sewchet

June 28, 2015
by sewchet 25 Comments

Sunday Sevens #42

Sunday again already? Where did THAT week go?!

Time for #sundaysevens then, a round up of your week in seven photos as thought up by Nat at Threads & Bobbins. Click here to find out more and join in – everyone’s welcome!

1. This arrived from Amazon – soon to be translated into Christmas presents for two little girls.

2. Crochet night at a friend’s house, accompanied by Prosecco and homemade raspberry vodka.

3. Amber, our hen with the broken leg, is feeling better. She wanted to go outside and spent a happy hour pecking away and dust bathing.

4. Then the others came over and started bullying her, the way hens do when one of their flock is injured.

She was pecked on the wattle and head quite badly before we saw the attack. I brought her inside again and now we only let her out to scratch around while the others are cooped up.

Trouble is, hens get depressed without other hens for company. We solve this issue by leaving the french windows slightly ajar so she can ‘talk’ to them in safety. They chirrup away quite happily to each other!

She has progressed from hopping on one leg to limping on two, so we are hopeful that she will recover enough to reunite her with the rest of the flock in a few weeks, when she is strong enough to stand up for herself and peck back!

5. The next three month’s supplies were delivered from Minerva Crafts for the Blogger’s Network!

Just look at that pile of Aran yarn waiting to be transformed into something magical – I’ve got until mid October to complete this project but I’m not sure if that’s going to be enough time!

6. Ah, a lovely liqueur coffee brought to me by the wonderful Mr H-L while I was watching my favourite new discovery, “The Suspicions Of Mr Whicher”. He knows the way to my heart!

7. It’s finished! My fuschia linen dress that will be blogged about soon.

That’s it for this week – next week I’m in Cornwall with the girls, celebrating the first one of our group to reach fifty. No, not me – I’ve got three years to go yet.

It’s going to be a messy week…..!

June 26, 2015
by sewchet 41 Comments

Self-Drafted Linen Tunic

You may remember that a few weeks ago I showed you some brightly coloured linen that I bought from Calico Laine.

I made this Vogue designer Summer dress from the ‘Pool Blue’ and blogged about it here.

The gorgeous ‘Leaf Green’ was destined to become a tunic top of sorts, but I couldn’t find an off the shelf pattern that I liked enough so I decided to draft my own.

I had several features in mind from other tops I own that I wanted to incorporate, so I played around awhile until I came up with this: –

A one-piece front with a centre front pleat and two horizontal partial pleats running parallel to the hem.

The back was also to be one-piece and would have some added shape in the form of external darts.

It was also to be shorter than the front and there would be slits on both sides.

This is the finished tunic which, from the creases, you can see has been worn quite a bit already.

The inverted centre front pleat was reinforced with a line of top stitching….

…and a couple of coconut shell buttons.

The parallel pleats at the bottom were designed to lift the tunic in the middle leaving the sides to drape lower.

To acheive the desired effect, the pleats were only partial and I only sewed between the pins as shown below.

I like the darts from the dress I made but was happier after securing them flat against the back, so I did the same with this tunic.

Much better!

French seams and narrow hems were used throughout.

The front pleats hang exactly as envisioned….

…and I added a gathered pocket at the last minute, matching the style with a pleat and another coconut shell button.

It’s a little bit stiff at the moment but will soften after the first wash.

I love it – the perfect loose, linen tunic to throw on over a pair of comfy linen trousers and mess around in the garden.

So cool and easy to wear and a lovely cheerful shade of lime green!

I could have brushed my hair for the photo though – I look like a tree with a bird’s nest on the top:)

June 24, 2015
by sewchet 42 Comments

How To Make A Play Tent From Old Shirts – A Tutorial

Last week it was our school’s Summer Fête and, as well as many edible goodies, I made a play tent for the PTFA to raffle off for their funds.

All week I had been making jam, marmalade, fudge….

….Elderflower Cordial….

…….and scones.

The day before the fair, Mr H-L had a delivery of some new shirts for work and decided to have a wardrobe clear out resulting in the eviction of nine of his ‘old’ ones.

Some of the shirts had never actually been worn and even those that had were still in great condition so, when he asked me to take them to the charity shop, and idea sprung to mind.

Why not upcycle them and make a patchwork play tent to raffle off for the school funds?

This ended up making far more money than they would have achieved in a charity shop, and the money was still going to a good cause, so off to my studio I went to formulate a plan.

I made a similar tent for The Boys last year which I never got around to blogging about, so I based it on that.

