F i E L D y

Hebridian Road Trip - The Spoils.

So, now I am back home again but not empty handed, oh no!! Apart from some great memories and a wonderful sense of well being having been mentally and physically restored,  I have more black pudding than you can shake a stick at….

Not everyones cup of tea but you must try it once - seriously!

No trip would be complete without a small purchase of tweed. Here I have some beautiful jewel coloured plains….

And some new style coloured plaids….

I particularly like the one on the bottom and have bought extra to make a bag…… for myself!! I never make myself anything but that is all going to change.

Last but not least I have this beautiful handmade willow Hebridean Sket……

A gift from Isobel as a thank you for doing all the driving – totally unnecessary but very much appreciated! Thank you Is for being the perfect travelling companion/photography mentor!

It is sitting in the hearth in my living room holding a couple of hebridean stones (gneiss?) that I collected at Port Ness when I first went over to buy tweed a few years ago. I think they look like eggs in a nest – a symbol of ideas/future plans about to hatch ?(hopefully!)

That concludes our trip around the Outer Hebrides and west coast of Scotland - as Isobel and I constantly remark – how fortunate we are to live in this beautiful, beautiful country!

Before & After.

I feel like I am riding the crest of a creative wave at the moment. I have so much energy and so many ideas swirling around that there don't seem to be enough hours in the day. Perhaps it is the new diet I am on. I have cut out almost all sugar and wheat and I feel amazing! My head is clearer than it has been for a long time and I have lost over a stone in weight which feels wonderful. However, all this creativity has resulted in a woeful lack of househould husbandry. Luckily, I have been forced to tidy up as I have had a friend to visit - even the kitchen floor got cleaned!

The workroom too has had a tidy....

I have been jumping from project to project with some minor tidying in between but some serious folding and putting away was required...

There, that's better. An oasis of peace and calm....

somewhere to kick back, relax and browse a few craft books and plan the next few projects...

Thought I would take a few pics as it will not stay like this for long! Finally, it slips seamlessly from workroom to cosy guest room.......

That bed looks inviting - maybe a wee snooze is in order before I start to make a wee list of things to do over the weekend. Now that all the tweed is tidied and folded I can assess what I am lacking in my stock and consider what purchases may be necessary, as next week I am off to the Outer Hebrides for a few days of R&R - I am so excited I can hardly contain myself! This time next week I will be blogging from the hotel in Harris hopefully (by that I mean most probably) with a G&T in hand!

 

 

A Week of Inspiration - Day 7

When I was planning the ‘groupings’ of objects for my week of inspiration I managed to divide them into six distinct sections and I was wondering how to round off the week and it suddenly became clear to me that the only way I could round off this week was to pay tribute to the person who has been my biggest inspiration – my lovely Mum. I keep this picture in my workroom and although it is not the best picture I have of my Mum it is my favourite – taken circa 1971 whilst we were on a family holiday in Italy. I think she is looking at my brother David.

My sister and I always had the most lovely handmade clothes (not that we spoilt brats appreciated them at the time) made by Mum. I was always begging for clothes from Tammy Girl or various catalogues, anything rather than wear something handmade. I had no appreciation then of the time, effort and love Mum put into making things for us.

I learned to sew at my Mother’s knee – first on the old Singer that belonged to her Granny (known to us as Little Granny) which is now in the fireplace of my workroom…

 

And then, when deemed competent enough, on her electric sewing machine.

I use  Mum’s sewing machine all the time despite having invested in an all singing, all dancing new machine 18 months ago. Mum's machine is like an old friend - solid, dependable, irreplacable.

I love it, it is the best machine ever  (over 30 years old and still going strong!!) – and every time I use it it I think of my Mum and how happy she would be to see the way that sewing and making has once again become part of my life. We didn’t have a great deal in common, she never understood my career choice (probably worried about the instability of it all) but what we did bond over was sewing and making and the satisfaction gained from creating something and a job well done.

The month of March is always a strange one for me because it was a week before Mother’s Day 12 years ago that my Mum died unexpectedly whilst on holiday in Spain. I couldn’t tell you the exact date – it never really registered with me – but for me the whole month of March is a month of remembrance. Maybe subconsciously I planned it this way, who knows, but for me , paying tribute to my Mum and showing gratitude for the sewing skills she passed onto me is the only fitting way to round of this week of  inspirational handmade loveliness.

So – in memory of Mum and just because I want to, I am doing a retrospective Giveaway. I custom made this heart shaped keyring/bag charm in 2 colours for a customer and this is the colour she didn’t choose!

It will be winging it’s way to NESS who's name was chosen at random from a hat from the few people who left comments on posts over the past Week of Inspiration. I would like to say to you all, thanks for reading and commenting – I appreciate it!

A Week of Inspiration - Day 6

I have never been a girly girl and have always found dolls rather disturbing, but I did have a huge teddy bear collection and several pets – gerbils, guinea pigs dog etc and I quite like horses (have I mentioned that before?) - it seems old habits die hard because since I have started crafting I have become drawn towards what I can only describe as ‘art toys/dolls’ – one can only marvel at the skill involved in the making of these beautiful objects.

I was given this tiny patchwork tweed ‘Nelliphant’ by Caireen (he came pre-named Barry!) and I think it was one of the first Nelliphants that she made…….

He is quite good pals with the beautifully embroidered Matryoshka Doll by Ferragamo Studio (no longer in existence as far as I can tell)

I saw these tweed wool bunnies in Marjii’s shop on Etsy and fell in love with them…..

They are such simple shapes but the detail is incredible.

At the Green Gallery Xmas Fair there was a lady selling handmade felt scarves next to me, and she had been experimenting with needle felting. These two were some of her early attempts. She wasn’t really happy with them so she was selling them at a ridiculously low price so I snapped them up….

 

And they are now residing in the workroom. Just love those faces!

This sweet Poshyarns mouse in a pink linen dress is standing guard over the Selvedge magazine collection and casting a beady eye over my sewing station…

And this Wee Quilter bunny is warming herself by the fireplace.

It was with great excitement that I collected the latest of my purchases from the parcel office. You know it really is bad for the old Paypal balance to go looking at other peoples’ blogs and shops. You might be so smitten by what is on offer that you find yourself  click click clicking all the money away!

When I saw this shop I knew that I would not be able to resist buying something – the hardest part was deciding what to buy but I am delighted with my choice ….

Bob a Wee Fox Terrier - he wants to join the circus –Sarah very kindly added the ruff at my request and I am so delighted with him! Isn’t he just the sweetest thing you have ever seen?

Finally…..this Wee Creature made by Woo…

I saw a picture of four creatures she had been working on, on her blog, and before I knew it had contacted her with a view to buying. Again the choice was incredibly hard but I absolutely love this. Just look at the detail in her face…

So beautiful. Everything about this is perfect and the clothes are just so sweet – I would love an outfit like that! She came beautifully packaged with her own serial number and wee tag saying ’I is a Creature’- really original, and a pleasure to receive. If you are lucky enough to live in the West Country, Woo will be selling her gorgeous wares at the Vintage & Handmade Fair – get yourself down there if you can and purchase your own little piece of loveliness!

A Week of Inspiration - Day 5

Today’s offerings come under the banner ‘Hanging Decorations’ – I am rather partial to a hanging decoration and they can be picked up relatively inexpensively all over the place! Most of these have been bought at craft fairs directly from their makers – all except this which was bought on Folksy…

From Dottery Pottery (sorry about the rotten picture - low light!)  I love the colour and texture and although I am not usually one for “sentiments” written on things I quite like this - and the colour looks great against the purple of the kitchen wall.

