HAPPY HAIRY HARRIS TWEED

Harris tweed is one of those fabrics I absolutely adore ... It just says something about Scotland - beautiful, cosy, tactile and marketed in an amazing way.  I have been so lucky to get my hands on a huge  bag of scraps from a former Loaf Face baker who hails from the wonderful Isle of Lewis.  Her cousin makes delectable handbags and she has given me this wonderful stash of material.  The plan is to make a wedding present for my nephew who is getting married - he hails from Edinburgh but lives in Canada so I thought a Scottish present would be good.

Another wee passion of mine is crafty projects ... My Granny was an upholsterer and I've had a notion to learn the trade for ages.  This was one baby chair project in the making earlier this year ...

Well my lovely husband spotted an upholstery course this weekend.  With my birthday this week that was it - present solved!

Yesterday I scoured Ellon's Indoor Market - a treasure trove of tat and wonders from a bygone era!  I spied 2 stools lurking around.  It was then time to load up the car and head south, hoping to find a bed somewhere in the direction of Crieff.

After a wee detour to a NEOS art show at the Waldorf School, where a friend had an exhibition, I arrived at Montrose to my brother's beautiful new pad ... Here he is getting ready for winter with his saw table looking dangerous ... (Do not cross this man - brings visions of horror films from my ill spent youth!)

I hadn't seen his house since Easter - it's so transformed - especially the garden which now has grass and paving stones. The amazing thing is it's a 'passive house' with no heating, just mega insulation and solar panels.  He's an architect and this is his baby ... Time for a classic bit of sibling rivalry - I want one too!!!  (Just thinking of saving on oil bills!!)

Anyway, I digress  ...  Back to the tweed ...  So I spent all day colonising his table, getting out my Mum's sewing machine and getting the fabric for my stool sorted out ...  This was the amazing bundle of tweed from Morag's cousin ...

And this is my stool getting a wee try out for colours ...

And this was my colour selection ...

So then I became this really unsocial guest sewing away all evening.  And now the sky is starting to lighten up, so I'd better get up and on the road to Crieff ... Can't wait!

The autumnal view to the sea and Montrose, as a new day dawns ...