I’m in the cabin, feeling outside of time, drifting and dreaming, yet quite purposeful. A quiet day is mine, to myself, and casting all pressure out the window to free up my mind and fill it with colour and texture, fabric heaven.
I haven’t been in the Embroiderer’s Guild for very long, but need to make a start, doing rather than thinking, so last week decided to get out the floss and some pale blue Essex Linen, and have a needle-doodle, and here’ s what I did, just three daisies, stitched with two stitches, Lazy Daisy and French Knots. It was just a tiny little piece, stitched in a hoop, and anchored to a concertina type card with stitched crosses in each corner. I like it. The idea has possibilities…
I have a new pattern in the making, and the first finished item of the four is a little book bag, using the applique boy bear pattern which I prototyped in the last blog. It’s just right for carrying a few toys or little books when you’re out and about with a small person…
Feeling quite pleased with the hand quilting, which was last night’s relaxation mechanism instead of a glass of wine, I thought I’d photograph the back of it for posterity, because once it’s inside the bag – which is lined, tragically, no-one will be able to see it!
And here’s the bag completed, with top-stitched handles, mis-matched buttons – because I like that look. It’s lined with a pretty cream fabric with a tiny red star. I like to stitch my handles to the outside actually using the buttons to secure them in place, and I’ve learned the knack of doing this on the sewing machine. I don’t break many needles, honest.
Having set up my camera, I thought I’d photograph some fabric packs for the website, which I’ll be taking to the Duxford show next week. The colours are a breath of fresh air, speaking of Spring, Summer, fresh air and the shaking off of Winter. Thank the Lord for brighter light and longer of it…
Seathrift is a name I’ve used before, and here is a new version of it in a fat eighth collection. Beautiful combo of Peppered Cottons, Grunge, and Moda Crackle…
10 fat eighths for £17.95
10 fat quarters for £35.00
Gorgeous new Tilda fabrics are in stock, I’ve packed them into two collections and called them both Tilda’s Flowers. Sorry if it seems pricey, it’s just one of those things! This is the lilac based set.
10 fat eighths for £20.75
10 fat quarters for £41.00
This is the other Tilda set, based loosely on gentle shades of jade and turquoise, sprinkles of really sweet pretty flowers.
10 fat eighths for £20.75
10 fat quarters for £41.00
Discovered the beautifully packaged Bee’s seeds at Bickerdikes, a really friendly garden centre in Letchworth where Dad lives. Last week he took us for lunch and treated me to some seeds. I am worse with seeds than a starving child in a sweet shop…
Cosmos is one of my all-time Summer favourites, in all its wonderful permutations and colours. Thought the packaging was beautiful, and the price at just £1.49 per packet really good value.
I took a close up of this Tilda fabric, because I just thought the colours and the drawing were pretty and well done. And that it would look nice next to the seeds…
Doris is still sighing and stirring everything up outside, Drew’s had to come back from the station as no trains are running to London today, and now he wants to muscle in on my computer! So my next job will be to tack out and start hand quilting the cushion which is the second item of the new pattern.
Next blog will be about seeds and Greenhouse Work, the whole self sufficiency malarkey for the coming Summer!