Textile decorations are great and I particularly like this one by Wooden Tree…

Made from recycled embroidered linen and stuffed with cloves – it smells good enough to eat. Her work is also available from Glasgow craft boutique The Maisonette. This star is made from Kimono silk ….

So delicate! The doll is one of mine - it is stuffed with lavender.

I love these glass baubles – I have them hanging in my workroom window.

The colours are based on the Scottish landscape and I got them in a swap with Meg McGregor – a glass artist who was opposite me at Edinburgh last year. She makes the most amazing glassware and is a lovely person to boot!

There is a new shop in Great Western Road called The Life Craft – they run workshops and sell yarn, fabric and a few handmade items – I bought this ceramic bird bauble just before Xmas.

I do like it but I mainly bought it as it is a new shop and I wanted to support it in some way – every little helps!

This is a recent acquisition – bought at the craft fair in Balfron last week. I love the colours and textures in this mosaic heart made from recycled china plates and cups…..

Jaine has just added these to her range and I thought it was beautiful – it is now adorning my workroom.

Last but not least is this gorgeous knitted horse –….

another fab gift from Caireen – she certainly knows what I like! Knitting, horses, hanging stuff and those gorgeous pinks and reds….all wrapped up in one neat package! Almost there – only 2 more days to go – I have to say posting every day is a big commitment and I will be glad to get back to my old slacker ways!

A Week of Inspiration - Day 4

I made the decision a while ago that I would try to replace all the posters and reproduction prints on my walls with original artwork as and when I could afford to.

Alot of my friends are buyers of art and regularly purchase work from students at Glasgow School of Art degree exhibitions and WASP’s Studio’s open days. It is a cost effective way of getting an original piece of artwork at an affordable price and the money goes directly to the artist rather than to a gallery (not that I have anything against galleries!)

I am lucky enough to know many talented artists some of whom have made to commission or gifted their work to me – and some things I have purchased or swapped.

Caireen makes the most lovely patchwork pictures from old maps and this is one of the first  pieces she made which I purchased a couple of years ago…….

 

It is made from an old road map of the Scottish highlands – I think that it is such a lovely idea – the marriage of recycling and patchworking skills to create something new. Caireen has developed this idea further still by making works that are particularly pertinent to the individuals life, so I was delighted when she presented me this large picture as a Xmas gift…

which is a patchwork of maps from all the places I have lived and depicts my creative journey….that’s my little creative bee heading for the Outer Hebrides!

I love it and it is the perfect piece for the blue wall in my workroom where I can look at it every day, enjoy it and be inspired. It also reminds me what a lovely, generous, creative friend Caireen is, to take the time to make me such a beautiful gift. The words THANK YOU hardly seem adequate.

This piece was a birthday gift from my friend Rhian (a graduate of Glasgow School of Art)…..

She made thousands of these hand folded butterflies out of old dictionaries for an installation she did a few years ago which was absolutely amazing – she got a deep frame from Ikea and filled it with just a few of them – perfect!

These were done by Kara who is also a Glasgow graduate …

We were working together on a job and she made some artwork for the walls of a set. I liked them so much I commissioned her to do some for me – a horse and a dog. They are made of 4mm plywood scraps and emulsion paint with the image scraped into the paint layers – she’s a very talented lady.

This was bought from my friend Bevis’s brother Matthew. He trained in Fine Art at Edinburgh College of Art but has given up painting in favour of being an organic farmer.

 

This is a painting of the family croft at Dykeside, near Elgin, in the snow. I think it is a lovely painting and enjoy it all the more for the fact that I know the family that live there and the person who created it.

This piece of embroidered art is by Moira Ann Dickson…

We met at Morningside Maker’s Market and did a swap – one of my wee hotties for this piece – a good deal.

I bought this at a craft fair a couple of years ago from Louise Scott…

A lovely hand tinted copperplate etching – I am a big fan of prints – more so than paintings. When I next get some money I am going to invest it in a piece by Helen Fay!

Finally, this piece of woven art is hanging over the cutting table in my workroom…

I love the colours, textures....just about everything really.
It is by Emma Jo Watson who is a very talented weaver that I first met at a craft fair at Invercottage a while ago. I give all my really small scraps of tweed to Emma who uses them in her brooches and scarves. When I went to a WASP’s open day just before Xmas I wandered into her studio not realizing it was her studio! I saw this piece and fell in love with it immediately – to date it is the most expensive piece I have bought but I had to have it.  She very kindly gave me a discount on the original price as she has had so many scraps from me – how good is that!?

Doing craft fairs puts you in contact with a great many talented, creative people and you never know where those connections might lead – building connections and relationships with other crafters is always an enriching and positive thing. Long may it continue!

A Week of Inspiration - Day 3

Today I am going to be talking about 3D art/sculptures. I always think of sculpture as being big, almost monumental, but I have a few pieces of 3D art that are pretty small but none the less sculptural. I have blogged about this horse before – it is the single most expensive thing I have ever bought – but as soon as I saw it at Potfest a few years ago I just knew that I had to have it…..

And I have never regretted buying it – I absolutely love it and am thrilled to bits to have one of my own! I bought it from this lovely lady but as I bought direct from her (I have seen her work in lots of galleries) I paid significantly less than the usual asking price (another good reason for buying direct from a maker)

Yet, another horse sculpture (notice a theme emerging?) bought at a WASP’s Studio’s Open Day about 6 years ago – I can’t remember who the artist was but I remember that me buying it made her day - she must have really needed the cash!

Again I really love this and enjoy it every day – I like the fact that it is on it’s own mini plinth like a monument in tiny scale. Alongside this is a teeny horse vessel by Song&Branch – I love how she has captures the essence of a horse on a tiny scale.

Yet more mini sculptures by PearsonMaron……

 

Bought at different times – I got the Cloud Factory first – I think they are beautiful, whimsical and totally original. I am now hankering after this and this but it will be some time before I have the money to buy - unless they can be classed as essential items?

Finally today are these lovely wood turned fruit….

 

The 2 at the front were bought from one of the crafters (to my shame I can’t remember the persons’ name) at The Creggan’s event a couple of weeks ago and the lighter, larger pear at the back was bought from a craft shop in Elgin last year – they make a lovely little grouping and none of them cost over £5 – I call that a bargain! They feel great when you handle them and the grain of the wood adds to their overall beauty – to think that someone has crafted these lovely things from a block of wood is quite amazing to me.

A Week of Inspiration - Day 2

Today’s offerings are gathered together under the heading of ‘Around the House’ as they are just a few of the things that have escaped the workroom/studio (the place where most of my trinkets are squirreled away) and are more than pulling their weight, cheering up wee corners of the flat.

First up is this gorgeous willow tasker that sits on my kitchen table, making it all beautiful…..

 

by All About Willow. Catherine and Pascale were diagonally opposite me at Edinburgh last year and I was loving all their baskestry, so when Catherine suggested a swap I jumped at the chance. All their willow is organically grown on their croft on the Isle of Eigg, harvested by hand and then woven into baskets of all shapes and sizes, including caskets (by the way, they told me that most willow caskets sold by undertakers are imported from China so if you find yourself in need of one – go to a basket maker!)  When I look at this, I don't just see a lovely piece of willow basketry, I see all the hard work, love and effort that Catherine and Pascale have put into following their passion and nurturing their business.

In the bathroom I have this wee pot by Julia Smith (a replacement for a large, ugly metal thing that I got from God knows where, that used to scratch the paintwork)….

 

and a lovely unglazed ceramic tile by Foto Ceramica – bought for me as a birthday gift by Caireen from Potfest a couple of years ago. They brighten up a wee corner of my bathroom!

Yet more Deepfired in the bedroom…

A replacement for an ugly glass bowl (where did it come from?) to hold all my bits and bobs. At the time I bought the bowl I bought 4 of the insect brooches as I had an idea to make a  picture with them. I got the frame in a sale at TK Maxx and hot glued the brooches into it. I left the glass off as I like to be able to see the texture of the ceramic brooches properly – I really love it.

