The start of an orchard ?

This morning Chris and I went to Aldi and bought two apple trees, a Braburn and Bramley.  I have two large pots with nothing in them and a large bag of compost doing nothing, so other than the £3.99 each for the trees I thought they were worth trying to grow.  My gardening skills these days amount to "it has two chances" which means whatever I plant will either grow or it wont. I do not have the time or energy to spend long in the garden so everything has to take pot luck, and I must admit most things do OK left to their own devices.  We had a really bumper crop of raspberries last year and even in the hottest weather I did not water them once, they were planted with their roots under polythene and this was covered in a bark mulch.

The Samaritans

On one of the groups I belong to this message was placed :-

It is the 50th Anniversary of Northallerton Samaritans this year and I was wondering if anyone has a quilt that could be auctioned or sold via a raffle.

The quilt for the auction or raffle will be part of our 50 years Samaritans celebration in Northallerton and dales, the oldest rural branch in the country.  Took over 20, 000 calls last year in our branch, it is needed more than ever, many thanks for your generosity.

I was really happy to be able to donate a quilt to this good cause.

BSK BOM 1 & 3

Block One

Block Three

Yesterday I managed to drive all the way to Bedford, not that far but the furthest I have driven since my knee op. to attend a BOM course.
A month ago we made block #2 so this month we made block 1 & 3 on the Brother Laura Ashley embroidery machines .
I really like these blocks even though I have not decided if they will be a quilt or cushions or ??
The fun is in the making and extremely friendly atmosphere with the small group.

Granddaughters visit

Busy in the Happy Room

Look what we made1

Yesterday Abigail and Eleanor spent the day with me as they are on half term.
Chris is still working nights so while he slept we had "quiet time" in the Happy Room making woven heart baskets firstly with felt, which were a bit fiddly, then with heat-n-bonded fabric, which worked slightly better. Both girls got the hang of the weaving really quickly. The final step was to sew on a handle with a button as decoration. We plan to make some more on their next visit with Easter egg fabric so we can fill them with mini eggs.

Snowdrops

I have two different kinds of snowdrops in my garden and wonder if anyone knows the name of them?

They are very different, one has three outside petals and is quite simple,  the other has five petals and a full centre.

A very welcome sign Spring is around the corner.

Title change

What do you think to the new header? These three cross stitch projects hang in my dining area. The Amish one I have blogged about, but the other two are Marjolein Bastin designs. Made some years ago they are a set of four seasons maybe one day I'll complete the set as I have the other two.

I thought it was time to change the look of my blog. I have now been blogging for seven years, where does the time go?
Your comments and friendship are really important to me, but mostly I blog to keep a journal.

I started to blog to keep my brain active and challenge myself to learn something new. I will be 70 this year and feel I must keep my computer skills up to date as much as I can.

The latest app I placed on my iPad was Facetime and although sometimes when my youngest granddaughter, Eleanor age 6, wants to talk to me we both land up with our faces on our sides we just laugh and have fun.

They say you are never too old to learn something new and I think they are right.

Life is Beautiful a new project

The project

Having seen on someones blog that they were making the project called Life is Beautiful, I decided I would like to make this. It took me quite a while to locate the pattern, but finally found someone in the USA selling it. It consists for a journal format to make 32 embroidered blocks in circles to applique onto four patch squares. Each block has a saying on it.

A box of hexies

Starting the embroidery

 A couple of years ago I bought a box full of ready made hexagons, I felt sorry for them as no one wanted them and I thought of all the work that had gone into making them.

My version

I have now decided to put the two things together and will use the hexagons to outline the embroidery into a small quilt.
I have chosen two variegated, green and brown, DMC threads to work the embroideries. Each embroidered circle is backed with fusible Pellon. 

Valentine Gift

Yesterday Chris arrived home from his night shift at Harrod's and managed to stay awake long enough to take me to physio. My previous physiotherapist had left so I was transferred to a new one, Shaun, he gave me deep leg massage to reduce the swelling and a load of new exercises, all of which were very painful.
I came home with a sheet of instructions and he asked Chris to do the deep massage on my leg twice a day.
As soon as we got home Chris went to bed and I quietly recovered from the physio!

Mid afternoon a parcel was delivered and Chris had sent me a wonderful bouquet of twelve red roses, heart shaped chocolate and a card. Even after 41 years of marriage it is so nice to be  loved.
On my last trip out I had managed to buy him a little foody gift and made him a card.

This morning he gave me my first leg massage! Boy does it hurt, but I hope will reduce the swelling. At least I know he loves me!

Remembering Valentine Glasspool

VALENTINE GLASSPOOL
Private G/101553, 43rd (Garrison) Battalion Royal Fusiliers
Died Thursday 31st October 1918
Buried: Pont-de-Nieppe Communal Cemetery, Grave II.H.6

Valentine Glasspool was born on St. Valentine's Day, 14th February 1895, in Hunston, West Sussex, the son of Thomas and Mary Glasspool. At that time Hunston was a rather remote village a few miles south of Chichester

Valentine Glasspool enlisted in March 1917. He initially joined the Royal Fusiliers, then transferred to the Labour Corps, but finally he returned to the Royal Fusiliers and a non-combatant battalion, part of general headquarters' troops.

