The River Frome. and Wool

It made me laugh as I have been after wool to felt.
I found myself in a village called Wool.
Living in Devon there are so many sheep around, I don't know any sheep farmers, only farmers that have herds of cows.

This is Wool in Dorset.


Thomas Hardy and Tess of the d'Urbervilles stuff.
I find Thomas Hardy slightly dower, I have to admit that I have however, read Tess of the D'Urbervilles.
I fib, I saw it on T.V.


This strange little bridge has a story.
There used to be a plaque on the stonework warning that anyone tampering with the bridge would be transported to Australia.

2010 and no plaque.
Camera in hand and ready to snap and show you.
The bridge is intact but someone has had it away with the plaque.........

Shall we move on ?

Not before I tell you that the 17th Century gabled Woolbridge Manor House that stands beside the River Frome is where Tess of the d'Vubervilles spent her honeymoon in Hardy's novel.



Back to the river Frome.
Shame on me for forgetting the name.
I didn't have to find a map to name the river guys, I googled it.
Can I just give you a link here to Melanie from Jellybean.
She will welcome all your good thoughts.
She also has a great blog and like Soggibottom loves to share the places that she visits and see's in her travels.


Thomas Hardy would have been horified.................. yes...... Amie did !
Ladies can only hold it for so long !

Amie Soto Blossom in Dorset

Amie never took this picture above, pure luck to have caught the sun behind the Devon flag.


Ames has been in Dorset today, the flag picture was taken on the way home to Devon.

Her she is in Lulworth Cove today. Not so sunny as the last time we went, but it was a great afternoon. Forgive her, she has been asleep in the car and it looks as if she has forgotten her tooth. (yes, tooth...... well tooth or two)


Dartmoor, or Lulworth Cove beach, Amie is adaptable.
I think her real love is the beach.... or is that mine ?


Not sure what Marg Simpson was doing.
Good thing about someone taking pictures is that you can see what the back of your hair looks like. You also know when it's time to go to the hairdressers again.



I'm sure the holes in the rock have got bigger since we came here last.


One day they will look like this beautiful cove.

Amie also went walking along the river..... except it's been a long day....



I can't remember what the river is called.

For anyone passing Lyme Regis over the weekend. There is a fossil exhibition on the beach. If you feel like the Soggibottom inhabitants lately, don't hang around in Lyme Regis too long or you might be included.

Teddy's gone home

I'm sure you remember Phillip's ted a few months ago.
Poor sad little thing that came through the post.

Ted had an extended stay at Soggibottom Cottage, after his restoration work. I was getting quite attached to him.
I'm pleased that he eventually had a ride home in style as Phillip and Kirstin came to pick him up today. It also pleased me that the smile's to see ted in his restored glory say it all.

You should know by now, if you visit Soggibottom Cottage, you have your picture taken.

Busy time here, so if I have been remiss or late sending emails and visiting blogs forgive me. See you all soon. x x x



Same Ted ................ ah bless him.

Amie Soto Blossom's guide to Dartmoor and visiting in Cornwall

When your up early and have to be alert always make sure you get a good nights sleep. Don't take any notice of these three because they didn't come with us on our day out.
They all had to vacate the bed before we left.
So don't get any idea's that they are very spoilt fat cats.

I'll leave that to your imagination. ......



Yes, they are back in the skies, vapour tails/trails, my typing isn't that accurate.


You'll notice, the smug look, I do smug. Aloft even. But I am always on my very best behaviour when we are out visiting. I have to keep up the Cavalier trait you know. No matter how old you are, always be a lady.


Because if you play your card right, you get a reward.
I have a passion for ice cream, don't think the other two were pleased that I had so much.
Can't go visiting and not get spoilt can you ?



A large plate of ice cream and a sausage later makes you thirsty on the way home.

Notice the blanket and seat belt. ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT.

I know I've mentioned it before but ALWAYS make sure you sit on the back seat and not in the back bit of the car behind the dog guard. That means you are taken places. Sit on the back seat and you are chauffeured.

I keep telling you, but no one listens !


Dartmoor is good.
Wide open spaces.


Horse riders.
Never get near the back end of a horse, especially if your a small dog.


Stay well back and keep clear and they pass by.



