Moments of contentment.

Watching Grand Designs Revisited while making patterns.

Twirling the pencil around the point on a pair of compasses.

Imagining the patterns on wrapping paper and cards.

Buying huge wooden and  colourful buttons.

Piecing fabrics together for cushions and throws.

Marveling at the beauty of the blossom in the dusk twilight.

And dreaming of sun, sea, and new horizons.  Bye for now!

Still playing!

Where did the weekend go?  I was on the go practically the whole time, but there just didn’t seem to be enough time to do all those things I wanted to do!!!  So what did I do? I was in the garden weeding and mowing. Generally soaking up the sun.  Ahh bliss!  We went shopping for some memory cards for my camera and some film for the panoramic shots for my husband’s camera.  Why?  Where are we going?  Well that’s a secret at the moment.  Shall I just say it is a trip of a lifetime!  But I will have room for 1200 pictures!  Wow, now that is a number!

Once back from shopping I found my flower book and crocheted these little darlings.

I thought my tea cosy looked a little boring and needed jazzing up!

A little circle of friendship!  Ring a ring of roses!

I think this has to be my favourite pattern at the moment.  The double trebles are so satisfying to do.  Watching the hook weave in and out, round about the wool. Hmmm, yes!  Then came the sewing.

All the way around the top.

One tea pot nicely dressed.

In between these little flowers I began my design sheets.  I had forgotten how much I enjoy making these research sheets.  Scanning the pictures for patterns and colour.

Looking for the detail, the repeating patterns, the grid lines.

I had also forgotten how time consuming they are to do.

And how out of practice I am at doing them!  My weekend of playing wasn’t quite how I had planned, but I did enjoy myself, and there is lots more playing to do!!

A weekend of play!

I have been looking at my Chatsworth photos and thought I would pick out a few more to show you.  These are of the bases or plinths in the Sculpture Gallery.  Most people were looking at the beautiful figures, but I was on my hands and knees marveling at the way these pieces of stone were put together!!

I bet you can imagine where my thoughts were going!

Quilts, applique, borders!

Repeating patterns, continuous lines, celtic knots!

A whole host of things to make – cards, bookmarks, scarves, broaches, bags, book covers….. the list is endless!  And in lots of different media – knitting, crochet, fabric, tapestry, embroidery, paper!  I have enough for a year to keep me busy at least!  It has rekindled all those design skills I have that have been lying there unused, and I am quite excited!!  Late last night, when I should have been going to bed I printed off several of the images and sat gazing at them.  This is the image that stirred me into thought action!!

Compass points came to mind and also Cathedral Window quilting.  So this is my starting point for a weekend of play!!

All smiles!

We had an extra visitor for the Easter break, who has decided to stay a while – his name is Barnaby.  As you can see he came with his ruck sack and little parka so was well prepared for the inclement weather we had here!

However Barnaby did need an addition to his wardrobe so my Easter weekend was spent knitting and watching films!  First to arrive was a hat while we watched Finding Nemo!

Then came a matching jumper during Big! and Wallace and Grommit’s Wrong Trousers and the Shaun the Sheep one!

Doesn’t he look smart!!  Certainly brings a smile to my face!

Something else brought a smile to my face.  These two little books of wonder!!

Filled to the brim  with beautiful photographs and inspiring reads.  I am savouring every page after a Lent without any magazines!

Then on a very overcast Thursday this made me smile too…

my hanging basket!

Look at their sweet little faces!  Smiling away!  Just the way March’s tea cosy is making me smile.  I know it is late!!

Happy Easter!

I actually managed to find a few Easter goodies to start off my Easter decoration box.

I just love the blue of the egg cups – a charity shop find.  Perfect with the egg cosies I have hooked.

Which just leaves this view to wish you all a Happy Easter!

Getaway 2

Jesus commanded us to love one another and I have seen so much love this week!  Get Away is a holiday at home for the elderly; for those who find it hard to have a break from the normal humdrum of life.  The ‘Team’ have given their all into making three days very special for about 40 guests.  We have been singing, fun-exercising, drinking coffee, eating sumptuous meals and playing Beetle.  We have visited Egypt, Jordan, and Israel without a foot leaving the ground! Generally having fun and giving love to each other through care and attention.  The Team deserve all the praise they are given by the guests!!

My part in this holiday was to provide some of the crafts and these pictures tell some of the story.

Lots of stamping…

and cutting and sticking…

and Hama beading…

and Iris folding.

Then from this to this…

to this…

and finally..