YOU WILL NEED: –

Nine men’s cotton shirts

1 x dowelling (2000mm x 25mm)

4 x planed timber (1800mm x 44mm x 18mm)

4 x eyelets

2m elastic cord

Drill a hole 15cm in from one end of each of the bits of planed timber using a spade bit the same size as your dowelling.

You now need to create one single piece of fabric that measures 1.60m x 3.20m.

The first job was to cut up the shirts into as many usable sections as possible using my rotary cutter for speed.

I started by removing the button flaps, cuffs and collars.

Look at all the buttons I rescued!

I wasn’t at all precise in my cutting as I intended to fit each piece as I went – very liberating and totally the opposite of normal patchwork!

I laid all the bits out on the floor and arranged them in a pleasing order, being sure to space out evenly the more brightly coloured yellow and pink.

This would not have quite the same impact with the more conservative blue or white work shirts, but you could always appliqué onto the patches for added interest.

I didn’t need to – Mr H-L likes a shirt that stands out:)

As you can see from the picture below, I sewed the pieces of fabric VERY roughly together into strips. The edges were then trimmed into a neat line before stitching the strips of patchwork together along their long sides.

As both sides of the tent were going to be visible, I used Flat Fell seams throughout.

This type of seam leaves a smart finish and adds strength to the seam.

Here’s a line drawing to show the construction: –

Image courtesy of Google images

In photographs, here’s what I did: –

Stitch a staggered seam where the lower fabric (pink) sticks out 1cm more than the top fabric.

Open the two fabrics flat with the raw edges of the seam uppermost.

Fold the seam to the left and tuck the (pink) overhang over the raw edge of the other (striped) fabric, enclosing all raw edges in the process.

Stitch close to the folded edge.

As I said, a very neat finish which I used as the outside of the tent.

Keep going until you have one piece of fabric measuring 1.60m x 3.20m.

Hem all around the outer edges.

In each of the four corners of the tent, fix an eyelet through which you need to attach a 50cm length of elastic cording as shown below.

Tie the ends of the cord in a knot to form a loop through which the tent poles will pass.

Align the holes in the tent poles….

….and insert the length of dowelling.

Lay the tent over the central dowel and pass the poles through the elastic cords at the bottom edge.

I also added a tie half way up each side of the tent – but, in my haste, forgot to document it. Basically, four 50cm long ties were made using scarps of leftover shirt fabric and sewn to the seam. These hold the tent more tautly to the frame.

We also decided to saw a shallow groove on the outer edge of the pole where the elastic cord sits – this helps stop the cord from riding up the pole.

With the addition of some bunting, a blanket and some cushions, it makes a lovely spot for young children to play.

Or the perfect place for No.1 Son to shade his cider from the afternoon sun!

We sold raffle tickets for the tent and raised almost seventy pounds for the school funds!

The lucky winner was thrilled to bits to win it for her little girls and, as it was such a success, I think I’m going to be asked to make one for next year’s fête.

Watch out Mr. H-L, I’ve got my eye on your shirts…..

June 22, 2015
by sewchet 43 Comments

Sunday Sevens #41

Hope you all had a good weekend?

Ours was particularly busy, hence this week’s #sundaysevens being a day late.

Pop over to Threads & Bobbins where Nat explains what it is all about and how to join in.

1. I’ve started knitting another pair of socks from the same gorgeous 100% merino that this pair were made from.

2. I made this play tent out of eleven of my husband’s discarded shirts and raffled it off at the school fair – it raised £70 for the school funds! I will do a tutorial soon.

3. Went to another village fête – don’t you just love the traditional Summer fête?

4. Royal Ascot was on Thursday (see previous post here) and, for those of you who were wondering why the limo bus left without us, this is what happened.

We hired car and driver for the day as usual at the cost of a thousand pounds (he arrived half an hour late) and all was well until 6pm. Some of the girls went back to the car early to enjoy drinks under our private gazebo only to find the driver had packed up and was about to leave. Four of us had decided to finish off Ascot the traditional way with songs around the bandstand until 6.45pm, as we do every year.

The driver refused to wait, saying the contract was until 6pm, despite a 7pm finish having been agreed. We got a ‘phone call, left the bandstand immediately, but the driver had already gone without us.

The four of us walked to the station, paid a further £130 for train tickets and had a peaceful journey home.

The ten girls on the bus had the journey from hell!

The driver confiscated two bottles of champagne that we had left for the drive back, saying they were now his property.

