Sunday 31 March 2013

Happy Easter!

I hope you are having a nice Easter break. Plenty of sunshine (and chocolate). A double celebration for me as it was my last day at work on Wednesday. I was prepared to be a bit emotional, leaving after 16 years, but so many people left this week, I think it was probably more strange for the few who stayed on. My team of four went out for lunch on Monday - my boss's treat - and Pauline and I were each given a bouquet of flowers and a card. I hadn't expected anything as so many have been made redundant already; it was very generous of the two staying on in my team. I also came home to find a parcel - a lucky cat teapot!

'sorry you're leaving' flowers and lucky cat tea pot

I do think the stress/excitement must have got to me a little, as I woke up this morning (Sunday) realising that I forgot to go to the WI craft evening on Thursday night!

Mark and I have been out to order fence panels and raised beds and planters for the garden, and we have stripped the wallpaper in the dining room and taken up the carpet - leaving the underlay to protect the original 1930s parquet flooring while I paint the room this coming week. I am hopeful that by next weekend I will be able to share photos of my new work room/dining room.

We did take a couple of hours out to help a friend affix a decal to her wall - aided and abetted by her two bengal cats!

furry helpers

 We had been invited to my sister's house for lunch today, and I fully expected to be able to wow you with photos of her very grand house and gardens, and maybe even an Easter egg hunt, but she has a bad cold and has cancelled. Not wishing to waste the sunshine, Mark and I went to Westonbirt for a spot of exercise and fresh air. It is still cold (my friend Karen reckons we are actually living in Narnia - land of endless Winter), but the sunshine was very welcome. We went to the Silk Wood for a change (and the chance to cuddle a dog or too, as there are always loads being walked there), and discovered some unusual carvings.

carving at Westonbirt Arboretum
Westonbirt Arboretum

strange carving in the woods

Lastly I just want to mention my dad. He died 11 years ago today, it was an Easter Sunday that day too and the day after his 67th birthday. Amongst other things, he is my excuse for my love of ice cream - it's not my fault; it's in my genes!

Sunday 24 March 2013

the teapots are taking over the asylum!

This is my last week in proper paid employment. Last week saw my 16th anniversary in my current job and this Wednesday will be my last day. The Government announced we were closing soon after the last election and I have been anticipating my redundancy ever since. Sometimes it seems like a long time coming, and other times the years feel like they have flown by. I had said I would give myself the Easter weekend off before starting to sort out the house and decorate, but I am going to need Mark's help to move the bookcases (God bless Ikea!) in the dining room and take up the carpet - which means we need to be doing this while he is off work next weekend. In preparation I have been gradually moving fabric upstairs and books in to the hallway and living room...along with those teapots that had been secretly breeding in the dining room (the ones on the shelves in the living room are far more restrained...or perhaps constrained).

teapot invasion

I try very hard to keep the living room our one calm and clutter free space in the house (not easy given that Mark and I each had a house when we got together and had each accumulated many bits and pieces over the years and have had to squish two households in to one house). However, I rather like the Bulgarian drip glaze teapot and sugar bowl on the mantelpiece; perhaps they could stay there without risking upsetting the zen too much.

was meant to be of fireplace, but cat got in the way - he's a total diva

It is hard to believe that we have already had a major clear-out of books. Admittedly it has been mainly paperback fiction that went to the stall in the Guild Hall Market or to charity shops when we got our kindles, but I did also have a bit of a weed of cookery books too. I think I may have to be a bit tougher!

books, books and more books

The cats have enjoyed nosing in to recently cleared spaces and finding new places to sleep.

Max pretends he's a book
Actually Max was a bit off colour at the end of the week and was refusing to eat. He has to have special food for his urinary tract problems, but even when I tried to tempt him with a little roast chicken or tiny bit of cheese he wouldn't even sniff it. When last year Rio was similarly off colour he started getting liver problems very quickly from not eating and had a few days at the veterinary hospital, so I rushed Max in to the vet to see if we could avoid that for him. The vet thought he might be getting over an infection and had got out of the habit of eating so gave him an appetite stimulant, and by the time I got him home he was meowing for food...and ate 2 1/2 dinners! We have been keeping an eye on him, but thankfully he seems to be back to his old, furry, purry self.

furry, purry Max the cat

So roll on my last few days at work so my new life can start - and I can get my teeth in to wallpaper stripping (not literally!) and turn the dining room in to an organised and beautiful workroom...that can still be a dining room when necessary. I know it is rather sad, but I am already looking forward to arranging my fabrics by colour and revisiting books as I return them to the shelves or let them go to new homes. What can I say, I like things to be orderly!


