Hello my lovelies! Not been here for a while have I? Computer problems and a week in Norfolk are to blame – not me obviously! I’m still in Norfolk as it happens, and I happen to have found a computer that works, if you’re one of the few people that consider Windows Vista as something that works…
We’re here in the east of England visiting family. Heavy rain and blustering winds have been battering this part of the coastline for days now, so we’ve spent a lot of time inside (not having thought to bring a jaunty sou’wester and Norfolk gansey!). Kim’s been running around with his cousins, one’s the same age and has the same passion for Star Wars and Lego as Kim does. Two of them in the house? Not good for the sanity. I lost my train tickets before we came and had to buy new ones (I think I must have thrown them out with some old tickets to St Ives), but admist all the self-imposed stress I did manage to remember to bring some sewing and a sketchbook, so I’ve been happily keeping myself busy despite being stuck indoors for lack of warm and waterproof clothing.
All piled up and ready to go
I’ve been working on a quilt top I started some time ago now. I rashly decided to make it entirely by hand, but it turned out to be a good decision. It’s something I can easily carry around with me and get on with whenever the mood takes me, or I’m sitting in a waiting room somewhere. I’ve finished all the nine patch squares now and have started on the sashings with the fussy cut squares. Even though I’ve been doing this for a year or more, I still love the fabrics I chose and it surprises me how quickly it builds up when I get going. I think I’ll be doing a lot more sewing this afternoon; I’m sat in my mother’s conservatory and it sounds like I might need an ark by nightfall! I think I’ll forget about the 8 mile run I need to do and the walks I’d planned at Brancaster. You never know, I might have a finished quilt top by the time I get home.
If you’re one of my keen-eyed readers you may have noticed that my From The Loft shop images have disappeared from the column on the right. I haven’t closed it down, just shut it for the week I’m away. I’ve got some more items to list when I get back, so keep an eye out for them. ‘Til then I’ll love you and leave you and hope that where ever you are, you’re not getting too wet!
love Stephie x
Humph. The Mac is back in the shop and I’m back in the library. I hate this flipping library; the computers here are useless and the staff are useless too. I just spent 10 minutes trying to use a ‘book and pay’ machine (all I wanted was half an hour on the computer) and the damn thing kept telling me I was already booked (which I obviously wasn’t), so I trudged back down stairs for the third time today to find out why. “Oh you have to come down here to book the computers, the machine isn’t working yet,” said the vague looking woman behind the desk. “You can only use it for paying for printing at the moment.” Oh, really. “Well, it might be helpful if there was a SIGN on the machine to indicate that,” I said tetchily. “There was a sign to say that you could pay for printing. We’re just waiting for some software I think.” Did she hear what I said, I wondered? A. Sign. To. Indicate. You. Can’t. Book. Computer. Time. On. This. Machine. If she heard she didn’t give a damn. I suspect she heard the words and didn’t understand. She didn’t look like she understood much. I was/am irritated. I’m now back upstairs on the computer and have spent the last 15 minutes of my paid-for time waiting for pages to load. I could scream. I do not have a life without my Mac. I’m not sure I have much of one with it, but you know, without it, it sucks! And to cap it all, I’ve just spent another 5 minutes of my paid-for pc time venting!
Breathe deeply, 1, 2, 3, hear the babbling brook…
Hopefully back soon,
love Stephie x
From the Loft is looking good. I’ve added a goodly number of rose-scented hearts and sachets today, which I hope you’ll want to snap up, or at least go and ‘favourite’. I’ve only got three people ‘favouriting’ my shop so far, which is giving me a big pouty bottom lip! The little gallery below (and in the right hand column) shows prices in US dollars, but when you go to my shop you’ll see them in Sterling as well; annoying I know. I think the hand-made hearts are a bit of a bargain considering all the commission fees and postage to be taken off – oh yes, there’s free postage to UK addresses! (And it’s fairly reasonable elsewhere.)
Aaah, I feel like everything’s coming up roses 
Still got the cushion covers to add, but it’s been yet another very dull grey day here – meaning poor light for taking photographs with my not so hot camera! Fingers crossed the sun pokes its head out from behind the clouds later on, or failing that TOMORROW!
Think I need a run now, before I forget how!
Bye bye for now
love Stephie x
Fancy a train journey? Do what we did last week and ride up to Lanhydrock House, when you get to Bodmin Parkway station (you can take a steam train journey from here) there’s the most beautiful level walk up to an old and quirky looking house. You can imagine yourself in a grand carriage rolling sedately up the long drive, or you can do what Kim does and nag to go in the modern day equivalent: the golf buggy! The lazy toad didn’t get his way and I forced him to walk! He had to walk yesterday too when we went to Trelissick Garden, which is only a few miles from home. To spare you from my rabbiting on, here’s a few photos from Trelissick.
Panoramic views of the River Fal
A quick watercolour sketch of the River Fal. Kim would probably disagree with the word 'quick'!
Spot the strange flower in the grass!
A standing stone to mark the turning of the millennium
Colour in the flower borders.
I enjoyed taking my watercolours out with me, must remember to take them next time. You never know I might even get better at it! I used to be really good with watercolours (get me!), but I’m a bit out of practice. It’s still my favourite painting medium though 
Right, I’m off now – got some things to list for From the Loft, my Etsy shop! May have a bowl of porridge first though.
See you later
love Stephie x
