I have created this blog to share my interest in all forms of stitching, quilting, sewing, knitting, medieval re-enactment and costume making – particularly my love of historical embroidery. I also love travelling,especially when it also involves any of my other interests.
Just a quick post to show you the ornament that I sent to Terry in the USA – she mailed me to say that it had arrived safely so thought I would share the pics with you.
Quaker Tree ornament
It is another Quaker design from the freebies at The Workbasket site – I really love these designs and is again stitched on my lovely sparkly evenweave with Silk Mill thread (I know I am getting very predictable!).
The back of the ornament
The ornament is backed with some beautiful pink paisley fabric that I bought from the quilt fabric sale a while ago and again one of the little scissor charms – I love charms!
Am planning a very nice quiet weekend – and going to finish sewing the baby cardi (have done the boots) so can post pics of those later. Ellie has two friends from Uni arriving tomorrow (they are all off to Spain on Monday) so we may be able to have a BBQ over the weekend – at the moment it is raining very heavily!
Apologies for the lack of posts in the last week or so – we have been away for the Bank Holiday weekend doing a re-enactment event at Ashby de la Zouche Castle and with that and the general busyness lately have been very slack at blogging.
I have however been doing quite a lot of stitching and knitting and have some things to share with you. The first pic is of the scissor keep that I made to send to Tracy at Cupcakes at Home – she is having a raffle to raise money for her rescue sheep so do go and visit her and buy tickets.
The scissor keep - a freebie design from The Workbasket site
I stitched this on my favourite 28 count sparkly evenweave again with Silk Mill Lilac thread – the design is an adaptation of one called Quaker Tree from The Workbasket but I just stitched the top of the design.
A close up of the stitching The back of the scissor keep with one of my little charms
Last week I went on a day trip to London to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum – the reason for the visit was to see an exhibition of quilts but I also got to visit the Textiles collection and drool over all the wonderful stuff that I have seen in books. Have loads of pics from that but will have to spend some time sorting them out.
While I was there I went to John Lewis as I have read lots of people’s posts about visiting there (also popped into Liberty). Did not buy anything in Liberty but in John Lewis I did buy two of these gorgeous tea light holders for my garden.
My cute little tea light holder
I also picked up one of their garden furniture mags all full of pics of the good life with the loveliest furniture and knick knacks. I really liked this pic so have stuck it on the wall in my utility room – I wish I could spend my life having afternoon tea in the garden like this!
Look at those pretty macaroons!
But we have been indulging in the good life here as well as we have had our second BBQ at home this year – which gave me a chance to use my newest Jamie at Home purchase – my bamboo food covers – aren’t they pretty!
Our outdoor dining table
I will leave you with some pics of my lovely children – we had a very nice weekend at Ashby and the weather was very kind to us – it was very wet as we were travelling down on Sat but stayed dry all weekend if a bit cold and windy on Sunday. But we did have lots of people come to see us and a couple of very nice evenings round the camp fire – the good life indeed!
My beautiful Ellie in the Ashby sunshineJacob looking very handsome in kit
I hope that you all had a lovely weekend – see you back here soon and thanks for visiting.
As promised here are some pics of the new Jamie at Home items. Some of these are from the party I attended a while ago but there are also some of my new purchases that arrived yesterday, also got lots of lovely things for people for Xmas which shall remain hidden!
My lovely storage jars in various sizes
I couldn’t resist these – ceramic topped versions of the traditional Kilner jars which I thought were very cute and very good value – tiny ones £2.50 and largest ones only £6 each.
My mezzaluna, platters and terracotta
And here is my mezzaluna! I have wanted one of these for years – I bought my brother one for Xmas a long time ago but no-one has returned the favour so had to get myself one. It is a device for chopping herbs etc with a shallow bowl and double handled blade.
Underneath that is a round wooden plate and I also bought the long bread and dip server and an assortment of terracotta bowls for tapas. Am planning to do lots of entertaining in this glorious summer we are going to be having!