Thursday 21 March 2013

Spiced apple cake

I promised the Vikings my recipe for spiced apple cake - the one we had for breakfast, with clotted cream, last Sunday. So here it is:

225g softened butter
225g light muscovado sugar
225g self-raising flour
2 level teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon (there is cinnamon in the mixed spice, but I like a little extra)
3 large eggs
3 large apples (I like to use Bramley), peeled, cored and roughly chopped - I like quite big pieces, but this is to your own taste.
150g sultanas
a large glug or two of cider or calvados

A few hours before you want to bake the cake (or better still, the night before) soak the sultanas in cider or calvados. If you don't have much time, warm them in a pan or in the microwave a little as it helps the sultanas absorb the alcohol.

When you are ready to bake the cake, pre-heat the oven to 180C (perhaps a little lower for a fan oven). Grease and line a 23cm diameter deep round tin, or equivalent square or loaf tin.

Mix butter, sugar, baking powder, spices and eggs in a large bowl. I usually use an electric hand-held mixer, but a wooden spoon does just as well. When well mixed, fold in the apple and sultanas. Tip in to the prepared tin and sprinkle sugar over the top - I think Demerara is nicest as it gives crunch, but cinnamon sugar is good too. Check the cake after 1 1/4 hour, by inserting a skewer - if it comes out clean, the cake is cooked. When I cook this it usually takes an extra 30 minutes, but I think the thermostat on my oven is a little low, and you don't want to overcook it and make it dry. It is quite a substantial cake and is unlikely to sink when the oven is opened.

Serve either warm or cold - nice with clotted cream or even custard for a dessert.

Tuesday 19 March 2013

gifts galore

Still in felt flower mode, I made a brooch for each of my Swedish visitors:

felt rose brooches

However, my small tokens of affection were somewhat over-shadowed by the incredibly generous gifts I received - all totally unnecessary (but really lovely!). Annika made me a tea cosy with Hampus (Irene's dog) and Zoya (Annika's dog) on one side and our two cats on the other - even Mark was wowed by the tea cosy and insists it is displayed in the kitchen. Annika also gave me some fabric and embellishments (you could say, haberdashery) for my stash and Irene gave me some sewing themed fabric and more buttons, while Anna-Karin showered me (and Mark) with sweet goodies...all yummy (we started them last night). Irene also keeps me stocked up with cardamom seeds, as here they are generally sold in the fiddly green pods - and there were even treats for Rio and Max (although Max is not allowed them because of his urinary tract problems, we have started sneaking them to Rio when Max is not around).

my friends really spoil me!


I love everything, but - if I am allowed to say - the silver buttons made by Irene and Annika's father are particularly special. You can see where Annika's silver-working talent comes from; there are some photos on her blog; you should have a look. I was trying to work out the best way to use the buttons so they can be appreciated and realised I have a small amount of fabric that was my grandmother's and I think I will try to make myself a vintage style fabric brooch with the buttons in the centre - a little something by which to remember our loved ones.

silver buttons made by Irene's and Annika's dad 

Monday 18 March 2013

Jane Austen and the Vikings

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a Swedish woman of good taste must be in want of a cream tea...

I have been something of a fan of Jane Austen since I was 11 years old. My favourite book is actually Persuasion, rather than Pride and Prejudice. Of course I cannot share Anne Elliot's distaste for Bath, and it used to be that I would picture Anne and Captain Wentworth as I passed the Assembly Rooms or the Pump Room, but I guess familiarity really does breed contempt. Well, not exactly contempt, but a certain tendency to take it for granted. This weekend my three favourite Swedish friends (referred to by Mark as 'the Swedish ladies') came to visit and re-opened my eyes to my adopted Georgian home town.

I live in Bath only because it is where Mark lives - he was born and bred in Bath and would be loathed to live anywhere else, whereas I have moved around so much, I am not tethered to a place. The Jane Austen link is merely a fortuitous bonus. I also am fortunate to have been given my godmother's tiny holiday flat in Dorset and when Irene last visited, we spent most of her visit there. It is just a short drive to Lyme Regis and we relived Anne and company's visit in Persuasion, walking along the Cobb, too scared to jump from the worn stone steps without a Captain Wentworth to catch us (not that that did Louisa any good!). So this visit it was Bath's turn for us to get all Austen-y. Seeing Irene's eyes light up as she spotted the colonnade between the Pump Room and Union Street where Amanda Root met Ciaran Hinds in my favourite adaptation of Persuasion re-charged my enthusiasm.

