Hello my friends, I hope you all had a good weekend with a little sunshine and for those of you in Australia perhaps a little shade. We actually hung our washing outside. Thank you for your suggestions about my lack of birds - patience I think is probably called for but I think I have discovered the main problem as to why our feeders hang unused. Magpies. About 4 of them patrol the trees at the end of our garden and chase off any other bird. I'm not sure if I have mentioned to you before that the poor blackbirds who are singing in our trees at dusk at the moment; get as far as having some young (I think) and each year the magpies kill them. The distress call of the blackbird has me running out up-teen times to try and shoo the magpies away. It really, really upsets me and I'm not sure what I can do to discourage the magpies. Grr. The family are getting fed up of me shouting at them to go out quickly and help the blackbirds if I can't make it outside myself. But the distress call is so awful to hear. I know - I'm far too sentimental as Anth points out, and it's just nature. But I still hate those horrible birds. So any thoughts about the magpies would be great.
Anyway back to my sewing. I found these mats in a Salisbury charity shop on my birthday weekend last year; and they have been waiting patiently for me to turn them into something different. They are quite unusual in that they have a straight edge which I am guessing went along the back of the dressing table or sideboard and left the scalloped edge at the front.
"What do you want those for?" enquired my mother when I showed her, "haven't you got enough already?"
Well, yes I do have an unusually large collection of embroidered tray-cloths for a woman of my era. But I had decided as I crouched on the floor in the shop that I would turn them into bunting. Yes, I do a lot of crouching or sitting on the floor in charity shops. Best place to rummage.
Anyhow, I then stored the mats away and promptly forgot about them until last week.
So I attached it to some old, thrifted, green braid. And then discovered a problem. Where do I hang it? I have these visions in my head of the sort of style I want the house to reflect but I can't seem to stop playing safe. Like the shell picture which really is awful, but by being so awful it turns it into cool/trendy/eclectic/unusual/unique. Bazaar style. This weekend I went to buy some Chinese paper lanterns but when I stood in the shop and looked at them I just couldn't quite see where I would put them and where they would look right. So Lucy got them for her room but I bet you she won't put them up! We'll see. I really want to make the house less pretty, pretty and more flea market/bazaar style - which is something I keep on about I know. But I'm struggling with my conservative side. Help.
So I have hung the bunting here but can't quite decide if that is the right place. Where do you hang yours? Do you hang it across the room or around the walls? I am conscious that with mine there is a right and wrong side of the fabric so you could see the wrong side if they weren't against something. I made many metres of it years ago from old embroidered tablecloths for the girls' baptism. I don't use it very much and that bothers me because it is really lovely and unique and dare I say it..very flea market! Perhaps I should dig it out again and not be so fussy.
Meanwhile, I think it will stay here for the time being while I decided. Have a good Monday. Oh yes, and a Happy Birthday to Chris (Martin) if by any chance he's reading this...well, you never know!
See you tomorrow.
