A Homely Heroine

books to bathe in

2011-02-15T22:09:00.002Z

The Thirties is finally out in paperback!

I'm also enjoying Mapp and Lucia...

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T10:25:00.004Z

Here's a project I've been working on lately, and it's fitting I should post about it today. My friend Kate and her fiance are to be married in July, with an outdoor ceremony on the north Devon coast (previously planned for Westonbirt). Together Kate and I are making bunting to decorate her outdoor venue, in her bridal colours of cherry red, teal and white.

I started with a trial version, with some fabric scraps from my stash...

Kate's bridal bunting: trial/version/one

Then Kate chose her fabrics and decided on a larger triangle flag, to be sewn wrong sides together and trimmed with pinking shears, rather than seamed as above. We then cut and sewed 200 flags...

Once Kate has decided on the various lengths she needs, we'll attach them to bias-binding. In total it will be around 40 metres.

completion of a really really old project

2011-01-16T15:38:00.004Z

I found an almost finished project last night that only needed a few more rows and casting off, I can't believe how long its been on the needles, I started it back then, which must be a year and a half ago...its frightening how time slips away isn't it?

Its a little bit tweedy, a little bit country, a little horse and hounds and tea in china cups on a wet blustery day.

beachy tea

2011-01-12T10:12:00.005Z

Suffolk beaches, beach huts, pebbles, bunting, stripes, these have inspired the creation of a new teacosy for my brown betty. Rather indulgently I've used the Blue Sky Alpaca cotton in tulip and drift because the colours are perfect and the plain stockinette stitch and broad stripes show them off wonderfully.

This is a really simple teacosy, with a moss stitch border to give the idea of sand, while the stripes remind me of a beach hut. This is how I did it ::

Cast on 32 stitches. Work 6 rows in double moss stitch, then switch to the second colour and commence stockinette stripes, of 6 rows each. Work 11 stripes, or 66 rows of stockinette. Work six rows of double moss stitch in the original colour. Cast off 32 stitches. Fold the rectangular piece of knitting in half and seam the sides with invisible mattress stitch. Leave a gap in each seam for the handle and spout.

baby hat

2011-01-11T16:48:00.002Z

This is my first attempt at any sort of babywear, and I've tried to make sure all ends are woven in and it's as sturdy as possible. I've made it from the same organic cotton as the yarn intended for the wedding blanket. It is for the newborn that is soon to make an entrance in the lives of my two friends, they don't know whether it will be girl or boy.

The wedding blanket (for the same couple) has stalled due to the expense, so I am contemplating a pair of booties to match, and (I know its selfish to make something for yourself from yarn intended for a gift...) a striped teacosy for myself.

radio bliss

2010-11-29T14:48:00.003Z

Just a quickie...Radio 4's Women's Hour have a new 10-part dramatisation of one of my favourite books; Wives and Daughters.

It starts today...

Wives and Daughters

new home

2010-10-31T15:56:00.005Z

here is a sneaky peek at some corners of my new kitchen...kitchen fireplace and pantry

On saturday I went to the Vintage Bazaar in Frome, which was a real treat. It was crammed with stalls selling vintage homewares, kitchenalia, fabric, trimmings, vintage clothes, books, and even handmade cloche hats. I made straight for the 'vintage makeover' parlour and had my hair done. It was an utterly blissful hour, having my hair curled and smoothed, pinned and hairsprayed, for the merest £5...

spain

2010-10-31T12:59:00.004Z

Gibraltar, mojitos, flamenco, tagine, Morocco, nelson, beads, beach, cafes

The homelyheroine in me had a lovely time too....

There was an amazing bead shop in tarifa, with hundreds of hand-painted wooden beads, and gorgeous jewellery made from the beads...

This is my little haul...

I also bought this pretty lilac leaf ceramic dish...

There were some delicious cakes...

And some lovely tiles...

Oh dear, its been a while...

2010-10-17T20:11:00.002+01:00

...since I've put my head round the door isn't it. Faithful readers, I am still here.

Well, what's the gossip?

I had a lovely holiday in Spain, it was a much prettier place than I had imagined, and I daresay I'll post a mosaic of photos for the curious that will give you the gist of it.

I've moved house, and I'm all safe and sound in my new home, a dear little cottage that I like to think is a bit like the one in the 1995 'Sense and Sensibility' film. Plenty of white wood panelling, and a fireplace is practically every room. A proper little kitchen too which we've managed to fit a dining room table into, and a pantry.

I've started my OU course, which was pretty terrifying at first, but is so far not too difficult. Maybe I'll report differently after the first assessment...

I had my first ever house-warming party, to which I lured people with the promise of a chocolate fountain, and was stunned by the generosity of a relatively new friend who has some game in the cake department. She showed up with this stunner...

And yes, those roses are entirely made of sugar, and she made them with her own fair hands, impressive, no? Needless to say she is baking her own wedding cake (she of the Westonbirt wedding, which has now changed location to a Devon cliff with a private beach for the day).

More soon, there is much to tell, and many blogger-friends to catch up with.

holiday

2010-09-02T17:51:00.005+01:00

Thanks for all your lovely messages of support, and practical advice! I managed to get the cake there, and assembled it at the bar while Mr HH and my sister shielded me from view. Perhaps I overdid it with the chocolate cream filling, as by the time it was served it had melted down the side of the cake a little, and was 'artfully' disguised by the waitress who added yet more cream on top of the white roses. On the whole though, it was successfull, my mum seemed pleased at least!

Tomorrow I am going on holiday, hurrah! My bags are packed, I have my euros, nothing left to do but catch my flight. I'm flying to Gibraltar, Gib, The Rock, the port for British sailors since the days before Aubrey and Hornblower (ok those two are fictional), that strategic military base with roaming monkeys...

But I'm not staying there, I'm heading for an empty beach on the Costa de la Luz, rural Spain, with a view of Africa across the Straits...

Hopefully there'll be a few day trips, to Cadiz and Tangier, whale watching and churro eating.

And some good reading, I'm taking 'Anne of Green Gable' which I've never read (!) and the new Muriel Spark bio just out in paperback. See you in two weeks!

and breathe...

2010-08-19T09:49:00.004+01:00

I am T minus 2 days away from my mother's 50th birthday party in Brighton, and I am responsible for providing the cake. I am stressed about this on several levels......

My plan is to bake a chocolate sandwich with a layer of chocolate whipped cream between and on top, to place this on a cake board and garnish with fresh white and pink roses, with pink candied rose petals scattered on top. Fine. Except I also have to get it to Brighton intact and fresh, and that means surviving a 4 hour car-journey. The cake is for 20 people.

It'll be ok though, because I have an elaborate plan to transport everything separately- sponges, cream, flowers, and assemble at the restaurant. I'm trying not to think about it, mostly.

On the other hand I did manage to get Robert Opie's '1920's Scrapbook' on sale at work...

It's a fantastic collection of newspapers, adverts, and memorabilia, arranged into chapters such as 'hair and hats'. Excellent social history record, and very nice to open randomly and pore over. There is also a '1930's Scrapbook' which I'd love to get hold of...

Speaking of social history, top of my wishlist at the moment is this book by Shirley Hughes. It contains a painting for every other year from 1900 to 1950, and 2 pages of text and black and white drawings summarising the social, cultural, and political history of that year. Most of the paintings depict meals, and my favourite is the very first...the kitchen of the grand townhouse.

I just got my registration papers back from the OU, I am officially started on my history degree, an ambition of some 6 years standing....so excited!

Just as long as the cake turns out ok....

paper art

2010-08-13T20:09:00.004+01:00

Here's a book to fall in love with....'Playing With Books'

It has a number of projects to turn beautiful books, pages and covers that will never be read into decorative and useful items, such as a clock, bag, or flowers. Then at the back features some serious artists practising the craft. The dress on the cover for instance, but also 'butterflies' and my favourite, a tiny but perfect age-of-sail ship cresting the wave created by the pages of a book.

Have a look at the website of Tracey Bush, I adore what she does, particularly the use of maps.

Another nice book is 'Things on Toast'. Yum, yum, yum.

There won't be any more children's books featured for a while because I am on the long-list reading panel for the Children's Book Prize run by my company, and I cannot divulge the titles.

I tried salt-dough today for the first time, no pictures yet because its in the oven, and I need to find some paints...

This July just gone

2010-07-28T19:58:00.006+01:00

So I've missed a few mondays, how predictable! Life had been pretty hectic, but before I elaborate ::

monday 5th :: read this book.....'The Complete Borrowers'

monday 12th :: read this book...'Swallows and Amazons'

monday 19th :: read this book...'Kensuke's Kingdom'

monday 26th :: read this book...'The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'

All of these books are suitable for adults, seriously, if you read them as a child read them again, I promise you will get more out of them this time around. 'The Complete Borrowers' is wonderfully told, I almost attempted to make my own 'borrowers' house with walls lined with writing paper from the waste paper basket and stamps as portraits. 'Swallows and Amazons' is a very peaceful book, with a couple of high-excitement chapters, oh the sailing! 'Kensuke's Kingdom' is so original, so realistic, so unusual, so moving. 'The Voyage of the Dawn Treader' is a typical adventure, and has a fantastic opening line that indicates the humour in the book....

'There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.'

C.S Lewis

I never told you all about our anniversary afternoon tea at the Royal Crescent Hotel. It was absolutely lovely, from the lavender-scented spacious garden we sat in, to the plates stacked with sandwiches and cakes. We ate our fill and drank our tea and had a wonderful time. I was even impressed by the sumptuous bathroom I washed my hands in. If you're ever in Bath, I would recommend it. Later in the year we'll be going for Tea at the Ritz as we've been given vouchers for christmas, and I'll do a comparison...I've heard that at the Ritz the sandwiches keep on coming and that there are also savoury pastries in abundance.

I also received a rather nice anniversary gift from Mr HH, can you believe it...he bought me Jigsaw bedlinen!? I am still overwhelmed by it...it was a very homelyheroine moment. It's the Newquay Stripe in Dusky Rose.

I also happened through sheer luck to win my workplace world cup sweepstake, and bought this...

Last weekend I went to the beautiful Brecon Beacons to do adventurous things with my Brownie Pack, like cata-canoeing (which is fun because you can't capsize the boat, on the otherhand that's no good if the instructor picks you up and throws you in the lake) and camping. It was exhausting, but not more tiring than house-hunting, which I'm delighted to say has come to an end!

Mr HH and I are relocating to an old cottage just 2 miles outside of Bath; giving up our lovely but run-down city flat for luxuries like a garden and a spare room. Alas, I have no photos to share, and we don't move until October 1st, but I can tell you that the kitchen has a fireplace and a larder. I've started day-dreaming about welsh dressers and 'cabbages and roses' curtain material, and candles in the fireplaces, and housewarming parties, and wearing wellies around the village.

I can't wait to move in, but when the time comes I know I'll feel sad about leaving our flat, so I have a new sewing project....my home in fabric. I was inspired by the very talented Marmalade Rose, and her awesome machine-sewing project...

These are my own beginnings...

monday :: read this book

2010-06-28T23:00:00.003+01:00

Charming, idyllic, funny, full of period detail, you can almost smell the air, hear the water. Beautiful, can't believe I haven't read it before.

monday :: read this book

2010-06-21T07:30:00.002+01:00

There are so many books I have read recently that I want to recommend to everyone I know, i've decided to space them out a bit and have myself a regular monday feature :: read this book. I'm not one for book reviews....never know quite what to say, inarticulate and all that...but I'll only ever put a book up if I loved it so much I know I'll re-read it.

