Stitching down the Wind

Wow! What a storm! I do hope that you aren't among those poor unfortunates who have lost their homes, or have had to move out while repairs are effected. We escaped here in our corner of West Norfolk but up on the North Norfolk coast they took a real battering, and I know in other parts of the UK the wind, rain and high tides have wrought devastation and loss of life.

In expectation of a couple of days of bad weather Jim and I planned for staying home and 'pottering' - home chores, long coffee-and-crossword breaks, and blissful hours to tie flies and order from fishing catalogues (Jim) and sorting threads and stitching (me). Mind you, the wind was so strong on Thursday afternoon in the little conservatory that is my sewing room, that I thought the roof would be ripped off and judiciously repaired to the Big Table in the dining room!

I made more headway into the task of tidying up the thread straggles - you know, when you cut into a skein of thread you always end up with an impossible tangle eventually, so I have started to wind the threads onto bits of card. It's a deliciously mindless occupation, high on the list of anyone with OCD I'd imagine! If you do it before things get too bad it's not such a task.

I did a little more on the Farmhouse Quilt. Some of the fabrics are quite gorgeous to quilt through, and this pale flannel here is one of them - see how the stitches just melt back into the cloth?

All the applique pieces will be embroidered when the quilting is finished and I have bound it. Yummy!

I'm using one strand of a hand-dyed 21st Century Yarn 4-ply cotton to quilt with - so much softer than quilting thread against the flannel, and I love the way the variegated colour changes just add a little something to the stitches.

A little Christmassy felty something. Bet you can't guess .......

And some more wool felt bangles. On a roll with these now. The bowl in the top photo contains tiny felt squares ready for embellishing the bangles. I must get my bead boxes out and see which ones will work with the wool.

So that's how I've spent these last couple of stormy days, stitching down the wind and really quite enjoying being 'stuck in the house'. I hope they have been good days for you, and if not, my good wishes to you.

Now then before you whizz off to your next blog stop, do me a favour and pop over to Potter Jotter, as Cathy is doing a really fab give-away of some of her lovely ceramic buttons. Hop across and say hello!

Bye for now and thank you all for your lovely comments these last couple of weeks about my lengthy wait for a hospital appointment. Believe me I know I am not in dire straits and other bloggy friends have been having a much more drastic time of it, health-wise. But it has been so good to read your remarks, thank you.

Floral Friday

I understand from Jo's blog ( Jozart)  that today is Feelgood Friday. And I do! I love this hot weather - yes, I know it's too much for some people, and there have been some terrible fires. However, I have been waiting over a year for this and I'm blummin' well going to enjoy it! And this weekened I will NOT be paradin' meself around wearin' a funny hat and makin' a noise in Furrin Parts, for a change. No, just me, myself and I,  Jim finding HIMself in an open field neath blistering sunny skies instead for the weekend. I hope you have something planned that is pleasing to you, whether you are chillin' out or doing something interesting but perspiration-inducing!

Speaking of funny hats, I had a good chuckle earlier this week reading Cathy's blog (Potter Jotter) Her name is Cathy Daniel, and she had used some of the lovely ceramic tiles she makes, to come up with a few anagrams of her name. This was especially for me:

Isn't that clever? If you want to see what the equally clever other anagrams were, pop over and check out her blog. Thanks Cathy, this is just great!

So, mooching round the garden doing some garden tasks this morning (ahem) I thought I'd bring some of the loveliness indoors, and set about with the secateurs (well, the kitchen scissors, actually.)

 
                                                           The moody, shady shot.

                     I am probably the world's worst flower arranger but I think they look pretty.

So after a quick nip into town - I see Sainsbury's car park was half empty even at 10 o'clock when I left, so much for the obscenely expensive new parking ticket machines which seek to curb all the millions of pounds the council is losing with people sharing their unused tickets! One poor lady couldn't see to key in her reg. number how ridiculous, someone needs shooting on the council. I put heaven knows what reg. number, I nearly always get my letters back to front, and I know I missed the letter off the end. So I am awaiting any minute the Knock on the Door from some Jobsworth or other.

Anyway, too nice a day to rant. So when I got home, quick bit of house work. (Yes, I do on occasion get the feather duster and vacuum cleaner out!) then it was me for the garden.

And this is what I spent the afternoon doing.

                                                        Materials and tools at the ready.

                                   Embroidery in progress on the Big Cushion.

And the reason for the Big Basket of Felt, seen above :

The Little Cushion, or a pin cushion to be precise. The grey looking blanket background is actually quite a nice green but the colour leached out in the sun.

