a hectic day at school.

Did I ever mention my baby girl is now at school full-time? Probably not as it has taken me a little while to accept this fact, much as I revel in the extra time I can now spend on developing the business.

Ah well, at least I know her pretty head will be kept warm in the playground by the soft Crofter wool hat Daddy has knitted her.

We have also undertaken a family sewing project, though again I can't actually reveal it just yet. Here's a taster

or two

and maybe just...

one more!

So after that rather unenlightening post, I will leave you with the one thing I can show you, Miss Isabella wearing her new hat whilst playing with a bowl of water and her toys at the kitchen sink. Doesn't that face say it all?

See you Monday x

A Need For ...

2011-02-21T13:15:00.003Z

Still fighting the lurgy here, though I am feeling so much better than when I last posted. Thank you lovely people for the get well wishes; so very appreciated and comforting when you are feeling yukky - hmm, didn't recover my poetic use of language just yet then.

Being so ill has made me look for comfort in all around me and the somewhat dark, grey days we have been experiencing have added to this need. I finally cut open our tiny Munchkin squash to see whether there was anything to be had from within its hard shell.

It is one we grew in a pot outside the girls' bedroom and though only measuring about four inches across it had a little flesh to add to a rich stew. Comfort food indeed.

All the children have succumbed to poorliness in differing measure, all feeling snuffly, all a little chesty, but nothing keeps a good cook down and Lucy invaded the kitchen yesterday to knock up a batch of flapjacks. How easy things become when you are merely sitting in the background ready to offer help when asked, but no longer needing to actually 'do' every step for them.

Oh, go away Mamma! Get back to your knitting.

Though today is just pouring rain from the skies in a manner that suggests God's bath is overflowing somewhat, I managed to take myself outside on the drier days to see what has emerged. Hurrah! The first buds of bright zingy forsythia are bursting forth, the ridiculously over-the-top yellow threatening to hurt my eyes should the sun ever appear and strike the petals with its rays of light. A true sign that spring is well on its way I think.

I take my coffee and sit on the step, the first time I have done so this year without a coat.

Next to me the daphne also shows an unfurling floret. This is one of my most favourite plants (from a list of thousands); its sweet scent is so typical of many of the late winter/ealy spring flowering plants: fresh, almost citrusy, light & so daintily delicate, yet one tiny sprig is able to scent an entire garden and will tickle your nose when carried on a soft spring breeze. If you have never encountered it I advise you to search one out posthaste - just walk around sniffing the air and you will be led in its direction should one be close by.

On the courtyard the pots of tulips are racing away and I uncover a few buds fattening ready to bloom in a few weeks. I think they are red, though I can't really remember as they were blind last year and so the thrill of discovery is there.

But on a day like today we are all huddled indoors. It is a day for planning and plotting in our garden book, a day for noting what is missing at this time of year, sketching and scribbling notes so that we will remember to do something about the empty patches which are a little depressing just outside the kitchen window. I think planting more snowdrops and sunshine yellow crocus would help things along.

And once the orders are completed I think a little more knitting will be necessary for the rest of the day. I feel a need to huddle by the fire while the rain does its worst, maybe play a sedate game of Mah Jong - hah, that's a contradiction in terms - and let the last of the lurgy hopefully melt far away.

Sound good?

What are you up to? x

P.S. Still not sure about the larger pics - what do you think? x

A Snuffle or Two.

2011-02-16T17:50:00.003Z

Blogland is full of spring pictures and it is so lovely to see. We all know it isn't here yet, but there's nothing wrong in looking for the signs is there?

Personally, I am so full of the grottiest cold I have had for years that I am desperate for anything that penetrates the fug in my head, including bright zingy citrus fruit for delicious hot toddies.

It is actually very rarely that I get colds and this one is reminding me just how lucky I am. My head feels like Phil Collins is off on one - you know, that bit just before 'I can feel it coming in the air' starts ringing out.

