Hang around here long enough and you're bound to know that I love sewing up FPP patterns designed by Juliet @The Tartankiwi and I often test new patterns for her. When I was sent her new book to review (you can read my review here) I HAD to make up one of the 12 patterns and it HAD to be - The Highland Cow.
Flicky, my daughter, is home from St Andrews University for the summer and she's brought a few sewing repair jobs with her. The first one I tackled is a frayed seam down the centre back of this tweed coat. Flicky did a quick hand-sewn repair job on it with black thread so she could continue to wear it - it's still cold in St Andrews ;D - and this is how looked when it was passed over to me.
Last week I flew over to St Andrews, Scotland to celebrate Flicky's 21st birthday with her. Five days of fun with some of my kids is just the ticket when I'm missing home.
If you've never visited St Andrews, or Scotland for that matter, it's absolutely beautiful with tons of history but also quite bleak and very cold. I've put together a few photo collages from the weekend.
There was lots of food and drink and a fab spa day at the Fairmont resort.
My son, Joe and his partner Katie joined us and, as it was their first visit to St Andrews, we did the touristy bit showing them around the town.
The University
The Castle...
...don't you love a loo with a view? (centre pic below)
and crawling through the tunnels underneath the castle was a lot of laughs too, though I think there were moments when we were laughing just so we didn't cry.
The Cathedral
Love this selfie of us all at the top of the Cathedral Tower.
The Gin Tour
We also visited the local brewery and gin & whisky distillery, Eden Mill, where we may or may not have sampled four G&Ts each as part of the Gin Tour.
If you're a gin girl (or boy) I highly recommend the gin tour. All the Eden Mill gins are abs delish, the guys at the Eden Mill were super friendly and I think you can tell from the pics we had a lot of fun there.
Eden Mill Gins
Original gin - citrus and seabuckthorn - forget the lime slice add some pink grapefruit
Love gin - tastes of berries and citrus - try it with raspberries
Oak gin - tastes of whisky - great with an orange slice
Hop gin - tastes of beer - add a sizzling chilli slice
And on Sunday, Flicky's actual 21st birthday, there was even a birthday cake...
...with candles that Rob and Colin, Flicky's two housemates helped her blow out.
It was over all too soon but I was almost glad to get back to slightly warmer weather on the US east coast and slightly pained in the knowledge it'll soon be just as cold or colder here too.
Happy 21st Birthday Flicky xxx
If you'd like to read more about St Andrews you can click through to my previous posts on the images below:
Clicking on an image will take you to a new page of crafty goodness :)
This post may be linked to some great Linky Parties, always a great source of inspiration too. If you click through to my 'Fave Linky Parties' page you can see where I like to share my work.
When I teach classes I create detailed pattern notes for the students full of hints and tips as well as step by step sewing instructions including how to set up the sewing machine at each stage. Sometimes it's difficult to create these instructions as I already know well how to do each stage and process and it would be easy to leave out something that to me is obvious but isn't to a less experienced sewer.
If my daughter, Flicky, is home from St Andrews then I get her to trial my patterns - I've already shared with you her fab Hidden Zippered Cushions
She couldn't fit the finished quilt in her case as she headed back to Scotland for the new uni year so after she left I took the opportunity to give her first quilt its very own photo shoot.
I saw Flicky for a few days when I visited Seville this month, she flew in to meet Oliver and we celebrated both our birthdays which only have a day between.
I took her finished quilt with me to Seville and it's now on Flicky's sofa in St Andrews along with her cushions - she'll need it to keep warm on cold Scottish nights!!!
Oh and the best news yet, Flicky now loves sewing so much she asked for her own machine for her birthday. You know I'm crazy about Bernina but while she's away at Uni and travelling we thought a lighter weight Bernette London 7 would be more practical. I phoned David Drummond Sewing Machines in Edinburgh and can't say enough good things about their customer service and how wonderful it was to work with them. They delivered her machine a couple of days before her birthday and Flicky sent me this video of her opening her new best friend.
I've gone on about it for so long, and it's finally happened, Flicky has started her new life at the University of St Andrews, Scotland. We've left her in what I can only describe as the edge of nowhere, no it's more than that, it's beyond the edge of nowhere, but it's terrific, and we're so comfortable and happy with the new life she's beginning.
Here are some pictures from the last week and a half.
And she's off - leaving our apartment.
Take a good look at all that luggage - the three cases we put in the plane hold didn't make it to Edinburgh with us via Heathrow causing some distress because, as Flicky said, "my life's in two of those cases". Fortunately, we were reunited the same day.
A room transformed - just a shame she's not allowed to change the curtains, have cushions or hang pictures - hopefully, she'll get away with having her quilt, we'll have to wait and see if it's confiscated :( .
Wardlaw
Buying the traditional red gown - it might be new, but boy is it in need of a good steaming!!!
East Sands, St Andrews
St Andrews Cathedral and Castle from The Pier
Somehow, I don't think that'll be the last you'll hear of Flicky and, just in case you're wondering if I'm missing her, well she hasn't given me a chance yet. We only got back late last night, and she skyped me at 3.00 am this morning with an - "Are you ahead? Ohh no you are behind. Hahaha omg" - and then we chatted for a couple of wonderful hours!
Only 14 weeks till she comes home, but I'd hate anyone to think I'm counting!!!
For details of other fabric, yarn, trim and notion stores that I've visited around the world along with the NYC stores I love, exhibitions and events I've attended and wonderful people I've been lucky to meet, click the links below or in my sidebar :D
