The Purpose of Stash

We're hopefully zooming down to Kent on Sunday to ditch the kids at Nanny's for a week, as long as Ingrid the Volvo is amenable. Other than enjoyment for the kids, there is an actual purpose behind arranging time out of the maternal slammer on licence, but more of that in another post at a later date.

It so happens that Sunday is also the birthday of one of my SILs, and she is having a celebration. We can't simply do a drive-by jettisoning of the kids; well, we could, but it seems a tad impolite seeing as how we don't get down there often.

So began the quest for a suitable gift. DH suggested that since we seemed to have so many knitted scarves lying around, why not give her one of those ? knowing that one of them has indeed been knitted for her, since he'd selected the yarn.

I don't think that men truly understand the concept of having a stash. That scarf is part of the Xmas stash and is intended to be her Xmas gift. If we use it for a birthday gift, then it's no longer part of the Xmas stash, and what will we give her at that time ? Let alone that it's actually quite a warm August and woolly scarves are for winter.

Fortunately, stash comes in handy in times of gift crises like this. I headed up to my wicker chests full of fabric acquired randomly with no project or purpose in mind. This is what I selected from the jumble:



I unearthed the sewing machine, and then had a cup of tea - balm for any troubled soul - to engender the correct mindset:

• I will be patient

• I will take my time

• I will do it properly.
  

I almost added 'I will not curse like a sailor' to the list, but a reality check got the better of pious aspirations. One must ensure one's goals are achieveable. Repeating this mantra, I set to work. By the end of last evening, I had produced this:



It is the front of a cushion cover in a traditional patchwork design called the Frienship Ring, Aster, or Dresden Plate.

Inside it, along with the cushion pad, will go a mix of herbs to aid sleep: lavender, hops, camomile, jasmine, lemon verbena, rose petals, rosemary, cloves and cinnamon sprinkled with a few drops of essential oils: camomile, lavender, benzoin, sandalwood and the tiniest smidge of May Chang just to 'lift' it. These are marinating with orris root as we speak.




Today's task is to complete the cushion: affix a back and seam it all together. Sew the herbs into a muslin pouch and insert. Sounds simple, doesn't it ?

First, I shall go perform the ritual to re-affirm the mantra: the kettle's on.

Achey Breaky ...

...Back. The only things I did indoors this weekend, pretty much, was to make the beds and do the ironing. The rest was spent outside sorting out the patch of front garden and overhauling all the tubs and troughs on the patio back garden.

All the daffodils have been pulled and re-planted in the front garden for next year, the wallflowers and pansies went into the brown bin; the tubs and troughs were topped up with fresh compost, and this year's summer bedding planted out - yes, I know there's always the risk of a late frost, but I have nowhere to keep them, plus, the tubs were in a terrible state, I just couldn't look at them any longer - so we have African marigolds, petunias and lobelia; two types of lettuce, two tomato plants (one cherry and one normal) four runner beans, and a jalapeno chilli.













My lemon verbena made it through the winter, but not the marjoram or thyme, so they have been replaced; I also found a white lavender on sale along with a nameless clematis, so they have found their spots in the front. A couple of lupins (DH's choice), a valerian - very sweetly-scented when in flower - a couple of other bits and bobs, most of them found in the 'reduced' section, are now planted and waiting to thrive.



Speaking of scents, I can't recall the lilac smelling as strong as it does this year. There are lots of lilacs in my area, and sometimes the scent as it wafts by you when you're walking is almost as if someone had opened the stopper on a bottle of perfume.

My style of gardening involves not being able to see any earth - if I can see earth, then that means there is room for a plant to go in it; where there is a plant, a weed cannot grow. What I will do in order to be energy-efficient.