Category: crafts

Funny How Our Tastes Change Down the Years

When I first started writing this blog I was into handcrafts, sewing, machine embroidery, crochet, knitting et al. A Husqvarna Designer Epic was always top of my Wants Lists, never mind the fact that it was the price of a new small car. Vintage Vogue sewing patterns were tracked down on the net, as were balls of yarn. They were like sweets, I always wanted more and more and more. Of course I had to have the latest rainbow coloured knitting needles and designer crochet hooks to work them. Oh the hours and hours that were spent on Ebay and Etsy salivating over these treasures. More hours were spent on YouTube watching tutorials for the Embroidery Machine that I didn’t have as yet or could even afford.

The price of a small car!

Then I got cancer and the crafts served to take my mind away from pain, worry and the gradually increasing horror of chemo. At least I could knit a hat to cover up my bald head and embarrassment.

But now, my much loved embroidery machine is up for sale together with those sought after Vintage Vogue patterns and my collection of vintage sewing machines. The wool and the fabric have already been donated to local charities (I only donate to local charities or ones where I know the people who run them).

So what changed? Why am I turning my back on things and activities I once cherished? I suppose I could say “Blame Covid” but actually I can’t. The last two years have turned into a period of reckoning for me, of establishing priorities in my life. When you are forced to hide from human contact, when you lose the so-called ‘privilege’ of wandering around non-essential shops free to buy anything, and when the ability to take off on a day trip to Europe with your mates is forbidden by people who love a good power grab you suddenly sit up, slapped in the face with the realisation that your values are out of kilter and have been for some time.

So having been fish slapped in the face with a review of my life, how have I decided to conduct my remaining years? Simples.

Fish Slapping Myself into Reality!

Well, in no particular order, number one is to own my own piece of land and to live on it with rescue cats, a Collie dog and a pond full of wildlife. For years I have dreamed of this and for years I have spent money on useless stuff and then having done so, looked at my bank balance and decided I’ll never be able to afford my dream and so I spent some more.

Number two is to revive those extreme ‘See how far you can get across Europe in a day and still have a fun day out’ trips I used to do with my friends (not seen since beginning of Covid).

Number three is simply to hug my dear cousin – a lot.

So now this blog is turning into a tale of extreme frugality, minimalism and the reaching out to the ones I love.

Slàinte Mhath xxx

March 31, 2022
Foxy Feed

Some slightly better news than the last post I wrote. Twinkle an adorable Tabby who has spent a long tme at PAWS Animal Sanctuary has finally found a new home. A couple came by this morning and fell in love with her.

She’s going to a home with a huge garden and a lot of love!
Below is a video I shot of a new little Fox cub who has just found his way to my door and the cats’ leftovers! He is so gorgeous, I love watching him trotting around and sizing up this new world of his. If you watch the video, please ignore soundtrack in background, I’m watching re-runs of 24. Jack Bauer and I are up to Season 5 now.

Beautiful Fox Cub in the Garden

Gully the Herring Gull is taking food from me now at very close range – we’re up to about 2 feet away now. Honestly I swear there is a queue of wildlife at my door every afternoon! My neighbours opposite me love watching all the different creatures turning up for their tea.

And this is a skinny little adult fox which I’m trying to fatten up. There is a large dog Fox that comes round as well and if they both turn up at the same time he won’t let the little one feed.

Craftwise I’ve been busy sewing, but I’ve taken time out to crochet this little cutie.

The pattern was free from DenDennis Amigurumist It doesn’t take much yarn and it’s quick to make. The head and body are made as one which is great as there is no fiddling about trying to sew a flopping head on!
A short post this time as I have to get back to Jack!

Slàinte Mhath xxx

June 29, 2014
Origins

Do you ever pick up a secondhand book and find an inscription inside and wonder about the first owner of the book? I came across this book the other day

with this inscription inside

It’s dated 1979 which is the year of publication of the book, so it must have been a brand new book bought for Colin for Christmas. Did Colin grow up to be an artist? Who were Denis and Lindsay? Why was Colin’s book in a charity shop? Did he donate it or did someone else donate it. Maybe it has done the rounds and I’m the fourth or fifth owner even! Hopefully Colin did have a happy Christmas and Denis and Lindsay’s gift was put to good use. I love reading things like this and imagining all sorts about the owner and although I love ebooks, you can’t add a piece of history like this to a downloaded book. BTW the book itself is wonderful, the bird sketches are breathtaking. I always envy artists who with a just few strokes of a pen or pencil can create life on paper. Note to self – Keep practicing!

