Reupholstered Bed Headboard

We are doing some DIY, and decided that part of redecorating my son's room meant recovering the headboard of his bed. I've not really done anything like this before, but as I used to be a teaching assistant, have had plenty of experience with a staple gun. We took off the covered buttons which matched the old headboard, but decided to pick a fabric that would contrast. We bought the fabric at Sooz Custon Clothing in Okehampton, which is the best fabric shop I have come across locally. There was an enormous selection of furnishing, dressmaking fabrics, and haberdashery, as well as some great advice about the process of covering the board. I will definitely be calling in there again.

We went for a fabric to match the look of the bedframe, which is a bit industrial looking. I've still got to fasten the frame in place, which will be a little lower and fit under the lower bar, but I think you can see that the end result looks great. To get the buttons in place I used a very long and large needle (which I found in my sewing box), which went through the holes already there in the board.

 

Tamara Way - The Final Section

Yesterday we walked the final section of the Tamara Way. We started at Woolley, and the first part of the walk through the valley of Marsland Water was a real treat. It was lovely to be off-roads, and the woodland and river were really beautiful. I love a bluebell wood at this time of year, and there were plenty about. The route did have a few hills, as we crossed from the Devon to Cornwall sides of the valley.

As we passed through the Marsland Nature Reserve, we went a bit rogue. We decided not to follow the labelled detour because of ash-felling and also crossed the wooden bridge that was marked closed. Neither seemed a problem. Eventually the landscape opened up to a coastal one, and we decided we had to do the extra bit down to the seashore, so we could say we truly had walked coast to coast.

Pink sea thrift was very pretty.

I am not good with heights, and had originally thought I would not walk the coastal route along the cliffs. But decided it would be nice to complete the route in the book, so my husband walked back to Woolley with the dog, and my son and I continued. It turned out the height was not the problem, I think mainly because I was so tired by this point and keen to get to the end of the walk. But the steepness of the path (both up and down) made it very difficult, particularly the sections with steps. I think my knees are not what the once were. But there were some beautiful views, and I wish I had taken a few more photos.

Eventually we turned inland and could see the church and vicarage at Morwenstow, so thought our journey was almost over. But one more adventure. The last field we had to pass through has some very frisky cows, who started to run to meet us. Perhaps to say "charge" would be an exaggeration. There was also a big brown bull, who seemed less interested in us, but looked very imposing. I dived under the barbed wire fence into some nettles, and although my son tried to persuade me they were just curious, we did the last section in the woodland. We joined up with our path, and as we walked up to Morwenstow were treated to a large deer crossing our path. Morwenstow churchyard and church were lovely, and I should have photographed them, but instead we hurried up the hill to The Bush Inn, where my husband was waiting for us with a cold drink. We also decided to have supper there (which was very good) as we watched the sunset. The end of this adventure, we will have to start planning another one.

Batik Seaside Banner

Since my printing course finished I have been thinking of trying some batik at home. One of the ladies on the course got her husband to make her, and me!!, a wooden batik frame. Very kind.

It took me a few weeks to get organised - buying two tjantings, and also some fabric inks. I had a little of the wax anyway, which I think was my daughter's from a school project. Not quite ready to invest in a wax melting pot, so improvised with a little metal dish, some tea lights, and the kitchen laser thermometer to check I was up to the right temperature. It worked well, so I am thinking to keep going with this method, unless I can find a secondhand melting pot.

These first attempts were an experiment. The first attempt, the mackerel, I really was not certain I would be able to get the wax to the right temperature. I feel I got better as I worked down the fabric. I think I am getting steadier with the wax, and braver with my colours. I don't want to get too good with the wax, as part of the charm is the odd splash and splatter in the wrong place.

The shape of my banner was determined by the batik frame, but it meant I could work each section on a different day. The part I enjoy most is the painting with the inks. It is lovely letting the colours flow into each other. It also takes very little ink, just a few drops, so I have plenty left for other projects.

So the banner is up in my bathroom. Spent quite a while looking at frames online, but in the end I spent £2 on a ripped block picture in a charity shop. Removed the ripped picture, and fixed my printing to the frame with a staple gun. Job done!

Tamara Way - Lower Tamar Lake to Woolley

Getting near the end of our long walk. We started at Lower Tamar Lake today, and here is a picture of Upper Tamar Lake, which as you can see was looking glorious in the sunshine. The lower lake is more of a nature reserve, and the upper lake for activities. Even though we had only walked about a mile we stopped at a very nice cafe for an icecream, to give us a bit of energy for the remainder of the walk.

The next bit of the walk was through rural land, with a lovely view looking back to the lake at one point. Our next point of interest was when we reached the River Tamar again. Now it is a small stream. Our route crossed it at Youlstone Bridge, and we knew that this was the last time we would see it. Very hot today, so the dog had a dip, and we had a picnic on a little space next to the river.

And then onwards until we got to the plaque which marks the source of the river.

