the patchwork dress

recycled Valentines (!?)

...some Valentine's recycled style cards now at Entrading

...finished and photo'ed last night after dark, so not the best photos...

....these photos just showing some of my favourites before I got fedup with the lighting thing!

I enjoyed looking for images, although because the style of my cards are large photos with no words, I had to be a bit tangential with the images - hopefully they work ok, and could also be used aside from 14 Feb.

...for the sweetness in your life!

room with a view

Yesterday the doorbell rang and a delivery man asked me to sign for a box. We were expecting a delivery of one of these, but after I signed for it, realised that it said "M&S flowers" on the box. (Snapdragon Jane, look away now!)

...far more exciting than the logmaker (or is it?...), it was a delightful surprise delivery from my friend Jill as a gift for our new home. I'd not really done anything about spring bulbs when we moved in, as with so many other things to do, it seemed like a bit of an indulgence. But I do LOVE them. So this was a very nice surprise, and a promise that Spring will arrive. Although it would probably look good by the front door, I put it in the garden just outside my sewing room window so that I can enjoy it everyday.

Speaking of which...

..still a work in progress, but I was keen to post about it now, as it will never be 'perfect' - the chances of me catching it on a tidy day with sunlight and all the pictures on the wall may be a few months off yet! So here it is Stage 1!

BEFORE... (as it was when we moved in)...

...hm, in need of some t-l-c I thought...

and for several weeks it was like this...

...war torn dumping zone...

So I much prefer it like this!

...there's the ol' sewing machine... cutting mat... ready for action.

Total cost of revamp £13.99 for the stripey Ikea rug.

We pulled up the carpet to discover the blue floorboards, which I may repaint, but quite like and will do for now.

The cream blinds had a scalloped edge and braiding that I didn't like, so cut it off and hey presto, got 2 new plain blinds! Luckily the 'weighted edge' was above the scallop, but you could always trim and rehem an old blind, as usually they are much longer than the window anyway.

The pine chest at the end of the room is holding all my secondhand fabrics. It was originally in another room and most of the drawers were stuck. With the aid of a can of Pledge and a rubber mallet (!) - oh the Boxing Day fun we had - we got the drawers out and N planed them down. If he'd taken any more off he said, they would have become trays.

The Hornsea pots on top were charity shop rescues which now hold & keeps tidy - threads, strings and things. (That's the Creative Café coffee pot there too, where we put our written intentions inbetween meetings. We then pull them out at the next meet, usually having forgotten what we put, and are surprised to discover that one if not several have come true. Mine was moving house!)

The Ikea clear fronted chest under the sewing machine was a giveaway from my friend Suzanne. Now I have a bit of a confession... I saw in a magazine a "gift wrapping table" - it looked like a huge tupperware table with legs like a wallpaper pasting table - and I exclaimed WHAT! are you MAD? - a table to store giftwrap and all your ribbons etc on extending legs. Madness I cried. Then thought, what a good idea, I'm fed up with rolls of wrapping paper stuffed behind wardrobes and squished ribbons - so they all fitted in the bottom drawer! neat and tidy. If I read this elsewhere I'd think 'anal', but actually the satisfaction of having it 'out of the way' does exceed this.

There is still the unseen end of the room which is housing some piles of magazines and some storage boxes, but it generally all is much neater and more organised and feels more efficient. Magazines come in the door, go to the cutting table, recycle bins underneath, scraps into the logmaker, cards out the other end!

Watch this space!

embracing the monochrome

These endless weeks of grey and no sunshine can get a bit... well,...depressing. Apparently yesterday, the 21st of January was statistically "the most depressing day of the year". So I decided to embrace the grey, and see what I could find out there by going for a walk down to the loch.

The Aber walk runs from the village and gets it's name from the river that runs through here. It takes you out through the fields, where I disturbed this flock of wintering geese. Oops. They all flew off very noisily - you can just about make them out (need to get a better lens for that sort of thing).

Over bridges, through gates and stiles, down lanes, through woodlands...

passing bunches of snowdrops and wintery lichens...

to Loch Lomond, as it was how I remember it as a child, mossy roots and no man-made shoreline - just shingle beaches into the water...

I met only one other person, who lives in one of the cottages down there. We walked along together for a while and she told me about the name of her cottage, which had intrigued me. It derives from the name of Saint Kessog, and she told me they had discovered a 6th century font inside the building, possibly moved from another site. The Loch has a few Saintly, monastic and Christian missionary connections, including

this island... Inchcailloch

The name associates with "the island of the old woman or the nun" according to a local guide.

