Friday 30 June 2017

Some dates for your dairies Ladies and Gents .. tomorrow is July!









"Hot July brings cooling showers,
Apricots and gillyflowers."

- Sara Coleridge,






Well Ladies and Gents get out your diaries here are a few dates for it .. I would like to state these are the only ones I know of so there may be more but I am afraid this was all that was sent to me.




JULY  Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd 

Isle of Wight Steam Railway
1940's Experience.

The Railway Station
Haven street
Isle of Wight
P033 4DS
10.00am - 5pm both days.

Entry Adult £13 Child (5 -15) £6.50 Infant (0 - 4) FREE Family £32.50  on the door

Buy online cheaper at iwsteamrailway.co.uk

There is inspired music and dance, Lindy Hoppers, Real Ale, civilain and military vehicles,  war time fashion and hair salon, traditional fair ground, take a stroll through the 1940's Street theme and vintage stalls.

Camping is available go to the website for details .....









Sunday 2nd July

Polruan handmade &
vintage fair.

Polraun Village Hall
19 St Saviour's Hill,
 Lanteglos, Fowey
 PL23 1


11.00am -5pm
Entry £1

There is live music, pop up tea room, Pimms, vintage and gifts.  Stunning views over Fowey Estuary.  In addition there is a mini bus service to and from the hall from Polraun Town Quay.








Saturday 15th July

Fox MarketW7
The Fox
Green Lane
Hanwell
London
W7 2PJ

1pm - 5pm

The venue is an award-winning dog friendly pub with pop up tea room and garden.  It is also very close to a pretty stretch of the Grand Union Canal.

The market has traders selling antiques, vintage  and handmade and up - cycling.

The entry is FREE

The markets instagram is @foxMarketw7 and the Twitter is @FoxMarketW7  
There is also a world press blog too.  foxmarket7.wordpress.com this has a map to the venue with photos as well.




Saturday 22nd July

The Meath Vintage Day

Westbrook Road
Godalming
GU7 2QH

10am - 5pm


Entry is £3 per adult (over 16) Free for children.
Dogs are welcome but MUST be kept on a lead.

There is a Vintage and Artisan fair, Miss Holiday Swing music all day, Vintage Hair and Make up, Cafe Meath goes Vintage, Car and Motor Cycle Show,  Vintage Roundabout and games and Ice creams and food.

There is a park and ride which is free from Godalming college for further details of parking and pre booking Disabled parking call 01483 415095









Saturday 29th July

Talent for Textiles

rag and rummage

St Mary's Hall
South Street
Bridport
DT6 3NW

9.30am - 3.00pm

Entry - FREE

Vintage and Antique Textiles ....





Well that is it for today I am going to stitch and design and potter today, mainly stitch stitch stitch though.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. 

See you back here on Monday bright and early, Happy Stitching! XX

Thursday 29 June 2017

Treasure from The Country Summer Brocante.










Everyone on earth has
a treasure that awaits them!

Paulo Coelho



Just before my show and tell I thought I would tell you about yesterday, all the rain we had and was much needed in our garden at least, I sat out in for several hours.

Yes the large umbrella we have kept me dry and with a throw over me and snuggle in the chair with the cushion I was lovely and cosy. I had a coffee and sipped it with my eyes closed and listening to the rain it was beautiful....

In addition I did some stitching out there as well. I love listening to the rain and it, for me is calming for the soul.  Some will think me mad and others of  you will understand completely.


The textile and haberdashery magpie in me had the most wonderful day of treasure hunting in the
most beautiful setting on a glorious June Summer's Day ....
Breath taking country side and lush green fields and a gorgeous setting, what could be better? - Well marquee's in the middle of it full of vintage treasure!!! I was in heaven.

My first stop as you know was Clare of Lou Lou Retro so I will start there but other than that there is no particular order to who was next, I was like an excited puppy who flitted from place to place.

