Impromptu camp out

The weather has been glorious here all through September. It has been nice but tough because I have been lured inside to the preserving pan when it is really beautiful outside. This weekend we decided to try and catch the last of the sun and camp out at dad's farm. Just a bit of a photo fest really, but enjoy...

 

Jacket potatoes and garlic bread on the fire.

 

Bloke made a sausage casserole before we went.

 

Bit of a razz round on the motorbike.

 

A walk down to the pond to catch up with the wildlife and seasonal fruit. The girls tried hazelnuts for the first time and liked them.

 

The obligatory jam jar posy with feathers featured today.

 

Two kilos of blackberries still available to pick. I couldn't help myself!

 

A seasonal change from marshmallows to crumpets.

 

 

 

The last of the evening sun.

  

 

 

Sitting out in the dark, which they had never done before and found really fascinating. All the sounds and twinkling lights in the distance.

 

It felt great to get away for just one night for one of our little adventures. I added another seat cover to the foam seats around the table but in all the seasonal observations I forgot to take a photo of it. Only three more covers to make. Jo xx

 

 

 

 

 

Surprise!

I had the best surprise ever today. A parcel. I opened it. Then thought maybe I shouldn't have. It was from Amazon. I thought my bloke had got an early Christmas present to stash under the bed but I couldn't work out how he knew I wanted it. Then...

I read the gift note. A present from my Auntie and Uncle for Christmas which I am so thrilled with.

 

They check in with my blog regularly and my Auntie said she had followed some of the blogs on my blog list. She obviously had been reading Fox's Lane. Go and have a look.

It is a fabulous book full of the sort of photography you can see on Kates blog and a lovely mix of craft, advice on caravan trips and holidaying with a family. It is simply wonderful. The message from Auntie and Uncle read 'We saw this and thought of you'

Thanks Jackie and Phil, great minds think alike. Jo xxxxxxxx

Garden delight

We are all blogging about the fantastic weather here in the UK, it really does lift the spirits. It means that some crafts are out of bounds because they are inside projects but crochet is so portable so I will be finishing my last 8 hexagons this weekend at the trailer tent.

I am thrilled to post that as I ate my breakfast today, I looked out of the French doors and thought that the garden looked exactly like I wanted it to. We had an extension to the house in 2011 and it was a complete trodden down building site so I revelled in the fact that this year it has done it's own thing brilliantly.

At the beginning of spring it was all dark red and burgundy and now without any effort or money it has all turned pink and purple all by itself. Magic. (The obligatory rogue football there you may have noticed!)

Enjoy your garden and the lovely sunshine. I'm off to fill the paddling pool for two excited girls in bikinis before we head off to the farm for the night later this afternoon.

 

Jo x

Horray! patch cushion

I hate clearing away bits from a sewing session and throwing them all back in my drawer. It always depresses me next time I open it and find not enough to do anything with or it all looks like un inspirational bits of off cuts so...

I used the spotty from the curtains to make the belt on my denim bag and then cut 10cm X 10cm squares to make this cushion for the trailer tent. I didn't want to throw away the denim off cuts either, neither did I want half cut up jeans cluttering my fabric drawer so I used my new rotary cutter (How did I survive without one of these?) to cut up the rest of the denim into patchwork squares. I used 5 here and have another 10 neatly piled up for another day. The border and back are from a larger neat piece from an IKEA duvet makeover I did about 4 years ago.

I have another cushion inner I saved from an old project (a rag rug cushion that Little M gradually picked to pieces!) to make another one. I don't possess any quilting skills whatsoever but I like to have a little play with simple patchwork from time to time, it keeps my fabric drawer from mis-behaving itself. 

This morning Little M and I went to the allotment to assess the weeds and had a lovely surprise of produce.

 

A decent amount of strawberries to make Eton Mess, a huge lettuce and lots of baby spinach to make a quiche. It's going to be a bit hot to have the oven on later today but if I get cracking I can get one done before the heat kicks in.

 

Enjoy the sunshine. Jo x

Hooray! spotty curtains

It all went a bit pear shaped this week:

1) Big Sis was poorly but is better now
2) Crochet lessons on Tuesday morning and night
3) Parents evening on Wednesday night
4) OFSTED inspected my teaching at school on Thursday
5) Commission cardigans need to be finished - deadline looming
6) We need food shopping - I have ran out of Pasta combinations!
7) I made dotty curtains for the trailer tent

So sorry I went a bit dotty this week. My plates were spinning but them some wobbled off!

Apparently I am good at teaching (with features of outstanding) according to a man in a beard I smiled and smiled at all morning on Thursday while teaching Science to Year 3,4,5,6. So that is nice. I sort of know I am good at teaching because I enjoy it and that is why I do it! but there you are, we all have to have our boxes ticked.

Annnyhooo, more pressing issues - curtains... What do you think?

 

They really cheer up the brown and orange vibe that is going on in the trailer tent and because they are a dark colour they keep out the light later on too so the little ones slept well.

 

I took quite a bit of stuff for a one night sleepover but I was 'stocking' the tent with some essentials so that we can just throw in pyjamas and food next time. A few essential things made it feel less of a hassle.

 

The little ones picked some flowers and we cooked steak sandwiches. A lot of testing went on this weekend - does the gas work, how much space is there, how does the water work, will it be hot or cold?  

 

 

I can't believe some spotty curtains can change my mood about the whole camping experience.

 

 

The girls were filthy but having a great time. I knew taking them camping before they could actually help out would have been a mistake. They were so helpful and excited to join in now that they are older.

 

 

After tea we went to hear the buzz of insects down at the pond and catch up with the tadpoles. Lots had grown legs and this fascinated Little M.

 

 

It is so lush at the bottom of the field.

 

 

A steep walk back up the hill and time to light a little fire for the finale - marshmallows.

 

 

Yes, we are lying rather majestically on some old 1980's curtains that were in the box seats in the trailer tent from the last owners - I was going to throw them away but that seemed a good way to use them until they finally bite the dust.

 

 

Perfection!

 

 

Story time outside tonight.

 

 

A lovely little adventure for us all, I wished I had brought the radio to listen to Glastonbury but I settled on some knitting and Bloke did the Sudoko in the newspaper. We don't need much to make us happy - Just spotty curtains!!

 

Hope you all had a good time in the nice weather. Jo X