Tuesday 5 September 2017

Time to create











There is a time in the last few days of summer
 when the ripeness of autumn fills the air.

 Rudolfo Anaya












A time to create and its so good for my soul, if you are creative and I am guessing if you read my blog it is in your nature as well, then it is something that you need to do regularly to be able to have a happy day ... Creativity comes in lots of forms not just art and stitchery but in baking and design or even changing a room about in your home.  It just needs to be a creative pursuit and if us souls that need this in our life do at least a little something creative daily, we are happy in our daily life.


Where did August go that is what I want to know, this year has started to gallop.  I am looking forward to our friend Jo from Australia coming over for several months, the high jinks and the laughter is contagious and also another food for the soul.  This last weekend we had a visit to our friend in Devon who's cottage fell through with the sale.  I feel for him so much.  The cottage is beautiful, and part of me is so glad we got another stay there before he moves.  Probably he will not sell until next year now with people opting not to move in November and December months mostly.  We got to go down there and watch the cows in the field from our bedroom that we always stay in and of course sit by the waterfall in the garden and watch the birds and dragonflies swoop across the surface.





Even if it is raining we can sit in his summer house by the river and waterfall and sip what we call our sun downers before dinner with a bowl of olives.... The memories we have all made in this delightful cottage are great ones and we spent his first Christmas in there with him too.

Having said goodbye to it the last time we stayed I was happy to arrive again and stay once more hugging its vast thickness of walls and saying hello again to a cottage that has such a warm and welcoming atmosphere to it. So we will make the most of the next few months and visit whenever we can and of course he comes here too.  He is a great friend of Jo as well, in fact my husband, Jo and our friend Charles all worked together a few years back in London so that is how I met them originally ... I say a few years back! we are talking 12/13 years ago by now! see time is flying faster.

I took some stitching down with me and was able to get some hours in sat peacefully in the Summer house whilst our friend and my husband were sorting some trees out together.  The weather played ball as well, not quite as hot as Bank Holiday but still beautiful and actually really very pleasant.

We love going around Honiton to some of the antique shops and one in particular has some great vintage haberdashery and I love truffling around in there.  It is nice then to go to Toast and have a coffee and a snack before heading back to the cottage once more.

Champagne was drunk and laughs and lots of chit chat and catching up ... Long leisurely evenings  sat in the dinning room with candles going over supper and long relaxed breakfasts whilst drinking coffee.  Lunches out and the beautiful Devon air and countryside. Perfect weekend.

I have now gathered some rather fine pieces of quilt to make up lovely quilted Christmas trees and so I think I will get busy stitching it all together and cutting out the shapes ready for the plane journey and the hand embroidery that I would like to do on them.

As you can see I have a mixed pile going on with reds, whites, light blues, blue and white, light red/dark pink with some green thrown in .... I am going for a  patchwork of muted colour with red.
Some mixing and matching and some machine work and then cutting out with needles threaded and in a quilted bag for the journey.... bliss.

I am trying to decide what to embroider on them and I think just like I said before little sayings would work beautifully with maybe a heart or a patch of little fabric.  It actually depends on the colour of the quilt pieces and its pattern so what I have done is a little design page of what I could do and then I can decide on the day of stitching.  I like 'Oh holy night' and 'Angels Gather' and ' Believe' sayings like that.

Less is more on these little decorations that I have in mind and would like to find some tiny bells to stitch near the top, if not some tiny mother of pearl buttons but I think bells might be fun.

In our garden the leaves are starting to change colour along our back fence and soon the reds will take
over from the whites of the climbing roses, honeysuckle and the climbing white hydrangea ... the echo's of Autumn are making them selves known that they intend to be painting our garden gorgeous reds and oranges very soon.

It is time to pick in the hundreds of pears this week that are ready, and to do something lovely with them and also lay some down in our garage.  Leaving some for the bird table for Miss Muddy Beak and friends who are rather partial to a pear with some blackberries I pop out there for them to dine on.

Our grapes on our vine are ripening and will be ready in the next few days I hope, there are some really great bunches of them on the vine and when they are a gorgeous claret colour they are sweet and great with cheese for our supper.

Well that is it for today I am about to get busy with some gorgeous vintage patchwork pieces and get my sewing machine out.  After, that is, I have made myself a cinnamon tea and watched Miss Muddy Beak and Mr Squirrel for just a little longer.  Oh and eaten my toast with cinnamon butter on it, its that kind of a morning! I hope what ever you are up to today its a happy day and as always .......

Happy Stitching! XX





8 comments:

  1. Its raining here so I think I will do a little sewing today too

    Julie xxxxx

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    Replies
    1. Hi Julie

      It's a lovely way to spend a rainy day! Well any day but when you are cosy inside and creating it's just perfect. Enjoy!

      Sarah xxx

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  2. Sarah, I think you should show all prospective buyers around your friend's cottage, you certainly sold it to me with your beautiful description. You have a lovely way of painting a picture with words.
    Enjoy your day xxx

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    Replies
    1. Dawn,
      It's such a lovely cottage. Andrew could not work from there, having to travel to London, train journey too long but it's 3 bedrooms and over acre of land.
      The cottage is delightful and we will be making numerous visits before Christmas!
      Thank you for your kind words.
      Hope your garden project is going well.

      Sarah xxx

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  3. Hello Sarah, just to say that I have received the book I won in your give away. It is absolutely delightful especially interested in the paper projects. Thank you once again for such an inspirational book. Your friends cottage sounds so peaceful. X

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    Replies
    1. Hi Diane
      So pleased it's finally arrived sorry for delay!
      Glad you like it too.. Enjoy!
      The cottage is beautiful..

      Sarah xx

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  4. Well Sarah, I a man just going to echo what everyone else said; the cottage in Devon sounds utterly delightful, I can picture it! Make the most of it whilst you can! We are off to Goodwood tomorrow - got my outfits all sorted and so excited about the whole adventure. Doing the journey in two stages because of the distance, but first night near Blatcjhley and then on to Goodwood early Thursday? I have been experimenting with pin curls and I have to say, I love the effect they give. Happy stitching, Mo xxxx

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    Replies
    1. Hi Mo

      Oh enjoy Goodeood! How fabulous!
      I made the banner several years ago for the magazine ' Pretty Nostalgic ' and loved doing it.

      We must try and get there next year my husband would love it.
      Safe travels, photos please.

      Sarah xxxx

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