To save Mark from death by chatter, we decided to all stay somewhere other than my house. While looking for a reasonably priced B&B or apartment we stumbled upon Bath's bed and breakfast on a boat, which was both reasonably priced for the four of us and quite an adventure.

bed and breakfast on a boat: grand cru

On Friday Mark and I picked up the keys to the boat and were instructed on the important details and then went to pick up the Scandinavian crew from Bristol airport. It was very late when we got back to Bathwick and clambered aboard by torch light (electric/iPhone torches not the viking flaming variety!). When we arrived the boat was cosy, with a wood burner and central heating (although we didn't manage to keep the fire alight again during our stay and I slept Sunday night wearing two jumpers and a pair of slippers!).

Grand Cru
The boat was cleverly arranged to make the most of the space available so the bed in Anna-Karin's cabin extended underneath the bed in Irene and Annika's cabin - the little steps to let my friends climb in to the high-level bed reminded me of 'the princess and the pea'!

princess and the pea bed steps

I confess I had very little sleep on Friday night. It was so stormy, the boat was knocked about by the wind and the noise and movement left me wide awake and worrying that the boat would come away from its moorings and we would wake to find ourselves miles away...or worse, up to our eyes in canal water. Needless to say all was well and Saturday saw us well breakfasted and on our way to the Roman Baths.

artefacts at Bath Roman Baths

I have been to the Roman Baths a number of times, but I always see something new - and with visitors, you get a different perspective.

Vikings visit the Roman Baths
 The baths are beautiful and by getting there early, you can see it without the crowds (or queueing in the rain).
Bath Roman Baths

Throughout the baths there are video clips projected on the stone to add atmosphere to the ancient site. My Scandinavian visitors were so absorbed by the way the lights were catching the donations in one of the pools, they didn't even notice the disrobing images projected on the wall!

glittering treasure


After the Roman Baths, we had a bit of a wander and popped in to the Bath Tea House Emporium (as I have been raving about it for years) for a white peony tea and a yellow tea, accompanied by cake (jasmine tea and orange loaf, lemon drizzle and chocolate honey cake). Only Anna-Karin resisted sweet temptation - although that didn't last long. One of my favourite moments of the weekend was the expression on Anna-Karin's face when she found out there was a shop in Bath that sells nothing but the fudge they make on the premises!

Anna-Karin raids the Fudge Kitchen


Being something of a wimp, I decided that I needed to sit down for a bit and popped back to the boat. No sooner was my back turned than my friends scurried off to a traditional English pub! We met up again a little later and headed up through the city to the Royal Crescent Hotel for afternoon tea. I am a big fan of a traditional afternoon tea and had heard that the Royal Crescent Hotel's is one of the best. When I booked I asked if we could take tea in one of the lounges rather than the dining area and when we walked in, we were shown to a lovely lounge tastefully decorated, with portraits on the walls and a bevy of vases of cut flowers, overlooking Victoria Park with the city of Bath spread out before us. It was beautiful! We had been reserved a large sofa and two winged armchairs by an open fire with a low coffee table set for afternoon tea.

Royal Crescent Hotel
We were brought a three tier cake stand between two and a choice teas - I have discovered Anna-Karin and I are tea twins (which reminds me, I must get myself a bag of lavender tea from the tea house emporium). We decided to start with the bottom tier of sandwiches (smoked salmon, ham and tomato, egg and cress and cucumber), before moving on to the still warm scones and bath buns served with clotted cream and strawberry jam, and finishing with the sweet delicacies on the top tier (pistachio cake, meringue with raspberry cream, viennoise, chocolate/coffee gateau and tarte au citron). Actually, it would be more correct to say the top tier finished with us...as we were beaten by the extravagance of the tea. We had had an 'elegant sufficiency' and gratefully accepted the offer to box up the left-overs for us to take back to the boat. We were all admiring of the wonderful spread (although I suspect Annika was almost as admiring of the handsome young waiter!).

afternoon tea
The hotel was beautiful and the afternoon tea was out of this world, but I think what really made it special (apart from my fabulous Viking friends) was the staff at the hotel. It is a very grand hotel and I think we all felt a little as though we were fakes and would be thrown out at any moment, but the receptionist and waiting staff made us feel relaxed and at home and as though we deserved such special treatment. There was no hint of snootiness, just a genuine desire to make their guests' visit a happy and memorable one. When I booked the tea it had seemed like a one-off extravagance, but now I am already planning a return visit - perhaps in the Summer when we can sit in the beautiful garden.

