Lake District Weekend

The Big White House, Greengill, near Cockermouth in Cumbria, where DH and i have just spent a great weekend with church friends from where we used to live.

 The view from our window . . . (something about the colours and the arrangement appeals to me)

 . . .but not the only view around!  Off on a scenic drive . . .

 . . . in among the fells . . .

 (amazing colours)

 . . . . and lakes . . .

 . . . Crummock Water . . .

 . . . and Buttermere . . .

 . . . and up to the Honister Pass . . .

  . . .and down again . . .

 Aerial view of Derwent Water near Keswick.

 And we couldn't stay away from the beach, up the coast from Maryport . . .

 . . . with views over the sea, no, not to Skye, but across the Solway Firth to Dumfries and Galloway.

The last of the black tomatoes!

Last ones  picked, plant cleared away.  There were 10 altogether, all big like beefsteak tomatoes.  They do look a bit offputting, being sort of dingy rather than bright rich red but they taste delicious.  So next year, two plants perhaps.  I hope they will have them at our local nursery again!

Couching

On the Contemporary Quilt Group's yahoo list recently there was quite a bit of posting about couching threads down, with ideas and advice given about different stitches, machine feet, and methods.  I had a go, producing this sampler.  On my fairly humble Pfaff I don't have to much choice, and find that the piping foot, which has several channels underneath it, big enough for a thread about the size of double knitting yarn to pass  through, is the best for stitching down a single thread at a time.  I can use zigzag, triple zigzag, and another stitch which does several running stitches on one side then zigzags across once then back to the running stitches.  Only one thread can be used as none of my stitches will spread across enough.

I like doing the rows close together, and find that I just love the feel of the whole piece.
The ladder-like yarns at either side  of the work are stitched with the normal foot and a feather stitch, which just catches the side threads in and gives a nice fancy line up the centre.
Another foot I have, which has a bit sticking out forward on one side and a bar across on the other, with 2 notches beneath it, can be used with a thread in each notch, and if I am lucky, one in between them (but no notch), and a wide stitch, like the mesh-like one, or the wide W shape made up of small stitches.  It is hard to control though, not sure what it is really for.
There are gaps of course where I have not steered straight, but I'm in the process of filling them in with fat stem stitch and knots.  With the gadgets I have I shall have to stick to straight or curved lines, and dream about the couching foot with a special thread feed which will take your thread anywhere you choose, and which I can't afford!