Daisies, ribbons and even more seed packets!

Rain fell for a sizeable part of the day, so gardening and allotmenting were put aside.  I did venture out to take a few photos of the garden.  These Mexican daisies are everywhere, blooming away like crazy.  The lemon verbena is doing well, and smells heavenly.  Such a fresh sharp scent.  You can't resist brushing your hand against the leaves as you pass by.  

The thyme's covered in little flowers attracting busy bees, the purple of the verbena looks wonderful against the mustardy yellow of the dill with its plentiful umbels.  There's the vibrant sunshine yellow of the rudbeckia, the flagrant orange of crocosmia ... a garden, however imperfect, is a blessing, isn't it?  

I popped into town for some groceries, and managed a quick rummage in a charity shop too.  Picked up this signed copy of 'Tidelands' by Philippa Gregory - I do love a hefty hardback book with a nice dust jacket- as well as a few crafty supples.  Four rolls of ribbon, a little sewing kit with pre-threaded needles and these sheets of pearlised adhesive paper.  That bundle set me back a grand total of £2.57.  A bargain, wouldn't you say?  Ribbons are always useful for adding a flourish to present wrapping, and the white and yellow ones are particularly pretty.  

The other thing I did today was to continue my experiments with gelli printing, which is getting totally addictive.  More seed packets were assembled.  

I particularly liked the colour combinations of these two pieces, so stuck 'em in my 'quilt ideas' notebook, where I collect photos and quick sketches and thoughts about quilts I'd like to make in future.  I'd love to get some fabric paints and translate these colours and patterns into cloth.  I love the raspberry colour on the left, and the blackberry purple with the sludgy green on the right.  I can imagine quilting stitches being used to sew around the circular shapes caused by the bubble wrap, making the surface of the quilt resemble the original bubble wrap itself.  

Not sure if it'd work, but I'd love a mixture of fabrics in such a quilt - silky material that's printed on, alongside the smooth luxury of velvet.  Rich sumptuous shades.  Jewel-like colours.  Wouldn't that be something?  

 

Seed packets and books

Sunday evening has rolled around again, and is it me or is there an autumnal feel in the air?  Maybe it's the grey sky and intermittent rain that's making me think this way.  After all, there's still plenty of summer left ... isn't there?  

Over the last few days I've been deadheading and tidying the allotment and garden, and sewing a few more blocks for my second Chris English style scrappy quilt.  I managed the odd trawl around a charity shop, and picked up a couple of books, including this handsome hardback of 'The City of Tears'.  Only to later realise I already had the paperback version sat on my bookshelf.  Never mind, I'm sure I can easily find another home for one of the two copies.  

I used some of my gelli printed papers to make seed packets.  All ready for the seeds I've been collecting while deadheading the astrantia, catananche and assorted flowers.  I printed a few more pieces of mainly A5 sized paper today.  They'll soon be folded and glued to make packets too.  

I made patterns on the paper using yet more bubble wrap and poppy seed heads, and achieved some nice effects from masking off areas of the pages, which is particularly effective with the yellow and brown piece.  I've several feathers I've picked up while out walking, so want to use those for pattern making too, though some feathers have beautiful markings and I'm reluctant to spoil them.  

Anyway, that's all for now.  I'm going to catch up on the cricket highlights and binge watch another 'Borgen' on the iplayer.  

 

Wednesday book review and more gelli printing

 

I've been playing with gelli printing again today.  The photos show various experiments with mark making and layering colours.  I'm hoping to use most of these as covers for small, simply made notebooks.  

I used a dried poppy seed head as a kind of stamp, as well as using more bubble wrap.  Doesn't the seed head make a pretty shape?  

I managed to pick up several copies of today's free Metro newspaper while I was out buying groceries, so that'll come in handy as printing is a mucky old business.  It also makes you look at everything anew.  I was rummaging through the recycling bag in the kitchen, thinking I can use an empty yoghurt pot to make a circular pattern on the gelli plate.  Also, things like cardboard - the sort that looks corrugated - will be useful for linear patterns.  

It's been a busy day, what with shopping and a spell on the allotment, and I still need to wrap some birthday presents, pay the credit card bill and tidy up my sitting room which looks like a bomb's hit it.  But - as it's Wednesday - I need to do my book review.  

Okay, today's craft book up for consideration is 'Quiltessential' by Erin Burke-Harris.  

