The banner for Homespun .... This one is the keeper!

All my scattering moments are taken up

by a needle and thread ....

This is so typical of me! but unpicking is a curse.

Well as you all know I stitched a banner last year and I showed you some of it in a blog back I think in October 15 ... anyway I was not that happy with the fabric that I choose and thought it too big as well some how.  So as I told you last week I unpicked the bloomin' thing.  ( I hate unpicking for lots of reasons including that it is always, in my stitching anyway, antique fabrics and I have a fear of ruining it)  My husband says when I am unpicking I mumble to myself and he thinks I swear and curse quietly .. a lady never tells !!

Anyway I saw a piece of antique linen on Ebay which was once a tray cloth and it was fine and delicate with some antique embroidery in beautiful colours and I thought .... that will work, that is what I am after so I bought it without getting out of bed!!  It arrived and had been laundered and pressed beautifully and so I set about the design for this, to make it my own and to be the face of Homespun, the love of vintage ..... I have had some lovely time stitching it and am happy and pleased with the outcome.  I was going to frame it and then I thought maybe it would be best just to pin it to the table cloth of my vintage stall on the front.  Unless you have a wall behind you and able to hang a picture, which when framed is quiet heavy and could give someone a nasty bump if it fell, then it is probably the best option..... So the picture above is of the original embroidery in beautiful colours.

Already having some delicate embroidery on the four corners I drew on there in light pencil the
words and embroidered them and then I had to think of some of my own embroidery to add to this and make it my work and my front of house as it were.  Then when I am not at a vintage fair it can hang in my sewing room ..

So what are you thinking so far?  Well I have finished it and pleased with the results.  Can you see the little bee buzzing around the flowers?
I had so much fun with this and it was just the right piece of vintage fabric and it had the muted red berries that the original embroiderer had worked and it blended with the colour that I wanted for the words so it was like it was meant for me....

I keep pressing it gently and the press mark is coming out down the middle but slowly.  I am going to damp it slightly later and put a thick towel on the ironing board.  Turn it the wrong way and press it.  When you have embroidery and buttons this is the way to press as the buttons etc sink into the towel and they do not break or flatten so there is a tip for you all.

Well this one is the keeper and is the front of house for Homespun, for the love of vintage.  I am off to press it again to get it completely flat and then pin it up in my workroom until I do a vintage fair sometime.

Come back tomorrow to read all about the Vintage Bazaar  at the weekend.  I have to collate all the photos for you all to see.  It was an amazing fair and I was so glad to be out and to see some of my lovely friends ......

Have a great day and of course Happy Stitching!