First on my 'you must try this book' list then ::

Alone on a Wide Wide Sea

Michael Morpurgo

I read lots of children's books because I work in the children's department of a bookstore. I've never read any Morpurgo before, and I loved this. I think he is better known for his animal stories, but this is a biography-style book with a hefty dose of sea-faring which made my heart leap. Lovely book, good writer, gorgeous mix of line drawings and photographic illustrations on the cover, and on each chapter heading.

project development

2010-06-19T20:05:00.005+01:00

The wedding quilt (I'm going to call it a quilt rather than a blanket because it sounds nicer) is developing, I've found lots of inspiration and decided on my square size :: 8".

I've found some beautiful crochet square designs :: flower burst square, victorian dream square and cygnus square, which may not make it as they are a bit complex, and if i worked them in my aran weight yarn, would end up as larger squares than I intend. The last one measures 12" sq when finished.

I've also found some lovely motifs :: motif 46, motif 41 and motif 118 I particularly like.

It seems that a lot of crochet squares look radically different when they are done with added colour yarns or variegated yarns. Sometimes the colour brings out the detail wonderfully, like this one, which is actually a very simple design ::

Some crochet squares are beautiful but the design can disappear when worked in one colour only. So I need to be careful choosing my square designs. I also don't want it to be too 'busy'...I want to stick to a small number of different patterns. I don't want it to be a sampler-style blanket.

I think I might add some knitted lace squares, like this tulip square, and below it the simple vine square (thanks 'vogue ultimate knitting book'...I forgive you for being so ugly, as you are so useful). Neither of these have been blocked, by the way.

read this....

2010-06-15T20:41:00.002+01:00

Thanks awfully for your nice comments on the wedding and my dress, very blush-making.

I'm planning a post this weekend about the wedding quilt (sounds nicer than blanket) which is coming along nicely, but had to pop in and tell you all about a delicious book called 'Good Evening, Mrs Craven'.

It's published by Persephone, and contains the wartime short stories of Mollie Panter-Downes, 21 in fact, who wrote 'A Letter from London' in "The New Yorker", between 1939 and 1944. Some are a little sad, some are quite funny, all are absolutely fascinating.

The Kew Wedding

2010-06-07T15:48:00.006+01:00

The Kew Wedding turned out to be absolutely perfect...organised with military precision by the groom and the bride, who were backed up by a wonderfully supportive family, it was a truly splendid affair. The ceremony was truly beautiful, moving and emotional, the reception was small, sumptuous, personal, relaxed, there was plenty of laughter, and the air fairly hummed with love.

I felt like I'd been granted back-stage access, as Mr HH was Best Man. We had a brunch at the groom's flat with the Groom and his brother, helped with last minute prep, and arrived early at the church as the caterers were setting up in the stunning Cambridge Cottage in Kew Gardens, opposite the church. The Groom was very organised and everything went flawlessly. After the ceremony the couple were so happy and relaxed, and really enjoyed every moment of their wedding.

The Bride wore a beautiful lace dress with a gorgeous train, and a lace bolero, from a Bond Street boutique. She had her hair and makeup professionally done at her mother's house, and was accompanied by five bridesmaids in pale green dresses. The groom and groomsmen wore morning suits, with the last embroidered waistcoat button correctly left undone, silk handkerchiefs and cravats. White roses were worn in the bride's hair, and more were combined with lavender sprigs and ivy leaves for the buttonholes and corsages for the principle wedding party members.

(my Mr HH is immediately to the right of the bride)

After the group photos, the bridal couple were whisked away on a tour of Kew Gardens for further photos, and the guests were served delicious canapes such as mini victoria sponge cakes, shot glasses of strawberries and cream, and of course smoked salmon. We played some giant games thoughtfully provided by the groom's father...this is the groom's sister in a very pretty dress...

Cambridge Cottage was the perfect size for the eighty guests at the reception, with a private lawn, outdoor tables and chairs, and picnic rugs on the grass. The ivy-clad building was a beautiful backdrop, and the 3-course dinner was served in a light, airy room with french windows, which was later transformed for dancing. The meal was divine, and the couple were so sweet - they were so thrilled to be at the Top Table and to be served first! There were four speeches, all really moving, and very funny, and perfectly in tune with each other. Mr HH was immensely relieved once his was over, and he was amazed by the amount of people who congratulated him on it. He couldn't have been more nervous or terrified.

There was also a champagne reception in the Princess of Wales Conservatory for the additional evening guests, dancing, cake cutting, and of course throwing the bouquet. In the evening the lawn outside Cambridge Cottage was lit by tealights, and even more food was served. I thought the venue was gorgeous, and I would definitely recommend it if you are planning a wedding yourself. They did things beautifully, and the staff and waiters executed their jobs perfectly. The newlyweds left in a Rolls Royce for a boutique London hotel, and flew out to Italy the next day for their honeymoon.

As for me, I made a last-minute change of plan to my outfit, I found a pretty ruffled dress in Monsoon, in striped grey, and as you can see, I wore the white cardigan, having checked with bride beforehand that it was ok. Thanks for all your lovely comments about the pink dress, I'm sure I'll find an occasion to wear it, but I'm glad I wore the grey, it was very comfortable. It's next due for an outing to afternoon tea at The Royal Crescent Hotel for our fifth wedding anniversary in two weeks time.

decision time

2010-05-25T21:30:00.004+01:00

I've bought a skein each of drift and tulip from the Blue Sky Alpaca dyed cotton range! Amazing how exciting it is to buy yarn again, even 'once removed' on the web. I used Loop in London, who I've found to be good at calling me when there are issues, and prompt shippers. Also I think they have a gorgeous website.

Thank you for you comments...deciding is the hardest part, so many options! I'm going to go for mixed whites, mixed patterns, and just sort it all out once I've done all the crocheting. This way, if they stop producing the whites I'm starting with (though unlikely) I can use other brands/shades, and if I discover a great pattern in a few months time I can easily incorporate it.

I've had some fun today brushing up on my crochet...I realised I hadn't actually done very many granny squares before, and I found purlbee's wonderfully clear tutorial very helpful. It was also easier to start with string and a very big crochet hook, so I could understand the details better. I havn't yet attempted the garden square...I need to decipher some of the terminology first.

plans for a wedding present

2010-05-24T18:13:00.005+01:00

So, I've had an idea for a wedding present for the pembrokeshire wedding couple ~ clifftop ceremony in a ruined chapel, picnic 'reception' on the beach ~ that I need some advice on

They live on a narrow boat, he is a buddhist, she is into crystals, reflexology, natural fibres, and a vegetarian. She is knitting him a sweater (don't worry, she already has the ring so won't be affected by the curse), and he has talked about knitting a blanket for their bed. Now you know them a little better. I have to say they are the most serene couple I have ever met, and she is particularly good-natured, calm and affectionate; an old-fashioned, lovely heroine.

My original idea was to make them a wedding quilt, however I don't think I can quite run to this, and although I'm quite happy with my beginner quilting skills, I know they are not up to making such an heirloom.

But I can crochet. So I thought I could make them a crocheted wedding blanket...in white yarn, maybe organic cotton, made up of pretty but not fussy granny squares. I know they are also keen on having babies straight away, so it could also be used as a baby blanket.

The questions are:

Which granny square pattern/s should I use?

Should I stick to one square design, or mix a few?

Should I use a few different shades of white? Or maybe a variegated white?

What yarn should I use? It needs to be affordable, but I want to use the best I can.

So far I've found a few patterns I like, and I'm quite keen on Blue Sky Alpaca's Organic Cotton yarn in these shades....

614 drift

616 sky

615 tulip

Garden, by Patrizia Pisani

standard, by purlbee

What do you think? Any pattern/yarn suggestions, or advice would be very welcome! I'm quite keen to get started on this straight away, I haven't knitted or crocheted in months!

hello again

2010-05-23T21:58:00.006+01:00

Well, I've been away from the web for a while, and now I'm sitting here late at night, it's far too hot to sleep, so time to write my diary. Thank you for any comments I've recently received that I haven't personally replied to, I do appreciate them!

Lots of inconsequential bits and pieces have been going on; I got through a Brownie sleepover, with 5 and a half hours sleep (my lovely pink sleeping bag was very comfy); developed a new chocolate cake with my lovely sis (add whole milk, risky but worth it);

received a stellar late birthday present;

read 'Land Girls' which is really good, if a little silly; got a new(ish) car and started teaching Mr HH to drive;

tried baking a new cake (Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's) Lemon and Poppy Seed from one of the sunday papers;

had a delicious vegetarian dinner on a canal boat moored in the achingly pretty Bathampton;

saw some live music at a mini-cider festival; started making my own marble-run from stuff in my recycling bin; started getting really broody and bought some cute baby books; discovered you can make your own where's wally 'avatar';

and finally, bought a Norwegian flag for a little Eurovision party on Saturday night.

Don't let those hard-won rights go to waste tomorrow, Vote!

2010-05-05T10:14:00.000+01:00

wedding season

2010-05-02T10:43:00.007+01:00

The wedding season is here, and its not just that time of year, but that time in my life, when all my friends suddenly start getting engaged.

The Chinese Pagoda at Kew

One couple is getting married in a few weeks time, and Mr HH is the best man. They've planned a 'full white wedding' in Kew, the neighbourhood in London in which they live, and the best bit is the reception in Kew Gardens. It's also a lovely excuse for a weekend in a B&B in this flowery part of the metropolis, and I can't decide whether to go to Hampton Court Palace, or the Tate galleries the day after the nuptials. Either way, I will report with inside details on the Kew wedding, should anyone be at the planning stage themselves.

Queen Charlotte's Cottage in the bluebell woods, Kew

But, it also means dress shopping. Alas, I am not much of a fashionista, or much of a shopper. I wear comfy jeans and cotton tops year round. So it was with serious trepidation that I began my trek round the boutiques of Bath. And they mostly are boutiques and independent little shops, Bath is packed with gorgeous little things with big price tags.

Happily, after a few hours trailing around the more affordable chain-labels, ie not the above, I managed to put together an outfit which I hope will do, being not to frumpy for a 25 yr old, but traditional enough for the formal wedding it is.

As the fashion magazines of a bygone era might put it: 'It's a dusky pink affair in faux satin which drapes beautifully, with a little white shrug for warmth, and 2 matching silk flowers, one as a corsage, the other to adorn the hair. Neutral hosiery and floral kitten heels complete the outfit.'

What do you think? Second opinions most welcome, as I really don't have much experience with these things.

Pembrokeshire coast

The second couple have plans for a Pembrokeshire beach wedding next summer, in medieval-style clothes, the third couple hope to eventually conclude their long engagement with a ceremony at the steaming, ancient Roman Baths in Bath, the fourth couple will wed in Westonbirt Arboretum, scene of their first date and proposal. I find other people's weddings fascinating, and will supply all the details in due course, should you feel the same.

Westonbirt

sleepover

2010-04-21T21:41:00.001+01:00

I had to buy it...

tropical

2010-04-21T21:33:00.004+01:00

Cherry and coconut cake:

225g butter

225g caster sugar

4 eggs beaten

225g self-raising flour

200g glace cherries, halved

100g dessicated coconut

Cream the butter and sugar, then gradually add the eggs. Sift the flour and gently fold in, then fold in the cherries and coconut. I'm sure there's a technique for getting the cherries to stay evenly distributed in the cake during baking, but I'm afraid I don't know it! Bake in a lined loaf tin for an hour at 180 degrees celcius. If the cake starts to brown on top, just cover with tinfoil. Leave in the tin for 15 minutes to cool. Delicious with a cold glass of milk.

read this book...

