Creative Crafts Show

The last weekend in April - it must be a craft show at the Bath and West Showground.

To be honest, I only go to this one, because it is literally 10 minutes from my house.

As the name says, it covers lots of crafts, but mainly paper crafts (card making) and beading, not much textiles here.

But I managed to get the last place on Margaret Beal's short taster workshop

"Fusing Fabric".

Margaret is a lovely lady, and despite having only an hour, she managed to inspire an interest.

No needle and thread or scissors here, all done with a soldering iron.

I was having fun, and yes, I did burn my finger :-)

Two of Margaret's examples,

and some from her book.

You can also see her youtube video here.

Needles to say, that I did come home with some new goodies.

The little scissors are for my granddaughter, aren't they sweet?

Have a good weekend!

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2014

how does my garden grow?

It is slowly coming together, there is some colour in our new garden now.

A young crab apple tree, planted only a few weeks ago, is covered in blossom.

And my Christmas present, a metal sculpture of heron, made out of recycled metal oil drum, has been at last allowed out.

A new somerhouse is in progress.

First spring in our new garden.....

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2014

autumn chicken

                                       - the third panel for the Four Seasons Chicken Quilt

                                                                Have a good week!


©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2014

Scandinavian Rose 13

Embroidery for part 13 of the Scandinavian Rose BOM quilt.

Only one more to do!

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2014

                                                   HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

lost railway

With the arrival of dry and sunny weather it is time to start discovering countryside close to our new home.
Early Sunday morning, and we set of to hills above Shepton Mallet, to look for old railway tunnels.

It is more then 50 years since the famous Beeching Report, which recommended axing a third of British railways. During the following years thousands miles of track and thousands of stations were closed. This was supposed to be replaced by improved bus service (which never happened) and roads and cars.
Shortsighted to say the least, as now, with overcrowded roads, we wish we had more railways.
You can read more here.

Somerset and Dorset Railway, which used to connect Bournemouth and Bath, was one victim of the report and the remains of which we set out to find. DH remembers travelling on this line as a boy.



We left our house and walked down to the main road, then climbed a long hill on the opposite side.
Eventually we found a narrow, rocky track, still muddy in places.
















Then a right turn and there it was - the old tunnel, we found it.

It was a dark walk through, and yes, we forgot to bring a torch.

Walking very gingerly across the rubble 

we reached the other end of the tunnel.

We continued along the old track, which runs through Windsor Hill Wood,

as far as the Viaduct. 

Overgrown, this magnificent structure is still as solid as when the steam trains used to thunder over it. 

The nature will not be stopped, on the banks a carpet of wild garlic, white wood anemone and first blue of the bluebells.

We turned back and walk through a second tunnel, parallel to the first one, but shorter, with steep rocky banks to the side.

But there is a hope yet.

The New Somerset and Dorset Railway is in the making. Volunteers of the Somerset and Dorset Railway Heritage Trust are raising private money, with the aim to restore as much of the original line as possible.

This is their blog. 

And then there is Nancy Camels' Hole. Nancy was reputed to be a witch, living in a cave in Ham Woods.

But that will be another walk..........

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk

Stourhead spring

Easter school holiday, grandchildren for the day and blue skies - perfect day for returning to our old haunts.

You had seen lots of pictures on my blog from Stourhead, when we lived just down the road from there.

It is little further now, but I will never tire of coming here, although this is not the view you have seen before.  All buildings need attention sometimes.

Oh, much better view.

The Temple of Apollo already restored, 

                                                         unfortunately not open today.

                                                       But the view from up here is wonderful.

The spring has definitively arrived here.

The children had a great time, running around, playing hide ans seek, climbing trees .......

and other things....

and exploring the "secret" grotto.

Spring is everywhere,

a resident swan already on her nest on the island.

It was a lovely walk, but by the end the grandparents wished they could join the two ducks :-)

Have a wonderful weekend!

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2014