I enjoy watching and re-watching the Miss Marple movies with Geraldine McEwan more than any other version...but I think some of you may have preferred Joan Hickson or Julie McKenzie instead? It really doesn't matter, but I would be interested to know your favourite.
In Murder at the Vicarage, the vicar's wife Griselda loves hats, and has many beautiful ones to choose from.
In fact, in every Marple movie (they were set in the 1950's) all women wore a hat.
I have often pondered with Blossom our combined love of these movies, and how we never, ever, tire of them...and you know, it's all about the little English villages, the flower fronted cottages, the afternoon cups of tea and scones or cake, hats and dresses, and the homes. We are very much drawn to the very simple, ordinary life which is portrayed by everyday people in many of these movies.
My Nana wore hats, though we rarely took photos 'back in the day' as we did not have a camera, but I do have this one from the mid 1950's of her and Pop.
And this is a photo of my mum, aged 19 (1960) at a family wedding, and me at that same wedding a little later when mum took off her hat and placed it on me. (((my favourite pics to remember her by)))
Blossom loves hats, and has one of those heads that really suits them! Here's an old photo of her (aged 20) from 2014 when we tried on all sorts of dress-up hats one day at Spotlight.
And this trend carried on with her daughters Cully May and Rafaella, who also like trying on headwear at Spotlight! This is a photo from 2019...
Now all this hat stuff today was to explain why there's a hat in this month's free pattern for my Joy in the Ordinary BOM!
I was thinking about Griselda's hats when I watched Murder at the Vicarage for the umpteenth time last month, and well, it inspired me. Hope you like it. Thought I'd add the phrase too, as it has always been my intention to have it displayed somewhere on this small quilt before we finished it.
Do you wear hats?? Do you have childhood memories of hat wearing women? I only wear one for gardening these days, but to slip back into the 1950's would be such a treat if I could wear those lovely dresses and a pretty hat like Griselda's.
If you missed the previous four blocks you will find them HERE
Now I'd best be away and water my garden. Barefoot. It's a wonderful thing to walk in the grass, don't you think? God bless and have a wonderful first week of May!
hugs
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A while ago I did something unusual for me. I bought a coffee mug.
Mr E is almost falling off the chair with laughter at that statement.
You see, I am *given* a lot of coffee mugs, and recently he purged our kitchen of quite a few.
"After all", said he, "there's only two of us here to use them you know!?"
Anyhow, I rarely purchase them myself regardless of his take on the coffee cup population here at home.
But I saw one that just cracked me up it was so darn cute!
And besides, it had my name on it...so what else could I do??
I've never been a meerkat kind of gal, but it's so sweet just perched on the rim with it's long tail sweeping across my 'J'...
Made me think about that old song my Nana loved -
"I'm sitting on top of the world..."
I should tell you she really loved Dean Martin and would make me sit and watch the Dean Martin Show with her all the time. I think I know all his songs and can still remember the excitement of each show's opening with Dean sliding down the barber pole to greet the live audience. That's a really precious Nana memory I'd not thought about for at least twenty years, so here's a tribute for Nana...
Back to that coffee mug, eh?
It was handmade by Louise at Carcoar Pottery...
...and if you have a spare ten minutes why not check out all the other goodies she creates over here on her website?
I'm thinking I might need a second mug...with an elephant. ;-)
Are you stitching the same Bible translation as me or are you making use of the alphabet I've added to each block pattern to create a translation you personally prefer?
The postie blessed me the other day with a surprise gift from a long time Elefantz follower, Joy in Bundy!
Joy had cross-stitched this beautiful and encouraging Scripture design just for me, and I have it hanging on the door of my sewing room for all to see and admire. Thank you Joy. x
"For He shall give His angels charge over thee..." (from Psalm 91 - one of my favourites)
A second gift that recently arrived (yesterday in fact) is my Christmas 2013 gift from Wendy.
We chose to make each other a calendar for last year's Christmas present, but I moved house so I couldn't give Wendy her gift from me until January (you can see it HERE).
I wasn't concerned about the long belatedness of her gift to me as she has had many serious family health issues this year, and family is abundantly more important than stitching.
But yesterday the Blossom-girl arrived after a weekend visit to Wendy's (Miss Blossom and Wendy's lad Nick adopted each other as cousins a few years back so spending time together is always good for them) and when she dropped by to give Mr E his Father's Day presents she also handed me a red wrapped parcel of prettiness. It was my Christmas 2013 gift from Wendy!
And it was worth every month of waiting...
I wonder if Wendy will release this as a pattern?
I bet you'd love to have one of your own! Isn't it wonderful?
I might drop some hints her way...
Today I am continuing with my spring cleaning, but this time it will be focused on the utility areas of the house. I figure three hours of deep cleaning this morning should be rewarded with three hours stitching after lunch, don't you?
