So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

themadvix

Evening all,

 Have had a good weekend and almost ready for holiday tomorrow. Mum and I went to a rag rugging workshop yesterday afternoon. This was run by the people who ran the one at the festival that I couldn’t get onto in January. It was really good and we both came away with a lovely hessian bag decorated with a sunflower (and the tools to do more ragging). 

We’ve had Mum, Sis, MIL, FIL and BIL here for a roast lunch today, which was also lovely. We are mostly packed for tomorrow - just a few bits to do in the morning, but we won’t leave too early - because the traffic will just slow us down and we also can’t get into our accommodation until 4. Plan to stop at Avebury en route for a break. We’ll be taking a packed lunch and I’ve packed various ingredients for spag bol (using the sunflower seed mince - so handy it’s shelf stable) - just need to buy a tin of toms. Weather forecast is pretty terrible, but also changeable, so plans will depend on weather - NT properties, the RHS garden that’s the reason we’re going and seeing Mr MV’s uni friend and wife are all definites though.

Cheery_Daff

Ooh, enjoy your break! 

What type of rag rugging are you doing? I've never had a go of the one that needs hooks, it does look a lot neater than what I've done (which is the type where you just bodge little 2 inch scraps through with the sharpened end of a wooden peg, or a biro 😂). I'm plaiting one at the minute - but only because my sister started it about 20 years ago but didn't want to finish it, and I couldn't bear to let her throw it away. It's taken me another 10 years to get round to it, but I'm going to finish it this year! It actually makes FAR less mess than cutting everything into 2 inch strips and ending up with bits of cotton strewn everywhere. 

But I've never done the other type - do they call it hook rugging? Apparently my great grandma made her own hall and stairs carpet, hooking bits of wool (not rags) 😱 Now there is a home-made goal!! (One that I certainly won't be attempting 😂😂)

Have a good time away 😊

themadvix

Thanks for the double good wishes for our trip Cheery 😁

The tools we used can be seen here, under what is rag rugging: https://www.raggedlife.com/pages/about-us. The one she is holding is a slightly easier way of doing what you are talking about - it makes the hole and has a spring loaded ‘clip’ that grabs the rag to pull back through for traditional shaggy rugging. The other one, that looks more like a chunky crochet hook, is for loopy technique (initially also drives you a bit loopy, but practice definitely helps!). I only bought the first tool, but think I’ll look out for one of the hook ones too - I tried it with the t-shirt fabric and it was much easier than the non-stretchy stuff and you get a much more defined look - good for patterns and things. I also bought their wooden gauge - it’s only a bit of shaped wood but really helpful for cutting rags consistently.

 Plaiting sounds like hard work - but do let us see the finished result! I am going to make a rug (I bought the hessian) - I’ve got lots of old jeans I’d like to use, but think I’ll need to find some really sharp scissors before I try ragging that up.

redofromstart

I think the first tool is the one I have for my wool latch hook rug, which has only taken me 11 years to do the first square foot. 

Hope you have a good break.

EssexHebridean

Hope you're having a brilliant break away - hopefully the weather has been vaguely decent, at least!

The rugging sounds great - I had a bit of a go at the wool sort years ago and really enjoyed it, that must have been in a textiles class at school I think (so a VERY long while ago!) but have never done it again since. I love the idea of being able to use scraps of fabric too - although suspect I would rapidly get bored with the cutting up of them! 

themadvix

Morning all,

Thanks Redo and EH for the good wishes. We had a lovely time, albeit far too short. Visited Avebury on the way down which was very interesting, Killerton the following day - used my NT gift card earned from surveys (some time ago - can't remember which ones!) for a cuppa and cake and a bottle of cider to bring home. Took picnics both days (took quite a bit of food from home that needed using up) so low spend activities. Had takeaway F&C when we arrived though as it was late and we were tired and found a farmshop for some lovely cake/sausage roll on the Tuesday afternoon. Wednesday we visited RHS Rosemoor - the main reason for our trip. Free entry with my membership, but £28 for (a nice) lunch. I did have to keep reminding myself and Mr MV that our incomes have not gone up with inflation and therefore everything *is* a lot more expensive. Also bought a fairtrade natural rubber seed module tray - the reused plastic ones I have crack, fall apart and are generally a pain. I love that this is plastic-free, reusable and fairtrade rubber. Didn't love it was £16 - but had a bit of money on a gift card, so actual cost to me, £2.50. Had been considering buying one/some anyway, so this was a good find. Found a nice tap room that did food in the evening - think dinner cost about the same as lunch. Thursday we visited Torquay, Totnes and Teignmouth - cream tea (£17), drinks (£11) and dinner at our friends' - it was lovely to see them and we had a great evening catching up. Back home on Friday - the satnav on Mr MV's phone said 'Do you want to go direct to the pub?' (Friday evening - it knows us so well!) - so we did! Met BIL and SIL for a drink and headed home for an Indian takeaway (£17). Total cost of weekend *and* train tickets for a weekend in Harrogate (£79) in June which Mr MV booked just before we went = £480 - not too bad at all!

