Inspirational little slow stitches.

 

“Memories are stitched with love.”

 - Unknown -

With needles threaded and my design book at the ready and stunning antique pieces of fabric and quilt pieces I am never happier to be on the road of a new creation of fabric art that is slow stitching. It’s an art form that gradually comes together, a stitched picture that comes from your heart and ideas that feed your very soul. You can go to vintage fairs and purchase some wonderful pieces of antique quilts or bits of 1930's paisley or ticking.  There are very old French linens along with buttons, ribbons and vintage sari ribbons as well.

Online as well on Etsy, Instagram or Ebay you can find some wonderful things to add to your creative arsenal, however for me the pleasure of seeing and feeling fabrics is the best way.  During the COVID  two years this was not possible and I missed it so much, never again will I take the freedom we have again for granted.  I go to everyone that I possibly can.  There are so very many around England and I do travel sometimes 3 or more hours on occasions.  If I could, I could probably attend at least one a week or more... Its just not possible.

Of course if you have some older clothes or embroidered cloths that were your grandmothers or baby clothes that mean something to you,  you can cut up and make into a beautiful and meaningful to you, a quilt or picture maybe.  I have one of my Dads shirts.  When he died in 1999 I grabbed his favourite short sleeve shirt from his wardrobe.  I can not cut it up because I put it on over whatever I am wearing if I miss him, which is lots and its like he his cuddling me.  If I had been thinking straight at the time, I would have had them all and made a quilt for my bed.  I did not think at all for three months by which time my Mum, egged on by other family had taken all his clothes to a charity shop! I could not believe it ... so it is this one shirt is precious to me in the form that it is in. So vintage and antique Brocantes and fairs it is for me...

However last Friday there was The Dorset Christmas Brocante on and it was held
only around 10 miles from me, what a pleasure!  I purchased my ticket online and got the early bird ticket to go in on the first day early so that not so many people were there for a couple of hours, what a delight that was, a real treat.  So getting up at at a reasonable time having had coffee and breakfast I arrived at 9.30 am on the dot.

It was held at the Larmer tree which as I said is not far from me, The drive there is a beautiful one and with the ever changing of the leaves on the trees and the sun coming out for this event it was a lovely.

It was a pretty fair but for me a little disappointing to be honest because there were so many stalls that were selling new.  I go purely for antique vintage and there was not a lot there.  Never the less it was very beautiful.  Sheep in the fields with a tree lined drive up.  

There are peacocks roaming around freely and two good coffee vans there for a lovely sit in the garden on a seat and watching the world go by.  The peacocks made me laugh a few times, obviously used to people and liked to put on a little show for us all.  They seem fairly tame and very photogenic at all times.

Typically me I was on the hunt for antique fabrics and stitchery things and there

really was not much there at all that I could see, normally I spot it straight away as I am tuned in to it so unless my brain has a cold and I missed it I really could not find things.  So I went Christmas shopping for friends and family who like new and not old.  I met some lovely new friends and for the first time ever I really did not know many stall holders at all.

I was after some candles and per chance there was a lady there selling candles of all kinds and some candle holders etc.  So I was able to purchase what I needed there.

I only spent a couple of hours there in all but had a lovely time meeting new people, us vintage crowd are very chatty indeed.  

Driving back home again I was deciding what to do and it was well, I must clean the log burner out for this evening and supper was sorted because I had  put on the slow cooker ... So it was down to my studio and to slow stitch and faff a little.  

Getting it already to film some online courses next week, exciting and a little daunting too.  So many of you have said you would like online courses so that wherever you live be it England, America or Canada it seems, you can do a workshop.  So lots of faffing in the studio and getting to grips with my camera and lighting with tripod ...   

So that was my afternoon set out for me.  I love being in The Threads of Time Studio with my radio on, humming along and with piles of antique threads, fabrics and buttons around me.  the tidying up takes the longest it seems.

Later on this week I am off to a fair that I have not been to before at The Potting Shed and is run by Tara Franklin and Hoof Brocante. Its at the King Johns Nursery TN197AZ.  Its a Winter Brocante and I know for a fact that Tara is fresh back from France and will have some exquisite textiles.  There will be The Washerwoman and her textiles too and so many more.  I am staying over for the night as it is fair way to go.  

So watch out for my next blog on that event.

Anyway I must away and go and tackle some filming. 

Take care and as always Happy Stitching.

Sarah XX