{quilt} while you're ahead

64//2012

Do you ever buy a book because you like the cover?

Yup, me too.

And sometimes I buy biscuits because of the tin.

145/2011

On Friday, after finishing my first knitting club of the year at school and feeling in need of a bit of 'down-time' (the two are strictly related, by the way) I decided to visit a local charity shop.

A small green pressed glass vase caught my eye.  I thought it might just be the right place to store a small bunch of vintage knitting needles.

The label called it a 'celery vase' (apparently "in the olden days" - as the boys say, people used to keep straight sides vases with celery sticks kept fresh by an inch or so of water out in the kitchen, as ready snack throughout the day.  Must have been before KitKat were invented...)

After a little research I found out that it's not a celery vase at all.

It was produced by a company called 'Bagley Glass'.  They ceased production of this type of glass in 1946.

Some websites call it Uranium glass because it glows bright green close to a light source.

I even found a picture of this exact vase here.

Don't you just love the history of small things?

125/2011

We can't talk about Stockholm without talking about design...

The National Museum has a permanent collection about Swedish Design (1900-2000)

and although I wanted more (I still can't believe that a country like Sweden doesn't actually have a design museum per se)

it was completely fantabulous and interesting and inspiring

Especially the textiles samples.

Just perfect.

(isn't this the most perfect of rugs?)

Another 'delicious' place was a shop full of hundreds types of glasses and cups and plates and jars and other wonderful house items.  Mr M and I walked for miles every day and just fell into the shop by accident..

I could have bought everything...

These gorgeous Gustavsber cups perhaps?

 

 or how about a set of jars? Shame I don't have room for them...everywhere I looked there were treasures

This coffee set from my favourite designer, Stig Lindbery took my breath away.

Sigh.

we spent ages in there, and the owner was lovely and knowledgeable and didn't mind me taking lots and lots of pictures

(blue china, Alice this is for you)

 

We did leave eventually...

but not without purchasing something!

 

My heart skips a beat whenever I look at it. (which is every minute I'm in the kitchen.  And I'm in the kitchen a lot).

 

* 59 * ** tea towel **

Today's post not only is - again - random, but it is sponsored by the Italian Football team (soccer for you across the pond) after all the Football World Cup Final is coming up shortly and we wouldn't want you to start cheering for the wrong team, right? 

So lesson 1.  Let's looks at the colours of the Italian national Flag:

GREEN

 

green for the verdant grassy fields

 

WHITE

 

white for the snow capped Alps

 

RED

 

Red for the blood spilled by those who died defending their country.

BUT of course when it comes to sport Italy plays in 'sky blue'.  The colour of the  'Azzurri''s (the Blue Ones) distinctive shirt is enough to instil terror in the minds of football players all over the world - I'm playing a mind game here, stay with me.  It's kind of like a marketing campaign...)

 

plate weaving by No 2

 

and by me

(Idea 'taken' from here)

And there you go, geography, sport, food, crochet and weaving... have a good weekend!

* 45 *

As I was approaching the traffic light (on red) a parking space appeared as if by magic in front of the charity shop.

I parked.

I saw.

I saw some more.

I bought.

I got back into the car.

Green light.
 
 And that ladies (and gentlemen, are there any gentlemen out there? hello?) is how it's done.

* 42 *

Did you know it's almost Easter?

Why didn't you tell me?  Call yourself a friend?

If I don't hurry my kids will be left without chocolate and that is ground for mutiny around here. 

They will rebel, they'll stage a coup...

Today I will therefore be brief, I just want to mention this website: www.postcrossing.com.

It's great, if you like me, love (and always have) receiving 'real' mail then this is for you.  It's basically a world wide postcard swap.  You register your details, request up to 5 addresses at a time and send them postcards.  In turn you will receive 5 postcards from 5 different people all over the world... when your postcards have been registered (you must write the special code you're given) you can start again...

So far I received postcards from Finland, Hungary and China... I'm sure the postman is scratching his head wondering what's going on... but it's great fun.  It brings you back to the days of having a pen-pal... did you have one? Wasn't it great?

The next thing I'm quietly obsessing about is this set of tableware:

 

It's Danish  (www.normann-copenhagen.com) and it's called Mormor which means grandma - even the name is gorgeous!! 

oh my oh my.  Isn't it simply perfect?

it's in the little things

An easy Sunday.

Mr M is in New York on business.  When we visited together we bought this painting

(Jaberwocki, by Peter Ostuni)

I love the patchwork of colours and the mistery creature hiding inside.

The boys are in the kitchen.  Behind the tapping of my computer keys I can hear No 1 slaying enemies on the computer - he's a child of our time through and through; I can hear the other two discussing the fate of a cardboard box and miles of sticky tape being ripped from the dispenser - I daren't think what might be created, but I've been banned from the kitchen for a while.  I might regret agreeing to this.

I came into my studio with great intentions of tidying up but I got distracted...

by the pattern and colours of a vinyl coat hanger 

for which I have no use but I couldn't resist.

By this potholder I just finished

 

which reminds me of the ones my mum had when I was younger.  Strange how certain small things can stick to your conscious mind for so long.

It's raining, we've got a cinema trip booked for later. With popcorn.

I's in the small stuff, people.  Have a good Sunday.
 

'therapy'

It's been a challenging week around here.  One of those weeks that makes you question your ability as a mother.  One of those weeks that makes you questions your decisions, your words, your actions.

Nothing major happened.  Just boys being boys, children being children. Just a long chain of small incidents that collectively, in one short week aquired the strenght of an hurrican and that have left me drained and breathless and full of self doubt.

It'll be fine.  We'll be fine. We are fine, better already.

We welcome the weekend with open arms and a full teapot...

because my new china tea cups are waiting.

Today in between 'incidents' I treated myself to some shallow retail therapy at the local charity shop.

 Two small china cups beautifully shaped, delicately painted and...

perfectly balanceable on a gorgeous tower of new books.

'Therapy' at its best.
 

T

'T' is for tomatoes (the only ones that survived the wet summer and various bugs)

'T' is for tyding up (my window sill has never looked prettier)

 

'T' is for typewriter (found for almost nothing in a charity shop - the boys love it)

'T' is for time and trends and teeth and trousers and tank tops (I must have been about 8yrs old... and I was already crafting away.... check out the dodgy needlepoint, it was a chicken and I remember it very well...)

Till next time...

treasure

We'd just been to the beach for the day.  W ewere hot and slightly sunburned. Our skin felt tight for the salt water and the kids were tired and picking at each other.  We wanted to be home.

But then we saw this:

and how could we not stop?

It wasn't cheap but there were bargains if you looked carefully; we seriously considered shipping this 50s baby home

I could have been Doris Day and Mr M could have been Rock Hudson... oh those movies...

Anyway, I did find something though and I was glad to see it worked perfectly

no more knotted skeins on chair backs

no more bribing children with sweets to get them to hold their arms out for hours on end

and most importantly of all, no more procrastinating the next big crochet project

Now if you'll excuse me... I've got work to do...