Mr E is still working away on our old Jeep. It seems every time he pulls out one part to fix he finds two more waiting to stand in line.
It's frustrating and his back, neck and arms sure do ache right now, but he looks at the big picture...when all the work is done we'll have a car that will last, one that he knows inside and out. I'm so very proud of his diligence to any task.
I also appreciate my husband for asking each morning, "What can I do for you today, lovely wife?" and being honestly prepared to put aside his own plans to accommodate mine if I have a need.
Last weekend we decided to have a break from his Jeep repairs and my housework and see what was on offer at local garage sales. At first it was slim pickin's (as my Pop would say) but then we found a few goodies.
These beautiful kitchen towels are huge and soft as soft can be. They're quite old, the original waffle weave variety. Four have a nice machine satin stitched zig zag trim in pink and green...
...whilst two others have hand embroidered little flowers in single strand chain stitch. Made my heart go pitter pat.
Mr E doesn't quite understand why treasures like this make me so happy, but he's happy for me.
I paid just $10 for all six.
Another wonderful find was a quilt stand, though I do wonder if it's really a free standing towel rail?
Never to mind, it was very cheap and in dreadful condition but I could envision it draped with a few quilts once Mr E transformed it with cream paint.
And so he did...
While he was painting I remembered a little green metal photo stand hiding away in the linen cupboard and ran downstairs to ask if he'd transform it as well.
This little tea set also came home with us and after a jolly good scrub it was ready for Cully May to play with the next night when she, Blossom and Ross came to dinner.
In the kitchen my baking days have produced Chocolate Brownies, Italian Lemon Cream Cake and fresh loaves of bread...
On the savoury side of life I've been cooking up corned beef and mustard sauce, lasagne, home-made beef and vegetable pies, and the odd chicken stir fry or curry. The family are all wearing contented smiles this past week and patting their tummies.
Food, the sharing of it, really is good for the soul.
I kept meaning to make a few new aprons (as I'm going through them at a rate of knots) but my time in the sewing room has been producing other things.
I'm currently working on a new design featuring the next Tilda range to be released on August 1st, "Harvest".
For the longest time I've had a hankering to make some flying geese blocks for a mini quilt project that keeps popping up in my head...
I've made 32 blocks and think that's enough but you know I may change my mind and use them differently to my first pattern draft.
That's why I'm blogging today. Because I needed to put my mind elsewhere for a few hours and then return to the sewing room with fresh inspiration and a clear direction on how I'll complete the mini quilt...
...and you know, I think it's working.
A slight variation on the original idea is being drawn in my mind's eye as we speak.
But before I return to those pretty blocks there's a fresh baked loaf of bread cooling on the bench ready to slice and I can hear Mr E coming up the back stairs, so I must away and prepare us a stack of corned beef and pickle sandwiches for lunch.
With a pot of tea.
And chocolate brownies.
I'll miss these slower days when he returns to work next week.
I do hope your days are bringing simple pleasures and delights too.
hugs
