Whitewash and Whortleberries

The latest painting is finally finished! It's watercolour and ink, and is A4 sized. (soon to be for sale in my Etsy shop) I am really excited about beginning a quilted version of this, much larger than the last ones. Sadly, it will have to be put on hold for a while, as there are SO many things to be done first. Still, it is almost as much fun gathering the fabrics for a project, and rummaging through boxes, and jumble sales for just the right piece. I shall spend the rest of my summer doing that!

The main thing that has kept me occupied over the school holidays is 'The bedroom project'. I promised my eldest daughter that I would redecorate her bedroom for her birthday. It is little more than a cupboard in the uppermost eaves of the attic, and looked just like a store cupboard too. Foolishly, I thought I could tackle it while she went off to Pony Club camp for 4 days. It (as ALWAYS) turned out to be a little more work than I had anticipated! Still, I worked through the nights, and finally turned the scruffy little cupboard into a clean fresh room, suitable for a girl who is growing up fast!

This was definitely done on a budget! With the exception of the two cushions in the top photo, which I bought new, everything else was sourced from the recycling centre, Proper Job. Of the blankets on the top bed, the cream under blanket is an old one, knitted by my grandmother, and the top one is one that I made many years ago from a patchwork of old felted jumpers.

I found a lovely old oak sideboard at Proper Job. The top two drawers are partitioned and lined with green baize, originally intended for cutlery, but just as well used for sorting socks and tights! A rummage through the paint shed found emulsion for the walls, and some lovely Farrow and Ball paint to update the sideboard. The bric-a-brac cabinet offered up lovely treasures - a vintage blue painted candle holder, a white jug, and a lovely lacy cloth, perfect for the room.

My favourite finds of all are these - a gorgeous vintage coat rack, and a second peg rack, and a scrabble around through vast boxes of used coat hangers yielded a selection of beautiful old wooden hangers in various shades of soft blue and green and grey. Some have knitted covers, and some are just plain painted wood. I love them! They fit the room so perfectly!

So, finally, I finished it. I still have paint in my hair and on the backs of my hands, but the room is a great success, and my daughter is thrilled.

So,the school holidays are passing in a happy blur. Meanwhile Kestrel is growing and doing well. He is awfully small at the moment, which is a little disappointing ( I was hoping he would make 13.2hh) but striking to look at. He is beautifully put together, and makes up for his short stature by being incredibly compact and chunky. His foal coat is turning, and underneath he is coming through the most gorgeous dark burnt gold colour.

And we have spent our days out on the moors, on foot, or on ponies. Yesterday was spent whortleberrying, helped by Magpie and Daisy, and the day ended with a rare treat - enough whortleberries for a crumble. I have never managed to gather enough before, and my, was it worth it!