Offa's Dyke Path

 

As part of our mission to discover our new local area in the west country, Andy had researched local paths and found we were very near (twenty minutes' drive) to one of Britain's long distance paths, Offa's Dyke.   

So, one Sunday morning back in May 2019, Andy, Finn and I set off to have a bit of a walk, out to the Devil's Pulpit, a view point looking over Tintern Abbey on the River Wye.

We walked across fields and through woods to our destination, discovering a massive spread of wild garlic as we went.   

Sadly, since this time, we've never been back - not only because there are so many other places to visit, but because I haven't yet been able to find the car park again!

Nan's Quilt

 When my Nan died back in 1988, I asked if I could have some of her old dresses - they were all of a particular style and very much "Nan".   Mum had recently made a patchwork quilt and I had it in mind to make one with Nan's fabrics.  Up to a point, it worked, but I did have to supplement the fabric with some charity shop dresses - all the same old fashioned style - and I also used some old sheeting for the plain cream hexagons.

The hexagons were all tacked onto cardboard, and then hand sewn together, keeping the cardboards inserts until the quilt was big enough that I could start taking the middles out.   Once I'd finished with all the hexagons, it then took hours and hours of straight machine knitting!   

The final stats:

400 index cards, 725 hand cut and stitched hexagons, 12 of Nan's dresses and nighties, 2 charity shop bought Nan-style dresses to supplement fabrics, 3 plain fitted double sheets, 2 kilometres machine stitching, 4 kilometres hand stitching.  31 years!

Quilts at Bury St Edmunds

 

Back in May 2019, Mum and I headed off to Blackthorpe Barns near Bury St Edmunds for another quilt show - we can't keep away.   And I think we were just blown away by the creativity and artistry of the makers.   

I'm always torn between feeling really inspired, and feeling really downhearted, knowing that I'd never be this good!

Bruges

 Bright and early one May morning back in 2019, Amanda, Shannon and I were up and waiting for our coach to take us to Bruges - a day trip adventure!   

The journey was interminable, but we had food, sweets, books and knitting to take our minds off it, and it was so worth it when we got there.   What a beautiful city!

It was a fab, but very long, day and I feel that a mini break is needed the next time.

(Of course, I took loads more photos than these but in the intervening three years, my hard drive has died - with all the photos on it - and so these are the ones I've found on various social media posts.  If nothing else, then I need to go back to take the photos again!)

Wretham Lodge

One Sunday back in April 2019, Mum and I visited Wretham Lodge as part of the National Gardens' Scheme.  This takes place every year and thousands of privately owned gardens in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are opened up once or twice a year, for visitors to come and have a wander around, and usually have coffee and cake!   There is sometimes the opportunity to buy the odd plant too.  What's not to love?  The proceeds of these garden visits go to the NGS which divvies up the monies for various charities, but mainly for nursing and medical charities.

It was a beautiful spring morning but quite fresh so, cleverly, the organisers didn't provide coffee and cake themselves - normally this is done outside in the grounds somewhere - but had commandeered Wretham church where we could all sit indoors in the relative warmth, and, as an extra bonus, they'd even put on a book sale.  This had actually turned out to be the perfect day!