Colds and Christmas.

The two little girls have colds of the nose-streaming, shadow-eyed variety. And so do I. The kitchen table is strewn with paperwork for the business which I have let slip a little recently and last night seemed a good time to bring it back into order as Mr Dave was away for the night due to work. It had obviusly slipped a little more than I thought as I finally went to bed at a quarter to twelve and there is still a small amount left to do. Still, no matter; I like the feeling of restoring order into chaos and that's just as well with a family this size. So, today two young ladies snuggled under covers on the settees (even though they are feeling fine in themselves, hence Isabella leaping around like a banshee every so often) and Mama has supplied copious plates of vitamin laden 'snacks'. They are like me in that they never lose their appetites through illness (depression, happiness, anger...you get the picture).



As I raced out to get some work in from the sewing room, I noticed this broad bean growing - well, flowering actually - by the steps. How many times I must pass this spot and yet only today did I notice just how well this determined self-seeded bean is doing. My mouth waters at the possibility of an out of season mini-feast.



Things are creeping along slowly on the Christmas present front with orders obviously taking priority. My recent foray into appliqued houses originated in this partly completed draught excluder I am making for my daughter, Lauren, who has the most enormous gap beneath her door in her student house. I am hoping it will eliminate the howling gale currently sweeping through her room and enable her to feel her Mamma is with her, keeping her warm as she works. More pictures when it is eventually finished, though I must say I find this kind of work extremely trying when attempting to get decent pictures - any tips most gratefully received please.



Other gifts in the making include this diminutive young lady for Isabella who absolutely loves dolls and has a mother who absolutely loves rag dolls. She will soon have her face, hair and some clothes to keep out the chills...



...and will also be wrapped up with her own quilted cot cover and embroidered pillow.



It's reversible too.



With embroidered flowers on the pillow. Oh, I mentioned that already. Dire light in this room today, but I am trying to avoid Isabella seeing.



The quilt I am making for Isabella is almost ready now, I just need to find a fabric for the back. Dave and I have our eyes firmly fixed on some beautiful Japanese material with cherries scatterd over a white ground...just lovely, but we shall see.



(Nearly there, I promise). A Christmassy door hanger...well, it could be hung anywhere actually - over a mantle, from a tree, on the wall.



And just so you don't think I play all the time, here are just a few of the huge pile of lavender and chamomile sachets to be completed for an order wending its way to Richmond later today. Can't even smell them my nose is so bunged up. Hot toddy tonight, mmm.



Bye for now xx

A problem harvest.

I have finally morphed into a true Brit endlessly looking out of the window, sighing at the rain, clicking my tongue as I shake my head with a melancholy air. Oh I am a true delight to be around I can assure you. I switch from sighing to whining...loudly. I'm not sure about the rest of you, but we have had so much rain here.....right, enough; I will stop and get a grip before I drive any poor souls who may have ventured this far away. On to other things.





Ok, this does involve a rain-filled discussion, but bear with me. Cornwall is renowned for being slightly ahead of the rest of the country in the plant stakes - it is the mild climate you see, the same one that brings much rain, and usually I start harvesting herbs for drying from July onwards. This year has been tricky, more than tricky, as I have patiently waited for the lavender to flower, the oregano and sweet marjorams to bloom, the myriad other herbs strewn around our increasingly wild and windswept garden to blossom so that I can begin one of my favourite tasks of cutting them. The eventual aim is for them to be used in various mixes in such things as these Sweet Dreams hearts....





or these embroidered sachets...





or even this Babbit filled with soothing lavender and chamomile...





Needless to say, the harvest has been poor - slow to reach that perfect point of flower with the wet weather and high humidity rotting much of the potential harvest in the meantime. I always pick my flowers in the late morning where possible, the reason being quite simple in that too late in the day runs the risk of the powerful essential oils having evaporated and too early could mean they are damp from the dew, thus running the possibility of botrytis (grey mould) developing in the drying process. On the one of about three days which were not rain drenched this holiday I finally decided to cut them and be hanged, hoping that the meagre harvest would be dry enough and not overblown, but not prepared to wait any longer.



(lavender & chamomile sachets)


My hope is that by cutting them back I will at least ensure a subsequent late flowering as in other years. If nothing else, the plants no longer look at miserable with that awful shattered appearance that torrential rain causes. I do feel rather as though I have started putting the garden to bed for the year though. Hey ho, perhaps the sun will come out tomorrow...sing along now!


Bye for now,
Pipany xx