It struck me one day, looking out across the loch in better weather, when the form was reflected in the water to make a whole - that the island looked like a body. Perhaps more of a jellybaby. The Cailleach is the old woman, or Crone from Celtic myth who was often seen in the land masses such as at Callanish.

...more geese sliding across the silver...

At the end of this walk is a nature reserve. It's very beautiful and still down there, the occasional cry of a bird or 'honk' of a goose. I saw this ice pattern frozen in the marshes...

...and thought it looked again a bit like a woman's body (do you see it? -like one of those psychologist's tests!), a little like Olive Oyl from 'Popeye', looking out to the right?? - right? Maybe I've been looking at Inchcailloch for too long...

thread connections

Well, I'm not sure who's birthday it was supposed to be, but I met up with mum on Thursday and she gave me this that she been working on...

It's not everyday you have a wee cry in John Lewis café, but I was very moved... it's beautiful, and so much time and labour has gone into it.

Plus, mum didn't know but I have a cherished Chrysocolla bear that I bought on the Taos trip, and there he is at the bottom of the embroidery.

I love this, and have a plan, along with a few other little bits and pieces I'd like to frame and hang on the 'ancestors/family' wall in my sewing room.

I had a good day in there yesterday, as suddenly I could see where everything needed to go, and had a rearrangement. This involved emptying things out of storage boxes, regrouping by use, and re-storing. During the process I considered what I use often, what didn't really need to be kept (in there), and also what I wanted to have to hand as a reflection of where I'm at now, and what I intend to be focussing on in the next months.

Arriving home after on Thursday night there was also this wonderful package waiting for me, a swap I'm doing with Kate Headley at Redheadedsnipit.

Kate was clearing out this owl tapestry from her sewing room recently, so we agreed to do a wee swap. My heart leapt as soon as I saw this, as I have been hearing the occasional owl hoot here at night - so I'd like to do something at the cottage with it, although not quite sure what yet. Thank you Kate! Check out her beautiful shared photoblog with her friend Laura Crow Miller.

Kate also included these other goodies of fabric scraps and magazines - including this lovely Anthropologie brochure, which reminded me a bit of Toast clothing... beautiful styling and interiors of a romantic life!!

...check out the bird duvet cover... and of course this latter photo is very much my look at the moment, cleaning out the mould from the skirtings in the sewing room... the rubber gloves that is. Most likely though I shall be wearing my new fleece (also a gift from mum!!) until Spring, when after having it surgically removed, I shall emerge, butterfly like - perhaps into some clothes like these.

start as you mean to go on

Hi Mum, if you're reading this... Happy Birthday! x

A few things that surfaced during recent clearouts and house moving, were a couple of old childhood projects that I've kept...

...realising sometimes that the things you do when you are younger can provide a key to what really interests you. This was something I did, and figuring out by remembering the house we were in when I did it (not a mansion, I had/have aspirations!) , I guess I must have been 8-10 years old? Is that a sewing room I see there at page 13? Hadn't quite mastered the 'fitting it all in thing' with labelling the Title - that takes practice!

Two things I remember mum having that influenced me were the Habitat and Laura Ashley catalogues (how 1970's!). I distinctly remember drawing this booklet, choosing things from the catalogues, and drawing my elevations. I've still got a batch of more recent Habitat catalogues, I find it hard to throw them out.

...who'd have thought it, I went on to do interior design and become a draughtsman. Even then I was thinking of how to heat houses...

Mum later told me that she used to do the same thing, about the same age - draw little room plans and where all the furniture would go.

I ran out of steam around page 10 with the pet's room...which apparently speaks for itself. Any child psychologists out there?

I think these logcabin squares were done a bit later on as a teenager?... using the Laura Ashley patchwork scraps they used to sell in bundles. I think they stopped doing those, but wish they still did.

... mixed with some 'found' fabrics from home.

...a first attempt at template patchworking. The green fabric was one of mum's old summer dresses I cut up - I was so in love with that fabric at the time, it seemed really bright!

You can see where it was all heading... thanks for the inspiration, mum.

I've just been out in the garden putting some bird food down, when I heard a twhrrrr behind me. Two little fat robins standing right where I'd put down seed. How brave, I thought... they must be getting used to me... and musing of course, this is why they are the 'gardener's friend'. By the time I'd had that thought there were 4. Now come on guys, that's too much!

...a 4 robin Happy Birthday salute!

coat of many colours

Last night I had a sudden urge to get on with laying out pieces for this patchwork throw I am making for Neon, perhaps to match his name... do not adjust your set!