Well it has been lovely weather here – last night I got home late and so when I had finished tea sat outside with my free Jamie magazine and a couple of glasses of wine and just enjoyed the garden and the birdsong. Today I also sat out after tea for another hour or so – I really do love this time of year! Am planning the first BBQ of the season tomorrow – wish me luck!
I also had a lovely piece of stitching in the post – my Spring Ornament from Terry through ASOE arrived.
Beautiful flowers
It is now hanging on the patio doors to complement all the lovely flowers I can see in the garden. I really like the beaded hanging string – I often get stuck when trying to match stitching colours to braid for hangings and had not thought of doing that before.
Hopefully my piece for her will arrive soon so that I can show you pics of that.
Hope that you all have a lovely sunny weekend – thanks for visiting.
I hope that you have had a good and very productive week. I have got loads done despite being really busy again at work. This week has gone very quickly due I suspect to it being 4 days rather than 5 – wouldn’t it be lovely if every week could have a day off – rather than a Bank Holiday we could all have a Hobby Holiday every week.
I’m sure it would make sense economically as production would remain the same – even be higher as people would be more relaxed, happier (especially if you read all those studies about craft activities lowering the blood pressure and releasing endorphins). All we need is a political party that believes in that kind of policy and problem solved – we wouldn’t have had a hung parliament!
Anyway I digress. I have decided that in the same way that I love doing small items of stitching I also love doing small items of knitting. I really enjoyed the teddy and all her outfits and am going really well on the baby cardi I started last weekend.
The back and left and right front pieces
So much so that I have bought some more Sublime wool (this time in the gorgeous turquoise colour) to knit another cardi for the other baby in the family.
It is a great pattern and knits up really quickly and the Sublime wool is very lovely to knit with – it is very soft and silky.
The stitching has been coming along very well and I have finished the ornie for my Spring exchange – can’t show you pics yet but I am very pleased with the end result. It would have been winging its way to the USA as we speak had I not inadvertently deleted the e-mail with my exchange partner’s address in (doh) so am waiting for her to mail that to me again.
I have finished the stitching for my scissor keep for Tracy from Cupcakes at Home’s raffle to raise money for her rare breed sheep. Please go and visit her site if you haven’t yet and do buy some tickets. All I need to do now is sew it together and add the braid.
The completed Quaker motif from The Workbasket site
After the cardi is finished I need to cast on for some Forget me Knot flowers. Our knitting group are making some to give away in exchange for donations at our Knit in Public event day in June.
Stitching wise I have a WIP with my JWB designs cockerel to finish (only done a tiny bit on this start) then I think I had better get cracking on some Xmas ornies – it is May after all and as I have about 12 to do it really is about time.
Will leave you with a further pic of the lovely flowers that my students bought me last week as the lilies have come into flower. They are so lovely – it always amazes me that this perfection and wonderful use of colour comes from Nature every one just as perfect as the other with no intervention. I love lilies and have loads in my garden just coming through. The clematis is nearly in flower as well and looks to be fab this year so will post some pics of that soon.
The very nice thing about teaching is that I always get two periods of the year which are about new things and feeling optimistic about the time ahead.
This time of year is one of my favourite – from a work point of view things are getting quieter, my lovely garden is starting to look beautiful again with lots of new things blooming every day. The camping and re-enactment season has started (hurrah!) and hopefully I will feel much better in time for the next event.
September is also a lovely time as that is when all of the new students start and that is again a very optimistic time – for me and for them so I really look forward to that, This September will be very special for us as Jake will be starting sixth form and Ellie will be starting her second (!) year of Uni.
We have also got some new beginnings in our family as my cousin Joanne had a baby girl yesterday so I would like to send big, big hugs to her, Tom (the proud dad) and Elan (the proud big brother).
The baby has not got a name yet but will have a cardigan soon as I cast on last night for the little wrap cardi I have been waiting to knit for her, the yarn is Debbie Bliss Sublime again and the pattern comes from this book Cool Knits for Kids by Kate Gunn and Robyn Macdonald which I got as a nearly freebie from my Let’s Knit magazine a little while ago (just had to pay for postage).
