A Textile for Aldeburgh

I know I've told you before that one of my all time favourite places is Aldeburgh on the Suffolk coast.

A mosaic of Aldeburgh loveliness!

A few weeks ago I wanted to something textiley and I decided to try and reflect Aldeburgh.  Not an actual representation, more of a memory of the light, the textures, the movement and the colours.

I kept to a very limited colour palette, but used a variety of different fabrics and threads.

I did some free motion embroidery, some hand embroidery, half hid some mother of pearl buttons and made some rust like holes through the layers of fabric with a solder iron.

I added some shells and a small piece of drift wood.

A Textile for Aldeburgh - 35cm x 24cm

(click on the picture to enlarge it)

I'm not sure if it does reflect Aldeburgh, but I don't know whether that really matters.  I enjoyed working with the limited colours and at the moment I quite like it.

A Bit of a Do

We've had a bit of a family 'do' this weekend.  It involved a cake (made by a friend not me)

a new dress (which involved hours of alterations the night before, nothing like a bit of last minute panic to focus the mind!),

some 'adapted' shoes, which several people thought were rather nice (but I did admit to having to add the silk ties as I couldn't walk in them as they were!),

and a home-made card.

No, not my birthday - I have a few years before I hit 50 (although not as many as I'd like!), but my parents' Golden Wedding anniversary.  50 years ago on 8th September 1962 they got married in St Martin's in the Field in Trafalgar Square, London.

And yesterday they celebrated with family and friends and cut another cake to celebrate.

Congratulations Mum and Dad!

A Funny Old Year

It's been a funny old year in the garden hasn't it?  Some plants that are usually stunning have struggled just to survive but some have done really well.  Some of the roses that got so damaged by the rain in June and looked quite appalling are now on their second flush and looking much better than the first time.

Sceptred Isle

Lady Emma Hamilton

Mutabilis

The dahlias also seem to be doing well with year, although a little slow to get going.

Cafe Au Lait

Unknown pink bud

Nuit D'Ete

It's been a mixed year in the veg garden.  After a slow start I am now picking courgettes, beans, cucumbers and tomatoes.  The yakon, given to me by Fiona, has loved all the wet weather and I'm hoping that all the top growth means there are lots of tubers below...

Yakon

The biggest winner this year does seem to have been the slugs though, huge great big brown ones - YUK!  It has been a constant battle between me and them, one that I think I might just be winning (those of you that know me in real life know I HATE to be beaten by anything!).

But rather than end this post on such a yukky topic I'll leave you with this detail from the centre of a Mutabilis rose - just beautiful.