2010-04-20T21:29:00.005+01:00

The last few months I've mostly been reading children's books, especially E Nesbit. I particularly like The House of Arden and The Treasure Seekers. I hadn't realised quite how many books she's written, sadly many are out of print or hard to get hold of now. I really recommend reading them if you haven't already. A really well-written book will always be a really well-written book.

I've also read Flora Thompson's Lark Rise to Candleford trilogy. I'd just discovered the television programme, and caught up with all three series through youtube and BBC iplayer in a series of very late nights. I know it's not perfect, and I had my doubts when I saw the trailers, but in the end I loved it. The book on the otherhand is very very different. It's a documentary in a book really, with characters who rarely make an appearance and almost never 'speak' in the narrative, just occasionally illustrating a particular incident or anecdote. The main character in the tv series, dorcas lane, only appears in the final book, and thomas is a (brilliant) invention of the screen-writers. But then a great deal of the episodes draw on the book for plot. The book tells more of Flora Thompson's childhood, but the bulk of the text focuses on the country customs, traditions, seasons, and (what I enjoyed the most) the details of day-to-day life of the hamlet folk. I found this the most fascinating, such as what the weekly wage was spent on, what the main componants of the diet were, the sleeping arrangements of a large family with two bedrooms, etc. The tone is different too, it's sleepy and serene in comparison with the tv series, which then seems lively and buzzing. It works wonderfully. I really recommend it.

And I just discovered The Making of a Marchioness by Frances Hodgeson Burnett. Part 1 is a fairytale quite unlike anything I've ever read before, Part 2 is an equally curious melodrama. You will love the heroine, who can help it? I'm so glad I accidentally came across it, it's a little bit like reading elizabeth gaskell with a touch of nancy mitford. Read it, read it!

2010-04-18T19:19:00.005+01:00

Thanks for all your kind comments, on wednesday I'll post my recipe for my favourite cake, cherry and coconut. It's my mum's really, this is one of her staples, another being flapjack dark brown with treacle and rich with fruit.

In the meantime....

We had friends over for lunch, and did greek food, so naturally we had to serve a greek dessert. I tried GoodFood's honey cake, recipe here.

It's quite a plain, unprepossessing cake, which you finish with a glaze of warm honey. It's dense and moist, and very heavily scented of honey. I did it with a fruit salad and natural yoghurt, and it was quite popular. Our guests finished half of it, and took another quarter home with them. Which is great, because as it turns out I don't really like it. But you might!

cake club

2010-04-12T10:04:00.006+01:00

Once upon a time, I entered a cake competition at No.1 The Royal Crescent, judged by Mary Berry, and although I didn't win, I took the cake into work that day for my fellow booksellers to finish up. Then I was asked to bake a cake for the staff-room table, and promised tips to contribute towards the cost. The victoria sponge with strawberries and cream was a success, and I got so many tips I had enough to bake another cake. And so began Cake Club.

The rules are simple, you can have as much cake as you want, for free. But should you appreciate the cake, and want to leave a tip in the cake club box, and if enough people tip enough money, then there'll be another cake. So far this has worked really well, I get enough anonymous tips to cover the cost of another cake, and a few pounds left over. And of course I'm being funded to bake to my heart's content.

So far the favourites have included carrot and orange cake with orange icing, and galaxy chocolate cake with pink icing. I have 6 or 7 requested cakes in the queue, a facebook group, 'the rules' written up (a rip-off of fight club and monty python), and totally inappropriate and pretentious but very funny reviews of each cake.

I don't know how long this will all last, surely at some point they will all get sick and tired of 'that dratted cake', but in the meantime I've decided to create a database of desserts tried & tested, or on my 'must bake' list. Lets get some bureaucracy going here! And here are my top 3, most used, dessert cookbooks, though I also use recipes from some other great general cookbooks, including 'At My French Table', 'the vegetarian student cookbook', and the indispensable 'The Cook's Scrapbook'.

And my wishlist:

what do rabbits have for afternoon tea?

2010-03-07T17:09:00.007Z

carrot cake, of course!

Here's my recipe:

2 large carrots, grated

225g self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder

dash of nutmeg

dash of ginger

zest of half an orange, grated

150g raisins

150g butter

100g soft brown sugar

1 egg

Mix the grated carrot, flour, baking powder, spices, zest and raisins in a large bowl. Melt the butter and sugar over a low heat, then add to the carrot mix. Beat the egg thoroughly, then add to the cake mix and stir well. Pour into a greased and lined baking tin, and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 40 minutes. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes. Serve warm with a cup of tea.

I love tilda!

2010-03-04T17:01:00.008Z

I can't get enough of designs, I just made my first pear...

I can't wait to get started on a snail this weekend, from the 'Crafting Tilda's Friends' book.

Ultimate bliss will be achieved when I've made myself a goose in dungarees, from 'Crafting Springtime Gifts'.

I hope mine turns out just like the very talented CountryKitty's

wishing you a blissful valentine's day

2010-02-14T17:58:00.002Z

whether you are paired up or not, I hope you are blissfully happy this valentine's day, and know that you are loved

thanks to lovely lyn at everyday life for this award and making me smile! I want to pass it on to a few people who make me smile too, no strings attached this time...

amy was here

welcome to your twenties

catch it while you can

2010-02-12T19:08:00.002Z

I don't usually listen to Radio 4's Woman's Hour, but I was alerted by a very good friend to their recent excellent programme devoted to women in the 1930s. Catch it while you can on BBC iplayer!

Also worth a look while you're over there, is the Women's History Timeline they've put together, it's a slideshow of photos with an audio commentary.

girlguiding

2010-02-08T07:30:00.012Z

Did you know that girlguiding is 100 years old? I really like those traditional guiding activities, like knots, using a compass, semaphore, making triangular slings from your scarf, wearing a woggle, campfires...it was all about duty, being independent, being useful, and I suppose, being good. Like living the life of an Enid Blyton character: adventure, with morals thrown in. Anyway all those things appeal to me.

Alas, a modern Brownie will probably only do those things if she does her 'brownie traditions' or 'brownie skills' badges. When I was doing prep for the 'traditions' badge, I found out what a 9/10 year-old little girl had to be able to do to get her First Class badge, the highest achievement before 'getting her wings' - going up to Guides;

* have one shilling in a the Savings bank (£2.15 in today's money)

* cook a simple dish

* know first aid bandaging

* know the history of a place and act as a guide to the place
* make a milk pudding
* carry a message of 12 words in her head and deliver it correctly
* knit a pair of socks
* fold clothes for mangling and clean boots

and if they get this far they will of course already be able to;

* lay and light a fire

* make a bed
* cut out and sew a union jack

* tie knots

I certainly can't do all of these! When I last saw her, my mum gave me all her old Guide badges, a significant gift.

I wish I could tell you what they are all for, especially the one with the anchor. I'll need to find a Guide Badge Handbook circa 1972. My own brownie badges are equally unintelligible, a mere symbol on dreary brown. Today's have undergone a radical makeover, and what they lose in gravity, they make up for in their ability to tell the world, unmistakably, what they are for.

My brownies are currently doing their Adventure 100 badge, to celebrate the centenary.

You basically choose from 100 assorted adventures to gain 100 points. We're having a Race Night for 10 points. Fun races; wind-up toy, three-legged, wheelbarrow, dress-up relay, potato and spoon, island hop, maze, word search and A-Z races. With 'brownie cocktails' - squash and lemonade mixed in a cocktail shaker with an umbrella and slice of lemon, and fancy hats, like Ladies Day at Ascot.

I've spent the weekend making the winners some medals, with fabric scraps, cardboard, an ink-jet printer, and a stapler. I'm quite proud of the results...

An Award

2010-02-06T09:21:00.004Z

I'm absolutely thrilled to have been given an award! It seems so unlikely that my insubstantial, irregular little blog is worth of this, thank you thank you One More Stitch for the honour! If you haven't discovered One More Stitch, she has a fascinating blog that records her historical recreations, the most eagerly awaited of which is 'The Garment' ~ featured in the Aubrey~Maturin novels ~ and her research into the 18th century era. Truly edifying stuff

I must list 7 random facts about myself, and then nominate 7 more beautiful blogs for this award.

1. I really like cooking, and would love to do a 'come dine with me' style competition with my friends, because I am a little bit competitive

2. I'm eagerly awaiting 'The Hobbit' to hit the cinemas, I daresay I'll see it more than once

3. I love a windswept, lonely, unspoilt beach, it's my dream to live near one, one day

4. For christmas I was given 'Tea at the Ritz' to be used this year, and I'm quite nervous about looking stylish enough for the occasion, I'll be much more comfortable ambling around the NMM

5. I've broken my sewing machine, it's been a couple of months and I haven't got around to taking it to the repair shop yet

6. I long for a subscription to Selvedge magazine, and occasionally hunt for back-copies on ebay

7. I'm hosting a Norway-themed eurovision party this year, with gradvalax, and can't wait

And here are 7 utterly beautiful blogs, do pay them a visit ~

1. The Dart and The Hem

2. Glass of Fashion

3. Meet Me At Rubys

4. Yarny Days

5. Diary of a Vintage Girl

6. Cargo Cult Craft

7. The Champagne Bohemian

Tune in...

2010-01-27T13:44:00.002Z

Radio Dismuke on LoudCity

A swell 1920s/1930s radio station for those so inclined to create a little retro bubble for themselves!

knit in a hurry

2010-01-27T13:23:00.003Z

a few weeks back

during icy days at work

these were essential

necessity is also the mother of speedy work

I knit these from my erika knight gloves pattern, just left off the tops of the thumb and fingers (though she does include a fingerless mitts pattern with extra ribbing, I ignored this), in some blue rowan I had stashed.

a change of department at work

2010-01-25T17:30:00.006Z

self-determined list of must-read books to make me better at my job::

part 1:: books I would have loved to read when I was younger

My Naughty Little Sister stories by Dorothy Edwards

The Family From One End Street by Eve Garnet

Further Adventures From the Family at One End Street

Holiday at Dew Drop Inn, both by Eve Garnett

the rest of the Famous Five stories by Enid Blyton

the rest of the '... of adventure' books by Enid Blyton

Powder Monkey by Paul Dowswell

Clarice Bean by Lauren Child

Anne of Green Gables by L Montgomery

The Secret Countess by Eve Ibbotson

Witch Child by Celia Rees

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

Rain by Kate Le Vann

list under construction, suggestions welcome

just added:

The Story of the Treasure Seekers

by E Nesbit

books books books - 2009

2010-01-02T13:53:00.014Z

Happy New Year! I hope you've had a nice holiday season. Though it's been very quiet on the blogging front, I had a busy December working at the bookshop, a fun christmas hosting for the first time, and turned 25 a few days ago. Almost no knitting or sewing though, the only thing I made was a christmas stocking. Alas, I did not fulfil my new year's resolutions from last year, so this year I've realistically decided not to make any.

This is the end of my year-long diary of books I've read, and it's been tremendous fun. I might do a 2010 diary, though offline as I can't imagine that this is of any interest to anyone else. If this post has anything to offer, it is my recommendation of all the books I've read, and an insight into my personality (you are what you read).

Since the last books... post, during November and December, I've read ~

1. Ramage's Diamond by Dudley Pope

2. The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher

3. The Moorland Cottage and The Cage at Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell

4. When the Wind Blows by Raymond Briggs

5. BUtterfield 8 by John O'Hara

6. Sharpe's Battle

pitifully few, especially compared to the first 3 months of 2009.

