Bag Lady becomes Basket Case

The Mole waggled his toes from sheer happiness, and leaned back blissfully into the soft cushions. 'What a day I'm having!' he said. 'Let us start at once!'

'Hold hard a minute, then!' said the Rat, staggering under a fat, wicker luncheon-basket. 'Shove that under your feet,' he observed to the Mole. 'What's inside it?' asked the Mole, wriggling with curiosity. 'There's cold chicken inside it,' replied the Rat briefly;coldtongue coldhamcoldbeefpickledgherkinssaladfrenchrollscress sandwichespottedmeatgingerbeerlemonadesodawater

'O stop, stop,' cried the Mole in ecstasies: 'This is too much!' 'Do you really think so?' enquired the Rat seriously. 'It's only what I always take on these little excursions!'

My picnics have usually been transported in a dull red coolbag [freebie from Sainsburys, years ago] but I have always hankered after a proper wicker luncheon basket like Ratty’s.

Then Steph said that the woodland themed wedding would entail some wicker hampers, and I saw one going very cheaply in a CS in Wimborne [it has now closed, sadly] so I purchased it. It had the fittings inside the lid – but no crockery or cutlery.

I already had some  cutlery, and a set of plastic picnic ware, but it didn’t quite fit the existing straps. I spent £2.50 on 2 foil lined lunch-bags and a pack of 3 icepacks.

I also bought a metre of spotty plasticised fabric in The Range.

I measured up and sewed a liner for the inside, and then I covered a piece of card for the lid.

As you see, I simply sewed up the corners, then I tucked them inside. I stitched the fabric in place [the holes in the basket work make that quite easy.

I made a little spotty bag to hold the cutlery, having realised, quite serendipitously, that the plastic bag from the ice packs was exactly the right size.

Here’s the finished basket, loaded and ready to go [well, not really, I padded out the bags with paper for the purposes of the photograph!] You can just see the spotty cutlery bag tucked in between the plates and lunchbags.

Just a few comments…

• Sometimes we are just 2, sometimes more – I didn’t want to put in lots of straps for cutlery I wouldn’t need, so I just put the cutlery in the bag, and tucked plates and beakers around the lunch bags. Fewer fittings give more choice for contents.
• With a smaller picnic, I can fit my blanket in the basket.
• I lined the lid, even though it has no fittings, so that it would be easier to wipe clean. Food trapped in wicker is a pain
• My large plates fit neatly under the 2 lunch bags.
• My sewing machine didn’t like sewing the plasticised fabric – and it was quite thin, so if I sewed just one layer, it tore. I should have purchased thicker stuff I think!

The basket, plus fittings has cost me around £12. It measures 40 x 60 x 20cm. That makes it the same size as the Fortnum and Mason “St James Hamper” I have realised that I have yet to put a tablecloth and napkins in mine and I have plastic, not porcelain crockery.

I have a thermos flask that will fit, if we want to take hot drinks. I have spent £538 less than I would have paid at F&M so I am very happy! [should I stencil A & B on the lid of ours, do you think?] Now all we need is some sunshine!

Mr Badger Is Transported

We decided to spend Tuesday exploring a little more of Dorset, so drove westwards towards Tolpuddle. This little village played such a significant part in our history, almost 200 years ago.

I have wanted to visit the place for years, since I learned about these good men who were so unjustly treated. The chapel where they worshipped was open when we arrived – but the Museum did not open till 10am [Methodists clearly get up earlier than TUC members!]

Note Mr Badger standing to the side of the memorial arch. I did explain that he was not under sentence of transportation, but that his journeys were all in great comfort, and to be regarded as a holiday.

Deciding to return to the Museum at a later date, we went on into Dorchester, in search of breakfast, and found this..

Napper’s Mite is a charming cafe, built in a former almshouse, dating back 400 years. We enjoyed some good food then wandered round the ancient and interesting town

Dorchester is famous for three former residents – Thomas Hardy the writer, Judge Jeffreys [the Hanging Judge, who presided over the famous ‘Bloody Assizes’ here] and William Barnes, the priest and poet, who wrote much in the Dorset dialect. We looked at shops and buildings – but did not pay to go into the Museum

The front window of the Museum had a display about the new film [Far From the Madding Crowd – my review is here] I tried to photograph the beautiful smocked bonnets, but there was a bit too much reflection. Can you see Bob, grinning over my shoulder?

We left Dorchester and went on to Bridport to find some lunch. Delicious food, a quirky atmosphere, and great artwork on the walls, at Lula’s.

The other quirky spot was Snooks

This milliners was staffed by expert hat enthusiasts – we had such fun there. Kezzie, you really must go, and take CBC with you – you would both love it! I did not let Bob buy a fez, or a pith helmet.

