Jan May

This morning I have been mostly messing about with some scraps of fabric, and I've made another cute little flower to attach to Phoebe's collar - Simple to make and all sewn by hand - I've used a scrap of fabric taken from a little girl's summer dress for the petals (car boot 50p find).  The centre of the flower is a self-cover button in the same fabric.  The flower is backed with a circle of wool felt stitched securely, and then a little piece of velcro has been added so that it will wrap around Phoebe's collar and hold firmly in place. It looks really pretty, and I only wish my "model" would stay still and pose for a photo.  No hope!  I have managed to catch her sleeping though.  It's such a simple way to give a boring (pink - of course!) collar a bit of bling! Not that Phoebe gives a hoot about her flower, but she certainly has no idea it's there and it doesn't bother her in the slightest.  When we were out yesterday she was we...

Today's theme - Must contain a triangle

A delicate Hydrangea bloom, captured in threads. To create this embroidery, I have used a stamp to print the image onto fabric. Using Perle threads to outline the flower petals and leaves, I have then added colour to the stitchery by "painting" in the flower using Sharpie markers. I used two shades of pink and a muted blue to give the flower head a realistic appearance. The leaves have been coloured with two shades of green. Something of an experiment, I shall definitely be using this technique again. Working with the pens has taken me straight back to childhood, when I spent hour after hour pored over my treasured Altair design pad. Who would have thought ..... Colouring in for grown ups! To embellish and add a little life to the embroidery, I have added tiny seed beads to the centre of each flower. It works a treat - however threading the beading needle left me crying in frustration. I couldn't even see the eye of the needle - let alone thread it. I'm r...

This story takes place many years ago. Imagine we are at a time in the gentle years before the Great War. In a time where the motor car was a recent invention and a plaything for the very rich, seldom to be seen on a public road. This was an era when people worked hard and expected little. An era when life was lived at an altogether slower pace. Let me introduce you to Alice. Alice is a gentle soul. She has never strayed far from the village where she was born. She has spent her adult life living in the same little cottage she moved into with her husband as a newlywed when she was 19. At one time she was surrounded by family, but over the years they have all passed on or drifted away. Her husband died shortly after his retirement three years previously, and her only remaining sister lives half the country away. They correspond regularly by weekly letters, but haven't seen each other in years. It would be possible to travel by train, but it's altogether too expensiv...

Roses and Ruffles Quilt I just love anything that's pink.  There's something so cheerful and warm about it.  So this is what today's blog is all about......  Pink, pink and more pink! I'm a big fan of raggy quilts.  I enjoy making them, and I love the way they improve with each wash.  I couldn't cope with anything so screechingly cute on my bed - but how gorgeous would it be for a little girls room?  The link offers a downloadable PDF pattern for this design, though the quilt is so straightforward, I doubt it is needed. Darling Phoebe I have to sneak my dear little dog into the frame.  This is how she appeared after discovering my make-up bag.  Blusher everywhere - but she looked so pretty it was impossible to be cross with her.  Phoebe was just a puppy here and extremely tiny. A Bichon Frise, she's an absolute darling and a joy to have as a pet.  She's a constant companion and loves nothing more than to snuggle in for a...