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Eclectic ramblings


Bunad purse and silver
20th May


Celebration

17th May saw National Constitutional Day in Norway and I was not to be left out, there may not have been a National Holiday here in the UK, but I baked my cake and wore my bunad (national costume).  Outside of Norway the largest parade for 17 May takes place every year in London and despite the fact that I could not attend this year, I streamed live both to the London and Oslo parades.  A girl wants to feel part of the party after all! 



To see more about this day and how to make kransekake pop along to my previous post... here



Traditional Norwegian celebration cake: kransekake


Exams begin with tradition

As with many other households across the UK we are at the beginning of exam fervour.  A tradition has been set up and whoa betide us if we now do not follow it, so in true eclectic home style we had waffles for breakfast as a good luck feast before heading off into the hall in silence, with a see through pencil case, you know what I'm talking about right...

Breakfast waffles

 Sewing for the first time this year
The Great British Sewing Bee began this week and as in previous years I sat glued to the TV, not being a great TV watcher, this is somewhat unusual for me to actually even know when a programme is starting, but I was there in front of the goggle box with a few seconds to spare.  AND it got me to thinking when did I last dust off the old sewing machine and make something?  The following day out it came and from my chaotic craft cupboard, that everything falls out of when you open it because it is crammed full of 'this might come in handy' random stuff, I found very suitable material and a funky chunky red zip.  I had the beginnings of a skirt... 

No pattern, so I had to wing it...

Really happy with the material and red combo

It's so hard to photograph yourself!

I'm not entirely happy with it as the waistband is a little large, so really I need to un pick it and trim it all in but I was running out of time and now I wonder if I will ever get round to it *sigh*

Teaching & Learning

My day job hours are always reduced in mid May every year and this is my frantic time to make, bake, craft, learn and teach.  It began in earnest this year.  Crochet class number 3 began, (actually the first  course of this year)  Still being a tad nervous at teaching crochet I try and dot my 'i's' and cross my 't's' so to speak for days before checking I know exactly what to do and how to go about it.  I think the first class went well, it was on National Day, so the ladies were treated to kransekake, that seemed to wash down well with the refreshments, what to bake for next week?  Any suggestions?  I like to bake something new for each class...

Beginning to set out for the course


And this is week 5 of the Scheepjes CAL, I'm loving it and learning new crochet tit bits all the time.  Ester's videos are totally brilliant, just love it.  To find out more, see this post here


Watching Ester on the video, although with
 the crib sheet and crocheting at the same
time, multi tasking indeed and loving it
 
 
Hard to see in the photograph, but this
week we made seagull prints on the sand!
You have to look very closely...
 

 Nature

What weather!!! you would think we were in April still.  What is right to wear, I seem to get it wrong every day.  I'm either freezing cold or too hot.  Here's what it looks like in my village and garden right now...


Clematis montana in beautiful sunshine. 
Can you spot an animal shape?

Then came the rain.  Leaf of honeysuckle


The wild flowers are literally having a
 field day with the rain and sun

Buttercups in the centre of our village

Such cheery wildflowers


Everyone's wisteria is in full bloom, ours every
 year is behind by a few weeks, odd!

Simply stunning


Sharing with you my five moments from my week and joining in with  Amy
 
  Have a glorious week end 

APOLOGIES TO WORDPRESS BLOGGERS
Massive apologies and I have been trying to remember to say this for some weeks, but for some inexplicable reason I cannot leave comments on WordPress.  I write them, click on publish and vamoosh, they disappear, gone into thin air.  I then often try again but to no avail, after now having tried again on two different WordPress blogs I know not what to do to rectify this solution. 
Anyone, can you help?

An eclectic hot week


3rd July  


So much to share and so little time, let the pictures do the talking today...

Eating for a healthier life style this week...


Breakfast in a cup

A meze lunch with family

Different salads all week for dinner

Playing with glass as much as I can...

Last weeks cutting...

...to this weeks light catcher

A bowl in the making

A slightly wonky bowl produced

The sewing machine has been out this week...


A dress almost completed, fully lined too!

Last weeks fabric became this weeks bunting,
today it travels to the USA

I quite fancy it for myself though!!

 
A week of traditional British sport...

Even out local florist supports Wimbledon

Love the tennis rackets and suspended tennis balls

My daughter and friends on the river Thames, with our boys quad
in the background preparing to race at Henley Royal Regatta

A beautiful day by the river

Perfect weather

So very British

 
A little bit of garden tranquillity after sad news of Wink...
 
 
 
I wore my flowers from Amy as a gift from one blogger to
another to honour the memory of Marinke, who lost her battle
with depression last Friday. 
A great blogger and inspirational crochet designer.
http://www.acreativebeing.com/

A Red Admiral butterfly finds a moment of peace
in our ever constant renovating garden

♥  This week I'm going to take time out to hold my loved ones just that little bit closer, sending warm regards to you all   ♥


Joining in with Amy sharing my five things with you this week.

Bunting and bits

September 25th 
Bunting can be used at any time of the year, not just summer!


 My crochet mojo has gone momentarily and the sewing bug has taken over for a while.  This week has seen me burning the midnight oil and making bunting and lots of it.  The British are excellent at putting up bunting for summer parties, just to make us feel jolly, picnics and some even when they are camping.  2012 saw nearly the whole country become bunting mad, especially with those depicting the national flag for the Queen's diamond jubilee and for the summer Olympics in London. A street party, and the British know how to throw those so well, is not a street party without bunting.


However, bunting does not need to come down now that the days are shorter and the temperature is dropping.  True, I have removed the bunting from the garden, but now is time to dress the house a bit and continue that summer feel indoors.

Cutting out all in one go was
the quickest option

I have made bunting this week for all sorts of occasions, some for a children's bedroom, some for the dining room, short lengths for hanging over the fireplace, I will be careful when I light the fire and some for the kitchen too.  Dare I mention the C word in September?  Look at the last pictures and you will see that I have made several in preparation for the festive season also! 

Bunting is fun to make, but boy is it time consuming.  I found the best thing to do was to cut out all my shapes first, then sew them right sides together, straight away, one after the other.  Then I had a
mammoth turn them all inside out and iron session before I could place them on the tape or bias binding depending on which I was using at the time.  It took a long time, but it was worth it!

I think bunting looks lovely and I may turn my hand to some elegant lacy ones for the dining room, hung up for grown up dinner parties...




Bunting for a child's room


Bunting does not have to be triangular, play with shapes, it's fun


Bunting and fairy light, a good combination







Miniature bunting on a short length,
perfect for dressing up an internal door...

...or perfect for dressing up a fire place
Funky shaped bunting made from retro men's shirts

 Look away now if it is too early for you to even consider the C word in September... these are all to be finished on the sewing machine, but I am almost there!

A short piece of bunting, ideal for chair, door
or fireplace dressing.  Where else would
you put the bunting?

Changing the colour of the bunting line
but keeping the fabric the same creates
a different look very easily.


Same bunting material, but different sizes
and different colour bunting lines


  What have you been up to this week?