Last but not least are these woven cushions by Angharad McLaren…

I first saw her work at an open day at WASP’s Studios but as I had already spent too much money I was unable to purchase. When I finally got some money I Googled her and realised that her work is available at NOTHS so I bought 2 cushions to brighten up the bedroom. However, they didn’t look right and ended up on the sofa bed in the workroom where I think they look perfect! They go really well with my crocheted blanket and tweed cushions.

Changing a few small things really does make a difference - back tomorrow with some more precious things!

 

Toty Wee Hotties.

There used to be a handwritten sign on the roadside as you drove up the eastern side of Loch Lomond towards Oban that read ‘Toty Wee Tents Only’. Sadly it is no longer there - it made me smile every time I saw it - so when my friend presented me with quite a few of these…..

I knew that they were not just Wee Hotties but Toty Wee Hotties. In fact they are so ‘toty’ I was at a bit of a loss as to what to do with them! Looking around my workroom I saw a pile of felted wool jumpers (product of a brief flirtation with feltmaking and all things felty) and knew that the only thing I could do was make some pockets for the toty bottles and so the Toty Wee Hottie Pocket came about.

As I was making them I thought that it would make a good tutorial as they are so quick and easy to make – you don’t even have to have a machine, you could do all the sewing by hand if you wanted to and make it part of the design.

You can make these pockets out of anything really but recycled felted wool jumpers work really well, are relatively inexpensive and cut down on the amount of finishing you need to do. So without further ado here’s how to…..

MAKE A TOTY WEE HOTTIE POCKET

STEP 1

First of all you need to get your material sorted. It could be a felted scarf (works well especially ones with fringes on the end!), felted jumper or something like.

 

In order to get good felt you need 100% wool knit which you put in the washing machine (whole) at 60 degrees with some real soap flakes (be careful how much – read instructions!!) and something hard like some plastic flipflops, rubber ball or something similar to help agitate the fabric. The fabric should come out stiffer and will have shrunk quite a bit. You can reshape the fabric while it is still wet and hang to dry. Once dry, cut the garment along the seams and flatten out, iron it with a hot iron and you are ready to go. Before cutting out do a test on a small area – if it does not fray it is properly felted. If it starts to fray it will need to go through the wash again or may have some non-natural fibres in it which will stop it felting properly. ALWAYS CHECK THE LABELS ON THE ITEMS YOU INTEND TO BUY/USE FOR FELTING! They need to be 100% WOOL. Also try and get items that have an interesting texture and/or pattern which will look lovely when felted.

STEP 2

Make a pattern for the pocket including at least a 1cm seam allowance all round. The pattern I made was in 2 pieces – a front and a back – made to fit my toty bottles.

The back was 15cm wide x  33cms long (which included extra length for the flap to go over the top)

The front measured 15cms wide x 25cms long

Remember if you are using a particularly thick felt you might want to make the seam allowance a bit bigger to accommodate the extra bulk. I use drafting paper (tracing paper) to make patterns, as it is thick enough to stand some rough handling but thin enough to see the pattern of the fabric through the paper.

STEP 3

Place your pattern pieces on the fabric and cut out. If you are lucky you might be able to cut one continuous piece (just place the 2 pattern pieces end to end to get the right size) This works well with scarves as you can get up to 2 pockets from one scarf and the fringing makes a nice detail. If you place the back of the pattern with the flap end on the ribbing of a sleeve or back/front of jumper you will have an already finished edge for the flap……..

If your fabric isn’t big enough to get one continuous piece cut look at what you have and cut accordingly. Make the pattern work for you…

On this pocket I placed the paper-pattern on the fabric so that the pattern on the fabric would show when it was folded over to make the top flap. This piece was not long enough to make the pocket in one piece…..

so I placed the front of the paper-pattern on another piece of fabric so that the ribbing and coloured pattern on the fabric became part of the design too. On this one I had the pattern running different ways to optimize use of the available fabric……

STEP 4

Pin and sew the raw edge at the top of the piece of fabric for the front…..

Pin the edges together leaving space for the hottie….

I always pin in the direction I sew so that I can remove the pins as  I go along. Turn right ways out and press. Roll the unfinished edge of the flap and hand sew….

put hottie inside and fasten with a kilt pin or similar et voila! One finished Toty Wee Hottie Pocket!

 

You can get kilt pins from any good haberdasher including John Lewis/Hobbycraft. You could also use an old brooch, adapt the kilt pin with some beads, use a button, poppers, tie with ribbon – in fact you can fasten in any way you like. They are also good gifts for guys if you choose the right fabric……..

Of course you can use any fabric you like or knit/crochet a piece of the right width and length and just sew up the seams. You can personalise with a motif, the first letter of the persons’ name who you are giving it to – anything you want really. I have my own labels that I put on everything I make but you can buy limited numbers of labels saying 'Handmade with Love' from some craft outlets to further personalise your gift.

Are you enthused? Wondering how you can get your hands on your own Toty Wee Hottie bottles? Well, wonder no more! I am planning to make a few of these......

maybe with some appliquéd designs in felt and tweed. However, I have quite a few rubber bottles, to say the least, and I would like to move some of them on to new homes! My felted jumper supplies are finite!

Is there anyone out there interested in buying some of the bottles (in their packets) from me for their own crafting purposes? They come in 4 colours and measure 12cms wide x 22cms long. I am not trying to make money on these - originally they cost £1 each but I am willing to sell 6 for £5 plus P&P (which will be approx £2 for UK residents) I am also happy to sell them individually plus P&P. They would make great handmade gifts and can be customized in any way that you like! You can contact me by email if you would like some and I will list them in my Folksy shop if you are paying by Paypal or UK residents could send a personal cheque. Hey - It’s never to early to plan for Xmas!!  And nothing says "I Love You" like a Toty Wee Hottie Pocket - too much, have I gone too far??  Well you can't blame a girl for trying. Bottles available on a first come, first served basis and you would be doing me a huge favour – I can hardly move for Toty Hotties!!

Neccessity is the Mother of Invention.

So , around June last year I was part of the way through working on a rather large crochet project and had already started looking for my next big project to tackle. I came across this Flickr Pool and decided that I HAD to make a Babette blanket. I bought the PDF pattern from  here. The recommended yarn was Koigu KPM  but I wanted to use Colinette yarn as I love the vibrant colours (and the funky names - who wouldn't love a yarn called Salty Dog?) plus I like to buy British when I can. However having been unemployed for some time I didn't have the means to buy any yarn anyway so I contented myself with working out which Colinette colours would replace the Koigu colours. I was shocked at how much the yarn for one blanket would cost as there were around 17 colours and I would need 19 skeins! As Colinette skeins are much longer than Koigu I would probably have enough for 2 blankets or for another project using the same yarn so pretty good value in the long run?

Around this time my Dad came to stay for a few days and after he had gone I discovered that he had left me a cheque for my birthday which was the following month. Then I received an email from Loop alerting me to the fact that they were about to have a 20% off all yarns sale. Fate? Serendipity? Call it what you will - to cut a long story short the amount of the cheque equated to the required 19 skeins at the reduced price and the postage, so basically it cost me nothing! Fantastic!

These skeins have been sitting in a plastic bag artfully arranged in a wicker basket waiting for me to have the time to wind them into balls ready to be used............

Aren't they just lovely!? It makes me happy just to look at them.

I don't know about you but winding skeins into a ball is my least favourite pastime as I always get into a fankle so I decided that I needed to get a Swift/skein winder. Have you seen how expensive they are!? Plus they seem to be really difficult to get in the UK for some reason. After being pipped at the post on a couple of eBay auctions I realised that I had to get my thinking cap on and slowly a cunning plan was formed involving an expanding wine rack that I had bought a year ago in a local charity shop (1.50) and a Lazy Susan bought at Ikea (5.49).............

Put them together and you have got a swift/skein winder!

Ideal if you would rather spend your cash on yarn. You also end up with 2 useful objects in their own right at the end. It works brilliantly with the Colinette skeins (not sure if it would suit all skeins though) and it has taken the misery out of ball winding. I can do a bit now and then until I am ready to embark on the actual crocheting of the blanket.

Has anybody else out there come up with a budget friendly solution to a problem? I would love to hear about it!

Have a great weekendx

New Year Inspiration.

As it is the start of a New Year and a new decade I would like to share a few things with you which I hope will inspire you as much as they do me.

I never cease to be amazed by the wealth of creative talent out there in blogland, all available to enjoy at the click of a button and by the power of Etsy to actually have and enjoy in your own creative space. I have a corner in my workroom (as I am sure you all do) that I call my creative corner and it is here that I put all the books and objects that inspire me to do something - to stretch myself and try new things, master new skills. And of course there are those things that are just beautiful, that make you happy just to look at them and to marvel at someone else's artistry. So here is my little collection of objects that I would like to share.....

It is no secret that I absolutely love The Daily Pincushion for the beautiful embroidery and patterns so imagine my delight when I came across these two Etsy sellers who make the most gorgeous embroidered brooches - wearable art!

This is by Beedeebabee.....

and this by Applique........

You could write what I know about embroidery on a pin head and I am totally in awe of their skill as am I of this lovely ladies' ability...........

look at the detail.......

such a pretty little face!

Another very talented lady is Marjji who makes lovely objects such as these sweet little bunnies...

see how cleverly she has needle felted the faces before embroidering the details!? The design is so simple but absolutely captures the essence of these wee bunnies.

Last but not least is this wee horse given to me by Caireen for Xmas - how well she knows me...

Made by the very talented Andrea Williamson - Horses, Scottish Wool. Fair Isle - does it get any better? I love it!

So there you have it - these are some of the things that inspire me - what inspires you?

I know that in past months I have been a rather erratic blogger but I would like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who has persevered with me and my lacklustre blogging and still drops by from time to time.

I am going to give away this Wee Hottie (very useful in this horrible weather we are experiencing) which I damaged slightly when pressing it  ...

 

Very slightly damaged!

to someone selected at random from the comments section on this post. If you would like to take part just leave a link to your fave inspirational site or item/object that inspires you (could be absolutely anything) in the comments section. I will draw a name from a hat or some other suitable recepticle on Sunday at Midday GMT.

I know, some girl aren't I? Don't blog for ages then turn up offering damaged goods for interesting info! What a cheek - but that's me all over! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Finally........

some crafting content on this blog!

I finished work yesterday so this morning I had the opportunity to take some snaps of the blanket (or afghan) I finished quite some time ago. It has been very gloomy here in Glasgow and my workroom/guestroom only gets good light in the morning so it is difficult to get decent pics (plus it has been hellishly untidy for weeks!!). Last night it snowed heavily so this morning the snow was acting like a giant light reflector and the imminent arrival of guests forced me to tidy up so conditions for a quick photoshoot were ideal.

I started this project way back in May/June and worked on it all through the very hot summer which at the time seemed a bit crazy but boy am I glad I did. This little baby has been keeping me toasty warm since the temperature has taken a dive!!

It is made almost entirely of scottish wool from Skye, Shetland and New Lanark (some cut price Debbie Bliss Chunky Tweed snuck in there too!) which I have either been given or collected over the past 2 years. I wanted to do something mindless that I could work on a bit at a time and this was ideal. I made 80 squares - all double crochet and then I just crocheted them together with black/brown wool with the pattern of the squares going in alternate directions.. I love the finished effect as the black really makes the colours really bold. I also like the way the blanket goes with the wall colour which is just as well as it was made for use in this room! 

The colours in the photos have come out pretty much exactly as in the finished article..

and I am really liking the raised grid effect that happened when the pieces were crocheted together...

I have got the crochet bug now and I have got all the materials together for my next big project which will be the Babette blanket which I will be making with Colinette Jitterbug (tiny hook at the ready!!).

I have also been going a bit mad on the crocheting of mittens and accessories (some of my own design and some from free patterns off the internet) as they appeal to my need for the almost immediate gratification of a finished project. I will hopefully put up some pics of soon, light permitting!

Hope you are all enjoying the run up to Xmas and not stressing - I am so looking forward to it!! Lots of board games will be played!!

WARNING - the following post contains actual crafting content.

Yes indeed. I have recently embarked on a major project that will take some time to complete. I was ferreting around in the cupboard recently and came across this box of wool yarn.....

I have been adding to this box over the past 18 months with the idea of making an Afghan (why are they called that?) and I had originally intended to knit lots of squares in different stitch patterns as a way to teach myself to knit properly but...
Most of it is Jamiesons of Shetland Shetland Heather but there is a skein of Shilasdair from Skye (thanks Caireen), some yellow,mauve and grey Debbie Bliss Donegal Chunky Tweed bought in the sales at John Lewis ages ago and a ball of what I think is also Debbie Bliss that I recycled from a handknit sweater I was given. I had intended to knit an Afghan entirely from Scottish wool but I had to compromise due to the expense and use whatever I can get my hands on. I am not getting on too well with the knitting thing but I am really enjoying crochet so I decided to crochet an Afghan, again using different stitches. I tried a few different things but eventually decided that I wanted to do the entire thing in double crochet as I really like the density and texture of that stitch for this project. I have made good progress......

you can just see the rough design there (if you can call it that). Loads of different coloured squares that will have black borders to create a grid effect - it will have a thicker black border around the entire outer edge too. I have added in some of the wool that I bought from New Lanark  as I need to crochet 81 squares!! The finished product will end up around 2 metres square. It seems crazy to start a woolly blanket when we are experiencing a mini heatwave but at least it should be finished by the time it will be needed! I am finding the repetitiveness quite restful and I am not bored yet. Every time my enthusiasm starts to waver I lay out all the squares and play with all the possible colour combinations and get excited about the finished product.

These sort of things are always given a name so I am going to call it my 'Furrows' blanket as it reminds me of the texture of newly ploughed fields.
I am already plotting my next big project - the 'Babette' blanket. The original pattern uses Koigu but I intend to substitute it with Colinette Jitterbug. I love Colinette's colours and it would be a great excuse for another wool fondling trip to Wales plus I am on a Buy British crusade at the moment.
I have also been doing a fair bit of sewing and have a few new Fieldy products to share but I need to take some pics so until then..............

Housekeeping - The Final Edition.

Don't know about you but I can't take much more housekeeping - it is only because it has taken up so much of my time recently that I have been banging on about it - usually it is the last thing on my mind!
Anyway, today I have finally got it together to post about the mini-refurb in the flat and to discuss the merits of various paints that are widely available now. I am a bit of a paint connoisseur having spent the first 8 years after graduating working as a Scenic Artist/Designer in the theatre industry. I have worked with every paint product imaginable, at one time I even used to make my own paint using size (animal glue), whiting and pigment - you can imagine the smell! That way of making scenic paint has been phased out as thankfully these days even the most basic Trade Emulsions are pretty good plus it was pretty unpleasant to work with all day long.
My favourite paints to use are these............

Farrow & Ball (now available at Homebase), Crown Trade Historic Colours Collection (Available at Crown Decorator Centres) and Craig & Rose 1829 (available at B&Q). All of these have a great range of colours to suit a period property and a lovely chalky matt finish. However, if I had to choose one paint above all others it would be the Craig & Rose. Not only is it locally produced I have found that it goes on much better and covers better than F&B. The only drawback with C&R is that the colour range is quite limited - luckily I like most of the colours and have managed to find colours within the range for all the other rooms in the flat. F&B paints are highly pigmented which give them a grainy texture when applying. This also means that it takes far more coats to cover. It is also £7.00 per 2.5litres more expensive than C&R. On the plus side the F&B colour range is extensive and there are a few colours that you just can't match elsewhere (believe me I have tried) and once you have applied several coats it has a wonderful rich depth of colour and a great matt finish. I have painted my hall in F&B 'Rectory Red' and the walls look like velvet! Both C&R and F&B paints are eco frindly which is also a plus.
Choices for the Kitchen and Bathroom were pretty straightforward. These for the Kitchen.............

Craig & Rose 1829 'Deep Sung Cream' and Farrow & Ball 'Brinjal' and for the Bathroom....

Craig & Rose 1829 'Eau de Nil' - all in chalky matt emulsion finish. The choice for the bedroom was much harder. I had originally painted it an orchid white colour but apart from the fact it was looking very tired it was also incredibly bland. I experimented with a few colours.............

before plumping for a Dulux Heritage colour 'Victorian Sage' in a matt emulsion. It is the pale green sample above the fireplace. I am embarrassed to admit that after mucking around with lots of different samples the final colour choice was made after a visit to one of my local deli/cafes 'Gusto & Relish'. I popped in for a coffee with my friend Anna and we both admired the wall colour. We asked to the waitress if she could find out what the colour was. She heaved a sigh and quoted "Dulux Heritage Victorian Sage". It appears alot of people ask for that information! I tried it and liked it so that was the choice finally made. If only I had gone in there sooner I would have saved a fortune on matchpots! To finish the fireplace I also needed to paint the tiles and fireplace recess so I used this...........

I wouldn't ordinarily use spray paint but I found this in a box the cupboard and thought it would be OK for such a small area. The tiles were painted with Craig & Rose 1829 'Grate Black' . It goes on like emulsion, is water soluble but because of its high PVA content it dries to a dull metallic finish which works well on tiles and metal and gives a good solid finish.
The painting went well, no mess or fuss as someone else was doing it! The only small bit of painting I actually did was the fireplace and that's when it all went horribly wrong. It seems my common sense desserts me when I get near that fireplace. I masked off the carpet area in front of the fireplace and sprayed the inset. Then I painted the tiles and went out for dinner. When I came back I removed the masking and found this..........

Yes I had f*****ed up my newly cleaned carpet. I tried to get it off with nailvarnish remover (acetone) but that just made it worse! The really stupid thing is that I knew at the time that I hadn't put enough paper down but I was in a hurry. The solution to the problem was radical but necessary - I cut the affected piece of carpet out......

I was able to follow the line of the old hearthstone which I then painted with the same paint as the tiles. I think I have got away with it although there are still a few remnants of spray that I can't do anything about. Walls look nice though!
The Bathroom before and after....

I had the ceiling painted the same colour as the walls so it is like a cosy cocoon of creamy green when you are in there - very relaxing.
And the Kitchen ........

or rather a corner of it - a very tidy corner I might add, compared to how it was. My kitchen is not a fitted kitchen but a disparate variety of floor standing and wall hung cabinets. I had the flat valued a couple of years ago when I was thinking of moving and the estate agent walked in and said "Oh, it's very West End isn't it?"  What she meant I am not quite sure but I prefer to think she meant arty and bohemian. Delusion is my middle name.

The winner of this months Sew Hip is...........Debs.

Housekeeping Pt 5 - The Big Clean.

I think that I made a very wise decision in getting someone in to do all the painting and finish off all the odd jobs that have been needing to be tackled for a long time. However, as you will know, after the decorating comes the cleaning and rationalising which is a job that only you can do.
I decided to do a refurb towards the end of last year and that the carpets and curtains either needed a really good clean or to be replaced. There is no way that I can afford to that at the moment so, with that in mind, I purchased one of these.

I cannot tell you what a great investment it has been. To replace the bedroom carpet would have cost at least £250 but using this and alot of elbow grease the bedroom carpet has come up like new .......

it got all the ingrained dirt out that builds up around the corner of the room. As you can see it was £85 well spent (I got it on sale with free delivery) I have also cleaned the hall carpet and the hall rug which were pretty bad as it has the most traffic as all the rooms lead off it. It's like having new carpets but the best thing is that I KNOW that the carpets are clean now.

The problem with living in an old tenement is that it gets very dusty because of all the ash in between the floors and floorboards that acts as a sort of sound proofing. It covers everything with a fine layer of black greasy dust that you only notice once it has got pretty bad or you move something that hasn't been moved in a while! It also makes it's way onto the top of curtains via the fancy cornice as you can see here....

This was taken after I had put the curtains in the wash once, admittedly it was on cool because although the top part of the curtains is a cotton fabric that was washed before I made it into curtains, there is a border of fabric (that I added to make them longer for this house) that is supposed to be dry clean only. I decided to take the risk because I couldn't afford to replace them and I couldn't afford to get them dry cleaned either!! I recently had the curtains in the living room dry cleaned and it cost £82.00 !!! Anyway, I scrubbed the worst affected areas with a soft bath brush and woolite and put them back in on a cool wash and they came up like new.

I think the border did fade a little but it shows the pattern better AND it DIDN'T shrink so I'm not too bothered........

Ideally I would like curtains made entirely of the border fabric which is called 'Cosmos' but it is horrendously expensive! I actually bought this fabric a few years ago when I was working in Newcastle and it was only recently that I discovered that it is designed and manufactured in Scotland not far from Glasgow. It is made by a company called Voyage who have the most amazing range of fabrics - if you are thinking of getting new curtains go and check them out immediately! And, if you are thinking of investing in a carpet cleaner I say DO IT! The one I have is great, easy to use, all the parts go together and come apart easily, the tanks are not too heavy to remove when full of water and it is easy to manouvre. Plus 2 of my friends have already cleaned their carpets too - perhaps I could start charging.................?

Housekeeping Pt 4 - cleaning a marble fireplace.

Well, I bet you thought I had finished with the scintillating housekeeping posts but NO! I have been totally preoccupied with all things house-y and I have a few more posts in me yet on the subject. This one being about cleaning a marble fireplace - or should I say attempting  to clean a marble fireplace.
I am lucky enough to live in an old tenement - I think it was built around 1890 - and as it is such an old building it has many great features that it still retains. One of those features is a very large grey marble fireplace in the master bedroom. Unfortunately sometime in the 1940's the cast iron insert has been replaced by some nasty looking flesh coloured tiles which I have done a first coat of paint on, in order to make them a little less nasty.

As you can see I have been testing a few colours out prior to redecoration! When I bought the flat the fireplace had (as had the one in the living room) been painted with white gloss - or so I thought. Once I started to 'renovate' it I realised that it had several layers of a very sticky brown laquer under the gloss paint which in turn was on top of something else that was almost impossible to get off. However, several hours later with the aid of several tins of Nitromorse and a scraper I had got it to the state that you see in the picture. Due to the brown sticky laquer the fireplace has always had a yellowish tinge so  I thought that I would try to brighten it up a bit. I did a Google search and found that the best way to clean marble is with this..............

Bicarbonate of Soda mixed with a wee bit of water and lemon juice. Here's a tip for you - Bicarbonate of Soda from grocery store 50p, Sodium Bicarbonate from the chemist £1.29 - it is exactly the same thing!!
Anyway, I mixed the bicarb, water and lemon juice into a paste......

and painted it onto the fireplace.