So when Clare and I had said hello and we wandered to her stall, I tried not to run with Clare trying to catch up as it would have been unseemly! we chatted and she showed me the way.  It was like a moment in slow motion, I could not believe how much gorgeous fabric and quilt pieces were on offer and I really did not know where to start.  Clare presented me with a gift and again Clare thank you so very much simply beautiful bundle of goodies.  Then I went truffling with Clare bless her holding each bundle I picked up.

These were my kind of fabrics for my kind of designs and I was in a fabric comma I do not even know if I was coherent or making any sense what so ever.  You can see why though can't you it was a
feast for all your senses ...





Clare was sharing with Rosa Blue and there was this most beautiful rabbit dressed in a gingham skirt with a angora knitted jumper with her hands in her pockets.  The hands do come out but she looked so lovely like that she has stayed like it for now.  She is sat on the quilt in my sewing room next to my lovely vintage doll made by Niki Fretwell and they co-ordinate beautifully and she will be perfect for Easter on the fireplace next year as well but bunnies are not just for Easter you know!










Then I saw the most beautiful bracelet and it is silver and comes in the most beautiful silver tin firstly wrapped in a pouch.  Now my husband had bought me a necklace as you know but that is for my Birthday in December so no pictures as yet but this was a gift to myself as I love bracelets and rings so this beauty came home with me and will be worn a lot I can tell you.  I do not put jewellery on when I am working only my wedding ring, not even my engagement ring or eternity ring as I do not want to snag anything on the fabrics but I do wear my jewellery daily ..  This was from Lucy Bradshaw Jewellery. The attention to every little detail and the heart is what got my attention and when I tried it on - well I was undone!





Now when sat eating my ice cream on the Little Wren Vintage & Lisa Giles Antiques stall I spied a quilt.  Yes you have already seen it this week but I was not sure how big it was.  As it happened it was part of a quilt rescued from one that had really seen better days and Emma of Little Wren Vintage had cut the square out and edged it with a beautiful oyster colour ribbon.  It fits my kitchen table as a gorgeous table patchwork cloth and I am over the moon with it.  I also pick up two D monograms that I can use white work embroidery over so that they are raised.











From Sonia of The Old Haberdashery I bought a lovely vintage Hungarian table centre piece with cross stitch borders it was only £10 and I thought it would look so pretty in the Winter months and brighten up a table with flowers in a jug.










Mercer and Rose came up trumps with little dainty monograms as well as two really very pretty inspiration packs with lots of tiny little goodies to embellish work with.  I do not think that I have ever walked away from that stall with nothing because for a stitcher there is always a treasure or six.

As you can see in the two inspiration packs there is some vintage Suffolk puffs, French laundry labels, mother of pearl buttons, lace, silk milliners flowers and so much more.

The monograms are H, S and A so I have mine, my
husbands initials and our surname initial too.. So we do not forget who we are, no I like to add them to personal stitching for our home.  cushions on our bed or pillow cases that sort of thing.




And Finally for my haberdashery needs I bought some threads three in fact of the oyster colour that has been purchased for a particular project and was actually on my list to find so I was very pleased indeed. They were bought from Now and Forever, I am really very happy with these and they are already in the project basket and were the last thing to get so that it can be started immediately I am ready to because everything else I already had in my stash ...






And of course our 6 more iron poppy seed heads from The Little Red Robbin Company and when they are all in situ I will take a photo for you to see .... plus some mint plants and some gorgeous tall pretty flower plants too but again they are not planted yet .

Well I hope you liked having a little peek at my treasures that I brought home with me.  They are all now snuggled safely in their rightful place except the poppy seed heads but they are in the garden waiting.

I hope you have the best day and as always Happy Stitching! XX

Tuesday 27 June 2017

The Country Summer Brocante

















Vintage Fair* Marquees full of treasure*
Talented artisans* Attention to detail*
*Countryside with vintage goodies!*
What was not to love.
***






Nestled in the town of Midhurst on the Cowdray Estate in West Sussex was the Country Summer Brocante - what can be better than the English countryside day out? a vintage fair?
In the marquees a carefully curated selection of artisans had set up with textiles, handmade items, decorative antiques, haberdashery,  country garden wares, wild living and so much more! This event is organised and the brain child of the talented Lucy (pictured on the right, this is not a photo taken by me but Cowdray) who also owns the Country Brocante Store in Midhurt and it has just celebrated its first Birthday.

