Threads of life...

 

A gentle heart is tied with an easy thread.

It is already April and the weather here in beautiful rural Dorset has been very changeable to say the least.  One day it was cold and snowing with snow clouds looming over the entire sky as far as the eye could see.  It was cold and dark and then the clouds blew away towards the sea and bright warm sunshine dominated in the afternoon..  I had lit candles and cosied up to stitch and then as if by some divine intervention the brightness and the warmth of the sun shone down and the candles were blown out and the natural light filled my work room.

I have mostly been working on covering journals and a beautiful little book of pressed flowers as well.  Some of these will be workshops here at Thimble this summer.  The pressed flower journal is coming along beautifully and covered with gorgeous beautiful antique and vintage goodies.  Each beautiful hand made paper pages will one day be filled with pressed flowers and there name both everyday and Latin names and some will have a quote or poem hand written in sepia ink.  I do believe that the course will be a really beautiful day ... I have pressed some beautiful flowers to put in my book and it will be on show at the course.  If you are interested in course dates and information please message me on here or leave a comment at the bottom of this blog.

As you will see at the top of this page a stunning array of antique threads in the most wonderful colours and hues, these too will be used by all on such days.  I bought them from the lovely Sue Meager who now sells when she has a destash in her work room.

I have also been busy in the kitchen as well and making more of the little leaf cinnamon cookies and as you can see on the photo they look good enough to eat! they are really rather moreish I must warn you... So here is the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

1 1\4 Cups (250g) sugar

3\4 Cup(170g) of room temp butter

1 large egg

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

21\4 Cups (335g) of all purpose flour

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1\2 teaspoon of baking powder

1\4 teaspoon of sea salt or use salted butter.

METHOD

1. Add the butter and the sugar to a mixing bowl and whisk until it is fluffy and paler in colour.

2. Add the egg and the vanilla and whisk again until well combined.

3. Add the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt if using.  Mix again this time with your hands        and make sure it is well incorporated, it will be slightly crumbly but hold when pinched                  between fingers.

4.Turn out dough on to a well floured board, bringing it all together.  Then wrap in clingfilm and       put in the fridge for half hour. It is now time to pre heat the oven to 350 F, 180 C.

5. Put grease proof paper on a baking tray ready and choose your cookie cutter, my choice is a            small leaf shape.  

6. Get the dough out of the fridge and now the choice come roll it all out or cut in half and wrap        half in cling and pop in the freezer ( it is happy there for 3 months)

7. Roll the dough out at around 6mm thick.

8. Cut out cookies and place on the baking tray.  The importance of resting dough in the fridge is        so the cookies do not loose their shape in the baking.

9.Place cookies in the oven and bake for 9-11 minutes until the edges are just slightly golden.

10. When cooked place on a cooling rack.  Place on a plate and dust with icing sugar.

Make a warm drink and enjoy!!

I can not tell you how lovely they are.  A friend came to stay here a week ago and I made a fresh batch for afternoon tea.... they went down really well indeed.  

It has been busy here at Thimble not only with visitors but my sewing.  My fabric shelves are all of

a dither with messy piles where I have been looking for just the right antique fabrics and button etc.. So next Monday there is to be a fair few hours first thing tidying up.  I now could not find a thing to my shame.  The trouble is I get an idea, grab my sketch journal to design something then I am off finding fabrics and threads straight away so that it can go in my pile to make.  Then with my excitement I go back to what I am stitching at that moment and so it goes on.  If I had a tail it would permanently be wagging! ...

" Slow down; there is more to life than simply increasing it's speed"

~ Mahatma Gandhi

In other news here the hedgehogs have woken from their Winters nap and the feeding has begun here in earnest, also there is a pair of Blackbirds who come in the garden and weed my pots looking for juicy worms and other bits I put out for them and of course my three very tame crows who come down and call me.  Yesterday there was a big noise in the garden and I ran out to see the crows fending off the most beautiful and very large eagle... yes an eagle, stunning beauty but a little scary too! he had decided the fresh minced beef I had put out was easier than hunting at 11 am in the morning!

I am out at the weekend and I will take some photos, Its not a vintage fair either but I know you might like to see this amazing walk through grounds with lakes and ... well wait and see.

The Vintage Bazaar is on later this month in Frome at the cheese and grain so I will be going to that and I am very excited to go and not only catch up with dear friends but also go with my little list to purchase vintage goodies. I went to a beautiful small fair last weekend at Broadhembury near Honiton and it was a talent for textiles event.  I bought some beautiful little bits and also caught up with Jack and Liz Van Hasselt of the Washer Woman fame.  It was such a beautiful sunny Saturday and a stunning venue.

Next week is the start of Easter weekend and I am off to Malvern to an enormous antiques fair, staying over in a country pub over night as well.  The journey there is a good three to 4 hours away so going on Easter Sunday and back on Easter Monday.  Its starts at 7.30 am so it seemed the most civilised way of being there... 

Whilst on my walk this weekend I will hopefully pick up a few wild flowers to press for the pressed flower journal... I already have pressed some Helleborous from my garden and some bleeding hearts in various sizes ... they have come out beautifully retaining shape and colours.

Well that is it for today, I hope you have enjoyed my vintage ramblings today and hope you all have a beautiful weekend what ever you are up to.

Until the next time, stay safe and Happy Stitching!

Sarah XX