Odd Things

At the end of the summer when I was showing my Dad some photos I'd taken in Aldeburgh, he looked at a picture I'd taken of a piece of rusty metal on the shingle beach and said "What on earth did you take a picture of that odd thing for?" I tried to explain that I liked the colours and the texture.

Today, as I was taking more 'bizarre' photos, I was thinking about him and what he'd think this time.
This is the view from my sofa through a lovely little internal window into my dining room.

I took it because I love the lines and the patterns that the light makes on the lines.

And these dahlias are well past their best and really should be confined to the compost bin but I'm fascinated by the shapes they're making as they decay. The way the petals are twisting and how they are changing colour and revealing their yellow centres is so far stopping me from binning them. They look so very different to how they are when fresh.

But I'll leave you with this picture, taken earlier in the year at a local garden centre.  Not of a plant as you might expect, but of the lichen and rotting wood on the fence!

One day I might use one or more of them to inspire some textile work.

I hope I've not left you thinking that I've totally lost the plot - I just like pictures of odd things!  I wonder if any of you do the same too?

Total Opposites

I have two clematis flowering in my garden at the moment, one extremely tiny, and one big and blowsy!  They're rather late and I'd nearly given up on them both.

Clematis Rubromarginata

The tiny one is Rubromarginata - supposedly scented, but I think it must be a very faint scent - and is about 1cm across the flower.  I thought it had died earlier on in the year so I was most surprised to see it in flower at the weekend, tiny, subtle and very very delicate.

Whereas this one, just shouts "Look at me!"

Clematis Jackmanii Superba

It's Jackmanii Superba and was another one I thought had died.  It's the first time it's flowered as last year it developed wilt.

I also spotted these fennel seed heads at the weekend,

I love the shape of them and the contrast with the blue sky.  I'm sure I can translate them into something textiley at some point, but for now I'll enjoy looking at them!

Thanks for all your lovely comments about my textile on the last post - I'm very excited to tell you that I was asked if I'd sell it, and so it is now residing in a new home!  Buns for tea then (if you've ever watched 'The Railway Children' you'll understand what I mean, if you haven't then you really must, it's my favourite film!).

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.

The Sun Came Out

The sun came out today and the hemerocallis almost shone.

I'm not a big fan of orange plants, but I have to admit to being rather fond of this double flowered Day Lily.  I have no idea its of its name but it flowers its little socks off for weeks and weeks on end.

In contrast the shasta daisies looked almost serene.

 

I picked some of the daisies 10 days ago and they're still going strong in a vase.  They were grown years ago by some ancestors of mine for just that purpose - an excellent cut flower!

Hope the sun has been shining for you too.

A List of Pleasing Things

A little while ago, well a few months actually, I was passed this book by Gina at Fan My Flame.

It's about Loretta, a single mum living in a small Australian town.  At one point in the point there is a lovely moment where Loretta is attending a creative writing class and has to read out her list of pleasing things.  The 'deal' in being passed the book was that I had to make my own list of pleasing things and then pass the book on to someone else.

My List of Pleasing Things

1.  A cup of tea in the garden.  Simple I know, but quite a novelty this year!  I love escaping out there and listening to the birds.  When the weather isn't conducive to sitting outside I sometimes sit in my greenhouse.

 2.  Roses.  Any colour, but they have to be scented and preferably old fashioned looking.  This one's my favourite - Abraham Darby and it grows on the front of my house.

3.  A contented cat - even when she is using my clean washing as a pillow!

 4.  This combination of vibernum berries and an inherited purple clematis.  The vibernum belongs to my neighbour and there aren't any berries on her side.  Sometimes nature just makes a perfect match.

5.  My pond.  Not the prettiest pond in the world (I wish the liner didn't show), and with copious amounts of duck weed (which provides regular treats for next door's new ducks), but loved by wildlife.  At this time of year the damsel flies dance around it and the frogs sit and watch me watching them.  If you look closely you'll spot 'Mr Ginger Frog' on a rock on the right (yes I do know my frogs by name!!!).

6.  Aldeburgh.  My favourite seaside place.  A lovely little town on the Suffolk coast, with nice shops, great restaurents and an unspoilt shingle beach.  It's never heaving with people (unless you happen to try and go when it's the Carnival) and is perfect for watching the sea and the seagulls.  Just look at the blue sky and sea - perfect.

7.  Gin and Tonic!  And preferably Plymouth Gin and Fever Tree tonic (not that I'm fussy or anything!).  Can't beat a G & T in the garden on the summer evening :-)

The book is a good read - it's really quite funny in places.  If you'd like to read it next then please say so in your comment and I'll draw a name at random.  The deal is the same - once you've read it then post your own list of pleasing things and pass the book on.

If you don't want to read it then you can still comment - I'd be interested to know if any of the things on my list would be on yours?