After Bridport, a quick trip to nearby West Bay – aka Broadchurch. No sign of Olivia Colman or David Tennant though. Bob had a good time trying on more headgear [this time motorcycle helmets] and I took Mr Badger to the beach. We found no dead bodies!

But it was getting cold and windy. Hot chocolate and back to the car.

We drove back via the Hardy Monument. It is high on a hill, and was originally the site of a beacon intended to warn of a Napoleonic Invasion. It began to rain. You can see it is quite misty round the top of the column. All the way up the hill we had been making bad literary jokes about Jude the Obscure etc.

And as we stood in the drizzle, reading the National Trust Info-Board, we realised it was the other Thomas Hardy.

Not the writer, but the Admiral Thomas Hardy[Nelson’s mate from Trafalgar – you know ‘Kiss me, Hardy’ and all that stuff]

Bob was highly amused by our error! Home for tea. Mr Badger will be leaving me on Saturday – I think he has seen quite enough of Dorset.

Red And Yellow And Pink And Green…

…orange and purple and blue

It seems that colouring-in, for grown-ups, is the popular pastime at the moment, with the non-fiction best-seller lists including dozens of titles. There was an article in the Guardian recently about it.

I have never had a problem admitting to my enjoyment of this activity – but then I have always had the excuse of preparing something for the children around me;

…my own children, my Sunday School Class, my Girls’ Brigade group, Holiday Club, school work… And now I am busy sorting out exemplars of some children’s resources, ready for WWDP Link Day next week.

I began on Saturday evening by sharpening all the crayons in my tin, using my little hand-wound gadget [£4.50 from Lidl, years ago] Just lining them all up in a rainbow pattern is so satisfying!

Then I coloured in my worksheets – Cuba Cubes, and fichas [Cuban Dominoes] It was a very relaxing way to spend my time. But I am wondering now – I enjoy working with colouring pencils, but always do it with an end purpose in view. For this to be truly relaxing, is one supposed to just colour in for the sake of it? [in one of these fancy books at £8 a time?]

Loads of you who read this blog are very creative and artistic – look at the way PomPom has drawn Mr Badger. Do you prefer to draw our own designs, or do you get pleasure from colouring in a pre-printed picture? And did you enjoy Spirograph in your youth? [not surprisingly, I loved it for the maths involved in the designs]

Mr Badger is leaving me sooner than I expected, he has an important date somewhere truly splendid at the end of the month. So he will miss coming with me to Link Day in London, the Kid’s Club here, and a trip to Norfolk. I don’t think he minds too much!

Badger And The BBQ

“This all looks very interesting” said Mr Badger, as he sat on his chair on the windowsill, watching Ang chop up peppers and tomatoes. “It’s the Connexion Summer BBQ” she told him “lots of ministers and spouses coming round for the evening”

Badger wasn’t altogether sure about some of the stuff Bob was cooking – “Will they eat Goat Koftas?” he asked.

“I suspect Bob may not tell them it is goat meat until after they have eaten it” Ang said. “Anyway there are vegetarian Rainbow Kebabs too, and some lovely bread rolls”

“Only two different salads, I notice – but not that delicious carrot and coriander one that Mags does – and what are those yellow slices next to the walnuts” 

Ang felt a little defensive “Those are Golden Kiwi Fruit. And anyway, Vanessa is bringing a couscous salad”

“And what about the Puddings???” “Penny and Jackie are bringing them, so they will be a surprise- but there is a tub of raspberry ripple ice cream in the freezer, just in case”

Bob had hung bunting outside, and lots of pretty lanterns with candles in. Mr Badger felt that it did appear to be under control  after all! Ang ignored him and continued her preparations.

And we had a wonderful evening. The goat koftas went down surprisingly well, as did all the other meats.  Vanessa brought two different couscous dishes. The puddings were superb – a chocolate and raspberry torte and raspberry puff pastry hearts went brilliantly with the raspberry ripple ice cream. And we chatted till late into the evening – even though we’d started the evening as comparative strangers, we finished it as good friends. Poor Mr Badger stayed inside on his chair. I don’t think he likes couscous or koftas!

Have You Heard Of Hygge?

Hygge is a Danish word [it is pronounced hu-guh, rhyming with sugar] and it means “creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people. The warm glow of candlelight is hygge” My mate PomPom, over in Colorado, came across this word, and decided she wanted to spread hygge among her blogfriends. So she’s repeating something she did back in 2012. PP is a fantastically gifted artist, teacher, grandma, and lover of classic children’s literature. Especially Wind In The Willows. So back in 2012, she made Mr Toad, Ratty, and Mole, and sent them round the world [literally] with their passports, and a copy of WITW.

Those of us who hosted them on the 2012 Willows Tour [Betty, Mags etc] were required to show them the sights and blog about it. Ok, maybe it might seem a little childish – but it was great fun, and I know adults and children enjoyed following the travels of the trio.

