Post 426 Books - and Aesop is now a fabled chair

After breakfast on Wednesday I replaced my summer quilt with my winter one, put the summer one into the washing machine and settled down to work on the peacock on my Aesop Frame. There was clumping on the roof and before I could get started on the peacock, my light disappeared. A drop cloth was manipulated over my Vergola and down over my balcony. A hasty challenge brought an apology from the painters (of the building next door!) who promised to finish the work and have the cloth gone by the end of the day. I ended up telling them to work safely and taking myself to the other end of the apartment with my embroidery.  

They kept their promise. The darkness disappeared around 3.30pm. This, as the time on the clock testafies, was taken at 11.30am.

On Thursday morning I set off around 9am to Dillon's Bookshop in Norwood. I had phoned them on Wednesday to see if they had this book in stock, which I had stumbled across in Garland Magazine.  They had 2 copies. First thing in the morning I can usually get a 15 or 30 minute carpark on the Parade, time enough to go in a pick up a book or two. I was in luck. 

It was expensive - a (very) heavy coffee-table book, but really, really interesting. I had time for quite a good read before heading to Pilates.  

I was on a good luck roll -  my linens also arrived from Ink & Spindle about 20 minutes before I had to leave.  They are fabulous - all I had hoped for.  The botanical designs I purchased last week are going to work so well with them. 

I got Brigid to her last water polo session for the season after her last Uni lecture for the day - timing didn't allow for public transport - and managed to finish the Aesop Frame embroidery (yes!).  I blocked it before I went to bed and worked out how I was going to do the lettering. As well as blocking and adding it to the chair, there is the business of sorting and putting away all the tools and left-over threads - in this case quite time-consuming. 

However, on Friday I put off the putting away and got on with the serious business of cutting out 3 bags from the jeans that are now too big for me. This is the project I've been thinking about since I saw the Botanicals book. These three bags are now cut out and ironed. I've experimented with transferring designs to stitch on them ready for when I finish Aesop. I'd like to work these before I get to the linens.

I did consider whether is would be better to recycle these by giving them to a charity rather than cutting them up, but given the amount of clothing that ends up in landfill decided I'd rather recycle these myself.

I was scheduled to have my 3rd booster shot at a local pharmacy on Saturday. However, on Friday that appointment was cancelled and I was invited to rebook for two weeks time.The pharmacist who told me two weeks ago that they had a week's leeway on the four month requirement from booster 2 was mistaken. The rule is now not one day earlier than 4 months. Fair enough. I'm now booked for 23 April.

I used the time I save by having coffee on the balcony in the sun, enjoying the view before tackling the lettering on the Aesop Frame, reading, and talking to my brother.

The Quaker stitch lettering on the Aesop Frame was tedious but effective.  I was, of course, itching to move on to the next project so  put in a big effort over the weekend and finished the chair!  The full story and glory can be found in my embroidery blog. I was so keen on Sunday to get the panel on the chair, write it up in my blog and to complete the first stage of cooking Monday's dinner, that I didn't make my bed. I cannot remember another day when I haven't made the bed.  An auspicious day!.

I tried a new recipe for Monday night, Slow cooked pork with cider and sage hotpot from BBC Recipes. After a bit of research I substituted low alcohol beer - which I had in the fridge. The apples in the cider would have helped the pork. This is what it looked like before dotted with butter to go in the oven. I liked the way the potato cooked and the gravy formed with the meat underneath. The diced pork shoulder should have fallen apart more than it did (after 4 hours of cooking!). I think it would have been better with pork belly.

There have been some charming, low-key sunrises this week - contrasting with that view of the covered balcony at the top of this post.

I came across a couple more enticing books on Saturday and ordered them from different sources. Magical Britain, by Rob Wildwood is mostly available on backorder (although only published this month) but Jamie Lang's Anglo Saxon Paganism should be here in time to help with my WES presentation. 

Having bought several books this week I chased up the bookshelves and cupboards being made for me, lest the shelves are filled before they arrive! Serendipitously, another local council curbside pickup has been announced for 11 May - so I can dispose of the  cupboard, filing cabinet and desk I need to remove to put in the new. Today Nordic Furniture rang to say I can view the finished pieces tomorrow afternoon.  Guess I will be spending Easter packing up the existing contents and preparing the space.

I ironed those bags-from-jeans and marked them with adaptations of the designs in Beautiful Botanical Embroidery.   Today, after visiting the podiatrist, I've started the first.

These are my next projects, along with the third Nightshift shawl - this one for me.