Loving the stitching and the sunshine

Friday night was the wettest I've seen for a long time.  The rain started after lunch and didn't stop until the Saturday morning.  Driving through flooded roads to John's clinic yesterday it felt like the damp and grey winter was never going to end. Today the sun is shining from almost cloudless sky. Yes I am in England! It's warm and almost windless.Why does life feel better when the sun shines?
A quick trip to the dentist yesterday was followed by a spot of shopping before going back to the clinic to hold the fort on reception.

I was looking for kimchi - a vegetable concoction similar to sauerkraut but without the digestive effects. I also called into Lakeland for a yoghurt maker for John.  He eats pots of yoghurt - so does Max. There is a big chinese supermarket in Newcastle which sells loads and loads of asian food, including fresh vegetables like pea aubergines and galangal.  I thought I was buying fresh turmeric but it turned out to be kaempher which has a similar fragrance to lemongrass. I also got some seaweed and sesame crisps (lurv seaweed). Just to redress the balance I got some cookie cutters and little pie moulds.

I'm quite behind with the chores so am sewing and typing in between washing loads.  If it doesn't get finished I'll live with that.  The important places in the house are clean and the rest is a bit of a tip. Hey ho.

Last weekend I started my little girlie mat by tracing a design on to the linen fabric I got last week.

I love the little stitcheries.  I added some appliqué then made a slightly larger shape in fabric.

It's about 7" across

Perfect for a little coffee and cake mat (fully washable)

Rhubarb and custard cupcake - this one was the one of the rejects because I blobbed the icing but the taste is still there!

I've been working on a larger pattern - same design. I've also started a table runner - same colours but different design although they will work together.

The chinese supermarket sold all sorts of china too and I couldn't help myself and came away with a little bowl that is perfect for my Holland and Barrett snacks (oh my halo is shining this week)

The pink flower goes perfectly with the mat.  As I was about the dive into the delicious dried mango, creamy cashew nuts and chocolate brazils, not to mention the sunflower seeds and other little goodies. It got me to thinking - I've seen something similar very recently - 

- in Flossie's bowl. 

It's a funny old life.