Spring time here at Thimble

 

Blossom by blossom the Spring begins.

Algernon Charles Swinburne

The words above are so true, It is still, on some days cold, wet a little windy however there are days where the sun shines through here.  Birds are busy making nests and there are flowers awaking from their Winters nap and blossoms are starting to arrive slowly.  It's the promise of a new beginning and of hope.

The days are getting longer and the natural day light is so wonderful and refreshing to me.  The river bank here is starting to come to life and although the river is a bit high and not as crystal clear yet, life there is starting to have the promise of the Summer days to come.

Spring has arrived here inside Thimble too and as you can see the dresser in the kitchen has been renewed with different pottery and china and a little bit of Easter has crept in, yes I have been faffing! and enjoyed each and every minute of it ... 

It brings Spring inside on a day like today which is dull and rainy,  my Grampa would have said of the sky  " Not enough blue to make a sailors shirt !" and indeed there is no blue to be seen or indeed sun.  However in my kitchen it feels warm, cosy and Spring like.

Earlier this morning I was in my studio outside and whilst a bit of faffing was going on out there I
lit some candles and sorted some bits out there too.  Not a needle picked up yet today.  I have thoroughly enjoyed it though, I have to say.

The rain at this point was light and fine, the kind that is welcome on a very hot day and you feel your face is being spritzed, now as I write this it is like stair rods.. glad to be inside and in my little office.  I have a cup of cinnamon tea and I just looked out of the window and all the birds have disappeared to shelter.. it really is coming down here and is set to stay today.

Spring unlocks the flowers to paint the laughing soil.

Bishop Reginald Heber.

I have though set out my stitching for today and after I have finished here that is where I shall be happily doing one little stitch at a time.

An update on my friendship quilt is that I have 7 of them back and they are carefully wrapped in tissue paper.  It has been wonderful when the post brings one to my door.  I have finished mine as well and so now it is a case of waiting for them to arrive and then putting them all together as a beautiful lap quilt and hand quilting it.  A friendship quilt that will make me smile each and every time I look at it or it is keeping warm.

I have finished three antique quilt squares with hand embroidery.  The colours are stunning and one of my favourites, log cabin.  With what is going on in the world today they will remind me of what we all, as humans should be doing and that is this..  " Kindness sprinkle it everywhere that you can"

I am going to walk it down to the framers this week and I have just the place to hang it when it is finished.

On my work table today I have pre threaded a few needles, in fact around eight of them and that keeps a steady flow going with out stopping.

My work basket is ready for me to continue on.  Today my day light lamp will come into its own because it is as I said a very dull and darkish day. 

I had some very sad news 2 weeks ago, a very dear friend died and because he lived in New York I could not get to the celebration of his life.  His beautiful wife and three children have been left numb with grief and so we decided this year I will fly out to spend some time with them and hopefully his wife will make the journey here this year too for a few weeks, we have planned walks and catching up time.  Because of Covid I have not seen them for a couple of years and that made it all the more sad.  The grief that I feel from loosing my zany friend has been awful.  However that it is nothing to what his family are feeling right now.

The memories I have are second to none though and I smile each day with another funny and fun

filled day I have spent with them.  We met on Martha's Vineyard some 12 years ago now and they have visited me here in England and I have been over there a few times too. I am honoured to have called him a friend and I am sad that he will never grace his presence here at Thimble.  Life is so short it has reminded me and to live each day to the full.

In my quiet stitching moments he comes into my memory and makes me laugh and normally out loud too, anyone who could see me in such moments might think me mad laughing away on what appears to be on my own, not knowing somewhere he is right there smiling and laughing with me for sure.

With the fairy lights on and the candles lit, this afternoon I will be in my happy place and stitching and sorting for the up and coming courses that I will be hosting in the Threads of time studio.  I have sorted through some beautiful hand dyed shaker threads as well.  It reminds me of the times in New England in the fall and I also baked some cinnamon cookies in the shapes of different leaves with my cookie cutters.  Oh the go well with the tea I can tell you.

I will take some photos and put the recipe on here next time.