Never ever worry or chase the foals, there are many of them around at this time of year on the moor. Silly things tend to sit in the road.
I know you might be tempted to move them off, but leave them. They never thank you for barking at them.
I uff, I never bark.
It's not lady like to bark... Uff is fine........ unless your asleep and miss seeing them altogether.


Lambs are another big NO NO.....
This one was photographed at a distance.........


You can however, paddle in the streams on the moor.



Then make your way home, being careful to go slowly past all the other animals.


Hope you all had a good day.
I did, I shall probably sleep for a week, but it was worth it for all the ice cream.......

lots of love Amie Soto Blossom x x x

New bagged Bear on the Bridge

I thought you might like to see the kind of bear that I normally make.
I like the new look bears, but my favorite bears are the teds that look like real old teds.
Made from older style patterns
I've used my last pair of real boot button eyes on this guy, so I will spend ages hunting down more boot buttons.

Soggibottom bears are older style bears.
This guy hasn't been messed around with. No face shaping, no shading.
A traditional hand sewn mohair bear with a growler so he can talk.

He could have told me that the postman had come this morning while we were out.
A very, very big surprise as I wasn't expecting a parcel from Canada.


Ages ago Dolores made her daughter a bag, I admired it from afar when it was posted on her blog and cheekily asked for the pattern.
I promptly forgot about it as I thought I had maybe pushed my luck and was far too cheeky to ask anyway.


Such a surprise to find the parcel from Dolores with not just the pattern, but with two beautifully made bags.

They are both so well made and one is lined and has inner pockets.

Thank you very much Dolores.

I have trouble carrying bags, they have to go on my shoulder.
Dolores you will never know how I love and appreciate these.
Even more because you made them and were so kind and thoughtful to send them.



The bear in the bag ?

They get everywhere don't they ?

Don't cage bears

They really don't like it.



They get terribly bored and always have that want to break out feeling.


They are much better with their friends in the wild, or in this case with Perkins in the soggibottom garden.


Contemplating


QUIET BLUE SKIES !

Felty things

I've been playing around with felt.
I like working with wool.


It has that touchy feely aspect.
Hannah knows that already.


I never said I was any good at it, I just like playing around to see what I can come up with.


The reason for showing you..... today we had our fuzzy felt thing through the post from a butter company. I never said which one, you'll have to look closer at the fuzzy felt board.


We saved for ages to collect cows from butter wrappers. We're still waiting for a cow blanket to arrive. Slightly tempting to play with the fuzzy felt board. I'm going to resist until we go to see our Grand kids again. I think Jake might be too old for them, but I know someone who will love them. So Tilly May, if your looking in, they are yours. As long as I can play too.



The mirror frame is mosaiced from sea glass.
It's now about 10 years old and it's pleased me to think it is still in one piece as it lives outside. No bird in the cage, you can stop looking for one.

Alpacas in Wiltshire, picnic and a potato

I did promise not to share all the photo's taken over the weekend, but thought you might like to share the Tilly May and the Amie Soto Blossom picnic experience before you see the rest of the post.


Don't think Amie really wanted to wash up somehow.


Or wear Tilly May's boots.



You always know when it's time to go home don't you ?



Amie has slept for two days by the way. But great to see her so active, if only for an hour or so !

A big thank you to Caroline from Uniqart for my potato painting.


From Caroline's blog give a way into my hands.
Thanks Caroline for making Tony, Amie and I so welcome as we nipped in on route to Devon. As always, just passing by.
Sorry for all the potato jokes I have given you over the months, you took everyone so well.
When is the next give a way of your beautiful art?
If you click here for Caroline's blog you can travel over and see for yourself.

It might not take you the amount of time it took us on Sunday to get home again.



Don't you just love detours ?


They are Alpacas, I had to take another look out of the car window to make sure.
As the traffic was moving I couldn't get you a closer look. If I double click on the picture it enlarges it, so give it a try. Forgive my laziness for not doing it myself for you.
I never knew they had Alpacas in Wiltshire.
The hour detour did go on a bit, trying to find another route along narrow country roads, in the end we decided to go with the flow of the traffic.


Wouldn't have seen the Alpacas.


Might have missed the sunset, sometimes detours aren't that bad.


Home sweet home... ah sweet potato ....................