Lots of lovely knits in here for birth to 7 years old - should keep me busy for the new babies for a while!
This is the cardi pattern ….
Pic from book - not pic of actual new baby in cardi!Look lace again - I can do this now!
I took the above pic this morning and have already finished the back so it should be a quick knit though work will stop play once we finish having the lovely Bank Holiday weekend!
I am planning to make these bootees as well to go with it.
Am going to do the cardi border and the shoes in the same Debbie Bliss purple that I used for the scarf
I have finished the lacy scarf and am about half way through the Quaker piece for the raffle so the crafty weekend is going very well.
The original design
The design is called Quaker Flower and is freebie from The Workbasket site. I am modifying it as it is going to be a scissor keep so am only stitching the top motif on my favourite sparkly evenweave with Silk Mill lilac thread.
Apologies if you are bored of the Marrakesh pics – if so skip this post. This one is devoted to the amazing places we visited. I was lucky enough to visit the Alhambra in Granada a few years ago which is the most amazing place if you like Islamic art and architecture so it was wonderful to go to Morocco to see more.
We visited the Saadian Tombs on our first day which date from the 1600s I think – members of the Saadian ruling family and their staff are buried here in wonderfully decorated chambers and gardens – full of cats sunning themselves!
The hall of twelve pillars Amazing carved ceiling and plasterwork arch
The buildings in Marrakesh are mainly terracotta coloured which contrasts so well with the blue skyThe minaret of the mosque next to the tomb - this was a good orientation point as it was very near our hotel - helped us not get lost in the Kasbah!
On the second day we went out to La Menara which is a man-made lake with a summer palace and olive grove gardens – the best place to view the Atlas mountains and we had a great view of them as it had been raining the day before so all the dust had settled.
Look at that for a view - beautiful snow capped Atlas mountains!
We then walked all the way back to the main square past the Koutoubia mosque – another good marker to let us know where we were and a beautiful building.
The minaret of the Koutoubia mosque
Later in the week we visited the Madrassa Ben Youssef. This is an old Islamic college which was extended in the 1600s – it reminded me so much of the Alhambra palace. The wealth of detail and the standard of the workmanship are amazing – all the more so when you think that it has survived the last 400 years. Awe inspiring!
We are off to Worcester this weekend to see my sister whose birthday it was last weekend – Happy Birthday Jacky – and to see Ellie.It has been a very busy week here but a very nice one – there has been sunshine (yes in Yorkshire!) and I even managed to get out in the garden and do a bit of clearing up and pruning for a couple of hours on Tuesday – a miracle.
I am making good progress with the wardrobe for the little bear I have made – am half way through the third dress for her so will hopefully be able to post those finishes soon – meant to take pics of what I had done so far today but forgot before it got dark!
I am also starting on a new stitching project on Monday – seems ages since I did any stitching but was inspired by a fabric purchase at the weekend to buy this chart that I have had my eye on for some time. JBW Designs do some lovely charts and I am thinking of treating myself to their Christmas pudding one to stitch for my tree for this Xmas.
I had hoped to have pics of a completed bear to show you but though I have been hard at work on her today she is not quite ready. I have sewn together all body parts (the head has turned out very well thankfully!) but I think the arms are too big. So I have left it for tonight as I will have to take them off then unravel an inch or so which needs much concentration.
I do hope that you have had a lovely weekend – I have after a very busy week at work. I travelled to Leeds on Friday for work and wandered around a bit after – with camera this time – as I had some things I wanted to do.
Leeds is a very beautiful city with some amazing architecture – particularly the ironwork in the arcades and the terracotta buildings. The picture below shows the lovely roof of the Leeds City Market which is well worth a visit for a real old traditional market.
The market roof - not a very bright day but it does let a lot of light in
While I was wandering round I found this lovely fabric in the remnants bin of one of the stalls – looks very much like blackwork so it had to come home to be part of my stash!
Only £2.50 for a metre - bargain!
I also bought these very cute cupcake cases ….
Am thinking choc chip and strawberry maybe....