So, the final statistics for 2009:

Total books read: 53

Total books abandoned: 9

Average books read per month: 4.42

Total authors read 25

Top 5 most-read authors:

1. Bernard Cornwell ~ 12 books

2. Lilian Harry ~ 6 books

3. Diana Gabaldon ~ 5 books

4. Alexander Fullerton ~ 3 books

5. Evelyn Waugh ~ 3 books

Percentage of books that feature WW2 as a setting: 28%

Percentage of books that feature a Ship: 28%

Percentage of books belonging to a series: 58%

Percentage of books set in 19th century: 43%
Percentage of books set in 20th century: 45%

Favourite books of 2009 in no particular order

Ethel & Ernest..........................Raymond Briggs

Rendezvous with Rama..........Arthur C Clarke

Westbound Warbound............Alexander Fullerton

Cross Stitch..............................Diana Gabaldon
Stardust....................................Neil Gaiman
Very Ordinary Seaman..........J P W Mallalieu
The Shell Seekers...................Rosamunde Pilcher

A Town Like Alice...................Nevil Shute
Vile Bodies................................Evelyn Waugh

the Sharpe series.................... Bernard Cornwell

Percentage of books read paid for: 38%
Percentage of books read borrowed/given/free: 62%

Book it took it the longest to get through: BUtterfield 8

Book I read the quickest (8 consecutive hours): A Town Like Alice

how to make Sarah Raven's apple chutney

2009-12-03T19:20:00.008Z

Chop up apples, onions and dates

blitz in the blender

add sultanas

add cayenne pepper, ginger, brown sugar and a pinch of salt

pour in the white wine vinegar

stir thoroughly

leave for 36 hours

put into nice jars you've been saving up for months

cut circles of paper to put in the top of the jars

add labels and give to friends and relations!

brighton

2009-12-01T22:19:00.004Z

Ahhh, a week by the sea... even in November it's very relaxing. I had a lovely week with mum, who was very pleased with her scarf, thanks for all your kind comments! Though I did sweeten the gift a little with some Green & Blacks ginger chocolate.

Mum has just moved into a tiny but gorgeous house, a terraced-cottage built in 1810. Despite its mini-proportions it has the biggest bathroom I've ever seen, and is decorated throughout with wood and teal blues. It has hard to leave.

After a walk along the pier and the promenade, with as much salt air as I could possibly want to breathe in, I dived into the Lanes for shopping and gawping with Mr HH. We had the most delicious seafood at English's, and visited the Angel Food Bakery cupcakery. I also fell in love with retro cafe Scoop and Crumb, where I had a Fruit Crumble Sundae, with cinnamon ice-cream, berry ice-cream, strawberry ice-cream, crushed shortbread, fruit coulis and whipped cream, and admired the wallpaper

I saw a whole heap of relations, and parted with Freddie the elephant when I met my 18-month old cousin Freddie. He doesn't talk yet, but has the most adorable laugh.

Just in time

2009-11-23T20:03:00.003Z

I finished my Mum's birthday present, Haven in Lavender Ice (Rowan Cocoon).

I've folded it in half in the photo above, as it's very long, I used three balls of Cocoon, which as ever is lovely to work with, super soft and squishy.

I'm off to Brighton for a week, to deliver this present, and breathe in some salt air...

The West Wing Chicken

2009-11-22T11:06:00.003Z

Am I the only one who sees something cooking on TV and has to have some?

CJ - What have you been doing?

Toby - Well cooking this chicken took some time.

....................

CJ - I'd like to learn how to make a chicken like that.

Toby - Stick a lemon up it and throw on some rosemary

CJ - Yeah?

Toby - Yeah, a little salt.

calling all Jane Austen fans

2009-11-11T22:05:00.004Z

I have just acquired a copy of 'Jane Austen - A Literary Challenge' by Helen Barton.

It's been fun to flick through and test my knowledge of my favourite novels, but, I am not a true Jane Austen devotee - I know very little of her life and family, I never went to see 'Becoming Jane' at the cinema, and I haven't read any of her lesser known works, or any of the biographies. This seems to me a really good little book for an Austen fan, surely there is someone out there who would appreciate this fun, but also seriously challenging, book more than me? I propose a mini-swap with the first person who wants this book. As I live in Bath I'll trot down to the Jane Austen Centre and buy a few trifles to send off with it too if you like.

So if you're interested leave me a comment and we can correspond via email, UK residents only though, I regret to say.

books books books - a little late

2009-11-04T11:34:00.007Z

I sort of forgot to do my 'quarterly review' at the beginning of October, so I won't call it that anymore. So, books I've read Aug - Nov 2009;

currently reading ~

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky

Ramage's Diamond by Dudley Pope

LieutenantFury by G.S. Beard

BUtterfield 8 by John O'Hara

have read ~

1. Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh

2. Ethel & Ernest by Raymond Briggs

3. The Third Sister by Julia Barrett

4. North and South (again!) by Elizabeth Gaskell

5. Sharpe's Fury

6. Sharpe's Escape

7. Sharpe's Gold

8. Sharpe's Eagle

9. Sharpe's Havoc all by Bernard Cornwell

10. Life in Nelson's Navy by Dudley Pope

11. Scoop by Evelyn Waugh

12. misc Short Stories by Muriel Spark

books I've started but didn't like ~

13. The Penultimate Truth by Philip K. Dick

14. Star of the Sea by Joseph O'Connor

15. Walking Back to Happiness by Anne Bennett

more books I'd like to read next ~

Sharpe's ............. (all of them) by Bernard Cornwell

A Battle Won by Sean T Russell (the much hoped-for sequel to Under Enemy Colours)
Requiem for a Wren and Pied Piper by Nevil Shute

The Odin Mission by James Holland

Land Girls by Angela Huth

So I've read about the same number of books as in the previous three months, clearly I had much more time on my hands during the first three months, and I've now settled down to my true average rate of reading.

2009-11-04T10:45:00.009Z

So in the last week I did that mythical thing, I found some truly good television programmes to watch! I highly recommend watching 'Beautiful and Damned' and 'Hooked on Hollywood' here if you didn't see them. There have some esp. interesting moments within them, including an inter-war makeover, Cecil Beaton photography, and some gorgeous film clips of Clara Bow in IT.

I discovered the website for the 'Do you doodle?' books does free doodles. Sometimes it's a good thing to get in touch with your inner nine year old. So I doodled!

Today I did something I've been wanting to do for several months, somehow I never got around to it, but I'm so glad I did because I enjoyed it so much, and it's so yummy! I made chocolate biscotti...

hallowe'en and elephants

2009-10-28T16:14:00.005Z

Freddie the elephant ~ a present for my one year old cousin, who I'll be meeting in November during a week-long holiday in Brighton. It's exactly the same pattern as Peanut. Country Threads is really good for remnants, so he cost me less than £4 to make. The striped blue happens to be the same fabric as my regency wrap, and is an incredibly soft brushed cotton. I made one mod. - adding a square of the contrasting fabric to the end of the trunk, instead of gathering in the four corners.

I'm also going to give him Orange Pear Apple Bear, which I fell in love with during the Lit. Festival. My foodie experiences at the Mission Theatre also inspired me to try a new tarte, and I found this recipe on Delia's website for Parsnip and Stilton tarte. It's good, but not as bursting with flavour as Sarah Raven's spinach and gruyere.

Are you excited about Halloween on saturday? I already have my pumpkin done!

Have a fun weekend!

Lord Nelson :: a hero

2009-10-21T16:51:00.004+01:00

James, dressed as Lord Nelson

(you can't really see, but he has long hair tied back in a queue with a dark velvet ribbon)

give you joy of the day!

2009-10-21T16:20:00.007+01:00

James's hand-drawn (with a quill) map of the battle

Julian Stockwin himself

Naval artifacts

Julian Stockwin signing books

James's hand-made signs, others included the Lower Gun Deck for the basement, the Poop Deck for the first floor, and the Wardroom for the staff room.

Captain Hardy

Emma Hamilton

Beau Brummel

tis the season to bake your christmas cakes (!)

2009-10-17T19:41:00.004+01:00

Having never embarked on the whole christmassy-menu-plannery-thing before, I was surprised to be informed by one of my fellow booksellers that he had already baked his christmas cake. Apparently tis the season!

I promptly borrowed his loose-bottomed 8" cake tin and had myself a baking day. One cake for my Dad, as a christmas gift, and one for my own household, as we are having people to stay this year. Having never done this before, I was shocked at the sheer quantity of fruit involved - it's such a dense cake. I used easy-roll marzipan and icing, and nearer the time I'll add some gold or red ribbons.

Here are some 'outtakes' from my hair-messing - I took photos in order to see the back of my head/various angles. I tried the effect of a ribbon, but didn't want to cut the one I had (the blue clashes with the wrap so I won't be using it) and instead I'll try and find a white ribbon in Bath. I don't have long enough hair to create a voluminous bun, so have plaited my hair and tucked it up at the back, I'll try and get it more even next time. You might also spot that I have 'tested' the hairstyle with the dress...

historical hairstyles

2009-10-16T23:27:00.007+01:00

Tomorrow I'm going to mess around with my hair a bit and attempt some regency styles in prep for Wednesday. I usually just tie my hair back for work, and I'm generally not very proficient, so this will be a challenge, but I'll give it my best shot with some hot rollers for curls and volume to create a classical bun. I've done a little research into regency hairstyles, but mainly I'll be trying to emulate the hairstyles in my favourite costume dramas. I thought I'd share some of these that I aspire to...

.

promised post - part two

2009-10-08T20:54:00.004+01:00

I found myself spending a lot of time working at the Bath Children's Literature Festival in September, which I loved doing, although admittedly I had one of the best gigs in town, at the Mission Theatre. I had never been to this theatre before, and its small but utterly charming. Barely more than a tiny entrance, two auditorium, and a cute bistro cafe up some 200 year old, very worn, stairs. It was one of the smallest venues (read: very little work involved) and it was the only venue that laid on a tab for the booksellers. As I am extremely greedy, I thought this was great. They served up warm parsnip and camembert quiche, three salads, and cake. Yum!

I got to see some nice events too, my favourites being the Elmer birthday party (Elmer paid a visit!), the Emily Gravett event (I love love love 'Orange Pear Apple Bear'), and the flower fairies!

All the little girls came dressed as fairies - mostly flower fairies but there was a tinkerbell too - and on the stage was a very realistic gnarled and ivy covered tree, with subtle fairy lights and plenty of spreading roots. As the mini-theatre progressed, the girls helped a young woman find all the pieces of an adult fairy costume hidden on the tree, which she then dressed in, to become the Tansy Fairy. The Tansy Fairy has a beautiful yellow dress, and teaches all the little fairies to dance, so they did! Later on they coloured in pretty fairy wings to take home, but were also given a pink glittery pair. I spent the hour wishing I was seven.

But, I did come away with a great freebie, one of the publishing staff gave me her event t-shirt...

It has a little pink fairy and a butterfly...

Did you know that Bonne Maman are currently giving away Bonne Maman aprons and tea towels over on their website? I love their jams, I love that they have whole pieces of fruit in them, and I gleefully entered my three coupon codes a few weeks ago. And look what I got!

It even came in its own Bonne Maman paper envelope! I'm currently working my way through a jar of apricot jam, and then I'll start on getting myself some tea towels : ) I like the red check, so simple, but so attractive. Gosh, this is starting to sound like an advert isn't it. But the empty jars are the best for homemade chutney.

