Dumfries River Walk and Pictures of Brock

Rob, Brock and I went on a walk next to the River Nith in Dumfries. A similar walk can be found here.

Rob took some photos of the graveyard on this misty day, and of Brock with his rather amazing coat of fur that has appeared since we got him in September. Before that he had seemed to be fairly short haired with bald patches!

Patchwork, Embroidery and Weaving Exhibition

Rob and I went to the Gracefield Arts Centre in Dumfries today, where an exhibition called "A Trio of Textiles" is being held 21 April - 12 May 2012.

The exhibition includes work by local artists and crafts people in the disciplines of embroidery, weaving and patchwork & quilting.

Sadly, I forgot my camera, but Rob lent my his phone camera to take a few snaps.

These chocolates were lovely - felt decorated with beads and embroidery, in a handmade paper box.

This wall hanging is made of felted wool. The colours, patterns and textures are beautiful.

I am very fond of miniatures, so this tiny, embroidered rug caught my eye.

There were dozens of patchwork quilts, artworks, bags, and toys etc to see.

Back in the weaving exhibition, we both loved these woven wall hangings - unfortunately this poor quality photo does not do the colours justice. I bought some hand dyed fabric and cotton embroidery thread from this artist.

This exhibition is well worth a visit. Entry is free, and there is a cafe and a craft shop to enjoy afterwards.

Kilnford Barns Farm Shop and Restaurant

On Monday, Rob and I stopped off for lunch at the Kilnford Barns Farm Shop Cafe on the way back from our walk at Glenkiln.

The farm shop is just off the A75, and has a large car park. The shop has butchery and cheese counters, fresh fruit and vegetables, frozen, chilled and delicatessen goods. We bought some leeks, celeriac and other bits and pieces while we were there. The vegetables were very good value, and many are locally sourced. I made a big batch of vegetable and bean soup with some of them.

The cafe is bright and airy, with modern furnishing. We picked the vegetarian lunch from the grill, which was grilled halloumi and beetroot salad. We also had a cappuccino each (one large, one mug) and a tray bake each. The bill came to £20.90. The salad came with char grilled halloumi, beetroot wedges, beetroot leaves, red onion and a balsamic, blackcurrant and fig dressing. It was very tasty, especially the dressing. The only minor complaint would be that the halloumi had a rather burnt aroma, and personally, I would prefer it fried flat in a pan so that it heats up more and cooks more evenly. The coffee was good; the tray bake was fairly standard and a bit pricey.

This beautiful quilt was hanging on the wall near our table. It was made by Kate Henderson of Clarencefield, Dumfries.

We will definitely be glad to visit the restaurant and shop again. I will give the mixed salads bar a try next time: it looked very appetising!