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!

tatters&rags

The teachers were on strike today, so years 7, 8 and 9 were asked to Stay At Home. 'Oh good,' I thought, rubbing my hands with excitement at the thought of a whole day to practice my braille, to catch up on my vision impairment course, and maybe even time to have a cup of tea! But years 10, 11, 12 and 13 were still in and reacted to the strike day as though they were on strike - ie lots of wobbly-head attitude, giggling and Lots of Running About Inappropriately. One of the really challenging ones was so relaxed he forgot himself for a moment, raced past me to the bottom of the stairs and whipped round presenting his wrists to me in a strange gesture. 'Spiderman?' I asked, uncertainly. This broke the spell…'Yes Miss,' he admitted sheepishly and actually blushed! I just about stopped myself from saying 'Sweet!' Things were also very relaxed in the playground, which was a change from the usual underlying tension. But all of it really upset my autistic spectrum student…he doesn't like change, obviously, and hates loud noise and fuss. So we beat a hasty retreat to the calm of the braille prep room where we each got some work done and had a couple of custard creams each (I keep them for Friday night scrabble club).

Here's my latest make…a bracelet from some beautiful antique navy blue calico, part of a kid glove, feed-sack (of course) and vintage stocking-darning thread from the forties (soft and strong). Secured with a popper. Hope you like it - I'll be putting some similar ones in my Etsy shop pretty soon.

front

side

back

Found…and lost…

Got home yesterday to find a message from an American ebay seller from whom I'd bought some vintage quilting. It was lovely stuff, all rather small fragments of various lovely feedsack quilts in degrees of disrepair. I've been excitedly looking forward to getting it too. But she says she mistakenly listed it twice, and has refunded me my money as she has already sold it and shipped it out! Nooooo! I'm so disappointed. So back on the trail then, hunting down quilting in the right state of decrepitude (not new and bright, not too far gone, nothing that looks smelly, not too costly) which I intend to use to make things like the above needlecase, currently for sale in my Etsy shop…

On a slightly different note, I have seen some sights at school in my short time there, but nothing so evocative as the science lesson yesterday in which Year 7 were invited to cut up some sheep hearts. Two girls refused, dramatically faltering as if to faint, several groaned in disgust at the idea and one already naturally pale boy went positively white and took on the pallor of the Corpse Bride in Tim Burton's film, and had to leave the room. Most students hacked away at the hearts with scalpels so dangerously close to the digits of their partners I had to half-close my eyes. It was only will-power which prevented me from leaping over the desks and grabbing said scalpels from their over-enthusiatic little hands. Eventually nothing recognisable was left to examine, and no-one was injured, which I guess is a satisfactory outcome. Not sure any of them will become surgeons…
http://www.etsy.com/listing/95545379/beautiful-handstitched-needlecase-made

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!