Loving the vintage vibe!

Here's where I'll share my obsession with vintage fabric! It's taking over my house!

I'll sharing with you my favorite fabrics, my 'adventures" in dressmaking using vintage patterns, some home furnishing ideas and no doubt I'll be telling you about any exciting finds! Love to hear about your vintage adventures too!

My first Shop was AudreysCat ( online shop May 2010) , but my new logo / name - WittyDawn , arrived Jan 2014.

I hope you'll have time to browse my shops too !

Showing posts with label gardening. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gardening. Show all posts

Friday, 12 June 2015

A Tale of a Little Oak Tree...

Once there was a lovely couple - they worked their allotment together for many, many years . They grew sweetpeas and sold them to pay for an annual holiday and they were always happy to stop and chat. They also grew an little Oak tree, they pruned it to keep it little  - like a bonsai oak 'lollipop'!.

Time passed and many years went by ... but eventually and within a few months of one another... they too passed... and went on to garden in the 'undiscovered country' ....

The little tree stayed on the allotment but it's future was uncertain ... so it came to live with us.

It settled in well and coped with it's move but last summer had to move again .... it didn't like this 2nd move and it looked as if it's time too had passed....

BUT.... you never can tell... let's see what happens next Spring we said.

This time the leaves came and looked stronger but it was clear that lots of it's little branches and twigs had died. I had to be brave and cut out all the dead wood ( ... life is like that sometimes....).


While it's shape has changed radically ,  I hope it's original custodians will approve of our attempts to keep it going , but in my mind it will always be their little Oak Lollipop tree :)

Tuesday, 18 March 2014

And so it begins.... Growing Veg .. .March 2014


So it's time to get the allotment going ! 

I've been allotment gardening for about 12 years now both here in the Cotswolds and also when we lived in London. I currently have a half plot ,  plus two veg patches in my back garden and a small greenhouse so from July to Oct I supply about 75% of our veg/fruit needs :)

 OH has done most of the digging whilst I'm in charge of planting , this last weekend I set out about 100 red and white ( Sturon ) onions, holding off for another couple of weeks before I plant potatos.


My first 'crop' each year are daffodils for my home as I grow a small selection of cut flowers too . We are still picking and eating leeks, beetroot, parnips and chard from last season as well.This is the first vase of daffs !


Sunday, 12 January 2014

January SALE !

Opps ... forgot to say ! SALE !

Sale on in AudreysCat Folksy ... lots or fab stuff ... AudreysCatSale

 
AND 20% off EVERYTHING in my Etsy shop using coupon code JANSALEAUDREYSCAT ...

check it out  here  .. my Boho bags are a particularly good bargain at that price ... BUT only on until end of January so don't hang about :)



I'm also doing a 'one a day' fabric destash on facebook check out my Audreyscat page

Here's a preview of fabrics to be sold

Wednesday, 9 October 2013

The Last Major Harvest ?

Well this could be it - the last bit of tender stuff !

It's been a better year than last year ... a bit of a fail on Pumpkins ( 1st time in 12 years without homegrown) but everything else has been pretty good!






Hope you have had a good growing season! 



Wednesday, 28 August 2013

Our entries ( and some success! ) at out Local Horticultural Show

As usual we entered some crafts, baking and photos in our local Horticultural Show. 

Lots of beautiful exhibits and lovely things to see !

My eldest  won the bread section ( 2nd year running) with this bread rolls ....
  I won the 3 items of craft section ....
and we loved the veg animals made by some local kids .

I also got 1st in a number of the Art section and OH and youngest each had 2nds in various photo categories.

Our successful day was nicely rounded off as I won a hip flask ( YAY!) and a roast dinner voucher at a local hotel.

It was a lovely day, well organised by our local Stratton and Baunton Horticultural Society and I hope that then Macmillan charity raised lots of money from all the super events and stalls on the school playing field!


Sunday, 21 July 2013

.. and when I'm not sewing.... gardening and cooking !

So when I'm not sewing I'm gardening and cooking.

These are my outdoor Cucumbers

 ... and my courgettes ( zuchinni ...)



It looks like there will be a be a bumper crop of cucumbers and courgettes this year so I guess a few people might like this recipe. I use it every year and my Mum in particular is addicted to it .

1.5 KG of diced cucumber and/or marrow and/or courgettes
1.5 KG of diced cooking apples
225g of finely chopped onion
100g of Sultana, 100g raisins, 100g dried apricots, 100g finely chopped ginger, 50g almond flakes
1.5 kg of sugar
900 ml malt vinegar
60 ml Whsiky - optional 

Spices  4 teaspns Mustard seeds, 1 teaspn chilli powder ,  1 teaspn salt , 1/3 teaspn ground cloves, 1/3 teaspn nutmeg

Bung it all in a BIG pan and cook for 2 hours . Bottle / Jar up into CLEAN STERILISED jars. As with all pickles whilst you may use straight away it is MUCH better if left for a couple of months.Great Christmas pressie too ....

ENJOY!


Thursday, 11 October 2012


These Brooches were a big hit at my 'Autumn Open House Event' and I'm in the process of loading them ( and bunting and Xmas stockings...! )  into my Folksy and Etsy Shops. Look out for them on Facebook too... https://www.facebook.com/pages/AudreysCat/255819394466640?ref=hl

Monday, 1 October 2012

2012 Autumn Open House Event !

Once again I'm having my Autumn Open House event - this year I'm donating 10% of offline sales to MacMillan cancer ( I did the same for my stall at a friend's coffee morning last Friday) . It's a good opportunity to get my stock out, take some more photos and drink tea with my friends :) ! ( and eat cake... obviously once I've had time to bake some that is...! )

This is just a glimpse of what is available - WOW I've got a lot of luverly stuff!

Tuesday, 4 September 2012

Bank Holiday ! local Horti Show, some family successes!


We had a good day at our local Horticultural show in spite of terrible weather. As a family we put in lots of entries and came away with a bunch of 1sts/2nd/3rds etc !

This joint entry of 3 items of craft by Mum and myself came 1st.


Son won 1st with this super loaf of bread.



I got Firsts in for a Watercolor, a sketch and for this collage


( please don't be too impressed - some categories don't have many entries - however the standard is really high and it's super to see how much talent is bursting out in our area!)

Saturday, 1 October 2011

Having an 'At Home' sales event!



A lot of my older friend have been asking me already about Christmas present options and other newer friends have been asking me what I make. SO I decided it was time to get out all my stock and show it off! and it's nice having people drop by for a cuppa and a cake...