I was quite interested to see a Neolithic long barrow, which we passed near the junction with the A39. I find this sort of thing really interesting.

And eventually we arrived at Woolley, and decided that was where we would end today's walk. One more section to go, and hopefully we will be able to finish the walk at Easter, with my daughter along as well.

 

Baby Tulip Cardigan

I have been hard at work on this new knitting pattern, which I am calling Baby Tulip Cardigan. It has taken a lot of thought, and knitting. Cardigans just seem the best sort of garment for a baby, with none of that squeezing over the head of a jumper. The tulips are smaller than those on my Tulip Hat, but knitted in a very similar way. Each flower uses two separate lengths of yarn - one for the leaves and one for the flower, which are not carried between the flowers on the reverse of the work. I love the look of the raised flowers, but put them only on the front of the cardigan, as I felt they might be a bit bumpy on the back for a lying or sitting baby.

The pattern comes with instructions for four sizes (0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-9 months and 9-12 months). I have written sized patterns before, but this one was slightly more complicated, as the flowers had to be placed on each version. (The pattern contains a lot of brackets, and I hope will be fairly straightforward to follow.)

 

 

I have knitted Size 1, 2 and 4 - each one in a different DK wool that I had in my stash. Some of the places where I sell suggest that you will do better by recommending a specific brand of yarn, but I thought knitting with different yarns was a good way to test the pattern. The cardigan only takes 70g to 120g of main shade wool, depending on the size you knit, plus small amounts for the flowers, so it really is a good way to use up some yarn left over from another project. I used Stylecraft Sweet Dreams for Size 1, some North Ronaldsay DK for Size 2, and some Rowan Designer DK which I think came from my sister for Size 4. (Just looked this up, and apparantly it was discontinued in the 1980's, so that has been in my stash for a while!)

 

I like them all, and am rather fond of Size 4 - with each flower being a different colour, and the different coloured buttons at the front. Spent a lot of time in a haberdashery picking these out.

  

 

 

But what now to do with all these baby garments. I don't seem to know anyone with a baby, so apart from no baby models, I have ended up putting my samples in my Etsy Shop, along with my sample Tulip Hats.

The pattern is available on Ravelry, Etsy and LoveKnitting.

My resolve was to design more knitting this year, although I have been a little distracted by printing, walking, and now the gardening year is beginning! I have quite a few more ideas brewing, so time to start my next design.

Tamara Way - Launcells Barton to Lower Tamar Lake

It has been a bit of a gap since our last walk, but we have done another section of the Tamara Way today, and are pretty sure that two more days walking will get us to the end.

We picked up the route again at the church at Launcells Barton, and once again didn't go in the church, as we had the dog with us. The churchyard was a beautiful mass of primroses and dafodills. 

Quite a steep walk up the hill, and then a bit of confusion about our route through some fields. We were happy to see the River Tamar again at Moreton Mill, and surprised that is still a sizable river. There was then a long stretch along the Bude Aqueduct, where we passed a friendly group of volunteers clearing the undergrowth. This is a disused canal, but is a great route for walkers, and our dog enjoyed some off lead time.

And before we knew it we had reached the Lower Tamar Lake, where a friendly couple who were filling up birdfeeders helped us with our route, and told us about some of the wildlife there. Beavers have been introduced, and there are some bird hides. It seems like it deserves another visit to walk the whole way around.

 

Printed Simmons Park Banner

The fabric printing course that I have been going to over the last 8 weeks has ended. The first half of the course was spent learning techniques, and for the second half we each made a banner, themed around a local park in Okehampton, Simmons Park. These will be hung in a local primary school, along side the banners that the children made under the guidance of a few of us.

 

 

The planning and making of the banners was quite a job, and above is a picture of all of them. I think they are really impressive. What I find remarkable is how different they all are.  I think the techniques were new to everyone, although some of the ladies on the course were clearly very artistic. (Yes we were all elderly ladies, which is what you seem to get on day courses. What do all the elderly men get up to?) Below is my banner.

 

I went through a phase where I really was not pleased with my banner. I felt I was being a bit too literal, with features that actually are in Simmons Park. It really is a lovely and interesting park, with the East Okement River running through it, and a lot of interesting features. Apart from the old bandstand and a lovely willow tree that I included, there is a Swiss-style chalet house, waterfalls and ponds. There is a lot of nature and gardening close together, and I think if we had been doing this project in summer there would have been more flowers and shrubs included.

 

But by the end I was happy with it. The batik tree at the back was done on the last day, and once again I was not steady with the hot wax, but enjoyed the ink painting. It is made up of a combination of printing with stencils, blockprinting and some of the fine details were embroidered. Some worked straight onto their banner, but I made mine in sections which have been sewn together. The park gate is meant to show me and my son (who is now grown up) wandering into the park.

The teacher took a picture of the banners and makers together, so there may be another post on this, and I think possibly a trip to the school to present the banners.