Re rag rugging EH - you don't cut all the rags by hand - I have a clever little tool and you fold the fabric, cut into long strips and then wrap it around the tool (basically a piece of wood with a groove in it) and chop along the groove. Simple and quite quick! I made a start on the rug I bought the hessian for last night. Have also ordered some proper scissors (from Hobbycraft - had a £5 off £15 spend - scissors were £16 before discount, free click and collect) as using my tiny embroidery ones is no good for me or the scissors when cutting layers of denim!

Got all the washing done yesterday and mostly line dried - it started spotting at one point so I got it all in. It has spent the night having a final burst from the heated airer, so I need to put it away. Baked a loaf too and cleaned up the house after unsupervised cat habitation - honestly, I'm not sure how they make such a mess - fur everywhere! I also sowed tomatoes (Rio Grande - determinate, plum) and basil (both now in propagator with peppers) and peas and spring onions (in my new module tray and in the greenhouse. I need to order some more seeds though - or do a swap - I haven't got any cherry tom seeds, among others.

Today we're going to get some compost for the allotment and take it down there; Mr MV also wants sand to fill the gaps in the patio. If it stops raining I may plant some potatoes - first earlies. As it's St Patrick's Day and Mr MV is officially Irish, I may bake something to celebrate this - he's got some 0% Guinness and there's the last of a bottle of Bailey's to finish too.

MS things:
* Accommodation was excellent as before and a better location for daily visits to the beach (am tempted to book another week for the other end of the season, but we'll see - lots going on this year!)
* Use of survey vouchers/NT/RHS memberships
* Took hm bread, remaining cheese, pickle, fruit with us
* Did a couple of bits of work while there. I think main client was trying not to send me anything as he thought we needed a break, but tbh it's not much of an issue - I tend to get up earlier than Mr MV anyway, so happy to sit and work while he lounges around

Gratitudes:
* Lovely to see the sea!
* Thursday was the only really grotty day weatherwise
* So nice to catch up with friends - they are the sort we can share that we've paid off the mortgage with (and I introduced them to Cat in a Flat)
* Ticked off two of my 40 before 40 items - visit a new-to-me NT property (both of them) and RHS Rosemoor

Have a good day all! 

Greying_Pilgrim

ooooh tmv - Killerton is the one with all the costumes on display, isn't it?  We loved it there - and the walled garden. 

It's yonks since we went to Rosemoor - we must have gone (pre LG) in September time, as I remember acres of pumpkins and going through a gourd walk.  We camped at a certified site on a farm - the birdlife was absolutely magical, but the facilities......... 🤣 beyond basic iirc 🤣

Sounds like a wonderful time - were you tempted to seek out Agatha Christie's house (NT) whilst at that neck of the woods (Torquay)...... Spyway??  Bit of a pain to get to iirc, and of course, maybe not open at this time of the year.  We opted for Coleton Fishacre instead (we had LG with us by then), wonderful grounds and an Arts & Crafts house.   

Greying X

themadvix

Hey GP 👋🏻 We’ve not been to Greenways or Colton Fishacre yet, but we’ll get there. Mr MV is not a huge fan of the houses, so I have to ration them! 😂 Also, using the really cheap caravan deals means we only get three full days down there at once, so time is limited. But our friends are there to stay (moved from Manchester), so I envisage many more cheapy trips and opportunities to visit (I used some money left to me by my Nan to buy life NT membership a few years ago, so no pressure to make the most of a year’s membership). Killerton does indeed have the costume collection - at the moment it’s all about children’s fashion through the ages. It was interesting - especially the tiny shoes. 

redofromstart

Sounds like a good break. What a lovely thing to do with your inheritance! 

Greying_Pilgrim

tmv - you've revived some lovely memories of a holiday we took for a very special birthday.  We too stayed in a caravan (midweek), it was well prior to C'vid, LG was still in nursery, so we could go in term time (only missed 1 morning of nursery attendance i think), and we just had the most wonderful time.  We were based in Dorset, near Lyme Regis, but took in Coleton Fishacre on that trip.  The gardens were just wonderful.  The only thing we didn't do was to walk down to the private seaside cove that was the property of the house I think (Wasn't the family that owned it connected to the D'Oyly Carte Opera company?), as we thought that was possibly a little too far for chubby little tot's legs.  There is a wonderful look out spot though, and we sat there watching white-sailed yachts plying back and forth, and I got one of my photo shots of the hols, a selfie of me & LG and for some reason, LG is just roaring with laughter........  

And living in a caravan so captured LG's imagination - nursery were so impressed at all the details LG recounted - and it still gets mentioned to this day.  Eating Breakfast and tea on the deck, dancing with dad to Radio 2, sleeping in a big bed........ oh the list is endless.

Thanks tmv for telling us about your lovely break.  You really did go to some lovely places.

Greying X