MIAM

MIAM

Sunday 27 April 2014

The Glory Of The Garden

After a five hour crochet marathon yesterday I finally finished my cot blanket just in time for my colleague's baby shower today ....are you thinking what I'm thinking?   It's by no means perfect but so far it is my first finished item, so I'm quite proud of it.  

Ta dah!


Look at that lovely shell edging, I only learned how to do that on Friday....but fortunately it was simplicity itself.  I'm keen to crack on with the other crochet WIP's now, in order to finish them so I can concentrate on sewing.  I still haven't bought the fabric for my skirt but I'm off to Sewing World in Tunbridge Wells on Monday so watch this space.

With the crochet finished I had time to whip up a quick card for LIM's current sketch challenge



 and CASology's garden theme



apologies for poor photo but very overcast today so had to grab a window of opportunity when the sun made a brief appearance.


I used :
ancient watering can stamp - Inca Stamp
Labels one nestabilities
Memory box dies - Fancy Blossoms
sentiment - Penny Black

Whilst making this card I was reminded of  The Glory of The Garden by Rudyard Kipling.  I read this poem at my mother's funeral at her request, she was an avid gardener and I'm ever grateful for all the gardening knowledge that she passed on to me.  Even though I have sad memories of this poem  I nevertheless think it paints a rather lovely, if romanticized view of an Edwardian garden.  



OUR England is a garden that is full of stately views,
Of borders, beds and shrubberies and lawns and avenues,
With statues on the terraces and peacocks strutting by;
But the Glory of the Garden lies in more than meets the eye.
For where the old thick laurels grow, along the thin red wall,
You'll find the tool- and potting-sheds which are the heart of all
The cold-frames and the hot-houses, the dung-pits and the tanks,
The rollers, carts, and drain-pipes, with the barrows and the planks.


And there you'll see the gardeners, the men and 'prentice boys
Told off to do as they are bid and do it without noise ;
For, except when seeds are planted and we shout to scare the birds,
The Glory of the Garden it abideth not in words.
And some can pot begonias and some can bud a rose,
And some are hardly fit to trust with anything that grows ;
But they can roll and trim the lawns and sift the sand and loam,
For the Glory of the Garden occupieth all who come.


Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made
By singing:-" Oh, how beautiful," and sitting in the shade
While better men than we go out and start their working lives
At grubbing weeds from gravel-paths with broken dinner-knives.
There's not a pair of legs so thin, there's not a head so thick,
There's not a hand so weak and white, nor yet a heart so sick
But it can find some needful job that's crying to be done,
For the Glory of the Garden glorifieth every one.


Then seek your job with thankfulness and work till further orders,
If it's only netting strawberries or killing slugs on borders;
And when your back stops aching and your hands begin to harden,
You will find yourself a partner In the Glory of the Garden.
Oh, Adam was a gardener, and God who made him sees
That half a proper gardener's work is done upon his knees,
So when your work is finished, you can wash your hands and pray
For the Glory of the Garden that it may not pass away!

And the Glory of the Garden it shall never pass away !

If you ever get the chance to visit Batemans, one of Kipling's Sussex homes I recommend it.


It's been too wet here for much gardening lately but my seeds are coming along nicely.

Enjoy what's left of your weekend.

23 comments:

  1. Well done on the cot blanket, that is really lovely. So nice to see a baby thing in white!!

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  2. How clever to use egg boxes to plant seeds. I've never seen that before. Your friend will be thrilled with the blanket. My cousin made one for my daughter and it's one of the things I kept hold of. Very special! x

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  3. I too planted seeds but unlike you I forgot to label them so it's going to be interesting trying to figure out what is what!

    I love your baby blanket so pretty, how did the baby shower go??