My nose resembles a tap and I ache like I have been steam rollered.

Truly, I feel dreadful.

Aren't you glad you stopped by?

Still, work carries on and bunting waits for no Pip. At least I am finally back working in my sewing room which is so light and, though in need of a sort out not to mention a lick of paint, makes me cheery just to be there.

A trip with the girls to Customs House Quay cleared my head a little, the boats sitting quiet on the still waters of the high tide.

It was so gentle: everything from the scent in the air to the breeze and the chatter, all so gentle and hushed with only the clear, soaring tones of a young girl singing as she sipped her drink on the bench by the quayside breaking into the quiet ... perfect.

As is the sight of the wools in my basket. This one is a mix of moss green, soft mauves and cream. It reminds me of the heathers and mosses found on the Cornish moors or the colours of seaweed on stone.

Ah well, I'm off to take my hideously grotty self off to make the dinner for the troops, pop the washing on and generally try to wreak some order when really I just want to go to bed.

Can't wait...sigh.

See you soon x

Just Popping By.

2011-02-15T12:57:00.000Z

I am missing my blog and want to get back here, but I am rather in the midst of some cheery bunting - 40 metres of the stuff to be precise. Quite a large order. Wonder what it is for? Hmm, maybe I'll ask.

I want to get back to sorting the blog out as it is mid change at the moment but oh, doesn't it eat time away once you start playing with new things? Thank you to my dear friend Diana who helped me find my 'global settings' problem (no, I didn't know I had one either!) and also gifted me some gorgeous sock weight yarn. New things to show then...

...when I get a mo. Be good to see some new pics too wouldn't it? The tulips are up but obviously not out as the image suggests. Another photograph of Coombe to keep things going. Well done to those of you who guessed the last boat picture was of Penryn River.

To be continued x

2011-02-11T12:43:00.000Z

The Hooded Man.

2011-02-06T12:33:00.005Z

I'll be brief: it's finished. The blasted hooded pullover is knitted, sewn but sadly not blocked properly to relax the stitching as Dave wanted to get on and wear it. Who am I too complain? After all, he only waited over a year for it, bless.

And so here it is, in all its wobbly-stitched, uneven entirety and I must say I am rather pleased with it. Admittedly, the photographs have managed to make Davey look far wider than he actually is and I would like to also point out that the colour of the wool is a beautiful flecked denim blue which I love (Sirday Click for those who need to know such things - great to knit with).

Today is cold in Cornwall, a dull day with low light levels, a day to make the mood sink a little. Dave has had some hard weeks at work with much on his plate. He had more to do today as the next phase of his Masters needed completing, one task too many when all you want to do is to relax and enjoy the weekend.

He finished his work just as I finished sewing up. The pullover was hastily pulled over and a smiling Mr Davey emerged from its snuggly depths, the dense weave of the stitches light enough to feel comfortable, yet close enough to bring warmth, a little like a cuddle perhaps.

Much love worked into every stitch, a cuddle given, a beaming smile received in return. Success then.

Happy Sunday x

The Working of Origami & Socks.

2011-02-03T09:55:00.010Z

I am back once more and the grumps have left me. Thank you so much for your kind understanding in the face of such a misery post! So, what have we been up to? No marmalade was made in my absence - hurrah! Maybe this weekend will see the jars filling the shelves once more. Instead Davey and the children made chocolate and banana muffins with thick chunks of chocolate studded in each mouthful.

They also had a Chinese themed day in honour of the Chinese New Year. Events included making lanterns using origami techniques

A piano and er, an animal I think

and a seal (!!!)

They also made sweet and sour pork and a castle, though not necessarily in that order. The table and floor were covered in a myriad of glitter which I feel is always the sign of fun being had.

I was ensconced in a room with views over Watergate Bay where a group of us watched the surfers and jade green waves drifting toward us, the scene belying teh icyness of the weather which had turned the salt water streams winding towards the sea to frozen images of themselves. Even the cliffs had icicles and typically I had forgotten my camera.

Is it not very beautiful?

And as for me, I am desperate to show you this little intricate piece of knitting.

It is the beginnings of a sock and though my photographs do it no justice making the yarn look chunky when it is in fact fine, and harshly coloured where it is a beautiful, subtle blend of hand painted colours, jewel greens blended with soft lilacs and hints of sulphur yellow, I hope you can nonetheless see the intricacy of the stitching just a little.

The pattern is called the Marie Antoinette Sock and has a lacework patterning of tiny 'bees' around the top and a bee-like design working its way along the calf. It is designed by knitwear designer Ann Hanson and will take me quite a long time between other projects to work on. I am so enjoying working something that requires this level of concentration again as many years have passed since I knitted lacework coverlets and matinee jackets for my babies it seems.

Yes, this will be a challenge, the chart needing me to free my mind in a way that most other knitting I tackle these days does not require. I shall work on this when I need to be distracted and simpler things when I need to let the thoughts drift aimlessly with the moving of the needles. Something for any mood...perfect. And of course, I shall share the progress, though I suspect updates may be slow! In the meantime I am most excited as I have finally completed the knitting of Mr Davey's Hammerhead pullover and am beginning the making up...finally...fourteen balls of wool later...sigh.

Pictures hopefully later this week. I just hope it fits!

Well, I must get on with my work while thinking thoughts of Davey who has gone for lunch at Clarence House with Camilla. Yes, honestly!

Bye for now x

What a Grump.

2011-01-28T10:47:00.008Z

It is Friday, my most favourite day of the week with all the anticipation of lie-ins, a jug of coffee on my dressing table and the children at the end of our bed as we eat buttery toast spread thick with tayberry jam. It is the day of the week I generally spend with a cheery smile never far from my face, yet today I feel disgruntled and out of sorts. Why? I have no idea which makes me feel even more disgruntled and deeply annoyed with myself for spoiling my best day.

All felt wrong from the moment I opened my eyes in the dark of another icy morning: Isabella's school uniform was covered in cholcolate mousse from the night before, the one night I hadn't chased her to change out of it on arriving home from school, and I had forgotten to actually turn the machine on. A quick wash first thing and into the drier which, needless to say, turned itself off for a reason known only to itself, leaving her jumper a sodden mass and me racing to find an alternative.

Oh, for heavens sake I am even boring myself with the dullness of this tale. Suffice it to say, this is pretty much how the day has gone so far and I am grumpy despite the joys of having completed my tax return, the joy much depleted by the nonsense of having left it so late in the first place!

I suspect much of my mood is due to the weather, the cold having returned with a vengeance and the flatness of the light muting all colour from around me. I am cold despite wearing many layers, a condition I am very poor at putting up with. I have drunk too many cups of ground coffee and eaten too many sugary doughnuts in an attempt to chase the grumps away, three having been scoffed this morning alone. I feel vaguely grubby as a result.

I suppose the most obvious reason is that I have a course to go on this weekend which means I will not be around for most of the fun. I am a chronic creature of habit when it comes to my home, jealously guarding our time together and perfectly happy with the doors closed on the world outside (blogland excepted of course). I practically have to be shoe-horned away from the house and am notoriously bad at arranging things with friends, not because I don't love and value them, but because I am so happy in my home that it doesn't enter my head to change things.

I am never bored here, can always find things to do outside of the ordinary houseworkey things and revel in our little, somewhat shabby - ok, very shabby - space. So, perhaps my grumps today are because I am forced away for a few days, leaving Davey to the fun of having the children all to himself, something he loves too. It is strange how many people seem to find this daunting and draft in others when they are alone with children for a few days. Most odd to the both of us really, but I suppose we are all different - how terribly (un)profound Pip!

I think they are planning to make marmalade...without me...sighs deeply in despair.

Ah well, I shall return in the evenings to hear about their days and scoff some toast and marmalade; it may not be with them all at the end of our bed, but it will be fun nonetheless.

