Cattapilla Dreaming

I finally made it to Schull Country Market yesterday as it had decamped for the day to Schull Show.   The day began wet, the tail end of a dreadful storm the night before, and continued cold and windy but thankfully stayed dry.  I don’t think anyone lost their awnings to the westerly gusts although there was plenty of noisy flapping!  Unfortunately the horse events were cancelled due to waterlogged ground but there were plenty of entries for the poultry competitions, the cakes and produce and, best supported, the dog show.  A Dog Show official friend told me that the breeds entered were growing every year and certainly  the dogs passing  through the market were many and varied.  My favourite is a very aged Corgi belonging to Doris  who won a prize a few years ago and still marches towards young dogs half  her age and twice her size and has a jolly good sniff!   Well wrapped against the wind, ice creams were enjoyed by both young and old, whilest dogs waited patiently for melting drips!

Proud and Happy Winners!

There were plenty of Market stalls as always, with those selling  their own locally produced foods doing a roaring trade.  The Ferguson family of Gubbeen Farmhouse with their cheeses and bacon, Frank Krawczyk  with his salamis and sausages, Roisin of Yummy Tummy with cakes and homemade beefburgers, along with handmade chocolates and ice creams, pates, jams, breads, relishes, tomatoes, fruit – the list of foods is endless at this market and to be admired and supported.  Real food produced and grown by real people!

The crafts and designs were also well represented.  Shiona was there selling her husband’s ceramics, Adrian with his stained glass pieces, felted slippers and hats, original watercolour paintings and of course bags and cushions from yours truly, Cattapilla Designs.  And then stunning collections of herbs and ornamental plants from Lilian Murphy and  Doris of Peppermint Farm and Garden.

But the best of the show for me is the parade of vintage tractors and this year was the best I’ve seen.  A brilliant line-up of  cherished, polished, proud and  pristine tractors were clambered over by small boys, and girls, admired by men and women of all ages  before  driving off at a stately pace to the sound of enthusiastic appreciation.  Simple pleasures! 

 Amongst the 40 shades of green Ireland is so famous for – is it really only 40, surely must be more – there is an explosion flowers in the hedgerows. Wild honeysuckle twines around the rampant fuschia, yarrow, meadowsweet, sheep’s bit scabious, vetch and yellow trefoil fight for space in the bracken and flower covered brambles with their promise of fat blackberries threaten to engulf the lanes. With so many flowers the air hums with bees and butterflies flit from blossom to blossom.  All very bucolic!

Not that I’ve had much time to enjoy it as the orders are still flooding in.  Vintage Print Summer Bags are the best sellers at the moment, with Antique Embroidered Cushions (in the sale with 25% off) going well, along with Gorgeous Wool Bags and Vintage Print Cushions.  And I’ve had such generous feedback from customers which is as pleasing as selling.  I’m so glad you’re all so pleased with your purchases.  I’m often asked about where my fabrics come from and when I can, I give the origins in the product descriptions.  I hope to be able to give more on the history of particular fabrics such as American feedsack fabric, barkcloths and French linens.  But for the moment I’m a little busy going through my stash finding interesting pieces for more Summer Bags and then very soon I must begin on my winter/Christmas stock.  I shall be at the Country Living Christmas Fair in London in November – more details nearer the time -  and want to have new and different stock with which to tempt all my customers! 

I listen to BBCRadio 4 when I’m sewing – couldn’t live without it in fact – and have been very caught up in the Apollo moon landing anniversary programmes.  What an extraordinary event it was and will anything else ever be so genuinely awesome?  And then I remembered the photographs I’d taken of the full moon last week which itself reminded me of standing in the garden as a teenager, along with probably most of the planet, and gazing up at the same moon in amazement that someone was actually there. 

Full Moon Rising over Bantry Bay  

Before the Rain! 

 I had planned to post a piece on some of the beauties of a Bere Island summer, of the glorious flower filled-hedgerows and sparkling sun kissed sea, the clear starry nights and a stunning July full moon. But it’s been raining and blowing for 2 days now and it doesn’t feel like summer any more! It has actually stopped raining now and for a brief moment earlier this evening I saw a watery sun and a patch of blue sky, enough for a sailor’s hat, as we used to say. Does anyone else remember that phrase? I haven’t heard it for years. Anyhow, now it’s grey again and the sea is looking angry.

And I’ve also had other things on my mind. One of my Vintage Print Summer Bags is featured in the latest Country Living Magazine Emporium pages and the response has been fantastic. So guess what I’ve been doing – yes, sewing! In fact I’m just about to list the very last of the very popular Retro Green Flower Pots Bag so when that’s gone, there will be no more. That’s unless someone somewhere is hiding a few metres of this wonderful 50’s fabric? Anyway, there are lots more bags to choose from on the website and I’m adding new ones as fast as possible.  So please have a look!

Returned last night from a weekend in Birmingham visiting my adorable grandson and his parents.  Can’t resist sharing this picture with you all, being a very proud granny!  Isn’t he gorgeous?  We had just bought him his first sheepskin rug and he was in seventh heaven when put on it.   His name is Joe and he’s 5 months old.  I’m sure you will be kept updated on his progress.

As well as babysitting I made a trip to Ikea, forgetting as I always do how big and busy the place is.  Wonderful bargains to be had though including Joe’s rug  and my purchases were only limited by the size of my suitcase!

One of the few things that T and I miss living on Bere Island is the limited choice of curries to be had!  So for a birthday treat for T, I brought back a Tarka Dall and Chicken Adhruk from one of the best curry places I know  – Kababish in Moseley.   We froze  it first in the containers then  wrapped it in newspaper and plastic bags.  I had scary premonitions about the suitcase oozing curry whilest travelling along the carousel at Cork Airport but all went smoothly.  It was still frozen when I arrived back on the island and T and I enjoyed a curry lunch today. Of course, I’ve set the precedent now so will have no excuse on my next visit to Birmingham!