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The allotment year starts and the craftiness continues...

 

Saturday was a write-off as far as anything sewing related was concerned.  There was a day out in Scarborough, lots of eating and walking and - oh boy! - it was cold there.  Despite layers of warm clothing I was still freezing, though of course it was lovely to be near the sea.  Having been born and raised in a land-locked county - Worcestershire - I'll never be tired of seeing the waves rolling in, and that seemingly limitless horizon.  
Scarborough's got a working harbour, and I would've taken photos of the picturesque scene if it hadn't meant taking my gloves off!  There were lots of fishing boats and seemingly endless stacks of lobster pots.  Amusement arcades, shellfish stalls, enormous ruddy great seagulls swooping and diving, families on the beach, dogs splashing about at the water's edge and even a few people swimming in the sea.  I mean, actually swimming!  Must be crazy.    
Anyway, today's been more productive.  I don't venture down to the allotment during January/February, but come March I'm itching to get going. I visited my plot for an hour or so today, pulled up some weeds and did some general tidying up.  I might not have accomplished a massive amount, but it felt good to get started on the gardening year.  Then, it was home for lunch and down to some craftiness.  I did hand-stitching, listening to podcasts and half-watching YouTube videos while I sewed.  
There's a lot to be said for machine stitching.  Patchwork blocks can be speedily made, and you could assemble a quilt top in a day if you buckle down to it.  But there's also a lot to be said for slow stitching.  

It's got a meditative quality to it, and the stitches - whether they're perfectly formed or unevenly spaced, neat and precise or a bit rough & ready- they reflect the character of the person wielding the needle.  

  

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