Monday 12 October 2015

Wallingford

Greetings! Earlier in the year I visited a beautiful fabric shop in Wallingford in Oxfordshire to buy some material for my Apple a Day mini-quilt. At the time I was too embarrassed to get my camera out in the shop but I did promise to be braver if I ever went again. This week saw me doing a return journey to buy some fabric for a festive table runner - I know, I know, I shouldn't even mention the 'C' word before December but, as I'm not the World's fastest sewer, I thought I should plan ahead! This time, I was indeed courageous and out came the camera.
It was a little tricksy getting a view of the outside owing to a large lorry inconveniently parked. This is the best I could manage:
Some shots of the interior: 
 They have an entire room dedicated to that 'C' word!

 ... and even a space for workshops:
It's a lovely shop if you're ever in the area but be warned - it would be extremely easy to get completely carried away and spend a fortune. Here are my purchases - I was proud of being so restrained! 
There was just time for a quick coffee before driving home. I actually took a photo of my flat white as the girl serving it was incredibly proud of the pattern on top - apparently, it's much harder to do on decaff!
 I'll show you my table runner when I've done it - hopefully in time for this year!

Other happies this week:
My little haul from the farmers' market:
I normally can't bear goat's cheese but R bought this one and I didn't mind it too much. It was a blue variety and the blueness overpowered the goat! One of the squash went into a 'pumpkin' and tomato laska - recipe to be found here. It really was scrummy and I'll definitely be doing this one again. The Romanesque cauliflower was delicious in some macaroni cheese, not to say colourful, and the damsons went into a crumble. The recipe recommended not wasting time stoning them but, as E has braces, I spent a merry hour prizing the little blighters out! 

L's hat is coming along. She spent the weekend in London with a couple of friends from uni and came home having dyed her hair with henna. It looks great but I'm not sure the colour of the hat will complement the new 'Weasley look'!
Lastly, this week's library books. More of the gorgeous Nigel Slater, this time about fruit and it's just as good as Tender volume I.  I was initially disappointed with the Rick Stein, thinking his veggie chapter was a little lacking. It was only on closer inspection that I realized that there was lots of yummy stuff in the mezze section, so I'll forgive him! 'Howards End is on the Landing' is about author Susan Hill's year of refusing to buy any new books, rather rediscovering her own collection. Sounds like a great idea to me - there must be hundreds in L's room alone that I haven't read or have completely forgotten the plot of. I've been known to get most of the way through a book before realizing that I've already read it - does anyone else do that?
Anyway, that's all for this week. I'm just off to catch up with a few of your lovely blogs.
Toodle Pip for now. x

9 comments:

  1. What a lovely fabric shop, and great buys from the farmer's market as well. Someone should invent a damson stoner, like a cherry stoner only bigger. Gillian has that volume of Tender on her pile as well at the moment, over at Tales from a Happy House. I have it too, it's excellent. Love the hat, it will look fantastic with hennaed hair I am sure. Wishing you a good week. CJ xx

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  2. You were very restrained with your fabric purchases. I'm not sure I would have come away with so little! Have a good week!

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  3. Such a gorgeous fabric shop, you did well not to spend too much. I think I might have struggled. I especially like the sewing room. L's hat's looking good and the colour reminds me of damsons!
    Cathy x

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  4. Your fabric choices are lovely, I shall look forward to seeing what they become! The food all sounds delicious....you had me laughing re the hat clashing with the hair colour!xxx

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  5. You made me smile when you mentioned re-reading books - yes I've done that where you nearly finish a book then realise you've read it before! Now I put a little tick in pencil inside the cover of books I've read that I'm keeping xx

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  6. What a fantastic fabric shop! They have some lovely things don't they, and a whole Christmas room! Wow! xx

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  7. You are so lucky! I would love to have a shop like that around here, I would probably need a second job though, as I have no will power when it comes to fabric or yarn (or a few other things) :-)
    Amalia
    xo

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  8. Well done for being so restrained in the fabric shop, what a lovely place to visit. I rather like the sound of the Susan Hill book, think I will have to look out for that. I find it so difficult to restrain from buying books, the temptation has been even greater since I purchased a Kindle, it is just so easy to click on 'buy'. I probably have enough books on my Kindle that I haven't read to last me for a couple of years. xx

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  9. Amazing post..Well done! I really love your blog. Keep going.
    Many kisses
    Lady Fur

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