There were talks with Sophie Conran and hand stitching workshops with Caroline Zoob.  The
very talented Hector and Fox provided the catering and the stunning setting with access to the grounds to explore .. This promised to be a great day!

The weather at first looked like it might let us all down, after such gorgeous weather there were very dark ominous clouds hovering around but it did not at all.  It was not cold and in the afternoon the sun shone brightly, but it was not so hot as it had been for the week, which I think was slightly refreshing. ( gorgeous refreshing salads by Ian and Paulo of Hector and Fox)




If I had only one word to describe this event it would be WOW it really was such a wonderful day.
The setting for a start and then when you walk in through the first marquee the atmosphere alone gets you smiling....  I had my list and purse plus basket and a woman on a mission to capture the day and enjoy it as I have not been to a fair for ages.  The last one I attended, I did not get to report on for you with all that has been going on, I was determined this time but it is going to be a little different.

I am recently finding I can not take photos of everyone there and also chat and of course shop and enjoy my day all at the same time.  These events are very busy and there is so much to see and do at a vintage fair of this size and magnitude it is impossible, so I decided that I would put a list of every stall holder that was there and take lots of different photos to show you and to try to capture the essence of this magnificent fair in this blog .... I hope that I will achieve it for you.

We left home with what we thought was slightly cutting it fine to get there when it opened but not at
all we arrived at 9.30am and the show opened at 10am so we were one of the first parked and were able to amble along to get in the queue to go in.  We were at the front really with only a couple of ladies in front of us.  So when it was time to go in it was delightfully spacious and quiet.  This time the marquees were set up in the ruins and it made such a dramatic and stunning backdrop.

When I first arrived I went straight to find Clare of Lou Lou Retro because she had some fabrics there for me to pick up and I also knew that there would be lots of other gorgeous ones on offer too, and as it turned out there was so much to choose from because she had restocked that morning!  Clare actually found me as she knew from my photo that it was me, I however did not know what she looked like because she stays away from the camera and the limelight if at all possible.  It was me in fact that encouraged her to be there and I can tell you all now she actually enjoyed it because it is a social event as well.... I picked up some rather fine stunningly beautiful fabrics and quilt pieces  of which you will see tomorrow but oh my!  It was
lovely to finally meet and we both said that is was like we have known each other for years and  years. I am now hoping that she will do a few more fairs in the future and you will be able to meet this wonderful lady and have a chance to purchase some of the most gorgeous fabrics I have ever seen as well..... watch this space.

Clare and Rosa Blue had shared a stall and the handmade fabrics dolls and vintage children's nursery items perfectly nestled in with the gorgeous fabrics!



Wandering around I saw some familiar faces and caught up with friends, actually in the afternoon I sat in the most comfortable chair ever and had ice cream with Emma of Little Wren Vintage and Lisa
Giles vintage ... There were a pair of the chairs and truly if I had room for them they would have come home with me.  I sat there and chatted eating an tub of scrummy ice cream and they both had the same as my husband had gone off and bought us all some .... We laughed and caught up it was great.  I did buy some bits  as well but I so wanted those chairs ....

There was a cake and coffee tent and it was Miranda Gore-Brown and she was there with her book as well.  We went in to sample a little ,mid morning, well it had to be done.  Everything looked gorgeous as you can imagine but we only tried two cakes between us as in the warm weather not even my cake munching hubby could manage more.  We tried the courgette and chocolate and the rather spectacular carrot cake ... two of our five a day so it did not seem too naughty!  Both were gorgeous but the hands down winner of the both was the courgette and chocolate it was sublime!