Fortunately, these days my grumps never last as I truly have little to be grumpy about and shall give myself a good talking too forethwith.

Normal cheeriness will be resumed on Monday x

This & That.

2011-01-26T09:39:00.005Z

Oh the joys of end of year Tax Returns. Yes, yes, I know I should have done it before now, but there are so many other things far more interesting to do aren't there? It could have been worse as I discovered I was almost up to date which had completely slipped my mind. I like a nice bright file to cheer things along, not to mention a cuppa and one of Lucy's gorgeous biscuits.

She made a batch of these last night, informing me that the different sizes are so that you can choose a small one if you are not so hungry - because that happens a lot here! - or a large one if it's a long wait till dinner. Seems good reasoning to me.

Now the weather is improving a little and there are new shoots of nettles growing in the garden I am craving cups of nettle tea with its wonderfully earthy aroma and almost soup-like taste.

I can practically feel the good of this cleansing drink and find it a bit more satisfying than some of the other herb teas, though I also love mint tea made from the new leaves of the peppermint plants just outside the kitchen window. How much nicer it would all seem if I only had this tisaniere I have been hankering after for ages now from Sarah Raven. Isn't it pretty?

A quick visit into the sewing room this morning unearthed these gorgeous fabrics from the piles falling off the shelves and I was smitten with a desperate need for some dressmaking. They were given to me by a dear friend, one of the many who help my fabric fetish along, and they are suggesting spring skirts to me. My mannequin - Myfanwy is the name she goes by and I can hear Diana snickering from here - thinks they would look good on her too and so I really must find a pattern soon.

Well enough of my ramblings and procrastinating. The books must be completed and the form filled in ... oh, hang on, I can hear the ducks barking outside the kitchen window. Better feed them first and then maybe a quick look round the garden to see what's new or perhaps I'll bake a cake or pop the washing on....

Hope you have only lovely things to do today...sigh x

Dreaming of Days to Come.

2011-01-24T09:37:00.011Z

We have almost finished the last of the three Christmas puddings and very lovely they were too. Christmas is behind us and the beautiful weather of the last week has brought spring ever closer. Dave and I spent a blissful few hours on Sunday beginning the post Christmas clear up of our garden and discovered so much growing beneath the covering of leaves, making me itch to start propagating and cutting back.

The mass of seed heads we left over winter to feed the birds is now being added to the compost heap, the parade of goldfinches and coal tits having moved away to more interesting food as the season gets going once more.

Not only are the earliest of flowers, the delicate snowdrops with their purest of white nodding heads, beginning to open

but tulips are also pushing their stubby leaves high above ground. The more debris I cleared, the more drifts I found which makes me feel somewhat better about the fact that yet again I didn't add to the bubs as I intended, the autumn/winter rush of orders making any garden work an impossibilty.

The purple petals of the arabis beneath the sitting room window are already opening and plenty more buds are tightly furled promising a pretty display later on in the spring when the drifts of dainty saxifrage open alongside.

How ever, much as we have started to wreak a little order on the neglected garden, there are many areas yet to tidy. I really should turn the compost heap as we are already adding more to it. The whole area needs a clear up as pots and buckets have been left there since the summer and now it all looks so bedraggled.

Of course, Dave and I are spurred on now we feel back in touch with our patch. I love to browse through the catalogues, bathing in the glow of the inspiring images within the glossy pages.

Sarah Raven particularly concentrates on fantastic photography and curled up by the fire I like to imagine our garden looking a little like this ...

which of course it doesn't. I will say though that over the years we have created rather beautiful swathes to look out on, pretty patches such as this tangled mass of lychnis, lupins and ever-manic nasturtiums.

We have made a large duck pond with an old fruiting cherry gracefully arching its branches over the pond and scattering confetti petals over the murky waters beneath.