And finally, I have a new cousin, aged one, who I have promised to make a Peanut the Wee Elephant for, alas he is a boy, and all the fabric in my stash is pink. So, once I solve this little dilemma, there will actually be some crafting going on!

promised post - part one

2009-10-07T13:10:00.014+01:00

Thanks for the comments on my previous post, I hope you will forgive me for being terribly lazy in not responding individually, I really do appreciate them.

So, the most exciting news first!

During a casual conversation with a guy I work with named James, about his love of all things Nelson related, I commented on how cool I thought it was that he dressed up as an Admiral for work on Waterloo Day. I think you all know that I am a devout fan of Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander series of books, and I've spent a great deal of my life immersed in the other great writers of historical naval fiction. James is rather more into the actual history, than the fiction, and possesses a sword.

Anyway, this led to a small knot of us dreaming up an event that gave us all an excuse to dress in regency costume for a day. It just so happens that James owns a variety of complete, accurate, reproduction naval uniforms from the regency period. I think they include Midshipman, Lieutenant, and Captain, as well as the aforementioned Admiral. The plan was that he would lend these out to similarly sized colleagues who were willing, and that would give him a good excuse to have a new one made. Alas, his wardrobe naturally does not contain a dress, but the Bath-based tailor who produces these costumes for James agreed to hire out dresses for me and for another gal, Fran, for the day. This was a huge favour, as neither of us can afford this, and needless to say, we were both on cloud nine. These dresses were to be authentic reproductions, in white muslin, and made to measure. But why the past tense? Because, in a moment in my life when my feet actually left cloud nine, James produced these dresses for us with the casual words "oh, you can keep them, they're yours".....!

I am now the ecstatic owner of an empire-waisted, white muslin, regency dress, bliss! I have wanted to try out regency costume for years, my heart ached that I couldn't join the Jane Austen parade when I first saw it, and who hasn't dreamt of being an extra in a costume drama? And now, unbelievably, my dream dress is hanging in my wardrobe.

The only thing left was to choose a day in history worth such celebration, a nationally important day that we could turn into an 'event', in order to convince the boss to let us do this. No problem, as any naval history buff will know, Trafalgar Day falls on October 21st.

This was all a few weeks ago, and things have snowballed; James has arranged for Julian Stockwin to come and sign his latest book in the Kydd series, 'Invasion' for fans, and Roy Adkins, author of 'Trafalgar' and 'Jack Tar' will be around for signings too. There will be a prize draw to win some authentic 18th Century rope and a real musket ball. We've ordered in masses of books about or set in the period, for instance Dudley Pope, C.S Forrester, and of course, Patrick O'Brian, as well as biographies of Nelson and Emma Hamilton, and a variety of history books. We're going to put sea shanties and naval tunes on the cd player, and there are seven of us in costume.

So, back to the dress, here is a peek....

I thought it might be a little chilly in October, so I've decided to channel Emma Thompson for the day and wear a wrap made from this blue, striped, brushed cotton fabric I found in Country Threads. I think the colour is perfect, the stripes hint at the Navy, and it's warm, incredibly soft, and drapes beautifully. I'll attempt to put my hair up in a suitable style that uses only pins, and since I won't be wearing a bonnet, will add some demure flowers to the back.

I will of course post a full-length photo of the complete ensemble on the day, and I'll take as many photos of James and the others as I can get away with.

Huzzay!

just a bit of baking...

2009-10-01T17:37:00.003+01:00

...to see out the last days of summer

tarte au citron, from my french table

victoria sponge cake

hint: turn the bottom layer of sponge upside down before spreading with jam, and maybe then it won't all run off the edges!

I use a basic recipe for this cake which involves weighing the eggs, then weighing out the flour, sugar and butter to the same weight. It produces a fantastically light, fluffy cake. I also use bonne maman jam, strawberries and whipped double cream. Its a fairly simple combination of flavours, but is just amazing.

and here's the view from my kitchen window, ahh, I'll miss those sunny days!

I have some very exciting news for my next post, involving bonne maman and flower fairies, Trafalgar Day and a white empire-waisted dress, and a baby elephant.

what did you do on the bank holiday weekend?

2009-09-02T16:42:00.012+01:00

I played risk at the weekend with three competitive male friends, a bit geeky, but so much fun! I filmed a few funny bits and made a home video, set to a war-movie soundtrack. I was in a wartime frame of mind, having also watched the epic 4-hour version of Das Boot, lent to me on dvd, its an incredibly good film.

I also spent a lot of time reading some back-copies of selvedge magazine I was given. It's a total revelation to find such an intelligent magazine that covers all textile art and crafts, its also beautifully produced, I'm a total convert.

Aren't the illustrations gorgeous?

It has the most interesting articles I've come across in a craft magazine, and the coolest layout and design.

Eagle-eyed readers will note the kniterly virtues of string noted on the right of this page.

And of course all the adverts appeal to me too...

I started a birthday present for mum, another haven (on request) in her chosen shade of cocoon: lavender ice.

And finally, isn't this a cool way to advertise christmas gifts? I like the high quota of knitted things.

You see the square beanie on the second to last row? Thought I would knit one for my sister, as she's very outdoorsy, what with being an activity instructor and new navy recruit. The question is, whether to add pom-poms?

we have a winner!

2009-08-22T20:18:00.008+01:00

I used an old-fashioned random generator, a large teacup and names on paper, and the winner of one very rosy prize is......

Johanna

Congratulations! Email me your address and I'll put your prize in the post.

Thanks to everyone else who entered, it's been really great to find out so many people read little old Homely Heroine. I also had some fantastic blog recommendations, here is the complete list, with a few recent discoveries of my own added in ~

http://secretyarn.blogspot.com/

http://www.xtreme-knitting.com/blog

http://36words.typepad.com/habit

http://a-friend-to-knit-with.blogspot.com/

http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/

http://mooncalfmakes.blogspot.com/

http://www.thekitchn.com/

http://theyarniad.blogspot.com/

http://willows95988.typepad.com/tongue_cheek/

http://bea-blacksheep.blogspot.com/

http://www.blogforbettersewing.com/

http://knitlit.blogspot.com/

http://soulemama.typepad.com/

http://laughingyaffle.typepad.com/blog

http://doyoumindifiknit.typepad.com/do_you_mind_if_i_knit

http://www.diaryofavintagegirl.com/

http://meetmeatrubys.blogspot.com/

http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/

Have a great weekend everyone!

last chance to put your name in the hat...

2009-08-21T16:50:00.002+01:00

Thanks to all those who have entered so far, it's been great to find out who's reading...

I'll announce the winner tomorrow evening (I have a BBQ tonight and then work tomorrow), good luck to any late entrants.

nice things, and 2 days left to enter my rosy giveaway

2009-08-19T22:39:00.004+01:00

I was hunting for wedding presents today and came across a few nice things that I'd love (isn't that always the way when looking for presents?).

love mug from big tomato company

Union Jack heart from heart & parcel

Jug for flowers from cape henley...I like flowers in jugs just like creative little daisy has done here.

clicking on the pictures will take you to the websites...hopefully.

only 3 days left to enter my giveaway...

2009-08-18T09:23:00.003+01:00

...and time to reveal the prize.

malabrigo lace weight yarn in dusky rose

rose petal tea from bath's own tea emporium

and a couple of other little goodies...are you sensing a theme?

simply leave a comment letting me know what your favourite blog is, and I'll enter you in my random draw, the deadline is midnight on friday, good luck!

2 years old on saturday, huzzay!

a relic of my teenage bedroom

2009-08-10T10:26:00.002+01:00

is this large white framed mirror, which I've salvaged from the dispersing of my mother's home, and put up in my bathroom. It keeps taking me by surprise, each time I walk past it...

I'm halfway through knitting a second haven in rowan country heather, because I have quite a bit of it since I frogged poor old branwen. She, like the other designs in the rowan country book I imagine, was lovely to knit and look at, but far far too bulky to wear. But I love the yarn, I love the colours. In something as narrow as haven the orange, pink and blue stripes are much broader and clearer. I've cut one of the three 'repeats' so that my heather haven will be approximately the same width as my cocoon haven. Its a good pattern, the lace is intuitive, and I like the little detail of the slipped stitch at the beginning of each row to create a more finished border.

I've decided to back the scarf in some soft cotton fabric to make it more wearable, as lets face it, rowan country isn't the softest wool. I can't decide between choosing pink or blue in the same tone as the yarn, or whether to go for something contrasting... Has anyone else done this with a non-reversible scarf?

At My French Table

2009-08-07T20:50:00.003+01:00

Isn’t this the most gorgeous cookery book you’ve ever seen? I was blown away be the charm of this book and had to have it. On the same day I went out and bought some springform cake tins so I could start baking that afternoon. I had a blissful evening making a tarte au citron and remembering my trip to Paris last year.

It’s not so much a cookery book as an account of the author’s decision to move her family from Australia to France to start a cookery school in a Normandy château. It’s this story, right though house-hunting, renovation, language and schools for the children, to the arrival of her first paying guests, that take up most of the book. It’s packed with stunning photography, of family life in France, local markets and food, and their beautiful new home. Also included are 37 French-inspired recipes, divided into seasonal chapters; Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. All this is printed on pages that feel like the best quality writing paper, thick and matt. It’s a book to sit and read, as well as to prop up behind the mixing bowl. And the three ribbons; red, white and blue, for the tricolour, are pretty cool too.

But the measure of a cookery book is in the recipes. I’ve tried the following; cheese sables; Lou’s potato and spinach soup; tarte au citron; blackberry butter cake; chicken and leek pie.

All of these are excellent, both the soup and the pie being particularly yummy. Clear instructions on uncluttered pages with enticing photos of almost every recipe, nothing too tricky, and always great results. If you’re looking for a flavour of France in your kitchen, this is a good, friendly place to start. Some of the recipes I want to do soon are; raspberry almond clafoutis (pictured); salad of beetroot, pink grapefruit, goat’s cheese and mint; pommes charlotte salad; stuffed tomatos; and pear tarte tatin.

Its true that some of the recipes are a little outside my budget (such as Milk-fed Veal with Vermouth and Tarragon), that there is the occasional mistake (clotted cream is listed for the soup, but never added), and that at £25.00 for just under 40 recipes its not the best value cookery book available, but I hope you’ll overlook these minor flaws if you’re thinking of buying this book, because it’s now one of my favourites, and I will always love it for the sheer beauty, flavour, skill, warmth, style, and joie de vivre it exudes.

Coco Avant Chanel

2009-08-04T23:25:00.003+01:00

I just saw the new Coco Before Chanel film, its beautifully done. The acting, the music, the atmosphere, and the costumes ~ oh the costumes!

Is it wrong that I want a Breton shirt, to crop my hair and smoke thin cigarettes?

Audrey Tautou is compelling, the women are beautiful in a realistic way, and the script is neat, emotional, and often funny.

I saw it at the Little Theatre Cinema, the only cinema in Bath showing it. They played the new Chanel ad before the main feature too, have you seen it?

Time for me to find a really good Chanel biography...

oh, it seems I'm knitting?!

2009-08-02T23:02:00.004+01:00

Well, that was quite a slump wasn't it? Apart from bonnie, which was tiny, I've done no knitting since March.

March.

But recently I found myself surfing Loop's pretty website, investigating stockists of malabrigo, finding out what the most popular silk and cashmere yarns on ravelry are, wondering what to do with all that rowan country heather I have since I unravelled branwen, and even, gasp!, picking up my striped jemima sweater.

Shh, don't make any sudden movements, my knitting is back...