We returned to the boat glowing with happiness, full and contented. Somehow when we had settled down in the temporary warmth of the fire-lighters and kindling (the logs were far too damp to catch) with a glass or two of prosecco, we still managed to put away most of the delicious cheese I bought from 'the fine cheese shop' on Walcott Street (another place where the helpful and friendly staff are as much of a draw as the gorgeous cheeses).

home sweet home
On Sunday morning we had a lazy breakfast of homemade calorie-free spiced apple cake and clotted cream, fed the ducks and then it was time to hand back the boat. Mark and I took away the bags while the vikings Jane Austened themselves up at the Jane Austen Centre. I so wish I had gone with them as there is a dressing up opportunity that wasn't there last time I went. I really hope Irene posts photos! The vikings then soaked up a bit more culture at the Holburne Museum and enjoyed a fresh salad at the garden cafe (always necessary for sea-faring vikings to prevent scurvy) and we picked them up to head back to the airport.

It has been a wonderful weekend, and I will have a load of happy memories...the 'blooming tree', the know it all Bath redhead pointing out our moorings on the map beside the canal until clever viking number 2 asked, "So we are not where it says 'you are here'?", the fudge obsession, the clotted cream appreciation society, the strange noise from the boat in the middle of the night and the kindly vikings who put in ear-plugs rather than disturb me at the other end of the boat, the vertically challenged viking unable to reach the switch on the ceiling lights...oh and so many more!

Finally, just one note to any would-be Mr Darcy types...whilst admiring Lizzie Bennett's fine eyes is a good thing, exclaiming about the beauty of Anna-Karin's eyes in the same breath as asking your girlfriend if her particularly bad batch of spots is due to the medication she had to take for her asthma a few weeks back, is not the way to get your favourite dinner cooked for you! However, I do have to point out that said would-be Mr Darcy can be quite gallant when he chooses, and responding to being told of the shop assistant who thought Irene was Anna-Karin's mother with declaring it is only because Anna-Karin does not look like she could possibly be more than 30 and that Irene does not look old enough to have the children she actually has was...well...kinda nice. 

Right then, I'm off to buy acne cream...

Sunday 10 March 2013

the owl and the pussy cat

The owl(s)

At the WI meeting last week Eirlys at Scrapiana showed us an up-cycled owl made from a baby sock. I liked the idea and thought I would see what I could do. The first one really didn't work; rather more odd Japanese cartoon than owl.
not a good owl
However, I persisted and was much happier with the second owl - smaller eyes, closer together and a plain sock.

baby sock up-cycled owl
The third was...ok. I think I prefer the plain coloured sock, rather than patterned.

sock owl



I am enjoying up-cycling and now just need to keep my eyes peeled for gloves and good quality socks (I boil wash them before sewing!). I thought the baby sock offcuts might make nice t-shirts for Ellen Mouse...

The pussy-cats

Once again the cats have taken over my chair!

cats
snoozy cats

Mothers' Day roses

Today is Mothers' day (at least in the UK) so Mark and I took my  mum and his parents out for lunch, bought them jasmine plants and planters and I made them a card and a rose brooch each. I experimented with adding beads to the roses - I think a few beads look nice, but got carried away with the second one. The colours have not come out well - they are the top one was actually a pale lilac while the second was a rich pinky purple.

beaded rose brooch



beaded rose brooch

Both mums seemed to have a nice day and liked their gifts...and yesterday my friend from choir came over lunch and bought me lovely flowers too! Anemones; one of my favourites.








Thursday 7 March 2013

Patch the dog

Upcycling

A while ago, Sue at work showed me a lovely book about making sock and glove toys and I treated myself to a copy ('sock and glove: creating charming softy friends from cast-off socks and gloves', by Miyako Kanamori), so when the hobbit make-up guy had to put off speaking at the WI and Eirlys at Scrapiana stepped in to talk about up-cycling, I was inspired to traipse around Bath's charity shops in search of bits and pieces. I found a nice pair of black gloves, which I have turned in to my new friend, Patch!

Patch the up-cycled glove dog
I don't intend him to be a design I sell, I just wanted to make him...for the hell of it. As I type I also have a charity shop jumper in the tumble dryer, hopefully turning in to felt...

Sunday 3 March 2013

Everything's coming up roses

Red Roses

The first roses are these lovely red ones that Mark brought me in the week - for no reason other than he thought I needed cheering up!

red roses

ah, must be love!

More roses: felt flowers with the Bath WI

I really like the Bath WI. It is very unlike the traditional image of the Women's Institute (somewhat elderly ladies singing Jerusalem and snoring through boring slide shows). I suspect I am one of the older members and, although sometimes I do feel like I am the only 40-something woman in Bath who does not have children, it is really relaxed and a good laugh. While there are groups of friends who understandably want to catch up, everyone mingles. No matter who you sit next to, you can pretty much guarantee they will be interesting, friendly and chatty. So now I have the monthly meeting on the first Wednesday of each month and the WI book club on the third Wednesday of every month and in the last week of the month the WI craft evening.

