Battle of the Somme

I'm a little out of order here but there it is - I am on vacation after all.

After Vimy Ridge we headed down to Beaumont-Hamel to see the site of the Battle of the Somme.

This was a markedly different battle than Vimy and Passchendaele; the Somme was originally lost, and lost badly.

And call me crazy, but you can feel it there, as palpably as you can feel it and see it too, in the roughness of the grass.

This is a battlefield that draws you in, you can walk through the trenches, and there is a path around the perimeter that takes you in turn, to the Newfoundland Monument,

Here the messengers ran from Officer to men and back again, reporting positions and relaying orders. The trenches zigzag to keep the enemy from determining the actual location and direction and there are trenches themselves  zig-zagged all across the battlefield.

A messenger in WW1 had a life-span of 3-5 days.

It was a volunteer position, but the soldiers were unaware of the of the statistics - they volunteered because Messengers were permitted to sleep in the tunnels, away from the mud and the artillery.
But Messengers had to wear white arm bands so they were easily identified and given right of passage  - but it was those white arm bands that also made them easily identifiable to enemy scouts and they were a primary target.
Knowing the odds, Officers often dispatched four Messengers with the same message, in the hopes that one would get through.
I saw where they slept in the tunnels and believe me it was no place of comfort. All I could think of was if this was better, how bad was worse?

Messenger Trench

 

1st Commonwealth Cemetery

 

Scot's Monument

 

2nd Commonwealth Cemetery

 

You see all this and more, all the while walking amidst the pockmarked battlefield, scarred by artillery and mortar shells.

Sheep are used to keep the grass short; the undulations of the land remove all possibility of using any kind of lawn mower but it is more important to leave the landscape intact with it's scars than to ease the maintenance of it. The sheep are also used at Vimy; the difference is that there they add a sense of peace of tranquility, but in the Somme it is different. Here they are noisier, head-butting for space, as if they too feel the malaise in the air.

As we walked the trails I couldn't help but also notice the crows. They too were loud and angry, calling fiercely to each other across the tree tops and created the worst din I have ever heard from birds. I raised my head and yelled at them - did they not know where they were? What it meant? 

There was silence but only for a short time and then they started again...

The Somme does not sleep, not yet...

Lazy Beast

Fresh bottle of wine, new attitude.

Me that is, not Bozzy!

Photoshop is a truly humbling experience, but then so is this cat...

He is so daft, as soon as he hears the door to the stove open he comes running. And if his pillow isn't already parked in front of it, he'll sit in the spot and stare at you until you fetch it.

About a half hour after this picture was taken he was sprawled out, head off the pillow on one end, legs and tail dragging on the floor at the other - methinks yet another, larger pillow is in order.

It took about three days and thirty tries to get this edited, texted, re sized and saved. It wouldn't upload to the blog, so I fiddled and saved some more. I saved it under so many different names: Bozzy 1, Bozzy 2, Boz 1, B 1, (you can see an abbreviated pattern developing) and so on, and so on... and the one that worked?

try.jepg

There's A Land - Oh, It Beckons and Beckons

The Spell of the Yukon by Robert W. Service is one of my favourite poems.

I have always liked the easy rhythm of verse, especially because it makes his poems easy to remember!

 This is not Service's cabin in Dawson City, but one of a long-time Yukoner that lives here in Whitehorse and I love it.

What character in such a tiny little building...

Cabins like this used to be commonplace in Whitehorse and area but have fallen into decay over the years, crumbling and falling back into the earth. Not Cora's. She lovingly maintains and cares for it and it is a beautiful little gem, tucked up on the shores of Schwatka Lake, within earshot of Whitehorse.

And no cabin would be complete without the woodpile... there is a real art to stacking wood so it stays in place!

No! There's the land. (Have you seen it?)
    It's the cussedest land that I know,
From the big, dizzy mountains that screen it
    To the deep, deathlike valleys below.
Some say God was tired when He made it;
    Some say it's a fine land to shun;
Maybe; but there's some as would trade it
    For no land on earth -- and I'm one.

Tomorrow I leave and begin the journey home - should be arriving Thursday so will be able to get back to visiting all my favourite blogs - I have missed you all!

Josie's Turn

A few months back I did a post "Bozzy Gets A Brand New Bed", where I showed a photo of his new suitcase with a soft cushion just right for a kitty cat to sink into. (He had decreed his old suitcase too small so I had found a new one at the local antique shop.)