So there you have it. A short post about what's made me happy today. Oh, and one other thing did too, but you can't see that - a phone call from a very tired chap in a field in Worcestershire! Hope you had a Fell Good Friday too!

Reasons To Be Cheerful

Two blogs in particular have given me a bit of an elbow in the ribs recently. Sue, on The Quince Tree quoted a poem by Grace Noll Crowell, called Such Joy in Simple Things, which pulled me up short as I had been in low-grade grumbly mode. Then I read Penelope's post, on L is for Love, where she was considering 10 Good Things Right Now.

Having a high level of intolerance for....well, all sorts of things, really, I can easily slip into an irritated frame of mind a propos of almost nothing at all. And it is annoying. Both for those around me, and for me, too. So without wishing to get too right-on and positive thinking, shoving my gratitude for life down folks' throats, I'm going to be considering some Reasons To Be Cheerful on a regular basis.

Now I shall be posting this on Saturday, when I've sorted the photos out, but I'm writing it now, on Friday. And obviously, it is a given that my family and friends are always souces of cheerfulness to me!

REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL

The sun is really shining today, and I'm basking in its warmth.

All around me Great Britons are allowing themselves to feel proud about being British!

The Garden is still looking quite good, lush growth and colour.

 I have been reading some lovely comments on the last blog-post.

I actually got down to organising the neccessary for my Baskets Quilt! Yay!

......and actually made a start!

My new business cards arrived from Moo, and I love 'em...thankyou Cathy (Potter Jotter)

I managed to work out the left hand all by myself chords and basses to the new tune I'm learning on my melodeon! I shall amaze Nick, my tutor on Tuesday! Love it! (It's the RSB by Andy Cutting  - who else? - in case you're interested.)

I bought this mag a couple of weeks ago, only got down to reading it today!

Reached page 15...the Feedback page and there I found..........

.......................my Angel! Yes, there she is, Gloria, in all her ........glory! What a surprise. And look at that total we raised.....fantastic!

I finished a journal page using my new Inktense Pencils...love 'em!

While rummaging for the Basket Quilt fabrics, I came across this.........

It's the Auntie Green's Quilt which I saw in mmmmmm, I think Australian Quilting Magazine ages ago. I got as far as the central appliqued panel and the first border of pinwheels. One day.....one day.....but it was great to look at it again and ponder.

We got into town early this morning and did the shopping before most other people were up and about - bliss!Today just meandered along, in quiet contemplation and harmony between us. Nothing wildly exciting happened, it was just laid back and gentle. And very, very cheerful.

Another Textile Jaunt

Well, perhaps not strictly a 'textile' jaunt, as no actual cloth was involved. However, there is a link - bear with me!

One of the great things I've found since starting to blog, is the connection I've made with other bloggers. Often it's just a case of regular reciprocal commenting on each other's blogs, which may be merely a sentence or two, or a more robust joining in the debate. Sometimes you find you really click with someone; you discover you have things in common beyond fabric, and 'off-blog' communications happen. Now, I'm not suggesting that because someone comments on your blog they become your 'next new-best-friend', however it is a great way to make that initial conatct with someone with whom you have interests in common.

One such blogger is Cathy at Potter Jotter. She and I have been chatting for a while now 'off-blog' and I asked if we could meet up in order for me to write up a Textile Jaunt about her. The (fairly tenuous) textile connection is that Cathy adds patchwork decoration to many of her pottery pieces. I had already checked out her website and had my eye on her stem vases.

Yesterday I cheered myself up immensley despite the pouring rain by driving across county to Cathy's home and feasted my eyes on her pots. It was a very relaxed meeting, we hit it off from the start (is it becos we is Northerners??) .

                                           Cathy emptying her kiln in the garage

We started by inspecting the kiln, which looked like a large spin dryer to me - Cathy is desperate for a larger one as her business is rapidly outgrowing this one.Then we came back into the 'pottery' which is actually the ex-study; Cathy does not 'throw' her pots, but creates them by the 'slab' method, hence she has no need of a wheel and buckets of damp clay , she can keep the whole process at a small domestic level. As she says, she has a life! As well as selling direct to the public via her website, Cathy has contracts with several National Trust shops and Anglesey Abbey, and several outlets in Norwich. I was able to photograph some items which were waiting collection.

          I particularly loved this large plaque with its quote from The Ancient Mariner

         I love this so much here are some close ups. Those polished pebbles are actually clay!

A group of ladies in the village have initiated a Sunflower Project and asked Cathy whether she could come up with sunflower related items. Of course she could.

Oh, and talking of sunflowers, Cathy was able to give me some really easy solutions to getting the image for my own Sunshine Award onto my blog - result, eh?

