Yorkshire folk are renowned for their plain speaking, no nonsense way of doing things. I am not so good at this! Probably because I like writing and creating and all sorts of chattery nonsense really. But....being a 'recycling' kinda gal who believes 100% in using up and making everything pretty ... AND in order to not feel too bad about the amount of fabric in my sewing room...I decided today, to dig deep and have a go.
Read MoreTime for another foray into the world of vintage textiles and I must say, I am happy to get back to this project as it is proving rather interesting to me. I love the idea of reusing, recycling and reinventing these fabrics, but am also unsure as to whether I can successfully combine beautiful old hand work, with more modern fabrics and sewing ideas. If you need to catch up with the previous blocks, you can find the postings in the Categories section, under 2017 Vintage Linen Revival Quilt.
Read MoreHaving had a large box of old linens stashed in my cupboard for a long time, I am finally recycling and repairing and cutting and embroidering and attempting to make a new quilt old of old and very beautifully worked pieces of needlework. After being rather pleased with my first block, this next block is a different challenge. I have no plan for any of this, so I literally just pulled a piece out of box randomly and then thought about what to do. This time, it is a very lovely, very fine cushion cover that has a large tear in the middle of it. I have absolutely no idea where this came from or who might have made it originally, but I think it must have been an enormous amount of work.
Read More'JANUARY IS FULL OF POSSIBILITIES' - at least that is what is says on the opening page of my 'Simple Things' mag this month and I like that idea. I am so excited to begin this project and as I have absolutely no plan at all, it will be winding and colourful journey.
Read MoreSOOOooooo with the new year upon us, I decided that it might be fun to do a month on month project to make a 'revival quilt' out of all these wonderful textiles. It will be a total adventure in needlework and I am already imagining that I will have to find innovative ways to rescue some of these textiles and enhance others. I have a feeling that I when I actually start to look really closely at this handiwork, I will be absolutely in awe of the needlewomen who made these things. They are from a lost time really and I don't want them to be lost anymore.
Read MoreWhen I was a little girl, my father's work sometimes took him to London. He would travel by train from Yorkshire and on the way home he often brought a small gift for me. He told me that there was a magic barrel situated in Kings Cross Station and he would put in his hand in to see if there was something for me, if I had been good enough.
Read MoreI am always in awe of the fine travelling accessories the ladies of Miss Austen's time had and remember especially going to visit Josephine Bonaparte's house in Rueil Malmaision, in the suburbs of Paris and seeing the most wonderful collection of absolutely beautiful accessories with little embroidered bags and embossed leather carrying cases. Somehow, chucking everything in a zip up holdall doesn't quite have the same feel....?
Read MoreBack from holidays feeling revved up and ready to go in the sewing room. Hope you have had or are having a fab time on your vacation, wherever it may be. We certainly had an amazing time. We visited Venice last year for a few days and fell in love with this magical city and decided to return to take a closer look...a much closer look in fact.
Read MoreThis is a real summer project to add a splash of colour to any space...indoors or out! I thought it was a disaster! It turned out to be the prettiest quilt I ever made and it is aptly named, because this quilt is full of surprises!
Read MoreLast weekend, I was lucky enough to get to visit Gawthorpe Hall and to see a sprinkling of the wonderful textile collection housed there. When I was working towards my City & Guilds diploma in Sweden, I came across this collection in my research and first learned about Rachel Kay Shuttleworth - the founder of this extensive collection. My first glimpse of her came in these wonderful books about the history of embroidery by Gail Marsh. These books are simply wonderful if you love the history of embroidery - full of stunning photographs and packed full of information and techniques, these are ever present in my sewing room and much drooled over. When I looked further into Gawthorpe's textile collection, I made a mental bookark to visit this place on my return to England. As it turns out, amazingly, I don't live too far away and last Saturday we made our first trip there.
Read MoreHope you had a good Christmas and are ready for some sewing and some new projects for 2016. I have been a bit sluggish on my blog, I know, but that's because I have been busy scheming and designing and stitching - at least I was until my sewing room got squished into a corner to make room for the Christmas Table Tennis arena! It's all very well and the daily house competitions are fun, but I do have itchy fingers after a week without a needle and thread.
Read MoreMaking Embroidery Modern