All of the stalls were so well stocked and laid out everyone there had gone that extra mile it seemed to make everything look so beautiful.  The little Red Robin was there selling their iron garden items.  You may remember we bought shepherd crooks from them before with garden lights and some poppy head seeds as well.  So we decided that we needed more of the poppy seed heads and bought 6 more.

Although it had been a cloudy morning (although still very warm) the sun came out fully in the afternoon and it shone throughout the ruins and made all the flowers that were everywhere give off such a beautiful scent in the air it was really a most beautiful way to spend a summer day and surrounded by treasure untold.



Helen Morris - Clarke with her exquisite hand made jewellery was there and there and with each design featuring individually selected pearls, Swarovski crystals and precious and semi - precious
stones and my husband bought me gorgeous necklace for my Birthday in December so you will have to wait until then to see it because its been put away already!  I am also going to the Ballet in London for my Birthday so Helen is making me a necklace for that as well ...  I have to get my dress by August so she can guide me as to which colour I should have my choker.








I caught up with Sonia of The Old Haberdashery and Suzi of Hearts n Kisses as well and met some lovely people for the very first time .

I have to tell you that Suzi practically ran out of items on her gorgeous stall.  Her work is unmistakable and people flock to own a bit of it.  One lady Suzi reported nearly cleared her out on the Saturday afternoon. This is a
testament to her talent and expertise.  There is such a beautiful naive quality to her work that makes it unique and collectable ..










Then I met Alfie who was the star of the show.  Alfie had sat in this bucket with a cosy quilt for the
two days only getting out to stretch his legs and have some water.  He did not bark at other dogs, enjoyed all the attention you wanted to lavish on him and he was there with Karen of Ostrich and Silkworm.  The stall was amazing as well and so were Karen and Alfie....

I have never met such a laid back doggy in all my life and so very handsome and friendly I had to go back several times to say hello it had to be done he was such a handsome fella with a nature like no other!









A vintage caravan was there all painted and done up so pretty in the sun, then I spied it was selling
gin!  Pink gin, lemon fizz and all sorts of gin based drinks.  It would have been rude not to indulge so I did.. after all my husband had supported the Wiston champagne tent so I felt it was not just for refreshment purposes but for a report for you guys .. and it was gorgeous! there don't say I do not throw myself into reporting every last thing for you all > grin!












Simone of Ayres & Grace was there and this lady is another shy behind the camera lady but the talent that she has is outstanding, as you know I have a few of her pieces and they way that she captures animals and then puts her unique whimsical twist to her creations is beautiful.  In addition to that she is a very accomplished embroider as well and as usual her stall was so very pretty and you could see people in awe of her work.  You just want to stroke the animals and it took all my effort not to come home with the hedgehog!












There was a florist Wild and Willow outside with such wonderful flowers and bouquets for sale I
took a card.  This very talented florist specialises in bespoke wedding flowers across West Sussex, Hampshire and London.  Not only was it visually gorgeous but you can imagine the scent!


















There were stalls with gorgeous candles and room scents, handmade items, dresses, jewellery, pottery, fabrics, home decoration and French antiques  There were over a 100 stalls to look around and so I have decided to name everyone that was there for you so that you know for the future Brocante which is in August this year, who you might expect to be there plus others we are all yet to meet ..



Wild Planet products.




