Vintage fabric hexagons ...

 

Much like patchwork quilts, inspiration that stirs and motivates me is made of many things.

Robert Reynolds.

In a basket by my cosy chair, lives these and more little word hexagons.  Each on covered in gorgeous vintage fabrics, mainly paisley and eiderdown fabric.  Every day at some point I stitch a few more and I would like to make a small quilt and have it framed but with the word side showing. 

You can clearly see the fabric of each one and I am going to do a little list of each fabric by cutting a small piece out and putting it on a card so they can be seen and archived for ever.

It needs to be behind non reflective glass as it is totally un washable but I believe so gorgeous to look at and preserve.

It is not really going to be huge and it can take a few weeks as I just literally do a few a day.  They will be stitched together to make a rectangle picture.  I have some tiny printed out triangles to square it off
but it may look too busy so probably it will just have a hex edge as it were.

I find sometimes it is hard to get through the paper and the fabric so I use a beeswax for the needle and find that it glides through and does not tear the paper at all or hurt the delicate vintage fabrics used.

Great little pot of help in my work box I can tell you and highly recommend too.

I cannot count a day complete, 'till needle, thread and fabric meet.

In addition I always cut a few hearts from any fabric I use for the jar of hearts. Some of you may remember I started a jar to put hearts in cut from fabrics.  Its a antique kilner jar and I had a ceramic label made for it with ' jar of hearts' on it, which hangs around its neck.

There they all nestle quite happily together so that if I need a fabric heart or three on a piece of stitchery I simply go to the jar and choose them.  All different vintage fabrics and all different sizes depending on the scrap of fabric I have ( never throw any away I just

couldn't) I just draw a heart on the back of the fabric and cut it out.  Long thin like ones, fat ones it does not matter. Then the birdies get the bits for their nests!

No beauty shines brighter than that of a good heart.

The weather on and off is getting warmer but there is a chance of snow forecast .. eeek. Now I love snow, as you all know by now, however having spent good money on lots of herbs and plants that are yet to establish themselves properly ( a little frost is ok ) I do not want them to die by being crushed under an inch or two or indeed get soggy and die so I am watching with care to put jam jars over them!  It keeps changing its mind about snow and I hope, this time, it by passes us.  Its insane as last week the temperature here was 22 degrees for three days in a row!

Not sure where the weeks are going at this moment in time, I now blog twice a week and the week soon goes. Especially after a four day break, plus I  had Thursday off this week

as its a Birthday day off ( not my Birthday) and so it will be a three day week officially for me .. 

Walking by the River Stour here I am watching all the trees blooming with gorgeous blossom and kingfishers flitting about. 

Last Summer I actually walked in the river and wandered along as it was shallow and clear, had flip flops on and it was refreshing and really enjoyable.  My sister and I walk her nutty dog along there and he likes to wade in and lay down ... even in the winter months with snow on the ground.  His name is Peanut but we affectionately call him The Nutling! 

With lockdown here in England easing it will be lovely to meet up with some friends for a coffee or take a drink down on a bench by the river and sit and catch up with each other face to face, I am so excited.  Never again will I take for granted that simple pleasure.  I will be having my second Covid Jab in May so I will be as protected as possible.

I am not travelling abroad this year but will be taking a holiday in Britain somewhere, there is talk of Cornwall, Scotland or Cotswolds for a few days if it is permitted.  Somewhere different to get inspiration and blow the cobwebs away in my mind.

Pack a little journal and I will be away, take photos and walk... 

I am excited that from the 12th of this month things will be open again, looking forward to getting a coffee out and going out for something to eat as well.  In Wimborne there is a little fabric shop and I am looking forward to just going in and looking at threads etc.  I do not buy any 'new' fabrics but its a pleasure to look about.  Also there is a little farm shop there too and a butcher so it will be a nice thing to mooch for a while.

In addition we can go into see our Mum and not in a box with perplex glass we can actually give her a cuddle and oh I am looking forward to that, so is she because she try's to now and can not understand the barrier between us.  We can take her a big bunch of flowers too.  Everything we get her now has to be quarantined for 72 hours so it was no good getting flowers before and she will adore that.  We can sit and chat .... excited!

Well it is time for me to go and pick up my needle and thread and get on with my stitching day.  I have some things to do and some journal entries to write as well.  I love sitting in my studio on beautiful days with the stable door half open.  On colder days I shut myself in with candles going and little lamps on with the heater and its cosy and inspirational with the dresser all set out and the glass fronted cabinet stacked with antique quilts neatly folded. 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and of course, as always, HAPPY STITCHING & do take care out there still.  Stay well.

Sarah X