I did a bit more stitching last night, slow but steady progress! My birdie now has a perch and is looking quite cheery. This whole design is done mostly in a combination of back stitch and long stitches, with some added detail in colonial knots (so much more reliable than french knots), running stitch, lazy daisies and feather stitch. Appropriately. I also managed...
We were (unexpectedly) whisked away to Farringdon this weekend - it's a lovely little village just outside of Oxford. We were visiting my grandparents-in-law who were, earlier this week, down in London for a family event. I managed to get some stitching done while we were there. No TV, no pubs - just plenty of tea, great company, lots of stories, and a...
The weather-lady said that there'd be showers and thunderstorms this weekend. She fibbed. England is still a fair isle, full of sunshine and gentle breezes. Flowers are wilting. People are suntanning. Women are walking around in strapless dresses, soaking up the sunshine as if we were in Caribbean or else on the summery shores of Cape Town. This is the summer of 2013....
It's been a while since I last posted a Wednesday work in progress. Most things have been in boxes since moving, but not this one. This one has been (very) slowly and quietly on-the-go when the soaring heatwave temperatures settle down to a light sizzle, and there's a gentle breeze blowing in through the windows. This is going to be a Debbie Bliss...
This week, I raided my fabric stash. It's a really funny thing, dipping into one's hoard of lovely fabrics. You feel like you really oughtn't - what if you can never find it again? what if you need it for something else? But what could be more fitting a use for fabric than a new embroidery? Phooey. I went into the Stash Box...
This month, the EEWI ladies made their way to Walthamstow for a little gallery outing. It's our monthly "coffee morning" which usually takes place in an East End coffee shop. This month was different. We were heading William Morris-wards; tea-time, pimpernel and glorious gardens awaited. The gardens were just lovely. The sun was out, the flowers were looking fabulous, and we took tea on...
I seem to have caught a bit of a cold. I'm much better today, but this weekend has been a blur of yuckiness and heat and sitting on the couch feeling frustrated because all I want to do is go out and play. I mean, how often do you get summer in London? And so, instead of focusing on all the medicine, vitamin...
I've been (slowly) working on a papercut for a friend's little baby - due in two more sleeps! I typeset and drew it on the computer, then perforated it with my silhouette and finally cut out the details by hand - they were fiddly. The silhouette did not love this fibrous type of card, so it took SIX times to get it right! Grr....
It's been an odd old week so far. I worked last weekend, which means that my days all merge into one when it gets to next Wednesday. Is it really Wednesday already? good golly. (In fact, while it is very nearly Wednesday, it is actually Tuesday Quite Late. We should savour these last few minutes of Tuesdayness, I say!) Time to consider the...
The one good thing about moving house is that you tend to accumulate boxes. This is good news for the average knitter - boxes mean a whole lot of blocking boards! So, out came the pins and the "pending" knitting projects that have been waiting to be blocked. All the boxes are now decorated with bits of stitched loveliness, slowly taking the right shape with...
The weekend passed really quickly. In a flash of work and unpacking, it is suddenly Monday. I did find a moment to wander down to my new local library which is rather quite lovely. It is quite literally around the corner, and you can either choose to walk past a lovely little cafe or a pretty fabric shop on the way. The library...