VAGABOND ANTIQUES * AUGUSTUS BRANDT * BENNETT & BARNES * BELLE EPOQUE * PAINTED HOUSE * GOOSE HOME & GARDEN * SPLENDID TED * DOVE DECORATIVE * TARA FRANKLIN * VELVET RIBBON * OTTOCENCO * ROSEBUD & VIOLET * LOIS PINNCOCK * FABULOUS VINTAGE FINDS * ALEXANDRA GUHA * CHRISTA DAVIS * CHEZ CHIC * DB-D * SU MASON * FOLKSGLOVE *  FORAGE SOMERSET * HANNAH WATCHORN * WILD PLANET PRODUCTS * BONE INTERIORS * HEART AND DAISY * REBECCA  CLARKE INTERIORS * ROSEMARY & FERN * THE OLD HABERDASHERY * SUGAR AND SPICE * FRENCH COTTAGE INSPIRED LIVING * PINK FRAZADA * SNOW JEWELS * GABRIELLE IZEN * JUSTINE JENNER * THE UPHOLSTERER * LIFE ENGLAND * B &R ANTIQUES * WHAT KATE LOVES *JUNO SKINCARE * PARKMINSTER * RAH & CO * BERBEROUCHE * LUCY BRADSHAW JEWELLERY * GIL FOX HATS * AYRES & GRACE * JULIANNA HEALE * PAGODA ANTIQUES * SUITABLY VINTAGE * SUSIE PETROU & FLEURIE * AMELIE EN PROVENCE * CACHEPOT * THE BOTANICAL CANDLE COMPANY * MERCER AND ROSE * HEARTS & KISSES * GROW & GATHER * A THREADBEAR PRODUCTION * WHITES & VIOLETS * MIMI VINTAGE *ROSIEBUD VINTAGE * ROSA BLUE * LOU LOU RETRO * NOW AND FOREVER * THE WOVEN AGENCY * HONEYSUCKLE & ROSES * OSTRICH & THE SILK WORM * DRIFT JEWELLERY * POUND COUNTRY ANTIQUES * DUNTISBOURNE * NANCY MEILAND * ALL THE FUN OF THE FAIR * ETOILE BROCANTE * WILD WILLOW * HOMAGE * THREE ANGELS * TINWORTH * THE LITTLE RED ROBIN * THE KING AND I * WILL AND BEA *  COUNTRY CHIC * BELLE MAISON * PILLO LONDON * CHAPMAN HOUSE * LISA GILES * LITTLE WREN VINTAGE * REC N RUN * MAISON BLEU LIN *********






The above is all the stall holders that were named in The Country Brocante Brochure so I really hope
that I have not missed anyone or there were last minute changes that I did not know about.

I would like to thank Lucy and all her dedicated team who made this weekend a really special one, it was such a great day out meeting up with friend old and new, enjoying the fresh West Sussex air and shopping for treasure in what was the best shopping in a field I have ever come across.

Thank you to all the Artisan stall holders too for being there and making the two days really special as well.  Thank you all for the visual beauty and your talent that your brought to this amazing event.


Lou Lou Retro fabrics ..... <3

Well that is it for today I hope you have enjoyed your little tour.  With so many stall holders it was not easy for me to think how to do this but I felt name everyone and and take a few photos ... Do not forget to come back here on Thursday and see what treasures I did find ...

Have a wonderful day all and as always Happy Stitching! XX



And yes of course I did ... had to buy a few of these threads!!

Monday 26 June 2017

Hand embroidery and stunning fabrics ... what more does a girl need!










Close your eyes and feel the Summer breeze
Take in the aroma of freshly cut grass
and the heady scent of lavender in the air.
Summer Stitching in the garden!
Bliss ...






We had the most lovely weekend and I hope that you all did as well.  As you know I attended The Summer Brocante by Love Lane Vintage but I have to sort through the photos and collate them as well as load them on to my laptop.  I will be showing you that tomorrow as it is something that I have
to sort through today.

Sometimes I get to do it on a Sunday but we were asked to look after a friends spaniel on Sunday and well I was not going to pass that treat up.  Jake is gorgeous and he loves playing ball and is full on and I wiled away happily doing just that with him ....  So tomorrow I will let you all know about the fair and you are in for a treat.  I will be doing something a little different so watch this space...

I am going to sort the photos later but this morning I am going to stitch stitch stitch I really am loving the quiet time stitching and sorting through fabrics for my designs.  I do like my eight hours sleep but I think sorting through fabrics and buttons could keep me awake until the wee small hours and I would not get sleepy!

Vintage old paper and gorgeous fabrics have been my new combination of late and I have done a few designs on that theme.  If it is going in a frame that you can combine with out any worry of not being able to wash an item.  As you all know I have a love of hares as well and have been playing with
ideas around them.

