Child's Play

A few weeks back I posted a teaser about some crafts I had been doing. Now all can be revealed...
Steph and Gary's wedding barbecue included three very important guests- their nieces, Ava, Elodie, and Rosie.
As they'd missed the actual ceremony, I thought it would be good to make them 'busy bags' to keep them occupied during the afternoon of the BBQ [I didn't expect these young ladies would be glued to the football on TV after all]
So I made every girl a labelled bag - each containing bride and groom hand puppets [featuring Steph's pretty shoes, and Gary's amazing striped socks] and a tiny pouch holding a pair of rabbit finger puppets [Geoff and Jim, the famous Brotherton Bunnies] along with a pot of bubbles to create sparkly bubbles in the sunshine. Elodie is the youngest niece, so she and 4 month old baby Thomas also get their own embroidered bandanas.

 A warren of rabbits

Creating those pink and purple striped socks was a  real challenge, I ended up colouring the fabric with a Sharpie

But I handled it OK. Sadly Ava and Elodie got a sickness bug and in the end they missed the party - but at least they have the bags to enjoy. Rosie was very taken with the puppets. They were a good entertainment for her during the football. 

Thinking Outside the Box

Perhaps I shouldn't have gone into the Community Centre - but the sign said "Sale of Crafting Materials". Inside there were around twenty ladies, all trying to reduce their stash. I dithered and wondered and then purchased a "We R Memory Keepers" item called a Box Punch Board.
This very nifty little gadget makes gift boxes in lots of different sizes.
And I could see it proving very useful [and it was less than half the price of new- but hadn't been used] I got into conversation with the stallholder. 

When I got home, I tried it out and made boxes in 3 different sizes - but each one from an 8" square of paper. [this is an internet picture] I told Bob the lady had a few other We R MK punch boards, but I had been very restrained, only getting the one I felt most useful. But she was back two weeks later at Ferndown Fete right opposite my story tent. She'd reduced her prices still further.

After buying the first board, I'd looked things up on the net, and discovered they are even more versatile than at first appears. So I bought the Candy Box Punch Board. 
These boards are cleverly designed- and have the full instructions printed on them - and they have a built in bone folder/scorer [a bit like a cheese knife, which slides niftily in the side of the board]

You place the card agains the line, punch a hole, and score a fold line...and repeat...and then it folds up into a box. All very well organised engineering.

This is the board which has been busy this week. Instead of making the regular 'candybox' which has gathered in ends like a boiled sweet or a Christmas Cracker, I made flat-bottomed boxes.These are the designs with two ends. Here are others with just one end I found online - these celebrating St Patrick's Day.

The three dozen boxes I have made will be filled with jelly beans and in a basket in Manchester



Following their small, quiet and dignified wedding ceremony in April, Steph and Gary are hosting a Family Barbecue this afternoon. Lots of fun and food [and also football!] I am quite pleased with the little wedding favours I have produced...

Magic Carpets!

Two weeks ago at Kingston Lacy, I pointed out the flooring to my friend Val. "It's really clever, they reproduce the original flooring on canvas or something, and lay that down instead. It looks like the original carpet, and so the room looks historically right- and Joe Public can walk all over it without doing damage to the handknotted Persian rugs or whatever." I'd been told this by an enthusiastic NT guide at some other property.
Then on Tuesday, I met these clever people

They are from the Eyemats company based in Faversham in Kent. These are the ones who originally came up with the idea of this protective replica floorcovering.
They generously gave me a a few minutes of time to explain their craft as they laid down the carpet cover at Stourhead.
They've been working on this project for some months.
Firstly they photograph the floor covering in situ
Then they reproduce the pattern in sections
Then it is printed on appropriate fabric [canvas, polyester, whatever] which is laminated to a waterproof backing. Usually in large rectangles, sometimes a whole rug.
The two layers are stitched round the edge, because heavy footfall can cause the layers to 'delaminate' and the stitching holds everything together.
The panels are attached with strips of tape. 
Sometimes the mat goes right to the wall - and so the pattern may include floorboard as well as carpet [as in the adjacent room to the one shown] of sometimes the edge of the mat with be bound with twill tape.

