Fish and a bagful of ribbons

It's been a funny few days. I must've eaten something that disagreed with me on Sunday as I've felt under the weather for days, and been moping around with a face like a wet weekend. I've done a bit of stitching here and there, working on these two pieces of needlepoint. Both destined to end up as spectacle cases and, when I eventually finish 'em, go in my Etsy shop. Speaking of which, I've been making another embroidered fabric cuff, this one narrower than the previous effort. The idea being to make a kit to go in the shop, all you need to make a cuff including embroidery thread, beads, sequins and so on.

I've assembled the packs, but now have to write out the instructions, which for me is the tricky part. Writing clear, straightforward instructions that are easily understood is a skill in itself. I really enjoyed selecting the material to go in the kits, and it was the ideal occupation for someone who didn't want to move far off the sofa.

Though I did feel okay enough today to trundle along to the supermarket, of course calling into a charity shop on the way. Picked up another bargain book for the To-Be-Read pile. (Am currently engrossed in S.J. Parris 'Treachery. Strapline: 'In Elizabeth's England there is no greater crime.' Set in 1585, and treachery there certainly is. It's a page-turner alright.) I also unearthed another bargain, £1.49 for a bag of ribbons and trimming. Love the shocking pink and especially that Indian style trim at the base of the picture. There was also a vintage tape measure in the bag, softened by age and constant handling. I like the notion of incorporating that, or lengths of it, into some slow stitching. I don't need it for practical purposes as a tape measure. I've at least two modern ones, plus several quilt rulers, but I'd like to give it a second life somehow.

Can't think of much else to tell you, except I've been seeing on Facebook previews for a new film, Olivia Colman in 'Wicked Little Letters', about a scandal over poison pen letters in 1920s Sussex. It looks like it'll be a cracker. Anything you're looking forward to with film or TV? I can always use a decent recommendation.

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Sari scraps, PVA, a couple of books and a necklace

I'm typing this as snow's falling, and has been steadily all day. It's not settling to any great extent, though I bet by tomorrow morning the paths will be slippery with ice. Which always makes me paranoid about falling over and at the very least looking undignified, but at worst breaking a bone or twisting an ankle. Oh well, it's ideal weather to stay inside and craft, isn't it? I finally got around to listing packs of sari scraps on Etsy this morning. I only made up six bundles as I've no clue whether they'll sell or if I've set a reasonable enough price point. Time will tell. This is a link to the listing, if you're interested. This vaguely pink fabric isn't from one of my Etsy packs. It's from a bit of experimenting I was doing yesterday. I'd seen a post on Instagram showing how a DIY version of batik could be done without using hot wax. The Instagrammer used PVA instead, and I wanted to try this out....

In praise of wool

Just a quick post today. I'm offering you a short but peaceful break from the overwhelmingness (is that a word?) of Christmas. By now you've probably eaten your bodyweight in sweets//roast potatoes/pigs in blankets/cake/After Eights ... whatever your festive indulgences are. You're under-exericsed, over-stimulated, feeling broke and possibly guilty about an argument with a relative or friend you've never entirely got on with. So, here's something to take your mind off all that. I've two videos to refresh and revive, and they both concern wool. Interesting fact. Well, I found it interesting. About 1% - yup, one per cent - of the world's textiles are made of wool. Out of curiosity, I also googled how much is made of cotton. That's higher, but it's only about 24% and that's heading downward instead of up. Synthetic fibres are the bulk of all textile manufacture. Anyway, back to woolly wonders. My firs...

Another week's flown by ...

Saturday's rolled around again, and it's not been the most eventful of days. Cleaning and hoovering, a walk to the shops to buy groceries, an hour on the allotment, then home to do some odd tasks in the garden. The strawberry plants are sending out runners, so I've been dealing with those, plus deadheading the perennial sunflowers, and cutting back the gone-over flowers on the sage and marjoram. I'm sad to see those blooms gone as the bees loved them. This afternoon I spent a few hours finishing 'Dawnlands' by Philippa Gregory. It's a really good book, a page turner where you care about the characters and want to be reassured everything's going to work out well for them. Plus you become enraged about the corruption of the so-called justice system at the time of the Stuart kings and queens, about transportation of prisoners to the West Indies, and about the vile nature of the sugar trade in the 1600s and the vast profits made from it....

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