Oh, and I'm going to recommend a cookery book. Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook. Its arranged by the predominant ingredient in the recipe, usually a vegetable or herb, then by season. If you feel in the mood for lemons, or cucumber, or strawberries, then this is the book to dive into. I esp. love her spinach and gruyere tarte, which is so tasty you'll never look at a shop-bought quiche again, her french goats cheese salad, her rosemary flat bread and her cucumber raita. The index of recipes is 13 pages long. Its very good, try it.

everyone needs a whale

2009-08-02T17:41:00.005+01:00

I have my Sundays back, after 6 months of bookselling on the quietest day of the week, I get to kick back and relax with the rest of the world. Ahhh....

Have you seen this book by Therese Laskey? I love the whale on the cover, and had a go at making my own mini version today. May I introduce you...

He's about 10cm high, made from some fabric scraps left over from my quilt, some blue embroidery thread, and some cotton filling. I added some lavender stuffing so he can keep my sock drawer sweet, but I think he would also make a good pin cushion.

I'd really like to attempt this pink elephant too, a much prettier version of Peanut.

birthday contest

2009-07-31T21:23:00.005+01:00

On the 21st August it’ll be two years since I started this online diary. I’ve made some good friends, and have been inspired and encouraged by many talented women, and I’ve had a lot of fun too. So to celebrate I’m going to host my first giveaway!

I feel its high time I discovered some more great blogs, so to enter the giveaway just leave a comment with a link to your favourite blog. You can leave a comment on this or any other post until midnight on the 20th August. On the 21st I’ll pick a number out of a hat, and the person who left that comment will receive a yummy* prize. I’ll also post a list of all the favourite blogs.

Good luck!

*will include delicious new yarn...

a finished quilt

2009-07-28T14:15:00.004+01:00

I actually finished my quilt about a month ago, it took weeks to sew that binding on, and since then I've been waiting for a dry sunny day to photograph the quilt in the park. I've finally given up on that occuring on one of my days off, so here it is at last.

Its quite creased because I've been using it. Obviously its far from perfect, barely any straight sewing, as my mum pointed out! Its very soft though, and I managed to do the corners properly.

My favourite fabrics in the quilt are the pink roses on green, the stars on cream, the pink roses on white, and the white fabric with yellow images of 18th century country life...

you know that day when your childhood is delivered in boxes

2009-07-26T21:52:00.003+01:00

...that was today. Mum is finally moving out of the old family home, and today she delivered 12 boxes of toys, photos, diaries, schoolwork, books, clothes, and assorted junk. Decided to skip finding room for it all, and dressed up the old barbies for a photoshoot. Ended up with a catalogue of 36 photos. Also found a textiles project where I seriously presented the teacher with designs for a rubber hot water bottle tie, all my old bus passes, and a black lipstick.

swap goodies from amywashere

2009-07-12T18:31:00.005+01:00

Oh Amy, thank you for your fantastic swap parcel! I love every single thing. My absolute favourites are...

the apron kit (brilliant idea, can't wait to make mine) and the cutlery ribbon (great colours)

the Betsy McCall pages (especially the girl scout pages) and the hand-written recipe cards (whiskey chocolate cake? Oh yes!)

the fabric bundle (especially the blue check and the nautical fabric)

The handmade purses (unspeakably awesome, seriously, free style sewing!?)

Oh, and the cake ribbon, and the buttons, and the seeds, and everything else. This was such a great swap!

books books books

2009-07-08T20:42:00.011+01:00

Ah, time for another quarterly review in my year-long book diary. I haven't read as many books in this period, not sure why. Anyway here is my list of books, picking up where the last list left off ~

1. Rendezvous with Rama Arthur C. Clarke
2. Vile Bodies Evelyn Waugh
3. Fiery Cross (gave up half way through) Diana Gabaldon
4. Under Enemy Colours (surprisingly good, hope the sequel is out soon) Sean Thomas Russell
5. Drums of Autumn Diana Gabaldon
6. Voyager Diana Gabaldon
7. Dragonfly in Amber Diana Gabaldon
8. Mr Midshipman Fury G. S. Beard
9. Wish Me Luck Margaret Dickinson
10. A Town Like Alice (stayed up till 5am reading this) Nevil Shute
11. A Promise to Keep Lilian Harry

And the books I want to read next ~

Scoop Evelyn Waugh

Lieutenant Fury G. S. Beard
Sharpe’s Eagle Bernard Cornwell
Submariner Alexander Fullerton
Butterfield 8 John O'Hara

The Light Years Elizabeth Howard
Star of the Sea Joseph O'Connor
Kydd Julian Stockwin
Put Out More Flags Evelyn Waugh
Decline and Fall Evelyn Waugh
The Mammoth Book of Men O War various
Bright Young People D. J. Taylor
The Hidden Dance Susan Wooldridge
The Great Lover Jill Dawson

Beyond the Blue Event Horizon and sequels Frederik Pohl

Sylvia’s Lovers Elizabeth Gaskell

Everard Mariner of England v1 Alexander Fullerton

green indicates books I might buy as a treat on payday

But, this isn't all, oh no, this is barely the beginning. I've decided I want to read every book on the SF Masterworks list. Yes, all 73 books. And, all the books on the Fantasy Masterworks list. That would be 50. This is inspired by my latest read, the brilliant Rendezvous with Rama, and time spent working in my favourite section within my department at work. No clues, its the SciFi and Fantasy section. (History is unfortunately on a different floor, as is creative textiles) So, that's at least 140 books, but, I have not set myself a deadline, which I think is a good idea.

So some basic statistical analysis. Well I seem to favour three broad genres:

1. Age of Sail/Royal Navy/Ships fiction and non-fiction
2. 1920s-1940s set fiction and non-fiction
3. SciFi/Fantasy fiction

I've read 33 books in the past 6 months, averaging 5.5 a month, or 1.2 a week. But I've read only 18 authors.

one more poster

2009-06-23T00:27:00.001+01:00

Bonnie

2009-06-18T14:07:00.005+01:00

I finished the bonnie lace cowl, I managed 2.5 repeats of the 12 row lace pattern, then cast off, blocked, and seamed. I used 5mm needles and rowan tapestry in moorland, which self stripes in blue and sand colours.

Another lemon cake, just two layers of sponge this time, and one layer of lemon curd, and stars for a bit of glitz.

monday is my weekend

2009-06-15T19:19:00.003+01:00

I always work right through the weekend, so Monday is usually my day to lounge about at home. Its nice to have some peace, with HH at work, though I often feel like I've bunked off school. Anyway, how to make the most of this day all alone?

a) brunch (because I had a lie-in of course)

basic pancakes with a teaspoon of dijon mustard added to the batter, and poached eggs, and tea

b) a film

Tea With Mussolini ~ gentle 1930s set film

c) knitting

Bonnie, from Heartfelt, I don't think I've enough yarn to make the hat, so I was thinking of making it into a cowl instead, for those drizzly english summer days.

beach bag

2009-06-12T10:40:00.006+01:00

Last night we planned a day trip to the beach, and I made me a new beach bag.

This is slightly more sophisticated than the ruffle tote, because the bag and strap are lined, and it has an interior pocket. It took me about 3 hours from start to finish.

Funnily enough, this was also inspired by Gap bags, I especially like their new yellow striped one. But, why buy if you can make it at home?

So, all I need now is the beach...

Vintage 1940s Makeup and Hair Advice

2009-06-10T17:31:00.002+01:00

Fan of vintage style? You absolutely must watch this wonderful tutorial from the 1940s...

mini-engagement present

2009-06-08T08:49:00.003+01:00

For friends Dan and Vicky, who just announced they are going to be wed next summer. Vicky was taken to Italy for a surprise proposal, the lucky thing!

heirloom

2009-06-07T22:58:00.001+01:00

1946 Glasgow made Singer sewing machine. Belonged to my great-aunt Joyce. Beautiful workmanship.

cabbage rose

2009-06-04T15:58:00.003+01:00

I'm trying to rescue my biggest mistake ~ starting the huge triangle shawl from Greetings from Knit Cafe in the wrong yarn. Not aran weight or bulky, but 4-ply. 4-ply king cole merino in a biscuit colour. I started this a few years ago when I was just getting back into knitting. By the time I had 400 stitches on the needles it should have been a huge blanket, but unfortunatley my shawl measured only 18" deep and 35" wide along the bottom edge. I hadn't the heart to carry on, so cast off. Ever since I've been trying to think of something to make with it, to make it useful, such as tote or cushion cover. In the meantime, I thought I might add some blue cabbage roses, using some rowan tapestry from my stash, in duplicate stitch.

Does it look like a rose?

desperately seeking...

2009-06-03T12:47:00.004+01:00

One quilt seeks binding. Must be silky smooth, straight preferred, colour negotiable. Would like to spend time on sofa watching films, picnics in the park, and general lazing around. If this sounds like fun, get in touch, I need you to complete me.

fabric scrap heart

2009-05-30T20:16:00.004+01:00

Hurray for an old-fashioned advert in this week's radio times.

And, a film I've been waiting a year and a half for (since I missed half of it) is finally being shown again on film4. Woohoo! 'The Gentle Sex' is a black and white documentary style WW2 film, with a good measure of patriotism and propaganda. It follows a group of young women from different walks of life as they join the forces. It's on Monday at 11am

Couldn't resist making my sister a mini-birthday present out of a scrap of fabric in my stash (after all, there's not much soul in a Nintendo DS game is there?). Added some scented rose buds to the centre so it keeps her wardrobe fresh.

quilting ~ beginners tips

2009-05-29T15:46:00.007+01:00

helpful advice I've found from various places, including Last-Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts ~

plain weave cotton is easiest to sew with, so best for beginners
buy batting thats at least 4" larger in all directions than your quilt top
if the manufacturer indicates shrinkage, and you want to avoid puckering when you wash your finished quilt, pre-wash your batting

pre-wash your fabric, so any shrinkage/colour bleeding occurs now, now when the quilt is finished
press fabric, don't iron it, to keep the grain of the fabric's weave straight ~ the fabric will retain it's size and shape better when washed
cut pieces of fabric carefully with accurate seam allowances, so the finished quilt is the right shape and size ~ use the seam allowance guide on your sewing machine
press seams, pressing to seam to one side rather than open will prevent the batting escaping through the stitches
use a clear straight ruler to cut straight and accurately. use a fabric marker and scissors, or a rotary cutter and mat
backstitching at the end of each seam isn't necessary, as most of the seams will interlock with other seams
pin-basting with bent-arm safety pins is quickest, though you can't sew over them. start pinning in the centre and work your way out, with about 3" between pins

and boldly ignore this statement from sewsewsimple

"It is easy to get discouraged when your first project turns out bad, something that is bound to happen no matter how many quilting tips you follow or books you consult."

good things come to those who wait

2009-05-29T10:59:00.004+01:00

Here we have an excellent example of washed-out, frayed, patched, worn-down grey trousers, with the single redeeming feature of being very comfortable.

Who knew the dying process was so lengthy? Place dye and salt in the washing machine, place fabric on top. Wash at 40 degrees C, then wash again at 40 degrees C with detergent, then, run the washing machine again at 40 degrees C without the dyed fabric. This is to cleanse the machine of all dye remnants. Meanwhile, dry your newly coloured fabric.

It's like a totally different pair of trousers...

Interestingly, the dye doesn't work on the synthetic fibres, so the lilac stitching and scrap of pink ribbon bias binding inside are both intact. The colour also lives up to it's name 'black velvet', the black is so velvety you can almost feel it.

pie, cake, and fabric too

2009-05-27T16:29:00.002+01:00

The latest attempt at a new recipe; sausage pie. I'm trying to create nice party food with the main criteria being that it can be eaten with your hands, and isn't messy. I don't own a dining room table, and my guests have to eat their dinner on the sofa.

