Cattapilla Dreaming

Headed off to County Kerry the other day to make a marmalade delivery and have a day out.  Left Kenmare and climbed up through the Kerry hills to Molls Gap, an isolated spot  and at this time of year free of coaches and cars.  Our destination was Avoca, a well known Irish shop and cafe.  But sadly not open yet so could only imagine the shop filled with soft vibrant woollen throws and rugs together with bright stylish clothes;  and I had already decided on my choice of salads to eat upstairs whilest gazing across the snow capped mountains.  That treat will have to wait!

But it was worth the drive as the day was clear and sunny and the deep blue sky was full of vapour trails, as if the planes had just come out of hibernation and were playing like birds catching the thermals

Back home I found  the stunning Iris reticulata finally in flower.  Which prompted me to find my favourite vases and give them a clean.  And so for the first time I used the Magic Balls!  These come from one of my favourite shops, Lakeland , and are tiny copper coloured balls that clean those impossible places like the inside of narrow vases that always get grubby.  I bought them ages ago knowing they’d be useful one day and they certainly were.  The two bubble vases I have are so good for displaying a single stem.  I have no idea where they came from, probably a charity shop, or anything about where they were made and when.

Back to the flower.  Irises are some of my favourite flowers and their perfection always surprises me.  The reticulata, so named for it’s net  like bulb surround, is normally in flower in early February so is a welcome sight.  I love the deep rich purply-blue with it’s splashes of yellow and white on the falls and it’s delicate sweet scent.  Back in 1937,  Vita Sackville -West encouraged  ’every flower-lover to grow a patch of the little reticulata somewhere in their garden’ and, as always, she was spot on.

I think spring may be on it’s way!

The air is still cold but the sun is warm, the sky is blue, the daffodils and primroses are coming out and there’s a soft haze over the sea.

I lay in bed this morning listening to a thrush singing loudly from the top of a tree and the fir trees are buzzing with nest building finches and bluetits.  I thought the frogs had returned to the undergrowth after filling the pond with frogspawn but this morning they were at it again.  The pond was heaving with croaking, mating frogs and the noise could be heard in the house!

People must be beginning to emerge from the long winter hibernation as shops are starting to order my marmalades again.  If you’re in the area  JAM  in Kenmare, a lovely place for lunch, stocks them along with a great deli in Castletownbere, TASTE, and THE STUFFED OLIVE, another foodies delight, in Bantry.

Cattapilla Designs Vintage Print Summer Bags are beginning to sell well again and there’s interest in the Country Living Spring Fair.  I get the feeling that we’re all heartily sick of the winter and that it’s time to celebrate it’s end.  I’m tempted to get outside and plant onion sets and potatoes as the days are now warm but the nights still bring clear cold skies so I shall have to be patient.  Wandering around the garden  looking for signs of growth - and they are there, just difficult to spot – I spied flowers on the twisted hazel.  From any distance hazel flowers are invisible, the catkins alone catching the eye, but on close inspection tiny, Schiaparelli pink flowers can be seen.  Magical.

 I have just discovered a terrific blog.  Many of you will already know of it but it’s passed me by until now.  www.yarnstorm.blogs.com  is the creation of Jane Brocket and it’s beautiful and inspirational.  Jane featured one of my Vintage Print Summer Bags on there earlier this week so of course she’s already a great favourite!

Dogwood, Willow and a Black & White Cat!

It may not feel like spring quite yet but it is the 1st March – happy St David’s Day to all you fellow Welsh out there -  and preparations for the Spring Fair are well under way.  It is held at the Business Design Centre, Islington, London from 24 until 28 March.  You can get a sneak preview of all exhibitors and lots of information at www.countrylivingfair.com

Cattapilla Designs stand R3 is downstairs this year in the Village Green area, just inside the main entrance.

I have found some wonderful different vintage prints for Vintage Print Summer Bags and Vintage Print Cushions.

And I’m very excited about my new ranges

Vintage Print Shower Caps and matching Wash Bags

and a new take on a traditional design

Vintage Print Peg Pinnies

I shall of course have all my ranges of Gorgeous Bags, Antique Sampler and Embroidery Cushions, Gorgeous Wool Cushions,  Reversible Shopping Bags, Vintage Mantlepiece Runners, Lavender Bags and Tea Cosies plus a few surprises!