Then wandered through Victoria Quarter where all the very expensive shop are – Harvey Nichols, Vivienne Westwood etc.
Another beautiful glass roofThe top of the arcade has a wonderful orange motif all along it
The shops in this arcade have the most wonderful window displays like this one from The White Company.
Look at this for cute!
One of the reasons for wandering was to go and visit the University of Leeds Textile Archive (ULITA) which I have been meaning to do for a while now. My inspiration for going this week was that they had a small Embroiderers’ Guild exhibition from the Leeds branch on – unfortunately I was not able to take any pics but there was some nice stitching there. As well as that exhibition there was a selection of the Textile Archives on display with the theme of Natural Fibres.
You can go and look at the thousands of things they have in archive via this link and find info on visiting the collection at the ULITA Wiki – I hope that they do not mind that I have used a couple of pics from there to show you what sort of things they have.
A blackwork bag An embroidered purse
My favourite pics in their digital archive come from the Louisa Pesel Collection. Louisa was the first President of the Embroiderers’ Guild and collected embroidery from around the world. There are some lovely examples here.
Will probably not be posting again for a while (unless I make great progress on the bear in the next couple of days) as we are off on a holiday (hurrah!) at the end of the week. My Mum arrives from Spain tomorrow and we are off later in the week to Marrakesh! I am very excited – have been reading my guide book and am really, really looking forward to seeing the wonderful architecture, gardens and markets – I may feel the need to purchase textiles – you just never know!
Sorry but could not resist the post title – am getting on very well with the components of the bear – not got a finished item yet but here are the parts.
Well it looks a bit like a bear ....... with a strange shaped head!
I am about half way through the gorgeous little dress and have decided that making small knitted animals may well become addictive. Am planning to make another dress to go with this bear and then I remembered that many moons ago when obviously my enthusiasm for buying knitting books far outweighed my prowess in actually knitting anything I bought this book.
Too cute!
The book Knitted Bears by Claire Garland contains patterns for bears but more importantly clothing for said animals – who could resist this dress …..
A little frilly knitted dress
and these are just the cutest little shoes ……..
Little baby bear boots!
A very, very long time ago I knitted and stitched a wardrobe for Barbie (they were great pieces to do – took no time at all) which Ellie really loved. So I may well have to devote some time to toy production – especially since we have more snow here this week which severely lessens my enthusiasm for being in the garden!
Look at these little faces – don’t you just love them all?
They all look so cute!
I have also today just got my Valentine exchange pice from Maggee in the USA. Look at the detail on this wonderful heart ornie.
Such neat stitching
It is now hanging on my conservatory door and looks so pretty. It is stitched on 32 count Bone Lugana and I think the design is called Tugtika from HDF. Anyway it is very, very pretty and thank you very much Maggee.
Maggee's heart ornament
Have today finished stitching a gift which I will be able to reveal next week and have been finishing off another scissor keep – pics of that will have to be posted at some time in the future when I have given it to the recipient.
Hope that you are having a happy time with textiles – thanks for visiting!
I have just been and checked the ASOE web site and was delighted to find that my Valentine exchange for Maggee in the USA has been delivered – very good considering I posted it on the 29th Jan.
The front of the ornament - stitched on evenweave with DMC thread, seed beads and heart ribbon
The pattern was an old one that I have had in my pattern collection since the late 1990s from a cross stitch mag and was originally designed as an Xmas ornie in red and green.
One of my usual little charms on the back - love this gingham - reminds me of primary school summer dresses!
Maggee really likes pink so I decided to stitch it in pink and green and try out a new finish with this little bordered cushion with the pink gingham. The little charm was from my stash – not certain where I got it from – may have been my LNS some time ago.
It was very simple to finish and generally quite a good stitch – not very quick as there is a lot of evenweave to be covered with the check background and it is very tiny! However I interspersed this project with knitting to give my old eyes a rest!
I am pleased that Maggee likes it and eagerly await getting my ornie from her.
