Notes from the week

Edition 20

I'm currently sitting in bed with a cup of tea and two dogs, writing this on my lap. I have to admit, I've been so busy this week I haven't made time for writing. I have so much to chat about as well! A new sewing project, a failed knitting project, garden renovations to discuss, the list goes on. Still, as peaceful snores rhythmically emerge from the end of the bed, and I prepare to get up and build a patio (I'm off to check bees with a friend later, more on that in a future newsletter!) I thought what better time for a Notes from the Week?

It’s so nice to be finally into the gardening season. The weather up here has been so changeable, with literal snow and sleet interspersed with warmer, sunnier days. I filled the raised bed in the greenhouse (a project I built last year) and provided old Badger a blanket to lie on. He likes the warmth in the greenhouse but for some reason though, he prefers to lie on the bare earth. He's definitely being locked out of the greenhouse when the tomatoes go in, hopefully some time in the next couple of weeks. Our final frost date is late April/early May so I might hold off a little bit longer. I’ve got a potting bench to build in the meantime.

Most of my garden time is being spent on building a patio here, to replace a sad collapsed flower bed, minimise damp to the house and maximise the evening sunbeams. I'm waiting on my father-in-law to help us move that holly stump and I need to buy aggregate (crushed stone) and sand before I can continue. Then it'll be a case of layering aggregate, then sand, compacting it all down and then laying my bricks and paving slabs. It's going to be so smart when it's done, fingers crossed!

On a particularly grim day, weather-wise, I decided to unpack the sewing machine from its storage boxes (everything in my craft room is waiting on storage and furniture before I can unpack) and bring it down in front of the stove. I spent a very happy afternoon, watching Dinosaurs on Netflix and sewing. I decided a little free-form quilting, using a selection of my naturally-dyed silks and remnant kimono fabric, would be the perfect project. No reading instructions, very easy to enter that flow state and just let the sewing wash over me. I love the resultant piece of fabric and will be writing it up in a future newsletter, I've already turned it into it's final piece.

I also made this little zippered pouch, from vintage floral fabric (I experimented with sewing around some of the design to highlight it but it was a bit of a flop) and remnant leather. I don't love the end result but it's good enough. I gave it away in the end, but it was nice to get back into the swing of sewing zippers and swearing at my machine as it struggles to sew leather (the back of the pouch is green leather).

Speaking of the stove, we finished the plywood TV unit/wood store and I love how smart and functional it is! I made a trial run log store box (see below) and then once I felt confident with the pocket hole jig, upgraded to this structure. It took around 2 days to build, but I feel like I've unlocked a skill and I'll definitely be making more furniture to match.

I also finished a book! Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch. I enjoyed it, it's quite an easy read and I found the writing style a bit grating at times, but I love the world the author has invented and want to know more about the characters. It's part of a series, so I'll probably read others, but I'm not in a huge rush to get started with the next one. In case you don't know, I have a book recommendation chat thread over here and you're all welcome to join!