I do like red

Hello Lovelies

Honestly this really is bright red even if the photos say otherwise! 

Think tomato :-)

This it's my first proper crochet bag....yay...I think there will be many more to come.

The red 100% cotton yarn I bought from Lidl a few months back. The white is James C. Brett craft cotton purchased from Deramores.

I made an oval base before continuing up the sides. I just wanted something simple rather than elaborate.

I've lined it with a pretty floral fabric that I bought some time ago.

As you can see from the top image my wee constant companion thinks it rather lovely to lie on... bless!

I've been busy doing various other things too

...like looking after a lost and exhausted racing pigeon!

It arrived 4 days ago and I've grown rather fond of her but nevertheless I am keen for her to return home.

Through studying her ring tags on her legs and a spot of googling I discovered she is from the north west of England and was able to leave a message on someone's phone in Wigan. (I live in the south west)

A very nice man called to verify the tag details and within an hour I was speaking to the owner... yay!

She is going to be couriered home to Chester in a specially set up van.

I'm calling her Priscilla in the meantime... a bit pointless really because I keep forgetting it and often referring to her as a he. Lol!

I've previously not been too fond of pigeons but this wee girl has such character how could i not fall for her :-)

Well that's it for now my lovelies,

Thank you for all the lovely messages you have been leaving;

you are so kind.

Ttfn xxxx

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

A vintage find

Haven't we had some lovely weather the last few days?  My garden is positively erupting into colour.  Gorgeous.

Ah, but this post is not about the weather. No. But I did need the sunshine for the photos.

After visiting my lovely friend and her beautiful little baby daughter yesterday I did a spot of charity shop perusing in my local town centre.  Just as I went into one shop an assistant was placing 'new to the shop' items on a previously empty table and I was so delighted to find that they were crafty things.  Of course I immediately pounced on the table to see what treasure lay there...

I found this...

I didn't open the bag until this morning when I went over to my arty crafty room.

Can you tell what it is? It's not yarn, but is something rather exciting if you like fabric and even more so if you like vintage fabric.

The bag is full of paper pieced hexagons, many of which date back to the 1950's.  How do I know, I hear you say... well, take a look at these....

"By Appointment to the Late King George VI"

and there he is on the stamp!

Hmm...I know... the card and stamp don't necessarily make the fabric the same age and I am not a textile historian but isn't it nice to think so...?  I do.

Perhaps you want to see some more...



and here is a view of the 'right' side...

I believe these hexagons were made over many years as some of the backing cards are much younger and the fabrics a little more familiar.  For example, several could be from the seventies as they remind me of fabrics that my mum used in making clothes for my younger sister.

Below is a not so brilliant photo but here they are all laid out together.

There's also some smaller hexies in the bag, some of which are sewn together and a pile that are loose...



It's hard to date these ones but they are not so old.  The black lumpy things are my slippered feet.

The thing is, I now have a bit of a dilemma as I was going to use the fabric (goodness knows what for at the moment) but now I am thinking that I shouldn't spoil the connection between the backing card and the fabric.  Wouldn't the biggy wigs in some quilting association want it documented?  Am I being silly? 

What would you do?

The hexies are not well constructed in that they are all odd shaped.  To sew them together would not be fun at all as some sides are longer and others short.  However the tiny stitches of the sewn hexi flowers are lovely and neat.

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

While I was out in my arty crafty room I took a few photos to give you an idea of the lovely space I have to work in.

...and a couple of close ups of yarny stashy goodness... 

Thank you so much for your comments, they really do brighten my day :)

ttfn xx