Nature all Around us

Today is a glorious day – there’s real warmth in the sun and the sky is a wonderful shade of blue, with just a few white fluffy clouds dotted here and there – it’s hard to believe that we’re in mid-November and Christmas is just around the corner.  Ben is snoozing outside in the courtyard, and as soon as I’ve finished this post I’m off to take him for a walk through the woods behind our village.  It’s at this time of year that I become more aware of the animals around us – deer and fox tracks are visible in the mud (yes, the mud has returned!), and often I glimpse a flash of movement in the corner of one eye as a rabbit or pheasant makes good its escape into the undergrowth.  I was thrilled to see two large brown hares chasing across a field of stubble when I last dropped Ben at his favourite kennels a couple of weeks ago – I don’t see hares close up very often. 

One animal that is regarded with very mixed feelings in our village is the fox.  Clever, crafty – and the sworn enemy of chicken-keepers everywhere!  But undeniably a very handsome fellow who features in the first pattern for the December issue of my Bustle & Sew e-zine.  

I’ve tried to reflect his cunning and curious nature in my applique – I didn’t want him to be too cute – and I hope I’ve managed to achieve the right balance.  He’s appliqued in felt and wool on a wool-blend felt background and here I’ve chosen to make him into a cushion cover.   When we lived in Hampshire many years ago (when Rosie was a very little girl), a hedgehog used to visit our garden from time to time.  I don’t see many hedgehogs here, apart from my very own Hodge and Podge – and I don’t really know why that should be as we have so much other wildlife around us. 

Anyway, thinking about Podge, I know that sometimes it can be time-consuming to collect all the ingredients to make a softie like Podge, so I’ve assembled two “Make your Own Podge” kits and listed them in my Etsy Shop.  The vintage linen pouches contain everything you (or a crafty friend) need to make your Podge – including the premium item of ……

….  a smooth, round beach pebble carefully selected by my canine assistant for its shape, size and general overall appeal!  (well, it’s about time he did something useful.)  If you’d like a Podge kit, then you will find them in my Etsy shop – just the two at the moment sorry both sold , as I don’t know if I have any more suitable fabric for her prickles – if these two sell out, then I’ll have a rummage around my cupboard! 

PS the pebble was washed before it was added to the kit!