                               A few of Cathy's dishes incorporating patchwork blocks

                           A special commission - it's ok, the recipient doesn't read my blog!

                                                    My favourites, the stem vases

My lack of photographic expertise lets me down here somewhat, but I hope these shots give you an idea of Cathy's work. I love it! Paradoxically, Cathy admits she knows next to nothing about patchwork and quilting, though she dreams of one day having time to sit down and stitch one for herself. Wait til retirement, Cathy, bags of time then - NOT!

The time sped past but eventually I had to leave, in order to get home in time for Mollie practice....see what I mean about time, and not having any! However I 'll be back next month in order to pick up a couple of small packages......I'll tell you all about it then. Thanks so much for having me over, Cathy, great to actually meet you, and pleased we both 'passed the test'! Hope you've all enjoyed this Jaunt, see you next time.

Open Studios Two

I've been abroad with my camera again!

                                                                 Thank you Cathy.

 I have been awarded a Sunshine Blog Award by Cathy, from Potter Jotter, who really appreciated seeing my poorly toe in glorious technicolour! I now have to 'do my bit' which comprises telling you things you didn't know about me....hmmm not sure about that!!! And then nominating five other blogs which have brought sunshine into my life.

Well now. Here goes.

1) Despite now loving to stitch, as a schoolgirl I HATED anything to do with needlework. I was the Worst Girl in the Class, I really was, from the huckaback running stitch sampler we did in primary, then the shoe bag, to the apron and skirt in High School. I used to deliberately 'lose' my sewing on many occasions. 

2) I was a Girl Guide and loved it. When we came to live in Norfolk I was roped in to help with a local Brownie Pack and subsequently Guides, eventually I started the 4th Reffley Guide Company, which is still going strong, run by the daughter of a great Guiding friend of mine who reached much loftier heights than I ever did! Great fun, great memories!

3)As well as needlework, I was very very bad at maths, French, and Latin at school.Oh, and physics.

4) I was pretty good at English, Spanish, art and hockey. All other things were in between!

5) I hate getting started on housework. Especially ironing. (Unless it's quilting fabric!)


6) I have been known to appear in public dressed as a French Tart, with my face blacked up.This is often accompanied by dancing and folk music and visits to pubs.


There, I think that is more than enough! Now to whittle down my favourite logs to just five...oh dear that's a bit hard.So very difficult to whittle it down.


Claire at mynorfolklife
Gill at  dosierosie
Victoria at  tangledsweetpea
Annie at  knitsofacto
Elizabeth at welshhillsagain

There are so many more I love to read but had to pick just five, for their writing and colourful posts. I hope the links work, but you can find them in my blogroll if not.

Right, so, I have been off to visit another Open Studio, that of another Stitchin' Bitcher...oh dear that sounds awful, doesn't it? She's really not! A few clues:

                                Perhaps this will give the game away?

                                          You've seen this before....in preparation.

                                                               sign up for a great course!

Of course, it's Yvonne, you guessed when you saw Arfa, didn't you? And don't just take my word for it how talented this woman is.......her work has been included in several publications, including this one:

Not only does Yvonne make and teach rag rugs, she is also a silver smith, and makes silver rings and brooches, and bracelets and necklaces with semi-precious stones.

                                                  Love these articulated avian brooches.

Yvonne 'does' Open Studios each year, and also exhibits with West Norfolk Artists annually. Oh, and she quilts. In fact, Yvonne is an unofficial member of the 'slow cloth' sisterhood. I know for a fact she has a quilt she has been working on for over ten years...........I think she took one of my workshops to get on with it. Hmmmmm! Soon to be appearing on her own blog/website. I'll keep you posted.

Now, come on. Enough is enough. Drought? Ok, we needed the rain. But it is like bloomin' Siberia out there! I went out to do a 'from the back door' shot and was nearly blown off my feet. The plants are horizontal.

                          Sorry, could hardly get them to keep still long enough for a shot!

                                   And look, how long do you think these will survive?

My poor giant poppies, just two of them brave enough - or foolish enough - to unfurl themselves in this wind. They appear upright, but you can see from the foliage, and the sage flowers behind how the wind is tossing them about.

                 Rosemary, lovage, mint and some yet-to-blossom flowers, all windswept.

I'm now off to meditate on the wonders of nature  - not. Then a warming cuppa, I think. I hope you are all finding ways of warming and cheering yourselves up in this unseasonal weather. And you lot in warmer climes....THIS is why the British talk about the weather so much, we have so much of it to talk about! Bye for now.