The Major commanding the Company said, writing home to the bereaved parents - 'Private Glasspool has given his life for his country in the hour of its greatest need.' The gallant Major also said that Private Glasspool had been a member of his Company since its formation and his conduct had always been excellent. A Corporal in his Company writing of him said 'He had such a cheerful smiling disposition in the face of every little and big difficulty which he had to encounter.'

The other sons of Mr. and Mrs. Glasspool, namely Alfred and Cecil, were in New York when war broke out and they proceeded to Canada and enlisted in the Forces of the Dominion, being still on Service.

Valentine Glasspool died on the 31st October 1918, and is buried at Pont-de-Nieppe Communal Cemetery, three miles north of Armentières. Ernest Glasspool emigrated to the USA in November 1919 to be with his brothers, and was soon joined by his parents Thomas and Mary. There must be many Glasspool descendants in the USA today.

This article is taken from my One Name Study of the Glasspool's
A few years ago Chris and I visited his grave at Pont-de-Nieppe Cemetery, Nord, France.

Kimono completed

Completed Kimono

I have so enjoyed making this Kimono of sampler stitches.

99 different colours of DMC embroidery floss were used.

It measures 9 x 10 inches approx.

The book of stitches by Genny Morrow called NOVA was purchased many years ago while on a trip to the USA for $35. This book was used with the Kimono design and premarked fabric costing approx $30.

Glasspool/e research

The following article was found in the 

Australian Daily Southern Cross newspaper dated 1 September 1868.

For many years I have been researching the Glasspool/e name around the world 

but this is the most infamous I have found!

Singleton Times records the death of Ellen Glasspoole, the paramour of the infamous Burke, of Edinburgh. The above journal reports that "an inquest was held on Monday, the 10th August, before the District Coroner, Dr. Glennie, on view of the body of an aged woman, known as Ellen GlasspoDle, who was burned to death in her hut on Saturday last. The above creature was, we believe, the last remaining vile relic connected with the infamous Burks and Hare tragedies that bonified Edinburgh, the scene of these villains' wholesale butcheries, and indeed the civilised world, some forty years ago. As paramour of Burke who expiated his revolting crimes upon the scaffold— she participated in those barbarities that have never been heard recited without a shudder. Tbe law, however, in dealing mercifully with the 'weaker vessel,' sentenced Ellen Steward, alias MoDougall, to penal servitude for life. In 1830, she was assigned to the service of the late Mr. Joseph Singleton, and she has remained in this district since. During the early years of her servitude here, she appears to have captivated somebody, who bestowed upon her the name of Glasspoole, and whom apparently she has long survived. She had repeatedly been admonished at our Police Court on aocount of her taking a drappie too much, on which occasions she usually pleaded in extenuation her great age. Tbat generous institution of ours, the Benevolent Asylum, supplied her from time to time with the necessaries of life, and her 'medical comforts' were made up by appealing to the coach passengers, who were found about Cullen's corner, relying mostly for success on the statement that her age was 164 the next Saturday,' but which, we believe, was a simple miscalculation of some twenty or thhty years." 

February IAM day

 Seven of us gathered together for the February IAM day here in the Happy Room, only Shirley was missing. It was a miserable dark wet day so we were all glad to be indoors crafting.
Ann and I both recovering from knee surgery sat with our feet up on stools while the start of the get together was discussing ailments! When a group of seven ladies get together all aged between 67 and 74 there always a lot of ailments to talk about !!
Then out came the different crafts we were all working on, ranging from cross stitch to applique to knitting etc. As normal everyone brought their own lunch but one member of the group brings dessert, this time it was Clare's turn and we had a lovely raspberry tart and toffee pavlova.. yummy.
While we recover from food we have show and tell, here are a few photos of some of the items.

My monogrammed towels

Maureen's Sewing doll

Dorn's hearts

Jenny's slipper

Penny's cushion

Penny's Santa

The New Land Rover seats

Like New.

Chris managed to complete the Land Rover front seats and they look really smart. The kit he bought consisted of new foams and the covers, removing the old foam was quite a job plus he found the rivets in the metal seat bottoms had broken. A friend welded the joints back together and Chris set about covering the new foam and attaching it to the bases, not easy and a bit messy, but it has made such a difference to the seats, I cannot wait for the Spring to start going Off-Roading with him again.

Saturday workshop

Yesterday I attended a workshop at Pitsford, a village very near to me. As I still find it hard machining I went more for the social side and took along my Kimono to work on.
http://www.sew-n-social.blogspot.co.uk/
Fran and Tilly run the workshop while Jane provides the food.

Hearts on offer

The day starts with a drink as soon as you arrive, this is followed at 11am with another drink and homemade biscuit [ boy were they good!] lunch of home made soup with rolls and sausage rolls, not forgetting the delicious dessert was later followed at 3pm with drinks and cake.
In between all this eating the dozen or so ladies on the workshop were busy working on the heart project or doing their own thing. There is always something new to learn and it was a very enjoyable day.



Today the sun is shining and I decided as it is Sunday and there is not much traffic about that I would have my first attempt at driving since my knee replacement. Very close to the house is an industrial estate so I headed for there and practiced reversing and emergency stopping, I felt like a 17 year old having their first lesson rather than an almost 70 year old that has been driving for over 50 years! All went well but I'm not sure Chris thought he would ever see me again.