Textiles, Pottery, and Farewells

                                     Gratuitous photograph of  Eldest Grandson Chris.

                                Thank you to Ada at Vintage Sheet Addict for this lovely award!

You might have been thinking that you've come to the wrong blog, lately, as there has been a bit of a dearth of textile in my posts. Obviously things have been hectic round here for a while so there hasn't been a lot of fresh and creative stuff going on, but fear not! I have plans afoot. (Ooh should I mention that word???) I struggled to find some coherence for this blog post, but it seems to be jumping about all over the place, so bear with me as I qickly update on the Visit, sadly now at an end, and some bits and pieces in between!

                     And a lovely one of Beccie, Elder Granddaughter, and Great Nan.

Obviously the most urgent item on the textile list was COMPLETING THE QUILT . I finally put the last stitches in it at the family farewell BBQ at Oakham on Saturday. We had a presentation and a few modelling shots. Krissie loved it and so it was all worth while.

First thing Sunday morning saw me hastily writing, pressing/setting, washing, ironing and stitching on the label.

Next up comes a quick Beach House cushion cover - I part-exchanged the one I made for the craft fair, with Cathy Jotter Potter, and would you know it, son Kit said it was his very favourite one  (he's missing his surfing. badly!) so I have to get going with another of them...probably end up taking it out with us...it won't get done very soon, I promise you!

One to be planning is Beccie's cushion cover. Bex is having her bedroom 're-done' when she gets home and we are all very excited about that, I've been promised a thorough 'skype' tour when it's done - or perhaps Dylan will make me a video. Bex and Krisie each have one of those nursing cushions, the open 'v' shaped ones as they are just so darned comfy. She will send me the lining to use as a template, and we have chosen the fabrics: she is working on a black/white/teal colour scheme. So it will be patchwork with teal applique letters of her name,already chosen the fabrics but I'll leave that for another post.

Now I promised you a look at the other items Cathy made for me. They were gifts for our visitors, and I am so thrilled with the way Cathy interpreted my ideas. First of all I just wanted 3 hens with Union Jacks on them, for the children's rooms - they were suitably impressed as Dylan loves the flag and both boys are into 'Angry Bird' images and Bex just thinks they are 'cool'!

For Krissie I wanted something which picked up on the things she loves to do. She loves to read, she grows great basil which I am really miffed about! and from being a woman with no time to bake when they lived in the UK she has blossomed into a domestic goddess to rival Nigella on the baking front. Now don't you think Cathy has done me proud? Krissie was terrifically pleased with it and knows where she is going to display the plaque on a plate stand.

Kit's present is not seen at its best, as it will be mounted on a whitewashed plank when they get home (we have supplied him with a tube of no more nails!) However you can see the text which is the last line of an ee cummings poem.

  'It's Always Ourselves We Find In The Sea'. When I saw that quote in Cathy's workroom I just KNEW we had to come up with some way of incorporating it into a piece for Kit. He is a boy who loves to surf, and his de-stresser, and source of meditation is the ocean, which he has been missing since being here. Cathy designed some surf pieces and the whole thing is just so right for him. He was a little stunned to be honest, he loves it. Cathy, you have done an excellent job! I have photographed them poorly as the light was bad and we couldn't really make Kit's piece look as good as it will once mounted. They were all extremely chuffed with their pieces and so am I. Thanks a million!

So, a few more photos, taken at the BBQ , I almost whipped the camera out today as they sped off in the (very large) taxi, but to be honest I wasn't in the mood, we tried to keep it fairly upbeat but Jim and I are really noticing the  emptyness today. Of course, it's going to be lovely to sleep in our own bed again! And we have whizzed through the house tidying and vacuuming and done tons of washing (in fact Jim has just finished ironing umpteen sheets and pillow-cases, bless the man!) But it does feel strange and I am quite flattened at the moment.

Jim adding some last minute photos to Dylan's Journal which is all about his trip to the UK, which he will present when he gets back to school.  (Ooooh, can you see that photo in the blue frame in the background? That's our Engagement photo!!!! September 1970!) Also seen, as in so many recent shots, is the polka dot oilcloth table cloth which has graced the table for the past month - best £22 I've spent in a long time, I can tell you! I felt quite sad when I wiped it down for the last time and replaced it with a 'proper cloth' this afternoon!

                                      The small ones playing a 'tick and run' game.


However, we will be skype-ing as soon as we can, and we have already begun talking in earnest about plans for going out in the New Year! That certainly takes the sting out of it.