Loving the freedom to plan, create and try out my ideas is a real joy and one that I do not take for granted, that my husband goes to the salt mines (as we call his work) and enables me to do my lovely job and stay at home is such a wonderful opportunity for me and I appreciate it daily.  All the seasons bring the joy of it to me as I can watch them change and with it gives me ideas to make and create.

Doing magazine work and having to think months in advance sometimes is not easy but I got so much done before Christmas last year it was if I knew this year may be difficult somehow.  I have to start working on Autumn and Christmas this week so in the sun I have to draw on my journals and sketches from last year and see what I can make that is a little different and that would, I hope, appeal to the makers out there.


This is what the little leaves has been all about and I want to try and finish that picture/sampler this
week if possible.  I am well in advance for Christmas as I was working on the Christmas sampler earlier this year and I am practically finished on that one.  Summer is here and I would like to get down on the beach a few evening in the next few weeks to sketch and get some summer ideas on the go...    I have a few sketches from when we were in America last ( seems an age ago - it was 2015) Our friends came to us last year but we are still deciding what to do this year because of Mum.  That said I took so many photos and did lots of doodles with ideas in the margins that I have some material to work from.  Although I would love to go back this year as I miss it and the break would do us the world of good .. we will see.








I wanted to show you some ribbon I made out of a piece of old vintage very pretty fabric.  It was in stripes so I decided it would make better ribbon than cut out for applique.  I am very pleased with the results and it is all wrapped around old pegs and stashed away for use in my armoire... I keep opening the door and looking at them so I though I would take a photo for you to see what you think.

I am loving the greens with the little roses and all the variations of the fabric.  The one right at the top on the far left is plain and will be just right for a border to embroider on to in a little garden patch say on a picture/sampler...

What do you think?  I am looking for some red and white fabric in stripes similar so that I can make ribbons or different widths and slight different patterns now as well ..


Well that is it for today I hope that you can join me tomorrow.  Have a wonderful day whatever you are doing and I am away to my stitching oh I hear Percy chirping in the garden he is slightly late today ...

Happy Stitching! XX


























Friday 23 June 2017

Very Slow Stitching in June sunshine.

















Summer Time and the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin' 
and the cotton is high.....

Gershwin 





So now are you all enjoying this glorious weather? I certainly am but it is a bit too hot to stitch unless I am by a fan.  When your hands get really warm it is not so easy to hold a needle without it slipping and pricking yourself, which means blood..... this means some could get on the beautiful fabrics, and
that would never do!

So by the fan on my little stall in my sewing room I have sat reading antique sewing and embroidery books for a while, feeling it is still working as I am increasing my knowledge but I am waiting out the midday sun.

However I am not complaining just in the real heat of the day I am doing something else and looking at the pure blue sky, not a cloud to be seen in a week!  I am trying not to be terribly British and complain about the weather because it all that we do.  Complain it is raining, complain it is hot, but it has been exceptional heat and we really are not used to it. That said I am loving this gorgeous weather and sitting eating our dinner in the garden, at night is glorious..

Tomorrow I am off to The Summer Brocante in Midhurst West Sussex and I am thoroughly looking forward to it, hoping all the treasure will not have been sold today ..
We will be leaving early to get there when it opens and so we can leave at a reasonable time to get back as we are at a Birthday drinks party in the evening and I want to get a full day in.

Whilst I was getting ready to write this blog I heard a familiar cry in the garden, we have a new very tame baby pigeon in our garden, he is fairly big but still fluffy and can fly  ish but we think he has been booted out of the nest.  We feed him and make sure he has water daily.  Already we have rescued him from a cat as well.  You will all not be surprised that I have named him and it is Percy.  Yes Percy pigeon and he now cries for me to come feed him!  So I went out and gave him his food as we want him to make it if we can possibly help that along.

