A long walk and a good book

I spent the morning cleaning, then stitching, so a long walk was called for. A circuit of about an hour's brisk walking around my favourite haunt, the local RSPB reserve.

There were plenty of twitchers about, as well as people just enjoying a stroll, dodging the muddy puddles and the occasional cyclists and horseriders.

Back home I'm getting stuck into a Kate Atkinson novel. I'm only a few chapters in, but it's already a terrific read and I'm loving the notorious Nellie Coker. The book's called 'Shrines of Gaiety' and is set in 1926, a world of dancing girls and seemingly glamorous nightclubs, but also of a seedy criminal underworld and people traumatised by the impact of the so-called Great War.

The other thing I've done today is start experimenting with eco-printing. I've seen various crafty types on YouTube produce lovely looking eco-printed material, so it was about time I tried the technique out. Not 100% sure I've done it correctly or what the result will be, but I've used a mix of red and brown onions skins, and a few fig leaves too.

I used an upcycled piece of white cotton, plus rusty water that'd had a bit of metal soaking in it. Bundling everything up, I secured it with a combination of string and elastic bands, and added more water

I'll leave this murky looking bowl somewhere out of the way, and resist the temptation to unwrap it for at least two or three weeks. Fingers crossed it turns out to have taken the colours of the skins and leaves.

Finally, I spent a few minutes on another page of the book '365 Days of Creativity'. I had to make swatches of my chosen colour palette, as well as turn three circles of orange/brown into something or other. I simply added what look like tiny petals to each of the circles, was debating how to tart them up even further, then decided that actually I liked the simplicity of these minimal marks. As to my colour palette, I think my tastes incline to the red/purple/pink side of the colour wheel, and I love jewel-like colours. Ruby, cranberry, amethyst, blackberry, raspberry, plus the metallics like gold, as well as amber and citrine. I used to be unsure about what colours I really liked, then I took a look at my wardrobe. Specifically the pashmina style scarves I've amassed. All the jewel-like colours are there. Minimalist greige, taupe and bland are not for me!

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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. The glue's su

HOW TO MAKE: these decorative birds

I suggested yesterday that I'd run through how to make a fabric bird wall or window hanging (can't think of a snappier title for it than that!) so here goes. I'll start with the first decorative hanging I made. It's something you could make in any colour combination you want, and would look good hanging at a window with translucent beads that'd catch the light I used five birds for this, but you could make it longer if you prefer. (Incidentally, if you're wondering about what's hanging off the bottom on this, it's a metal Christmas decoration, shaped like a lantern. For some reason I thought it looked appropriate to leave it there, looped over the end.) WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO GATHER TOGETHER: Assorted scraps of fabric for the front of the birds - aim for a mix of colours and textures. Silk looks good, as does anything with embroidery or intricate patterns. You might aim for a hippy-ish boho look, or maybe you're more the minimal Scandi

What are you watching? Part One

Another cold, bright day, and I spent the morning indoors, reluctantly dragging a vacuum cleaner around before getting down to the nicer task of adding wadding to the back of this patchwork. Backing fabric's now tacked on, and it's ready to be stitched. I also squeezed in some reading. I'm currently immersed in 'Transcription' by ever-excellent Kate Atkinson, who can be relied upon for a well-written book. The book I recently finished - hmm, not so good. I'd fancied a lightweight cosy crime, something easy, quick to read, and picked 'A Pen dipped in Poison' by J.M. Hall. Oh my, I've never come across a story in which so many people sigh. Characters sighing all over the place! There's a fair amount of frowning too, and one character is constantly depicted as stirring a cup of coffee, supposedly to indicate thoughtfulness. Seriously, if I was in a coffee shop with her I'd be snatching that spoon out of her hand and yelling 'For go

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