Well for today that is me and my ramblings,  enjoy what ever you are doing today and keep on stitching away.

Take great care of you.

Sarah   XXX

Beautiful things come together with every tiny stitch!

 

In the quilt of life, Friends are the stitches

 that hold it all together.

When I hear that familiar click of my gate and the postman walks towards my door my heart jumps a little,  the little hand stitched squares that I sent to my vintage friends have started to arrive.  They are beautiful too, each and everyone so far have the personality of each individual as I know them.  I have finished my square and is on the little pile in my F & M basket waiting patiently to be part of this special project to me. 

There is no particular time frame and I await them patiently.  This lap quilt will take a little while because until they are all here I can not plan or make up the quilt.  This is a friendship lap quilt that will be a treasure indeed.

In the meantime I am stitching other bits and clearing all unfinished projects.  This is when I wish I had several pairs of hands ...  the process of slow stitching is a beautiful thing and each and every time I take the last little stitch, there is a sense of achievement and a little sadness as I so enjoy each project that I stitch.  I have to confess though that if it involves hundreds of French knots there is a sense of thankfulness that it is completed!

The weather here has been dreadful and for a couple of days last week I had no power.  Lucky I have candles everywhere.  The thing is though you forget what it is like with out electricity! Firstly I have a combi boiler so not showers or bath... I washed my hair over the sink.  This was possible because I have a range cooker.  The top is gas and the ovens are electric fan.  

If I turn the knobs on the top I can light the gas with a lighter and bingo I can heat water in my hob kettle and of course cook pasta or some warming soup or make a stove top stew so all is good.  However I had some ideas when it was all off.  I know I will iron that little pile of fabric! Stupid thing that I am. My day lamp of course did not work.  I have a log burner so I was very toasty warm and cosy and I read books, I could not stitch so I did not feel guilty for snuggling up on the sofa by the fire and reading.  

There was no internet or phone and I just settled into a 17th Century life and it was really relaxing.  Today there is yet another storm warning that Storm Gladys is on her way so I thought I would get on here and now whilst I could. 

 Just in case I have had my shower and hair wash early and prepared a evening meal that now

does not need an oven.  I have chosen a book and laid the log burner ready to light... candles have been refreshed and so bring it on!  Possibly now the storm will go in another direction and miss Dorset completely.. As my late Dad said prepare for the worst and hope for the best.  I was totally unprepared last time, not this time I can tell you! tonight's delight is sausage cassoulet and all I have to do is heat it up and there is enough for two days,  along with a beef casserole in the fridge now to heat up on the gas top.  If the storms are not coming here, well there is no cooking for four days ... means more stitching time .. 

I have sorted my design journal as well so I can sketch and pop ideas down and of course a good book.  The book I have chosen is called The Sea Gate and I look forward to loosing myself in the pages. 

Walking around my garden I was securing things that might break or blow about should we have high winds again and in doing so I saw that the beautiful bulbs I planted under my dinning room window have broken through.  They are Alliums and they have multiplied so instead of eight there are 16 of them to my delight and still small enough not to be blown around to break

Spring does not seem to know that Winter is still firmly in place and that the cycle of life continues, It is a joy to see and the promise of better weather is just around the corner.  Walks

along the river bank and baby animals being born.  It will soon be time for the hedgehogs to wake from their winters sleep and they will grace my garden once more for their supper.

Well my stitching is calling me and its time to settle down in my cosy chair with a lovely warm drink and pick up my needle.

Several projects are on the go and today it involves some whimsical mushrooms, it is a series of three projects and this week coming,  should see the trilogy completed.  I am so pleased with this project as I am delighted to see it all come together.

Where ever you are in the world stay safe and I hope that these little storms will not disrupt too much and will see you all safe and well inside your homes.  Travelling is tricky in these times so if you do not have to go outside then stay inside.  I myself see it as a gift not to have to rush about and do things that make us feel happy.

Happy Stitching everyone.

Sarah XX

A quilt will warm your body and comfort your soul.

 

Blankets wrap you in warmth, quilts wrap you in love.