He took to it like a duck to water, but only when I was in my Sewing Room.

One day Josie found it (she's our cat with ears; Boz is without) and as she is the queen of sleeping cats, made herself right at home. She didn't even care if I was in the room - you would find her in the suitcase at all times of the day or night. And Boz didn't seem to mind - at first. 

But then he did.

So I got out the old little one...

And now Josie has her very own highly portable cat bed.

Trouble is, I don't have room on the floor of my sewing room for two!
I suspect location will be the next issue...

Bozzy Gets A Brand New Bed

Years ago I saw a magazine article on recovering old suitcases with tapestry fabric. Two days later I found just the right suitcase at an antique store. I brought it home and laid different fabrics in it to see what would coordinate with the interior and as soon as my back was turned, Bozzy the cat jumped in, curled up and pronounced it his. It has been his ever since!

I noticed lately he didn't sleep in it as much; it seems in his old age it isn't big enough to really stretch out in.

Last week I found a bigger suitcase at our local antique store - it has a grey exterior (which I quite like) and a claret interior (which beautifully sets off Boz's hair). I brought it home, put his favourite blanket in it, and in he went and promptly curled up.

Today I found some flannel fabric that would look alright (for those of you following my fabric reduction program this took up 1.5 metres) and made a pillow insert.

Bozzy isn't sure about it so he wouldn't stay in long enough to get a picture but I am hoping a little catnip will do the trick.

I also spent some time today reading up on photography tips and I practiced on my fabric tag - I think this is a better photo than the one in my previous post!

Now I'm off to wash the patio - the streets have finally been swept and I think there is a chance it may stay clean for a day or too!

Bright Idea, Poorly Executed!

I had a really good idea at a Demo last year. I can't remember what the Demo itself was about, but I was talking about using fusible interfacing to stabilize fabrics that were too drapey for traditional pieceing. ("Drapey" is not likely the proper adjective but I like it and I suspect you will know exactly what I mean!)

I remember thinking "Why couldn't you do the same thing if there was a fabric you wanted for a border but you wanted to cut it on the bias?" We quilters all know what would happen if we cut a bias border (not binding, border) and sewed to our quilt tops! But why not fuse a very lightweight interfacing to the back of the fabric prior to cutting the bias strips? As long as the borders aren't too long that should make them stable enough?

I found the perfect fabric to test my theory - a beautiful festive plaid by Nancy Halvorsen of Art to Heart which I liked best on the bias. In addition to my half metre of fabric I purchased a half metre of lightweight fusible interfacing.

I decided to begin with a small project - a Christmas ornament to be precise. I needed one more sample for an upcoming ornament class and this fabric was inspiring me in all sorts of directions. I fused the interfacing to the fabric, determined how wide the borders should be and made a few cuts. It was easy to cut through but when I lifted the first strip it started to curl slightly on the sides, as all bias-cut strips do. Uh-oh!

I gently tugged on each end and there was as much give with the interfacing as there was without. Then it hit me. Like a rock. I had used a woven interfacing and should have used one that wasn't. I had some so I fused it to a different piece of fabric, cut a strip and was pleased to see my theory was correct - the right interfacing made all the difference.

And here is the result:

My closeups still need a lot of work but you get the idea, especiall if you click on the photo and look at the enlarged version.

Now I just have to figure out what to do with my half meter that is fused to the wrong interfacing!

Let The Fun Begin!

My Fall Session of classes is the busiest I have ever had! Good thing I don't have a full time job... seriously though, I think it will be great fun and I am most looking forward to the Christmas Cupboard series of classes. In case you don't know about it yet I have come up with a plan for both decorating your house and having gifts to share! We're starting in the Living Room in October and from there to the Dining Room in November. December is all about ornaments and gift bags and tags - great last minute gifts and wonderful ways to present them!

Each class has several projects you will work on plus a bonus project where you will get the instructions but won't actually work on it in class time. And of course, each has a tasty treat to nibble on while you work! You'll not only get the recipe, but since we have teamed up with Culinary Inspirations next door, you will also get a discount card to save on the featured ingredient if you wish to purchase it from them. So, let the fun begin!

And just to tantalize you a little, below is the bonus project for the Gift Wrap Class - it's a door hanger to keep all away while Santa's Elves are busy in the workshop!

Come and join us,

I promise it will be more fun than you can imagine!