In summer bright orange marigolds seed in any gaps and lift the green of the yet to flower lupins

and clumps of chives are everywhere, used in salads and posies with equal fervour.

There are all kinds of herbs growing through the perennials such as lemon balm, oregano and my favourite golden marjoram which looks so amazing when grown with lavenders or marigolds.

Gorgeous never-ending forget-me-nots with the prettiest of summer's day blue petals and surely the prettiest of names.

It's a garden where hens often escape to wander free (to peck and wreck)and the sound of ducks splashing and diving mingles with the sweet songbird always present;

where there are fruit trees and bushes of all kinds to provide us with the makings of jams and puddings and a number of alcholic beverages to boot. The children pick their own apples for packed lunches, grazing on red and black currants, scoffing juicy tayberries, and enjoying crumbles and pies made from our rhubarb and gooseberries.

It is a garden that changes constantly and provides a home for all manner of wildlife from newts to hedgehogs. It gives us vegetables and salads, a place to sit or for the children to play, flowers to fill the house with nosegays such as this

and although I had not intended to visit it in quite this way today, I am so glad I have. It is all just around the corner and the fun begins again! x

A Bit of News!

2011-01-21T09:28:00.013Z

I was recently awarded the Stylish Blogger award by the lovely Jenny Arnott - yes, she of the gorgeous embroidered textiles - and though I don't usually do awards because I am notoriously bad at thinking of anything to say, I will give this one a go because I have never been called 'stylish' before!

I have to tell you seven things about myself, so apologies if I have made these facts known before, but here goes. The photos are old ones too as I haven't left the sewing table to take any new for a few days. Shoddy really, but do keep going to the end as there is one fact none of you will have known - ooh, the suspense!

1. I have a love of fire. This can be the crackling of logs in our pretty Arts & Crafts fireplace, watched with a glass of wine in my hand and pleasant dreams drifting through my head or it can be in the form of a massive bonfire in the campfire we built in our garden. I love the smell, the sound, the warmth...everything about it and can be somewhat dangerous if left to build the fire as I get a little carried away. This seems to be something I inherited from my Dad who would walk a long way to see a barn burn down! Eldest son Tom is similarly afflicted too. I would like to point out we don't actually start such fires, merely are drawn by them.

2. I am one of seven girls and have seven children myself ranging in age from almost 28 to 4 years, have given birth five times (work that one out) and have been lucky enough to be present at the births of two friends' children where I was the first after the midwife for cuddles. I also have masses of nephews and nieces, godchildren plus ducks and hens. Oh, almost forgot the cats.

3. I love Cornwall with a deep and lasting passion. I love its soft and gentle south coast as much as I yearn for the wild and elemental reaches of its north coast were I grew up. I love its meandering rivers and hidden coves, the wild moorland of Jamaica Inn fame, the woodlands where streams and gullys trickle and which are bordered by bright fields of daffodils. I love its history of mining and the harshness of the reality this brought both to the lives of the Cornish and the landscape it scarred, the engine houses and chimney stacks still prevalent almost everywhere you look. Quite simply I love it all.

4. (Struggling already here). I like a challenge and seem to start quite major projects when I have a baby. For example, I did a degree in English Literature and Media Studies when Lucy was a baby and I also had three other children. I also started my business when Isabella was less than a year old. Neither of these do I recommend doing as a path to an easy life!

5. I am totally hopeless at just sitting and always have to be doing something. I usually have knitting or sewing to hand, a book or a magazine to read and have to be positively forced to go to bed if poorly. I am also rubbish at asking for help as I just get on with things so it doesn't occur to me. Hmm, fiercely independent may be a good way to describe me though I am getting better and will actually ask Dave for help on occasion. At Christmas he was a dab hand at stuffing Christmas hearts and cutting out. Come to that, most of the children helped out too!

5. I have read all twelve of the Poldark novels by Winston Graham and feel as though I know the characters intimately. Forget the TV programmes and give these wonderful novels a go. Graham truly writes with a beautifully poetic style, underwriting key events in a manner that allows the reader to place his/her own imagination in the scene which always allows for a much deeper imagery. They are beautiful, wistful and just wonderful books.

