Spools of threads, ribbons and a tidy Studio.

 

Creativity is the thread that stitches

 joy to the fabric of life.

Welcome I am so happy you are here, get cosy in your favourite chair and snuggle up with a warm drink, its my vintage ramble time.  Lets spend some time together talking all things vintage and stitchery.

The weather has improved over the last few days and I thought it was time for me to Spring clean my Threads of time studio.  Dust, vacum and change a few bits around and of course check on my stash of beautiful fabrics and make sure no damp has managed to get into the boxes and cabinets over the worst of the Winter.  There is heat out there that stays at a constant temprature so all should be well, and it was... phew!

I have recently purchased a few antique bobbins and wooden pegs and wanted to spend a few hours winding on any vintage threads and wools I have purchased over the last few months.  I find it a really great way to not only display them but it works so well when you are in a middle of a project, you can get your chosen thread or ribbons and just cut the length you require and there are not tangles or knots to contend with.  It works well for me having them in the middle of my large table out in the studio and in a old drawer.  They snuggle up together and make me smile when I am out there and it is such a practical way to store them for constant use.

Just as you unreel the thread from a spool, I want the past to become the present. In her mind the past became alive and was the present.

Shunryu Suzuki

I felt so much better when I took time out of my stitching day and had a good few hours to sort out the studio ready for the warmer days when I will stitch there daily with the stable door open to hear the birds and watch the beautiful fox gloves out of the window. 

The next thing was checking on my jars of mother of pearl buttons and of course my very precious rare carved ones but they winter inside my cottage in my little office.

All in all it has been a really productive day and a real treat to go through gorgeous treasures that over the years I have hunted and truffled for.  

Always on the look out for any old working mill spools, shuttles and that sort of thing especially when in Cheshire as there is the working mill there called Quarry Bank and I have spoken to you about it before .. It is looked after by the National Trust and is still producing fabrics to sell there on the hundreds of year old looms.  It also sells on occasions antique bobbins and spools and I always go there to check.  I am a member of the National Trust which means I can go to their sites as many times as I like with out paying an admission fee, its just my yearly membership.  This
means I can go in for a coffee and a quick look and go or stay longer ... 

If I only have a little length of vintage ribbon these go on old wooden pegs, again keeping them neat and tidy for use.  As I think you all know that is what I do with my threads as well, they are all wound round old clothes pegs as well.  I purchase pegs

when I see them and the antique ones generally are cheaper than new ones which makes me really very happy indeed.

Whilst I was in this mood for organising I looked through my fabric scraps.  I have a basket for the larger pieces but I also look into the smaller bits and cut out hearts of various sizes for my jar of hearts and then there is a large jar with the tiniest of bits that I can hand stitch onto projects and memory rolls as well.  I use every last precious piece and with hand stitches you can invisible baste these little bits of fabric treasure and they look so wonderful.

When I can I like to find antique kilner/mason jars and I make a pretty pin cushion top on them all and then use them for all the above stitchery items.  It makes me really happy that these incredibly old jars, no longer suitable for food storage get a second life to look pretty and be so very useful to me.  I have a large dresser in my studio and there they sit in all their beauty with treasure kept safe within.  No moths can get to the precious contents.  

In the  Spring through to the Autumn/ Fall I always have fresh flowers in my studio it somehow makes it all come alive and feel so cosy and homely and has that hygee feel

to it some how.  There are always throws and quilts over chairs and Lloyd loom chairs because its England here and Summer does not always mean hot weather!  I have my Cath Kidston radio in there for a little background music on occasions as well.   

My studio is my happy place and it feels very homely the only thing I wish is it had a toilet down there but I guess it makes me get up from stitching and wander up the garden path to the cottage and I can also get lunch or drinks because I would stitch probably and not get up to do that.. which is not good for anyone is it?

In addition to all of the above it is a chance to stock take and make room for other goodies that will be found at vintage fairs this year. I can not wait for the re-claimed fair in March which is not long now, this weekend coming in fact and it will be lovely to catch up with friends and hear all the news and listen to all the laughter.  Coffee and cake will be had and of course a really good truffle around as well, I am really looking forward to it.  

It seems to have been a really long and hard winter this year and I have hibernated  really it has been freezing weather with snow, hail, thunder and rain.  Open fires and staying in the warm so I am hoping it will be a warmer day as it will be the beginning of March  and that weekend would have been my dear Mums Birthday and I do get a bit sad she is not with us anymore, that a Mothers Day continues to be hard for me ( it has only been a year and half I suppose but it will do me good to be out and about that is for sure.

Anyway thank you all for stopping by I am grateful to you all and I hope you have enjoyed our catch up.  Until the next time take great care and as always....

HAPPY STITCHING1

Sarah XX