This is the Stourhead Music Room - I think that's a wall-to-wall mat, and below another of the Stourhead rooms [these two pictures both from the Eyemats informative website]

Sometimes the original carpet is left underneath, other times it is removed. A felt like underlay goes in place below the Eyemats.
The company cover carpets, floorboards, tiles- and even Roman Mosaics. Even Chedworth Villa, where I went with Bob 18 months ago is using Eyemats.

Technical accuracy is of prime importance- and much care is taken to achieve perfect colour and pattern matching. This is why the company uses their own photography to ensure everything is just right [Eyemat photo]

This is part of a tiled floor in Canterbury Cathedral being prepared.[Eyemat photo]

I love it when thoughtful people come together to produce a creative solution to a difficult problem. Someone concerned for maintaining National Trust properties met up with someone making protective hygienic floorcoverings for the Rentokil company [look, they do much more than just deal with rats, you know - but personally I think they could do with a name-change!]...and as they say, the rest is history!
Thank you Eyemats - it was great to meet you and see you taking genuine pride in your work. Your products definitely enhance the experience of visiting NT properties- but sadly, most people will just trample all over them and barely notice! 

Three Counties In One Day - Plus Experience Of Another World!

Bob and I seem to be so busy most of the time, so we like to really escape from it all on our day off if we can. On Tuesday we drove north-west, and went into Wiltshire, where we visited beautiful Stourhead - a National Trust Property. Then across into Somerset, to the small town of Wincanton where we had lunch. Down into Dorset to Sturminster Newton for tea and cake. And finally home to Ferndown [around 80 miles travelled]

It was a fabulous day, and we saw so much, met so many interesting people, and ate some great food!

 At Stourhead we encountered a lady cleaning book sin the library - with soft brushes and an amazing contraption involing a cardboard box, gaffer tape, and a vaccuuum cleaner on a tea trolley!

We marvelled at the Pope's Cabinet, and also met some lovely people from Kent. They were so fascinating they're getting their own post later!

We left Stourhead around midday. We figured that if nearby Wincanton had a racecourse, it would also have somewhere for the punters to buy lunch. "What else is it that we know about Wincanton?" said Bob.I wasn't sure, but felt there was something...
But once we arrived, we remembered. Wincanton is twinned with Ankh Morpork. We went into the Discworld Emporium/AM Consulate

Ian Mitchell, the MD was charming, and spent ages discussing Sir Terry Pratchett's books, and the whole Discworld thing with Bob. 
The shop was amazing, and full curios and delightfully quirky items for Pratchett fans of all ages. Bob bought a book and a map.[the SatNav cannot find Ankh Morpork ]
The town has taken the late author and his works to heart - and even named treets on a new development after Discworld Locations.

We had a good lunch in the Nog Pub [Ian's recommendation] Then on to Sturminster Newton - a wander round Harts Kitchen shop, plus a couple of CS, and enjoyed tea and cake in the Poets Corner Cafe

Home safely in time for the 6 o'clock news.
I was so thrilled to hear that they have been able to deliver food and medical supplies to the lads trapped in the cave in Thailand. 
Praying they are home safely soon too

The Back Of The Net

Sorry - nothing to do with football! My blogfriend Fishcake has recently moved house, and her frugal Mum found some window nets in a CS. But they were too big, and had to be rehemmed to fit. "What can I do with the trimmings?" Fishcake asked.
Personally I'm not a net curtain type - but often, when I'm given bags of fabric oddments by friends who are decluttering, I find a piece of net that's clearly been trimmed. Here's a few thrifty tips for repurposing such remnants;

In the garden - if you have fruit bushes, you can prevent the birds from eating your currants or whatever if you drape the bushes with net. You may need to sew a few strips together to make a piece that's wide enough for swathing the greenery  - but hey, this isn't the Sewing Bee, the birds may be deterred, but they won't be bothered by your wobbly stitching.

Drink protectors -I bet your great grandmama had one of these - a large square or circle of net will cover your jug of squash and prevent the insects from getting in. Weight it down by sewing a few beads[or buttons, or washers] round the edge. If it is an emergency then just clip half a dozen clothes pegs on to weigh it down.

