I'm melting…

It's too hot to go out, too hot to stay in. Too hot downstairs, too hot upstairs. I love it like this.

Here's my new idea - not so much quilting, less textile, more solid and smaller. These brooches are still made from printed cotton (the scraps), but they are then mounted onto sheets from an old paperback book (a Penguin, naturally), and have a brooch or pin attached. Some of them then have another sheet or two of paper glued on for strength, and others have some feedsack instead. Number One Child prefers the paper approach - I think it's great, but I'm worried people won't think it's pretty enough.

What do you think?

all my own work

I made these labels to restock my Etsy shop. I love making them - they look so simple although they are quite fiddly to make. They use feed sack, vintage embroidery thread and imagination. They are a lovely way to send a message - 'happy birthday', 'thank you' or simply 'I love you'. If you like them please let me know!

All my own work

We started this long weekend with such good intentions - there are a couple of things that really need attending to, and we were definitely going to sort them out. One was to take the roof off the shed, clean it, re-roof it and paint it. But then it started raining, and these chores need fine weather. So I had a reprieve and have spent the days doing the things I love the most - socialising with some really great friends, hanging out with Himself and Number One Child, watching detective shows on telly and sewing. Here's what I made - oyster card holders - pictured back and front. They have been made using a lot of vintage textiles and imagery - old scraps collected by myself as a child, an old map, a vintage tape measure, a lovely old hand-written recipe I found in a household book from 1940, and some wonderful vintage feed-sack rescued from a fragile old quilt. I've created these montages using some antique table linen as backing, and have added a lot of hand-embroidery. The final touch is a lovely old button from my mother-of-pearl vintage button collection. They each have a little loop on the side to allow you to attach them to your bag - I do this so I don't lose mine!

The first one is a rural scene with a sweet little milk-maid and her pony, the second one has more of a WW11 Old Blighty feel, with a cute little puppy, a forties washing-day scene and a Union Jack flag. I'll be posting them in my Etsy shop soon!

front

back

front

back

All the way from the Ewe Ess Aaai

I saw a lovely quilt on Ebay. She was an American seller, and she had some lovely quilts for sale. I ummed and aah'ed - it wasn't expensive, but the shipping to UK… well, in the end I was actually at work when the auction closed, and it didn't sell. So I contacted her to ask about it, and she said that yes, in fact it had sold. Never mind. Then she got back in touch to say that there was another quilt very similar made by the same quilter, and was I interested? Yes! She would post it BIN on Ebay when I was sure to be around and would hope I won it. I waited. She posted. I bid…and won! It arrived yesterday at school - I knew I would be out if it was posted to my house. I was so excited, and luckily I had a lesson free yesterday so I took the box downstairs to our brailling room to open it. Inside, there was a lovely note from the seller, and a really wonderful quilt. It has a lot of feed-sack panels, very faded, soft colours, and a soft green backing, with a scalloped edge. A few of the quilt pieces have worn through to the batting, which makes it fragile and beautiful. I love it, and even though I bought it to cut up and use to make things, I hesitated. Thankfully, when Number One Child saw it, she asked me to Please Not cut it up, so it has had a reprieve, while I think about whether I can afford to invest in another cutter for sewing purposes only!

lavender

made from an antique traycloth and a vintage lace doily
Now in my Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/listing/97040549/lovely-little-lavender-bag-made-with?ref=v1_other_1

antique calico, linen, feedsack and Victorian quilt cotton

The scent starts halfway up the stairs and as the door is opened the overpowering and glorious smell of lavender fills the air. I have been making more lavender bags, and I'll be listing some in my Etsy shop soon. I'd love to hear what you think of these! Thanks for visiting!

In which I am spoiled

Mother's day! Delicious breakfast cooked by number one daughter, very skilled! Flowers and presents! Morning spent larking around in the loft with my favourite vintage fabrics (feed sack and ancient old quilting), sewing, posting brooches and bracelets to rags&tatters (my Etsy shop), while simultaneously watching old films on Youtube (that's multi-tasking). Then we all had a wonderful afternoon catching up with family. It was lovely to see daughter and husband so relaxed and happy with aunties, uncles and cousins!