SUMMERS END

Spent a lovely sunny day in Lustleigh a few weeks ago. Lustleigh is a small village on the edge of Dartmoor with some of the most beautiful thatched cottages, tea rooms, a great pub Lustleigh Cleave and a strong May Day tradition. The crowning of the May Queen has been commemorated with the engraving the names on the rock since 1967

Busy preparing for the new season, so no new items at the moment, apart from these back to school oilcloth book bags. Available on the website.

and another new way to use up some of the left over pieces of fabric , are these quirky hanging sardines.

August Bank Holiday we joined in the festivities for the Back Beach Music Festival, and watched the flotilla of boats celebrating 200 years of the Shaldon Regatta

The last week of the holidays, we headed to Sussex for a few days to visit friends in their new house in Isfield. Had a very rainy day in Brighton shopping, and took a trip to Middle Farm (a place I would often take Bella when she was little) a working farm, with lots of animals, an delicious farm shop and cafe and an amazing range of cider and perry

Back home, and our old friends from Brighton came to visit us on the way back from their visit to Totnes.

And so the Summer comes to an end and Autumns on its way. It's  back to school and time for new shoes. I'm hoping these sturdy new Clarks shoes will last more than a couple of months

 Autumns also means empty beaches, with rain and sunshine all at the same time.

treatment update

Finally got my pathology report, that thankfully confirmed all the cancer had gone. I've since had two expansions of my new boobs, which have taken a bit of getting used to, I have another one this week, and an appointment with my oncologist, then back every three weeks for my Herception injections. I consider myself very lucky! I've been celebrating ever since and recently had some friends over for dinner.  This bottle of home made blackberry gin went very nicely with some really smelly cheeses from Country Cheeses, home made desserts and liquor soaked chocolate covered blackberries. May the celebrations continue!

ON THE COAST

Really changeable weather this week. One moment we are zipping up our coats against the cold and rain, and the next basking in sunshine and paddling in the river. On Sunday we went down to the river with most of the town, to see the Jolie Brise arrive back in Teignmouth where it was built over 90 years ago. It went on to win three Fastnet races (and has a new Wetherspoons pub in the town named after it)

Mabel doing her Stick Man impression on a cold and windy Saturday.

A moment of reflection mid week on how lucky I am, while waiting for the girls to arrive back from school on the ferry.

Some of this weeks makes were unintentionally to do with the coast. The first was new fish print oilcloth Bella and Mabel Bags.

Beach Hut fabric lined pinafore dresses with big beach combing pockets.

and now that I am booking some Summer Fairs I've been making up some  little extras to go on the stall. I've been loving making these fish with some remanents.

Orla Fish

Liberty Fish

Retro Fish

Woodland animal upcycled dresses

denim sleeveless dress with a retro Magic Roundabout border.

and some cute photos of Mabel modelling an upcycled retro music fabric new skirt pattern. I did find it amusing when I got all nostalgic looking at the cassette recorders, record players and walkmans, Mabel didn't have a clue what any of it was.