Bowl cover - "time flies like an arrow, but fruit flies like a banana as they say. Make a simple mob cap [tutorial here] from a large circle, and gather it, to make a cover to keep the minibeasts away from the mangoes

Dressing up clothes #1- tutu. Measure the child's waist. Cut a strip at least three times that [four is better] Fold it in half. Sew the side seam to make a tube. Make a casing, and thread elastic through - or gather it and sew along a piece of wide elastic which will act as the waistband.

Dressing up clothes #2 - angel/fairy wings. Sorry, this picture does look like a large diaphanous bra! Measure the child's outstretched arms, wrist to wrist, and add 10cm. Now make two loops of elastic which will sit comfortably on the wrists. Attach these to the two top corners. Gather up the net across the middle of the strip, tie with a bow.. Voila! instant wings. Pin the bow to the childs top to keep the wings from flying off.

 

Bags -large ones for veg, middle sized ones for keeping lingerie from tangling in the washing machine- and small ones to hold lavender...

For parties and weddings, make 'bonbonierres' to hold sweets  - you can sew them neatly with drawstrings- of for speed, gather up a circle of net and hold in place with an elastic band [at last! a use for those loom bands now lying neglected in the cupboard]
Even the narrowest trimmings can be cut into strips and wound up and stored neatly to make ribbon ties. Use them for tying round gifts or bunches of flowers- or for tying plants to garden stakes.
And don't forget you can use trimmings for collages and card making too
...a dozen uses for the back bottom of the net, which would otherwise have gone in the bin. 
Saving money and saving the planet!
Any other suggestions?

waxwrap update
FC asks below about my wax wraps. Here's an update
I made them in June last year[tutorial here] In January, I noticed the one I used most was developing crease lines and in February, I rewaxed a few of them. 
I discarded one wrap, which was left slightly too long on a cut half of butternut squash [my fault entirely]It developed some black mould spots and I didn't feel happy with it. Otherwise the wraps continue to work very well. My main uses are for sandwiches, cheese, and covering bowls. Following the squash incident I've avoided direct contact with moist produce. Rinsing well in cold/cool water, shaking, and air drying [draped over a bottle]  seems to be adequate maintenance. Store flat with as few folds as possible.

Small Films, Great Memories

The death was announced on Sunday of Peter Firmin. Maybe the name does not mean anything- but Peter, and his good friend Oliver Postgate, ran a production company called Smallfilms, started in 1958. They specialised in children's TV programmes, using characters made of card, paper, fabric, or knitting - which they animated using the traditional stop-motion techniques popular before the advent of computer wizardry and CGI.
They worked for 30 years from a tiny Kentish farm just up the road from Bob's childhood home.  Here they wove their magic to make such treasures as Noggin the Nog, Bagpuss, Ivor the Engine, The Clangers, Pogles Wood - and that wonderful character Basil Brush.  Peter's daughter Emily was featured in Bagpuss [the cat should have been marmalade coloured, but the fur dyers made a mistake and so we ended up with a pink puss] his wife Joan hand-knitted the Clangers puppets...

In 2014, Peter was given a well-deserved BAFTA lifetime award for his work in children's TV - and he was still working on the updated Clangers show in 2015. It is ten years since Oliver Postgate died. But what a fabulously productive friendship - so much joy given to so many children and their families.  Thankyou Peter and Oliver. Here's a lovely little clip...

I loved so much of the Smallfilms output- but I think I have always had a particular fondness for Noggin The Nog. Noggin is one of the few Norse characters to grace a Royal Mail postage stamp. In 1994 he was pictured, alongside the Ice Dragon reading a letter from Nogbad the Bad ["I promise to be Good"] Maybe this explains my penchant for Scandidrama now I am an adult [And I'm sorry that "The Bridge" has finished now...]

What about you? Basil or Bagpuss? Clangers or Pogles? Trains or Vikings?