I left it for as long as it took me to have a coffee and then started to wipe it off with a damp cloth. I am glad to say that some of the yellow tinge did seem to lift but unfortunately the surface has been irrepairably damaged by my hamfisted scraping - yes, I have vandalised my own fireplace. Luckily the one in the living room is fine as it only had a light covering of paint and it is also black marble so doesn't show the damage as much. I feel so stupid to have used something so damaging as Nitromorse. Having read all about marble cleaning it seems that the surface is actually very porous and damages very easily and theres' me covering it with evil substances.

I think it looks a little better but it's hard to say. Here is an area before........

and here is the same area after.........

 
and this is the same bit after. I like to believe that it is an improvement - at least I know that it is clean if nothing else!

The Search for the 'perfect' shower cap.

As a person who has alot of hair and not alot of time to get ready in the morning I am a huge fan of the shower cap, in fact it is an essential part of my bathing regime! I have been searching all the local shops for a new cap to replace 'old faithful' which has become quite frankly an eyesore and, after several years of sterling service, it is time to put it into retirement.
Shower caps are, to my mind at least, not the most glamorous of garments and it has been proving very difficult to find one that is not too offensive that I am happy to wear every day even if it is only in the shower!
I thought that I had struck gold with this site - surely there would be something there to satisfy - WRONG!! However I did find some sweet ones here  (particularly the butterfly one which , by the way you can buy much cheaper on Amazon) and some rather OTT glamourpuss ones here before plumping for one from this site.

It was a tough call between the blue floral and this carousel design both by this company. It has made me very happy! I am obviously easily pleased!

Here is a gratuitous picture of my very untidy tweed stash, as a post with no picture is no kind of post at all!

BTW I found two great sites whilst browsing the net - both have geat gift ideas. I wish this site had been around whilst my nieces and nephew were wee and I love this site for its' originality and fun ideas! I think I might get some of the moth patches.

Housekeeping Pt 3 - curtain extensions (finally!)

Roughly 14 months ago I redecorated the spare bedroom to use as a home studio/guest room. The finishing touch would be to put up some new curtains that were bought from Ikea. Despite the fact that Ikea do generously sized curtains (3 metre drop) they were still too short for my windows so an extension would be needed on each of the 4 curtains. Needless to say I have been putting off this tedious task for a long time - partly through laziness and partly because I was looking for the right colour and type of fabric to use as an extension. As luck would have it on the last job I did we had a new set which required 2 pairs of brown linen curtains that were eventually purchased from Ikea. They were a little too long so had to be trimmed and the amount trimmed off was exactly the amount required to extend my own curtains and it was the right colour and fabric and, as all Ikea curtains are standardised, they were also exactly the right width!!
I rescued the offcuts from the bin and have finally got around to finishing the bloomin' curtains so in the true tradition of makeovers here are the before....................

and after photos.............................

Maybe not very exciting but I am delighted as I am no longer moving the curtains from one place to another and it is a huge tick on my "To Do" list which seems to grow by the day.
I am about to embark on some extensive refurbishment to the flat -bathroom, kitchen and bedroom will be repainted and have new light fittings as well as a little joinery work to finish cornices etc. I usually do all the decorating but I have decided to get someone else to do it as I feel my time will be better spent sewing, lunching and going to the gym!

Ta Da!!!

This is how my studio used to look...

...and this is it now!....same view(ish)...

...and this....

...and this!

I still have some work to do on it and the curtains are not yet finished but I am really happy with it!

Last week I received a parcel from my friend Ness...

She wraps a good present does our Ness! I opened it to find this...

..some lovely Dr Haushka relaxing bath oils! And a card congratulating me on finishing my studio and encouraging me to take it easy for a while. Of course being the crap friend that I am I haven't had time to phone and thank her so if you are reading this Ness, THANK YOU!!!
I am so rushed off my feet at the moment because I have started a new job and I am freaking out about the amount of work to do. Hopefully my good friend Caireen will be able to work with me for a while - I am sure it will all be better in a week or so! I have a feeling that my posting will be rather sporadic over the next few weeks but I hope I will still find time to do some stuff 'for me'. Here's hoping!

Tidying up a few loose ends.

I did it! I finished the wee purse last night and here it is in all its' gloriously squashy wooliness...

...I am so pleased with it! Guess what everyone is getting for Christmas this year!?
I have been looking for purse tops locally but can't find any anywhere but luckily I managed to buy a couple from Hiddeko (knitting course instructor) last night....

.... and she has invited me around to her house to look at others she has that I can buy! She makes purses out of Japanese fabric and bought a load of clasps when she was back in Japan over New Year. I am looking forward to seeing the purses and her artwork - she is actually a fine art painter and studied for her masters at Glasgow School of Art - knitting is a hobby!
I have also managed to finish my cork board thanks to a donation of corks from my friends Anna and Piero. They enjoy a bottle of wine or ten!

Another thing I managed to get off my 'To Do' list is recycling this years Xmas cards into next years Xmas gift tags....

...some have worked better than others but who cares - it is off the list and I am feeling extremely virtuous! The thread is actually off an old tweed-loom bobbin - I bought several when I was up in the Hebrides from a charity shop for 10p each! Bargain!
It is Burns Night tonight and my friend Bevis is having his annual Burns Supper - I always do the table decorations as my contribution to the proceedings......so it's off to the veg shop for some neeps!

Wednesday.

This is the view from my beautiful new studio window - I had to be quick taking this as we get about one minute of daylight at the moment - plus the dustmen kept walking back and forth in the background, getting in the way!

Really this is just an excuse to show off the lovely card and flowers MJ bought around last night to celebrate the newly decorated room. We also had some Cava to toast all who sail in her! Although I am on a detox I felt it would be rude not to take a glass!
This is how the wee purse project stood as of this morning.......

..I have cunningly cropped the pic to avoid all the mistakes made in the bottom two inches! They will dissappear into the seam anyway! Thurs night we will be putting the wee purses together - exciting stuff.
I was pleased how the knitting turned out in the end and I feel I have kind of got the hang of the continental style of knitting and I actually like working with the teeny needles - which is just as well as I am determined to become a virtuoso sock knitter! Seriously, sock knitting is the new rock and roll - you read it here first.
I also want to take this opportunity show off this reclaimed yarn - I love it!

It is a gorgeous turquoise with flecks of orange, green, pink and blue - totally the sort of thing I would have chosen myself. I got a bin bag full of old sweaters from a friend the other day and in amongst them was a massive hand-knitted gents V- neck sweater. I washed it and then frogged it for the yarn but saved the sleeves to see how it would felt. I got 3 balls the size of grapefruits from it - more yarn to add to the blanket stash! I persuaded MJ to take one of the balls away with her to make some crochet corsages with - oh yes, I am determined to contaminate everyone I know with the Yarn Bug!

Highs and lows.

Right, that's it! This is officially not fun any more! What was supposed to be a great start to the year is quickly turning into my own private hell.
All sorts of things have been happening to the house: TV Aeriel blew off in high winds, all the lights fused when I was in the shower (at night), a giant hole has been dug literally outside the front door and just left!, the combi boiler is playing up and the toilet started leaking. Oh, and when I was painting the fireplace (after I had painted the walls and woodwork) I dislodged something and a whole load of c**p came gushing out the chimney. The great thing about chimney dust and soot is that it travels so far! Now the house is covered in a fine layer of dust. Worst of all is that the studio STILL isn't finished due to the fact that the floorboards are impregnated with something (pure evil I suspect) which keeps bleeding through the layers of paint and sealant that I have put on. Today will be the fifth coat of paint! As a result of this the house is a complete cowp and I CAN'T STAND IT ANY MORE!!! It doesn't help that I am PMT'd out of my mind and I am on a detox which means no chocolate, alcohol, wheat or sugar. I am still allowing myself coffee - giving that up might send me over the edge!
On a lighter note some good things have also been happening - it isn't all doom and gloom.
I went to see my accountant (boo!) but the tax bill wasn't as bad as I thought (hooray!), have been back to my gym (boo!) but only to meet friends for lunch (hooray!) I am intending to start going back regularly as I do usually enjoy it but other things have been taking priority lately but that will all change (once I have had my legs waxed!) My trip to the accountant took me to the West End of Glasgow - great charity shops. I snagged a few bargains in Cancer Research.....

