Time to get a bit fruity .......

..... if you get my drift. The brand spanking new Long Dog Samplers design called  Les Cerises is officially launched today so I expect you'll be wanting to see what it looks like.  All in good time ..

 

... because first of all I want to show you how lovely my poppies are looking this year despite all the howling gales and heavy downpours we've been experiencing here at the Chateau.

 

 

And, what's more, my secret sundial that I made out of an old tree stump refuses to function because of the apalling weather consequently I've no idea what time it is when I'm out in the grounds.

 

 

Here it is, picture 007 on my computer so it's licenced to thrill!  I seem to have cut the edges off as usual so here's a computer image too for good measure.

 

 

Now, quick as you like follow this link over onto the Long Dog site http://www.longdogsampler.com/

where you'll find all the intricate little details you do so love to chew over and then in one, impulsive leap order your copy immediately just in time for your summer holidays or whatever it is you Australians get up to this at time of year.  You know it makes sense so - ready, steady, sew.

 

 

In the meantime I shall just keep slogging away at this little beauty, with the same old needle Louise, so that it will be ready for your delight just as the blackberries burst forth in the hedgerows once again.  Could that be a clue - I wonder?  Incidentally this picture has been out there on Pinterest to tantalise you for a while now.  I shall be speaking to you about your lack of attention next time we chat and some of you may even be sent to stand in the naughty corner to repent of your ways.  I said that in my stern voice which I coupled with a wry twist of the mouth so that you can't really tell if I'm joking or not!

 

 

 

 

What's in a name .....

.... that which we call a cherry by any other name would taste as sweet - to misquote the Bard, sorry Will but "rose" just doesn't fit the bill when you have a new design called "Les Cerises" about to be launched in a weeks' time.

Go on, try one before the birds get the lot.  The cherries here at the Chateau are almost ripe and it's going to be a race between Geordie, Mouche, the pigeons and me as to who gets to them first.  It's a foregone conclusion I'm afraid because I was born with very sharp elbows to match my tongue.

 

Meanwhile to continue giving old Shakespeare a hammering "to tease perchance to dream" here's today's first snippet.  I bet you'll all be glad when next week comes and you won't have to put up with any more of my childish nonesense for another few months.

 

 

Let's face it, you're not getting any closer to guessing what the finished design looks like, are you?  What's that Alice, you have an idea.  I should look after it well if I were you because not many of them seem to drift your way of late do they?  See what I meant about the tongue!

 

 

Perhaps we should come at this from a different angle.  Let's try a few statistics to set your heads in a spin and your hearts leaping with anticipation.  I know size isn't everything (yes, that onld chestnut again) but we have to start somewhere, Les Cerises is 198 x 288 stitches.  Admittedly not one of the biggest Long Dog's on the block but certainly nicely proportioned for a little light holiday stitching.

 

 

It's pretty colourful too (despite the black) and all in all there are twenty colours involved with a Gentle Art conversion included for those of you who find good old DMC just a little too predictable for their taste.  Go on, walk on the wild side and mix your dye lots - I double dare you.  Didn't you just know that Camilla would rise to that one

 

 

Oh! how nice, are these for me - you shouldn't have gone to so much trouble when you know I prefer chocolates.  That's it, show over for today.  Did anyone spot the naughty little motif that's the odd one out which I slipped in from another design.  Don't all e-mail at once 'cos there no prize on offer for the first correct answer.  So ladies and officers of the 5th Hussars currently on manoeuvres close by, next week it really will be show and tell time.  Don't be late, bring a friend and be prepared to be seduced by a dazzling, darling design of Long Doggy delightfulness comme d'habitude.

 

 

Oh! we're riding along on the crest of a wave .....

Yes, you got it in one, it's those wonderful chevrons again ... tee, hee Alice.  'Fraid so, this one includes a verse too - are you averse to a verse?  Don't be silly Julia, continue.

 

Today is a particularly momentous occasion as it marks the fiftieth post on our Long Dog blog.  I shall just wind up the gramophone to play you a quick fanfare - is it loud enough for you?

 

 

It's really a great pity that you can't all be here in person to celebrate with me.  As you can see I am wearing my pantomime horse costume to get into the swing of it and you'll never guess which famous celebrity is in the back half.  All I will say is that he has very cold hands and that I've told him he has five minutes to stop whatever it is he is doing before I call for help. 

 

 

To continue, and to tease further (being careful not to split my infinitives, not you in the rear trousers, you've had quite enough excitement for one day) here is a blurry happy snap of yet another little section of the forthcoming blockbuster from Chateau Long Dog.  I think my modesty is what people often find so attractive in my personality.

 

 

Taken at an odd angle I admit but, excuse me a minute - Deb I know you had a late night last night but could you at least try to look interested and not as if you blundered onto this blog by mistake - where was I?  Ah yes ....

