Well after the sewing roll I got myself onto last week I full expected it to continue for a little while at least. But it hasn't and I blame summer. Its much too much fun to be outside and, even inside, to be doing summery things. I did make Suzy, a little raggedy cloth doll, with Islay on Saturday morning (I'm choosing to ignore the fact that her hair isn't finished and she doesn't have a face yet - neither she nor Islay seems to care).
Islay loves going swimming and I have to confess I find it a bit of a struggle at the best of times. And yesterday I decided no way, since it was such a glorious day, so we went down to the river just along from our house and Islay had a brilliant time wading and mud-puddling and rolling down the sandy bank. We had a ball. I looked at the lovely patterns the tree roots make on the bank and she got wet and muddy - perfect.
Islay, my niece and I have had a couple of visits to our local berry farm. We, well I, have picked masses of strawberries....they have just eaten loads (some riper than others in my niece's case!). We also picked some elderflowers and I've made a batch of elderflower cordial and strawberry jam. I suspect it is usual to sort out your containers BEFORE planning a big cordial and jam making session, but I forgot I had almost no jam jars. All I could find in our local shops were some kilner jars. They look wonderful and will last forever but they aren't ideal for cordial - I'm dispensing it with a syringe at the moment (anyone got some better ideas?!). Oh well, will try and remember not to recycle so many jars from now on.
We've been eating strawberries with gooey chocolate cake and cream. And last night we had salmon fishcakes with homegrown salad and parsley - sadly the eggs weren't ours.
The bubble machine has begun it's summer of work - two little girls had so much fun.... and two slightly bigger boys finish school today and will be joining them in the garden for the summer..............I'm choosing to pretend its not pouring with rain, I'm sure it won't last. Yippeee for summer holidays.
Oh, and please forgive me if I blog even less frequently over the next few weeks. Also I have been finding it difficult to keep up with, and comment on, everyone else's lovely blogs for the last week or two......just a warning that that will probably get worse, but not because I am ignoring you or have forgotten about you - just blame summer! Islay will start nursery for a couple of hours every morning after the summer so (in theory at least!) I should be able to get my act together a bit more...and just perhaps, fingers crossed, try and bring a little bit of life into my Folksy shop.
Hope your summer is going well too!!
13 comments:
You sound like you are all enjoying the unbelievable heat that we're having.
The garden has been a massive draw for us too, we're trying to definitely make the most of it. I'm amazed that school is breaking up for you, #1 doesn't finish till the 22nd. I really hope the sun stays for the summer hols. Rain and 6 weeks holidays don't mix!!
Jenny x
Very cute doll - I like the 'no face' look! Did you use a pattern? I have just signed up to make one for a Brazilian charity and have just been surfing for patterns.
Your day at the river looks fun Julie, as do the bubbles :) I hope that you all have great summer holidays and have the weather to go with them :)
I used those ice vube bags for my cordial and fooze them, great to pop out in to water or fizzy pop!
I am going to be pants at commenting over the summer the boys are more important, although hols done start for another 2 weeks here
Plus our buble machine died - boohoo
It'd be great to have such a fantastic river just along from home, much better than the swimming pool (I find swimming such a faff and don't get round to it very often I'm afraid)
Enjoy your summer, I think most folk are letting the blogging slip a little over summer, especially if the weather stays dry (hoping today's just a one-ff, lots of rain but the garden is in much need of it)
Anne.
All - thanks for the lovely comments. I hope you all enjoy your summers too.
Bearpaw - I just made her up.....one thing I'd do differently another time is rethink the head/neck - head is far too big to sit inside the neck/body for sewing together easily. Probably best handsewn at the neck, and then it could be stuffed tighter too so she can actually hold her own head up! Juliex
Ooooh summer sounds so exciting your way... I had totally forgotten the summer holidays were almost upon us!! I wouldn't worry too much about not commenting on people's blogs over the summer - summer is just too nice to spend sat at a computer (the only reason I am on here now is because of work, or rather slacking from it!!)
As for the jam and cordial, I just had to laugh! Tim made tons of Elderflower cordial last year and we had a jug full of it in our fridge, a wine bottle full for my parents (which, he managed to drop and smash on the floor - sticky gooiness followed that one!) and two smaller bottles full for his mum and his sister. We had to raid all the cupboards for them, because he made far more than he said he would! He also made me recycle all of our empty jars when we moved so I need to start collecting some again ready for making jam, and store them next to the dozens of wine bottles our family have donated since Tim got wine making kit for Christmas... shame we didn't live closer or I could have brought one round in your hour of need!!
sounds like a fun summer so far!
Oh I know exactly what it's like to be drawn outside and struggle with keeping up with the comments, I think so many are in the same position and it can only get worse over summer I'm sure everyone understands.
Love the treeroots, they look amazing and the homegrown food sounds fantastic. Hope it continues to be such fun and we'll catch up at the end of summer if not before!
Bethx
I think your little doll is quite cute , we've got another 2 weeks before we break up for the holidays . In some ways I'm looking forward to it but in others I'm not !!
A lovely post. My son breaks up from school on 22 July so we've a while to go yet. You have been so productive with the cordial and the jam making. I would love to make jam but it has been too darn hot here to be in the kitchen! The photos are great, especially the one of the girls and the bubbles! x
SUCH fun to have found your blog. Dreamy summer days, paddling in the rivers! I always love tree roots too :) and gooey choc cake and strawberries - mmmmmm. Catherine x
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