I am a bit excited and very happy that I have started out on a small friendship quilt.  It started about 3 weeks ago when I had an idea.  I messaged my friends in the vintage/stitching world and asked if I sent them a square of antique linen would they please write their name on it and stitch it.  In addition some decoration if they would like or had time to do.  Now some are very much in the vintage world but do not embroider so that handful are writing their name for me to stitch over and decorate, but most are doing their own.  They can choose how to decorate it and what colours, I really do not mind.

All the lovelies that I asked said they would be delighted  to do so and so I set about cutting squares.  They were all wrapped in tissue paper carefully and a little thank you card inside.

The next process was putting them all in my basket and walking to my local Post Office.  They have got to know me in there  since I moved into my little cottage and always comment on the decoration of the envelopes etc.  I do have pen pals as well, although of late I have not written much because of my Mum really.  Anyway these padded envelopes ( and there were a big bundle of them) caused a bit of a stir in there.  "OOH Sarah what are these?" I was asked. So I was chatting away about this very personal project for some while with the lovely ladies who work there. 

They all went off and have safely arrived.  I am doing a square too and mine is being finished off today.  I am now waiting for them to arrive back and it will be so very exciting to see them.  Then I will stitch each one together along with some gorgeous antique fabrics and have a small quilt or wall hanging.  I think it will be my lap quilt and then my great friends will always be there with me.  There is no time limit on when the squares need to be back with me, everyone is busy but over the next few months it is going to be so exciting when one drops through the letter box.

People are busy stitching their square that I sent and I know that some are already destined for the post box too.

Each stitched square will have a panel of delicious antique fabric attached to it and so it will be a name with decoration, then vintage fabric and then another name handstitched square and so on.

I haven't chosen the backing fabric yet as I want to see the front of the quilt stitched together first. 

Then there will be a border as well.  I am going to hand stitch a label for the back with the date on it as well and hope that in a 100 years from now someone will pick it up and enjoy the find as we all do at vintage fairs.  When you have a date and some form of name or names it is even more special.

The lap quilt will be hand quilted by me, its a task but an enjoyable one.  I am hoping to either stitch the ditch or hand stitch around each square, again when I see it all I will know which one to do...

When I have finished my square I will show you and of course when it is completed I will try my best to take a photo that you will be able to see it fairly clearly.

Other projects will be on the go as well, a smaller project to stitch whilst sitting with my Mum of course and other bits that I am eager to start.

As I was writing this the doorbell went and my lovely postie stood there with two little packages... guess what two squares have arrived today completed.  I am over the moon to say the least.

Yesterday I went out for a lovely walk and was delighted to see a patch of beautiful snowdrops their little white heads swaying in the breeze, it was a promise that the Spring is on its way.

THE SNOWDROP

The snowdrop, Winters timid child,

Awakes the life, bedwe'd with tears:

And flings around its fragance mild,

And where no rival flow'rets bloom,

Amid the bare and chilling gloom,

A beauteous gem appears!

Part of a beautiful poem by Mary Darby Robinson.

The above photo is my prized Susie Watson snowdrop jug 💟

The sun was shinning and it was very mild day, unlike today where it is hazy once more and colder, so today is a delicious stay in and stitch kind of day. The candles will be lit and fairy lights will be turned on and cheer up the hallway. Although I will go for a wander at some point, I do every day.

My F & M hamper basket is working out so well, I am so pleased with it as my sewing projects basket, because it has a lid as well. It keeps everything so tidy and kind of hides it away from sunlight and fire dust.

I need to go through some of my larger pieces of antique paisley fabrics to see which ones might be contenders in the backing of my friendship quilt and also which fabric might be the other squares in between the hand stitched squares, it is so exciting getting it all together.  Now that the post this morning has delivered me two of the beauties, this project has become real and such a happy project.

Going through my fabric stashes is a real joy and sometimes  (who am I kidding here!!) all the time I get caught up in it and what should take really no more that half an hour can turn into several hours!! It is one of my life's little pleasures though and I do have a genuine reason to do so today, although

maybe a bit premature at this stage in the project. It is good however to have some idea.  This is what I am convincing myself into anyway.