This has a layer of red onion, a layer of butternut squash (cubed and steamed first), a layer of grilled, sliced sausages, and some basil leaves and slices of goats cheese on top. The filling is a basic egg and milk quiche filling. I realised too late that I shouldn't have lined the tin with baking paper (duh!). It tasted ok, but kind of fell apart a little when sliced and plated.

And a new pudding; lemon gateau. I discovered this great website called www.joyofbaking.com which is jammed with desserts to die for. To make the lemon gateau I made the frosted lemon cake but baked it in two tins, then sliced each cake in half lengthwise. I then layered it with homemade lemon curd (very easy to do) and topped with lemon frosting. This cake actually tastes much better after a night in the cake tin, as the flavours intensify.

I took a trip to Country Threads in Bath today, it's an amazing little fabric shop, absolutely packed with gorgeous quilting fabrics, notions, fat quarters, ribbons, etc. I spent an hour choosing, eventually picking out the five fabrics below for my rose quilt. My next quilt will very probably be blue, it was difficult to walk away from some of those bolts.

I also got some fabric dye from the Stitch Shop in the podium, and some salt (apparently this is required when dying in your washing machine). I'm going to dye some old grey trousers black, before and after pictures will be posted tomorrow.

vintage sewing posters, why don't they make them like this anymore?

2009-05-26T01:01:00.004+01:00

nice things that are cheap

2009-05-25T12:26:00.005+01:00

Tulips from a street market, just £1.50 per bunch.

Expensive clothes on ebay start at 99p, I just discovered the thrill of finding Boden and Jigsaw clothes at bargain prices, I won this Boden stripey top last night, and also bought a white v-neck Jigsaw top with silk edging for £4.20.

Curly wurlys, just 20p, and half the calories of an ordinary chocolate bar. Plus they take longer to eat, yum.

postcarte and tarte

2009-05-13T15:25:00.002+01:00

I found these cute postcards in town...

This is a magazine insert from 1910, illustrated by Mabel Lucie Attwell. 'Lux soap flakes arrived in 1899. Intially called Sunlight Flakes, it was reintroduced the following year as Lux'.

I've always like the name Lux, but wonder where it comes from?

This one is a 1930s Knitting Pattern, part of a Children's Wear Series, again illustrated by Mabel Lucie Attwell. 'Gustav Jaeger believed it was healthier for people to dress entirely in animal hair, such as wool. The company did not use synthetics until the 1950s.'

Note the use of 'Jaeger Knitpack's to keep the yarn from tangling, and the price of the pattern; just six old pence!.

My work situation is not so good at the moment, the large national company I work for has had to cut my, and many others, hours dramatically, to try and reduce the number of redundencies. Thoroughly depressing, but I know I'm lucky to still have a job. My deep sympathies to anyone reading this who has lost their job in recent months, I have a glimpse of your pain. So, of the many hours I've spent idling away at home, when not job-hunting, I've been trying out recipes.

This is a 'everything-you-like-in-a-tarte tarte'. It has chicken, leek, and butternut squash, in a quiche-like egg and milk filling with goats cheese on top. Decadent yes, but surprisingly budget-friendly, and serves four, or in my house serves 2 with a generous portion left over for Mr HH's lunch the next day.

And my first attempt at bread...

this is an armchair

2009-04-18T11:10:00.003+01:00

Do you ever have those days when you get it into your head to start some project or other and end up working on it till you drop with exhaustion late at night? Yesterday was one of those days. Somewhere between 10 cups of tea, and endless clips of old frasier episodes on youtube, I found myself making new slip-covers for my tatty old armchair out of a pair of curtains I found in Oxfam 6 months ago. The fabric was intended for my quilt, but was far too heavy. It's a sort of brocade fabric, I don't know exactly what material.

I was motivated to get on with it by watching Kirstie's homemade home, which I thought was quite a nice programme, despite the trashing it received in the Radio Times. I saw the look on Kirstie's face when she realized she'd successfully made something half-decent, and I can identify with that sense of achievement.

peanut, the elephant

2009-04-16T11:38:00.002+01:00

from 'last minute patchwork and quilted gifts' by joelle hoverson

just for fun, you know...

excuse me, while I be boring

2009-04-12T15:36:00.006+01:00

So, I'm going to record all the novels I read this year, because, you know, to me this is a fun thing to do. Sort of like a diary, because I'll remember what I was doing around the time I read each book. Probably also I'll throw in a bit of statistical analysis, like what genre do I read most, and how much I spend on books versus how many I borrow from the library/other people, and on a scale of one to ten how much I need to get out more.

If you're thinking wtf?! how dull! you might want to stop reading....now.

The novels I've read since Jan 1st 2009 ~

(in approximate order)

1. Neverwhere by neil gaiman
2. Cross Stitch by diana gabaldon
3. A Girl Called Thursday by lilian harry
4. Love and Laughter by lilian harry
5. Non-Combatants by alexander fullerton
6. Share of Honour by alexander fullerton
7. Stardust by neil gaiman
8. Very Ordinary Seaman by j p w mallalieu
9. The Voyage of the Narwhal by andrea barrett
10. Westbound Warbound by alexander fullerton
11. Gateway by frederik pohl
12. HMS Expedient by peter smalley
13. Sharpe’s Prey by bernard cornwell
14. Sharpe’s Rifles by bernard cornwell
15. Sharpe’s Trafalger by bernard cornwell
16. Sharpe’s Fortress by bernard cornwell
17. Sharpe’s Triumph by bernard cornwell
18. Sharpe’s Tiger by bernard cornwell
19. Corner House Girls trilogy by lilian harry
20. Perfick Perfick : all the Larkin stories by h e bates
21. Diary of an Ordinary Woman by margaret forster
22. Corvette by richard woodman

The next novels I'm planning to read ~

(in no order at all)

1. Sylvia’s Lovers by elizabeth gaskell
2. Beyond the Blue Event Horizon* by frederik pohl
3. A Promise to Keep* by lilian harry
4. Wish Me Luck by margaret dickinson
5. A Town Like Alice by nevil shute
6. Band of Eagles by frank barnard
7. The Road to Kandahar
8. War Brides by helen bryan
9. Nicholas Everard Mariner of England v1* by alexander fullerton
10. Mr Midshipman Fury by g s beard
11. Sharpe’s Eagle* by bernard cornwell
12. Dragonfly in Amber* by diana gabaldon

those with * are sequels to books in the first list, those in bold I have in the house, those in italics are reserved at the library

My novel consumption is a little out of control, I read too many books too fast. Usually this is because I'm reading them for work purposes, but sometimes its the sort of novel that sucks you in, and prevents alternative use of free-time. A prime example of quicksand masquerading as a book is Cross Stitch (or Outlander in the US - a better title I think).

So, that's my quarterly review, the bookworm will post again in July.

crash and burn

2009-03-30T11:36:00.007+01:00

This is what it looks like when your resolutions crash and burn...

This is supposed to be Corona, but as you can see, it's barely more than a belt (sigh).

Not only this, but my tall-ship t-shirt, which I was so enthusiastic about, is buried in my knitting basket, unloved. I am definitely slumped. I'm thinking, finish these 2 projects, and give wool a rest for a while, try something else, maybe throw myself into seriously improving my sewing skills and aim for that last resolution - the hand-made dress.

Anyway,

I was given a cookbook recently and am trying out all these new recipes. I learned how to dress a salad, which is an absurdly simple thing to do, it feels like a revelation. I was making the grilled goats cheese salad from Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook, on the basis that I had something similar in Paris and it was tres yummy. Just add balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard to olive oil...why haven't I done this before?! Also, drizzling warm honey over sliced goats cheese on some crusty bread and grilling is so delicious I could barely speak - try it. Seriously.

Since summer is here and fruit is unusually cheap at the moment I also had to make the strawberry and shortcake tart. I added raspberries, and skipped the orange water, but I did use semolina which made it really crunchy. What is semolina? Flour or sugar?

four random things I'm in love with at the moment

2009-03-15T18:01:00.008Z

Shirley Hughes illustrated picture books, especially 'Ella's Big Chance' - a gorgeous re-telling of Cinderella, set in the 20s'/30s'. The dresses are lovely, and the ending much more romantic.

Repeats of Ballykissangel, makes me feel happy.

Going to the pub with friends, which is actually quite a new experience for me. It's so nice, and surprisingly relaxing. I've recently co-founded a new knitting group in Bath and we meet at The Cork, and last week I went for drinks with work friends at The Salamander. They're both good pubs. I like apple juice and vodka.

Trying to do 1940's victory rolls in my hair, using this book and the masses of videos on youtube. I also really like watching professional yet homemade makeup tutorials, like askmemakeup. She does a great set of retro makeup films, and 'marie antoinette hair'.

And one thing I don't like: when Mr HH moves my intarsia project and tangles up the four colours, grrr!

march project ~ corona by canaryknits

2009-03-01T19:05:00.003Z

I've begun swatching for my March project; a stripey Corona hoodie, in navy blue and lighter than light blue. I think I've decided on the 4-row stripes.

february project ~ gloves, erika knight

2009-02-28T18:47:00.018Z

Looks like I can just get this one in under the wire! Actually I finished these a week ago, and have been in Cornwall since, which led to a rather outdoorsy photoshoot...

I didn't make any modifications to the pattern, which is really easy to follow. They're a comfortable fit, even with all the seams inside each finger and along the outer edge, in fact the seams aren't that noticeable. The yarn is soft enough for gloves, and has so far been quite hard-wearing.

If you're curious, the bay in the background is the beautiful Lantic Bay on the Cornish coast.

And if you're travelling that way, you absolutely must have lunch at the retro, beachy Pinky Murphys, it does delicious home-made food, check out those cakes!

fictional thirties fashion

2009-02-18T16:03:00.032Z

before you start reading this post, and if you can have more than one webpage open at a time on your computer, click here to play some thirties music in the background.

My knowledge of 1930s fashion begins with the novels I've read, books by Noel Streatfield, Rosamunde Pilcher, Nancy Mitford, Elizabeth Bowen, etc. The drops of fashion in these stories can be sunk into like a steaming hot bath. I wallow in the details. The young girls wear blouses and skirts, ribbons in their hair and have party frocks. When they grow up there are stockings, lipstick, hats, and coming out dresses. Most importantly of all, everyday clothes in all classes were feminine and stylish. The boyish look of the twenties was abandoned in the wake of the financial crash, and as in all times of economic depression clothing became more conservative. Womanly curves and long skirts were in, and the waistline returned to it's anatomically correct position. Hair was groomed and trousers rare. Fashion was influenced by Hollywood, Paris designers and Royalty. And, whatever the social politics of the time, you must admit the women looked fantastic. Even the humble pinafore and turban, worn by the housewife or factory worker, had some grace about it. And of course, knitting was commonplace and most clothes were hand-made, and I think that clinches it as my favourite 20th century fashion era.

My favourite novel set in that era is Coming Home. It's set in the late 1930s and early 1940s in deepest Cornwall, and is full of luxury, style, glamour and beauty, as well as homely, middle-class, everyday clothes. I love the book for it's down-to-earth heroine, Judith. She, Loveday, Athena and Heather are the girls growing up, Diana is the iconic and experienced beauty at the head of the Carey-Lewis family. Judith is ordinary, and discovers upper-class life at Nancherrow, and in that part of the book her experiences of clothes express the differences in class and her moments of growing up. So we get to hear what she wears, what they all wear, in delicious detail.

