Quilters Retreat at Rydal Hall...

Feeling ill prepared, I stayed up until the early hours updating my PowerPoint presentation last Saturday night ready for my talk at Rydal Hall. I was still up early packing quilts and sundries last Sunday morning and as Linzi was delayed thought I would clean the car hoping that the Swallows would soon leave for warmer climates.  I love to see the swallows arrive early summer but am so pleased to see them leave, they make so much mess on my house, car and windows.

As usual I probably took too much 'stuff' but with Linzi's help we managed to pack it all into Linzi's Landrover and left my home for the short two hour journey to the Lake District. We had supper of fish, chips and mushy peas by Lake Windermere before arriving at our hotel for our six night stay.

The Hall was dimly lit and quiet with a skeleton staff, luckily we were escorted to our room by one of the groundsmen else I'm sure we would never have found it, we did find an easier route ourselves the next morning. I admit to feeling a little uneasy on our first night, I did wonder why when morning broke as I found my bearings and realised that Rydal Hall is so peaceful and picturesque.  The views from the house are stunning, the weather for the whole week could not have been better, we slept with the windows wide open every night.

We quickly set up the sewing room ready for our guests who arrived on Monday afternoon. After our first dinner together we drifted into the sewing room and started on our projects that very night.

Linzi doing a demo for the Rev...erand

Sewers admiring Ani's special quilts

My small Demo piece just needing some binding

Ani, Linzi and I gave demonstrations and then evening talks to 'sewers', visitors and hotel guests. We left a wonderful display of quilts hanging in the drawing room all week, we could often see hotel staff and guests wandering in to admire our handy work.

Linzi admiring felted jewellery

The Art Yurt was a must see, where the Resident Artist was spinning Hedrwick fleece straight from the sheep.

A trip to Derwent Pencils and the Pencil Museum could not be missed as it was only a few miles away, so along with seven of our sewers we excitedly drove along the edge of the Rydal Water, Grasmere and Derwent Water on our way to Keswick.
We toured the small museum and were told about graphite, black gold and how indeed graphite was worth more than gold at one point. There were displays of nibs and pencils which reminded of quilts, it's a wonderful place to visit, I'm sure I'll be back again soon.

Our Ladies worked really hard on there personal projects, some Husbands went off walking in the hills and who could blame them, this is a stunning part of the country. I've been here many times as a child and many times with my young family, it's been a while and I had forgotten how beautiful the Lake District is!

A group photo on our last morning in the drawing room....

After our guests had left we packed everything into the vehicles and drove to Townend Farm, a National Trust Property

Lots of intricately carved furniture

Before we knew it it was Saturday and time to leave, time flies when your having fun!

Post 300 Giveaway .....

In celebration of post number 300 I think we could have a little giveaway. I have a gift voucher for a '6 month membership to The Quilt Show' you can find the home page here .  The gift certificate is to be redeemed by February 18th by a new member.

So, if you would like a chance of winning this fabulous prize I would like you help me choose a name for the friendly Partridge who is still coming to visit me at my kitchen window....my DH has told me that 'chuck chuck' is not a suitable name for such a pretty Partridge......this is a two step process.... read the instructions, I need your name, your email address and a name for the Partridge....

Step one - Leave a comment telling me your chosen name for the Partridge.

Step two – Leave a second comment letting me know you are a follower or a new follower.
You can comment anonymously but you need to leave your name and email so I can contact you. If you use your blogger account please make sure you are not a ‘no-reply blogger’.

The giveaway will close on Sunday February 3rd 2013 at 12 MN GMT, that will be in the early hours of the morning in the US, early evening in OZ.....but it doesn't matter where you live just so long as you have an email address. A name will be chosen and the redemption number for 'The Quilt Show' membership will be sent by email to the lucky winner, so come on let's see how imaginative you can be????

If, for any reason I cannot contact you within 48 hours, the gift certificate number will be emailed to the next lucky winner? 

Chirpy Chappy....

There's been a turn around with this little Partridge, he's a 'chirpy chappy'.....he thinks my kitchen window is a drive through.....he wants breakfast....but he'll still scarper if I make any sudden movements...

