Family history, Interiors

Fabric of Life

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If you’ve stayed with us here at Sheiling you’ll probably have noticed lots of different fabrics.

I like to use tablecloths and cloth napkins at breakfast.

My table linens drawer

We’ve “inherited” lots from our families, I’ve used the quotation marks because they aren’ t a valuable inheritance, not in monetary terms anyway. Others were presents, people know I love dressing a table.

a vintage lawn tray cloth

Fabric is also a way of introducing colour and pattern, our walls are plain and painted in cool colours, cushions and throws add warmth; they tell a story too. Downstairs in Nancy the cushions and throws are Welsh, upstairs in Flora, Scottish tartans.

Some are purely decorative, some made by local craftspeople, others came from the students on the textiles course at Heriot Watt University in Galashiels. They had an exhibition each year in the Textile Tower House Hawick, (where Bramble was born, she’s a Teri terrier!). One was woven on the other side of the world.

And in the places you don’t see?

Even the booking diary has a vintage fabric print!

"Strawberry Thief" furnishing fabric by William Morris - stylised birds, fruit and flowers.

Fabrics featured are vintage, Melin Tregwynt, Anta, “Clyde” by Audrey Logan, FunMakes Good, HazelMadeIt felts, Timorous Beasties and Hatti Pattisson.

Caroline.

Food, Uncategorized

Lemon Curd

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Lots of guests have asked George for the recipe for his lemon curd, (and who can blame them, it’s delicious). We didn’t have a copy written down but as promised here it is:

Ingredients

4 lemons

50g unsalted butter

100g Caster sugar

4 free range eggs

Method

Squeeze the juice of the 4 lemons.

Melt the butter in a dish over a pan of simmering water.

Add the lemon juice and sugar and stir until dissolved.

Beat the eggs and add them to the mixture in the pan – slowly. Keep stirring the mixture as you add the eggs.

Once the beaten eggs are fully incorporated, leave the bowl over the pan of hot water and stir occasionally. After about 20 minutes the mixture will thicken.

While you are waiting for this sterilise your jars in the oven at

120 degrees Centigrade for 10 minutes.

Once the mixture has thickened pour it into your jars and seal them. The curd will keep in the refrigerator for 3 weeks or more.*

You can also use a mixture of lemons and limes.

*if you can resist it!

Days out from Sheiling BnB, Tourism

A little spot of R’n’R

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The hot sunny summer may have left with our guests but we enjoyed our afternoon off visiting Maolachy’s garden in the glen above Kilmelford.

It’s a lovely spot with winding paths, steps, and a burn. The young at heart can enjoy a game of Pooh Sticks at one of the bridges, with a bucket of twigs waiting for their players. The actual young can enjoy a treasure trail around the garden, I spotted some of the treasure but was pretty sure I was too old to claim it.

 

It’s not  garden full of showy specimen plants,  but  as the owner says “…By not struggling to grow tender or late species we take much pleasure from those that are happy to grow here”.

Isn’t that a great philosophy?

 

If you’re in the area there’s also Arduaine garden , and for food and drink Room at the Top above Kilmelford store and the Bistro at Loch Melfort hotel , both dog friendly.