6. I have a fabric fetish which gets fed by friends and family. Fortunately, I do actually use it in dressmaking projects such as this dress for Isabella and numerous other guises. I love sewing for us and wish I could find more time for it, though I am lucky that my work means I get to work with threads and designs and fabrics.

7. And I have saved the best (and quite possibly the only interesting one of the seven) till last:

our lovely daughter Matzen is having a baby girl and she is due at the end of May! I shall be Granny Pip at the grand old age of 47 and I can't wait!

So, there you have it. Have a wonderful weekend x

How Chocolate and Knitted Pants!

2011-01-19T16:28:00.006Z

It came - the sun shone, the sky was indeed blue and my spirits have lifted because of it. Beautiful, healing January sunshine has been here for the last two days and what a difference it has made. The littlies and I came home from the school run in cheery mood and decided mugs of hot chocolate were called for.

Of course the whole thing turned into a giggle fest once I produced the camera.

I don't think Isabella could physically fit anymore of her face into that mug, though by golly she tried!

Apparently I have an Elvis quiff going on, so Lucy informed me. Hmm, I can sort of see what she means, though I would like to point out this is due to the oils I have been unable to wash out from a Christmas pressie massage I was lucky enough to be given and which I had yesterday afternoon. Seriously, how many hair washes does it take before I stop looking like a grease ball! Oh but it was blissful, surrounded by warm towels, lying on a heated bed and drifting away as my poor muscles were dragged out of their mangled state, a hazard of leaning endlessly over the cutting table and being chained sewing machine.

I am planning a little knitting this evening as a change from sewing, but how I wish a new project was waiting in my basket, not this darned thing.

Ah well, I am pleased to report that progress has slowly happened on the Davey hooded jumper front with the hood being made as part of the back construction thus...

Oh, now I have looked again at the photo I realise it looks as though I am part way through knitting a pair of pants for the poor chap. I would like to point out that this would not work on so many levels and is truly not something I could see myself being able to wholeheartedly endorse. Of course, should you wish to have a go then far be it for me to stand in the path of creativity (and please do forward pics of the finished garment, preferably not being modelled.)

Ok, so a larger picture hasn't helped and you will just have to imagine the hood construction until such time as I actually complete it. The whole thing now looks like it has an additional willy warmer and has lowered the tone of my erstwhile tasteful (!) blog, so I shall swiftly move on and leave this topic I so wish I hadn't started. Lucy has discovered there is no more hot chocolate in her mug and therefore teatime must be calling.

Have you had sun today? x

Cold and Comfort

2011-01-17T07:48:00.006Z

It is wet this morning...again. The endless rain has reduced to soft drizzle blending with the mist which blankets the garden and softens the view from my window. Lamps are lit and the heating is on as comfort is the order of the day. A mug of hot chocolate in a Christmas-pressie mug helps to cheer a little before I start filling orders, but I am beginning to long for those crisp January days we usually have here in Cornwall - you know the ones: crystal light, bright blue sky and zinging yellow gorse in the hedgerows, the sea sparkling, the river reflecting the blue above ... sighs deeply.

Instead we are kept indoors by the cold, wet weather. Dave and I have resumed our ongoing chess tournament, though we haven't played too many games as yet. I love this part of the day when time allows for it to happen: children quietly - hah! - playing, Dave just home from work, a glass of something lovely in both our hands and a match underway. Such a nice end to the work day and a calming beginning to the evening (right up until the Isabella bedtime furore that is).

Slowly, slowly the snowdrops are growing taller, the buds fattening and revealing that pure white I so love when set against the sap green of the markings withing each flower. Such a shame the dark light makes for poor photos isn't it?

A stolen moment which proves it isn't only the younger children who love their cuddles!

What do you do to chase the cold away? x