The week that was........

......was a gentle week. It was a week spent enjoying many things.

Enjoyment in early morning walks with Miss Maisie, walking along dusty country roads, meeting interesting characters along the way.

Having a li'l pow wow; secret animal business, me thinks.

Some members of the family aren't really into long country walks. Some are a little terrified of the bovine you meet in this part of the world, both the four legged kind and sometimes, even the two legged kind. =) Yes, some much prefer to nap on bedding fit for a queen; obviously a fellow of exquisite taste.  Have I introduced you to our Boo??  He is a rather aloof fellow. If someone perchance, should drop by he is out of here quicker than quick, heading for dem dar hills. He always considers strangers with a certain amount of distrust, a little suspicion. I don't know why.......I have a theory about black felines. We have had two who have lived with us in our home, and both have been rather aloof and have followed the beat of a different drummer. Besides, when not dreaming of a life without Miss Maisie, he is off catching creatures of the pesky, rodent kind. Boo understands perfectly I hate meeces to pieces!!

This past week has found much enjoyment in knitting my cabled woolly, delighting in it's progress. Progress is still slow, but I am loving all the lovely aran texture. The back is finished.....hip hip hooray! Now for the sleeves. Maybe, just maybe come Winter, this pretty will be hanging from my frame as I gad about town.

Enjoyment also, in planning another tarted up jacket. I was gifted an inspiration-filled book written by Mandy Pattullo for Christmas. Mandy Pattullo is a textile designer and artist who creates beautiful collages from vintage fabric and quilts and a plethora of other pretties. I have loved her work from afar for a while now, so when I saw this book in a book shop I hinted rather longingly that it needed to make one of our many burgeoning bookcases, home. This jacket has been sitting on my dress form, in the corner of my sewing room for much too long....two years if my memory is correct.

I am going to use old tapestries that I found at a market many years ago, and other bits and bobs. As it has been an age since I tarted up some pretty, I am looking forward to playing again.

A delicious jumble of needlepoints, ribbons, laces and a little bit of this and a whole lot of that. Probably too much of a "whole lot of that" for these neck of the woods.......but who cares. Not me. Eyebrows aren't raised heavenwards any more when I am seen out and about in an eccentric, tarted up pretty....it's kinda expected.

Of course, I have been strolling through the garden cutting flowers for vases. The roses are in their last flush and  the Dahlias are still winning the prize for sheer lusciousness.

Are you ready for some floralicious delight?? Again, there is photo after photo overspilling with sumptuous, floral exquisiteness......old habits die hard. Besides, soon they will be no more and I will have to sit out a loooooong Winter without any blossomy prettiness. I am not looking forward to Old Man Winter returning to our happy li'l isle, armed with his arsenal of frigid tricks, one little bit.

The Dahlias. Those vivacious, vibrant, flashy Autumn showoffs of the floral world. 'Tis hard not to be filled with joyousness at the sight of these flowers. There is nothing demure about these beauties, they trumpet "look at me, look at me"!!

Of course, vivid, rainbow-filled, embellished to-an-inch-of-their-life, hexie quilts demand your attention as well. =D

As I say, one can't help but be feel a heightened sense of joyousness at the lusciousness of the Dahlias, or indeed "queenly" hexie quilts.

Then, there are the roses, in their last flush.

Soft, pastel-painted, with sunlight-kissed petals.....roses.

For those of you who are wondering if the heavens opened up this week and sent lightning bolts filled with creative notions on what to do with my au naturel lampshade......alas nothing. Not that I mind, as my imagination has been swirling and swirling around with other pretties. Thank you lovelies for your comments re this conundrum. It seems half of you prefer the cream shade to be left just as it is and the other half have decided it is sadly lacking in a li'l pizzazz and is in need of a little embellishment, a li'l oomph. This jury.........is still out on this "the-world-will-stop-spinning-on-it's-axis", problem!

Until the next time...........a l'il love sent from me to you, this lovely day.