There is a balance though because he is a wild animal and not a pet so we want him to fend for himself too, it is just at the moment he is relying upon us every morning and he is too cute.  So tomorrow we will be leaving before his normal visit so I am just going to leave some food in his normal place and hope that the chuckle brothers (baby magpies) do not get to it before he does.  All the birds are fed and watered in our garden we help them through nesting and through the winter months too.  We feel we get paid back in spades because they are all very tame and the bird song is beautiful to hear and it is also a great honour to be trusted by the wild life as well.

I have been sewing early in the morning to keep up with my progress and the bright light and sunny days and evenings have been fabulous.  In the early evening in the shade I have been taking my stitching outside and watching the garden cool down and the honey bees still working away from foxglove to foxglove! and lupin to blossom it is the best part of my day, that few hours waiting for my husband to come home and stitching quietly in the warmth of the June sunshine.

Also I have been playing around with an idea on some scrap linen and trying out some made up stitchery to see if works as well in real life as it does in my head.  I love that part of my day too the design and sketch part and the lets see if this works well part.

Tomorrow I  will be going to find Clare of Lou Lou Retro and see what fabulous fabrics she has on offer at her first ever vintage fair and I will get to meet this lady face to face for the first time.  I am looking forward to that.  In addition it will be lovely to meet up with some friend there too and sit and have a chat and coffee.  I have looked through my design book and have adjusted my list of things to look out for but I often find more that is on my list ... it is my one weakness!

Well that is it today as I must get so much done.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and enjoy this amazing weather to the full.

I will see you back here on Monday so until then Happy Stitching! XX





















Thursday 22 June 2017

Thread work and discovering a treasure!







The wonders of what can be
achieved with a needle
and thread. Slow
stitching through the ages 
by children especially.




Years ago in a tiny little shack of an antique shop in Brockenhurst in the New Forest, which unfortunately is no longer there I found this little treasure.  In a basket that said everything 50p I went rummaging and came up with two beauties.  Firstly there was the little needle case that was stitched by a wounded soldier from the first world war, I have shown it to you before on here under the heading Soldiers Embroidery Industry .....  It is a piece of history and a work of art and I could not believe it was classed as a bin end!

The second thing was this embroidery by a child who was practising and there are two sides to it which I keep turning over so both can be seen.  It is about 6 inches by 6 inches and is the most delightful and naive piece I have ever seen and it was 50 pence too!

It lives in my sewing room as a sort of a mat on my little drawers and I look at it every day. There is something so utterly pretty about this little piece and I treasure it, keeping it away from the sun as well.  What it was for, if anything, originally is a mystery to me.  The two sides are stitched together but it opens at the top.  There are little holes at the top that once may have had a ribbon threaded through, but I have studied it and can see no date it appears to be random letters and numbers with little daisies throughout one side ..  Well I paid my £1 for both of my treasures and have given them a home with me. 

 I have done lots of research on The Soldiers Embroidery Industry and have written to Windsor Castle where they keep all the history of each sovereign, you may ask why but Queen Mary (our Queens Grandmother) was patron to this cause and they wrote back to me, a letter cherished also.

If I can I like to find out the history of these things, I am fascinated by history and often wonder what the people would think about us all treasuring things they made a 100 years ago or more, would they shake their head in disbelief or would they be pleased that something they toiled on is still kept safe
and loved today.



I have bought some variegated threads to stitch some fabric to old paper and linens on my machine just to keep the tiny bits in place.  Then I will go over it all with slow hand stitching and make it pretty.

Sometimes I wonder in a 100 years will someone find a piece of my work in a charity shop and treasure it too.  I always put some information on the back of each piece I frame in a little handmade envelope with my signature and the date so that if indeed it is found they can have some information to read about and know a little about the piece that I have stitched. 


Life today is just such a fast pace, we all need to be somewhere.  The roads are busy and everyone seems caught up in the rush of the day so I count myself lucky to do what I do and be able to work at a slow pace and watch the world go by staring at or in our garden.  I love the fact that I am keeping some old ways alive and hand sewing.  It has become popular again and that thrills me no end, long may it continue to be popular.  Younger generations are loving it too and that is so wonderful to see.

