steam ahead

The Arches and the Cavorters are coming along, but decisions have to be made............ which is always painful. I hope that like the magnolia tree they will blossom, eventually. At the moment they are more like weeds - out of control.

I am mightily encouraged that my last 2 pieces sold this week. The Patchwork ladies at the steam engine museum [that does sound odd] and the Garrett girls in the lace collars.

The exhibition sold well as a whole as the museum had a "steam up day"........... they got the old Steam Engines working and took kids for rides round the village.

The visitors were surprised to find the bonus of the exhibition and most of them had not seen anything like it. It was great to show to a new audience, instead of other textile artists taking notes. I did mean to take photos of the other pieces, there were some really lovely designs, mostly abstract, beautiful colours and stitching. I have to steward on the last day, so I will take pics then.

blossoming

It's been sunny today, at last, so that made everything seem so much better. The garden is becoming colourful, - next door dragged us into their garden so we could appreciate the full glory of our flowering bushes from their side. Nothing too special really, just pink flowering black current, forsythias and that white one - wedding veil maybe?

The primroses down the bank are really showing off among the wild blue ?narcissus bulbs and the daffodils have lasted long enough to wave at the tulips.
The Madonna lilies Auntie Cinders always asks after [she gave them to us] have finally admitted they are still alive by poking leaves above the surface, I was convinced Retired Person had squashed the life out of them with his big boots.
The magnolia is best yet, should have taken a pic while the sun was out. We planted it about 8/9 years ago, and used to count the flowers each year which in 2000 was easy, [found the pic] I reckon this is the first year they are too many to enumerate, which is very fine.

We are hopeless gardeners really, most things just grow, or don't, but we are learning slowly - so get very excited if the garden ever looks attractive, in spite of our administrations, or more likely lack of.

In the conservatory two amaryllis have burst into 3 great scarlet trumpets, each with a second bud promising more riches. They haven't flowered for a couple of years, which all goes to show what a bit of watering and tomato food can achieve, apparently they don't hold a grudge. No pic as the battery in the camera has died.