Bags, of gardening

I am so excited! I can hardly believe this, but I am going on one of Patti Culea’s cloth doll making workshops! It has all happened so fast it hasn’t really sunk in yet, but in October my friend Helen and I are off to sunny Torquay for a 3 day class. I’m such a huge fan of Patti’s work, and her books were a revelation to me when I began to make dolls. It will also be a chance to meet some other doll makers from around the UK, which is a pretty rare thing!

I’ve been trying to cut out a new doll all weekend, but have been side tracked by bags. And now for another life changing admission (ahem, embarrassed cough and much shuffling of feet) Ok, I’ll admit it, I’m so proud of myself. I designed a bag for my niece’s birthday, and for the first time ever, ever - I put in a zip, and to cap it all, not just a zip, but a zippered inside pocket!

Now, you must understand, I’m completely terrified of sewing zips; I’ve done anything and everything to avoid using them, but with the aid of this terrific tutorial from Lisa at U-handblog I have achieved the impossible, and it was actually, fine. I’m going to do it again. Whoo hoo!

Here is the bag, in lovely Amy Butler fabrics:

And here is another for Andy’s niece Sally, inspired by this pretty oriental fabric:

Sorry about the poor picture quality. There is a tiny bit of beading on this bag, if you look very hard, just to accentuate it a little.

I’m fast developing a fabric addiction I would not previously have thought possible!

On the home front, more excitement, our wildlife garden is really taking off this year and we were thrilled when female red mason bees moved in to lay their eggs in our newly put up nest site this week. My sugar snap peas have set their first pods, and I pulled the first radishes yesterday, which went into last night’s stir fry.

On Saturday we had a great time visiting Jekka MacVicker’s Herb Farm, which is only a short distance away but only opens to the public 4 times a year. Jekka is the doyenne of British herbs, and has written some fantastic books too. Of course I just had to buy some more herbs... so we have increased our bee friendly plants, and I bought a horseradish for Andy, which I have had trouble wrenching from his grasp to plant. He keeps asking how I will make the horseradish sauce, and appears not to listen when I tell him the plant will have to get established before we can dig up some of the roots,....hmmm, not sure he believes me......x

PS Sorry about the strange changing font, Blogger is very unhappy today and after the 4th failed attempt to re-do the post I'd had enough.....!