He stopped in the services for one of the girls to have a toilet break, nearly drove off leaving her there and, when the others stopped him going, he threw both bottles of champagne (£250 worth!) on the road and smashing them in a temper! The police were called and he was told to complete the journey – which he almost did. He dropped them off at the garage nearest their home, kicked them all out and threw all their luggage across the road.

The company is called NEWTON ABBOT LIMO HIRE, or HUMMER LIMO DEVON on Facebook – don’t use them!

5. Fun and games on the water slide at my brother-in-law’s football presentation do, followed by a midnight pizza run and camping out.

6. Cooking bacon and egg rolls for everyone at breakfast the next morning.

7. Exhausted after a late night/early morning, No.2 Son and Tess fell asleep on the sofa at midday.

Phew, what a busy week! Now I need to slow down and catch my breath for a bit:)

June 19, 2015
by sewchet 32 Comments

Royal Ascot Ladies Day 2015

Wow – what a scorcher!

Sunshine and blue skies greeted us as we prepared to board the party bus limo at 9am, me wearing the dress I made and Mr H-L in a matching tie.

We had originally planned on travelling by traditional limousine but, as numbers grew to fourteen, we had to go by limo bus instead.

Plenty of room inside to enjoy the journey in style….

Champagne and champagne cocktails went down well.

Extremely well.

Too well?

Did I mention the pole in the corner?

Let this be a warning to anyone who decides that drinking champagne at 9.30 in the morning is a good idea!

Is that TEN empty bottles in the ice bucket?!!!!

There was another bar opposite this one too……

Mr H-L dived in the cool bags at the back of the bus to get more bubbly, just as the bus went round a corner…

All fifteen stone of him landed squarely on twelve carefully stacked Ascot hats!

Luckily, they nearly all bent back into shape, and the one with a hole survived emergency surgery using eyelash glue.

Traffic was pretty bad getting into Ascot itself so, having finally arrived at 1.30, we headed straight for the parade ring to see The Queen arrive.

No great photo of Her Majesty this year, I’m afraid – I found out too late that I had a smudge on my lens.

I can tell you that she was wearing a mint green outfit though.

With Her Majesty in her carriage this year were Prince Phillip, Prince Andrew and Princess Beatrice.

I picked the winner in the Gold Cup!

Jugs of Pimms kept us going in the heat.

Or, if you preferred a beer, Stella Artois was being lugged around in giant backpacks by these guys who were selling it for five pounds a pint.

People watching doesn’t get any better than at Ascot on Ladies Day – there were some incredible outfits, most of which I wasn’t quick enough to photograph.

This one is for Ali – the jumpsuit trend has started!

Mostly, the gentlemen looked lovely in either the traditional morning suit…

…or contemporary twist on a two piece suit.

I just had to ask this chap for a photo.

His mint green suit matched the Queen’s choice of colour – don’t you just love the gold brogues?!

Although the dress code insists on a “matching two-piece suit with collared shirt and tie”, it doesn’t mention socks – so these two followed it to the letter.

I wonder if they dispensed with the boxer shorts too?

(Ooh, can you see Mr H-L in the background buying another jug of Pimms?)

No.1 Son tells me that going sockless is the latest thing. Yuk.

Someone needs to tell them their trousers seem to have shrunk in the wash, too.

They wouldn’t get away with that in the Royal Enclosure a few feet away.

Hello Dawn!

She’s the lady in pale blue who does a wonderful job of organizing this each year.

Fish and chips for lunch, although the seafood bar is on the list for next year.

The atmosphere in front of the grandstand was electric and the noise, deafening, as the horses thundered down the last 1/2 furlong.

We had two placed in the sixth, and final, race of the day – Second and Third with “Scottish” and “Marma’s Boy”….

….and celebrated our success with another bottle of champagne, Laurent Perrier Rosé this time.

At £110 a bottle, it was a bargain!

6pm marks the start of the Singing Around the Bandstand, a popular tradition, synonymous with Royal Ascot.

At the end of a completely brilliant day, it was flips-flops on for the short walk back to the limo bus….

….which had already left without us!

But that’s another story……..

June 17, 2015
by sewchet 43 Comments

Bellville Sassoon Dress For Ascot

Well, I’ve had a wonderful two days virtually locked away in my studio, only surfacing for the occasional fuel break – No.1 Son has even been making sure my G&T levels didn’t drop below a critical level!

What have I been so immersed in?

This year’s dress for Ascot – Vogue 1108 by Bellville Sassoon.

It has been BRILLIANT getting my teeth into a proper Couture make again.

Don’t get me wrong though, I love quick and easy dressmaking projects but, once in a while it’s just fantastic to challenge myself with something a bit more meaty, so to speak.

Vogue classify this as an ‘Average’ make in terms of difficulty, and I agree – I have made much more complicated dresses than this.

I love the labels that come with each designer pattern for you to sew into the garment:)

This bundle of fabric arrived from Minerva Crafts – several different types of fabric in a glorious shade of Fuschia: –

There was Bengaline for the main body of the dress, organza for interfacing, lining and habotai for the foundation layer and, yes, that is boning you see sat on top of the lot!

Let me tell you now that there are over SIXTY pieces of fabric holding this dress together and only FIVE are visible from the outside!

That is a hell of a lot of construction hidden inside and I used up two entire 100m reels of thread in the process!

I love a good puzzle and this pattern had a few to solve, such as all those pleats on the left front:

I won’t take you through much of the process because that would take up more space that any blog post should do – I’ll just whizz through the main bits.

First, you make the pleats and darts in the front and back sections.

Next, you make the foundation which is the middle bit of the dress sandwiched between the outer dress and the lining.

It consists of a lining layer, fully interfaced, which has the boning sewn to it.

The instructions called for boning in its own casing but, as I couldn’t get any, I made my own using normal boning and some offcuts of habotai.

Voilà!

This is the inside showing the boning in place….

….and this is what it looks like from the right side.

Very nice.

It’s almost a shame that all this beautiful work will be completely hidden from view:)

The foundation sections are then sewn to the body of the dress….

….and the front is stitched to the back at the side seams, leaving an opening for the zip.

Now, I have never used a dedicated foot to insert invisible zips, I learned to sew them using a normal zipper foot and don’t find it an issue.

I don’t know if you can see, but I open the zip up and sew really close to the teeth in the same way a specialized foot would do.

There, pretty invisible, wouldn’t you agree?

The zip needed shortening which is just a case of sewing a new stopper from thread and cutting off the excess below.

Now, onto the lining.

Of course, all the way through we’re sewing princess seams – isn’t it a little bit of magic when you fit the fabric around the curve? Like fitting a square peg into a round hole, it doesn’t seem possible at first.

A few clips to the stay-stitching and job done!

Lining completed.

The lining is slipped over the dress and foundation and sewn right sides together around the neckline and armhole edges.

The bow, which is stiffened with organza, was made and secured in place amongst the pleats.

The hem was faced with organza and turned up with herringbone stitch.

The lining was slip stitched to the hem, leaving a folded pleat as ease.

Looking at the inside when finished, you’d have no idea of what it’s hiding underneath!

The quality of the fabrics is amazing – the bengaline handles beautifully and has a discreet watermark to it.

The polyester habotai was chosen as an alternative to china silk for the foundation and looks and feels superb – such a shame it’s hidden!

This dress does not photograph well on the hanger – all those pleats only sit properly on a real body.

Oops – better press the hemline before Ascot!

So, what will I accessorize with?

I made two jackets for Ascot last year – this is the other one (see last year’s post).

The boning means I shouldn’t have to wear a bra but, looking at this photo I definitely do. My bust is too heavy and is dragging the front down causing it to gape – a strapless bra will do the trick.

So this is me, all ready for Ladies Day on Thursday and there’s just one more thing left to do…..

…. get my French manicure redone – it’s all stained from handling all that pink fabric!!

June 14, 2015
by sewchet 23 Comments

Sunday Sevens #40

It’s Sunday once again and that can only mean one thing – Sunday Sevens!

The brainchild of Nat at Threads & Bobbins, #sundaysevens is a weekly blog series featuring seven photos representing your week.

Last week, a mishap with my ‘phone meant I couldn’t participate but, luckily, The Man At The Gadget Shop fitted a new screen and my photos were retrieved.

There are a few more than seven pictures as I’ve squeezed in two week’s worth of photos:)

1. Mr. H-L acting the fool in his Speedos and swimming hat!

2. Having fun in a Spanish market in Albox.

3. Back home – some friends stayed the weekend and we had Sunday morning breakfast outside. Lovely!

4. More colourful Merino wool arrived for sock making.

5. I really ought to invest in a wool-winder…

6. A pair of House Martins decided that the top edge of our open bedroom window would be a good place to start building a nest!

