Getting All Touchy Feely

As far as sensual delights go, Shoestring Cottage has been dishing up a few tactile treats for us.  Last weekend while poor Mr Shoestring was dredging about in the bathroom wall linings he unearthed this strange artifact.  It was curiously smooth and beautiful for holding in the palm of the hand and rolling between fingers.  We were mystified as to what purpose it could have ever served and thought perhaps it was some sort of counter for a board game.  It seems to be made of bone, or possibly ivory. Whatever it was originally for it is lovely to hold and roll about.  It doesn't have a hole drilled through the centre, so we discounted the idea of it being a button but perhaps not knowing is best, we can just enjoy it for being perplexing and mystifying.

Then Mr Shoestring found this beautiful moth which though not suitable for stroking just cried out to be touched - so velvety and rich looking.  It stayed in the house for a couple of days motionless and I wished I could reproduce its colours in an embroidery, but somehow I don't think you could ever achieve the deep glowing rich shades.   

At the flea market was a carved nut, which opens up to be a small box.  From this side view you can see the opening but when you hold it in your hand you can't detect it easily, it had to be pointed out to me by the stall holder.  It is so knobbly and rough looking but smooth to the touch, another thing for smoothing and stroking.  

When we visited Mrs Peaceable I couldn't help notice a shelf where she had displayed a group of rounded white quartz stones, worn smooth by who knows how many years of rolling around in the sea, being ground down by sand and other stones.  They had recently been brought back from a much-enjoyed family holiday in the sun.  My hand was itching to feel them and Mrs Peaceable kindly offered me one to take away, but it seemed cruel to separate them from their companions so I left them all together on the shelf.  But what a temptation. 

What I was supposed to be doing this weekend was stitching up a dress from this fabric off the bargain table at Spotty.  

It was not to be though, I was distracted by the oxalis bulbs all popping out willy nilly through the lawn and the garden.  I know you can win the battle but never the war with oxalis but somehow it is addictive, you think you will just tackle one small spot and before you know it you have spent a couple of hours with your favourite pointy trowel, engaged in a hopeless task and fighting the good (but futile) fight.  So the fabric remains uncut and will be a silent reproach to me when next I go forth to the sewing room to do battle.  

I thought I was being extremely clever when I spotted a viola seedling in the lawn when mowing, and transplanted it into the garden - never overlook a free plant.  I was quite disappointed this weekend to see its brassy bright tones shining forth from the carefully colour coordinated border where I had planted it.  

You can see the culprit at the bottom of the photo above

This was the general idea, coleus, fuchsia, white lobelia and impatiens and mauve/purple violas.  Not a trace of yellow in the mix until my seedling made its grand entrance.  It seems heartless to pull it out now though after it has survived the lawn mower and transplantation, so there it will stay.

One more interesting thing which came to light at the flea market was this souvenir plate from 

Rotorua.  It fits nicely with the Te Aroha spa souvenir plates and the South Seas Exposition plate - I feel another collection coming on! (Like some illness or dreadful malaise.)

And as Madam La Post kindly pointed out to me, my little house is so bare and deserted, this is just what I need, more things to fill it up.  She and I spent a happy time turning over pieces of fabric, sighing and tutting over each other's taste in colours but agreeing that really we are a couple of fabric connoisseurs.  Of course there was a fair bit of fabric stroking going on, in keeping with the general touch feely theme of the week.