Thursday's craft evening was with Eirlys at Scrapiana - she of the teapot I was drooling over last week! It was such a nice group of women at Jika Jika (which was lovely - really nice airy place, the coffee was delicious and I was eying up the food - I think I must go back there with Mark for something to eat sometime) and Eirlys is really good at showing you what you need to know and helping if anyone got stuck, but all without feeling like a teacher. It was more like an evening out with friends where we just happened to learn to make some really simple but effective felt flowers. I had a couple of rather low days in the week (I blame that bout of flu/chest infection and the prednisolone after effects) but came away from the evening later than I had expected, with a big grin on my face - some lovely people and a bit of cutting, stitching and gluing is clearly the best medicine.

some of the WI crafters

These are the flowers I made - and was allowed to take home:

felt flowers
The blue and green roses at the front are a spiral cut from a circle of felt and rolled up. Rather than going in to details here, have a look at Betz White's piece about them in her beautifully named 'stitch beautifully...tread lightly' blog, as she was Eirlys' inspiration for the roses.

loopy felt chrysanthemum

Eirlys also has a lovely Scrapiana blog and there is a tutorial on making the chrysanthemums - really easy; give it a go! (and check out the rest of the blog while you're there - there's loads of lovely stuff). Incidentally, Eirlys is showing people how to make felt chrysanthemums at the Craft Tea Party at Green Park, Bath, for International Women's Day on Saturday 9th March, 2-5pm. A £5 donation to Oxfam (Eirlys is donating her time and materials) will see you making and taking home your very own brooch (as well as a nice warm feeling for helping a good cause). Contact her through her website scrapiana.com if you would like to reserve a place, there's a phone number on her classes page.

felt pompom-esque flower
The final style of flower we made comes from Ruth Singer who has lots of creative pieces on her blog and has written a book called 'Sew It Up' (which I just ordered on Amazon!), and I understand she has another book due out soon.


Shabby chic Ellen Mouse

Thursday's flower making has encroached in to my other sewing, and my latest Ellen Mouse has taken on something of a shabby chic air! Her little flower brooch is made from tiny remnants from the Silk Mill at Whitchurch in Hampshire.

shabby chic Ellen Mouse
I got a bit carried away, and this Ellen even has frilly lace smalls!
frilly mouse knickers

Garden flowers

Yesterday turned out quite sunny so took the flower and mouse photos in the garden, and was amazed at how far out the Spring bulbs and blossoms are.

The dwarf flowering cherry outside the kitchen window is starting to blossom and will soon be beautiful. It always makes me smile, not least from memories of sniggering with my sister at the garden centre where my mum asked the young chap watering the plants, "Excuse me, do you have a small prunus?" How he kept a straight face when Helen and I were failing to smother our smutty double-entendre guffaws I'll never know!

a small prunus

The crocus are taking over the garden, like a miniature version of the day of the triffids!

purple crocus

miniature triffid
The daffodils are almost out, but at this point the cats decided I was not paying enough attention to them and Rio once again got in the frame.

cat and daffodil
Rio the cat
Max the cat

 The miniature daffs at the bottom of the garden, under the big cherry tree are farther along.

mini daffodils
I do hope the birds use the bird box this year - it is now nicely weathered and quite high up, away from the cats.



 A walk around Bailbrook

As it was so nice and sunny yesterday, Mark suggested a bit of a walk. There are lots of nice walks from our house and we chose the walk up through Bailbrook, past the 'tin church'.

Bailbrook, Bath

It must have been so noisy when it rained during services!

Bailbrook tin church, Bath
Along the lane the banks were covered with drifts of snowdrops - hard to see the detail in the photo; sorry I only took my phone.

Bath snowdrops

snowdrops

Cornish Fairings


All the exertion called for some baking - Cornish fairings (melt 100g butter with 100g golden caster sugar and 2 tbsp golden syrup, then sieve in 175g self-raising flour, 2 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp mixed spice, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda. Mix well and dollop teaspoonfuls onto a lined baking sheet. Squish down the dollops a little with the spoon and bake for 8 to 10 mins at 180C in a pre-heated oven. Cool on a wire rack.)

Cornish fairings


Today I am torn between putting time in to my part-finished quilt and making some more felt flowers...I would like to try adding some tiny beads. A cup of coffee first and then I'll decide.