.. some lovely pastel wools, charcoal cable knit, purple beret with cute brooch and best of all a Tait & Stylescarf! It has already been a bit felted (which I supect is why it ended up in a charity shop) but that's great for me - I will felt all this anyway. I love the felt balls on the scarf!
I also got this pile of goodies from my friend Lynn who was cleaning out an old costume store....

..more felting fodder!
I also had time to start my home-made cork board (what else is there to do when you are waiting for paint to dry?) I have been collecting corks for sometime now (I sound like a complete nerd!) with this specifically in mind...

Lots of corks!! I found an old Ikea frame in the cupboard and started glueing them on...

but unfortunately still do not have enough!

Will have to work on the cork shortage post-detox! It will look great when it is finished - I love all the wee graphics..

Must get back to the floor painting - fingers crossed this will be the last time. As we used to say when I worked at the Citizens Theatre " If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing.............several times!"

The Key to Happiness.

After a wait of six long years this has finally come into my possession!

You may be thinking it's just an out of focus key, but you would be wrong. This is not any old key, but the key to a whole new life. A life free from clutter and mess. Finally I can remove the Flymo mower from the hall and all the assorted gardening tools from the hall cupboard! This, my friends, is the key to two small sheds in the back garden of the tenement that I live in. There they are on the left...

aren't they beautiful! (as you can see it is a lovely day here in Glasgow) Let the de-clutter begin!
I got some exciting things through the post today. More labels.....

..as I have only got about 3 left! That means that I have made 247 things since starting fieldy!
I also received this lovely felted corsage from Monica -

I have been admiring her corsages for a while so I am delighted to have one of my own! Thanks Monica, it is very much appreciated! (I love the dinky wee business card too)
I am finally able to post about a cushion I made for my friend Caireen for her new home - I finally managed to give it to her last night!
I decided to make a large cushion similar to the small one I made a while ago as I knew Caireen liked the colours. I had felted a grey jumper that I got from a charity shop but it had no pattern or texture so I decided to sew some texture into it.
First I cut out the felt panel and marked it up with tailors chalk.....

Originally I had drawn lines 1" apart but then decided that they were too close together so I just pinned every second line....

I then sewed ridges into the felt, varying the size of them - 2 thin, 1 thick etc and I ended up with this...

.....recycled felt and Harris Tweed cushion. The felt is incredibly soft and warm so hopefully it will keep her nice and cosy over the next couple of months! I am pleased with this effect and I think I will apply it to some purses I am planning and maybe other things, who knows?
I love texture - I am basically a 3D minded kind of person. Check out this designers work - very inspirational. Her stuff is very structured because she uses alot of industrial felt.
I am doing the Learn to Knit class this eve so hopefully will have something to post about tomorrow. I have decided that I cannot inflict any more tedious shots of the studio refurb on you - until it is finished that is!

Music to decorate by.

Oh my God I ache! This decorating lark is not for the faint hearted I can tell you. At least the worst part, i.e painting the ceiling, is over. The ceilings in these old tenements are really high and I am not great with heights!
It took over two hours!! The neighbours were treated to me singing along a the top of my lungs to Richard Ashcrofts' Human Conditions and the whole of Keanes' Hopes and Fears. Well, if you have to spend 2 hours teetering at the top of a wobbly ladder with your arm in the air, there have to be some benefits. It could have been worse - last time that room was decorated I had just got the Outkast double album Speakerbox/The Love Below. With that in mind I think that they got off pretty lightly this time! But theres' always today - a bit of Prince might be in order and maybe a touch of Dolly Parton - always good to paint by.
This is a gratuitous picture of said wobbly ladder to illustrate just how high and scary it is!

Today I get to do the fun stuff like actually painting colour on the walls. I would usually paint everything white first (a tip from my scene painting days - it really makes the top colours sing out) but the walls are so pale and quite honestly I just cannot be ar**d! I just want it done so the rest of the house can stop looking like a tornado has swept through it.

Stay tuned for the next exciting installment - colour on the walls, eggshell on the woodwork!

Space Clearing.

I have been keeping all my newly acquired knitting yarn in the brown paper bags that it came in and it occurred to me that the perfect place to store it would be in my workbox in the living room.

I bought this from a charity shop several years ago and covered it with this tapestry that I did from a kit. I am a Leo so the Lion appealed to me. I liked it so much that I went on to do several more - all on a botanical theme.....

I love old drawings/prints of flowers and these made me think of the sort of thing around at the time of the Tudors and Stuarts, my favourite period of history. One of the reasons that I started doing the tapestry kits was that I am one of those people who feel guilty about sitting around 'doing nothing' and at the time I started doing these I had developed an obsession (yes another one!) with The Archers and would spend an hour every Sunday morning listening to the omnibus edition. Basically this collection of cushions represents many hours over many years of listening to The Archers! I embraced my inner old lady years ago!
I haven't looked inside this workbox for a long time and when I did I found a part finished tapestry..

.....among other things. I had forgotten that I had even started this!
I also found a few other bits and pieces - embroidered linen that I inherited from my Granny along with the following items..

An unopened Ehrmann tapestry kit....

...again on a botanical theme. It is called Herb Garden and is 19" wide x 14.5" high.
This length of fabric which I think I bought about 8 years ago to make a top...

It is a viscose or rayon or something - it has been in that workbox for years and still has hardly a crease! It is 120cms wide x 2 metres long.
Finally this piece of embroidered fabric which is a stretchy gauze type material and probably dates from around the 1950's/1960's. It is 90cms wide x 2 metres long. It is a little bit stained in places but could be salvaged...

I wasn't sure where this had come from until I noticed it hanging on a mirror in a one of the photographs ( also in the workbox) of a set from a short film I designed about 10 years ago!

I must have got it from a charity shop as set dressing and then not wanted to let it go as I knew it would probably get trashed.
All this stuff is taking up space in the workbox that I need for storing new projects that I am working on now. I have so many projects on the go that I know that I will never get around to doing the Herb Garden tapestry so I would like to 'move it on' and clear some space. I am a great believer in creating new energy by moving things on and clearing space for new things. Likewise the two fabrics need good homes to go to. If you are interested in one, two or all three of these items please leave a comment on this post by midnight GMT on Sunday 16th Dec. I will put the names of all interested parties into a bowl and choose a name at random. As these three items are all so different (someone inteested in the tapestry kit might not be interested in the length of fabric) I am going to do 3 separate draws, one for each item so please specify which draw/s you would like to go into.
Go on - you will be doing me a huge favour!

Organised Chaos.

This is the scene that greeted me this morning when I went into my home workshop to get on with some serious crafting!

Somehow I am able to live with this but when I am work I get very anxious if my desk is untidy!
I have big plans for this room so think of these as the 'before' shots. At some point over the next few weeks I intend to create a wonderful haven of peace and creativity! I have already made a start - I got rid of the bed and I have invested in a new CD player - essential to the whole crafting experience I feel. I am going to be in there sewing my fingers to the bone for the next week......

...I've got my work cut out for me!!

Incongruities.