It's not a newly published book, having been out since 2013, so if you want to buy a copy you're likely to find it second hand or in a library.  The book's main quality is that it's comprehensive and gets back-to-basics.  

You can see from these content pages that you're taken through what you need to know about quilting, from how to tell your calico from your linen, your velveteen from your voile.  There are sections on making quilt blocks, sashing and borders, binding, making your quilt 'sandwich', as well as featured textile artists such as Anna Maria Horner and Blair Stocker.  

The book's layout is clear and appealing, with lots and lots of colour photographs.  It's both a practical reference book and an inspiration book you can dip into every now and then.  

I'd recommend this book to beginners mainly, but experienced quilters can find plenty in it to enjoy too.  

Okay, I hope that's been useful.  Now, I'd better prise myself off the sofa before I take root.  I'll get some practical things done, then later on treat myself to another episode of 'Borgen' on the iplayer.  Small pleasures, eh?  

No, not jelly to eat. Gelli to print.

Guess what I bought myself recently?  Yup, a gelli printing pad.  One of those flexible jelly-like squidgy oblongs that provides a really good surface from which to print.  I bought a brayer too - a roller that you use to spread out the paint - and some inexpensive tubes of acrylics.  I've watched two or three YouTube videos about how to spread the paint - thinly - and about how to add texture to your prints and layer on the colour and pattern.  

I've discovered the joys of bubble wrap!  It creates a very effective pattern, almost like a honeycomb.  

I'm on the look-out for other things I can use to add texture - sage leaves, ferns, flower heads - even scrunched up paper or a natural sponge.  Sewing is taking a back seat right now.  I'm enjoying playing with my new toys too much!!!

 

Flowers, flowers and more flowers. Oh, and rain. Plenty of rain.

My first visit to Tatton Park Flower Show was on Saturday, and it was a great day out.  Despite at times heavy rain and mud underfoot.  There were plenty of clued up people at the show who'd arrived prepared, presumably having visited before, and I envied their sensible wellies and waterproofs.  But it didn't matter as there were lots of floral displays undercover to admire and covet.  

The show cemented in my mind how much I love the English cottage garden look, a seemingly artless but actually highly accomplished mix of colours and scents.  Lots of white, pink, pale purples.  Tall salvias and exuberant echinacea.  Eye catching eremurus, the perfect spheres of aliums.  

I tried to concentrate on taking pictures of what I liked and what I intend to grow myself, though didn't always manage to get the label with the plant's name included in the shot.  

If I'd money to spare I'd have bought masses of plants.  As it was I'm making plans in my head for elaborate, well planned flower borders for next summer.  That's the joy of gardening, isn't you?  There's always another year in which to get things right!  

Yes, I absolutely love echinacea.  I've learnt that it's so important for the pollinators to have different shapes of flowers to feed from.  These open daisy shapes, the bell-like flowers of foxgloves and hollyhocks, the intricacies of verbena bonariensis and the up-turned umbrella shapes of yarrow and fennel.  

When we weren't admiring the plant display and show gardens, we were sitting down to a very fancy afternoon tea.  Scones with cream and jam, posh cakes and delicious sandwiches, plus a couple of glasses of champagne.  Who needs sunshine when you've a classic cream tea?  

Though I may need to lose a few pounds before my weigh-in at slimming club on Thursday!  Anyway, today - an equally rainy Sunday - was spent recovering from all that scoffing and walking.  I recently treated myself to a gelli plate, brayer and some acrylic paints.  Which means I'm listening to podcasts and doodling nature inspired motifs, so I can experiment with hand printing.  I want to make some cards, maybe gift wrap, and - if I buy fabric paint - to print on plain fabric and hem that to make tea towels.  I've got a copy of Lotta Jandotter's 'Lotta Prints' book to give me ideas and practical info on how to print successfully.  Perhaps I'll get stuck into that tomorrow.  

Well, that's the last of the photos.  Hope you liked them.  I'd absolutely recommend a visit to Tatton Park, though take my advice.  Wellies and waterproofs!  You know it makes sense.  





 

A good read? 'Visible Mending'

I thought I'd do some book reviews, specifically of craft books as they're often expensive to buy, being full of colour illustrations and usually unlikely to trouble the bestseller lists or turn up on supermarket shelves at cut prices.  So having a feel for whether you want to spend your hard earned money on a book is needed, and I always appreciate an honest review.  