At the moment I am setting up my next project and will be drawing bits on to the vintage French
linen, this will then be put in an embroidery hoop.  I believe in them and like it when I am stitching words because it is neat and for me it is easier too and with my new found needle holders as well I am very organised to go back and forth from sewing room to garden to stitch.

The next one I feel like stitching is the Autumn one with those tiny leaves, I do not know why but there it is ...  Maybe it is because it is my favourite season I do not know.


In addition I have found in my fabric stash a great inspiration pack I bought from Helen of Rosie's Armoire and it is perfect for my Halloween sampler with Russell the crow, there is some gorgeous black and white fabric, ticking and quilt pieces just perfect so that has gone into the project basket - what do you think?

Well I will leave you with that thought and get on with my day. I hope you all have a great day and for me its some serious stitching today both inside and out.  I fancy lunch in the garden today with my sketch book.

Happy Stitching! XX






Tuesday 20 June 2017

Stolen tiny stitches .. on Summer mornings.









It was June, and the world smelled of roses.
 The sunshine was like powdered gold
 over the grassy hillside.

Maud Hart Lovelace







Early mornings with the sun coming up and the birds in full song is a magical time.  My husband has
to be up very early of a week day to go to work in one of several places in the UK he needs to be in any given week.  In the dark, cold winter months I will snuggle back down for a few hours but in this glorious weather I like to make a warm drink and sit in my chair in my sewing room and look out into the dawn and watch the garden and wildlife come alive and start its busy day....

Sometimes I do a little doodling or maybe read or look through a book, other times I am eager to get a few tiny stolen stitches in before I get myself ready for blogging and the rest of my day ahead.




Today was such a day and it was peek in every project basket that is already to go time... like I was checking that a thief in the night had come along and had somehow pilfered my plunder of treasure! its such a pleasure looking at all the pretty fabrics and I
must admit to counting all the little leaves I have cut out, after nearly loosing one it seems I have to check to make myself happier..

Life has got so much better here at Homespun HQ and I am fitting in all that I have to do without to much drama, still having time to work.  My early morning cuppa and stolen tiny stitches get me ready for my day and I am then eager to get stitching.




I am pleased to announce that today should see my Christmas sampler finished or at least enough for me to say ok
I will look again in a couple of days and check on it.  I have always been an advocate of letting your work speak for itself and not over stitching or adding.  This means getting to a place where you stop stitching and walk away for a little bit and take another look with a fresh eye to make sure.

When a project starts out for me I lay everything out and look at it against my design.  It is never written in blood and you can add or take away as you go.  When it is stitching time it is good to do the same just stitch and keep putting it down and revisiting it because unpicking vintage fabric can really spoil it.


This morning I was getting so carried away with stitching and this blog that I still have my PJ's on, it is cosy but when I finish on here I am going to shower and change and go into the garden and stitch.  I had to laugh when I came across this a while ago it is so true of artistic people ...

I am of course trying so hard to keep my new found work space tidy and have been hoovering after each day and going round with a duster, it of course can not last but I really am making every effort to keep this space clutter free and tidy and clean .....


Well that is it for me today the sunshine is calling and so is my fruit and yogurt and another drink.  I
have my work basket ready and waiting to take out to the garden and there are fresh flowers on the table out there in a jug, it brings the bumble bees closer you see ...


Before I go I wanted to let you all know of another vintage fair this weekend so here are all the
details.

A Vintage Summer
Guildford Cathedral
Stag Hill
Guildford
Surrey
GU2 7UP

Saturday 24th June
10.30am - 4pm

Entry fee £2 under 14's are free.  Dogs welcome in the grounds.

With over 60 beautiful stalls selling antiques, vintage finds, French textiles and handmade treasures. There is a English style country tea room for drinks, cake and light refreshments.  Bring a picnic and have it in the grounds with far reaching views overlooking the lovely city of Guildford.



Have a wonderful day and as always Happy Stitching! XX