Festive craft fair at the straw bale cottage

Heck It's December, I can look back and think how miserable November has been, I've been ill with colds for most of it. I think I was clear for a few days in the middle of the month but then at the end I got the variety of cold with the persistent cough which I've still got and I also lost my voice 4 days ago. After many home cure remedies, the worst was eating raw shallots with sugar, I am just starting to get back a croaky voice. It's years since I had this and I'd forgotten how inconvenient it is, I've not been able to go out to the post office and 'ask' for things to be weighed so I've shut my Folksy shop just now. I'm way behind with festive making and selling and I'm very reluctant to go out when I do feel better and can speak incase I catch any more germs.

Anyway in between all this I had promised my friend who builds straw bale cottages that I would attend their craft fair and cottage open day. I knew it would be a lovely event and if I felt particularly rough then I could pack up early. I also wanted to see the unveiling of their nearly completed, large new straw farmhouse so off I went last Saturday with cough sweets, and tissues.

Here is my stall

I'd managed to make some new textile brooches, festive reindeers.

On the stall next to me was Gill from Lavender and Pinks, she had some lovely wreaths and herb hearts.

The event was to raise some money for Yorkshire Air Ambulance and sales of these lovely cakes and teas and a raffle were going towards that.

Look at the cosy fire which Carol had lit for us, it was very warm as we started to get visitors.

I sold a few bits and bobs but that didn't really matter, it was a warm and friendly event with a lovely atmosphere. I tried not to talk too much as I was having coughing fits but it's difficult not to and I felt a bit rough the day after.

I bought myself a lovely little felted brooch off an East Riding Artist members stall, Lorna Soar had made this.

So glad I went though and got to see their new straw bale 4 bedroom farmhouse which Carol and her son have been constructing over the summer, here it is. It has a beautiful terracotta coloured wash to make it in keeping with the red brick of the area.

I have some pictures inside too.
The straw bales are beautifully curved and shaped around doors and windows before lime washing.

In the hallway picture below you can see a round frame they call a Truth Window, it is a little bit of the straw bale they frame and leave visible, they've done that in all their cottages.

I'm sure they will have the internals finished in no time at all and then it will look super duper.

The 2 smaller straw cottages are available as holiday lets.

www.strawcottage.co.uk

PS. thanks all for voting for my fabric but I didn't win.