The Flowers that Bloom in the Spring and all that Jazz

Wow, but it is lovely weather. Haven't had the central heating on properly for ages - just a quick blast in the morning and the log fire at night. Good stuff.

Blogger is being very unhelpful and won't show me my comments from last time, so apologies for that.

I went with my stitchy mates on a retreat to the Kingcombe Centrea week or so ago and finished lots of stuff for the cutting book - including all the centres for the garlands.

Since I have been home I have wrapped miles and miles of thread for the poles. It doesn't show much but I know it is there.

I have some fine tuning to do as the flowery bits are pinned to the poles at present but most of it is there.

At the Kingcombe centre (which belongs to the Dorset Wildlife Trust) they have a cabinet containing a 19th century butterfly collection. I hate the idea of the poor things trapped in there (I know they're not really but you know what I mean) and think I might do a piece on 'Beauty Caged'. Quite excited and have borrowed a butterfly cutter from my granddaughter and made a start. Looked at the shapes of some of the exhibits..........

........ and got a bit creative. It turned into an article for the June issue of Workshop on the Web so I shan't show the result yet.

I have already confessed on Facebook that my time at Kingcombe had an ignominious end when, having been on a fairly strict diet and not had sugar for ages, I succumbed to the wonderful cream meringues at the final dinner and was ill all night. Entirely self inflicted! Clive had to come and rescue me. However my splitting headache turned out to be caffeine withdrawal and I was fine after a coffee. I don't drink a lot of coffee but do like it strong and black. Just shows what a powerful drug it is.