Wednesday 16 February 2011

Tea and buttons

Hello! Thanks for stopping by and thank you to all of you who left such wonderful comments on my recent posts. I LOVE reading them :)

Last week I ventured out on a wet and miserable day to visit the beautiful old spa town of Harrogate in North Yorkshire. I met my sister and brother-in-law with the intention of sis and I doing some serious fabric shopping while BiL would go off and do mmm anything BUT fabric shopping!

Of course, you can't visit Harrogate without visiting the famous Betty's Tea Rooms!




If you look carefully at all of this scrumminess in the window, you can see my favourite Betty's creation - the Fat Rascal. This is a sort of cross between a scone and a rock cake (those of you from outside of the UK will probably be lost at this point!) with a smiley face made of cherries and almonds. Very, very yummy!

This is one close up! The photo is so poor because I was trembling with anticipation! That is my excuse anyway.



And the lovely ladies who work in Betty's allowed me to take their picture amongst the bakery goods that have made Betty's famous.




It is like stepping back in time and makes a lovely change to the ubiquitous coffee chains we have everywhere now (although I am very partial to a Costa soya latte!).

On the way to our fabric fest, we stopped by the most amazing little shop that was dedicated to.....






Those of you from Yorkshire will no doubt recognise Duttons for Buttons! A little button-y grotto, filled with colour.

We then reached a little fabric remnant shop that was  absolutely stacked to the ceiling with fabrics of every type and description. It required some careful manoeuvring to find the table of fat quarters, where we spent some time pulling bundles out and putting them back, only to try and find them again! You've been there and done that. I wanted some fabric for a project I am planning in the future... a quilt for my bed, which is a super king size. So not ambitious at all, no not at all. :)

I want it to look French and so chose a selection of inky blues, terracottas, beiges and browns. No toile, I'm afraid but I have managed to track some down. Not at all my usual colour preferences but I can see this thing in my head so clearly. How to get from never having made a quilt to this huge, huge guilty thing. Mmmmm





Meanwhile I crochet. More on that later!

Oh and look what I bought for Jemimah. I promise not to keep going on about her but I had to show you these. After shopping for a boy for so long it has been lovely perusing all the girlish things the internet has to offer!






How cute are they??? Both pics are from Babipur, by the way.

Enjoy the rest of your week! xxx

9 comments:

  1. Ooooh those fabrics are just lovely. I particularly like the blue flowery one in the middle next to the pink flowery one. And the blue polka dot one. I do love dots. We lived in Hull for six months awhile back and despite my best efforts we never did make it to Harrogate. And now I want to go even more. And that babygro is just adorable. Btw, I got to the end of your posting and saw the Moulin Roty needle craft case which I bought for my 8 year old niece for Christmas. I must admit I had trouble giving it away! C.x

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  2. great post Andrea! I love the shopping story, it looks amazing and delicious, even for this non-UK citizen, haha. The buttons are nice and the fabric you got is fantastic! I love your superkingsize ambition, why not go for it?! And the baby-girl items are indeed: soooo cute!
    Have a great day,
    love Maaike

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  3. Oh I´d love to see that button store and the fabric you´ve bought is beautiful. Supercute girl babystuff too. Seems it was a really great day with your sister. I wish you a happy rest-of-the-week.

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  4. What a fabulous day out!!!Bettys tea shop looks fantastic, what an emporium! The button shop looks amazing! Button heaven! Love the fabrics you have chosen, it will be a beautiful quilt one day - just remember it isnt a race, its something you can pick up and do as and when time and the mood take you. I have still to finish a double quilt (my first big one!)for my daughter - I started it a couple of years ago when she was 12, the quilt top is finished but it is just waiting for the sandwiching and quilting! I have all the stuff to finish it now, even the special safety pins for pinning the layers - I'll get there soon! I deliberately set out to do a double quilt knowing that I wouldnt get it finished whilst she was in a single bed - she is now asking for a double (shes 15)so i was right not to do the single! Hopefully it will be finished before she goes to uni!!!

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  5. That tea shop looks amazing and so do those buttons!

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  6. Those wonderful shops.... I like the buttons. What on earth is a rock cake??? Beautiful fabric, have fun time sewing!

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  7. Oh what a lovely way to spend the day.I love those cute little shoes

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  8. My heart actually skiped a beat when I saw the Buttons!!! O...M...G...!! I'm obcessed with them...the B word!...Ha! Really enjoying ur blog, thanks for sharing! :) cata***

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