As always, cash or cheque payments only please and free delivery on all orders placed at the show.

I look forward to seeing you all there.

Antique Embroidery Cushion Bowl of Roses

The weatherman said last night that spring is coming.  Really?  It’s hard to tell.  Yes, the snowdrops are flowering but that’s about all.  The daffodils that are often blooming for Valentine’s Day are still tightly closed and the furry pussy willow buds are nowhere to be seen. 

Looking east to Rerrin and towards Bantry

But the birds think spring is in the air.  I watched a male blackbird chasing his female around the garden yesterday and then very noisily see off a competitor.  And feeding has become a frenzy during the most recent freezing weather.  I quess it must be mating and nesting time and so lots of energy needed.  So I finally made some fat balls for them.  I’ve been meaning to do this all winter and only just remembered!  Melted fat – lard and some pretty old butter – mixed with bird seed and poured into molds of some kind like yoghurt pots or cut up plastic bottle bases with twine threaded through the bottom work quite well.  Leave in the fridge overnight to set then pull the molds off and hang near the existing feeders.  So far so good.  I watched to see how long it would be before they were found and noticed a new bird I’d not seen before.  A redpoll I believe but whether it be a lesser redpoll  or a mealy redpoll  I cannot say!  Very pretty though with a pale buff coloured chest and a scarlet cap.  Soon the blue tits had found the fat balls and were happily feeding.

Later in the day I noticed Hercules prowling the area.  He does this regularly, sitting under the peanut feeders with the birds taking no notice.  But this time he had the scent of something more exciting!  FAT!  Having cleared the ground of crumbs he was up the tree, along the branch and reaching out to catch the fat ball which he began to eat!  As you can imagine, he was shouted at and removed along with what was left of the fat ball!  We now have to find somewhere that he can’t reach and the birds will find.  T. suggested we remove all his legs and build him a trolley.  I’m not convinced that would stop him!

Butter wouldn’t melt ……! 

Just returned from a UK visit celebrating our grandson’s first birthday.  Birthday cake,  presents,  curry and a visit to the Canon Hill Park Nature Centre were all part of the celebrations and great fun was had by all!

First Birthday!

 T and I managed a few days break on our own but were both disappointed.  Is it really acceptable these days to be served instant coffee in a cafe?  And do hotels not see the cobwebs and dust in the rooms they charge £75 for?  And doesn’t anyone smile in shops anymore?  We left  with great relief and arrived back in Ireland to be greeted with wind and rain and SMILES!

The best bit was driving through mid Wales in the sunshine watching masses of red kites wheeling across the sky and glimpsing spatterings of snow still lying on the plump Welsh hillsides.

Wych Hazel

Home to find spring sort of springing!  Snowdrops,  wych hazel and two lone daffodils  in flower, crocus showing colour and today the first camelia flower.  Whilest filling the bird feeders – still a daily job – I noticed activity in the pond.  At least three frogs were doing whatever frogs do in February and leaving lots of frog spawn  floating  about.  They’re still at it today and making a lot of noise too!  And we have new neighbours!  Four rams have appeared in the next field.  Three have enormous curly horns  and the one without is very aggressive, baaing away at myself and Horace as we pass.  Difficult to take seriously though as their pink and orange markings make them look very girly!

The Church in Brillac

Recently returned from a visit to a dear friend in the Limousin area of France.  During the journey there, I kept track of all the means of transport it took to arrive in the little village of Brillac from this little Bere Island.  Here goes;  car from house to ferry on slippy icy island roads, ferry to Castletownbere, car to Bantry.  Coach to Cork and taxi to Cork airport.  A plane flew me to Charles de Gaulle Airport near Paris where I had a three hour wait at a freezing station.  Then a rapid, comfy and warm train  journey by TGV to Poitiers followed by another car journey to Brillac.  Phew!!

The weather was cold and snowy to begin with so we didn’t venture far. Instead we walked in the snow and spent many happy hours  of quiet time in front of the fire chatting and knitting and relaxing .  We did however manage to get to a few of the favourite brocantes and found some interesting pieces which will shortly be available in some shape or form on www.cattapilladesigns.com!