Now remember my new found love for machine applique? I had so much fun with my Flamingo design that I made it into a little zippered pouch.

and added the flamingo fabric as a lining. I might put a couple of embroidered pouches in my shop. There are so many gorgeous/cute/funny/clever embroidery designs available these days that I could spend the rest of my days sewing them or at least until my machine wears out.

I’ve also been making a few of these. Can you guess what it is yet?

No prizes but my recent addictions should give you the answer!

Slàinte Mhath xxx

May 31, 2014
Pen and Ink

This is a picture of three of my favourite things – a bottle of coloured ink, a beautiful fountain pen and a sheet of writing paper.

I also have bottles of orange, fuchsia, lavender and green ink! Alas I don’t have a fountain pen for each ink colour, but it puts me in a happy place when I write with any of these colours. Sad that not many people use fountain pens these days and the only ink colours you seem to be able to buy in the shops are blue or black or even blue/black! I buy my inks from The Writing Desk. I’m like a kid in a sweet shop when I go onto this site. You can even get scented ink – reminds me of handwritten love notes sly exchanged by Jane Austen’s characters. I never buy Fountain pens over the net as I think they are something you have to try in person, a bit like shoes!

While on the subject of ink, here is a rubber stamp I carved at the weekend.

I’m rather pleased with this one as I’ve just started learning how to handcarve stamps. I also have this brilliant book on how to make your own stamps.

The author Geninne D. Zlatkis has also posted a video tutorial on her blog on how she carves stamps. Very talented lady.
More makes –

I’m getting a bit addicted to machine applique now I’ve figured out how to use the files. I downloaded this design from Cherry Stitch Design as a single Flamingo and then using SewArt software I copied it, pasted and flipped the copy and merged it with the original one to make a pair of Flamingos. Hours of fun!

Also over the weekend i had to feed my addiction for crocheted Birdies. This is the newly hatched Patriotic Birdie!!

I’m resting from Birdie crocheting at the moment – well at least until I can think up another colour combination! Most of the crocheting was done while watching the wonderful birdie and animal web cams that the rather wonderful Simon King has put up around his home. Well worth a look. Along with hundreds of others I’ve spent the last few weeks watching a Bluetit family grow up and was almost tearful as the last one left the nest this morning. I hope they have a wonderful life.

Slàinte Mhath xxx

PS Simon King has found a second Blue Tit family for us all to watch over

May 27, 2014
Universe

My interpretation of ‘Universe’ for this week’s Illustration Friday.

Also as well as chucking paint around I’ve been feeding my addiction for crocheting Birdies. This is Lemon Birdie making friends with my Bluebird of ‘Appiness.

I also knitted a toadstool to act as a prop for when I photographed Harry Hedgehog Tea Cosy.

I hired a stylist for the shoot!

This is what happens when you attempt machine applique for the first time without a clue what you’re doing.

And this is what you get when the penny drops!

Slàinte Mhath xxx

May 25, 2014
May Makes

This is a pic of the purple hot water bottle cover I mentioned in my last post

I love the colour, might even make another one. One for me and one for the cats! I’ve been doing a bit of catch up with my own sewing and have finally finished this summer dress made from Butterick 5317. It’s unusual for me to get something finished for the right season. I usually finish my summer sewing in time for Christmas and vice versa.

I think it does look vaguely like the one on the right on the pattern envelope, although I didn’t like the sleeves, so I left them out.

A bit of a mad fit overtook me when I decided to crochet the Octopus on the front cover of the current Craftseller magazine.

The word Octopussy kept floating around in my brain, probably because of the Bond film of the same name, so here she is, my very own Octopussy!