So later on I will be going into my studio and lighting the many candles and sit at this little desk or maybe at the large sewing table and sort through happily  - remembering where and when I bought each piece, although there a a fair few, I remember them all fondly, they are all so tactile and so very beautiful.  I again wonder what stories they could tell me of all those decades ago if the could speak.  

To choose some for this project will be a joy, they are too gorgeous to end up living in a drawer and never be seen or loved on a daily basis.

Anyway enough of my rambles for today, the time is ticking and I must away to my stitching.  As always Happy Stitching and please take care out there.

Sarah XX

 

Welcome February the month of love ... and lots of stitching projects.

 

Although February is short,

 it is filled with lots of love and sweet surprise.

Charmaine J Forde

The month of love and the shortest month in the year.  February can be a very cold month and I feel it is the month for lots of candles, throws and reds dotted around your home.  I call it the month of hygge.

For me the Spring is on its way but there is a few more months of cosy, cosy, cosy!  The log burner crackling and with my new/old day light lamp I can stitch in the dark evenings.  I have noticed though that the daylight hours have started to lengthen and that really is a joy.

The other thing that I have been up to is this, I was lucky enough to receive a beautiful Fortnum and Mason hamper for Christmas and the content was really thoughtful and delicious I must say. So the wicker hamper went in the large porch I have.  I have a wardrobe out there for coats you see and it sat happily on the top.

The thing is I was looking at it the other day and thought I know.  So I set about transferring my sewing projects that I have on the go from little baskets by my sewing chair to the F & M hamper, it has a lid and that is more protection and of course it looks a lot tidier as well.  It has tidied up beautifully and it is a far better use of this gorgeous basket than just in the porch.  As you can see from the photos I lined it with a antique piece of quilt then began adding my bits and pieces.  Finally the top layer went on with the projects.  All I have to do now is lift off the little pile of stitchery and all of my scissors, fabrics, threads and fabrics are at hand.

News on my Mum is the care home she is in has had a outbreak of Covid and restrictions are in place for visiting.  I can go in three times a week all done up in mask, visor, gloves, apron etc and so can my Sister.  As she is very poorly, however it is closed to most of the patients family at these times.  It means that I have more time at Thimble right now and my sister and I face time each other when we are there so the other one can  see Mum even when not present.  By going separately she is visited more.

This month see's me being at Thimble Cottage for 2 years on the 20th of this month! I really do not know where the time has gone.  I remember the worry of it and hoping it would feel like

home and it has not disappointed.  The moment I walked through the door and started making my personal stamp on it... I was home.

I need to get my on going stitching projects finished as I have another slightly bigger project starting soon and I will tell you all about that in the next blog.  The planning of it has been done and its about getting all the components together.  I am very excited about it and is very personal to me and includes lots of my wonderful vintage friends involved so watch this space.

I think I have mentioned that I feed 3 crows, who appeared very small and fluffy and had either been pushed out from their nest or indeed fell out.

Feeding them started last Summer and they are now big and a wonderful shinny black colour.  The come every day at around 4pm and call me.  They are tame enough that they are happy with me being around them, but more importantly they are not happy around other humans, I do not want them to trust too many  people because they are, after all wild birds.

I can whistle and they come and fight off any seagulls that try and take their food from them, the seagulls fly back to the sea later in the day and that is when they are fed.

This year may see them have their own families so I do not know if they will bring them here at all, I am hoping that they just teach them to hunt.  The crows do hunt too but have their one meal here at the end of the day.  They tried to come a few time in the day but I would not feed them as I wanted them to hunt too.

In addition to the hedgehogs that come on a regular basis from Spring I now have two blackbirds that arrive in the garden.  It is a pair and the male one sings the most beautiful songs in my apple tree.  I am now known as lady Dr Doolittle .... 

I think you must have guessed I am a total animal lover and eventually I will be getting a new addition to my family, a puppy dog.

It will be a couple of years time because I wish to travel a little first.  My sister will look after my said puppy when I go away but I need to have some freedom first.  I would like a brown little girl cocker spaniel and her name will be Ava, yes I have thought it through as you can read.

