Wednesday 3 November 2021

Autumn at Thimble.

 






And the sun took a step back, the leaves lulled

 themselves to sleep and Autumn was awakened.




I can not believe where the last few months have gone, it's so good to be back and sorry its been so long since July.  My darling Mum is still with us and I have spent so much time with her.  Although in palliative care she seems not to want to leave us for now.  It has been touch and go for months now and so I have to go back to living a little in the meantime.  I can still make her laugh and she eats a little and gives me the biggest smile and hug....  We watch an old movie together with my sister too.  She just stares at the screen, especially an old colour musical and we hold hands.

Autumn has arrived in the fullest sense, the leaves have changed colour, the nights are getting

colder and the river bank is changing.  I have fewer hedgehogs to feed as they slowly go for their Winter nap.  The garden has changed colour and the grass has had its final cut for this year.

So to stitching!  I have been busy with a needle of late and have been doing a series of pictures and wall hangings named The forest floor.  The picture is part of one of my designs.

It has been a labour of love and I have enjoyed it so much. It is a larger piece and now framed.  Also in this series is the Agaric, often referred to as The Fairy table, the red toadstool with the white dots.  So beautiful to look at but not edible at all.

I have been designing too and also have a few project baskets filled up and two of them will be being posted to my two wonderful pattern testers for a Winters stitch for them.  It has taken some time with all my time spent at the care home, however they are ready to be wrapped.

Joy of joys Vintage fairs have started again and in the last three weeks I have attended two, a much needed stock up of goodies that I have been able to truffle for.  Meeting up with great friends that I have not seen in person for 18 months.  

The first one was the reclaimed home fair in Chipping Norton, it was a wonderful event, I was able to pick up some wonderful packs of gorgeous fabrics and er, well I might of bought a quilt.  In point of fact it is the most gorgeous 1900 red and white quilt.  The pattern is called robbing Peter to pay Paul and I
saw it and ran over! yep ran!...

It was not on my list, however, these gorgeous antique quilts do not fall at your feet very often and it is American.  It ended up, some how in Chipping Norton at the fair and it simply had my name on it.  As you can see from the photos on the left it looks perfect on my bed and is in time for the Winter and Christmas.

I love red and white quilts they are my favourite finds and I have a few in my collection.  All different patterns along with the bear paw one I had made for in America a few years ago. 

Then last weekend I went to the Vintage Bazaar in Frome, which is not that far for me to go to now.  I met up with the gorgeous Vintage Dahling and we had a great coffee, catch up and a sausage roll as a celebration.  I had seen her at the other fair but she was on crowd control on the door, as she put it.

We wandered and truffled around and I was not looking for fabric really as I had bought what I needed at the previous fair.  I was on the look out for a curtain or a valance for my Threads of Time studio.  I am pleased to say I bought a red and white French antique valance and it is perfect for the job.  I have not taken a photo yet as it was not washed until yesterday and I have to press it and pop it up.  The larger window in there has two curtains in cotton to frame the window, I have washed and pressed those

but they are not in situ yet either.  A job for the weekend.

Then I spied this basket with gorgeous little ceramic figures in it. They are called Feve. These are a small trinket hidden in a king cake or similar desert.  The French word Feve translates to fava bean, which is what was originally used.  The themes of Feve are very diverse and may include religious symbols, tools related to baking or even depictions of famous figures.  The person who finds the Feve usually is awarded special privileges  or a gift for the day.  They have become collectors items.

I decided on these three and they are porcelain and now reside in a little square in my antique printers tray which is on the wall.  I just fell in love with them and the history that surrounds these beauties.  They make me smile when I see them nestled between  the wooden stamps, cotton reels and antique silver thimbles....

Then as Christmas fast approaches I picked up an antique bell and a very large antique key which I have ideas on what to do with both and both are part of a stitchery project that is up and coming. So happy was I.  There is something about a old
 bell tied with antique fabric that makes my heart sing. It still works as a bell and when wandering around the fair with it wrapped up in tissue and in my bag you could still hear it jingle! It was funny as people looked up and looked around.  I did not say anything but smiled widely ... 

Then I came across three little pieces of the most wonderful old quilt pieces that when slow stitched together will make a gorgeous wall hanging when embroidered for a project, they fitted together beautifully and I could see in my artist side of my brain and imagination what to do with it and what to stitch on.




The colours are really wonderful and the ageing is perfect with the washed out colours and the soft texture that only comes with age.

It will make a really pretty wall hanging in my humble opinion.







So all in all I had a lovely day at both fairs not only truffling but catching up with great friends, laughing and talking all things slow stitching and vintage, my kind of wonderful day.

There are a few more fairs coming up that I hope to attend and meet up with friends again.  For now though I will be stitching away.

For the last week I have also had a bit of a late Spring clean and my office, spare bedroom and the studio got a great clean and clear out.  It not only makes it all look great but its like a life laundry for my brain.  Things not needed and getting rid of a bit of clutter.  Some things were in boxes still and not actually needed,  I took three bin liners full of clothes to the charity shop as well.

The clocks have gone back and the sun is setting here whilst typing this later in the day to you all. The little lamps in my office are glowing and I now have stopped stitching for the day as the light is what I call half light and not good for tiny little stitches.

I am going off now to make a cinnamon tea and curl up in front of the log burner with my design book, I am eager to get down on paper my design for the above quilt pieces and then pop them in a basket to wait there turn.

It Hygge time here now in England and the candles, fire and little lamps are all a glow.  I nice warm supper for me after a busy day.

For now I will sign off and as always wish you all Happy Stitching and stay safe.

Sarah XX




Cosy nights and twinkling lights.
 

6 comments:

  1. Beautiful post Sarah. So pleased to hear you have been able to get out and about to fairs. We share that passion don't we! xx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello Liz
    Thank you I am glad you enjoyed the read. Oh yes we do share the same passion for all things vintage. Hope you are both well and hope to catch up really soon. The VB missed you xxx

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Sarah....so very happy to read your post. Glad the things you love (me too) are more available. Love red and whites too. We had a small amount of snow today. Glad you are having special moments with your Mom. 💕

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you.so much. Wow snow! Frosty evening here but cuddled up in front of log burner …
      Lovely to hear from you x

      Delete
  4. A lovely post Sarah and I’m NS so glad that you had a lovely (and very productive) truffle and catch up at the VB. It was a particularly good one I think and everyone was clearly just so happy to be there. Mo x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Mo. It was needed catching up with dear friends and like minded people under one roof! Will never take for granted our freedom again! Hope to see you again soon. X

      Delete