 

 

Time for this one more before lock up (as they say in the Scrubs) and Russell dear, if you really must smoke. please don't forget to put your cigarette out properly.  Last time you stopped over and set fire to the mattress it took days to get rid of the smell.  Ooops! nearly gave away the identity of the mystery celebrity horseing about with me and that would never do.  Keep 'em guessing .......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where's my sharp stick?

No, I'm not going adder hunting although they are in season right now, and neither am I going to make any of my usual tacky jokes about being poked in the eye with one (a stick that is and not an adder) although I am sorely tempted, 

- what I am actually going to do is stir you all up a bit in order to make sure you're taking notice.  So stand to attention because here comes the first tiny glimpse of the new Long Dog which is due to be let loose from it's kennel at the very end of this month, just in time for your summer holidays. 

 

There, now that didn't hurt did it?  Not much to go on yet but that's intentional.  Yes I know Alice that you hate Florentine chevrons but tough, life isn't all flopsie bunnies you know.  Life isn't always a bowl of cherries either (and there may be the first tiny hint of a clue to the title in that last bold statement).  Ready for another picture - here goes .....

 

 

There you go Alice - sitting on top of those horrid, horrid chevrons which are enough to make you seasick is a little chick-a-birdie about to get his beak stuck into a giant cherry!  Any the wiser yet?

 

 

Oh grief! not more cherries and Florentine bits, I'm starting to get bored already.  Don't despair 'cos you aint seen nothing yet!  I shall give you just one more little peep (as the actress said to the bishop) and then I must go and prepare something gormet for the dogs as I've given the kitchen staff the weekend off to visit the saffran fair in the next village.

 

Sorry, this is Geordie disguised as a red herring.  I've only got to mention food and the cuddle monster arrives out of nowhere looking ravenous.  This is what you should have been looking at!

 

Job done I think.  Nobody any the wiser and hopefully everyone eagerly awaiting next week's denouemont with baited breath.  I'm rather into black at the moment as you can see - it matches my finger nails after all the gardening I've been doing lately.  A la prochaine!  Bises a tous.

 

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Please tell me I'm not the only one ......

... who gets up at 4am with the burning desire to find something out.  I really should just leave myself a message and get back to it later but that's not how it works.  This morning was no exception and I found myself tapping "Who was Foulk Walwyn" into my search engine (not to be confused with Fulke Walwyn the racehorse trainer).

Apparently old Foulk was around in England in 1623 because his name appeared on the Gloucestershire Visitation for that year.  And then ....... nothing more.  Still never mind, that's not what I wanted to quickly tell you about.

This is what really got me all fired up.  Dear little Cindy Chapman Wasner has taken her Long Dog called Words Alone (probably his racing name) for a walk.  She's added Co Spinhoven borders and the words Brehmhearth and Casper Mountain thus making it unique - HER VERY OWN!  Bravo Cindy, that's what it's all about, that's what makes getting up at 4am worthwhile.  Well done my woman.

Come on the rest of you, don't just sit there, send me something, I'm on the hunt for pictures!

Bloomin' gardens .....

The Chelsea Flower Show in London, which I have been avidly watching all last week via satellite, has been and gone again for another year leaving me feeling rather ashamed of my lingering sea of mud and rather fearful of sudden attack from insecticide immune aphids - giant ones of course!

 

However, anyone mad or brave enough to risk knocking at my front door would probably never guess what horticultural horrors lie hidden (nice illiteration eh!) behind the calm exterior of Chateau Long Dog.  A propos of nothing in particular, did you know that the famous landscape designer Capability Brown had an alcoholic brother nicknamed Incapability Brown!

 

 

Back to the plot, the gardening experts were banging on about companion planting which I found rather interesting.  I didn't know that flowers could feel lonely so I've stood both my pots of fuscias side by side so that they can become friends but as you can see one of them has fallen over already.

 

 

 

Still on the subject of companions, I thought it might be time to unleash the other half of Dare to be Different upon my unsuspecting public.  This one's called (can you guess?) - Life is a Journey, and once again features the dude birds up to their tricks again.  It's a pdf freebie so feel free to ask, very nicely of course, if you would like me to ping it to you by the miracle of email.

 

I know that Camilla and I both like a man in uniform but these Chelsea pensioners would be a step too far on the wild side for either of us.  Sorry Sgt Major but I think you can stand the troops down for this evening as I think I fancy a spot of cool blues and something racey to read this evening as a change from my sewing.

 

 

Damn and blast Jacqueline, you guessed!  Cab Calloway and the St Louis Blues karioke version so altogether now "I hate to see the evening sun go down .....".  These sunsets at the Chateau can be so beautiful, either that or another UFO has just crashed in St Flo!