Walks will be fun and I am hoping that my sisters dog will take to it as it will be tiny.

Well that is it for today, I have a basket full of stitching to complete so that the new project can begin in earnest.

I will be going to settle down again in a moment and open my new basket of vintage goodies and continue on.

Hoping you all have a wonderful week.  

As always Happy Stitching and take care.

Sarah XX

It's a stay in and stitch day

 

What good is the warmth of Summer without the cold of Winter to give it sweetness.

John Steinbeck.

Although we have had lots of sunshine of late, the temperatures have been single numbers here.  I love going for a lovely walk along the riverbank and seeing the trees glisten with the frost and the sun.  Jack frost has been very busy making it so beautiful.

Apart from going out to appointments and to my Mum, it has been a hive of stitching activity here at Thimble.  I am working on a little pile of stitchery that needs to be finished.  I got a bit side tracked on my covered journal that I have mainly stitched whilst with my Mum in her very sleepy moments and days.

The fire has been blazing and the candles lit the pure cosiness of the cottage has been so wonderful and the slow stitching process has been good for the soul.

Its the hygge of it all and when combined it is pure bliss. 

A few weeks ago, you may remember I was asking your opinions on day light lamps.  Well I decided that indeed it was something I really would find useful on dull days and Winter short days of sun.

I decided that it was the day light bulb that was the winner and so as long as the lamp I choose was fit for purpose I could get and antique anglepoise lamp.  A friend found one on Ebay for me and it looked perfect.  It is antique and is the original cream colour.  It moves up and down and in every possible position.  It had been re-wired with antique looking cord and I bought a daylight bulb.  There is a square two step base and I am thrilled with it to say the least.  Its fluid so I can move it around and that means not only can it go on the little coffee table by my favourite chair to stitch in the lounge, it can go on any table here or easily moved to the studio as well. It folds up and I could take it away with me as well if I needed to.  My stitching hours have now stretched and that means even if I can not pick a needle until mid afternoon, now my sewing can continue on after 4 ish. 

Memories are stitched with so much love. 

Spring is not too far away and at the moment bulbs are doing their very best to sprout their leaves through the hard ground.  I am looking forward to it I must say because I am going to be busy putting in a little patio area that always gets full sun in the afternoon right up until the sun finally sets.  The rest of the garden at that point breathes a sigh of relief after a very warm day and settles into some welcome shade.

In addition to that I am going to raise a border in the little garden for my miniature fruit trees and some wild flowers in between.  Spring is the perfect time to get this done before (hopefully) the

heat of the Summer months.  The little fruit trees are at this point in time in huge pots but I really want to plant them out.

I have been doodling around with new designs and ideas as well.  I must admit I really enjoy that part of my stitching process.  The smell of a new paper page blank in front of you and just waiting to be drawn upon or even sometimes water colours are brought in as well.

Sat out in The Threads of Time studio the other day I had candles going and lights.  The radio was on in the back ground and I was imagining it filled with laughter when the workshop days start.  I think the fun, laughter, company of like minded people will lift our spirits after a difficult few years.  Covid has seen families apart and freedom as we knew it, taken away.  

Yesterday I went on a walk with my Sister and her dog and then we went to the farm shop to have a coffee and a cheese scone with homemade butter.  It was bliss, there we were face to face and not on facetime, laughing and talking... never again will I take that for granted.  

My days are split with sewing, organising workshop dates and designing for said events. I am hoping 2022 will be the year it can all begin.  I am so looking forward to meeting some of you.

On that note my basket of stitching beckons once more and the fire will need to have a few logs thrown on.  Then the kettle will need to go on for some tea and I can settle back in to my little tiny slow stitches and with my old/new day light lamp I can work on a little longer today.

So for now HAPPY STITCHING and as always take care out there.

Sarah XX

January Slow Stitches

 

As you practice slow and intentional stitching, your life, your attitude, your creativity, your health, your spirituality ... All of it will benefit as a result.