I've quite a collection of craft books, some bought second hand but many new.  Treats for myself or ones I've been given as presents.  But I'll start with one that's borrowed from the library.  It's 'Visible Mending' by Arounna Khounnoraj.  It's subtitled 'Repair, reuse, renew the clothes you love' which gives you a pretty good idea of where this book's going.  

The book's divided into sections on what sewing tools to use, how to do basic mending techniques using applique, sashiko, darning, dyeing, printing... and more.  Also, a decent sized section on projects, with things you can mend or make from scratch.  

But firstly, why?  Why should you bother mending things when it's easy and cheap to chuck something out - especially clothing - and simply replace it?  Here's an explanation that stuck with me.  In a quoted study by academics, about urban consumption, 

' ... it was suggested that reducing our clothing purchases to eight new items a year would cut supply chain waste by 50% and achieve climate change goals in the textile industry by the year 2050.  And if you're up for a real challenge and you reduce your purchases to three new items per year, that would cut supply chain waste by 75%.'  

That's quite something, huh?  It got me thinking about the last time I bought brand new clothes, and what I purchased.  Though the vast majority of my clothing comes from charity (thrift) shops, I do buy new when it comes to leggings, undies, socks and camisole style tee shirts.  How many of those were cheap-as-chips, won't last that long, Primark style products?  Worn until they get tatty, then binned?

We all need to buy less brand new stuff.  Buy better quality.  And mend!  Re-introduce ourselves to skills our grandmas or great grandmas took for granted.  So this book's a practical guide, and a good looking book too, with lots of clear illustrations, photographs and several templates to copy.  

Okay, let's go through the book in more detail.  After a brief look at the basic tools you'll need - nothing too fancy or pricey - there are examples of the stitches you'll be using.  Simple drawings and straightforward instructions are given for topstitching, tacking, backstitch, whipstitch, slipstitch and blanket stitch.  You're shown how to sew on a button and make a double hem.  Then it's on to essential mending techniques.  Among other skills, you'll learn darning weave with seed stitches, also the basics of needle felting and patching.  Small sections follow on dyeing and block printing before the book moves on to the mending projects.  

Featured are: extensive repairs to a pair of blue denim jeans; pretty appliqued butterflies on a moth eaten top; visible woven darning on a cardie that'd also been the victim of those pesky moths.  There're repairs to the heels of socks and knitted mittens, also a patched up tweedy jacket and a men's shirt.  A beret repaired with needlefelting; some very cute embroidery-on-felt patches; embroidered flowers on a dress and mittens; a block printed sweatshirt.  

There are also projects where you upcycle fabric to make 'new' items.  A practical and pretty sashiko sewing booklet, for storing your needles, scissors and threads.  A loop scarf and a patch cushion, a patchwork envelope pouch, also a useful and sturdy looking bucket bag.  There's an appliqued cushion and an indigo dyed quilt, and finally some 'wearable art' with stitched fabric necklaces.  

You can see from that list there's lots in this book, and you're bound to find something you want to sew.  Personally I plan on making the sewing booklet and the bucket bag, and have at least one pure wool jumper that's in need of darning because elbows or cuffs have got threadbare.  

I've already placed an order for this book from an online supplier as it's a keeper.  A great mix of practical techniques and ideas to inspire you.  Some craft books are so slight, you get to the end of them and think 'is that it?'.  The book goes on a shelf and barely gets opened again, or else it finds its way to the charity shop.  But 'Visible Mending' is heavy on content, and what's included is good quality, well presented and, I think, worth the purchase price.  

Well, that's my first book review, imperfect as my prose is.  I'm hoping to get into the habit of producing a review every Wednesday, regular as clockwork.  Let's see how that works out, shall we?  

Slow stitch Sunday and more bees

The hollyhocks are blooming lovely.  Sugary pink petals and big fat bees who've even taken to sleeping inside a flower to ensure they can feed the moment they wake up.  

The butterflies are loving the marjoram.  I think this is a Small Tortoiseshell.  

In the last few days I've managed another jaunt to the charity shop.  I bought an L K Bennet dress and an ASOS top.  The dress is too tight for me, it's a tailored size 10 so not surprising.  It's headed for my fabric stash.  However, the top I'll wear.  Weirdly, it's a size 14 and - despite the baggy kind of style - it's tight on me, especially around the wrists.  Fashion brands need to standardise sizing, don't they?  

Anyway, on to crafty stuff.  I've been making a bag recently.  Just a big roomy shopper.  I've pieced the outer part of the bag, and am still stitching the handle, then I'll find a suitable material for the lining.  

