Sunday 3 November 2013

Thread Drift



Hello again, I hope your weekend is going well and you haven't suffered much weather-wise. We had a tremendous wind-storm last night I'm surprised the tiles are still on the roof! But today is chilly, windy but SUNNY! Hoorah, I can bear it if the sun shines.

Right, I'm afraid after the quilty loveliness of the last few posts this is going to be sadly disappointing, but it does come to you from the vasty depths of my sewing room, which is a little tidier than when you last saw it. Not much, but I am making an effort. Part of that effort was Sorting Out my Threads. This delightful displacement-activity, the kind us procrastinators just love, has occupied my time for a whole afternoon. And look! I saved a whole bucketful of thread scraps! Oh come on, don't tell me you don't too - long enough to come in useful but not long enough to wind round a skein. Any way, my current thread storage was getting past it, and I needed to tidy things up as well. My stranded embroidery floss is in one of those purpose -made plastic folders and is staying there. I'm not going to show it to you because .erm .......it's a bit messy. But it is sorted. Ribbon thread, slubs, metallics and oddments are in plastic boxes. But the rest I had been keeping in zippered plastic envelopes. This had worked for years but the zips were going and the plastic looks old and faded. (I know the feeling)


DMC Perle 5 and 8


Hand-dyed mostly variegated soft medium cotton.


Hand-dyed silk



Hand-dyed variegated 4-ply cotton - mostly from 21st Century Yarns (some from when they were 20th Century!)


          A mixed bag here - I can see silk, soft cotton, and some interesting twisted threads in there.


                   More silks and soft cotton here - why they are in the same bag I don't know.


          Oh my goodness  these gorgeous jumbo silk threads - I will use them one day, I really will!


       Hand-dyed perle cotton, form a variety of sources but Oliver Twists and 21st Century probably


And these tangled hanks have been hanging around for years. You buy them at Quilt Fairs thinking you will use them but never get round to it. Because they are in such large hanks. So I unravelled......


......and EVENTUALLY arrived at this nice, usable little collection of various weights of thread and wools.





And then, having ditched the tatty plastic envelopes, I sorted the threads into their new storage place.


So there we are, all tidied away and gone are those big hanks, the threads now sorted and accessible. To any of you who might possibly think this is an excessive amount of thread to keep in one house, I will say that it has been collected over at least a fifteen year period, and it does get used! To the left of the above photo you can see another set of plastic drawers, which contains all my other sewing threads: machine sewing, machine embroidery threads, household sewing threads ..... again, collected over many  years.

So with everywhere nice and tidy I am enjoying using the space again. Nothing wildly exciting at the moment, just a few more wool pincushions on the go, and ..... well, you can see in the lower corner some interesting felt shapes worming their way into the photo. No, I'm not telling you yet. I'm just having some fun with an idea.......


........ watch this space!

Until next time.

24 comments:

  1. Lovely colours in all those yarns, I found a video on you tube that sent me off to Wisbech for organza, once I have had a play I will share. I do need a trip to the CS to pick up some ods and ends of yarn though, I know they have a box full.

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    1. I'm all agog, Pam! But yes, we need to have a play and get the prototype out of the way first!

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  2. your pin cushions are adorable!

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    1. Thank you Kath, they do seem to touch a spot with people and I really enjoy stitching them.

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  3. Wow! I'd be like a kid in a sweetie shop if I was there!! I have masses of ribbons of all lengths and trying to prevent those from getting into a tangled mess is the same! I know exactly what you meant by us procrastinators using sorting out as a displacement activity. Well we have to see what we've got before we can make a start on anything don't we only trouble is by then it's time to go and get the dinner, or do the ironing or something similar and the creativity is put off to another day! Love all you lovely colourful feltwork. Can't wait to see what those worms are going to be or do!

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    1. Totally agree, I felt quite resentful when I'd finished 'sorting' and had to get stuck back into real life for a while! But the weekend has been quite productive so I can't complain. And the worms are coming along nicely, thank you!

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  4. I love a bit of tidying and sorting such as this. My daughter seems to have inherited this and likes to sort out my buttons, beads and threads etc. Lovely close up photos too.

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    1. I'm sure, Jane, this liking for 'sorting' began in my childhood, sorting my mum's button box. The close ups are just my point and click digital camera set on automatic - that's about my level!

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  5. You have done a superb job sorting all those gorgeous threads out Lynne. I love it when all my crafty bits and bobs are all neat and sorted and I know what I have got, it kind of makes me feel more inspired when everything feels neat and tidy xxx Penny

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    1. You are so right, Penny, it all looks lovely now, and much more enticing. Lx

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  6. What a lovely stash my dear Lynne !
    All these yummy threads (and YES ... we all buy at fairs
    things we love, but in the end don't know what to use for ....)

    But hey lady, I'm sure you're múch better looking than
    some old plastic zipper bag .... ;-)) Uhm : fééling .... well that
    feeling I know (too) ... especially in the morning (before make-up)

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    1. Hahaha! Thankyou Els! Certainly my early-morning feeling is quite 'old-plastic-bag-like'! But at least my stash is now looking beautiful!

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  7. Love your pin cushions. They are too cute!

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    1. Thank you, Lynda, they are quite addictive to make!

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  8. Oh gosh Lynne you've made me feel guilty now. My crafty bits REALLY need sorting - tomorrow maybe.
    Patricia x

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    1. Just get down to it, Patricia! You know it makes sense!!

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  9. So organised!!! How did you ever manage to go to work with all these amazing threads at home?
    SueXxx

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    1. I do wonder myself, Sue! I never ever miss work, too much to do and SO much stitching to get on with! Lx

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  10. WOW what a lot of threads!! gorgeous colours and textures. Another one here loving your pincushions, so pretty xx

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    1. Hi Karen, thanks, I do enjoy making them and have another batch on the go! And I will confess to you - I had a few more threads delivered today! Yes, I know, what am I like! Lx

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  11. The answer is yes, are you going?

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    1. Hi Sue - yes! Brilliant! Coming with a friend (Stitch and Bitch friend Yvonne) who has sadly just lost her old dog Arfa after a long illness but she wants cheering up so we will certainly be there - unless I am in hospital I have a lump on my face which is being investigated. I'll let you know. Be great to come and see you, your stall sorry, BOOTH! looks great! Lx

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    2. Fantastic :)
      The fact that you are coming, not the other bits!
      Sx

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    3. Ha Ha! I knew what you meant!! Lx

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