Mark Lipinski

January can be a bleak month, indeed here in Dorset we have been under fire from a monsoon of rain and now it is sunny but low temperatures that the frost actually looks like snow.  All the roof tops as far as the eye can see towards the river are white each morning.  My garden gate was frozen early today...

Now some might not delight from this but for me it is a slow stitch day with the light of the sun and being cosy inside.

I have being working on journals for my use of late, I find it is transportable to sit with my Mum
as well.  I have covered a journal with an antique embroidered tray cloth which is so beautiful it makes my heart sing and also with some slightly damaged antique linen that has weaving issues I have hand stitched the front and the back of another journal for me to use both this year.  

I usually pay a little over what I would normally for a tray cloth when they are as unique as this and if it is for my use well it does not matter as it is not for sale.  The working out of these can take some time as this embroidery is on the back as well.  The covering of the journal can take a lot of time to do properly ... I would say it is worth it.  It is a artist journal with incredibly good plain paper inside that will take water colours as well.

A good way to get into your slow stitching zone is to not think about making 'a thing'.  Take your time looking for inspiration and do not just jump in and think ' I have to make something with this.'  Be quiet, be patient, and play with the materials until they tell you what they want to be.

Melissa Jackson.

This is the front of my journal and as you can see there is what looks like a line or that it needs a good iron, but in fact it can not be ironed or flattened as it is a flaw ( some might call it) in the weave of a extremely old piece of French linen.  I love the character it brings to this piece.

I used a very old small hexagon that I had bought some time ago and the other one I made from favourite bits of my collection of paisleys and eiderdown fabrics I have.  I added three hexagons that have words written on them an covered them the same ... this time leaving in the papers and with the words on show.  

This piece will forever remind me of my Mum because the stitching was done by her bedside and on days when she was cosy in her chair and more alert I would give her little bits of the fabrics to

look at on her lap.  She would pick through them and look and then I quiet often got a smile.  To me this journal is worth more than gold.  I covered it at home in my studio because of the glue smell and the space I have in there.

The back of the journal was very simple with the words 'slow stitching' stitched on and a very old suffolk puff/yo yo stitched in place.  Inside I will write on the first page these words. Slow Stitching ... sustainability, simplicity, reflective and mindful.

This has been such a wonderful project to complete and the memories already contained within are priceless, even as yet not words have been written inside.

I have been refilling my jars which live in my studio on the dresser in there,  You may recall that I have a jar of hearts and my new addition is snippets for mice.  I have had plenty of those of late with cutting out little bits for the hexagons that I have been making.  

I am also getting ready to take workshops this year, I figure that Covid is something we will all have to live with.  So as long as everyone who attends has had their jabs and masks are worn
whilst stitching, that indeed we all need to have some freedom and some like minded fun.

I will be putting up some dates on here and there will be all the information that you might need to attend.  Six people on any one date may come and a full lunch will be provided along with drinks and a homemade piece of cake.   Everything you will need to complete a project will be provided and all included in the price.  To be with people who love to slow stitch or want to learn and the studio to ring out with chatter and laughter will be a tonic for me and for those who attend one of the workshops I hope.

So what will I be stitching today, the answer is I am not sure yet.  I have four projects ready to go and which ever speaks to me today will be the one I pick up.  I am not with my Mum today so I can choose one that is easier done here and have one to pick up and go when I visit with her.

At the moment there is Covid in her care home.  Everyone there has been jabbed but it still can happen so my visiting is limited.  On the ground floor where she is, is Covid free and she has a double door which leads to the garden in her beautiful room.  So we do not have to walk through the care home to see her ... We have to take a test everyday and that is ok with me.

Today though I am cosy at home and looking at the sunshine that is shinning down on the hard frost, which in turn is sparkling like diamonds everywhere.. and it is with this beauty that I leave you today to stitch.

As always Happy Stitching and please take care.

Sarah XX

 

Threads of Time.

 

We can let others convince us to rush or we can choose to live in the moment connected with our stitching and the past.  Even if it is for only a few minutes a day.

Kit Dunsmore.