7. We have a poorly hen.

My favourite girl, Amber, has broken her leg somehow and we found her being dragged around the garden by the others. Chickens often bully to death, quit literally, an injured hen, so she has a new home in the lounge for the next few weeks.

8. Village fète on the school playing fields on Saturday. There’s something so very English about a scene like this, isn’t there?

9. No.2 Son beat both his brothers and his father to become the Welly Wanging Winner 2015!

10. We celebrated with a plastic (as opposed to a glass) of Pimms.

11. Pudding after Sunday lunch today was Kladdkaka, a gooey Swedish chocolate cake bought at the fète, with strawberries and cream. Delicious!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

June 10, 2015
by sewchet 49 Comments

Vogue Designer Linen Sun Dress

Forgive me, Bloggers, for I have sinned – it’s been a week since my last blog post….but with good reason.

My ‘phone died.

Kaput.

It is an ex-phone.

I had faithfully recorded images of my week for #sundaysevens (including some lovely Spanish sunsets) but could not share them with you…yet. It is in the gadget hospital as we speak so, hopefully, the techy bloke will work his magic and retrieve some of the lost photos for a later post.

As you know, we recently hopped over to Andalucia in Spain for a couple of weeks to stay with my Auntie and her partner.

This is Auntie, looking very glamorous and stylish. Not your average ex-pat, I think you’ll agree.

Boy, do I hope I’ve inherited her genes – hardly a grey hair in sight and she’s seventy-six this year!

Auntie wears a lot of linen.

With temperatures well into the high thirties in the height of Summer, it’s the coolest and most comfortable fabric to wear, after all, you can’t walk around naked all the time, can you?

Having long admired this style of clothing, I persuaded Auntie to take me to the Tuesday market in Albox (photo amongst the many lost in the depths of my iPhone) to buy something similar in an effort to keep cool in the blistering heat.

Apparently, it was a balmy 26°C and pleasantly cool for the locals.

I was sweating my t**ts off.

You’re talking to someone who gets the shorts and flip-flops out as soon as the thermometer reaches double figures for seven days in a row:)

The Boys stayed at home frolicking in the pool for the morning whilst we spent a blissful few hours wandering around the market, stopping occasionally for Tapas and the odd chilled beer.

I came back with a dress, one top, two tunics and two pairs of trousers, all Italian and made in 100% linen for €108, which is about £78!

The remainder of our holiday was enjoyed in cool, linen comfort and I vowed to make more things in this magical fabric on our return to England.

The wonders of online shopping resulted in this little lot being delivered within a few days of arriving home.

I chose this fabric from Calico Laine, a blend of 55% linen and 45% cotton, in three shades, ‘Leaf’, ‘Fuchsia’ and ‘Pool Blue’.

As I wasn’t entirely sure what I was going to actually make yet, I bought three metres of each which would be plenty for any single garment.

At £8.99 per metre, it is much cheaper than pure linen with the added bonus that it shouldn’t crease quite as much.

Look at that lovely loose weave – fabulous texture!

After having a mooch around online, I settled on this pattern by Lynn Mizono for Vogue.

I love Vogue patterns, especially the ‘Designer’ range, as you’re always guaranteed to find something a bit different to the norm, which I like.

Whilst linen wasn’t on the list of suggested fabrics, silk dupioni was and, as they are similar in weight and characteristics, I knew it would be perfect for this design.

Described as a “very loose fitting pullover dress……with three adjustable lengths”, it seemed ideal for the look I was after – something cool and comfortable to move around easily in, yet still stylish enough to make it look as if I’ve made an effort when clearly I haven’t.

Then I realised I’d made a silly mistake – I’d ordered a size 14 forgetting that the US equivalent is a size 18!

I added a couple of inches to the bustline and lowered the shoulder seams by half an inch – problem solved.

Construction was simple – just two pattern pieces; a front and a back.

French seams were used throughout, making the seams nice and tidy with absolutely NO chance of fraying – a real problem with linen.

Narrow hems finished off the neck and armhole edges beautifully.

This finish can be tricky in other fabrics but, with linen, it’s very easy as the loose weave makes for a flexible fabric.

I didn’t even bother pressing under the seam allowance first, just folded and pushed under the raw edge with my fingernail as I went.

The instructions called for two buttonholes in the front pleats for the cord to pass through, but I replaced these with eyelets as I thought they would look neater and place less stress on the linen.

I only had a lime green cord stop left over from the pack purchased when making this crocheted back pack.