Then there is Nancy Mitford's The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate, set in Gloustershire in the 1930s. It tells the story of the eccentric Radletts, and especially Linda's romantic adventures, seen through the eyes of her cousin Fanny. The plot starts before they have 'come out' when they spend most of their time in sensible country clothes, and later details the necessary balls and their London Season.

In the first few chapters of Coming Home Judith is a teenager. She wore blouses, jerseys, skirts, sensible shoes, and ribbons in her hair. A large part of her wardrobe was her school uniform, stiff and very 'proper'. She wore plimsolls for hockey, and cotton frocks in the summer. Later Judith goes to Nancherrow and borrows some of Athena's expensive, but essentially ordinary, clothes for the weekend...

"...a cashmere jersey. And this one was holly-red, one of her most favourite colours. '...now, here's a nice gingham blouse, with a Peter Pan collar...and a pair of shorts...' Mary held them up for general inspection. They were navy flannel, pleated like a little skirt...Judith carried the borrowed clothes back to her bedroom. She went in and closed the door behind her, and laid the shorts and the jersey and the blouse ceremoniously on the bed, the way her mother did when she was going to change for a party...and, slowly savouring the novelty, dressed herself in Athena Carey-Lewis's cast-offs. Moving to and fro, she washed her hands (Chanel soap) and brushed her hair, tying it back with a fresh navy-blue ribbon. Only then did she go to inspect herself in the long mirror set in the wardrobe door...she looked so different...almost grown-up"

Older Athena is supremely stylish; "...she wore very red lipstick, and very red nails, and was always dressed in lovely new clothes, in the height of fashion. Today, because this was country, she wore trousers, cut like a man's, and a silk shirt, and a camelhair jacket, with padded shoulders and the glitter of a diamond brooch pinned to the lapel"

Loveday, the youngest Carey-Lewis is more of a tomboy and more careless of clothes; 'clothes were as unimportant to her as they had ever been; stained and shrunken jodhpurs were her usual garb, paired with any old sweater'

Clothes for Fanny and Linda are secondary to the search for love, but serve to express their growing pains, the sartorial mistakes and triumphs reflect the progress of their maturity.

'alas, the floating panels of taffeta, which had seemed so original and pretty in Mrs. Josh's cottage, looked queerly stiff beside their printed chiffons, so soft and supple; also, our experiences earlier in the evening had made us feel inferior'

Later, when they begin their first London season...

'Clothes were probably our chief preoccupation at this time. Once Linda had been to a few dress shows, and got her eye in, she had all hers made by Mrs Josh, and, somehow, they had a sort of originality and prettiness that I never achieved...Linda had one particularly ravishing ball-dress made of masses of pale grey tulle down to her feet.'

In Love in a Cold Climate, which is about Fanny's romance and Polly's scandal, they discuss childhood;

'do you remember how we both had black velvet dresses with red sashes for coming down after tea'

and the inevitable and often dull coming-out process, which at least has one highlight:

'What I do enjoy,' I said truthfully 'is the dressing up.'..'Oh so do I! Do you think about dresses and hats all the time, even in church?'

It's the clothes that express Loveday and Judith's unofficial entry into the adult world. On the cover of the dvd adaptation Emily Mortimer who plays Judith is wearing a blue dress with gold detail. This is a very important dress in the book, it's the dress Judith wears on Christmas Day at Nancherrow when she is 17. It's the dress that makes all the other adults finally realise she is grown-up.

'It's made out of a sari...your mother helped me draw a picture and we took it to her dressmaker and she made it'...'the last sheet of paper drifted to the floor and the dress was revealed. She held it up in front of her, spreading the skirts to reveal the width...around the deep hem and the cuffs of the little sleeves the gold key pattern of the sari's border glittered with reflected light. Athena's jaw dropped...what a colour. Not turquoise and not blue. Utterly perfect.

It also demonstrates some key principles of thirties evening dress fashion. a) The shape: the hem is at the ankle, the waistline in the proper place. and the dress has a matching bolero-style jacket - very popular at this time b) It was made by a dressmaker, as many upper-class evening clothes were at that time, this is not the same as being a one-off piece by a designer, these dressmakers numbered in their hundreds, and scattered across the country copied the latest London fashions in consultation with and commissioned by their wealthy clients, and c) this particular dress happens to indicate the impact of the colonies on British clothing. Usually this is only seen in the regimental uniforms of retired men like Colonel Carey-Lewis, but there was also Oriental fabrics to be bought in the London department stores like Liberty.

As for Loveday, at 16 she makes a more hesitant, reluctant entry into adult society;

'Tonight she wore no jewellery, and her vivid face (was) innocent of make up. But her dress, chosen for her by Diana...was sheer enchantment. Organdie, the vivid green of young beech leaves, cut low over Loveday's shoulders, and deeply ruffled at neck and hem. Even Loveday had been seduced by it'

Then there are the outdoor clothes, the coats, hats and gloves. Linda famously sits sobbing on her suitcase on a Paris railway platform, shown in the TV adaptation wearing a fur coat and hat, which would have been quite usual. Hats and gloves were de riguer in this era, for travel, church-going, and dining at restaurants.

Fanny contemplates her country tweeds at the Ritz;

'My clothes, so nice and suitable...so much admired by the other dons' wives, were, I realized, almost bizarre in their dowdiness...I passionately longed to have a tiny fur hat, or a tiny ostrich hat, like the two ladies at the next table. I longed for a neat black dress, diamond clips and a dark mink coat...long crinkly black suede gloves, and smooth polished hair.'

And finally, I must mention Schiaparelli. The designer Schiaparelli was in the same league as Chanel, and her name keeps appearing in all these stories. It's the moment when Judith first sees Loveday bothering to wear something nice that we realise Loveday is in love, and it's a Schiaparelli jacket. Fanny becomes an Oxford housewife with a staple wardrobe of tweeds, but surprises the fashionable Cedric by wearing a Schiaparelli jacket around the house...

'I remember that my mother...brought me a little jacket in scarlet cloth from Schiaparelli. It seemed to be quite plain...except for the label in its lining, and I longed to put this on the outside so people would know where it came from.'

'Aha! So now we dress in Schiaparelli, I see! Whatever next?...Cedric! How can you tell?....My dear, one can always tell, things have a signature, if you use your eyes...'

And it is a sublimely fashionable, and unattainably expensive dress by Schiaparelli that is given to one of the girls in The Girls of Slender Means and shared around for important dates.

I've discussed the fashion in these two books in some depth, though by no means exhaustively. Yet more information can be found in other novels either written in, or set retrospectively in the thirties. In Ballet Shoes, for example, there are party dresses needed for auditions, in poplin, taffeta and organdie. And of course the costume designers working on the TV adaptations of these books really know their stuff, hence my illustrations of the above with a liberal dose of screen captures.

And finally, if this has piqued your interest in the bizarre coming out rituals of the upper-class at this time, and I must admit that this is heavily biased towards this class, mainly due to the lack of novels that describe ordinary fashions in the same detail, then I can recommend reading the non-fiction book The Last Curtsey by Fiona MacCarthy for the real thing.

Absolutely no copyright infringement is intended, either by use of the screen captures and photos, or the excerpts from the books.

one more bit of patchwork

2009-02-10T15:57:00.002Z

commissioned by my HH, the blue and red is as manly as I could manage...

february project ~ gloves

2009-02-02T13:25:00.005Z

My february project is a first pair of gloves, the gloves from Erika Knight's Classic, in rowan wool cotton (using a cotton blend is another first) in shade Shipshape.

The gloves are quite simple (hence the use of the glamourous model I suspect), and knit on two needles back and forth.

I am of course still working on the tall-ship tshirt, I thought it best to get the plain back piece done first, but it is rather boring and hard-going ~ updates soon.

a new nerys

2009-01-20T22:17:00.006Z

I've been watching the US inauguration coverage for hours, on the BBC and then online, is it possible for America to be more joyous?! They made a good choice though, so they deserve to be!

Those hours on the sofa let me finish up the new nerys, a corduroy/crochet/knit bag.

The bag is mostly fabric, the knitted and crochet bits aren't really structural, just decorative, so she's quite sturdy. I didn't sew that pocket either, just cut around it and appliqued the whole thing on a bit messily. This is a keeper!

corduroy fish

2009-01-16T20:07:00.002Z

Reincarnation

2009-01-16T10:06:00.007Z

Poor nerys, she turned out to have an undeniable design failure ~ she was far to bulky for regular wear, too wide and too heavy. I can't bear to see a knit like that languish forever in some forgotten corner, unloved. I have much to learn about scarf design. I also have a few things to learn about knitted bags, the most crucial of which is ~

The lining is the strength of the bag, until a lining is found and inserted the bag is unusable, or you'll quickly find it stretching where it shouldn't be. This is why alish and candlestick were in my wip basket for so long, no lining.

So, nerys has been unravelled, and my next project is going to be a more practical home for the lovely blue Rowan Big Wool. I found a pair of grey corduroy trousers my mum bought me years ago, which don't really fit and I've been dying to cut up. My plan is to combine the two to create a sturdy satchel, the true workhorse of the urban bag.

I've solved the problem of the chart of the Surprise; the chart is on squared paper, so a square with 22 stitches has 22 rows, whereas my tension will mean a square with 22 stitches has 30 rows. So I simply need to put those 8 rows into the chart, i.e. lengthen the chart by 8 rows for every 22 rows so that when knitted the image isn't squashed down, but is in proportion. My chart has 120 rows, so I need to add 44 rows. I plan to add these evenly spaced throughout the chart, and simply duplicate the row below. This means that I just need to mark on the chart with a pencil line where the extra rows will go, and I don't need to redraw the entire thing, huzzay! (I hope!).

Edited to add: I've decided not to put the pattern for nerys on ravelry, since I unravelled it it hardly seems fair. I hate saying I'm going to do something and then backing out, sorry! But if you are brave and want to try the pattern (maybe in a less bulky wool?) feel free to email me for the instructions and chart.

Thankee, thankee

2009-01-12T15:25:00.002Z

for all your kind comments about Haven. Much appreciated!

Johanna, your comment on my previous post...

"Just thought I'd mention that stitches tend to be wider than high (like you said your tension is 22 sts and 30 rows across a 4" square), so if you are drawing this on regular graph paper, it will come out slightly wider i.e. a bit squashed when knitted. Shouldn't really make a big difference for a boat, but if you want it to be in proportion, try stretching the image file by about 30-40% in height, then print on regular graph paper."

Hell and death! You're absolutely right, excuse me while I go and weep in a dark corner...

Back soon with some sort of cunning plan to avoid completely re-graphing the image.

january project ~ haven

2009-01-09T20:20:00.008Z

New year's resolution: make something nice at least once a month (definition of nice: designed be someone else, pretty, wearable, and not messed up in any significant way).

January project; Haven by Kim Hargreaves, from the book Heartfelt.

Knitted in 3 skeins of soft Rowan Cocoon in Bilberry. This wool is gorgeously soft, with a slight mohair effect, and the bilberry shade is actually a bit darker than in the photo. The lace repeat is easy to memorise, and since this is done with 8mm needles is a super quick knit. This was a lot of fun, highly recommended!

seven pieces of graph paper...

2009-01-06T11:32:00.004Z

...are quite hard to photograph without blurring. You can double click on the image to get a close up.

This is the final sketch I think, I'm sure I'll keep making alterations, but I'm moving onto the coloured version now. Lets hope it looks a lot better!