Little stitches

Hello :-)

Just thought I would drop by and give you a glimpse of what I am doing today as I haven't given you an update on what I am doing with these vintage hexies....

Not a brilliant photo as I used my tablet but much quicker, allowing me to get on with hand quilting.

I will give you an update with better quality photos soon.

Oh joy! The sun has appeared :-)

Ttfn xxxx from Tracey

Rag or treasure

Hello lovely followers and visitors,

After reading Jacquie's blog (Bunny Mummy) the other day about the making of her patchwork peg bag - and the brilliant tutorial (that can be found here) -

I felt inspired to rummage through

my own stashed fabric remnants - its large because I keep very small pieces. 

Delving into it is like jumping into history.

Now you may have noticed if you know me well that i keep talking about yellow...

Sunshiney, buttery yellow...

So...

I was immediately drawn to little fragments of yellow, excitedly pulling them out and piling them atop my ironing board

As I'm all fired up from the Sew-a-long perhaps I could make a patchwork skirt...

...and then I searched the larger folded remnants in my cupboard

...and rediscovered this drawstring bag.

My darling Mum made this for me when I started school.

Perhaps it was for hanging plimsolls (similar to sneakers) or similar on my peg.

I LOVE this fabric and have done so since I was five.

Well this bag has sure seen some use and it's been around the world twice!

In New Zealand mum was very involved in 

Guiding - Brown Owl, Captain, District Commissioner....

- for about 21 years.

During this time mum used the bag countless times for Pack Holidays, Guide camps, leader's camps and trainings... you get the idea.

See, it's got my name beautifully embroidered in chain stitch and also mum's camp name in marker pen (latter not in this pic).

I started unpicking...

with my trusty 'quick unpick'.

I was a little excited... the bag is rather robust, it would have to be, it's 50 years old!

The cotton fabric is thick...I dared to hope it is double layered.

Let's see...

Oh, oh, oh lookie see... it is!

Mum gave me the bag after she left Guiding as I couldn't bear for it to be thrown out.

I know, I know, I'm very sentimental - you don't need to tell me :-)

The fabric is very worn in places - not surprising really!

The sewing thread is cotton and it's thick...

The top thread is the older one and the lower is hand quilting thread.

 Uh-oh, my name is sewn through both layers... decisions, decisions... 

I'm favouring keeping that bit intact.

Ok, so now it's completely unpicked (apart from the embroidery) and it's one large piece of fabric.

Dearest Mum, you made a wonderful job of making this into a bag for me all those years ago :-)

I cannot bring myself to use this 'precious to me' fabric in a patchwork skirt

...it needs to revel in its own loveliness...

Perhaps it shall become a small cushion cover for our bedroom where it's less likely to fade quickly.

I shall take my time and dwell upon it for a while, but not another 50 years.

Ok, 

so some people will think of this as a rag 

and me as crazy...

...too bad!..

I'm delighted that I can make use of this preciously sentimental, sunshiney treasure.

What do you think...

rag or treasure?

Ttfn xx

My Sew-a-long skirt

Hello lovelies,

I've made it here at last.  I have written umpteen posts in my head but that doesn't get them into the blogosphere does it?  It's a long story, so if you don't mind I'll omit it.

Today I'm linking up with Lazy Daisy Jones and the other participants for the big reveal of our Sew-a-long of McCalls pattern 3341.

Daisy has been giving brilliant tutorials for those who need it and has made five or six versions of the skirt herself.

It's a long time since I sewed a garment for myself and once I got into it I found I was enjoying it. 

Thank you very much Daisy for organising and putting so much time and effort into the sew-a-long :-)

As my skirt is black there isn't much to see so I hung it on my dresser for additional interest

Ta dah...!

Thank you so much for all your comments :-) they really make my day... bless you all.

Ttfn xx

Little visitor identified....

Hello,

I'm very pleased to discover my little visitor is not a rat after all 

but 

surprise, surprise 

he/she is a large rabbit!

I have never heard of a rabbit getting into a wall via under sink plumbing pipes.

But it has.

The door is now wide open with fresh water, a carrot and some greens nearby to tempt it. 

I have not seen it myself but Lovely Husband spotted it through the window when it snuck out it's little hidey hole for a wee. 

I shall be relieved to put my studio back to normal soon..... I hope....

*****************

Do you like a giveaway? What a silly question, I hear you say....

If you pop over to Mary Jane's Tearoom all will be revealed.

Oh, and such lovely things she is giving away.....

Do go see!

And if you win due to my prompt I would love to know :-)

I put the giveaway image on my side bar and that too should link you straight over to her blog.

So.....have you had a peek? Exciting isn't it? I think they are 'very me', so I'd love to win.... I feel very cheeky saying that and rather greedy too....

But....you have to be in to win :-)

****************

This is one of my neighbours.  She/he looks lovely at this time of year surrounded by wild flowers, don't you think?

Toodly pip xxx

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Mand-a-long thus far.. and a visitor...

Hello dear readers,

Just a quick post today so that I can link up with all the lovely mand-a-long peeps over at Lazy Daisy Jones and Chrissie Crafts. Come on over and take a peek :-)

I'm currently working on my fourth mandala. I was so pleased with my third one that I am making another and writing the pattern to go with it.  If you had told me before I started that I would begin to make them up as I went along I doubt I would have believed you!

The upper two are blocked and the lower left waiting patiently whereas the wee one is still growing...

I've also signed up for Daisy's sew-a-long (see the button at the top of this page for link)

BUT....

...oh dear, a spanner has well and truly been thrown into the works to mess with my merry makes. There is a damp patch on the wall in the studio (due to the rain we've had) so I left the door open the other day to help it dry out...as you do..... It wasn't until the next day when we found large patches of wee that we realised we had a visitor. At first I thought it must be a cat and that it had sneaked back out when Lovely Husband opened the studio up and had gone off to fetch something. We were fooled. Oh dearie me.... I went back in yesterday and they was another puddle and we realised it hasn't been a naughty feline visitor but one of a rodent nature. It's now behind the plumbing pipes in the wall. We think it must be a rat of large size due to the big puddles it leaves behind.  So dear readers my beautiful studio is currently a mess as we have boarded up access to shelves, piled stuff on the tables, brought loads of precious stash, drawings etc over to the cottage until Mr or Mrs rodent is there no more... I have tried leaving the door open for it to escape but methinks it likes it's new home.

I shall let you know when I've moved back in....

Cheery bye

Tracey xxxx