Pollarded Lime Trees in Confolons with the Vienne in the background

Then the snow disappeared and it was suddenly time to come home and make the reverse journey which was much improved by being met at Cork Airport by T!  And home to a saturated garden, brief sunshine and frequent storms.  The weather forecast is promising for the weekend so may venture out to see what’s happening and whether anything is in flower yet.  Fingers crossed!

Frozen Puddle!

If it’s as cold as it is here this far west and near the sea  then it must be really, really cold everywhere else!   The garden is full of hungry birds and the feeders need replenishing every other day.   Two beautiful mistle-thrushes hop throught the herb beds looking for worms and red wings and blackbirds cover the field behind us.  Blue tits, greenfinches, robins, chaffinches and an army of bright goldfinches crowd the feeders.  For all their bossyness, the goldfinches are very shy and it’s too cold to stand still for long enough to photograph them!  Meanwhile I’m off to France  for a week so will be back after January 17th – T. has been given strict instructions to keep all the  bird feeders topped up!

In the meantime  why not check out the warm and cosy Gorgeous Wool Cushions at  www.cattapilladesigns.com along with some recently added Antique Sampler Cushions.

Stay warm out there!

The End of the Shortest Day 

For once the shortest day was  dry and sunny so we could squeeze every last second out of it.  But it’s SO cold!!  We rarely get heavy frost here being so near the sea but the island roads out of the sun are treacherous and frost lies unthawed on the garden all day.

Frosted Saxifrage 

But it’s not as cold as it was in Birmingham over the weekend!  I was over delivering presents to Joe, my grandson, who is nearly 11 months old now and utterly delightful!  He’s full of smiles and giggles and already his mischievousness is infectious.  His first word is cat, as he lives with 2 and  adores them.  The next word is hello, said to anything he can hold to his ear – toy giraffe, ball, rattle!   His first birthday falls at the end of January and I am knitting like crazy to supply him with balaclava hats and jumpers for the winter.

Christmas in this part of Bere Island will be very quiet this year.  I shall be sewing, knitting and gardening when the weather allows;  T will be chopping wood and doing whatever it is that men do in their sheds and  Horace, Rosie and Hercules will continue their endless sleeps by the fire!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!

Blue Check Reversible Shopping Bag

A very busy week in London at the Country Living Christmas Fair.  Great to meet so many customers, both old and new, and to have a look around to see what everyone else is up to.  Dedicated shoppers were out in force and even the fire alarm couldn’t stop the buying!   Sold masses of things so am busy making and photographing new stock to get onto the website in plenty of time for Christmas.  Checkout the bright new Shopping Bags and prettily practical Wrist Key Fobs on www.cattapilladesigns.com

London was, well, London.  Busy, noisy, buzzy and fast.  We ate  fantastic food and enjoyed London pubs, although the constant loud music and screens are hard to cope with after a long day.  Guess we’re getting old!!  We caught up with lots of people and briefly envied Londoners’ their vast choice of shops!

Collected  Horace the dog  from his kennel in Bandon, run by the kindest dog lover I know, and arrived home to wind and rain, a waterlogged garden and two plump cats, well fed by our cat loving neighbours with supplements from the local rodent population!  Hercules is looking particularly round – perhaps he’s found a new baker!

Have been longing to get outside to walk and garden but the weather is atrocious  -  strong winds and constant rain.  At least the wind turbine is spinning, supplying us with plenty of power.  I really ought to use the opportunity and do some hoovering but I just can’t quite work up the energy or enthusiasm!  I think I’ll stick  to making Gorgeous Wool Bags!

Wrist Key Fob

It’s that time of year again! Country Living Magazine Christmas Fair takes place at the Business Design Centre, Islington, London, from November 11th – 15th 2009.

Cattapilla Designs will be there – upstairs on Stand T1. I look forward to seeing you there to show you some wonderful products from Irish Wool Cushions to Gorgeous Bags, Vintage Print Cushions to Lavender Bags, Teacosies to Wrist Key Fobs, Antique Embroidered Aprons and lots more.

Lavender Bags

Please note that I can only accept payments in cash or cheque. However, I can always invoice via PayPal and any purchases made this way will not be charged delivery.

I look forward to seeing you in London.  Have a sneak preview at what’s at the Fair this year at www.countrylivingfair.com/xmas

Irish Wool Gorgeous Cushions