I am having a lovely Sunday doing lots of things that I have been meaning to do for ages like back up all my camera pics and little bits of domesticity that are not too taxing. It is at the moment a lovely sunny Sunday so they may even be a chance for gardening later (once I am out of my dressing gown – do not want to scare the neighbours!).
I love Sundays during the winter months – we are so rarely here during the summer due to all our events so it is lovely to be inside all warm and cosy with the prospect of knitting and DVDs later on this afternoon (hmm ….. Little House on the Prairie or Tudors Season 3 – decisions, decisions…..). I cast on for the head of the teddy I am making last night and so far so good so may be able to show you an item that looks like a bear later in the week!
I do love being at home even though I love travelling. I am lucky enough to live in a very nice house – the kitchen is especially lovely so I though I would share some pictures of it with you so you can see the hub of my domestic creativity. I love looking at pics of other people’s houses on blogs (satisfies my inner curiosity!) so thought you might like to see some of mine. I have to say this niceness is very little to do with me – the whole thing was remodelled by the previous owner and was one of the main reasons I bought this house.
It is an old house – about 100 years old and is a stone built terrace that looks very traditional from the outside. It has all the original features in the hall and lounge which I love and you will have seen pics of the lovely fireplace, mantel and hall if you have looked at my Xmas decoration pictures. But then you go though to the back of the house and see the kitchen.
Very much a TV cooks kitchen where I can pretend to be Nigella and Delia!
The only thing that I did when I moved in was to paint the central unit and the back wall red as I felt it needed a bit more colour and add some pics . This is what used to be the old dining room of the house – the old kitchen is now a utility room and a conservatory was built on to be a dining room.
You walk through from the kitchen into here
The dining room is my creative space for large projects and sewing and is one of my favourite places to be as it has a lovely view of the garden – my cat Blackberry also likes being in here – in the above pic you can see him sitting in his favourite place on the left hand windowsill above the radiator watching the birds!
The kitchen looks very funky from the dining room.
The island unit which is also a breakfast bar
The black marble worktop on this unit is great for cooking as I have loads of space to work and good for pastry as it is always cool but a bit of a nightmare to keep clean – it shows every mark! The pictures on the wall at the back are of the New York skyline in the 1920s which is particularly significant to the story of moving into this house.
I like to decorate my rooms in themes and the look of the kitchen immediately suggested New York loft apartment to me when I came and did the viewing. That in itself was significant as I was off to New York the following day with some friends from the medieval group on a hen weekend. I had been trying to move house for some time and had put in two offers on other houses which had fallen through due to not being able to sell ours in time.
This property I spotted when we were on the way out one day – being in the next road along from where we used to live – so I arranged a viewing the evening before I was due to leave. I really loved it so ended up ringing the estate agents the very next day before I flew to New York and putting in an offer. A very tense 3 months followed where I thought I had lost the house for various reasons and we ended up temporarily homeless for a week as we had to move out of the old one before we could move into this! However it all worked out very well in the end.
When we first moved here four years ago I didn’t have a much time for cooking as I do now due to the general busyness of work and family life. However my job role has changed and I am now no longer out in the evenings and with just me and Jake here the housework is reduced so I am very much enjoying the time to use the kitchen outside of parties and special occasions.
I have just bought a new spice rack as I am doing so much more cooking – previously they were all in a cupboard and it took ages to find things but now everything is at hand!
Space for 16 jars and it revolves ...... how useful
So that this post is not all about the house I shall now share some more stitching. I thought I had finished putting up pics of the gifts I made for Xmas then realised that I had not posted those of the jar decorations I made. My brother’s partner, Amanda, makes the most fantastic jams and chutney so I gave her and Ben, my brother, a jar of my Nigella’s Chilli Jam each for Xmas alongside their other pressies and also decided to make her some little decorated bands for jam jars.
Aida bands of different widths with cross stitched blackberries and raspberries
The patterns came from one of my very old Cross Stitch mags and these were a great quick stitch. I bought the aida band at the Harrogate Show. Ellie also stitched one as well for Amanda but unfortunately I do not have a pic of that.
Well thank you once again for visiting and hope that you had a happy Sunday!
Stitches of Time 