Priesthaugh...

Tuesdays ride went to Priesthaugh, I only had my tiny camera at work with me that day. I took a video but to be honest, it was rubbish, the resolution on that camera isn't great enough for a video on the web but it does take a cool photo. No horses, but this is what was happening right behind me in town just over the wall......

Nature all around us, isn't it wonderful?

Nature all around us?

I took this photo in the middle of town this morning, this little guy stakes his claim to this spot on the stream, he is very patient and for his troubles he is often rewarded with breakfast....indeed as I peered over the river wall he bent down and just picked up a small fish which riggled a little and then slid down the herons throat before I could turn on my camera.....

Did you notice the light switch on the far side of the bridge....this heron lives in 'the lap of luxury', he has an electric light under the bridge....look, that's cool, great for the dark nights, he can fish after hours!

Wonder how he turns it on....lol....????

Listen!

.....and a little camera noise!

It's spinning!

There's a strange landing pad on the river and it's spinning!

It's at a river convergence, (Slitrig and Teviot), the moving water is making the ice spin, I saw it a 8am and it was still there at 4pm....how cool is that....actually it's way cool....lol....

Update 22/12/2010

Today, it's stopped spinning and is now anchored to the ice on the river bank!

A bit of colour!

Yesterday was such a gray day.....then today we had a lovely autumn morning when  I noticed there was still some colour around in my small garden....

One solitary Honeysuckle blossom!

then we had a horrible gray afternoon......

It's Irresistable!

It's irresistable..... to butterflies that is!

I thought the Autumn was here, well, it is chilly in the evenings and the nights are certainly drawing in by half an hour each week but surprisingly we are having some wonderfully warm, sunny weather.....

The warmer days have brought out the butterflies who love this buddleia bush / butterfly bush.....

 

Common Red Admirals...but beautiful all the same!

I think She's hiding something!

What could it be?

Play the video to find out!
Sorry...there is a bit of noise pollution...




Last night one of the six chicks got left behind when mother hen and the rest of her clutch went into hiding for the night but fortunately he was making plenty of little cheep cheep noises to attract our attention, the little chick spent the night in the house in the warm.  Today we caught them all up and put them in a coup for safety!

So cute and it's not even Easter.....

Flower of Scotland!

There is a beautiful statuesque thistle which, against all odds, has been allowed to flourish on my drive! My DH said he would have to 'go fetch a spade' and chop it down...I said 'No', let it flower and I will chop it down before it seeds!

Thistles really are the scurge of farmers, they cost us ££££ (thousands) to destroy as they take over the pastures. There are different varieties, some spread by seed, some spread by underground root systems, both are very difficult to control!

How did it become the Emblem and National Flower for Scotland?

It is said that a bare foot Viking attacker stepped on one at night and cried out, so alerting the defenders of a Scottish Castle!

Yes, those little spikes/spelks that you find in the bales of hay in the winter feed can cause problems even though they are so tiny...they are really difficult to see and remove from your hands...even with a magnifying glass!

Of course 'The Flower of Scotland' is also the new Scottish National Antem, sung with passion, pride, enthusiasm and love for Scotland at many occasions.  This is a really good version sung by the late Roy Williamson of the Corries, who rote the song in 1967.



The Flower of Scotland
1.
O flower of Scotland
When will we see
Your like again
That fought and died for
Your wee bit hill and glen
And stood against him
Proud Edward's army
And sent him homeward
Tae think again
2.
The hills are bare now
And autumn leaves lie thick and still
O'er land that is lost now
Which those so dearly held
And stood against him
Proud Edward's army
And sent him homeward
Tae think again
3.
Those days are passed now
And in the past they must remain
But we can still rise now
And be the nation again
And stood against him
Proud Edward's army
And sent him homeward
Tae think again

(Proud Edward was the King of England who they were sending back to England)!
I am English and live in Scotland, I have a great respect for the traditions and values held by the Scottish people, the words of the song say it all!


And for you quilters....how about this version of a Scottish thistle...

This is a 'tat' or tatoo...cool yeh!