It's a mix of new and upcycled material, and I'll post pictures once it's completed.  Also - I seem to have a thing about bags lately - I had the urge to make a little slow stitch project, a drawstring bag for keeping odds & ends in.  

As with the blue bag, it's a mix of new and upcycled.  I decided on soft colours, muted plain shades, then mixed it up by impulsively adding the green patterned fabric.  A print that I really love and am eeking out a fat quarter of it, using it sparingly.  There's a Fifties kind of vibe to the print with the dots and splodges, don't you think?  

I pieced and appliqued and stitched until it somehow felt 'right'.  

I don't usually go for novelty prints, but I really liked these doggies, so lined the bag with this.  

I had a length of grey cord which was useful instead of a ribbon for the drawstring.  Couldn't find any beads to thread on to it, so I improvised with winding cotton thread around and around the ends of the cord to prettify it.  (Making those reminded me of having hair wraps years ago.  Those hippie style, brightly coloured wraps that were made using Superglue!  They had to be cut out once you got tired of 'em.)

What do you think?  Now I'm wondering whether to finish the blue bag or read a few more pages of 'Hamnet', the Maggie O'Farrell book that I'm halfway through and is superb.  Or maybe an evening stroll around the neigbourhood, work off a few calories?  

Decisions, decisions ... 







 

Always another quilt to finish ...

The last of the binding has been attached and I finally get to call this improv quilt finished.  It's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but making it taught me a lot about making curves in patchwork, and about applique.  Also, about being brave / reckless and being prepared to do something drastic if a quilt just isn't 'working'.  In this case I literally chopped the thing up and rearranged it as I wasn't satisfied with how I'd put it together.  Rearranging the pieces left me with a smaller quilt than I'd originally planned, but a better quilt, for all its faults.  

The material I chose for the backing fabric was a wee bit too small, so had to be patched up to make it fit.

The extra section in a similar grey isn't so noticeable, but the bright green is!  I like the randomness of adding that little square.  

When I wasn't occupied with sewing I managed an hour on the allotment, collecting raspberries and deadheading the calendula, and a trip to the charity shop too.  

The dress is a size 10, so I'm not sure if it'll fit.  My clothes seem to range from a highly improbable 8 right through to a more realistic 12, so it's pot luck when I buy something as to whether I'll get into it.  The numbers on clothes labels seem pretty meaningless, don't they?  It all depends on the clothing brand.  Some have a generous cut, others are less so.  Anyway, this secondhand dress only cost two quid, and it's lovely fabric.  So if it doesn't fit I'll happily chop it up to add to my fabric stash.

The book by Elizabeth Bowen is a collection of short stories.  I've read various novels of hers in the past and enjoyed them, and hopefully these stories will be equally good.  

Now that improv quilt's finished I can return to this partly-completed mini quilt.  It needs binding added and - this might be over optimistic - but I'd originally had the notion that I'd embroider it.  Lots of leaves and flowers and hares.  Yup, hares.  That's because my starting point for making this, and for the colour choices, was a drawing in a childrens book about the tortoise and the hare.  The book's illustrated by Brian Wildsmith, and I wanted to embroider golden coloured hares among lush foliage.  However, I've only got as far as a few leaves and stems as my embroidery skills are basic.  

Time to watch some YouTube videos on how to embroider, and to browse Instagram, don't you think? 

 

Another slow stitch Sunday

I had to start with this picture of a handsome butterfly as the marjoram on the allotment was positively alive with bees and butterflies today.  Masses of them happily feeding away in the sunshine.  The ground is beautifully damp after recent rainfall, and I did an hour's pottering around before picking more raspberries and heading home, back aching.  

Having dead headed some flowers in the front garden I got on with a slow stitch Sunday project.  

I'd recently borrowed a book called 'Creative Collage' by Clare Youngs from the local library, and love the artist's bold graphic style.  She shows how to make various paper & card collages, including one idea for creating gift tags.  I wanted to try translating that into fabric.  I chose neutral colours.  White and different shades of grey, and made sure I used different textures for extra interest.  

At first I thought I'd cut out label shaped pieces of white card, then glue the textile 'labels' on to them.  But then I veered off in another direction.  Cutting out squares of a pale grey cotton that, once ironed and trimmed to size, will be 6 inch squares.  I'm appliqueing on to each as-yet-untrimmed square.

I'm not sure yet what these squares will be used for, but I may sew more of 'em and see where that takes me.