Firstly please let me wish you all a very Happy New Year!  2022 can you believe it, I got the keys to Thimble Cottage in February 2020 and not sure where that time has gone.  I hope you all had a peaceful, healthy and Happy Christmas.

The pleasure in the process of sat slow stitching is calming and serene.  You can be almost anywhere, sat in your favourite cosy chair, on a seat by the river watching the kingfishers and robins, on a train or like me most days sat next to my darling Mum if she is very sleepy.  Again we have days when she rallies an over the weekend was such a day.  Psychologists say that hand stitching helps to create a self induced state of focus, also known as mindfulness.  It is said to reduce blood pressure and anxiety and promote relaxation and I totally agree it does for me.

Mum was desperately trying to tell us something, her face had taken on a serious look and I am afraid she does not make sense with only the odd word we can recognize  We tried to tell her not to worry that we now do the worrying for her.  She got so frustrated that tears started to run down her cheeks, which in turn set myself and my sister off. The heartache we felt was immense.

However with this terrible illness comes loss of time and space and she soon forgot and cheered
up when we fed her a butterscotch mouse!

I love to read too normally but I can not seem to settle to that much so stitching it is and I must admit it clears my mind, my breathing somehow slows and I can just fall into my vintage and stitchery world with utter bliss. 

Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.

William Wordsworth.

I always start new journals each new year for my stitchery designs and so one of the journals that I will be covering with the hand stitched design on to gorgeous antique French linen is for my personal use.  The French knots are still going and I have lost count as to how long it is taking but it is looking good in my opinion.  So I am still doing a few hours of those and then onto the journal coverings ...

The weather here in Dorset has been very wet for the last month it seems, however today is sunny but bitterly cold.. just the day to sit and stitch.

I have so many plans this year for taking courses at Thimble, however it all depends on Covid right now.  The Threads of Time Studio is awaiting laughter, stitching and fun.  It has been ready for over a year now and I find it so sad with the emptiness of people.

The dinning room awaits all the chatter around it at lunchtime on the courses too.  So plans are being made in the hope that this year anyone who has had their covid jabs can come and mingle with like minded people for the day and talk vintage whilst stitching...

This week saw the taking down of Christmas and getting back to some sort of normality.  I have some gorgeous new books to put away properly, calligraphy things and some gorgeous packs of vintage ribbons.  I am sorting things out this week and my stitching will be begin in earnest by the weekend.  That said I am going to be taking little slow stitches later and I have missed being sat there in my favourite chair with my basket of stitching. I want to finish my hand stitching on some gorgeous antique piece of French linen so that I can cover my new stitching journal for 2022.  The ideas are popping right now and are scribbled on a scrap piece of paper.... this of course will not do at all.

I have cut out a few gorgeous antique French linens to cover journals in and they are awaiting their hand stitched personalisation to be done.  These are easy to transport to my Mums and so I can sit with her whilst she sleeps and easy to put down and pick up again when she is awake and I can chat to her.  She looks at me as I quietly talk about my every day life to her.  I tell her about my walks that I take, what I have spotted by the river bank.  I hold her hand and tell her about all my hopes and dreams and hope upon hope at least some of it goes in.

I have received some beautiful letters through the post from my penpals and I sit and read those to her as well as  reading her Little Women too.  When she drifts off I pick up my stitching and sit and sew in the armchair by the window that looks into her garden and watch the robins go about their busy day.

I miss talking to her and she talking back to me and showing her my stitching and she would always love to see everything I stitched.  

Hygge is about the small things in life. Like warms socks. Candle lit room. A hot cup of tea in your favourite mug.

Hygge has been my best friend at Thimble when the decorations came down, plenty of candles and throws everywhere and a little pile of books by my bed and some in the lounge too.  I love the coziness of the Winter months and toasting my toes in front of the log burner with a cup of cinnamon tea close to hand.  

So for today I will leave you with that image as that is what I am about to do. Until next time stay safe and as always Happy Stitching!

Sarah XX

We will open the book.  The pages are blank.  We are going to put words on them ourselves.   The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Years Day.

Edith Lovejoy Pierce.