I first picked up a bundle of reclaimed fabric strips in checkered blues and oranges at the Birmingham Quilt Festival in 2005(!). Amongst all of the traders, my friend and I were most fascinated by Worn and Washed fabrics who created these beautiful bundles from co-ordinating patterns and colourways. I bought a little bundle as an inspiration and kept it in my workroom for well over a year before I could even think about opening it up!

At a later date I bought some more reclaimed checkered fabric packs from Ragbags, who are another UK based company dealing with reclaimed fabrics. They have some interesting vintage scraps too, and often appear at quilting shows around the country if you can catch them.

I wasn't quite sure what to make and toyed with the idea of a traditional or logcabin quilt until I saw these pictures of African textiles in Selvedge magazine:

...which inspired me to simplify the pattern and go for some bright plains inbetween all the checks, and not be so fearful about just jamming them all together.

Letting go, I thought I'd be bold and not plan too much and just lay it all out to see how it looked.

My friend Barbara had attended the same exhibition at Joss Graham that the article had been about and also sent me these pictures on a disc.

I started it back at the old flat, where there was minimal space for laying out, and had pinned the checked pieces to an old sheet to hold the pattern. Last night with the fire on and acres of cold laminate floor to spread out on - it was ideal to start fitting the in the coloured spacers.

Designing it has turned into quite an organic process, but I am pleased with the simplicity of it, and that it is using a mix of reclaimed fabrics. I decided to make a warm throw that just fits over the shoulders like a shrug - just for cosying up in or reading under... or perhaps wearing with lots of ankle jewellery standing out in the Serengeti.

a spring wedding

In december I finished off these wedding invites for a local bride who contacted me through Jane as I mentioned yesterday.

She was looking for a natural, not overly styled theme for her wedding this April, and liked the idea and ethos of the recycled cards I'd been making. I began collecting together images that would suit the feel of the mood board she showed me.

...some cards

...and corresponding envelopes

...more cards

...and their envelopes

...my favourite here was the card with the doocot.

I also supplied some kraft brown recycled envelopes in case she chose not to write the addresses on the envelopes, and made the heart envelope seals using the offcuts backed onto adhesive sticker labels and punched with a decorative paperpunch.

I think they are pretty and just a bit alternative to conventional announcements - and each one is unique and different! I really enjoyed doing these and would be open to more design commissions for clients who want something unique and one-off to suit their occasion or business. I like the idea of combining and alternating graphics with a handmade style.

a winter birth

Another form of announcement! I did this little birth announcement flyer for a friend who wanted something quick, simple and on a reasonable budget to post out with her Christmas cards.

We chose a square format and I printed them out on Ilford photo paper, delivered swiftly and without much fuss - a bit like Sam!

and a new home card!

...a new home announcement/seasonal card, made using one of my photographs with Adobe Illustrator graphics.

a semblance of order

Today I felt like I regained some ground by re-establishing my routine of writing every morning.

I even got some of my Christmas/change of address cards written yesterday... ehm... early for 2008 of course!

The last entry in my 'pages' was about a month ago - so much has changed since then. I notice how much calmer I feel after writing my 3 or so pages, more prepared to get on with things having cleared some thoughts early on from my mind. I remember Julia Cameron writing that a return to the page is a collapse of the ego, perhaps a return to the creative flow, things feel more easy to accomplish.

I also indulged in a cup of tea in bed, a chapter from Wayne Dyer's interpretation of the Tao, and a wide-eyed "I can hardly believe these adverts" look through one of the US mags brought over by Jane yesterday. When they say we are bombarded by "this will change your life" advertising in the West, I actually felt as if I had been. I am fascinated by the graphic style, the warmth of the journalism and well-being that comes from US publications, but I wonder how I could cope with the constant bombardment of advertising for the most unnecessary products, that makes you feel as if you'll never be good enough unless you remodel your double garage with a balcony and some shutters.

We picked up the wonderful "new to me" wardrobe from Suzanne yesterday, and as well as being plied with spicy cake, hot chocolate, tea and espressos also came away with two beautiful tweed cushions that she had made for us - one with felted panel for me, and the other stripey tweeds for N (must take photo *aha, no need, read about it here), and an assortment of goodies she was clearing for reuse including some great floor sweeping (length, not Magician's Apprentice style) lined curtains, watering can and bucket for the garden, ex hospital metal cabinets for N's toolshed, and this wonderful chest of drawers which will be going in the 'sewing room' possibly as a Drapers drawer style, so I can see the fabric beckoning from within!

I feel some organising coming on.