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  4. I have so much admiration for you managing to read that poem for your mum.. It must have been an act of great love.
    Your card is fab!
    Thanks so much
    Chrissie
    Less is More

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  5. Are you thinking - what the hell is a baby shower, and how did we become so Americanised? And do we have to give a present after the baby is born as well? Or; phew, that was close, got it finished just in time! Anyway, whatever your thoughts, that's such a sweet blanket, I love the pretty edging!

    That's a great card for anyone who loves their garden. Well done for reading the poem out at your mum's funeral, that must have been really hard, but you were doing what she wanted.
    Look at all those very neat little seedlings - your mum would be proud! xxx

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  6. What a fun spring card. Love the crocheted blanket - very classy!

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  7. Goodness me Fiona, lovely crochet, gorgeous card and getting your growing done. You have just reminded me I must check my potatoes are covered tomorrow. xx Flora

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  8. Gorgeous blanket and cards. I picked up a crochet hook for the very first time yesterday. I could only dream of such a fantastic result on my first project.
    xx

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  9. such a lovely poem, I know how hard it must have been to read, I really can't remember reading mine at Dad's, so focused on trying to hold it together.

    Seedlings look like they're doing well on your sunny sill, great card too, and super duper crocheted blanket - lovely shell edging, haven't tried that yet x

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  10. Hi there, just catching up! Your blanket looks great! Hope that your seeds are doing well and that you had a good weekend. xx

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  11. I love that you grow your own seedlings! Perfect card for this week's cue card! So glad you joined us at CASology this week!

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  12. Thanks for sharing the memory of your mom and beautiful poem. Your card is perfect for Garden theme, and I love this!!! Thanks so much for playing with us at CASology. May

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  13. I had to go to a baby shower once - never again. What a strange thing to do and even odder to invite a woman whose chosen not to reproduce!
    You are a clever girl with that blanket, its gorgeous. I really need to get my seeds started this week - I'll probably end up buying some seedlings from the old man at the car boot instead! xxx

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  14. Well done you..and beautiful it is.
    No pattern yet for the penny cowl but its a very basic US Terms alternate rows of sc, dc. with simple 12 sc 24 dc large pennies and 12sc, 24hdc for the small pennies...hope that helps a bit?

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  15. What a stylish card, the kraft works so well for it.
    Amazing crochet, well done!
    Thank you for your LIM entry this week
    Anne
    Less is More Designer

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  16. Love your interpretation of the sketch. And the baby blanket looks fine to me - I'm a beginner at crochet too and have nearly finished my first blanket so you're ahead of me!

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  17. I love the baby blanket. I want to learn how to crochet. Two people have tried to show me but I am right handed and they were both left handed so the success was not good lol. I will keep trying. Xx

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  18. Baby shower? Wow. What a lovely job you've made of that blanket Fiona, it's beautiful. I bet the mother was thrilled. Talking of mothers, how amazing that you read that poem at your Mum's funeral. What fortitude and what a lovely tribute. So exciting to see seedlings forging ahead. I'm desperate to get everything out now! Xxx

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  19. I love your card its so pretty. Did you use individual stamp letters? Is the card for someone special? The poem is so beautiful, I love it. Thnks for sharing this I know its special.

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  20. I love your card its sp pretty. Did u use individual stamp letters? Also, thank you for sharing the poem. Its beautiful and special for you.

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  21. I planted my seeds yesterday it felt so good it get dirty in the sunshine. Thank you so much for your kind caring comment about my Dad, you gals are the best at making someone feel the love.
    Xxoo

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  22. It's a beautiful baby blanket! I love to crochet, just don't seem to get anything finished! I have so many things I like to do, it's difficult to chose something and stick with it until finished! LOL! Beautiful card for the LIM challenge!

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  23. Hello Fiona, well done on your new cricket, tis lovely! You're very clever to do that!

    Your card is beautiful! I love those nestabilities, my sister has quite a few and I bought her some new ones for Christmas. I have lots of punches but don't own a bigshot or any die cutters.
    I wish I had read your post before my Grandad's funeral, it would have been a very fitting open for him. X

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