Hmmm…..I’m not sure whether to change if for a brown one.

There were a couple of things I wasn’t happy with – the armholes gaped a little so I added a dart each side for a better fit.

The back pleats are left ‘hanging’ according to the instructions.

I’m wondering if they would look better stitched flat against the body.

Overall, though, the finished dress is just as I pictured it.

An interesting shape, casual but quite stylish.

I bought these gorgeous clogs in another Spanish market a few years ago.

The perfect shade of turquoise that matches exactly!

Of course, I forgot to put them on for the obligatory selfie….

It’s pretty versatile, too – I reckon it could be dressed up for the evening with those clogs, a statement necklace and an up-do, or teamed with flip-flops, floppy hat and shades for a day at the beach (perish the thought – I hate sand!).

Right, now to catch up on all your blog posts that I’ve missed since the ‘phone died.

Better settle down and get comfy with a G&T – could be here a while….:)

June 3, 2015
by sewchet 43 Comments

My First Socks!

The inevitable has happened – I’ve finally succumbed to the irresistible urge of The Handknitted Sock.

I bought this 100% Merino wool at Yarndale last September and cast on immediately back in our guest house bedroom…..and that was it until May. It was initially that Christmas gift making took priority but, as the New Year came and went, other projects in familiar territory always seemed to be picked up in preference to The Socks.

The last couple of months appear to have featured proudly made socks on every other blog post that popped up in my Reader, until I could no longer ignore the voice in my head whispering “knit me, knit me!”…..

Creeping shamefaced into my studio, I liberated the embryonic stocking from its woolly prison and unravelled the sorry looking cast on, ready to start afresh.

Flicking through “Coop Knits Socks”, Rachel’s face smiled back at me and I remembered how helpful she was when I bought her book, which she very obligingly signed for me. Ten pairs of brightly coloured hose jumped off the opening pages at me, each one a work of art and seemingly beyond my virgin sock-making capabilities. So did I sensibly decide to stick with good old stocking stitch whilst trying to solve the puzzle that is sock construction?

Did I heck!

I chose “Pennycress”, an eight row repeating pattern on several different charts to follow, which was mirrored, not identical, on the second sock. Keeping to the pattern and mastering circular needles was challenging and a few mistakes were made, although they’re not noticeable at all, luckily.

These are top-down socks, so start with the ribbing.

I really enjoyed knitting the leg section, especially after I eventually worked out where I was going wrong with one stitch on every row. The heel flap was a revelation in a harder wearing slip-type stitch, much easier than I had convinced myself it was going to be – why had I procrastinated for so long?? Again, turning the heel was no problem…..

……and the gusset was a doddle too. Adjusting the foot length to fit was made simpler using Rachel’s size guide at the back of the book. Just shaping the toe left to do… Kitchener’s stitch made for a brilliant, totally invisible seam-free closing, which is also demonstrated step-by-step in Rachel’s book. Finally, eight months after first casting on, a little under two weeks of knitting has produced My First Socks! I have to say, I LOVE them! Whether or not it’s beginner’s luck, the fit is perfect all the way through.

I now understand what all the fuss is about, why there is no going back to shop bought, despite the £13.95 price tag of a single skein of Fyberspates 100% Merino Superwash. They are supremely comfortable underfoot, hold their shape well and don’t appear to smell or need washing after being worn just once.

I have already ordered more yarn in different colours and consider myself addicted!

If you love knitting socks too, I highly recommend “Coop Knits Socks” by Rachel Coopey which you can buy here.

I believe she has a second book out now with even more gorgeous designs. It may well be my next purchase:)

May 31, 2015
by sewchet 46 Comments

Sunday Sevens #38

This week’s set of images come from Andalucia in Southern Spain.

Thanks to Nat at Threads & Bobbins for the weekly blog series which includes seven photos summing up your week.

1. Our view for a fortnight.

2. Selfie with Mr. H-L at sunset with the Andalucian mountains as a backdrop – beautiful! 3. This wonderful mare, Honey, was my mount for an hour as we trekked through the mountain paths. Such a gorgeous horse! 6. Cantering up the last rise and…I fell! 4. Fun in the pool. 5. More knitting at siesta time. 6. The Boys had their first experience of pony trekking which was, luckily, less ‘eventful’ than mine! 7. Seafood Paella for lunch today – cooked by Faustino at one of our regular haunts, Bar La Cinta. Yum! And a jug or two of Sangria to wash it all down!