Threads of time with Autumn hues.

 

A fallen leaf is nothing more than

 a Summer's  wave goodbye.

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I have been noticing subtle differences in colours, Autumn is here in Dorset and there is a different smell in the air, no longer roses and lavenders but a crispness is there.  The beauty of the odd leaf now dancing to the ground and spider webs visible with morning dew.  

Earlier this year I purchased some wonderful threads on Etsy that have been curated for Autumn and blackberries, I have waited until now to do a design to use them and I am in the middle of the design. I keep looking at these threads with wonder, they blend so beautifully and I am spoilt for choice.

They are wonderful and I feel honoured to be able to use them in my design.  They are hand wound around little cardboard tubes and ready just to cut the desired length and squeal Autumn! what do you think? 

It was earlier in the year but when I saw them I thought to myself ah in the Autumn they will do nicely and possibly will not still be available and I am so very pleased that I did.  A whole design will centre itself around these jewels .. 

Also time to make some cinnamon cookies and it makes the cottage smell so lovely and they are a real treat with a fresh coffee mid morning.  The pumpkin farm will be open down the road soon as well and I
will go find some for the garden and inside, I have seen some great ideas with some white pumpkins and it really makes the little garden pop with colour and interest this time of year along with chrysanthemum bush plants and takes you through until early December when the little garden looks bear... But all the fairy lights I have out there soon brightens the early dark evenings .

Missing my sister I am keeping myself busy and also getting the garden looking lovely for when she gets back she will be over for a walk and a coffee and I hope this weather stays as nice as it has been so we can sit out there and catch up and I can hear all about their week away. I will have to make some cookies for her return.

Autumn  shows us how beautiful

 it is to let things go.

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Having lots of plans for the garden, cottage and slow stitches makes me happy and although I will miss the long warm evenings I will be happy cosy inside and looking out on the garden and the changing colours.  I have ordered my logs for the log burner so that they are ready for the cold damp days to come.  Candles have been topped up and you know I am ready ...

I am still doing lots of hexagons in antique paisleys and I need enough to make a few pin cushions to sell and enough for my little wall hanging I have planned.  If you are a regular reader you will remember I was making few to sell and have lavender smelling crushed walnut shells to fill them with a really great gift for any stitcher and the Summer smell of lavender through the Winter months will be a great reminder of Summer days.

Treasure hunting and truffling last week and I found this beautiful antique Coates wooden box that their sales teams used to give to haberdashery shops for stocking their threads, It is so beautiful and to my delight filled with Coates threads as well.  The regular readers will remember my dear ex neighbour that passed away.  This was at my old home not here at the cottage.

 He worked for Coates all his working life and I would show him what I found and we would have a warm drink and he would tell me about all the threads they sold and the years they came out.  I simply loved that man and

found his company really great and very interesting to a hand sewer like me.  He told me of a thread that they made and in his opinion should never been made it was rubbish and to my delight in this box there it was, one of those threads ... I actually laughed out loud you know and it will sit on my shelf in my studio with the other one I have not been able to part with. I consider myself all the richer for having the luck to have had him as a neighbour and so knowledgeable about threads and sewing.

This morning early I was sorting out my antique French linen armoire It is beautiful and at the top I keep all my linen sheets, these are cut up for the bases of all my work. I wanted to just check them all because a friend had said she had found moth nibbles on some of her things and so I thought ok best look.  I can report there are none and that I do keep little wooden hearts which are cedar wood and have them in all my drawers and cupboards just in case and it seems that they are doing there job,

 I renewed them with spray and we are all good. Good job done I think.  I do get a little distracted with doing this because some linen or fabric catches my attention or a memory and I linger over pieces to be honest, It takes me a little longer than it should .  It is nice to collect memories along the way though
isn't it ?

When I was sorting out my studio for Autumn my little mice were popped out and they decided to settle down with some beautiful antique mill spools and bobbins and near some candles and fabric pumpkins.  They are on my large work table out there for the Autumn and then they come in in the Winter onto my kitchen dresser for Christmas and Valentines. I did say smile when I took the photo! little rascals... please excuse my whimsey and imagination ..

This week as well I have been happily sorting things in the cottage, getting rid of clothes I no longer wear, clearing the airing cupboard and its all now neatly folded in into bed sets and all happily accessible and tidy. I have changed the throws and cushion to Autumn and generally have had a late Summer kind of spring clean.  It feels so good to get things sorted.  The time last year I spent with my Mum meant everything here got messy and shoved here and there, I had no time and believe me I would do it again for her, I would, but now I have sorted the cottage and everything has a place and anything not needed or used has gone makes mind so much clearer. 

One of the days sorting I finished around 6pm and then had a shower at this point I felt hungry and thirsty... realising I had only had 2 coffees and a bottle of water all day and had forgotten to actually eat so after my shower I made myself a meal and sat and cosied up in front of the tv and watched a film. I didn't stitch anything that day or evening I just sat.  It felt great to achieved some order.

This week the slow stitch fabric packs are being put together I am not sure how many will be available three people said yes please but I have limited amounts of the antique French fabrics per pack and the price will depend on what I paid for each piece of fabric cut up into squares of each, so do let me know if you are interested I think 10 packs will be made but not sure until I measure them out. It will be first come first served basis ...

Thank goodness the rain has stopped today it has been raining non stop for 5 days and several times I have got soaked through to my skin! The garden has had a jolly good soak so that is good but it is soggy and I would like to start drying out my table and chairs to tuck away for another year.

I hope you have enjoyed my rambles and that you will join me again next week, there will be a little message on here about the packs and where to purchase them on Facebook page.

As always take care of you and Happy Stitching!

Sarah XX