Buttons on my mantelpiece.
Chicken on my windowsill.
Badges on the lintel above my cooker.
Harmonious patchwork strips on my sewing machine.
Handmade comforter for O on my kitchen worktop.
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My creative life has taken a somewhat chaotic turn. One day I draw. The next I sew. I knit in the evenings and I'm in the middle of what I am calling my 'great aunt makes'. I spent an enjoyable day yesterday with 6 other ladies on a workshop entitled 'harmonious patchwork strips'. We died calico, cotton and silk along with threads and other embellishments and stitched them together to make tonal wall hangings or pictures. I would like to make mine into a book wrap but with the current demands on my time, this may take a while.
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It was fantastic to spend a day playing on my sewing machine. I can't be a proper stitcher as my sewing machine is not a Bernina. As with all hobbies and activities, the hierarchy of kit and equipment is immediately evident. I became increasingly covetous yesterday of P's collection of bobbins, pre-wound in a rainbow of shades.
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I estimate I sewed for a total of 3 hours out of the 6. The longest I've spent machining, well, ever. I managed a few straight lines but my technique is, how can I put it? Organic. Possibly eclectic.
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Today I made a ribbon blanket comforter for O. I hope he likes it. Or rather, I hope his parents like it. I learned of them at my knitting group. The babies like to feel the satin ribbon and the softness of the fleece. I have fabric left for more. I just don't have other babies to give them to. I'm off to have a trawl through my sewing magazines. I think knitting maybe about to have a summer break.
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I have to snatch my crafting time from the jaws of other demands. I'm actually quite enjoying it. It makes me do more and it makes me appreciate the things I get to see or go to. I am finally beginning to accept that the more I have to do, the more I get done and the more 'free time' I have, the more space there is for procrastinating. What I need now is a little creative focus. ***
2 comments:
My mum has a collection of buttons but they are not filed by colour in jars. Instead they are a muddle, in an ancient Scottish shortbread tin (now slightly rusty looking), with the odd paperclip and safety pin thrown in.
I love your patchwork strips - it has inspired me into thinking I might give patchwork a little go - I remember I had a half started project from years ago - if it is still around, it could well be lying next to an ancient tin of buttons at my mum's.
Oh, lovely photos! Your chick is so cheerful!
I've never seen a ribbon blanket comforter. What are the dimensions? It looks delightfully soft.
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