Aren’t they great?!!  The plate bottom right was made by a blind lady.  She enjoyed putting the papier mache on which she could feel wet against dry and the pattern came from a stencil which she could again feel.  She came up with a very ingenious way of putting the border on.  One amazing lady!  Their ages?  Late 70s to early 80s.  Brilliant!!

Each day has finished with a short service or thought for today on the Easter message, showing us the love that God has for us.  I thank everyone at Get Away for the love I have felt.  So I encourage you to go out and share you hidden talents and gain a lot of love!

Tassels.

Many moons ago I completed and gained my City and Guilds in Soft Furnishings and as part of the course I chose to look at tassels.  You know the kind?  The big and small ornamental ones you find on tie backs and furniture.  I drew them.  Cut pictures out of magazines (we didn’t have digital cameras in the good old days!!!!)  and recorded them in words.  We then had to show our findings on paper.

It was all recorded in a very precise way!!  I am a perfectionist now, but then I was even more so.  There was no room for error at all!!

Note the border and the writing.  Everything labelled correctly!!  Oh boy!! LOL

Now a days the pages in my sketch book are more cluttered and a lot more free. I still draw and record them but not so tightly. Anyway on Saturday the first thing I saw in the House was this beautiful tassel and it rekindled all those fond memories.

Isn’t rich?  All that painstaking care and attention.  The beading and the knotting!  Ahh bliss!  That was what I was going to look for – the tassels.  So here they are….

This one works so well with the curtain fabric,  I love the netting effect over the ball of the tassel.

Again a more sumptuous one.  I like the gold but I think the green one is more me.

This one was pale pink, but the low light levels give it a more mysterious setting.  What about a double one?  Again slightly muted because of the light levels, but still very beautiful.

So what am I going to do with all these photos except sit and drool over their sumptuousness?  Well in the good old days I made a cushion with some very suspect hand quilting on it, following the outline of a tassel.  I’m not sure but I will play about with the images.  So watch this space as they say!!!

Phew!

We have had  a busy weekend in the sunshine, visiting Chatsworth House with my very special people!!  We have been to Chatsworth quite a few times, and each time we visit I latch onto some new angle.  This time it was the curtain tassels and the patterns around the home.  But the gardens were also captured, as too were the views across the park land.  In fact there was so much I wanted to photo that the batteries in my camera ran out!!  Again!! Never mind, I have lots to play around with and  develop further.  Things that I want to sew and crochet and stitch and draw and expand and generally have fun with, but that is for later installments!!  Today is sneak preview day, so….

greetings from Chatsworth!

Basking in the sun…

to cooling our feet!

Viewed near….

and afar.

From the sumptuous…

to the ordinary.

Breath taking beauty…

to geometric wonder.

I could go on, but this is a sneak preview so you will have to wait!!

However, seeing as it is still Easter week I couldn’t resist this little wonder from their Easter Egg Hunt set amongst the china!

Easter.

Easter is often seen as the more low key celebration of the year.  Christmas is bright, loud and very glittery!  A time to celebrate the birth of Jesus and a time to get the family together!  A time to be joyful and often very over the top.  Easter is a time for relaxing and just chilling out.  But should it be?  Yes, Easter should be thoughtful on Good Friday, but it should be joyful and loud on Easter Day!  For that is the day we acknowledge what Jesus actually did.  He died and then rose to life!  It is a time to celebrate new beginnings!  For in dying He took all of the things that we should be sorry for, and in return gave us forgiveness.  We should be joyful that because of God’s grace we can be free to start again in a new life!

Now I always decorate the house for Christmas in a traditional way – you know in gold, red, and lots of green – but Easter I usually just bring in flowers.  Well this year, prompted by some exciting posts on other blogs about getting ready for Easter, I have decided to start my Easter decorating box!  Over the coming years I shall add to it and build up the collection, but this year I have been busy with my hook and made two of these to start it off.

I shall call them Chuck and Cluck and they have found a home in the hall.

They are ready to greet two very special visitors who are coming tonight.  Dotted around the rooms are some more greetings.  In the bedrooms..

something to nibble, and something to browse.

Henry came out to play in the other bedroom.

And downstairs yet more nibbles!!

So have a thoughtful and relaxing time this Easter, but a very happy and joyful one too!!

Treats.

Today has been a day of treats!  Beautiful, colourful goodies!  It started with this….

a little bundle, followed on by this..

little bundle!  They went up to be….

and…

They will hopefully bloom until the end of May and bring a bit of happiness!

But then I spotted this bundle of colour.

Not quite the stripes I was looking for but they will still make me smile!

But this makes me grin!!

Purple gardening gloves!!