I have been trying to take photos whilst stopped at traffic lights but have been pretty unsuccessful! Either I don't have my camera ready or the subject I am trying to photograph is too far away or else there is nothing worth taking a photo of - perhaps I need to think more creatively.
I took a couple of snaps on my way to work last week on a particularly bleak Glasgow morning which are pretty poor but I find them quite amusing.
This is a photo of Cosmo Ceramics - a business on a wee industrial estate I pass every day going to and from my house.

Not a great photo but if you look closely you can see a large shape just to the right of the trees. It is not until you get close to the shop that you see what it really is.....

...isn't it great! A giant ceramic replica of Michaelangelos' David! I suppose if you are going to use one of the most recognised works of art in the world as a business mascot you might as well go the whole hog! He looks so incongruous stuck up on the metalwork amongst the barbed wire.
This sign had me giggling for ages afterwards....

How much more camp could it be!?
I also passed this...

...some enterprising soul has set up a cappuccino stand in an old Police box. I like the way it says Cappuccino above the existing Police sign. You can't see this from my photo (told you they were bad!) but take my word for it! Look out! The cappuccino police are on patrol - better not let them catch you with a skinny latte!
Hope to be back to posting properly at the end of next week, about my knitting and felting activities among other things. I am also hoping to get started on setting up an etsy shop - scary!

Let there be lights.

After several years of scrabbling around in the semi-gloom of my kitchen I have solved the lighting problem thanks to a couple of cheap lights from Ikea! They were installed minutes after unpacking, thanks to a couple of cable ties and a few big dods of blac-tac (blu-tacs' beefier cousin) No more chopping in darkness for me!

I gorged myself on a marathon bout of TV watching last night - so many good programmes on I couldn't wrench myself away! How often does that happen? First I watched The Haven - a documentary about the alternative community at Findhorn in the North East of Scotland. There was a guy interviewed called Michael Mitten! I love the idea of a family of Mittens living in Findhorn! This was followed by River Cottage Road Trip - one of my guilty pleasures. Part cookery, part gardening and a large helping of quaint old English country custom. It makes you feel all warm inside! After feasting on that I changed channels to guffaw my way through Flight of the Conchords and Charlie Brookers' screenwipe. This week he was taking a shot at Yoof TV - hilarious - but scarily accurate. Finally for dessert, a beautifully filmed, gentle documenary called Etre et Avoir which is about life in the small school of a rural community in the Auverge Region of France.
To accompany my feast I sipped on my favourite winter warmers.........

like a cup of Bonfire Night and Christmas rolled into one! Yes, the nights are drawing in, time to pull up to the fireside and snuggle under the quilt!

Blog Envy

I think this is what I am suffering from! I have spent several hours over the past few days surfing the net looking at all the amazing and fantastic things other people have been making, leaving myself no time to actually make anything myself! I realise that most of my posts have been about non-craft related stuff which was not really the original purpose of setting up this blog. So, I have promised myself that the next post I do will be about something I have made or am in the process of making. After this post that is, it sort of follows on from the subjects of the last post............
I have just spent a day in Aberfeldy enjoying the benefits of someone elses' garden (more on that later) and poking around some of the shops. I was drawn to go into one of the small galleries there by a poster featuring a picture of a bee (I have a mild obsession with pictures of flowers/insects/butterflies etc) When I went in I saw that it was part of a set of 2 paintings the other of which was a Red Admiral butterfly! They were small (approx 3" x 3"), painted onto oak and framed with enormous, detailed black frames - gorgeous. See it here.
The artist, who also owns the gallery, came out and we ended up in a discussion about the future of fine art, how important it is to value the handmade and the importance of the relationship between the fine arts and craft (all of which had been touched upon in the seminar I attended in Edinburgh) He was a true 'advocate' for his art and for the work he was selling and also the products he was selling in the art shop section of the gallery. I bought some beautiful Italian handmade paper and envelopes which were a part of a selection of things he had personally chosen to stock after visiting the factory in Italy. I also bought some grosgrain ribbon (another weakness of mine) and a card that he had printed himself.

At the other end of the spectrum, 2 or 3 doors down from The Temple Gallery there is a very traditional old shop called Haggarts - it sells tweed (but NOT Harris Tweed!) I don't think that the window display has changed for a while.

Back to the subject of gardens, after enjoying sitting in someone elses' lovely back garden enjoying the summer sun I was inspired to finally take action - I have been meaning to sort out the pots in my back garden for months! Last year it was a riot of colour and it made me smile every time I looked out my kitchen window. This is the view that greeted me this morning.....

very grim. The hanging basket which was my pride and joy last year has definately seen better days! The local magpie community discovered it during their nesting season!
After stomping around the local garden centre in the pouring rain I returned home with a few measly looking specimens - not really a good idea to buy bedding plants when the growing season is over! Waiting for the rain to stop so I can get out and plant them. Watch this space.........

I love......

Just thought I would share a few things with you that I find enhance my everyday life in small ways. I am not a fan if nick- nackery but have accumulated a few items that I love and have some significance to me.

Every year Wasps Studios (artist collective in subsidised studio space) have an open day where you can wander around the studios, talk to the artists and buy their work. I bought this little ceramic horse because I fell in love with it at first sight! Something about the mixture of ceramic and metal, the colour of the glaze and the proportions really appealed to me. I couldn't really afford it at the time but it was worth it as I get pleasure from it every time I look at it.

This little Momiji doll was given to me by my friend Mary-Jane for my birthday a couple of years ago. I would not usually like something like this but for some reason I really love her! Maybe it is the wee buns at the side of her head? Or her expression? Or just because she was given to me by a good friend? There is space inside her for a special message or wish that you would like to pass on to the recipient.

Pilgrim jewellery is a favourite of mine and this is my favourite necklace - I really enjoy looking at it and wearing it.

For as long as I can remember this glass ornament stood on my Granny's dressing table. When Granny died my Mum gave it to me and she now lives in my bathroom where I look at her every day. She brings back many happy memories of when my sister and I stayed with my Grandparents on the long summer holidays.

The Burrell Collection is a fantastic museum comprising of one mans' private collection of artifacts and antiquities which have been bequeathed to the people of Glasgow. I go there alot and I always take time to visit the Tang Dynasty Horse and Camel that are on display there. Again something about the texture/colour/glaze on the pottery appeals to me. Imagine my delight when I was able to aquire my very own Tang Dynasty horse at the bargain price of £15!! It has pride of place on the sidetable in the living room!!

There is a bit of a theme developing here! This lovely horse was given to me by my friend Christine who spotted it whilst on one of her many prop buying trips to the charity shops. He used to stand proud but I left him on a hot radiator and the far side legs melted hence he is leaning precariously! Not only is he a good looking horse but he comes with sound FX. When the button on his back is pushed you hear the sound of galloping hooves getting nearer and nearer, then there is some whinnying and stamping of feet before he gallops off into the distance. Many hours of fun to be had - it never fails to make me smile!

I "acquired" this sign whilst filming in a disused, soon to be demolished, public swimming pool. The pool dated from around the turn of the century and there was a whole room full of cubicles containing giant
baths which could be hired by the half hour in the days before people had bathrooms in their homes. This sign made me laugh and I now have it on the back of my own bathroom door to disuade those visitors who might malinger in the shower!! Steven Yull this means you!!

This picture of my Mum was taken specially on her birthday to send to my Grandad who was serving with the RAF in Egypt during the war. I think she looks so sweet with those flowers in her hair, wearing her best party dress.

And finally, last but not least, my tweed cafetiere cosy - bought from the Borgh Pottery on the Isle of Lewis on my first visit to the Outer Hebrides. I have used this every day for the last 5 years and I love it as much now as I did when I bought it! I saw one in a display case on the ferry going over but it was not for sale so I dragged my friends all over the Islands looking for the place that sold them - the obsession had begun!