Adventures of a Slow Stitcher ....

“There is October in every November and there

 is November in  every December!

All seasons melted in each other’s life!” 

Mehmet Murat ildan 

So the second part of several posts continues when we went to Strawbery Banke in Portsmouth New Hampshire.  It was a beautiful day so very hot.  When we were there it was 25 degrees and unusually hot even for New England that time of year.  The leaves said Autumn, the weather said Summer!

Strawbery Banke is a an outdoor history museum and is located in the South End historic District of Portsmouth in New Hampshire.  It is the oldest neighbourhood in in New Hampshire to be settled by Europeans. It features 37 restored buildings built between the 17th and 19th Centuries in the Colonial Georgian and Federal style architectures.  The buildings once clustered around a waterway known a Puddle Dock which was filled in around 1900.  Today the former water way appears as a large open space.

It was such a fun filled historic day and I picked up some hand woven book marks and some ribbons.

It was called Strawbery Banke as it is said when the settlers docked their ship, all along the banks were wild strawberries growing and thus they thought it a good name.  I love it and today they sell things there to do with strawberries.  I also picked up a strawberry wax

seal as I love writing letters and thought it was a very pretty way to finish them off on occasions.

We also got a chance to walk around the historic town of Portsmouth as well and take in the old town hall and architecture and some old cobbled streets still in existence.

Walking around on such a beautiful warm day we wandered and bumbled and stopped for a coffee and some lunch.  We stumbled across a great little shop with all sorts in there.  I found this wonderful quilting book and stood there looking through.  My husband found two cocktail books that tickled us both.  ' Gone with the Gin' and 'The Speakeasy' so all three books managed to come home with us.

I will get around to doing a little review of this book because I am sure you all would like a little peak as it really is a bit different and a great find.

On the Sunday we went to our favourite place The Shaker Village.  It was such a wonderful day with hot sun but a little breeze which made the gorgeous coloured trees rustle and the sun danced off them.  The peace and tranquillity of this magnificent place is truly magical.

We wandered around and picked up some leaves and took in the sheer beauty and calmness of the Village.

I did some shopping in their little shop and manged to get home a shaker box for a Birthday present for my friends Aunt who was thrilled with it and I got home four for my personal collection this time.  They travelled safely in our cases and I worried that they might be broken but as you see the beauties survived the trip.







As we were wandering around the grounds something caught my eye and I could see colours in a
green tree so I walked up to investigate further.  Tied in the tree was a bundle of different coloured fabrics and no one knew who or why they were there.  It is strange because against the vibrant colour of the tree and the blue cloudless sky they looked like they belonged and the tree had somehow grown them.

I had to take a picture and as you will see it really was colourful, there are no filters on this photo just as I snapped it.  We had our lunch at The Shakers Table and the soup I have to report was really good even on a warm day as the Horse Barn where the restaurant is situated is cool and has lots of things to look at whilst you are having lunch.

We had such a great day and it was our Anniversary too.  We left when the village closed and said goodbye for another year but first we had order something.  The Shaker Village want to build a patio for the barn and so they are asking if people would like to donate a brick with a number of words on it for a certain price donation.  Well we did very much want to so we have ordered our brick with our names on it and the date of our wedding and underneath put Our Anniversary.    So long long after we have gone we will still have a part of us there at Canterbury Shaker Village.  It will be finished by next year so of course we will go back and see it ....  We thought it fitting and so did the staff as we go every year on that date ... 15th October.

The next day I was lucky enough to go back to Quilted Threads to have the last look about and to say my farewells.  Becky who owns QT does not usually allow photos to be taken but she has allowed me once again so that I can show you all.  It is a white clapboard house and very large made into this wonderful quilt shop.  Inside is a wonderful stair case that is a square gallery one so that quilts can hang from the top and on the walls.  Even on the floor below you can look up at the most beautiful quilts and workmanship.

There are fabrics from all over the world and such a wonderful selection.  Something for every taste and pocket.  Becky has coach loads of ladies turn up to purchase at QT and people independently from around the world too.

Lots of Canadian ladies come to Henniker to purchase their quilting needs and wants and all over America ladies make the journey as well. In such a small town that one wet night all those years ago when we first went to America and found an Inn to stay in, we also found the best patchwork and quilting shop that I have ever had the pleasure to be in.  What a find!

It was time to say goodbye and get on the road to our next part of our adventure.  We were off to Cape Cod to a wonderful place called Chatham.  This is where I bought the little pumpkins for the photo shoot of the threads and they stayed with us, as you know until the bitter end.  If I could have

got them in to England I would have.

The day was another beautiful Summers day in the Fall and I was looking forward to the 3 hour drive so that I could look at all the Fall foliage along the way.  The adventures of a Slow Stitcher continues on Thursday.

I am so sorry that there has been this problem and I think it is now resolved as far as I can see so if you are reading this then you know it has been.

I would like to thank you all for your patience and for all the kind words and support for my Mum.  I am happy to report when I got there, although there is a huge change in her she smiled a beautiful smile when she saw me and gave me a huge huggle.  She held my hand and my friend Jo and I took her out for a coffee.  She did not remember I had been away for over 3 weeks and wanted to know what time I had left her yesterday!!

See you back here on Thursday, hopefully bright and early once more and the problems have been resolved.

Take Care and Happy Stitching! XX