I did put this pic on Craftseller’s Facebook Page and they seemed to like it! Maybe I should go for Reservoir Dogs for my next project!

Slàinte Mhath xxx

May 17, 2014
Beaded Beauties

It occurred to me over the weekend when I was having yet another sort out and purge of my wardrobe that there are an awful lot of embroidered clothes in there. Most of them, actually I think all of them have come from charity shops and none have cost over a fiver as that is my top limit for buying clothes. I just love this kind of embellishment, I must have inherited the love of it from my granny who was a professional hand embroiderer and produced many exquisite works for church vestments in Ireland. I suppose church embroidery work is now done by machine as the amount of woman hours needed to make them would be cost prohibitive.
Now any excuse to get my camera out! Here are some photos of my favourite pieces.

Looks a bit navy in the photos but this is a lovely black embroidered and beaded cardi. The front is done up with hooks and eyes. It’s lovely and soft and heaven to wear.

Here are details from two grey beaded scarves. This scarf immediately above has this embroidery all over every square inch. I have about a dozen embroidered scarves.

The leg of a pair of jeans. I did this one myself on my embroidery machine. I just loved how it turned out. When I wear them it looks like my left leg is a walking pergola!

Stunning black bead embroidery on a lovely red cardi.

And last but not least. This is my all time favourite – a sequinned pussycat on a Butler & Wilson t shirt. I adore this one!
I think I might turn this yen for collecting beautiful embroideries into a proper hobby. Charity shop prices around my way are still relatively reasonable and a fiver per masterpiece is doable. It would be nice to be able to wear your hobby!

Slàinte Mhath xxx

February 19, 2014
Sewing is bad for your health!

Well it is when you pick up a very heavy black and gold vintage Singer sewing machine from under the stairs. And it’s especially dangerous when you forget to bend your knees and tug at your machine from a very odd angle. I did all of the above with my old Singer and thought I’d got away with it pain wise until the middle of the night in bed when all sorts of aches and pains struck. I couldn’t bend down or pick anything up for days and when you have cats that need feeding and litter trays to clean out you can imagine the fun and games I had. Still all my important little places seem to be healing and contact with the floor and the lower levels of life is a lot easier now.

Daisy has been feeling sorry for me and has been trying to help me with pain relief by hypnosis.

And Tabikat has gone for a more relaxed form of hypnosis.

I wrote this on my FB page in November – “Quote from my vet to me this morning “Only you could turn up saying I have a Moorhen in my handbag”. As I was leaving Rustington this morning I saw a Moorhen get clipped by a car – so parked up in golf club driveway and dashed across the A259 to pick it up. Miraculously it was still alive, so grabbed it and dashed back. No box for it so emptied my handbag and stuffed it in there. I think it’s just a bit stunned, my vet will check it over and the lovely vet nurse has a place at home where she can release it with other young Moorhens. Now going to clean the s**t out of my bag xxxxx”
I’m pleased to report back that the dear little thing survived and has joined up with a gang of juvenile Moorhens in her garden and is living a happy life by her pond.

I‘ve been combining a little bit of machine and hand embroidery to make these covered notebooks.

Of course they are animal themed. I’ve had such fun doing them that I think I might develop a line of them for my shop. I’ve just finished embroidering a German Shepherd dog silhouette in white on blue denim (pics to follow). Animals and crafting – sheer bliss!

Slàinte Mhath xxx

January 27, 2014
Post-Op Report

In my last post I wrote about a very sad little Teddy Bear in need of a lot of TLC. He had no eyes and his head was hanging off his body.

I’m pleased to report that after sewing his neck back up and restoring his eyesight and knitting him his own special winter sweater little Teddy has made a full recovery! Ta Da!!!

And true to my current ‘No Buy’ project it didn’t cost me a penny, I already had teddy eyes in my stash and also had a load of red Aran wool, the pattern was a free one from Ravelry.com. I’m really chuffed with his transformation.
Briony, yes he is now mine and is permanently rehomed with me. I couldn’t bear (no pun intended) to let him go!
His new name is Little Red!

Slainte

Linda xx

January 5, 2014


The price of a small car!


Fish Slapping Myself into Reality!