The Drinking Man's Crumpet**

There is a shortage of carbon dioxide throughout Europe. This has surprised many people - I mean, doesn't everyone of us breathe in oxygen and then breathe out CO₂ ? 
_{But there is a shortage- because the manufacturing plants which produce it usually scale back over the summer. It is a by product of the ammonia production used in the fertiliser industry. At this time of the year, the factories scale back, and machinery undergoes maintenance, ready for the late summer/autumn when demand for fertiliser increases.
But this year there has been a problem - because there's been excessive demand for the gas.} It is used, among other things

• to aid production of fizzy drinks [beer, cola, Irn Bru etc] both to add fizz, and to purge the production tanks 
• to extend the shelf life of foods - it helps preserve your holey crumpets, and produce 'modified atmosphere packaging' in bags of lettuce
• to make dry ice, another product used to keep chilled food fresher for longer
• to stun animals humanely at the slaughterhouses 
• to help manufacture semiconductors and circuit boards
• to fill fire extinguishers for use on electrical or oil-based fires
• to help in certain medical procedures [insufflation during endoscopy and arthroscopy etc]

Whilst I could live happily for the rest of my life without beer or coca cola, make my own crumpets and buy fresh market lettuces not wrapped in plastic, I recognise these things matter to others. Especially those who are celebrating wins/commiserating losses at football. Some beer companies have already halted production, and Warburtons are warning about crumpet shortages.

I am more concerned that animals may be suffering [this is not the place for a vegetarian/carnivore debate] that hospitals may have to delay operations, and that safety equipment may not be delivered on time. Throughout our corner of Europe, there are only two companies working to make this gas, both near Manchester.

Supplies are due to run out on Tuesday - already abattoirs in Scotland are very concerned. Pigs are being transported - in this stifling heat- to English slaughterhouses.

Let us hope for a resolution of this situation soon, for the sake of animal welfare, if nothing else. 

[**Manchester-born Joan Bakewell was unavailable for comment]

Boys And Girls Come Out To Play

When I was a small child, living in Bishops Stortford, I'd go to the park with my parents and grandparents. I loved the slide and the seesaw and the roundabout and epecially the swings. As I climbed to the top of the slide, there were words on the metal steps- alternately it said 'Wicksteed' and 'Kettering'. I was intrigued- what did that mean?
Dad explained that Charles Wicksteed was a generous man, who wanted to make playground equipment for children. He used his knowledge of metals [he was an engineer who had a factory making farm machinery and suchlike] but just before the WW1 he had bought an area of land, in Kettering, where he lived, for the sole purpose of building a Park with a Playground in ity.
He had been inspired after going with his family to a Sunday School Picnic, where they'd made a "Plank Swing" across two trees, with ropes. Why not build long lasting proper play stuff.
"I came to the conclusion the great mistake so many private benefactors and public bodies make is this: they lay out a beautiful Park to sit in, and look at, but they do not realise that the people want more than this, they want something doing. And those who cannot play themselves, enjoy looking at those who can. The Play Ground should not be put in a corner behind railings, but in a conspicuous and beautiful part of a Park, free to all, where people can enjoy the play and charming scenery at the same time; where mothers can sit, while they are looking on and caring for their children. My Play Ground is not confined to boys or girls, or old or young, it is open to all. I have seen a dozen women of forty years of age on the Plank Swing together, and enjoying it as much as the children. I have also seen old ladies of 80 go down the slides. It is a good thing to have plenty of variety and then no one tires."

Wicksteed Park was an instant success- but I doubt he would get away with it now- he saved money by skimping on safety rails, and put up equipment on very hard surfaces. I remember a lovely Church Outing there in about 1961.
I still enjoy visiting playgrounds- especially when I can take Rosie and watch her climbing the slide, or giggling on the swing. I often cycle past the playground next to our local council offices. 
The equipment there is all Wicksteed kit - nowadays much more safety conscious [but there is still a zip wire!] and inclusive- with rides with provision for disabled children and wheelchair access. I parked my bike near the Hungry Hippo rubbish bin and took some photos one day last week when there were no children around.

I'm glad Charles' vision remains - play is so important in childhood [and beyond- I hope I can still go down slides when I am 80!]
I am grateful too for people like Tom Gill, Steph's friend from schooldays - who shares Wicksteed's vision, and has set up a charity which builds playgrounds in Africa.

Jesus called a little child to his side and set him in the middle of them all. “Believe me,” he said, “unless you change your whole outlook and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven. It is the man who can be as humble as this little child who is greatest in the kingdom of Heaven."