And now, in celebration of hygge, PP has sent another WITW character, Mr Badger, on his tour. You can read about it here. He’s visited Ireland and Sussex already [here and here] and clearly been well looked after. He has just arrived in Dorset, so expect a few special WITW posts in coming days. It is a shame he missed the Tea Party on Saturday, that was a good example of English Hygge.

Bob looked at the parcel, and said [a tiny bit pompously, imho] that he felt I had entered into the whole Willows Tour rather too enthusiastically last time. I admit, I did take them to 2 castles, New Scotland Yard, the Houses of Parliament, and more [not to mention the Gin Palace] But then he completely ruined his “I am a grown up, and cannot be bothered with such juvenile pursuits” demeanour by announcing …

“Personally, I think this is all wrong. Mr Badger is an elderly gentleman, who should be left sitting quietly by his fireside, in his carpet slippers, not sent round the world, all alone, in a Jiffy Bag!”

Watch this space..

Dolly Mixture

Up in the loft, hunting for Holiday Club Stuff [and dodging drowsy wasps who are nesting under the eaves] I spotted a bare brown leg sticking out of a bag of toys. I retrieved the doll. She belonged originally to Liz I think. I cannot remember her name [I had a dolly like this called Susannah who mysteriously disappeared when we moved house in 1965]

But this dolly was sadly lacking in clothes. So I dug out the fabric saved from my green coat last month and made her a duffle coat. I used some of the original buttons, and lining.

Then I took leftover yarn from the recently finished cardi and knitted her a jumper and a hat, and made her some trousers with some black fabric from the Great Stash.

That looks better!

I think I shall have to go the whole way and make her some little felt shoes, and maybe a set of decent underwear too.

Then I guess I should probably refurbish the dolly’s bed last slept on by the Willows Three

I must not let this project take over. August is far too busy for me to indulge in dressing dolls. Holiday Club is looming on the horizon.

Tea For Toad

Such happy memories of May last year, when the Willows Three came and stayed with us and slept side by side in the little bed..

Not to mention the visit to London and some anxious moments for Mr Toad

But now they are safely home again with PomPom, we celebrated in their honour with a proper tea time spread. Bob was not entirely clear about what I was doing, but he enjoyed the food nonetheless.

cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches

scones with butter and jam

fairy cakes

and a pot of tea [new tea cosy in use!]

[Please check out my beautiful vintage tea knives- these were presents given to my parents when they married in 1948, and they have green Bakelite handles.]

Looking forward to seeing other peoples party pictures!

I haven’t posted a picture of my dress. But if I had the money I would have bought myself a new party frock from Joe Brown’s and these cute shoes from M&S

Just When I Thought…

… I could put my machine away, another teddy turns up. This one is owned by Tom, who starred as Mr Toad in WITW this week.

I dug out a scrap of the fabric I used back in 2008 to make Mr Toad’s suit, and gave the Ted a hat as well as a sweatshirt.

It was a splendid production. Bob and i really enjoyed it. The young people had worked so hard to learn their lines, sing the songs, do the dances [fabulous can-can sequence!] The staff are so committed to helping these year 5 children really put on a show to be proud of before they move on to secondary school – some of them are only just 10 years old. It was lovely to receive flowers in recognition of my costumes too. Thanks!

Holey Moley- Another Tutorial!

The costume for Mole was quick and easy. I got some nylon ‘velvet’ fabric from the market, and cut out body pieces and a hood.

Sorry, this picture taken at an angle- the sides are parallel, and my fabric is just folded in half. The measurement across the top is about 17” and then I measured 11” down the side, and cut off the triangles to make the armholes.

The Hood piece is double fabric, and I used one of my own hoodies as a pattern. The front edge and top edge are FOLDS.

 

The reason for cutting it double and using folds is that it means you can easily stitch a ¾” channel down the front and thread elastic through, so it fits snugly round the child’s face. But do not make it too tight!

Then I bound the neck edge of the hood with bit of black ribbon.That served three purposes

1- it covered the raw edges

2-it makes it comfortable to wear

3-it saved me the bother of making complicated facings!

Isn’t black velvet incredibly hard to photograph!!

Finished garment. Now I grant you, this has very little ‘hanger appeal’ – but if you dress the child in a long-sleeved black tee-shirt, and leggings, and give her some bright pink gloves [Marigolds, or Poundshop ‘exfoliating’ gloves] and then she puts small round spectacles and a pink nose [spray-paint a Red Nose Day one!] She will look incredible Mole-Like.

And next year you can use the same garment as the basis for Darth Vader!

I finished those ribbon wristbands too!

TIP OF THE DAY- When you are making tunics and other costumes for children, stop and try the neck over your OWN head before you do the final stitching. Children’s heads are not much smaller than those of adults- and if the costume is tight on you, it will probably be uncomfortable for them to put on too. They can sometimes panic if they get stuck halfway with fabric over their faces!