Birds eye view.

 I'm trying to sort this drone thingy out. The trees keep getting in the way. 🌲🌳🌴

That's a bit better. Looks like a nice park. 

Oooops, nearly hit the Christmas tree. Need more practice. 😄😂😜

Can you see me Mother? This is fun. 😎😍😝

Catch ya later. Toodle pip.   ilona

Recording memories.

 This came up on my memories thingywotsit. A pic from eight years ago. A scene in Yorkshire England. 

I have lots of photo's like this. Good memories of rambling in the British countryside. Eight years on I wonder if this place has changed. Are those fields covered in new houses? Or are they covered in solar farms? Is there any livestock left? Maybe there are lots more pylons, and windmills? Maybe the landscape is flooded, or burnt to a crisp? Wildlife all gone? Scenes like this must be recorded for future generations. This is how it used to be.

8am and I have things to do. A busy day ahead.

Catch ya later. Toodle pip. ilona

A crafting video.

Good evening. Here I am talking about my new book cover, and Crafting Live at Doncaster. You may not want to watch this if you have already read the blog posts I did yesterday.  

That's all for tonight. Back tomorrow. Toodle pip.   ilona

Crafting Live at Doncaster

It's been another hot day. What to do when it's too hot to work in the garden or go for a walk? Have a day out, visit an event indoors. I went to Doncaster Racecourse where they had a Crafting Live event. I was there in 2023 and 2024. Feels like going home now, my third time. 

Here are the posts covering these visits. 2023 and 2024

Once again I saw the Guest Manager, we chatted last time I was here. Today he didn't have his sparkly suit on, he said it is far too hot. He was wearing a white t-shirt and tight fitting cycling shorts. I told him he would look good in anything, he said I am his favourite visitor today. I love a bit of banter. Today I didn't have my fleece and trousers on, I was wearing a flared skirt and a loose fitting matching top. I should have had another photo taken but he was busy dashing about. 

I realised that I had left my bottle of water in the car. Never mind, there are lots of watering stations throughout the exhibition. I didn't fancy walking around with a plastic cup of water though so I went to the food hall to buy a drink in a bottle. I asked the young lady behind the counter for a bottle of orange Fanta. She put it on the counter and said the price is £4. I thought that was a bit steep but oh well, never mind. I opened my purse to hand her a £5 note. She said she can't take it, card only. I said I don't have a card. I explained that it was the bottle I wanted so I can sip it throughout the day. She said they have bottled water in the fridge as well. I asked is that £4. She reached for one and handed it to me. She said, you can have it for nothing. How kind is that. 

I didn't take many photos today. It was very busy. 

I spotted a rack of leaflets near the door. I always look through them when I see them, searching for information about what's on in the area. This was a waste of time. All the leaflets were two years out of date. I have noticed that motorway service areas no longer have leaflets. I suppose everyone gets the information from their smart phone these days. 

Thank you stall holder. This is what I like to see. 

Three D printers are fascinating. Seems you can make anything these days, in your home. 

Lots of wool for sale. 

A surprise to see a man selling cheese. I chatted to him but didn't buy any. I already have five truckles in my fridge at the moment, which I got from our farm shop. 

I was browsing the fabrics. This is quite unusual. Here is a link to Thimbles fabric shop in Leicester. 

Lots of bead stalls. 

I was back home by 5pm. 

This is what I bought, felt. They sell this in Thimbles but they didn't bring any with them. I found this on another stall. A lady from Glasgow was selling it. £5 for a pack of ten pieces. Or three packs for £12. I couldn't decide on which colours so I bought three packs.  

And I did buy this from Thimbles. It is 20 inches by 18 inches. Don't know what I'm going to do with it yet. 

Oh WOW, look what I've just discovered. The sun is shining through the window and is reflecting off the tiny mirrors in the fabric. How cute is that. I've got spots in front of my eyes. 😎

Anyway, I'm running out of time so I'll wrap this up. Billy dog has been walked. Cats are in for the night. Hedgehogs food is out, and I'm going to have a glass of wine. 

Have a great Sunday. Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

Slow stitching book cover

It is finished. The front. 

Inside front cover. A long piece of fabric folded over at each end to make a pocket. Edged with orange and pink ribbon. Blanket stitch along the top and bottom. 

The back. 

Book open. Front and back view. 

Inside back cover. 

How it began.

A piece of cotton sheet, double thickness. Start in the centre, and add scraps of colourful fabric. Keep adding more until it is big enough to cover the book. I machined all the pieces on, folding under the raw edges. Overstitch with embroidery thread and add embellishments. Make it bigger than the cover and trim it to size when it comes to fitting it on the book. I added ribbon to the edges. 

Now I am onto the next project. 

It is 8.22 on Saturday morning. I just want to share this with you. From my front window I can see people passing by. Coming and going to work, and to school Monday to Friday. I just looked up and saw the sweetest thing. A daddy with his dog, and his little girl. She is sitting on a three wheeled scooter, he is pushing her along with the handle attached to the back. They hesitate when they reach the junction to make sure the road is clear to cross. 

Normally the mummy comes along as well. But it's a Saturday so he is doing his daddy duties while mummy puts the house in order. I have been watching them for maybe two years. From a baby in a buggy, and now a happy little girl. It's what a family should be, two people with their child and their  dog. I did speak to them once when I saw them in the village. A lovely couple. 

This brings tears to my eyes. I fear for their future. This is why the madness should be challenged, should be stopped. The top one percent who own just about everything are on a mission to destroy family life, by whatever means they see fit. Remember that as you go along with everything that is asked of you. 

Enjoy your weekend. Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona